Do Elder Races have initiation rituals?

[soltakss]

6 hours ago, Sir_Godspeed said:

Which is not all that common for Aldryami or other Elder Races.

Pretty much all Aldryami join Aldrya. The Marching Aldryami often join Yelmalio. Some Healers join Arroin.  I can see Aldryami as worshipping Babeester Gor and maybe Asrelia or Ty Kora Tek, maybe not Maran Gor but who knows?

So, Aldryami do join other cults as well.

The difference is that in non-Aldryami societies you have herders, hunters, fishers and farmers, all of whom have different cults, but for Aldryami all of these are handled by Aldrya as they do not need to hunt, farm, fish or herd for their food, clothing and so on. The Forest provides everything.

Now, Aldryami might have specialist heroes for certain tasks, for example crafting or shaping trees, we just don't know about them.

[Sir_Godspeed]

8 hours ago, soltakss said:

Pretty much all Aldryami join Aldrya. The Marching Aldryami often join Yelmalio. Some Healers join Arroin.  I can see Aldryami as worshipping Babeester Gor and maybe Asrelia or Ty Kora Tek, maybe not Maran Gor but who knows?

So, Aldryami do join other cults as well.

The difference is that in non-Aldryami societies you have herders, hunters, fishers and farmers, all of whom have different cults, but for Aldryami all of these are handled by Aldrya as they do not need to hunt, farm, fish or herd for their food, clothing and so on. The Forest provides everything.

Now, Aldryami might have specialist heroes for certain tasks, for example crafting or shaping trees, we just don't know about them.

Clarification:

We're more or less informed that the high degree of cult membership is fairly unique to the Orlanthi, where most Pelorians, Ralians, Fronelans, etc. tend to be less active in cult life, more like lay members, generally. The Lunars are arguably a subversion of this, with the Seven Mothers mirroring the Lightbringers, for example, but they're a cultural minority in their own Empire, iirc. 

Basically all Aldryami join the cult of Aldrya, but according to @Jeff, the cult membership of other cults is comparatively low. 

The point about the Uz and Orlanthi having this high focus on lots of minor cults with a high degree of community participation in them, is not really my own, others have mentioned it in the past. It's tempting to see it as something that might've originated together, possibly in the Kingdom of Night at some point, but I'm just speculating. 

Granted, I don't know what exactly the nitty gritty numbers spell out, this is more of a general impression.

[davecake]

On 1/24/2021 at 6:04 PM, soltakss said:

Pretty much all Aldryami join Aldrya.

 

 

All but the Rootless or the Renegades. I suspect almost all Renegades are Rootless, though unsure about how they'd think about that in the First age elf war era or other extreme times. 

And the Rootless are those who don't hear the song of the forest (and are usually elves). There is a small percentage who just can't hear the song, and so are cut off from joining the Aldrya cult, or it can be voluntary, and I'm sure there are various reasons why it happens (including joining other cults, becoming a sorcerer, etc). Mostly it seems to be voluntarily reversible if the reason for Rootlessness is removed. Aldryami pity them. 

Rootless elves can remain part of Aldryami society, and can be useful by taking on roles that are normally forbidden to Aldrya members and serving society that way. Being  Rootless probably makes it much easier for elves to undertake long periods away from their forest, as well.

Renegades are more a political stance than a magical one - it is turning ones back on the forest. They are Aldryami who are enemies of Aldryami. 

On 1/24/2021 at 6:04 PM, soltakss said:

The Marching Aldryami often join Yelmalio. Some Healers join Arroin.  I can see Aldryami as worshipping Babeester Gor and maybe Asrelia or Ty Kora Tek, maybe not Maran Gor but who knows?

 

 

Yes. Yelmalio is normally worshipped in association with the High King Elf cult, and the elves in the Marching Aldryami are almost always Aldrya, initiates and often Yelmalio as well. Chalana Arroy is also an associated cult of Aldrya. 

I think many of the elves who worship Babeester Gor are Rootless, possibly all or most. 

I don't know about Asrelia or Ty Kora Tek - if TKT was known, she might be treated like Babeester Gor. Same for Maran Gor. 

But Gata and Ernalda, the fertile upper Earth, are associated with Aldrya and minorities among Aldryami also worship them directly. I think funeral rites and dealing with the dead among elves are possibly mostly shamanic? 

[Joerg]

Do rootless elves still have their elf bow (or other such partner plant)?

 

Renegades are aldryami acting against their own forest community. Elf-on-elf-wars aka forest-on-forest-wars are on the record, and aren't much different from the elf-on-humans wars in Onlaks / Miirdek, Maslo. In such wars, both sides will be integrated with their forests quite well while destroying the presence  of the other forest's creatures.

[davecake]

22 hours ago, Joerg said:

Do rootless elves still have their elf bow (or other such partner plant)?

I don't know that it ever says so specifically, but my impression is that the bow seed is granted on initiation into the High King Elf cult, so an elf that has always been Rootless would not have one. But I've also never seen it suggested that the touch of a Rootless elf withers an elf bow, or anything else to indicate that they lose the use of an elf bow they already have. So I think it would vary on history. 

(same for embyli living blowguns, etc)

[davecake]

22 hours ago, Joerg said:

Renegades are aldryami acting against their own forest community. Elf-on-elf-wars aka forest-on-forest-wars are on the record, and aren't much different from the elf-on-humans wars in Onlaks / Miirdek, Maslo. In such wars, both sides will be integrated with their forests quite well while destroying the presence  of the other forest's creatures.

I'm assuming there will be complex cases in the midst of warfare - but yes, just warring on a different elf forest while remaining integrated into the life of your own does not seem like it would make an elf a Renegade. 

[French Desperate WindChild]

On 1/24/2021 at 11:04 AM, soltakss said:

The difference is that in non-Aldryami societies you have herders, hunters, fishers and farmers, all of whom have different cults, but for Aldryami all of these are handled by Aldrya as they do not need to hunt, farm, fish or herd for their food, clothing and so on. The Forest provides everything.

why ?

Aldryami chamans (and priests) take care of the forest spirits (and spirituality)

Aldryami garderners take care of the forest "sedentary" inhabitants

Aldryami warriors take care of the forest security (and conquest too, and political issue too)

etc...

The Forest provides everything, because Aldryami are part of the forest, without them, what is the Forest ?