Ahem. A theory that is mine. About Seseine and Gark and Jraktal. But especially Seseine.
Seseine first. Seseine is the goddess of succubi. Succubi are the chaotic parallels of fertility nymphs, formed from the psychic residue of perversion, rape, passion murder, and similar acts (quoting pretty directly from the old Gloranthan Bestiary there). They are also far more common in Pamaltela than Genertela. Why is this so? Pamaltela is not notably full of such acts compared to Genertela, nor known to be similarly far more full of nymphs generally, so why more succubi?
(Just as aside, by the way, I think nymph is technically the wrong terminology here - they are the chaotic parallels not of dryads or other landscape nymphs, but of Tilnta - Anaxials Roster pg 249- known as love nymphs, among other names. This has one important consequence - if so, they aren't 'spirit', but otherworld beings at home in any otherworld. Like Tilnta, succubi have limited powers to effect the physical world, but do have powers to form a body, reproduce (after a fashion), and to have some control over the minds of humans. I think succubi are considerably weaker, more broken, creatures on the whole however)
So why are there more succubi in Pamaltela? The answer is the cult of Seseine. Seseine is mentioned in connection with other deities only as an enemy of Pamalt - the cult of Seseine is mostly a Pamaltelan perversion. The cult of Seseine doesn't just offer some spells to succubi and incubi - it teaches how to create them. Creating a succubi always involves perversion, rape, etc - it is intrinsic to the process - but there are probably ways to ritually increase the chance of it happening. Probably some covert ways, but if you perform a more overt ritual you have more chance. Ultimately the cult of Seseine creates succubi by deliberately arranging or performing perverse sexual acts.
One more little detail. Perhaps not that important, but it got me thinking. In RQ3, (from Gloranthan Bestiary) succubi were normally sorcery users. It still makes sense, too - succubi seem like smart, scheming, creatures, but not likely to give direct worship, nor does a secretive cult of sex fiends seem terribly shamanic.
So, who has a well known interest in perversion (sexual and otherwise), and known to use it for magical purposes? Was known to have an Empire in Pamaltela way back in the dawn (Chir, known as Oabil to its enemies)? Expert sorcerers, and might not be above teaching a little of it to their servants? Experts, even, in sorcerously dealing with beings that are Energy not permanently tied to Matter? Sneaky enough to love the idea of beings that are infiltrators and corruptors? Unpleasant enough to empower a class of chaotic spirits for their own advancement? Yes, that's right - the Vadeli!
I think Seseine is probably more like a sorcerous anti-saint than a true god (though chaos being what it is, and the presumed multi-otherworldly nature of succubi, divine attributes and/or misapplied worship are not out of the question either), and is originally a result of Vadeli research. It has been a long time since the Vadeli were around (the Kingdom of Chir was destroyed in the Late Artmali period, I think), and as Seseine appears as an a new enemy just after that, it may simply have been that the Vadeli servants got 'off the leash'. Some vadeli saw succubi and became interested, investigated, realised their potential as servants for spying and infiltrating, realised they were created by perverse acts, and invented rituals in which the sorcerer performs perverse acts to create and control succubi! The idea that the Vadeli could actually make a useful magical technology out of perversion and rape etc just seems *perfect* for the Vadeli.
The cult is one in which fetishes and obsessive lovers are made into emotional slaves of the succubi at the top of the cult hierarchy, but also granted a taste of the succubi power in the form of Dominate Human spells, and the like. When new succubi are born, their sisters contact them on the spirit plane, and begin to teach them new tricks.
So, once you start thinking one Pamaltelan evil god that turns up in the early Demon period is really what is left behind of an evil Vadeli kingdoms corrupt decadent practices, it is really kind of hard to stop!
Jraktal the Tap? Well, who else in Pamaltela in that era is going to be enthusiastically tapping, a sorcerous technique, but the one and only kingdom of evil sorcerers?
Gark the Calm? Well, the Vadeli are experts in separating Matter and Energy (ie body and soul) and trapping the soul, and are also known to be sneaky and deceptive - sounds pretty much like the Gark cult modus operandi to me, especially as its sounds like just the ticket to get yourself both a set of convenient zombie slaves AND a good supply of soul Energy.
Ompalam? Well, the Vadeli were notorious slavers, grabbing slaves from the Artmali and Agimori both. It would be quite unlike them if they didn't create a little slaving magic to help along. OK, stretching now, but still...
And so on.
Certainly not in the least implying other Pamaltelan evil gods like Vovisabor (who definitely seems a very shamanic evil to me) or Sikkannos have anything to do with the Vadeli, just the little rush of enemy gods that appear just around the end of the Vadeli empire of Western Pamaltela, or shortly afterwards, and all seem to more or less fit the theory.
Cheers
David
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