>I was a little surprised to see mention of Tarumath's survival among
>the Talastari. My impression was that this mystical practice was
>heavily associated with Lokamayadon, and was stamped out at the end
>of the Dawn Age.
However Tarumathic Orlanthi are mentioned in HeroWars p218. And if the Nysalorans are still around, what's a couple of Tarumathi among friends? I think they got revived by the Lunar purchase of Talastar, although some Tarumathi might have opposed the Dragons.
>What I'm really looking for is information about it -- I've conceived
>the notion that there should be some new Mystic Storm worship that
>springs up in the Hero Wars, and would like inspiration.
I did some thinking about this some months back. The inspiration that I had was to use the Storm Tribe myth about Umath (p18), which has the following concept:
"I cannot move, the Triad makes the Wind.
There is one calling you, follow it.
There is Another hunting you, avoid it.
There is a Third, Unknowable, which you fear".
The Tarumathi believe that Umath and his sons failed to recognize the Cosmic Importance of Storm and so condemned the world to destruction. By the time Umath realized what he was meant to do, he had been imprisoned and was no longer capable of reaching out to the unborn Highest Wind blowing in Limbo.
The Tarumathi aim to reach the Highest Wind and bring it within glorantha. This is performed through a series of breathing practices in which winds and certain metaphysical entities are inhaled. Each Tarumathi has his own personal triad (an example might be: Follow: Fog Girl, Avoid: Winter King, Fear: Zorak Zoran) whom he must inhale to reach the Highest Wind.
At first Tarumathi start small and are only temporarily capable of weakening triad magics sent against them. As they become more skilled, they are perhaps simply not being affected by whatever magics they have overcome (a Tarumathi might develop an immunity to Valind's Cutting Wind feat, for example). Later on they begin to inhale triad godlings and eventually the Triad themselves (if they ever get that far).
Lokomayadon (the discoverer of the practice) inhaled Orlanth entirely to persuade the Heortlings of his wisdom (He was only a third of the way into bringing Highest Wind into being. But the Heortlings refused to obey him and unwittingly killed their own sons in bringing him back. Their loss made them try even harder and eventually they forced Lokomayadon to exhale Orlanth.
With their knowledge of the Highest Wind, the Tarumathi are capable of persuading other Storm Worshippers of following them (Storm Bull, Gargarth, Valind, Kolat etc). The only people who can resist it are the Heortlings and their ability to resist depends on what their clan did against Lokomayadon.
A hero that belonged to a clan that fought against Lokomayadon might be immune to Tarumathi persuasion but be weakened in actions against him. A hero from a clan that was forced to follow Lokomayadon might only be capable of secret acts of opposition against a Tarumathi.
The other magics that a Tarumathi might have are the ability to use inhaled triad powers (ultimately counterproductive) or to use their closeness to the Highest Wind as a way to work storm magic in their own right - the approach taken by the Orlanthi Magi of Carmania IMO.
--Peter Metcalfe
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