Uncolings and Chaos

[Sir_Godspeed]

On the maps in the Book of Heortling Mythology, the Uncolings are shown living in what is left of Peloria under Chaos occupation, essentially. They are described as having made deals with "monsters and demons" to continue their survival. I can't quite tell whether this is a reference to Chaos demons, or just trolls and other underworld beings, like the Shadzorings or something similar.

We also know from tGtG that a number of standing stones around Peloria were put up by some pre-Dawn culture, although I forget whether they're supposed to be a Green Age or Greater Darkness construction. If they're from the Greater Darkness, it seems to fit with the Uncolings putting them up for whatever reason, which I believe is referenced in tBoHM.

Lastly, we also have Six Ages, where - to avoid spoilers - proto-Uncolings/Reindeer people - live in the north, with some comments about no longer being able to utilize antlers in their sacred rituals due to some kind of evil entity interfering. There is also an emerging shamanistic society of antler-worshippers in your clan lands, who - eh - seem to have a connection to antlers and some really iffy weirdness going on, if you get what I mean.

In short - what's going on here? Is there some terrible secret between Chaos and the Uncolings? Some kind of alliance? Some fall from grance - or some pact they made to survive, or did they just quietly live under the radar as best they could as the world went to tatters?

EDIT: I'm using "Uncoling" quite indiscriminately here for the general category of reindeer-herders. I can't realistically know whether all the mentions are for the same people, or wether some are what we would call Hsunchen and others are just pastoralists or something.

Edited November 12, 2019 by Sir_Godspeed

[Joerg]

I am not convinced that the reindeer people of northeastern Genertela (including Dara Happa) are identical to the western Fronelan reindeer folk.

Reindeer are fantastically versatile beasts - I have read about polar expeditions where draft/pack beast reindeer were fed with dried cod. In the cold desert of the Darkness, such protein may also have come from frozen corpses, e.g. of more hapless former Dara Happans who had not made it under the Dome.

There is a good chance that some Pentan ancestors were among those cannibalistic reindeer herders - the Starlight Wanderers started out on foot, herding goats, then pushing into colder and colder northern lands. At least two horse emperors of Dara Happa are notorious for cannibalism (Eater of Flesh and Eats Women).

But then I expect cannibalism (and digging up frozen corpses) to be a common survival crime in Greater Darkness northern Genertela.

 

Deals with monsters and demons doesn't necessarily mean deals with Chaos. The Pelorian forms of Zorak Zoran (including Shargash and Hell Lodril) are demon lords and monsters in their own right. The uz are Hellspawn, too, and hence demonic - at least to the Dara Happans. I am not too certain that the difference between a Shadzoring and a slightly deformed uz can be told by any but uz ancestor worshipers or Shargashi.

Hollri are also known as Ice Demons - another typical form of monster in those non-times.

Then there are dehori - another typical form of demon.

Chaos is possible as another form of demons that were propitiated. The occasional human sacrifice may have helped to keep the norns or blue walkers appeased...

[Qizilbashwoman]

3 hours ago, Joerg said:

But then I expect cannibalism (and digging up frozen corpses) to be a common survival crime in Greater Darkness northern Genertela

For those of you not from my area: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wendigo#Wendigo_psychosis

Edited November 12, 2019 by Qizilbashwoman

[davecake]

I think this all foreshadowing of the corruption of Ragnaglar. And the Uncoling Greater Darkness survival myth is partly about this, learning to defeat an evil that gets between them and their god. 

Cannibalism is kind of different for herd animal hsunchen - most of them acknowledge their animal brothers as family, but survival includes eating them when necessary (though living on milk is better when you can). 

[Sir_Godspeed]

12 hours ago, davecake said:

I think this all foreshadowing of the corruption of Ragnaglar.

 

That was another suspicion of mine (although Ragnaglar was already corrupted by this time). While he is normally associated with goats, the antlers (and removal thereof in Six Ages) does speak to something about him - especially considering that he appears to have some kind of an antler-goathorn hybrid thing in the Gods War board game.

@Qizilbashwoman - he looks kinda Wendigo-esque, doesn't he?

[Akhôrahil]

On 11/13/2019 at 12:45 AM, Qizilbashwoman said:

 

The Sixth Gun has a fantastic Wendigo story, intermixing the horror of the creature with the horror of starvation.