>While his people subjugated the Pelandan Cities and had a vested interest
>in keeping distance between themselves and their conquered subjects.
>
Agreed - although IMHO this applies more to the cities of the middle and
lower Oronin valley than the cities around Lake Oronin. YGMV.
>Just because he made friends and mythic connections with the Bisosae
>does not mean that he converted them to his religion. The two could
>have merely had a profitable relationship in much the same way as the
>Sikhs did with their British overlords after the Indian Mutiny.
>
It certainly *could* have worked that way. Much depends on what Carmanos
was like, who his early supporters were, and why they supported him.
Carmanos was raised in an isolated magical castle surrounded by Pelandan (Blue) immortals and his dad. While Syranthir was probably deeply religious (maybe even a fanatic), he was a soldier and not a wizard. Did he bring boon companions with him on his quest? Not according to anything that I have seen, but I guess it is possible. I have to assume that Syranthir was the primary teacher of Fronelan thought to Carmanos. Then there is his mother's side of the family. She is a goddess, so she must have been a great influence on young Carmanos. So what were those Lake Oronin Blues like? Were they South Oredanarans - former Wendarians who married with the Blues of the Sweet Sea? Are they pure Blues who came from the Sweet Sea during the Flood? Are they Waertagi that came west to destroy Ladral? Are they a type of Blue Wizard (Logician)? A mix of any or all of the above? In essence, I am wondering how much of the West was present in Castle Blue. For that matter, how did Carmanos come to investigate Idovanus there? The immortals of Castle Blue don't seem to have much connection with the High Gods, at least on the surface. Its a mystery.
So, anyway... I believe that Carmanos had as much (or more) in common with Pelanda as he did with Fronela. Carmanos might have gone questing as a young adult to bridge the seemingly insurmountable gap between his father's beliefs and the beliefs of his divine mother. In his searching, the answer he found was the Pelandan god Idovanus, one of the High Gods. He completed hideously dangerous quests involving both the Sorcerery and God planes, and reached the ultimate Truth behind each faith - the Carmanian Religion was born. At last he had found a way to bring East and West together in one faith, just has his mother and father brought East and West together by conceiving Carmanos. This might have taken quite some time, BTW. Although around 20 years had passed in the mundane world, who knows how much time passed in Castle Blue or in the Planes of myth and magic where Carmanos quested to find the Truth?
Then Carmanos came ashore with the Book of Two and delivered the good news to the people of Brinnus. How was it received? The Ten Thousand were a mixed bag of western Malkioni and assorted other people who joined along the way. Carmanos claimed to be the son of their leader, Syranthir. Was he able to prove this in some way? There aren't any stories of rebellion among the Ten Thousand so he must have been pretty convincing. Then he had to convince everyone of the Truth of his teachings. I imagine epic debates and magical contests with the Fronelan wizards happened, ending with their being convinced. The rest of the Ten Thousand would require less convincing - his power would be enough.
The Bisosae were less impressed, and summoned their god to resist him. I can certainly see why. The Bisosae defeated the Blues around Lake Oronin at the end of the Flood period, and subjugated/transformed their divine leader. The Bisosae might have seen Carmanos as leading a Blue revival. The Bisosae might also have been growing unhappy with the Ten Thousand camping out around the city, and were just looking for any excuse to rebel. Or perhaps they saw the balance of power shifting from a partnership to the Ten Thousand being in control. Whatever the reason for the rebellion, Bisos was defeated, brought into the fold as a Good God, and Vanstal (a neighboring Tawari/Bisosae land) established as a Carmanain protectorate. Then the liberation of Southern Pelanda began.
So... I could see a case being made for the Bisosae not being early or enthusiastic converts. On the other hand, I think once Bisos was established as a Good God in the Carmanian Religion they would have good reason to get on board - not just as allies but as converts. For one, it allowed them to be in on the "ground floor" of the new order. For another, it allowed them to have a greater role in liberating their kinsmen around Lake Oronin. For a third, it allowed them to get revenge on their Spolite oppressors. In fast water, you have more control of your fate going with the current rather than fighting the river.
Ultimately, I think it just fits the situation better. I mean, many of the Ten Thousand would have been in the same boat. They didn't *need* to convert to the Carmanian religion, which was new and weird and kind of foreign. They *did* convert because a) it was in their best interest, and b) Carmanos was damned persuasive. In fact, I think there were probably many Bull worshipers in the Ten Thousand from their days as mercenaries working for the Kereusi in the Sweet Sea League. The links between the Ten Thousand and the Bisosae of Brinnus might have been stronger than it appears on the surface.
As for Carmanos wanting or not wanting converts, I just can't imagine a religious reformer who would be satisfied with converting just a tiny few people (the monotheistic portion of the Ten Thousand). When he returned from Castle Blue *everyone* was polluted by the Lie - including the western wizards. It was through his teachings that the Lie was separated from the Truth. It seems to me that in those early days, when Bisos was revealed to be a Good God, his rites were revised certified "Lie Free", and bingo! You have a new Carmanian cult - Bisos Carmanos, as opposed to plain old polluted Bisos. Likewise, Hum'akt was recognized, revised, and you get Hum'akt Carmanos - the new and improved Carmanian Hum'akt cult. In the early days of the religion, before the war with Spol really got underway, Carmnos tested each of the major deities of Pelanda and certified them as a Good God or as servants of the Lie. Each new cult brought more converts aboard the nascent religion. Then the conquest of the lower Oronin Valley began (the war against Ulawar, ect) and the happy days of liberation and religious reform gave way to the grim years of war and subjugation. All IMHO, of course.
~Kevin McD
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