>A lot of focus has been made in Gloranthan publishing
>about Heortlings of Sartar.
>In the old days (before herowars) I thought that they
>were a major culture in Glorantha (analogous Orlanthi
>cults "seemed" widespread from Prax to all the
>barbarian belt, to Ralios, humakti Carmanians etc.)
>but, recently we discover that canon Glorantha says
>that Heortling of Sartar are such and such only in
>Sartar and only in the XVI century.
I think this is overstating the case. The Orlanthi are still widespread from the River of Cradles to Fronela and Umathela but they just look different in those places.
>A similar example is the Aeolian Church: it has always
>been highly appealing for Gloranthophiles because it
>mixed west characteristics with Orlanthi ones.
A culture's popularity among players is not the same thing as its geographical distribution in glorantha.
>Now, with herowars/quest, I discover that the
>Esvulari/Aelioans are a small culture that doesn't
>even dominate Heortland and that the other stygian
>churches (mixing of western and barbarian religions,
>according to RQ3 terminology) are very different (even
>if the rulesy bits to play them could be similar).
The Aeolian Church isn't Stygian and it does dominate southern heortland. It derives its impact in the Hero Wars because it is very close to the scene of action.
>Are the various "stygian" churches rival and local and
>substantially unrelated (like Arkati vs Aeolians or
>like Sartari vs. Ralian Orlanthi) or is there a sort
>of ecumenic movement of stygian churches that could
>retrace their common origin, during the hero wars
>period?
Stygian churches generally trace their secrets from the revelations of Arkat. In that sense they are related even if they fight amongst themselves. Churches that do not Arkati heritage are not Stygian even if they do accept pagan revelations (such as the Aeolians or the Henotheist Church).
--Peter Metcalfe
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End of Glorantha Digest
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