M Helsdon

1 hour ago, David Scott said:

Not quite. If you are a raider, raiding for food beasts, you need to have a good understanding of the beasts you are trying to capture. Therefore Praxians are experts on all herd beasts and can ride them. From HeroQuest Glorantha, Cult of Waha, Initiates, page 170:

Ah, right.

1 hour ago, David Scott said:

It's the Khans that are limited to only riding their tribal herd beasts. This extends to all other Khans as a social, not cult prohibition - Wind Khans, Storm Khans, Light Khans, etc. 

Interesting.

1 hour ago, David Scott said:

Demon Horses and Unicorns. These deserve a special mention as they are intelligent. The first Hero Wars game I ever played in was with Robin Laws demoing the new system. We played the Demon Horses, not the riders. The riders were followers. I'm unsure how to treat them as they are different and don't need training - perhaps it's their riders that do. Maybe Yelornans are are just the instruments of the Unicorns to allow them to return to the Wastes...

Demon Horses control their riders, according to the Guide. The relationship of unicorn and rider seems more symbiotic.

Thank you for the information.

As I understand it, there are several species of riding animals present in central Genertela, but some are only ridden by particular tribes, whilst others, such as sables and horses are common riding animals. I am assuming that whilst a Sartarite might be able to buy a rhino, only a Praxian could train it and ride it as a war mount successfully...

 

Some mounts can be trained to carry their owner into a conflict, but do not fight themselves. Cavalry mounts are trained to stay calm in battle and carry their rider where they want to go amidst the noise and hubbub of a battle. They are not trained to fight in battle and because of this, they cost less to train.

 

War mounts are trained to respond absolutely to the demands of the rider and ignore outside influences. Some can be trained to enter a battle and fight for their rider, using their natural weapons: kicking, trampling, biting, goring. This requires expensive training so that the mount can coordinate its attacks with its rider.

 

The Praxians share a powerful relationship between rider and mount, and a member of a Praxian tribe can ride the herd beast of his tribe with ease, in peace and war, for they ride almost before they can walk. They will only ride another animal if they have no choice (this is a matter of great shame) but would never touch a horse, not even to eat it.

 

Riding Animal	Maximum Training	Restrictions
Augner	War	Extinct, save on the Red Moon.
Bison	War	Surly and intractable, unsuitable for any but the Praxian Bison Tribe.
Bolo Lizard	War	Ridden only by Praxian pygmies.
Demi-Bird	War	Ridden only by Dragonewts.
Demon Horse	War	Black Horse Troop only.
High Llama	War
Horse	War
Impala	Cavalry	Ridden only by Praxian pygmies.
Ostrich	Cavalry	Ridden only by Praxian pygmies.
Rhino	War	Vicious and unpredictable, unsuitable for any but the Praxian Rhinoceros Tribe.
Sable	War
Tusker	War	Ridden only by Tusk Riders.
Unicorn	War	Ridden only by female virgins.
Zebra	War

As they've been put in the public domain on FaceBook...

 

15 hours ago, Tobbe-A said:

Spoof, piracy or a new produkt line?

Looking at their other products, they seem to specialize in using copyright material in their products. Piracy.

6 hours ago, David Scott said:

This is actually why I think they survived. In the initial settlement of their area in 871 there were several skirmishes with Sable and Impala clans as the land they settled was part of their migration paths to the Paps. The long spears and shield cover of the Sun Domers effectively stopped the charges and hail of arrows from the mounted Praxians. Likewise the skirmishing tactics of the Praxians stopped the advance of the Sun Dome infantry. Neither side did much damage to the other. Within ten years the Praxians and Sun Domers had settled into the usual pattern for the region and were trading food and weapons to each other.

From the material in Sun County, it is apparent that the Sun Domers lost their phalanx skills some time during the Testing, but regained them in 1458-1498 under the rule of Narokoris the Wise.

6 hours ago, David Scott said:

Once the temple was built, some Sable and Impala riders realised that the Sun Domers god was their own great spirit, Sun Daughter, with a new name - Yelmalio. Praxians from the Sky Gazers cult began to learn magics and new archery skills from the invaders, and so the Yelmalio cult took hold amongst the tribes. The nomadic ways of the Praxians were the antithesis of the civilized Sun Domers. But the settlers could not deny their connection. This strange spread of their cult protected the Sun Domers from the wrath of the tribes.

I suspect the first Temple was built before the fall of Pavis? The rapprochement between the Sun Domers and the Nomads may have happened when the first temple was built, but the destruction of Pavis may have hastened the process: with the fall of the city the reason for outright and constant war between the Yelmalions and Nomads would have gone.

6 hours ago, David Scott said:

I think there was more to it than simply nomad hostility. They could have easily adopted sables instead of horses like their nomad counterparts. I think they were deliberately trying to set themselves apart.

The Yelmalion attachment to horses, and the pride common to many Solar cults might have dissuaded them from adopting any lesser mount.

6 hours ago, David Scott said:

Currently in the Wastelands population stats, there are no Basmoli followers of Yelmalio (except as usual PCs). All adults follow Basmol (& Basmola) with secondary cults of Foundchild & Helpwoman and tertiary societies of Sky Gazers, Burners, Thirstless, Shadow People and seven mothers. It should be noted that the tertiary societies number only about 30 of the 1250 adult basmoli in total.

I assumed the Basmoli acting as Yelmalion auxiliaries were not members of the cult, but following the Hero spirit cult of Leaping Sun as detailed in ToTRM.

Certainly, bachelor Basmoli attaching themselves as mercenaries seems fitting, as well as drawing the cultural differences between themselves the Yelmalions: the Yelmalions need light infantry trackers and scouts. There's an interesting contrast between the patriarchal theocratic and somewhat sexually uptight Sun Domers, and a Basmoli batchelor group.

Whilst it is apparent that much of the ToTRM cult description is no longer entirely canonical, it would be a shame to lose the colour of Basmoli auxiliaries.

When I wrote that section, I had in mind an Osprey-like illustration: A Sun Dome Square drawn up, the command group and standard-bearer  in discussion with a senior Basmoli scout and a dismounted Yelornan unicorn rider; off to one side two Basmoli crouch, one braiding another's hair; with mounted unicorn riders in the background...

6 hours ago, David Scott said:

So there are 300 Praxian Yelornans and 120 Rubble Yelornans.

I've been using your tribal numbers, and the reference to a group of Yelorans in Ralios mentioned in the Guide.

32 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

Beryl Phalanx at 150 lines of 8 men (1200, which I'd say is high - I think Marble Phalanx elsewhere is at 1000)

 

 

The Stonewall phalanxes probably retain the organization stipulated by Emperor Urvairinus before Time. A regiment consists of ten Centuries each of a hundred soldiers; each Century is composed of nine Tens of nine soldiers and a Guardian, and one Ten of specialists: the Centurion, his deputy, three bodyguards and five healers. A Polemarch commands the regiment. Suggested organization:

 

Stonewall Organization

Polemarch/Commander

Kentarch/Centurion

Lochagos /File-Leader

Dimoirites/Half-File Leader

 

1 hour ago, Tobbe-A said:

Thanks jajagappa,

I do have the HQG, but I still lack the actual number soldiers in each unit. I could go with say 500 in each unit as a base, but I'd love to have more gritty details if it has been noted anywhere.

 

Infantry regiments have a nominal strength of roughly a thousand, bodyguard 'units' fifty, cavalry regiments five hundred. It is rare for regiments to be at full strength.

32 minutes ago, soltakss said:

 

The Guide to Glorantha has Prax being part of Sheng Seleris' Empire in the Third Age.

Now, Pavis was under the control of the trolls and was sealed, so Sheng Seleris had not effect on them, but Mo Baustra was out in the open and able to be attacked/taken over. How much of Sheng Seleris is reflected in the history of the Solitude of Testing? Your summary mentions fights against the nomads, but does this also include the Pentian nomads of the Celestial Empire? Yelmalians would probably have fit in well with the Celestial Empire with the Count being a ray of the Celestial Empire. 

I imagine that Sun County paid tribute, but have no specific information.

44 minutes ago, jajagappa said:

Here's a couple of the index references from the Nochet Guide that are pertinent.  I believe Sir Narib has largely hired Heortlanders and Esrolians to protect his sorcerers.

Interesting. Thank you.

8 hours ago, jajagappa said:

Yes, Sir Narib exists and, yes, his company still exists.  It was missed in the original army list and Jeff has a writeup for it.

Would be interested in any information you can share. Is the Company divided into the Stags and Boars?

1 hour ago, metcalph said:

Sir Narib's Hall and Sir Narib's Compnay Barracks appear on the map of Nochet just south of the Harmast Gate.  The map in question is a recent one and put up http://www.glorantha.com/nochet-city-of-queens/

That may be, but in talking with Jeff a year or two ago, Narib was replaced by Mularik, at least in the Sartar Free Army. Of course, things may have changed since then.

I also understood that Sanuel was removed, but again, things may have changed.

Additional: I've checked through some Army Lists Jeff authored a few years ago: Sanuel appears in the earliest draft but is later replaced by Mularik. Narib was never listed. Things may have changed...

 

9 hours ago, Joerg said:

Did you replace Sir Narib's company (Nochet-based, according to Harald's city map) with Mularik? I'm missing Baron Sanuel from Smithstone, too.

I believe that Narib and Sanuel are no longer canonical.

 

9 hours ago, metcalph said:

I would make the Swordbrothers Praxian.  

I believe that the Swordbrothers include members of all Praxian tribes, as well as a number of non-Praxians.

9 hours ago, metcalph said:

The Flash Jack, Amber and Potor were once said (verbally) to be Pol Joni related (ie they weren't pol joni but had similar origins) rather than Praxian.  I have no idea what the current story is.  

I believed that:

• Flash Jack and the Ambers are High Llama Tribe magical societies.
• Potor are a Bison Tribe magical society.

However, it seems I am incorrect regarding Potor. Will update my notes.

 

 

1 hour ago, Nel said:

Using North, South, East and West as the cardinal points in Glorantha is rather dull to me. That's why I'm looking for names that carry some mythical meaning.

My first idea was using the Pillar Gods that support the Sky Dome, such as the one in GtG p.155:
- North: White Pillar
- South: ?
- East: ?
- West: ?
Unfortunately, I haven't found his name nor any word about the other three Pillar Gods.

 

See the Guide: The Gods Wall. Note, however, that the use of these as the cardinal directions is probably limited to Dara Happa.

4 hours ago, g33k said:

Are there official numbers that go with those?

Most infantry regiments have a nominal thousand troops; cavalry around five hundred. Magical units tend to vary.

Much of the 'data' is derived from the Dragon Pass boardgame.

Composition of the Sartar Free Army

A large portion of Sartar’s army consists of mercenaries and outlanders, with only the core drawn from Sartarite tribes and City Rings.

 

Brotherhood of Death	Sartarite
Eaglebrown Warlocks	Sartarite
Earth Twins	Tarshite
Egglord Warlocks	Hendriki
Eleven Lights	Sartarite
Free Philosophers	Sartarite
Mularik’s Men	Western mercenaries
Snakepipe Dancers	Sartarite
Tosti Runefriend’s Company Light	Sartarite
Warm Sisters	Esrolian
Bullocks	Praxian
Swordbrothers	Tourney Altar
Twin Spear	Praxian
Antlercase	Sartarite Kheldon tribe
Colymar	Sartarite Colymar tribe
Headhunters	Sartarite Culbrea tribe
Pavis Royal Guard	Pavis
Thieves’ Arm	Pavis - many Sartarite adventurers.
Tworidge	Sartarite Malani tribe
Bush Rangers	Tarshite, Grazelander, Sartarite mercenaries.
Boldhome Royal Guard	Sartarite
Free Men	Hendriki
Gold Gotti	Mercenaries
Guildsmen	Sartarite
1st Bush Children	Tarshite
2nd Bush Children	Tarshite
3rd Bush Children	Tarshite
Candle Dancers	Sartarite
Wolf Runners	Sartarite
Duck City Militia	Sartarite
Tribal Levies	Sartarite
Tribal Levies	Sartarite
Flash Jack	High Llama Tribe
And-Jay	Bison Tribe
Krise	Sable Tribe
1st Pol-Joni	Pol-Joni
2nd Pol-Joni	Pol-Joni
3rd Pol-Joni	Pol-Joni
1st Amber	High Llama Tribe
2nd Amber	High Llama Tribe
Potor	Bison Tribe
Ansil Heavy	Rhino Tribe

On ‎6‎/‎11‎/‎2016 at 4:29 PM, David Scott said:

There are about 14700 Yelmalio worshippers amongst the Praxian tribes. The population of Sun County is only 20,000, given that half are children, the remainder is half men. That gives a maximum of 5000 Yelmalio initiates. The nomads outnumber them about 2:1. The structure of Yelmalio is different amongst the tribes - they have only Light Khans, no priests. So the Yemalio temples are their major worship temples. Yes they are welcome, and yes there are ancient pacts in place that prevent them overrunning the land. Look when the Praxian lords of Sun County ended for when these pacts came into place.

Numbers for the interested:

7800 - Impala tribe

163 - High Llama tribe

5625 - Sable tribe

400 - Bison tribe

(No Morokanth other than PCs:-)

225 - Agimori tribe

90 - Rhino tribe

90 - Ostrich tribe

40 - Unicorn tribe

(No Baboons other than Melo Yellow and PCs)

158 - Bolo Lizard tribe

34 - Zebra tribe

42 - Pol-Joni tribe

(No Basmoli or Newtlings other than PCs:-)

Here's the source of my Yelmalion numbers.

3 hours ago, Mark Mohrfield said:

Some of these figures seem to be a bit high assuming that half the population is children and half of the adults are female. Applying these figures to the populations given in the Guide, over 25% and of adult male Impala riders and 30% of adult male Sable riders would be Yelmalions, Or have I missed something?

I've taken this from David Scott's recent posts on the forum (which I may have misunderstood).

 

3 hours ago, Mark Mohrfield said:

The Army Lists post gives the Vanntar unit twice. Was one of these meant to be Alda Chur? Why does a pike and shield unit have a missile factor? Are these statistics for the new miniatures rules?

Vanntar raises two regiments; Alda-Chur none.

The Vanntar regiments include archers, who act as pseudo-hypaspists, providing some cover to the flanks of the phalanxes. The Sun County regiment instead relies either upon militia spearmen on the flanks or supporting auxiliaries hired from a Praxian tribe.

I need to add this information to my notes. 

Army Lists

Sun Dome Templars

Rurik Runespear
Type	Hero
Magic Factor	4
Missile Factor	2
Melee Factor	2

A Rune Lord of Yelmalio, Rurik was slain by trolls. He was sent back by his god to lead his people in battle and inspire all with the Light of the Son of the Sun.

 

Vanishing on the Giant’s Cradle which sailed down the River of Cradles in 1621, he became one of Argrath’s boon companions, sharing incredible adventures across the world. He is said to have brokered the secret agreement that saw the Sun Dome Templars desert their Lunar allies at the Second Battle of Moonbroth in 1624. Rurik returned to Pavis in 1625 perched on the back of a golden wyrm to participate in the liberation of the city. In 1627 Rurik was instated as the new Count of Vanntar.

 

Sun Dome Templars
Type	Heavy Infantry
Armor	Lacquered leather
Weapons	Sarissa, large round shield
Morale	Regular	4
Patron Deity	Yelmalio
Notes	From Vanntar in Sartar
Magic Factor	5
Missile Factor	1
Melee Factor	5

They fight using a long fifteen foot long pike, in close formation, resting their round shields on a neck strap which permits them to grip their heavy spear in both hands. They fight and drill in Squares of 64 men, and are superbly disciplined to present a forest of pikes to their foes. The Templars have the best armor the cult can provide: a corset of lacquered leather and a crested full helmet.

 

Sun Dome Templars
Type	Heavy Infantry
Armor	Lacquered leather
Weapons	Sarissa, large round shield
Morale	Regular	4
Patron Deity	Yelmalio
Notes	From Vanntar in Sartar
Magic Factor	5
Missile Factor	1
Melee Factor	5

 

Sun Dome Templars
Type	Heavy Infantry
Armor	Bronze
Weapons	Sarissa, large round shield
Morale	Regular	4
Patron Deity	Yelmalio
Notes	From Mo Baustra in Prax
Magic Factor	5
Missile Factor	0
Melee Factor	5

Yelmalion Regiments

The Yelmalion military is under the command of the Light Captain, one of the administrative assistants of the High Priest of a temple.

 

Yelmalion Organization
Light Captain
Light Captain Lieutenant
Regiment	Militia
Regiment Captain	Guardian
Captain
File-Leader
Half-file Leader

 

Templar phalangites carry a fifteen foot pike and fight in close formation, resting their round shields on a neck strap, permitting them to grip the long spear with both hands when in battle.

 

The basic unit is the sixteen man ‘file’ consisting of fourteen soldiers, a file-leader and a half-file leader.

 

In combat they shift to battle file, or close order, in Squares of eight half-files (64 men) with locked shields to present a forest of pikes to their foes. In column for road or frontier travel, this unit of 64 marches in a two-abreast double-file formation. For battlefield march or maneuver it moves in open order, four lines 16 men deep, with wide spacing between the lines to permit skirmishers and missile troops to move through the ranks prior to contact with the enemy. Each man wears a corselet of lacquered leather or bronze and a crested full helmet. A Square is commanded by a Captain.

 

Eight Squares comprise a company, with additional skirmishers and bearers, and two companies a regiment.

 

A Yelmalion regiment is commanded by a senior captain, usually the Light Captain or his deputy. All Light Sons may pick three Templars as their bodyguard, and in the regiment the commander’s retinue act as his dedicated bodyguard and standard bearer. The militia is commanded by the Guardian, also a Light Son, who has Templar bodyguards and standard bearer.

 

The Sun Dome militia uses similar formations, but are more typically are arrayed in a line two ranks deep.

 

Yelornan Regiments

The cult of Yelorna in the Third Age is relatively small, with the largest number comprising the Unicorn tribes of Prax and Ralios.

 

The cult in Pavis retains some of the ancient organization.

 

No Yelornan regiments have existed since the Second Age, but the unicorn riders often serve as auxiliaries for the Sun Dome Temples of Mo Baustra (Sun Dome County) and the Karia March.

 

Yelornan Organization
Star Priestess
Regiment	Wanderers
Star Lady	Star Lady
Troop-Leader
Section-Leader

And a related main text sub-chapter.

 

Sun Dome Temples

At the end of the Second Age, when all the lowlands united against the Empire of the Wyrms Friends, Yelmalio again led the fight.

 

The destruction of the Invincible Golden Horde in the Dragonkill in 1120 marked a massive decline in the cult. The Sun Dome Temples in Saird contributed much of the manpower of the Invincible Golden Horde, and the destruction and devouring of those armies critically wounded the Temples for generations. Though its Dragon Pass temples were destroyed, the cult lived on among elves, and in Prax and Peloria.

 

In the Third Age, the cult moved back into Dragon Pass at the request of the House of Sartar. There it restored some of the cosmic balance of the area and stabilized the kingdom for the ruling house. Both the Dragon Pass and Prax temples have proved relatively minor, though they have always been well-supported by their worshippers.

 

Throughout the entire region of central Genertela, including the Lunar provinces where the temples probably originated, there are no more than fifteen temples extant during the Hero Wars period.

 

The region in Southern Peloria called Saird is clearly the center of the cult, with ten Sun Dome Temples (three in Holay, two in Tarsh, two in Aggar, one in Sylila, one in Vanch, and one in Imther). The Daysenerus cult was given good lands confiscated from rebellious Heortlings after the Theyalan Wars, and Mirin’s Cross was the Second Age center of the cult. The Yelmalio cult supported Verenmars and his Kingdom of Saird.

Most Yelmalio cultists are farmer-soldiers who belong to one of the Sairdite cities of South Peloria. They are a very well-drilled militia and rarely fight outside of their own domain unless paid (which deals with the loss of agricultural labor for a season or two).

 

The Sun Dome Temples provide approximately 11,000 Templars to the Lunar Provincial Army. These strategically located temples are the military anchor of the ‘Sairdite’ Solar culture and defend the lowland farmers. Yelmalio is the main soldier cult of the river cities of Saird, coexisting with the cults of Humakt, Hwarin Dalthippa, or Yanafal Tarnils.

 

Historically, Jannisor’s Rebellion included the Sun Dome Temples of Saird, allied with the Sable Tribes, and the many Orlanthi tribes surrounding Saird. At least some of the Sun Dome Temples were part of the Kynnelfing Alliance that resisted but ultimately was defeated by the Conquering Daughter.

 

The Sun Dome Temples fought on all sides of the wars during Third and Fourth Wanes, but have been mostly allied with the Lunar Provincial Government since the Sixth Wane.

Outside of Saird, there are only four temples – one in Fronela, one in Delela (near Karia), one in Sartar, and one in Prax. These temples are almost entirely autonomous and independent of their cousins in South Peloria.

 

Mo Baustra

The Yelmalio cult was imported into Prax by the rulers of Pavis in the year 875 to help against barbarian raiders. The Templars brought their phalanxes, their cavalry and chariotry to support the beleaguered city.

 

Regiments rode and marched as part of the Invincible Golden Horde in 1100 to plunder and destroy the Dragonewt cities in Dragon Pass. They were entirely destroyed in the Dragonkill. This disaster was traumatic, and the cult purged itself of any vestiges of EWF-inspired Solar Draconicism to return to the unsullied, pure light of Yelmalio.

 

The Great Ballista was constructed to protect the Sun Dome Temple, but when draconic retribution never came it was later moved to the high bluffs above the river and renamed the Harpoon.

 

Eighty years later the city of Pavis fell and Sun Dome County, still reeling from the losses in Dragon Pass, struggled to survive surrounded by hostile Animal Nomads.

 

The theocratic enclave of Sun County spent most of the Third Age in isolation in what they call the Solitude of Testing. Their tradition of horse rearing was lost in the enduring face of nomad hostility and they relied solely upon their infantry. When required, the Templars have been forced on occasion to rely on allied nomad tribesmen of their religion for cavalry support.

 

The capability of Sun Dome Templar Squares to set pikes to withstand a heavy cavalry charge was one of the factors in their survival during the Testing.

 

The Sun Dome County has maintained its autonomy from the Lunar Empire at the price of military alliance. It can muster spearmen militia and a regiment of Templar pike.

 

Auxiliaries

In addition to the Sun Dome regiment and militia, Sun County often recruits cavalry auxiliaries from their fellow worshippers among the Praxian Tribes, and from the Yelorna-worshipping Unicorn Tribe.

 

Scouts and light troops are also recruited from the Basmoli Berserkers, the lion people.

 

Yelmalions in Prax

There are about 14,700 Yelmalio worshippers amongst the Praxian tribes. The population of Sun County is only 20,000, given that half are children, the remainder is half men, giving a maximum of 5000 Yelmalio initiates. The nomads significantly outnumber them.

 

Yelmalio amongst the nomads is very different from the organization of the Sun Dome temples. The nomads eschew the use of the pike and shield foot tactics, favoring instead their mounts, and the long spear and the bow or javelin. They have none of the fixed structures of the temple-bound Sun Domers, having only Light Khans, but no priests, so the Yemalio temples are their major worship temples.

 

Tribe	Number of Initiates
Agimori tribe	225
Bison tribe	400
Bolo Lizard tribe	158
High Llama tribe	163
Impala tribe	7800
Ostrich tribe	90
Pol-Joni tribe	42
Rhino tribe	90
Sable tribe	5625
Zebra tribe	34

 

Claws of the Leaping Sun

A Basmoli bachelor society in the area around Sun County, the society is named for a hero who first served the Yelmalions.

 

The first Basmoli to serve as auxiliaries rapidly spread the word amongst their kin, and Basmoli seeking mercenary service can expect welcome in the lands of the Sun worshippers. Wandering males, ejected from their home pride, have a deep yearning to ‘belong’, and transfer this desire to the bachelor societies and mercenary bands.

 

The Basmoli are renowned for their strength and their ferocity in combat.

 

Basmoli are lean and fleet of foot, adept at serving as scouts, trackers and light infantry, equipped with bow, spear and light shield. Most Basmoli have long auburn or red hair, and are vain about their appearance, decorating their hair with brightly colored ribbons and bells.

 

The Templars have a very superior attitude to their auxiliaries, though many of their victories have been won with the aid of Basmoli scouting and reconnaissance.

 

Vanntar

Vanntar, the Sun Dome County, in southern Sartar is an ancient sacred site to the cults of Sky and Light. It was depopulated by the Dragonkill and abandoned until 1579, when King Tarkalor recognized the Yelmalio cult as the legal possessor of Vanntar and the land surrounding it. Since 1585 this Sun County has sought its own way, independent of the Princes of Sartar. It can muster massed archers, spearmen and two regiments of Templar pike, though half the army always remains to guard the county.

 

The Sun Dome Temple of Vanntar is served by half-thrall helots called the Ergeshi, named for the Dara Happan god of slaves. They serve as field-workers and as baggage-carriers. The Vanntar hoplites are able to stay in the field almost indefinitely because the helots will work their land holdings.

 

In 1627 Argrath installed his companion Rurik as the new Count of Vanntar. Thereafter, the regiments of Vanntar served in the ranks of the Sartar Free Army.

 

Alda-Chur

In 1611, Harvar Ironfist, a Light Captain of Yelmalio of the Vantaros tribe established himself as the ruler Alda-Chur and the Far Place. He ruthlessly quelled the Righteous Wind Revolt and punished whoever had not helped him or resisted the rebels. The Lunar Provincial Governor named him Duke of the Far Place.

 

Harvard Ironist was killed in the Dragonrise in 1625.

 

Whilst he ruled, he was a Lunar Ally, but the Far Place provided no regiments to the Lunar Empire.

 

The large temple of Yelmalio Golden Spear is impressive, but there is no tradition of Templar regiments here. The Yelmalio cult is the largest disciplined military force in the Far Place, directly under the command of the Alda-Churi temple’s Light Captain.

 

 

Sun Dome Temples

Throughout the entire region of central Genertela, including the Lunar provinces, there are no more than fifteen major temples during the Hero Wars period. There are Little Sun cults popular throughout south Peloria and Dragon Pass. Most commonly associated with Yelmalio, the Sun Dome Temple god, the god’s myths are diverse and contradictory.

 

Sometimes the Little Sun God is a foe of Orlanth (as is common with Yelmalio), sometimes he is a friend of Orlanth (as is common with Elmal). Sometimes he is the husband of the Earth Goddess, sometimes not. A God Learner would say, perhaps accurately, perhaps not, that Yelmalio and Elmal are just variations of the same god.

 

In Imther, the Yelmalio cult of Kareiston’s  Temple preserves local variations in myth from the Yelmalio cults of Dragon Pass and the Mirin’s Cross network of temples. The name Khelmal is given to the god there. The locals call him the God of Kareiston’s Temple, and give him many epithets including ‘Little Sun’, ‘Son of the Sun’, ‘God of the Sky Dome’ and the ‘Cold Sun’.

 

In New Lolon his worshippers claim it is the site of his Seat of Judgment, where the Light Protector Heliacal lived with his wife, the Green Woman.

 

Yelmalio is not alone in this diversity. Orlanth has very diverse aspects (so much so that Thunderous, Adventurous, and Rex are effectively separate cults).

 

Throughout its history, the cult of Yelmalio has sometimes almost been extinguished, but as the light that does not go out, though diminished, the cult of the Cold Sun always reignites. Despite severe reverses, and a variety of names, the cult has a strong continuity, and although distant temples may vary in their rites and theology, strong similarities in ritual and tradition are apparent.

 

The Sun Dome Temples have never been unified. Even in Saird, where there are close ties between the scattered Sun Domes, each temple is under its own religious and secular authorities. When two or more temples exist within the borders of a wider state, each owes fealty and service to the ruler, but not through a cult hierarchy.

 

The First Age

In the First Age, the God of the Sun Dome Temple was called Hastatus, God of the Spear (sometimes equated with Avivorus) or Antirius, the Dara Happan God of Order.

 

Golden domes are a defining feature of the Sun Dome temples. The temple-fortress to Manimat and Antirius at Haranshold originally built in the First Age also boasts several gold domes. The city of Kesium is now best known for its golden-domed temple to Antirius, built by the Bright Eagle Lords of Rinliddi in the Dawn Age of Peloria.

 

The first temple complex in the style of the later Sun Dome Temples was built by Kestingatha of Kesium, one of the Bright Eagle Lords. His temple of Antirius, a golden dome set atop a square base, was completed sometime between 145 and 155.

 

Mahzanelm, an Emperor of the Khordavu Dynasty, conquered Rinliddi and Vanch around 345-350. The Dara Happans sought to ensure that the barbarian lands could be kept under their control. The Emperor commissioned the construction of a grand structure that would be both temple and a military enclave for his troops. This temple was in the form of a dome within a walled compound entered via a stepped walkway.

 

One of the settlements the Emperor destroyed during his southern campaign was Lolon, inhabited since the Dawn. This was the home of the Tunoraling hunter-gatherers who worshipped Heliacal the Sun and his wife Negalla the Green Woman.

 

After the First Theyalan War (366-368), more of the Dara Happan-style Sun Dome Temples were built – one was even built atop the ruins of Urar Baar (a troll trading place at the confluence of the Oslir and the Black Eel rivers). These were similar to the earlier temple built by Kestingatha, being set on a square base, which was now consecrated to Hastatus, the spear god. In all, five Sun Dome Temples served as Dara Happan military anchors to keep the rebellious Theyalans under the control of the High Council.

 

It was at the Battle of Day and Night in 379 that the constructed god Nysalor revealed Daysenerus - an aspect of Antirius who brings Antirius’ Justice to the barbarians - to be the deity of the Sun Dome Temples. Daysenerus’ first deed when invoked was to crush the army of Kyger Litor and his first new temple was built upon the site of that victor. The name translates as First Herald God, apparently relating to the appearance of the planet Lightfore, prior to the Dawn.

 

During the years that followed, new Sun Dome Temples dedicated to Daysenerus were built throughout the lands occupied by the Bright Empire.

 

The Daysenerus cult was given good lands confiscated from rebellious Heortlings after the Theyalan Wars. The military might of these enclaves supported the rule of the Bright Empire. However, their association with Nysalor proved to be their downfall. When Arkat raised the Heortlings in their final successful rebellion, vengeful Orlanthi and their troll allies destroyed every Sun Dome Temple they encountered and eradicated the name Daysenerus from Peloria.

 

According to Monrogh of Sartar, Sereventh in Sylila was the only temple to Daysenerus to survive the destruction of the Bright Empire. Other sources claim it was used by Ordanestyu in his Cold Light Fires Uprising and to revive the culture of Dara Happa after the fall of the Bright Empire.

 

During the ensuing period of troll and Heortling domination of southern Peloria, the other Sun Dome Temples were relit by the prophet Severinalus the Rekindler. Severinalus named the god Tharkantus, the Empty Saving Hearth, prepared for the darkness to come. He settled many temples, for many places prepared once again for the time that the fires all went out. Tharkartus was later recognized to be the same entity as the Elvish Sun god, later known as Halamalao, and in many places the two races shared worship for centuries.

 

It was perhaps during this period that the god of the Sun Dome Temples was given the name Yelmalio (Little Sun God), from which the elvish name seems to derive. Whilst the cult had its origins in the Solar cultures to the north, its presence on the borderlands with the Storm cultures to the south resulted in an increasing intermingling of the two traditions. What began as a title gradually supplanted the northern name.

 

The Second Age

In 562 a Sun Dome Temple was founded in Holay. Trolls resisted the construction but met with disaster when a trollkin lieutenant betrayed the attack because the White Women among the Sun Domers had treated him kindly.

 

Circa 640 another was established at Domanand (modern Mirin’s Cross) in Saird within the boundaries of Orlanthland, and was later strengthened as a stronghold against the dragons and their followers.

 

It boasted unique enclosed domes with anti-dragon runes upon their surface, and despite its Solar nature provided a center of resistance for the Orlanthi Traditionalists against the Draconic Orlanthi to the south for a long time. The city of Lolon was also rebuilt.

 

Orlanthland was, as the name denotes, the land of the Orlanthi, extending south into Dragon Pass. Initially, the cult of Yelmalio fiercely aided the traditionalist Orlanthi and spearheaded armies invading the upland regions to fight the draconic heretics.

 

Saird became a battleground between Domanand and southern Orlanthland, which was transforming into the Empire of the Wyrms Friends. But by 750 the EWF conquered Saird; the gold domes of Domanand were shattered - their ruins are still apparent in the modern city. The Lament of Domeland, composed by several poets who survived the catastrophe, recalls the fall of the city.

 

The EWF revealed the Draconic Sun to the survivors. The Sun Dome Temples subsequently became a major military arm of the empire with their soldier-cultists used as mercenaries. Many new temples to Yelmalio were established on the frontiers of the EWF in Fronela, Ralios, and near Pent and in its core lands in Dragon Pass. Another was built at Hesterneo in Esrolia, later destroyed by Queen Orenda.

Dara Happa was occupied by the EWF in 850 after its Emperor was killed by elite members of the Golden Dragon Society.

 

In 877 the first Arrowsmith king of the city of Pavis in Prax requested aid from the Sun Dome Temple in Dragon Pass against the trolls and giants. The mercenaries were granted lands to the south of the city. A new Sun Dome Temple was built on the edge of the Wastelands.

 

Karvanyar slew the imperial Golden Dragon in 910, leading a rebellion that drove the EWF from Dara Happa within seven years.

 

The same year Alakoring Dragonbreaker flew into Aggar. He defeated Sun Dome armies and other EWF forces.

 

Between the years 910-925, after freeing itself from EWF control Dara Happan armies marched south. In the Three Armies Battle in 920 the armies of Alakoring Dragonbreaker and a Carmanian adventurer fought the EWF. Alakoring fought Drang the Diamond Storm Dragon and killed it.

 

Over the next fifteen years, Alakoring led the people of Saird, including the freed Sun Dome Temples, in rebellion. The soldier-cult purged itself of all draconic influence. Around this time, ruined Domanand was resettled, and named Miron’s Cross for a lieutenant of Alakoring who learned the secret of where to cross the Black Eel river and where he crucified a EWF leader subdued in battle. Mirin subsequently claimed the site for his own and after the cross was removed, built an impressive monument to commemorate the duel. Reliefs on each side, now almost worn away, depicted Mirin’s four great deeds.

 

Dara Happa retook all of its lands from the EWF and expanded southwards. A great army marched through Sylila to the Battle of Zelfield where the dragons were defeated. The EWF counterattacked, reaching as far north as Alkoth in 947 but was unable to regain control of the north.

 

In 960, on the abdication of Sarenesh, (an Emperor of Dara Happa of the Karvanyar Dynasty) to prevent war between his three sons, the priests enacted the Great Division of the World. The High Priest of Dayzatar awarded Dayzatar’s portion, Saird, to Verenmars. King Verenemars rallied all Saird against the dragons. He began great sacrifices to strengthen Jajagappa and raised the Jajalarings dog peoples against the EWF. Many Dara Happan colonists followed in the wake of Verenmars’ heroic wars against the EWF. Verenmars and his heirs ruled the Kingdom of Saird until 1120.

 

The Saird Sun Dome Temples initially fought against and then supported Verenmars and his kingdom As a result they survived the fall of the EWF in 1042 when the leaders of Empire of the Wyrms Friends were exterminated overnight.

 

In 1082, the hero Balazar introduced the cult of Yelmalio to the Votanki to the east. He met and wed a local hunting nymph and they had three sons.

 

The Sun Domes of Saird contributed much of the manpower of the Invincible Golden Horde. The destruction and devouring of those armies in the Dragonkill of 1120 severely wounded the Temples for generations, and extinguished Verenmars’ dynasty. After the Dragonkill, the weakened Sairdite culture was mostly absorbed by the neighboring Orlanthi.

 

Far to the southeast, the now isolated temple in Prax erected the Great Ballista to protect their rebuilt temple complex from draconic retribution.

 

Jannisor’s Rebellion (1271-1275) against the rising Lunar Empire included the Sun Dome Temples of Saird, allied with the Sable Tribes, and the many Orlanthi tribes surrounding Saird. Some of the Sun Dome Temples were also part of the Kynnelfing Alliance that resisted but ultimately was defeated by the Conquering Daughter in 1347. The queen of Filichet was acclaimed as Queen of Holay, as a Lunar tributary ruler.

 

Invasions by savage barbarians from Pent led by Sheng Seleris disrupted the Lunar Empire from 1375 to 1460. Much of the south was lost to the empire during this time as it struggled to survive. The Sun Dome temples endured this period, hiring out as mercenaries.

 

Holay became a battleground between Tarsh and Sylila, and was finally reduced to Lunar dependency in 1458. Saird was regained around 1480 though Lunar rule in the Provinces was not secure until 1545, when the Provincial Government was formed.

 

The Sun Dome Temples fought on all sides of these wars during Third and Fourth Wanes (1355-1462), but have been mostly allied with the Lunar Provincial Government since the Sixth Wane (1517 onwards).

 

The Third Age

The Sun Dome Temples of Saird have, over the centuries endured and enjoyed the patronage of overlords from the Broken Council, EWF, Sairdite, Tarsh and most recently the Lunar Empire. Throughout history Saird has been a significant battleground between Storm and Solar cultures fighting over Earth as in the myth of Orlanth and Yelm competing for the hand of Ernalda.

 

Outside of Saird, there are only four great temples. These temples are almost entirely autonomous and independent of their cousins in South Peloria.

 

Ever-New-Glory in Tarsh was founded after the Lunar conquest of Saird.

 

At some time after this, Elmal cultists from Alda-Chur, beset by Darkness and Chaos went north to find allies against the trolls. They returned with the Golden Spearman and took him with them to their next battle. A brilliant sunspear destroyed the trolls. The jubilant Alda-Churi gave the Golden Spearman a shrine in their temple to Elmal, the Orlanthi Sun God, and offered him regular sacrifices as one of the defenders of their people.

 

In the mid-1500s, Lunar missionaries proved to the priests that the Golden Spearman was the enemy of Orlanth, as part of a campaign to divide and weaken the southern tribes. The allegiance of some worshippers of Elmal was compromised and they rebelled against their traditional leaders, weakening resistance to Lunar encroachment.

 

In Sartar, the sage Monrogh Lantern revealed that the Golden Spearman was neither Yelm nor Elmal, but the Son of the Sun, Yelmalio. In 1579 Monrogh was given leave to re-consecrate the temple of Yelmalio at Vanntar, to end the strife. During the Resettlement Period of Dragon Pass and the early decades of the kingdom of Sartar, Vaantar had been an important temple of Elmal, belonging to no tribe and defended against the Kitori by determined members of the cult of Elmal.

 

With the fervor of new converts, the Vanntari insist Monrogh founded the cult of Yelmalio and that Vanntar was the first temple. The presence of more ancient temples in Saird and elsewhere contradict their claims.

 

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With many major temples, Saird is still the center of the cult. In addition to the Sun Dome Temples it boasts important sites associated with the god, such as the Hill of Gold and New Lolon in Vanch. The Hill is where Yelmalio was sorely wounded, lost his weapons, and bled his power upon the earth before he rose again in Cold Light. Lolon was the place of Yelmalio’s Seat of Judgment, and where the Light Protector lived with his wife the Green Woman.

 

The modern farmers and cities of Saird, are a mixture of lowland Pelorians and Orlanthi. There are some vestigial remnants of earlier cultures (especially the Red-Haired Goddess, a title of Redaylda), but mostly submerged beneath many centuries of later settlement. 

 

The extant temples of southern Peloria are the military anchor of the “Sairdite” Solar culture. They are all strategically located to defend the lowland farmers. Yelmalio is the main soldier cult of the river cities of Saird, coexisting with the military cults of Humakt, Hwarin Dalthippa, and Yanafal Tarnils.

 

Yelmalio has been the divine defender of Mirin’s Cross, ancient Domanand, since the Second Age.

Quite a delay in returning to this I'm sorry to say - caused by family medical emergencies.

Will post an 'updated' version shortly. I've made use of the comments here and material provided by Harald Smith. There will, of course, be errors, omissions and bias.

This is an appendix to something I've been playing with for the past six months in my spare time - RuneWars: Warfare in Glorantha - using all the (fairly) canonical material I can find and my own thoughts.

 

27 minutes ago, Ian Cooper said:

And much of the depiction of a 'household' in TCS consists of a walled group of buildings, i.e. a courtyard surrounded by long-halls, outbuildings, and barns. (It came from some archival notes of Greg's). So I expect actual difference between the two is minor. As I say, TCS pre-dates some of the 'square house' thinking though.

I suspect that the square-house meme includes a very great deal of variation in execution. So whilst TCS doesn't have any explicitly square houses (though a few on the settlement maps come close) it isn't by any means non-canonical. It's a little like the idea that Iron Age houses in Britain were all circular - most were but not all.

The basic Earth Rune 'square house' resembles two long-halls joined by two smaller halls (or a long-hall and a barn), surrounding a square courtyard. The extent of the roof is therefore well within the bounds of A frame construction and does not require especially long timbers.