>>Given the history of the region I really don't see the Carmanian religion being restricted to a tiny few at the very top of society.
>>
>>
>It depends on your definition of Carmanianism. You started from a rigid
>definition that excluded people that could otherwise be described as
>Carmanian - such as Bisosae that don't accept the Carmanian scriptures.
>
The rigid distinction is what I am interested in, so that is OK by me.
The people of the Western Reaches can be divided into three groups -
Carmanians, privileged non-carmanians (traditional Bisosae, and maybe
Lunars and Dara Happans?), and the oppressed non-carmanian underclass. I
am interested mostly in how the ratio of these groups differs between
the satrapies - particularly in how the actual practicing Carmanian
population of the satrapies vary.
>>Having belief in the Carmanian religion a prerequisite for being "free" makes sense to me.
>>
>>
>But the trouble is Carmanians aren't really interested in making converts or winning popularity contests.
>
Not any more they aren't, but I believe that they *were* early on. In
the beginning the only "Carmanian" was Carmanos, who could be seen as a
later day Idomon - reinterpreting the old Pelandan religion with new
truths and blending it with the Irensavel teachings from Fronela.
Carmanos then converted members of his own immediate circle (family,
followers, supporters, etc). Then the religion spread out among the
heterogeneous Ten Thousand and the (mostly Bisosae) citizens of Brinnus.
With the coming of Carmanos the defense of Brinnus became a war to
liberate the Bisosae area around Lake Oronin, and later still a war of
conquest against Spol. As the war of liberation was waged, the Carmanian
faith would have provided a unifying principle that gave strength to the
Prophet's people.
As the war continued, particularly after the apotheosis of Carmanos, the Carmanians began to loose their missionary zeal and became conquering overlords. Thus, IMHO the cities around Lake Oronin were liberated more than conquered, while the northern (more Spolite) cities were conquered rather than liberated. This is the reason that I believe the Bisosae around Lake Oronin practice a Carmanian version of the Bisos cult and should be considered fully Carmanian.
Of course this re-opens the old debate on the theistic or sorcerous nature of the Carmanian religion itself. My current understanding is that it is a little of both without misapplied worship being an issue. You can be fully Carmanian and worship one of the Good Gods. Hopefully the ILH-1 sheds some light on this topic.
>If a serf were to go up to a Carmanian and say "I believe in the Light and the Darkness, the Truth and the Lie...", he'd be lucky if he was patted on the head and told to go back to the fields.
>
Very true. At the least, a person seeking conversion would need to have
the backing of some important people and endure a thorough testing by
the Viziers. My guess is that this happened a bit more in the vibrant
days of Imperial Carmania than it does now. Peasants seeking upward
mobility would never have found sympathy among the ruling elite, though.
>But the Carmanians still aren't going to like people seeking to free themselves by joining that group. After all, servants of the Lie are always seeking to worm their way in.
>
Very, very true.
~Kevin McD
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