HOW THE TARSHITES VIEW THEMSELVES Most Tarshites view their kingdom as entering into a Golden Age. Its king is of Imperial and divine blood, its nobles follow Imperial custom, and its farmlands are enlivened by rich Imperial luxuries and Lunar inspiration. Inclusion in the Lunar Empire brings wealth and stability to the people. Tarsh is the largest of the Lunar Kingdoms or Provinces.
Several powerful noble families control different regions, basing their rule on a mixture of old Alakoringite traditions and new Lunar institutions. The nobles advise the king, who has raised monuments and built a mighty army. Lcoal products are traded for goods from distant lands, and the wealth from selling grain to the Empire is bringing unprecedented riches to the nobles and cities. Shepelkirt has brought peace, prosperity, and pleasure; only rebels and backwoods bumpkins worship the Old Ways.
THE REST OF THE EMPIRE The Tarshites claim Empire is divided into regions: the Heartlands and the Provinces. The Heartlands are led by the Dara Happans. The Provinces are the Alakoringite and Sairdite kings who have embraced Shepelkirt and include most of the tribes descended from Vingkot's Winter Wife. Their kings refused to be led by Dara Happans and the Emperorer gave King Phargentes One-Arm oversight over the provinces .
When Phargentes died, Moirades was too young to be the Provincial Overseer, so the Emperor appointed his own son, Appius Luxius, to be his Overseer in Mirin's Cross.
BRIEF HISTORY OF TARSH Most Tarshites are of Alakoring stock, descendants of the clans which followed Arim the Pauper over the Danger Line to Tarsh nearly three centuries ago. The Tarshites have a long and proud history, and one based on their identity as a kingdom rather than a people. They held back the Empire and Grazers for a century and a half, and eventually joined the empire not as conquered subjects but as favored allies thanks to HonEel and her son Phoronestes. His successors have been loyal imperial allies and the architects of an economic, political and military Golden Age.
The Tarshites still respect some members of the Storm Tribe, most noticably Ernalda and the Earth Goddesses, Esrola and her Boys, Barntar, Lhankor Mhy, Issaries and Chalana Arroy. However, they make no sacrifices to Orlanth, having replaced the Great God with Shepelkirt, the Seven Mothers, Hon-Eel and other Lunar demons.
SHEPELKIRT
The Lunars say that Shepelkirt is the eternally reincarnating Moon.
They call Her the Red Moon or sometimes Natha. Most Tarshites do not
directly worship Her or know Her secrets, although their magicians and
priests do. They say that Orlanth usurped Her place in the Middle Air
and now that She has returned, She has reclaimed Her place. Few
Tarshites invoke Shepelkirt directly except during the big ceremonies
they hold on Darkness/Death/Godsday.
THE SEVEN MOTHERS
Four centuries ago, Shepelkirt prepared all the world for her coming,
and seven mortals came together to bring about her rebirth: Deezola,
queen and healer, Yanafel Tarnils the warlord, Jakakeel the witch,
Irippi Ontor, sage and scribe, Danfive Xaron, the Bridge of the
Seeker, Teelo Norri, the innocent girl whose body Shepelkirt
inhabited, and She Who Waits, who the Tarshites claim was a mask of
Ernalda. In return, Shepelkirt taught them all of her secrets, and
they achieved immortality and godhood. Call the Seven Mothers (even
though some are men), their followers teach Shepelkirt's Ways. Many
Tarshites have replaced the Seven Lightbringers with the Seven Mothers.
The Tarshites invoke the Seven Mothers for a variety of purposes - including healing, knowledge, bravery and combat. They invoke the Seven Mothers during their Sacred Time rites.
Additionally, some Tarshites sacrifice to a specific Seven Mother for certain purposes. For example, amongst the Tarshite weaponsthanes and warchieftains, Yanafal Tarnils is very popular. On Storm/Fertillity/Godsday, they call him the "Ram and Warrior" and they sacrifice to him for battle luck.
HON-EEL
Hon-Eel the Artess was the Third Inspiration of the Red Emperor, and
said to be a reincarnating goddess or an incarnation of Shepelkirt.
People invoke her for fertillity, for she is the Goddess of the Red
Earth and of maize, the Lunar corn. Her dances are said to have
magical powers and she is said to be the most beautiful and desirous
of all goddess.
The Tarshites offer sacrifices to her on Tool Day - Ernalda's High Holy Day - they claim Hon-Eel is an aspect of Ernalda as well.
Hon-Eel entered Tarsh miraculously in 1490, for she appeared at the height of the Inner Rituals of the Kordos island Temple of Ernalda (Heruvernalda) and thereby convinced the participatants that she was and had always been one among them. She danced the Whole Dance of Spring and made her claim that Ernalda is nothing less than "She Who Waits," one of the Seven Mothers. They all completed the ritual together.
Thanks to her dances and her Red Earth magic (maize), 1490 was a year of unprecedented prosperity. Hon-Eel married King Pyjeemsab and gave birth to Phoronestes, the new king (for Pyjeemsab tragically died during their wedding night). Apart from the temporary usurpation of Palashee Longaxe, Tarsh has been a Lunar ally since 1490, and the present ruler, King Moirades is High King of Dragon Pass and a philosopher-king steep in Shepelkirt's Mysteries.
Hon-Eel herself returned to the Empire to defend against a horse barbarian horde. She led the counter-assault against the horse barbarians and sacrificed herself to destroy the barbarians at the Night of Horrors.
CHAOS
Some Tarshites boast of the power Shepelkirt has to conquer and master
Chaos and that She can use it against Her foes. Many Tarshites think
Chaos is evil, but others think it is no more evil than storm,
destructive when untamed but a source of power when controlled. It is
believed by many Tarshites that the magicians that follow Tatius the
Bright know how to master and control Chaos.
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