The Carmanians in the Second Age

From: innerworlder2000 <innerworlder2000_at_H2CCgaAWA6w5bfByeMoX3eEJ6O_XbuVwWz99T0CSprYlXtFbeFLL_JLBk1f>
Date: Fri, 23 Mar 2007 23:37:38 -0000


The following is an overview of Carmanian culture. Please correct any mistakes and make comments. Feel free to answer by section, rather than all at once.

Estimated Time: 905 (give or take 5 years either way)

Questions: Do the Carmanians have anything equivalent to the comitatus of the Romans? It seems as though they might.

How does Carmania interact with Anadikin (this is how it is spelled in Glorantha the Second Age – is it correct)? Or does Carmania just skirt the edges of Baloris, Brolia, and Anadikin, with little interaction, war or trade?

What languages are spoken in the 905 by the Carmanians?

Basic beliefs
Carmanians once lived in Western Gernetela where Malkionianism is prevelant. Malkioni are monotheists and believe in only one god, The Invisible God. Carmanos (prophet of the Carmanians) revealed the religion of dualism. According to Carmanos, the Invisible God created two deities to oversee the world of humans. Carmanians (those who accepted the message of Carmanos) were the target of persecution despite the fact that their messenger was also the recipient of a direct message from a divine being (just as Malkion was a messenger of the Invisible God). This persecution involved harm and death at the hands of the God Learners, so the Carmanians fled the region to find religious freedom. They finally settled in a fertile land of rolling hills and plains in North Western Peloria.  

The story of the Carmanians has many similarities to the story of the Israelites journeying through the wildnerness led by Moses (Syranthir the Wanderer – more of a knight than a prophet) and finally arriving at the promised land (the Pasture), driving the Canaanites (Spolite witches and the Empire of Gloom) before them, and taking the Jordan Valley (The Poralstor Valley) with its Dead Sea (the Sweet Sea). The story even includes an allusion to the ten commandments (stone tablets of revelation from the lake goddess Charmain outlining laws of governing the faith). The EWF offered support to Syranthir's grandson
(and Carmanos's son) Surandar. They tried to compete with the new
Carmanian religion by offering up draconic secrets, but they were met with stern disinterest. However, the warriors of the EWF and the Carmanians did fight together against the Spolites and several war dragon detachments were left behind to support Surandar as he conquered the Spolites. The fall of the Spolites was complete by 780.  Since 880, the White Dynasty has ruled Carmania. The current Shah is Samander. His half-brother Survilstar Dragonslayer is more interested in fighting than in ruling.

The Carmanian religion and nation are comparatively new to Peloria. The Following are the basic beliefs of Carmanians

  1. There is one universal and transcendental God, the Invisible God, the one uncreated Creator and to whom all worship is ultimately directed.
  2. The Invisible God's creation - evident as arda, truth and order - is the antithesis of chaos, evident as drauga, falsehood and disorder. The resulting conflict involves the entire universe, including humanity, which has an active role to play in the conflict (see #3 below).
  3. Active participation in life through good thoughts, good words and good deeds is necessary to ensure happiness and to keep the chaos at bay. This active participation is a central element in Carmanos's concept of free will, and Carmanianism rejects all forms of monasticism.
  4. The Invisible God will ultimately prevail, at which point the universe will undergo a cosmic renovation and time will end (Do we have a Carmanian eschatology?) In the final renovation, all of creation - even the souls of the dead that were initially banished to "darkness" - will be (re)united in the Invisible God.
  5. In Carmanian tradition, the malevolent is represented by Ganesatarus (gæ NES a TAR us?), the "Destructive Principle", while the benevolent is represented through Idovanus (ai DO væn us ?), the instrument or "Good (truthful)/Bounteous Principle" of the act of creation. It is through Idovanus that the Invisible God is immanent in humankind, and through which the Creator interacts with the world. According to Carmanian cosmology, in articulating the Sacred Invocation, the Invisible God made his ultimate triumph evident to Idovanus.
  6. As expressions and aspects of Creation, the Invisible God emanated six "sparks" ( Good Purpose, Righteousness, Dominion, Devotion, Wholeness, and Imnortality) that are each the hypostasis and representative of one aspect of that Creation. These are in turn assisted by a league of lesser principles, each "Worthy of Worship" and each again a hypostasis of a moral or physical aspect of Creation. Priests of the lesser gods are not viziers or magi, but are members of the castes of hazars, karmanoi, or caram depending on their status and sex.

Note that in the following chart only nobles and knights have the opportunity to become initiates of the cult of Carmanos and eventually become Karmanak as stated in the Cults of Glorantha vol 1. All others choose a suitable cult and progress in that one. If a Game Master does not have access to Cults of Glorantha 2, he can treat commoner cult initiates (such as Ancestor Worship) as if they were shamans. Give each shaman a beginning skill of 10% in Summon Spirit and allow him to summon and keep spirits of total combined magic points not to exceed his own magic points. The character should be able to use the spirit, once bound, whenever he wishes, once only, and then it returns to the spirit world. If he should have to lose a spirit, he loses the one with the most magic points first, the one with second most magic points second, etc. This chart gives a bit more variety than the Cults of Glorantha volume gives (as one would expect for a complex and sophisticated culture).

Caste…..Cults….Role

Karmanos… Yelm (Lion), Bisos (Bull), Polaris, Issaries, Lokarnos, and Argan Argar…Lords

Vizier… Lhankor Mhy, Atyar, Ikadz, Subere, Valind, Dayzatar…Wizard Hazar… Humakt, Zorak Zoran, Maran Gor…Knight

Commoner Castes (Artisans, Craftsmen, Farmers)… Ancestor Worship, Hero Cults, Spirit Cults, Local Cults, Mystery Cults…Commoner Cults listed in Cults of Glorantha 1 are: Yelm, Issaries, Lokarnos, Argan Argar, Lankor Mhy (spelled Lankor Mhy), Valind, Humakt, Zorak Zoran, Maran Gor (possibly Ancestor Worship and Spirit Cults are covered in Cults of Glorantha 2 – I do not have that book, yet).

What my father told me:

We are proud, and justly proud, of the fact that Carmanianism is not based on mystic dogmatism but is always open to the critical inquiry of reason. We have, therefore, the right not only to know that the observance of the Law has been imposed upon us, but also to understand the inherent reason of its imposition.

The function of reason in regard to religious teachings is of a controlling character; its duty is to watch that nothing is imposed on the human mind which it cannot resolve easily, that is, without the aid of philosophical juggleries. So far as Islam is concerned, unprejudiced reason has, time and again, given it its unreserved vote of confidence. The teachings of the magic and viziers give us understanding and motivate us to right action.

Righteousness will be the ideal I will set before myself in life and will always try to live up to it and attain it. Straight is the Path of Righteousness. Neither will I turn to right nor left, but onward will I tread the straight path. I will control the totality of my life from youth to old age by the law of righteousness. Righteousness is the one path that leads my soul to eternal felicity.

The kings of the world set themselves, and the rulers counsel together against Idovanus and against his anointed saying, Let us break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from us. Idovanus sits in the heavens and laughs at them. He shall have them in derision. Then he shall make us the hands of his wrath and displeasure. He says to us,

"You shall break them with a rod of iron and dash them to pieces like pottery. Be wise, therefore, and serve your Lord with fear and trembling. Keep your hearts with all vigilance: for out of it are the issues of life. If I, by wisdom, have founded the earth, you, by understanding, shall rule it. Keep sound wisdom and discretion as precious jewels. They shall be life to your soul and grace to your neck. Do not cast them before swine, lest they trod upon it. Keep secret those ways which your Father's entrusted to you. Hear my instruction and be wise. Blessed is the man that hears me and watches daily at my gates. For whoso finds me, finds wisdom, and shall obtain my favor. But he that sins against me wrongs his soul; I shall give him over to Ganesatarus."

We are heirs to a sophisticated and civilized culture. Within the White Dynasty just laws prevail. Alliances are respected, and the peace is preserved. Foreigners are treated with courtesy. Viziers and scholars study the scrolls and think upon the greater issues of justice and mercy. Even farmers and poets can prosper in our land. Within the Abode of War (lands outside of the White Dynasty) the Black Law (see the State of Nature in Leviathan by Thomas Hobbes) prevails.  The Shah's enemies are confounded at every hand by war, famine and pestilence. All but the holiest obligations must be set aside if it serves the purposes of the Shah. This is the law of Carmanos.

Playing a Carmanian Character

Carmanians are gregarious, outspoken, just and proud. The character will think of himself as better than any of the other player characters (unless they happen to be Carmanian – then caste will play a great role). He will tend to champion what he thinks is fair and just (note that this does not necessarily mesh with Lawful Good alignment in a Dungeons and Dragons campaign). The player will be shrewd (to a certain extent), secretive of his religious ways, but generous (within reason) with sharing his belongings. He is a bit of a fanatic (especially if he is a priest). Other than that the character is fairly well balanced, well-educated, and well-adjusted
(aside from any personality quirks or characteristic deficiencies).
It seems that most Carmanians would have a good general knowledge of History and Carmanian Theology.

If the Carmanian is the only civilized character in a group of Barbarians, he may tend to be a bit like Ibn Fadlan in Eaters of the Dead (The Thirteenth Warrior), especially if he is an initiate or has a diplomat background. He might find it odd that Barbarians have absolutely no knowledge of the common stories and myths taught in Carmania, while the Barbarians may think that he has little knowledge of the world (as they see it). A Carmanian will value clean habits and proper first aid, and his religious rituals and/or moral values might be strange or comical to Barbarians. He will know how to read and write and the Barbarians probably won't as they pass their cultural lore from one generation to the next orally rather than by text.

Outfitting: Chain armor (unavailable?), Scale armor and possibly bronze vambraces and helms (artistically decorated with wings, lion motifs, etc.) (all rare, reserved for great warriors), Heavy (boiled) leather (worn by knights/warriors), most other Carmanian adventurers may begin with Leather hauberks or shirts. Carmanian characters may begin play with sword and sheath, a dagger and sheath, a kite shield
(or do Carmanians use round shields?) a horse with bridle and saddle,
and a suit of good clothes. Characters do not begin the game with a warhorse, heavy armor, or a squire (unless another player character wishes to begin the game as a squire of a warrior). These other items must be gained during play.

I am not quite sure of the cultural weapons of Carmaninas. I am not sure if Carmanians think of bow use as non-chivalrous. This would be good to know. Do they have access to cross-bows? Are most Carmanians good horsemen? Is there a neighboring Barbarian land that raises good horsemen ( I kind of think of the Adikki/Carmanian relationship as being similar to the Sarmanian/Roman relationship), but I am not sure if this is true.

Adventure Ideas:

Because of the way Carmania took over Pelanda (not killing any Pelandan that can carry a sword), some Spolites still live in Carmania or in surrounding Barbarian areas disguised as priestesses of Grain Goddesses, Earth Goddess and Fertility Goddess (such as Ernalda), or as priestesses of Chalana Arroy. Early adventurers may discern this if they must go to a priestess for advice or healing. Investigation could be considered a low-level adventure with untied ends left for later when the characters have more experience. Or perhaps low-level characters ride with higher level warriors and priests to solve the matter.

Male Barbarian children with promise are given in service to the Carmanian army for 10 or 15 years (as the Sarmanians in King Arthur).  During this time they are required to serve as elite troops in military operations for the Carmanian army. Sometime during their service, the Carmanian unit they are serving are killed leaving the young player characters to continue the operation. Will they continue in service or desert the Carmanian army?

A Spolite witch posing as a priestess of another cult lures medium to higher level adventurers into helping her get a powerful item from a ruin in outer Dorastor. Will the adventurers discover the ruse or will they bring her back an item that will be used against the Carmanians?            

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