Black and Blood Suns.

From: Peter Metcalfe <metcalph_at_quicksilver.net.nz>
Date: Sat, 12 Apr 2003 19:36:30 +1200


Simon Hibbs:

>Does anyone remember much about the Black/Blood sun cults?

They are two of the faces of Zerel Fan, the solar cult of Bliss in Ignorance. The others are the Early Light, the Rising Orb, the Victorious Zenith, and the Solar Storm. The first three haven't been seen in aeons while the last is quiescent.

Only the Black Sun is written up in Troll Gods. It involves making spectres out of a stew that the participants have feasted upon (the description involved a trollkin and four dogs), as well as a False Healing Magic from the Blood Sun who are elsewhere said to be Wizards of Gore (there's a lot of in-joke names from z-grade horror movies).

A grip that I have with the Black Sun writeup as is that it's disconnected - for example we are never told why a God that appeared as a "howling black fire" should be so interested in the blood feasts nor how he defeated Tien - and the lens through which it is viewed (troll cynicism) sounds wrong for both the Uz and the Basko cult.

The Wizards of Gore have primarily been described in terms of the corn rite and the continued persistence of the Ignorants despite Kralori domination exists because only corn with the aid of blood can grow in the rocky soil. The rites of the Blood Sun are horribly gruesome with a Xipec Toltec being a good RW model. I assume the Wizards can also call upon blood rains.

As for the Solar Storm, he's been enlightened and that the ghost of his third eye hides around in Jankley Bore. I think the practitioners of the Solar Storm are contemplative types (although the Kralori would deprecate their practices) but when their god is reawakened, they will be transformed into savage warriors.

 From the Kralori and Teshnan mythology (Glorantha: Intro and Revealed Mythologies), it's apparent that Bliss in Ignorance has been worshipping the black face of Zerel Fan long before the Trolls climbed out of the earth. I assume that Basko was a manifestation that had spread into Pent before being clobbered by Kargzant. On a larger scale, I think the traditional sequence of Zerel Fan is an illusion and that Zerel Fan is a tripartite inversion of a forgotten deity, the sequence looking like:

         Early Light             <->             Black Sun
         Rising Orb              <->             Blood Sun
         Victorious Zenith       <->             Solar Storm

which fits in with the description that the cults are a "misunderstanding of a Kralorelean or Solar virtue" (Player's Book: Genertela p28). Their natures (or misunderstandings) can be inferred: Black Sun/Enlightenment, Blood Sun/Fertility and Solar Storm/War.

BLACK SUN  From Troll Cults, the runes of Basko are Shadow and Illusion. Given Basko's relationship with Enlightenment, I have a strong feeling that he teaches the creation of the world is a mistake. I interpret the blood feast as a ritual demonstration of the illusory nature of the world that has since become a funerary rite among the Ignorants. The created spectre might join the community as a replacement for the deceased.

I do think the priests of the Black Sun should be able to do stuff with black fire. Perhaps their understanding of the unreality of the world is such that they can think the fires of the Black Sun into existence. Point to Ponder: Basko defeated Tien yet the latter has a Darklight power.

--Peter Metcalfe

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