Manirian Scratchpad V: Kaxtor & Kaxtorplose

[Nevermet]

Ok… here we go.

This is my scratchpad on Kaxtorplose.  The City that Does Not Fall.  As is My Way, the first post in this thread will most be lit review, identifying what we know from various canonical and canonically-adjacent sources on Glorantha.  A second post will be a few mild interpretations.

 

EDIT: Oh, I forgot to answer a question: WHY DO I CARE?

My answer is simple: Kaxtor is a demigod who resisted Palangio and the Bright Empire for 3 solid years before Arkat shows up, but who disappeared without a trace.  Meanwhile, his temple-city has survived with continuous occupation for about 1,200 years.  In that time, not only did it survive the Iron Vrok, but it also survived the Lopers, getting absorbed by the Middle Sea Empire, the sinking of the Middle Sea Empire, and the opening.  It is a glorious enigma.

 

Also, here are some abbreviations:

• BoG: Blood over Gold
• GtG: Guide to Glorantha
• HotHP: History of the Heortling People
• MSE: The Middle Sea Empire

 

So what is known about Kaxtorplose in the Third Age?

Kaxtorplose is a small city organized around a temple to Kaxtor, a hero worshipped here since the 1^st Age (GtG: 361).  The Kaxtori view him as “an avatar of the original and supreme God beyond the world of illusion” (GtG: 361), and it is a pilgrimage site for Malkioni.  It also has maintains an ancient library, with texts going back at least to the Flood, if not earlier (MSE: 44).  Its identity focuses in part of being the rightful seat of whatever remains of the Church of Slontos (BoG: 121).  However it is also relatively isolationist, with most of its trade ties coming through Handra (BoG: 119). 

 

 

What is known about Kaxtorplose in the Second Age?

Almost nothing, other than it was part of Slontos, and its temple to Kaxtor remained (GtG: 351).  It managed to survive the flooding of Slontos, something no other city outside of Ramalia did (with the possible exception of Bemelor, as Jubal is in the same location).

 

 

What is known of Kaxtorplose and its founding hero in the First Age?

Fodalor & Herolal

Once upon a time, there was a kingdom called Herolal.  Herolal rose from the ashes of the Herlaning kingdoms created by the Theyalan Vathmai who came to Maniria.  Despite Herolal being Entruli, it remained in contact with Dragon Pass.  By 200 ST, it was the dominant polity in Maniria (GtG: 352).  All was not well in Herolal, however.  In 315, its greatest champion, Fodalor, was sent into exile after a feud with the Herolali King.  By 320, Dragon Pass no longer had communication with Herolal.

 

The Birth & Life of Kaxtor

There is little canonical detail on Kaxtor.  We know he is the son of Fodalor and Esrola.  Esrola, as many know, is the Goddess of Good Earth, and she has many protector-husbands.  They include Heler, Elmal, Argan Argar, and Faralinthor.  (SKoH: 153, GtG: 687) Fodalor, on the other hand, was the great champion of the First Age city of Herolal.  We know that there was a Temple of Kaxtor that existed by 429, and that it was roughly 40 miles west of Herolal.  Finally, as mentioned above, at some point, Kaxtor came to be viewed as an avatar of the Invisible God.  I will be getting to my thoughts on Kaxtor in a few posts.

 

Palangio Conquers the Entruli

In 370, the Entruli Fodluth, son of Arigor became king of Herolal.  (HotHP: 79).  It is implied that he was a capable ruler, but his reign was hardly peaceful.

In 378, a plague came to Maniria (HotHP: 97).  As with Ralios, Nysaloran missionaries soon came after the plague with promises of a cure.  In 387, Pro-Nysloran forces create  a rebellion on the Wenelian Peninsula against Herolal.  In 401, the Bright Empire conquers Slontos under command of Palangio the Iron Vrok (GtG 352).  In 408, the territory controlled by Herolal, is consquered by “Krjalki” who came down the Tigrionor River (HotHP: 97).  King Fodluth is killed. [I am aware these dates are a mess, and that the Guide's dates take priority.]

It does not appear Maniria was completely pacified, however.  In 411, Iridwin the Diver leads a revolt against the Bright Empire, wielding items of power he brought back from Erenplose (HotHP: 97).  Palangio returns to the region in 413 with an army of Krjalki.  By 417, the entire region has been re-pacified, and Iridwin is killed by Palangio.

 

Kaxtorplose, Palangio, & Arkat

In 429, another rebellion begins, this time in Lukae (HotHP: 98).  The rebels quickly flee Lukae to the North, taking refuge in the Temple of Kaxtorplose.  Palangio and an army of Krjalki lay siege to Kaxtorplose (HotHP: 98, GtG: 352).  Kaxtorplose survives the siege for three long years.

In 431, Arkat (now an Orlanthi) lands in western Slontos.  In the Battle of Sardrandos, he defeats all of western Slontos, and in the battle of Stenentos, Slontans kill each other (HotHP: 35).  This all comes to a head in 432, at the Battle of Kaxtorplose.  Arkat defeated Palangio and liberated Kaxtorplose, with the help of Hendrik who made a Great Leap. (HotHP: 35)

 

That is, as far as I can tell, the full literature on Kaxtor and Kaxtorplose.  If I missed something or misrepresented something, as always: please let me know

 

Next post: some basic interpretations

 

Edited March 13, 2021 by Nevermet

[Nevermet]

Q: Who make pilgrimages to Kaxtorplose?

A: Arkati from Ralios, who view Kaxtorplose’s liberation as a major event.  Kaxtor, by extension, is praised as a hero who was able to wait for Arkat.  In addition to the Ralians, I could imagine some pilgrims from Handra, Highwater, and on rare and disturbing occasions, Ramalia.  Generally, I would imagine the pilgrimage route to either go south to Handra and then east to Kaxtorplose, or east through Trader Prince territory and then down the Tigrionor.

 

Q: How to deal with the different dates between the Guide and History of the Heortling People?

A: 401 is the year where the Bright Empire has hegemony over the region, even if there are a few hold outs like Herolal and Lukae.  Also, it makes sense that Wenelia rebels against Herolal, as it was the most "Theyalanized" area due to colonization.

 

Q: Who are the Krjalki of Palangio’s army?

A: At first, almost exclusively Dragonewts.  However, chaos was called in during the Siege of Kaxtorplose. It seems to be how the Bright Empire works: Chaos horrors are the last result to ensure victory.

 

Q: What does it mean to be an Avatar of the Invisible God?

A: I'm currently assuming it means that Malkioni view Kaxtor as an Ascended Master.  Here's the description of what it means to be an Ascended Master from the Guide:

Quote

A very few men and women attain spiritual perfection in life and achieve complete unity with the Invisible God. These individuals are known as Ascended Masters (sometimes referred to as “saints”). Only mortals can achieve unity with the Invisible God – no deity has ever done so, though a few have achieved redemption through recognition of the primacy of the Invisible God.

Ascended Masters are venerated by worshipers, who seek inspiration and guidance from them. Ascended Masters do not provide any direct magical benefits for those who pray to them, but can aid them in achieving Joy, serve as guides for the faithful, and as exemplars of virtuous behavior. Ascended Masters venerated by the Hrestoli include Xemela, Hrestol, Tomaris, Gerlant, Arkat, Talor, Halwal, Tryensaval, Snodal, and Siglat.  (GtG: 51)

 

Q: How does Kaxtorplose resist the siege for so long?

According to the Guide, Kaxtor is a demigod, and according to the History of Heortling Peoples, he was able to envelop his entire temple complex in towered walls before Palangio attacks.  Also, as the son of Esrola, I suspect they had a magical ability to produce food.  So, we're dealing with a city with magically produced walls and sacks that fill with grain every night.  Laying siege to that is going to be difficult, even for our pal Palangio

 

Q: How do we make sense of Arkat’s attacks?

A: Despite being closer, Wenelia was a early hotbed of Nysaloran support.  Instead, he attacks western Slontos, which I interpret as Veakmal, the Herlaning lands that has Western influences since Veakmal son of Lalmor re-conquered it in 145.  I interpret the Battle of Stenentos as a battle where Arkat’s forces join up with local anti-Nysaloran forces against local pro-Nysalor forces.

 

Next Post: My Wild Speculation and filling in the gaps

Edited March 13, 2021 by Nevermet

[Nevermet]

Last one before I got to bed. I have another, even more whacky one, but I'm not awake enough to try to lay it out.

 

How does a demigod son of the Good Earth and an Entruli hero become a Malkioni ascended master?!?

 

This is, in my opinion, a mess.  Or more accurately, a void.  There's so little to build on to connect A ("Kaxtor is the son of Fodalor and Esrola") to B ("Kaxtor is revered by Malkioni for over 1,000 years").

 

I'm currently debating between 2 options:

1. Fodalor is a wannabe Froalar. 
   • Froalar was a Talar who had a child with a land goddess to produce the dynasty of Serpent Kings.  It is not beyond question that Fodalor attempted something similar with Esrola rather than a land goddess.  Perhaps he was trying to create a dynasty, or perhaps he wanted a distant protector like The Only Old One.
   • In this scenario, Fodalor was exiled, not because the King of Herolal was too aligned with Dragon Pass, but because Fodalor was a Malkioni.  Malkioni religion and sorcery was present in Slontos before Arkat arrived, and it appears Veakmal brought it when he conquered south-eastern Ramalia in 145.
   • At this point, Kaxtor is destined for... something.  The son of a Herlaning Malkioni and a goddess of Earth?  It's almost like he was a reverse engineered Mostali.  No wonder he created walls that could withstand Palangio.
      
2. Kaxtor: Convert and Sorcerous Anchorite
   • I don't have this one as worked out
   • While it is possible that he was a Malkioni, it is more likely that Fodalor was either as a Lightbringer Orlanthi or an Entruli. 
     • The point of all this is that Kaxtor was a demigod born into some version of Orlanthi culture.
   • We also know that Kaxtor's early life was probably rough
     • Fodalor was exiled from a kingdom that implodes from civil war.  Worse, it appears Fodalor did not win the civil war: we never heard about him again.
     • The possibility that Kaxtor was born to be a weapon in that civil war doesn't make anything better.
   • Kaxtor, sick of all this, turns his back on the impossibly unstable polities of Maniria.  
     • It would be reasonable for someone with Kaxtor's biography to conclude the 1st Age Orlanthi were a frustrating lost cause
     • Unreasonable result: He converts to the Malkionism of Veakmal, which is probably a version of Hrestolism
     • He then becomes an ascetic, focused on understanding the material forces of elemental earth.
       • He then builds a holy complex to study, where he lives in seclusion until the outside world (Palangio) demands his attention.
       • Kaxtor thus becomes a reluctant hero

[metcalph]

It's possible that the dates in the History of the Heortling Peoples and the Guide are correct and that different types of Krjalki are meant - the original dragonewts and the latter being chaos.  Jeff recently on FB spoke about Nysaloran forces fighting Gbaji forces and only the priests on both sides survived.

Looking at the dates, there's a rebellion in 387 by Arbaga who've been in the region since 378.  Palangio doesn't get there til 401 or so.  That's an extraordinary long period of time for the Bright Empire to send troops to aid a rebellion.  What if the main target of Palangio's army was not Herlalia but Arbaga's forces?

 

[Nevermet]

Completely plausible, yes

[metcalph]

Kaxtor's parentage is kinda irrelevant as to who he was in life.  There is after all a Seshnegi tradition about Aerlit being Malkion's father.  At this point in time, there is no bright line between the Malkioni and the pagans.  A Malkioni at the time is best understood as one who practices sorcery rather than being the larger community that supports them and who would identify as Entruli, Wenelian etc.  Thus I do not htink it likely that Fodalor was exiled for religious reasons.

Another possibility is that Kaxtor originally worshipped and was a hero of Lhankor Mhy who in his lifetime taught students of Zzabur or Enroval (the philosopher).  In the Imperial Age, Kaxtor's barbarian origins were quietly forgotten and he became seen as a great teacher of Malkioni Wisdom.  

[kr0p0s]

What krjaki forces would Arbaga ally with to fight against the missionaries and forces of the Empire of Light? Could this be the first appearance of the Trolls of Ice Peak? Both Halikiv and the Shadowlands are distant. And this may explain why "Other regions are so frightened that they must choose to keep or kill Nysaloran missionaries in their lands". And why the initial target of Palangios was not Herlalia. The Uz were from the start implacable foes of Nysalors empire.

[Cassius]

I wonder what "-plose" means in Kaxtorplose. Could it be a rough anagram for polis ?

[kr0p0s]

40 minutes ago, metcalph said:

Another possibility is that Kaxtor originally worshipped and was a hero of Lhankor Mhy... 

As mentioned above the Kaxtori view him as “an avatar of the original and supreme God beyond the world of illusion”, so he would have strong Truth affinity. As well as, I imagine, strong Earth affinity from his mother.

[metcalph]

2 minutes ago, Cassius said:

I wonder what "-plose" means in Kaxtorplose. Could it be a rough anagram for polis ?

There's also a city called Erenplose which is probably also known as Herilia the Sweet City and Porlufta

[metcalph]

11 minutes ago, kr0p0s said:

What krjaki forces would Arbaga ally with to fight against the missionaries and forces of the Empire of Light? Could this be the first appearance of the Trolls of Ice Peak? Both Halikiv and the Shadowlands are distant. And this may explain why "Other regions are so frightened that they must choose to keep or kill Nysaloran missionaries in their lands". And why the initial target of Palangios was not Herlalia. The Uz were from the start implacable foes of Nysalors empire.

There's also the Slime Deer mentioned in Dorastor: Land of Doom p63 who are probably related to Pralori (their god was originally the Sleek Deer God).

[kr0p0s]

18 minutes ago, metcalph said:

There's also the Slime Deer mentioned in Dorastor: Land of Doom p63 who are probably related to Pralori (their god was originally the Sleek Deer God).

Were not the Slime Deer a chaotic perversion created during the Greater Darkness?

[metcalph]

27 minutes ago, kr0p0s said:

Were not the Slime Deer a chaotic perversion created during the Greater Darkness?

It says Chaos Wars in Dorastor: Land of Doom which is the war of Arkat and Nysalor.

[kr0p0s]

The battle at Kaxtorplose is mention in HotHP as a landmark battle. Hendrik appears with an army to aid Arkat and swing the tide of battle using a Great Leap performed by the Larnsti Seven Group:

"Later, the king got word that the foreign army was led by a great master swordsman who worshipped Humakt, and that with him were also many battalions of warriors who worshipped Orlanth. The king said, “We have grow lazy without foes for this year, but not stupid. Thingan has killed five swords already. Change horses and we will go to the pool to see more.”
At Er’s Pool the king saw that Harmast the Lightbringer was among the army, though he was not a commander or chief godar. He sat in the farmer’s seat at the warlord’s table. The king said, “Why didn’t anyone tell me this sooner? Sound the horn to muster sword, spear and javelin. Have the Larnsti Seven Group begin their chant, and tell Destorniskis the Jumper to join them.”
When the army had assembled the Larnsti Seven Group allowed them to all jump into the pool and to landwhere Harmast the Lightbringer was. The Hendriki army arrived in a most timely manner to destroy the cavalry of Nysalor, and deliver Orlanth’s gift of victory to Master Arkat of the Unbreakable Sword at the Battle of Kaxtorplose. When the Larnsti Seven Group collapsed from exhaustion the Ten Movers and Shakers, as they were called, were stunned into immobility, and killed by Aringor of Olorost, who had sworn to do that.
King Hendrik accepted the honors of the victory, but did not remain with Arkat."

So you have Kaxtor, the son of a god, fighting a desperate holding battle against a Chaos army with two of the great heroes of the age, Harmast and Arkat. Then Hendrik appears using a suprise attack to destroy Nysalors cavalry and swing the tide of the battle. Cinematic or what!?

Edited March 13, 2021 by kr0p0s

[Nevermet]

6 hours ago, Cassius said:

I wonder what "-plose" means in Kaxtorplose. Could it be a rough anagram for polis ?

Yeah, I was wondering about that also.

 

As far as I can tell, the only 2 locations with the suffix -plose are, as mentioned above, Erenplose and Kaxtorplose.  As such, I think it’s meaning must be more unusual than just “polity.”

 

My current feeling is that it is from late 1st Age language meaning something like “enveloped” or “surrounded.”  Erenplose is enveloped in a pocket of air to protect it from the water that surrounds it, and Kaxtorplose is enveloped in stone to protect it from the Bright Empire.

 

but this is just conjecture 

[Nevermet]

7 hours ago, kr0p0s said:

What krjaki forces would Arbaga ally with to fight against the missionaries and forces of the Empire of Light? Could this be the first appearance of the Trolls of Ice Peak? Both Halikiv and the Shadowlands are distant. And this may explain why "Other regions are so frightened that they must choose to keep or kill Nysaloran missionaries in their lands". And why the initial target of Palangios was not Herlalia. The Uz were from the start implacable foes of Nysalors empire.

Sorry I wasn’t clear: Arbaga was an early ally of the Empire of Light against the local polities.

 

Also, what I can tell / IMG, the Uz of Ice Peak came to Maniria later, with the peak given to them by Arkat.

[Nevermet]

5 hours ago, kr0p0s said:

 

So you have Kaxtor, the son of a god, fighting a desperate holding battle against a Chaos army with two of the great heroes of the age, Harmast and Arkat. Then Hendrik appears using a suprise attack to destroy Nysalors cavalry and swing the tide of the battle. Cinematic or what!?

Exactly 

You understand my fascination 😊🧐

[kr0p0s]

4 hours ago, Nevermet said:

Sorry I wasn’t clear: Arbaga was an early ally of the Empire of Light against the local polities.

I was just riffing of metcalfs suggestion above:

"Looking at the dates, there's a rebellion in 387 by Arbaga who've been in the region since 378.  Palangio doesn't get there til 401 or so.  That's an extraordinary long period of time for the Bright Empire to send troops to aid a rebellion.  What if the main target of Palangio's army was not Herlalia but Arbaga's forces?"

Arbaga invites in the Nysalorian missionaries to cure the plague, realises their mistake, cant convince Fodluth of this, rebels and leads krjalki (Uz) to overun Sintith/Wesluk and purge them of Nysalorian influences. Arbaga issues an ultimatum to other city states - get rid of the Nysalorians or we send in the Uz to do it. Sintith and Wesluk have been devastated - HotHP doesn't mention them later when Lukae City (and tribe) unites the last peoples (specifically, Sostor, Sintinth, and Herilia). Of the other regions, only Heralia kills them all quickly (HotHP).

Four years later the Bright Empire sends a krjajki army down the Tigronior river (Aldryami?) to deal with Arbaga and his Uz army. They find Wesluk and Sinith devastated and occupied by Uz. But Herlalia, weakened by Bright Empire schemes before killing all the missionaries, ripe for attack and conquest. This happens, but resistance carries on.

The Bright Empire krjajki army is sent to Ralios to fight Arkat. Arbaga's krjalki Uz return to Ice Peak after devastating and looting Sinith and Wesluk, or follows them to support Arkat.

Not sure how behind the Bright Empire the Aldryami were at this point.

Edited March 13, 2021 by kr0p0s

[Nevermet]

This isn't perfectly on topic, but taking an idea from Jeff, here are some size comparisons for Maniria:

[Nevermet]

1 hour ago, kr0p0s said:

I was just riffing of metcalfs suggestion above:

"Looking at the dates, there's a rebellion in 387 by Arbaga who've been in the region since 378.  Palangio doesn't get there til 401 or so.  That's an extraordinary long period of time for the Bright Empire to send troops to aid a rebellion.  What if the main target of Palangio's army was not Herlalia but Arbaga's forces?"

Arbaga invites in the Nysalorian missionaries to cure the plague, realises their mistake, cant convince Fodluth of this, rebels and leads krjalki (Uz) to overun Sintith/Wesluk and purge them of Nysalorian influences. Arbaga issues an ultimatum to other city states - get rid of the Nysalorians or we send in the Uz to do it. Sintith and Wesluk have been devastated - HotHP doesn't mention them later when Lukae City (and tribe) unites the last peoples (specifically, Sostor, Sintinth, and Herilia). Of the other regions, only Heralia kills them all quickly (HotHP).

Four years later the Bright Empire sends a krjajki army down the Tigronior river (Aldryami?) to deal with Arbaga and his Uz army. They find Wesluk and Sinith devastated and occupied by Uz. But Herlalia, weakened by Bright Empire schemes before killing all the missionaries, ripe for attack and conquest. This happens, but resistance carries on.

The Bright Empire krjajki army is sent to Ralios to fight Arkat. Arbaga's krjalki Uz return to Ice Peak after devastating and looting Sinith and Wesluk, or follows them to support Arkat.

Not sure how behind the Bright Empire the Aldryami were at this point.

I think that when we see references to Palangio's Krjalki, it should be read as "Newts and Chaos monsters." (IMHO, IMG, YGMV, etc, etc, etc)  The Elves were very well known to humans, and I get the feeling that the Entruli wouldn't have lumped them in with a Western category of monsters," given they followed a Land Goddess and, at least in some depictions, an Orlanthi god of wild animals.  Additional, IIRC (?), the Malkioni were least likely to apply "Krjalki" to Elves out of all the Elder Races.  Additionally, by taking the Ryzel Hills, the Dragonewts would probably have strategic control of the Tigrionor and its tributary the Skontor.

 

Now, the idea that there were multiple waves or forces with different leaders?  I can completely believe that, beginning with Arbaga the High, then the Governor of Wenelia killed by Iridwin the Diver, and finally Palangio.

 

As for Aldryami support for the Bright Empire, my understanding is they were relatively supportive, but I'm fuzzy on that.  There doesn't seem to be a lot of explicit references to Aldryami warriors in Palangio's ranks, from what I can tell.

 

 

[Nevermet]

20 hours ago, metcalph said:

Kaxtor's parentage is kinda irrelevant as to who he was in life.  There is after all a Seshnegi tradition about Aerlit being Malkion's father.  At this point in time, there is no bright line between the Malkioni and the pagans.  A Malkioni at the time is best understood as one who practices sorcery rather than being the larger community that supports them and who would identify as Entruli, Wenelian etc.  Thus I do not htink it likely that Fodalor was exiled for religious reasons.

Another possibility is that Kaxtor originally worshipped and was a hero of Lhankor Mhy who in his lifetime taught students of Zzabur or Enroval (the philosopher).  In the Imperial Age, Kaxtor's barbarian origins were quietly forgotten and he became seen as a great teacher of Malkioni Wisdom.  

Thanks for reminding me about the lack of a "bright line".  I also agree that the religious tensions that I described in my first option are not the most likely.

And you're right that you outline a 3rd option, and I need to think about it more.

[Ladygolem]

10 hours ago, Nevermet said:

This isn't perfectly on topic, but taking an idea from Jeff, here are some size comparisons for Maniria:

Look how closely the Manirian coast lines up with Lousiana! My takeaway from this is that clearly Slontos was Florida, and thus the Closing may have looked something like this:

[Nevermet]

This post will be my notes on Kaxtorplose in the Second Age.  The vast majority of this post is conjecture, as there is so little written.

 

Post Arkat Period: 433 - ?

After two generations, the Gbaji Wars had ended in Maniria.  The lands healed, and the people returned to ways they knew: small clans and tribes that occasionally fought with one another.  

During this period, Kaxtorplose was defined by systematization and isolation.  Kaxtorplose's beliefs and ritualized were based on the life and teachings of Kaxtor and on the cultures.  The result was an eccentric honotheistic faith.  In some ways, it mirrored Arkat's Stygianism in Ralios, though the elemental focus was on Earth rather than darkness.  Kaxtorplose played a diplomatic role in easing initial tensions when the Uz arrived to claim the land around Ice Peak, a grant from Arkat.  This eroded relations between Kaxtor and many of its neighbours.  While there was little open hostility, Kaxtorplose was viewed as an group of untrustworthy ex-Entruli hiding in impregnable walls. Also, during this period, Kaxtorplose set up several agreements and understandings with the Dragonewts, acknowledging each other's rights to lands.

Kaxtorplose's few allies in this period included Lukae, and the Praloreli city of Hermat.  They also maintained contact with the distant Stygian Empire.

This was also a period of increased "Malkionization" of Slontos.

 

Loper Wars: ? - 805

The balkanized period was destabilized by the arrival of the Loper people, fierce warriors whose raids terrorized Maniria.

[I have tried, but I cannot find a start date for the Lopers coming to Maniria.  If anyone has any thoughts, I'm all ears - N]

Kaxtorplose's master architects were hired communities across Maniria to design and built fortifications.  It was a dark and violent time.  It was one thing if a neighbouring tribe stole some cattle, but the Lopers would burn and pillage without remorse.  Their actions were spread over a wide area, and just as local communities had begun to rebuild, they were pillaged again.  Eventually, the situation became intolerable.  "In 758 the city-states of Slontos allied with the Middle Sea Alliance to expel the Zaranistangi invaders. A brutal war followed until the utter defeat of the Loper People in 805 by Svagad, the Emperor of Land and Sea." (GtG: 352)

 

The Middle Sea Period: 805 - 1050

After the military defeat of the Lopers, the Middle Sea Empire's influence in Slontos grew, both politically and religiously.  Kaxtorplose was willingly annexed into the Archduchy of Slontos, within the Middle Sea Empire.  The sophisticated materialist philosophies of the Godlearners won over the wizard-priests of Kaxtorplose.  Treatises were written up acknowledging the importance of Kaxtor, and accepting the distinctive rites of the Kaxtori Wizards.  At the same time, Kaxtorplose was never a central hub.  It was too associated with Arkat to be doctrinally trustworthy, and the Masters of Kaxtorplose spent most of their political power controlling their library and resisting becoming test subjects.  

Just a few years after Kaxtorplose's annexation, the Duke founded the White Room School, a sorcerous college that was ideologically and methodologically at odds with Kaxtorplose.  While no longer truly henotheists, the Kaxtori nevertheless continued to hold an Arkati notion of "respect" of magic and magical entities.  The White Room insisted "respect" was always half way to "worship," and that true materialist philosophy must move beyond the personas of gods and spirits to manipulate the rune-based forces that allowed the gods to exist in the first place.  The Kaxtori rebutted that respect was an element of understanding those forces, but quickly realized they were in a politically precarious position, and became silent.

The Goddess Switch lead to severe internal tensions within Kaxtorplose, with some burned as heretics.  The Masters of Kaxtorplose was now installed by Slontos, rather than someone from the city.  Members of the Trickster College and the Zistorites finally gained access to Kaxtorplose's libraries.  By 900, Kaxtorplose had been socially and politically assimilated into Slontos.

The Archduchy of Slontos remained in power after the Closing through blunt force.  As it clamped down, revolts and unrest increased.  Some fled for the hills of Ryzel, believing they had a better chances with the Dragonewts than the Archduke.  Generally, they were wrong.  In Kaxtorplose, a secret society emerged called the Domists, committed to venerating Kaxtor in the old ways.  It was stamped out several times by Slontos, but kept coming back.

When the Luatha broke Seshnela, panic swept Slontos.  The Domists took more power in Kaxtorplose and began to act in public.  When Slontos sank, the flood abruptly stopped just south of Kaxtorplose.  The Kaxtori today claim it was because of their renewed piety and the ritual sorcery of their leaders.  Some detractors suggested it was due to their proximity to the Dragonewts, and were accidentally saved when the Newts protected themselves from the flood.

 

 

[metcalph]

8 hours ago, Nevermet said:

The balkanized period was destabilized by the arrival of the Loper people, fierce warriors whose raids terrorized Maniria.

[I have tried, but I cannot find a start date for the Lopers coming to Maniria.  If anyone has any thoughts, I'm all ears - N]

My best guess (which is somewhat supported by Tolat being known in Ralios) is probably between 713 and 718.  The Waertagi were struggling against the Jrusteli (as far back as 660) and had asked the Seshnegi for help, byt were refused (The Middle Sea Empire p16).  So to punish the Seshnegi, they transported from Melib an army of Zaranistangi mercenaries so they could fight for the Autarchy.  But the Waertagi unwisely get burnted and the Zranistangi have no way home.  

[Qizilbashwoman]

13 hours ago, metcalph said:

My best guess (which is somewhat supported by Tolat being known in Ralios) is probably between 713 and 718.  The Waertagi were struggling against the Jrusteli (as far back as 660) and had asked the Seshnegi for help, byt were refused (The Middle Sea Empire p16).  So to punish the Seshnegi, they transported from Melib an army of Zaranistangi mercenaries so they could fight for the Autarchy.  But the Waertagi unwisely get burnted and the Zranistangi have no way home.  

when do the Lopers show up in Prax for the first time