Dara Happans
Greg Stafford often depicts Yelmite Dara Happans as the opposite of
Orlanthi culture (See Wyrm's Footprint: Cosmic Kingship) So IMO, on the
contrary of Heortling Orlanthi, they have opposite idea about Heroquest and
Herodom, (and difficulty for Adventurer=Quester setting except "spooky"
Lunars) So few of Dara Happans initiate and / or devote to their gods, ant I
think most important secret of mythology for Hero Questing is hidden in
varieties of Cult as RW Oriental Esoteric Cults before Zoroastrian and / or
Muslim Monotheism. Anaxialian Emperors are good for HQ with their
occupations of appropriate mythologies.
What the most difficult thing to do with Pelorian Mythologies with Greg Stafford's work for this area is the most of his writings about it is not for game purpose, and Greg wrote Pelorian Trilogy as a way of his inner explanation to his own Fantasy World aside from other publications for other areas....(King of Sartar is a preceding attempt for similar purpose to Sartar Orlanthi, and I can call it as a similar experimient) But what is worse, these writings are not written by modern Glorantha Authors, and needless to say about Nick Brooks's Subjectivity and Objectivity Debate, we don't have method to analyze the origin of each mythologies and process of creation of these tales as a RW parallels, except as a character and narrators (game masters) for each campaigns.
And Dara Happa is always in a sense a center of traffic and culture on the contrary of decentralized and long isolated in Dragon Pass Heortlings, and its mythology has a "flexibility" to other Dara Happa dominated areas like Darjiini, Ariri, Kostaddite, Native Jarra, Rinliddian, Pelandan, etc...aside from their propaganda of their pureness of their culture. You can choose materialist or mystic's Point of view for Pelolian Mythological System, and if you can do so, Dara Happan Mythologies are "changed / consumed / eclectisized" several times by conquerors.
Traditional DH and Lunarized DH
GROY: written by Plentonius (GROY p.2)
Yelmgatha's List: Found in the Library of Alkoth, FS depends on it as a
source. (FS p.5)
War of the Many Suns (GROY p.26, FS p.9, 95)
Darjiin (SurEnslib, Manimat, Yestendos, Moonboat) versus Alkoth Shargash of Dara Happa) is another important factor for understanding the "difference".
Shargash Reign (GROY p.36) and Attack of Eleventh to Raibanth (FS p.10) If you are a resident of Raibanth, the end of your city = the end of the world.
Yelm's ReAscent
Khordavu's Enthronement (GROY p.60)
or Sunstop? (FS p.20)
Anirestyu
Stupid (Lists before FS, see latter pages of FS appendix p.91and Greg's
History
of DH Army) vs Martyr, Lord of War (FS p. 23 Lunarized POV)
<<Anirestyu is one of the worst emperors ever to rule Dara Happa. His faults have been variously attritued to his father's idiocy, bad prayer diction, bad planetary allignment, Antirius having blinked, his sexual habits, his eating habits, his preference for literature instead of prayer, and his mother's toiletry habits. Everything that he did was a failure and so the enemy army marched into Dara Hapa. He couldn't even dfend Nysalor - perhaps he even betrayed the good god to the enemy.
Knowledgable People Know This, too
Everything that "everyone knows" is a lie concocted to explain what happened
to the empire to make it fall.
The Fortunate Succession reveals a more sympathetic view.>>
*Antirian Judgement (See also some parts about Jarani's Lawstaff)
GROY p.44:
"Today Antirius is the god who delivers judgement to everyone. ~Yet each
worshipper is warned: "Be cautious of praying to Antirius, for his Judgement
is Final, and he knows more than you do." His execution of Justice may not
satisfy the petitioner, but the petitioner must accept it as the divine
wisdom and gradeur which it is, even if it's beyond his mortal
understanding."
*Hill of Gold Quest
As far as I know, this myth came to famous as a four Great Gods of Glorantha
(Orlanth , Yelmalio, Zorak Zoran and Inora) in the Early Set of Glorantha.
Vanyoramet (see my squibble about Yelmalio and Hill of Gold)
But in Dara Happa and Tale about the Battle of Night and Day told that
Daysenerus is its name as a messenger God of Antirius. I should not cling to
my own self-styled view to Yelmalio as a Martyr / Scapegoat.
*Descending to Hell
As you know, Yelm (or Murharzarm?) was once killed Orlanth and descended to
Hell (during this way, he was attacked several times by Sea Gods: see Wyrm's
Footprint) And if someone of Dara Happans want to use this status to
confront Dejigelms from Hell (Trolls) The Questor might lost something
(struck by Barbarians) for defeating Trolls.
*Deluge and Wandering of Anaxial
I don't think I should mention about too many of variations for the RW
Mythologies about Flood, and there are too many analyses and theses for this
mythology, in GROY, Flood occured for destroying "Only sinners." and you can
see how you can test the pureness of your subjects by this trial. (IMHO,
Dara Happan Style Hero Quest is such kind of grim attempt to the trial for
Ego and Self of participants and losing something (and getting pureness) for
their community. This is my humble opinion.
*Arrow of Lukarius and demons of Blue Moon
I think this mythology (In Enclosure Fanzine) is not so welcomed by Lunar
Officials, and you might already have noticed, there is a scar over the Red
Moon by an arrow.(See Tales of the Reaching Moon #16, the Face of the Red
Moon by Greg Stafford) In my opinion, some aspects of Shargash and Lukarius
are propitiated by Lunar Empire rather than worshipped, and some memories
like Jannisor Rebellion and the Attempt of Dara-Ni confederation are
cautiously limited by Lunar Religious System.
*River Conqueror Murharzarm
River Oslir is the main artery of the heart of Lunar Empire and Dara Happa,
and through its patriarchal system to river control, I think each overseers
of Dara Happa concern greatly the condition of the River. And as a Ancient
Babylonian Sacred Kings, city governors
*Summon of the Other (Summon of Evil KODP? Find Absolute Enemy for
Malkioni?)
I have scarcely used "Summon of Evil" Ritual in the actual playing time of
KODP
(except few time to be warlike and want to kill some non-humans, but elves
and deluge are not worth for trying...) what is the purpose of it? Ancestors
want us to do so?
I think the ritual summoning one's potential rival is very important for Dara Happan Cosmology. You cannot see your "Other".
You can call it weakness of Dara Happans, Orlanthi. But do you truly believe pureness inside pollution? And do you truly think Orlanth is stronger than Yelm because he killed Murharzarm?
See GROY Ivory Edition p. 52.
...the demigod Avivath came among them. He was visible by the masses, but
only barely by the guards. He was visible to two of the Ten Princes, but not
to Khordavu. Thus Khoravu was deemed to be the most high and worthy of all
of them.
See also Nick Brooke's Tale:
http://www.btinternet.com/~Nick_Brooke/folktale/nocloths.htm
That is the factor which induces mysticism to Dara Happan Culture, (I can't say Mysticism is deemed of by "original Dara Happans.) on the contrary of Heortlings who have induced "systematized" Mysticism into their pragmatic culture only through Draconic method.
If you want to know more about it, see about Murharzarm vs Kuzkurtum? Rebellus Terminus, Nysalor Osentalka vs Arkat Kragfils, TakenEgi vs Sheng Seleris, Shargash: Palangio Iron Vrok vs Harmast Barefoot and Vargast Redhand vs Lokamayadon from many articles of Glorantha. (Sorry, maybe I don't have time to refer the accurate locations for these texts.)
*Living City
While Orlanthi Societies round the minor scale communites like each Tula /
Clan, Dara Happans used to be a part of a city, in my opinion, there are
independence of each cities through each overseers, and sometimes it resist
agaonst the autocracy of emperors. If some one can "Incarnate as a City
God", I think this is similar to self sacrifice to each city god as a
Shargashi do for their own god. (See Shargash Cult Writeup of Enclosure.)
*Ten Tests
IMO Some Tests can be used for getting appropriate power rather than
original aim to this Magical Ritual (Quest) as the Questors of Vanak Spear
can attempt to gain minor power than Powerful and Doomed Vanak Spear (Jeff
Ricard) See GROY for detail.
And for Dara Happans, "Ten Bad Emperors are better than none." (Glorantha: Introduction to HW) See also Antirius Precept. (Maybe Divination to Dara Happan Gods have greatly different effect for Storm worshippers....)
And attempt to gain Regalia might be very good source for Adventures....see
about Ten Paladins of Khordavu
in GROY.
Add of Items of Dragon Lists
*[Argrath]: (Sartari Heortling, Mystic (Failed?)) Means Liberator, later
called Dragonfriend. Future Greatest Hero of Hero Wars and Main Character of
King of Sartar. In King of Sartar, it seems that he attended himself as a
reformer of army structure of Heortling tribes, (EWF Banner of Second Dragon
Army, Reaching Storm Temples and Combined Wyters like Lunar Yanafali
Vexillum, New Magic Regiments like Eleven Lights and Eagle Brown) In my
opinion, he cannot succeed to attain Ultimate if he use his Draconic Power
so frequently. See Ingolf and Wyter. {GGB, KOS}
*'Dragonslayers': Since Orlanth Orvanshagor and Yelm Murharzarm killed
Legendary Dragons, there are many Dragon Slayers appeared in the Glorantha
History. Though hard to understand, True Dragons can be killed by relatively
weak heroes of Middle World. In my opinion, what they can do for it is "find
a weakpoint" of them, that is related to hidden desire of Dragonspawns that
is called "Utuma". See Utuma.
*'Factions of EWF':" War Dragon", Transcender and Converts (Sorry, I don't
have English Glorantha: Genertela Box) "Here and Now Dragon" and "Forward
Dragon" (King of Sartar), Pick-Uppers and Up-Toppers. {GGB, KOS}
*[Lorian]: (Dara Happan, Serpent of Nature) Another Serpent Constellation of
Sky World. Water God of Galaxy. It invaded Sky World with Blue Moon and
became the father of Artmal in the supplement of Troll Gods RQ3. {ES, GROY
p. 56}
*[ShanShan Mountains] In Kralorela, this Great Mountain was created by
Dragon Emperors or originally made from the world beginning, and some
Heortling believes it was the remnants of Umath's body after he and
Jakrekriand killed each other.Many Hsunchens live there and their leaders
have horns modelled to their Great Horned Spirit, Korgatsu.
*[Ursturburn]: (Ariri?, Serpent of Nature) Seed of Life in the Early Cycle
of the Mythology of Goddesses, in my opinion, it was later equated with
Berneel Arashagern of Dara Happa, and EWF took control over Solar Empire for
a while through this esoteric association to this Darsen cult. {Ent p.10,
GITHW p. 128}
*<Windwhistler>:(Dragonspawn) Wyrm of Big Rubble (One of EWF Ruin). Priest
of Golden Dragon Cult. I don't know whether this cult related to Dragon Sun
or other Sairdite Dragons related to Fire elements or not. {Pavis & Big
Rubble}
If I have chance, I want to write something more about HQ of Trolls, Malkioni...and East Mystics....
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