> as far as i remember, when the lunars arrived in pavis, frex, iripi
> ontor cultists moved into the knowledge temple, and etyries
> priests started to edge out the issaries cult. on one level this
can
> be seen as simply mundane competition - both commercial and
> religious/cultural - with the invaders trying to assert a hegemony.
> at another level, as Glorantha isn't a mundane world,
> presumably the bureaucratic and political battles over control of
> 'the knowledge temple' between different cults is part of a very
> real struggle between the gods themselves.
Threough their mortal agents, espceialy the heroquesting ones, yes.
> i was wondering specifically about war temples, otherwise
> known as humakti temples. sometimes, my guess is, they are
> just humakti temples - e.g. when centred around the site of one
> of the God's deeds. other times they are War temples, where the
> humakti cult just happens to dominate, frex Tourney Altar or 'the
> temple as mercenary hiring hall' set-up, which is the impression
> i always got of the humakt temple in Pavis.
All IMHO.
Etyries, Irripi Ontor and Yanafal Tarnils already have mythic, heroquestable relationships to their corresponding Heortling divinities. As a consequence these cults are relatively easily subverted. I say relatively easily, because it's still quite a job. In Tarsh their battles are long won, but Orlanth worship is still lingering because the pelorian air gods don't have the same mythological traction against Orlanth.
A temple is a very dangerous place to be for an unbeliever or heretic. A Yanafal Tarnils worshiper who goes into a Humakt temple to worship or propitiate Humakt will probably be ok, but if they try to convert it to YT worship then they will provoke a mythological crisis. They'll have trouble from guardian spirits, perhaps even cult spirits of retribution. They will have to heroquest to prove the superiority of Yanafal tarnils over Humakt, with the odds stacked heavily against them.
The safest way is first to install a shrine to Yanafal Tarnils, promote worship at it and gradualy shift the ballance of the rituals and sacrifices performed there. Eventualy they can discontinue active Humakt worship, and eventualy complete the conversion to full blown Yanafal Tarnils worship, with a remnant Humakt shrine. This process may take a decade, or several generations depending on the attitudes of the congregation. I imagine for example that Imperial army personnel have a duty to visit every Humakt temple they pass that has a YT shrine installed and worshiping at it, to aid the process.
Orlanth is a very different case. You'd have a realy tough time installing a pelorian air god shrine in an orlanth temple because there's so little mythological, and hence ritual overlap. The fact that the Orlanth temple in boldhome was filled with sand indicates that the authorities simply didn't consider it a viable option. The only recourse is to set up rival temples and try to win over the worshipers - itself also a much tougher proposition.
Simon Hibbs
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