Ian Cooper:
> >The danger with this is for the Elmali to fall Yelmalion,
> that is they become too lazy to think by themselves and
> follow the chieftain blindly (at least, from a staunch
> Elmali's PoV and understanding of the enemy ways).<
>
> Antoher guess might be that Elmali clans are more likely to
> resist the Yelmalio religion, because their god is not
> 'second string' within such a clan. In Orlanthi clans,
> resentment by Elmalians that their god's leadership in the
> Darkness is 'forgotten' may have tempted many toward
> Yelmalio instead. YMMV.
I think such conversions have to be a collective movement. A single bloodline will hardly convert if there's not another one close by with the same feelings. So IMO the movement should begin among high-rate-Elmal clans and follow among low-rate-Elmal clans. I've taken such a model to describe the situation with the Eyetooth clan (if my translation of that name is correct) in Tarkalor's time. (Please refer to KoS: Yelmalio.)
The Eyetooth clan was ruled by Anatyr leadership and was called an Elmal clan. The Eyetooth clan had a couple of Orlanthi bloodlines, among which were thanes, and such, but the chieftain was an Elmali, and paid allegiance to the tribal king. When the Eyetooth clan introduced the antesmia statue this was a rebellion against the tribal king. The Dara Happans showed them how to summon the power of Antirius, whom the Eyetooth clan probably called Elmal Rex (the name just happened to be mentioned...), and called for a Sunspear against the Orlanthi tribal king (the bad Emperor, enthroned with the Ovosto rites, etc.). This was, perhaps, an Elmali revolution against an Orlanthi oligarchy among a high-rate Elmali tribe, and also, perhaps, a Lunar plot.
The aim was to plant the seeds of Dara Happanization: the Lunars picked the local sun god and tried to put it in power. The seeds for the dissent would thus have been in tribal politics, between Elmal clans and Orlanth clans, and the propagation was meant to be from the high-rate-Elmali clans to the low-rate-Elmali clans. Beyond the Lunar scheme, the Elmali probably saw this as a fight for the rights to tribal kingship, in a more egalitarian way. But the last stage of the plan, probably devised by a mad Dara Happan strategist, most certainly was an Orlanthi low-class under the rule of Elmal Rex/ Yelm, with a governor at the top, as might be seen in places such as Saird, where the warlike and rebellious aspects of the Orlanth cult have almost disappeared because the warrior and noble classes were replaced with more favourable people. The idea just sounded good. It's another madman, Monrogh, who discovered that what the Elmali called Elmal Rex was actually Yelmalio, and spoiled the plan (which was probably doomed anyway).
The Elmal Rex abomination led Tarkalor to send a call for warriors against the Kitori. After the victory, Monrogh was granted the lands and founded the Sun Dome Temple, and many who had met him followed him. So the tribes who had sent their warriors got rid of their troublemakers as they joined Yelmalio. Those who remained were the conservatives, who now blame Monrogh and Yelmalio - that is the former troublemakers who left - for the fault, especially under Lunar occupation. However, they don't think so bad of the old idea of Elmal Rex. Unbeknown to them (certainly they would claim the contrary), the roots of Dara Happanization are firmly set in some of their practices, and what the Lunar Church is currently more or less trying to do is to re-awaken the Yarm tree.
Now they are fully using the tool of Yelmalio, since that cult has already been successfully Included for a long time in Peloria. The better way to use that tool is IMO not to aim at small isolated targets, but rather at the greater concentrations of Elmali, by sending the volunteers there.
> >Once the chieftain makes a decision, there is no appeal:
> the people follow him and stand fast. In effect, the
> chieftain has full power over his people until they decide
> to replace him.<
>
> Remember that Elmal left the Fire Tribe with the Justice
> stick. Just action would probably be seen as an important
> virtue. IIRC The Emperor's rule is seen as unjust, which is
> why Elmal leaves, so be careful about the idea of there
> being no appeal, which might be percieved as unjust and
> imperial.
Yes. I'd better say that the chieftain is the only person entitled to change his own decisions but he is expected to be just and listen to his people and thus change them if needed.
Peter Nordstrand
> > I don't think full Elmali tribes exist, except maybe in
> > Esrolia
>
> You are probably right. According to BA, however, the king
> of the Aranwyth Tribe is a devotee of Elmal Rex. This means
> nothing in it self, but according to an ancient post by
> Roderick Robertson, the tribe's claim to fame is that they
> are "horse traders and Elmal worshippers." This made me
> assume (perhaps incorrectly) that Elmal is an important
> deity in the tribe, worshipped by a sizeable portion of the
> male population.
I agree that having a number of Orlanthi bloodlines in a tribe composed in majority of Elmal clans (for an outsider it remains an Elmali clan), and with an Elmali kingship tradition, would in fact be an Elmali tribe...
Jerome
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