>There is no info on how recent this is, but I'd assume there was no
>Yelmalio temple in the city before the Lunar Occupation. Yelmalio
>enduring is even named as the Patron God of the city.
Short answer: the Temple complex that is the heart of Alda Chur is ancient, dating from the Youf Empire. It was dedicated to a 'son of the sun' when the first Far Walkers resettled the city. Everyone will tell you this God is and always was called Yelmalio.
Long answer: the longevity of Yelmalio is one of those enduring controversies that I think can be solved without too much difficulty, but the answer has yet to be given definitive form in the arc. The 'scandalous' entry about Making Gods in KOS is likely to be at least partially Elmali (or even Eurmali) propaganda.
There is no definitive answer 'on the ground' - this particular religious controversy is the cause of an ongoing civil war in the Far Place between the dominant Yelmalian tribes of the Sharl Plains (Princeros, Vantaros, lowland Tovtaros) and the Elmali/Orlanthi clans of the wild uplands (Tovtaros, Tres, Amad, Bachad) - egged on in a significant way by priestesses from Lunar Religious & Cultural Engineering. Harvar Ironfist is a barbarian Yelmalian trying to be 'more Yelmie than the Yelmies' and is attempting to reforge his Princedom in this image.
And of course the Sartarite cult of Yelmalio **in the form he is presently worshipped** is a recent innovation dating substantially from the heroquesting of Monrogh.
'Old religious and social conflict of the traditional and innovative sun worshippers had weakened many kingdoms'. - Jalk's Book. (KOS 197)
'Sons of the Sun' with various names are not that uncommon across the northern continent, and one, who I call 'Yelmatar', has played a significant role in the religion of the Far Walkers since the very beginning. That god is increasingly identified with the Sartarite Yelmalio. Given the language difference - Alda Churi speak Tarshite - very few are even aware of the original difference.
The original Far Walkers were typical pioneers - religious minorities, small family groups and bandit/adventuring gangs fleeing vengeance or tribal war, or seeking new lands and opportunity. Most were farmers and sheep herders. (Cattle are more romantic, but sheep travel better). For the most part, they were Alakoring Orlanthi from Saird, Aggar, Bilini and Holay, together with Lodrilites and worshippers of other solar tribal gods, some of whom bear titles that include 'yelmalos', the Brightness, Spear or Courage of Yelm.
The Full version of Taroskarla (the Far Walker founding tales - there's a
shortened form on Questlines:
http://home.iprimus.com.au/pipnjim/questlines/taroskarla.html) records how
Vantar, son of Taros Ridgeleaper, drove the half-beasts and their allies
from the ruined city of Alda Chur at the Three-Eyed Beast Battle.
"Before the glassling walls the heroes fought, blade against claw, spear against tooth, blood for blood and courage for courage. Three days and three nights they battled without rest, until Vantar and his thanes slaughtered the last of the Red Tooth Company. The beast tribes howled in the hills, but came no more to battle. By hero-right, Vantar claimed the Spear Greatspark and the Three Coiling Torcs, one-time servants of Floodborn Half-Horse. In mark of their victory, the company re-dedicated the Blue Flame Sun Temple that was the ruined city's heart, and the Powers of Aldachur stirred from their ancient sleep. Within the temple, Vantar cut the Knot Inexpiable, and saw three visions of his kin to come. He slept no more, forever."
The Resettlement period is characterised by great religious diversity, and little if any religious rivalry. Families carried on their ancestral traditions in isolated steads, passing them on my word of mouth and ritual, and there were few priests or major shrines. With clans and tribes and further settlement, many smaller homeland and family traditions coalesed into discrete, uniquely Far Place cults that were part tradition, part syncreticism, and part reflection of the powers and realities of the new land. Chief among these were Yelmaltar and his spouse Ernalda/Sharla.
As the Far Place entered into contact with the Empire, that cult adopted more and more Heartland elements, and was the nexus for the trading city's pro-Empire politics. After the Monrogh episodes in Sartar, Yelmaltar became increasingly indentified with Yelmalio.
Its a complicated story, because the history of Yelmaltar/Yelmalio is the history of the Far Place: its politics, identity, dependence and independence, feuds and wars and massacres. In my own campaigns, I actually have two major Yelmalian cults - one pro-Empire and ascendant, one pro-independence and keeping very quiet.
And as to the *real* origin and purpose of that Youfish temple - why would a sun god have a blue flame? - well that's a big part of the ongoing mystery. :)
I've done a long essay exploring the lesser sun gods in the Far Place that is on the stand-by list for Thunder Brothers. I''m also giving a FP seminar at Tentacles, and if there's interest we can bring up 'the "Y" word'.
Given the dense nature of this topic, any follow up should probably be directed to the Digest. :)
>Another interesting thing in the gazetteer is in the writeup of the
>Amber Fields:
>
>"...This averted civil war, and made the Yelmalians a tribe subject to
>Sartar". The Yelmalian (sun-tribe?) doesn't seem to be one of the 24
>tribes of Sartar given in Barbarian Adventures though.
Not having the books handy, isn't this a reference to (Sartar's) Sun County, which is included in the BA list?
Cheers
John
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