Re: Banned Orlanth worship

From: bethexton_at_...
Date: Wed, 20 Oct 2004 13:45:55 -0000

I think it is very different in the cities, in the more settled/central clans, and in the more isolated clans.

The isolated clans are easy--all the regular temples are shut down, but any hill can be made to work, so they carry on as usual, while hiding any obvious signs.

The more settled, central, clans, where lunars might visit fairly often, patrols may have a fair view of things, etc, I think will have gone more as you outlined. That is, a lot of people are now just worshipping Dar, or Durev, or other all-father sub-cults, and some will have switched to Barntar, Odayla, or what have you. Warriors have probably mostly had to move over to other cults. Orltanth Thunderous followers and many devotees have probably mostly switched over (to Heler?), or been banished (sometimes formally, more often sent to live with their sister/aunt/whoever in a more isolated clan....this flow of magical talent into the hill clans probably plays an important role in the hero wars, I suspect).

In the cities I think the change is much more dramatic. Priests crucified, and more devout people trying to slip out of the city for the hills. I suspect between deaths, reprisals, people who don't dare live there, etc, the cities de-populate a fair bit....making room for lunar carpet-baggers, of course. Many city dwellers would anyway worship Issaries, LM, or other specialized cults that are more at home in the city. Some probably go to communal worship (and of course still maintaining their city guardian to give them some magical defense). Others will find minor crafting gods or heroes. Since lunars control most traffic in and out of the cities, city dwellers will have a very hard time sneaking out to worship ceremonies, so I really don't think you'd see much subservise Orlanth worship left in the cities. So on top of losing part of the population, you've lost a major social and magical force that helped hold the city together. The resultant break down in city management is just the excuse the lunars need to put more of their people in important roles....

> But how does this play out to tribal chieftans and things? I
suppose Dar isn't too big of a
> problem, but Orlanth Rex has to be right out. A lot of tribal
rulership is tied to Orlanth, so
> how does that work?

I'm not sure if you have Barbarian Adventures or not. In there, for each tribe it mentions the king, and _none_ of them are Orlanth worshippers--not even Dar. They are too public to have any Orlanth association. Of course, most are part of cults without a king or even other leadership roll, so the tribes are all the weaker for the lack. The lunars are just so sorry about that!
>
> Since I'm doing my Karse thing, I realize that I would need to
figure out what they do
> with the Orlanth worshipers in the city having just freshly
conquered it.
>

Priests killed, some in hiding but unable to do very good services for lack of a holy site (think catholic priests hidden under Henry 8 or Elizabeth in England). Old rivalries get more bitter as people rat each other out, or simply plant suggestions. Arguments in other cults between long term adherents and newcomers. Hatred and envy for those moving over to 7 Moms.....good stuff all around for stories!

--Bryan

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