Jump to content

Notes on land/cults of Tarsh and the Lunar Empire


jajagappa

Recommended Posts

A couple other interesting postings on FB by Jeff:

So let's talk about Tarsh a little. First thing to keep in mind is that it is geographically about the same size Sartar, but it is much more intensely settled with more than twice the population of Sartar.
The district around Furthest (which includes the Temple of the Reaching Moon) is the most Lunar area, and the much of the population are descended from settlers from the Heartland. A majority of all Lunar cultists reside in that district, which has approximately 120,000 people (a third of the population of Tarsh).
The most important cults in this district are:
Seven Mothers 33,500
Hon-eel 12,400
Ernalda 10,650
Orlanth 6,900 (mostly Thunderous or Barntar)
Oslira 2650
Humakt 2250
Issaries 1900
Chalana Arroy 1850
Yelmalio 1750
Lhankor Mhy 1500
Etyries 1390 (note Etyries shares the Trade Temple with Issaries in Furthest)
Maran Gor 1075
 
---------------------
There are about 145 "villages" in all of Tarsh, about 47 around Furthest. In Sartar we'd associate these with clans and that's exactly what they are. There are about 100 clans in Sartar - if the clans were the same size, we'd expect about 220 in Tarsh. But the average "village area" in Tarsh is around 2100-2200 people, as opposed to the around 1200 people in Sartar. Again, Tarsh is more heavily populated.
And that's what I want to emphasise - most of Tarsh is dedicated to agriculture. Maize, barley, and wheat.
The villagers around Furthest are mostly Seven Mothers cultists with Hon-eel and Ernalda as the grain goddesses. They look to Furthest for culture, trade, and resolving major disputes.
...
Note that Tarsh is not divided into tribes. It is not a confederation of tribes like Sartar - it is a kingdom, centered on the Lunar colony city of Furthest, and is divided into districts ruled by appointees of the king. In Dunstop and Bagnot, the powerful Orindori clan have achieved effectively hereditary rule.
 
Q: Where does the name “Tarsh” come from?
A: If I recall it means "scorched land".
 
Q: Is the river trade significant around Kordros island? Where does it become passable for large boats? When is river trade important vs road trade (and Lokarnos wagoners? )
A: Furthest is the furthest upriver that the big Oslir barges can manage, as far as I remember. That means most bulk transport takes to the river here and downstream.
Lesser craft apparently can handle the Oslir further upriver, although I don't know whether both branches flanking Kordros Island are used. There may be a portage or two.
Rafts downriver might brave those portages without unloading, and lumber is probably in demand in Furthest all the time.
Furthest is the main offloading point between the Dragon Pass road system and the Oslira River. There is a military road that runs from Furthest to Filichet, but it is cheaper to load trade goods onto boats and float them downriver.
 
---------------------
Here's another good question - what are the most popular cults in the Lunar Heartlands?
The answer is the Seven Mothers, either collectively or individually. About 24% of the population in the Heartlands belong to the cult. All of the other Lunar cults total about 10% of the population. So a little more than a third of the population in the Heartlands belong to Lunar cults (we are talking more than the minimal lay member rites).
The next biggest cult in the Heartlands is Lodril at about 14%. In third is the Grain Goddess Oria at about 10%.
...
So where is Yelm, you might ask? The Yelm cult is very magically, socially, and politically important, but it is comparatively small numbering about 4% of the population.
And Shargash and Polaris are each no more than about 2%.
Dendara is at about 5% overall.
...
And again, Tarsh resembles the Lunar Heartlands in that about 25% of the population follow the Seven Mothers and 10% follow Hon-eel. Where it gets VERY different is the rest of the population largely follow Lightbringer gods and their associates.
-----------------------
  • Like 1
  • Thanks 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

And Jeff's notes re: Saird:

So thinking about the difference between vilages around Furthest and the rest of Tarsh means thinking about the difference between Saird and lowland Peloria.
Tarsh was settled by two very different waves of colonists. The first was the largest. These were settlers from the area traditionally called Saird (modern Holay, Aggar, Imther, and Vanch) that came to Dragon Pass in the aftermath of the Conquering Daughter. Now the distances involved are not very great - it is only about 150 km from Filichet to Bagnot - which meant it was easy for waves of settlers to travel with their herds and families into what became Tarsh.
Saird in the First Wane would have been a collection of chieftains and petty cities at the frontier of Dragon-haunted Dragon Pass, loosely united into the Kynnelfing Alliance. Generations before many had fought for Jannisor. The people were farmers with herds of sheep and cattle. The people were mostly Orlanth Thunderous or Adventurous types, with a large minority of Yelmalio cultists and other Lightbringers. However, they had centuries of sustained cultural interchange and trade with Dara Happa - Yelm was viewed as a more or less equal contender with Orlanth for rulership of the world and for the love of Ernalda.
By 1450, these Orlanth Thunderous types had settled a broad belt alongside the Oslira and Black Eel rivers, up to Shakeland and Wintertop and then hopping over the River to the Far Point and the Donalf Flats. A powerful Orlanth Rex dynasty based at Bagnot had ruled over them for over a hundred years, but the dynasty was killed without heir in 1448. After a civil war, a new dynasty from Wintertop was crowned in Bagnot.
These settlements would have been indistinguishable from those in Holay, Aggar, or Imther. Wheat and barley would be the main crops, pigs, sheep, and cattle the main livestock. Villages were initially unwalled, but the dynasts built many fortresses and walls after 1375 and unwalled villages were rare by the time of the civil war.
Beneath the dynasts and priestly lineages at Shaker Temple or Haruvernalda, most folk would belong to free settler families or their unfree slaves (taken in war with the Lunar Provinces or the nomads). However, between these groups were an influential class of mounted warriors ("thanes") who gained power, wealth, and status in the wars against the nomads of Peloria. Cavalry mainly took the form of heavy, close combat cavalry backed up by light scouts and horse archers.
...
Saird itself is mostly riverine plains surrounded by a bowl of hills maybe 75 km by 140 km in dimension. Think something like the Pannonian Basin around Budapest. Building techniques would be heavily influenced by Dara Happa (just as in Sartar they are heavily influenced by Esrolia).
 
  • Thanks 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

On 1/20/2022 at 9:09 PM, jajagappa said:

with a large minority of Yelmalio cultists

Monrogh Lantern only died in 1582 after rekindling the nearly extinct cult, this is anachronistic. the Sun Domes were only officially restored as a regional power in the early Seventh Wane in 1579 when Tarkalor Trollkiller, later King of Sartar, granted land to the Sartar Sun Dome.

Edited by Qizilbashwoman
Link to comment
Share on other sites

5 hours ago, Qizilbashwoman said:

Monrogh Lantern only died in 1582 after rekindling the nearly extinct cult, this is anachronistic. the Sun Domes were only officially restored as a regional power in the early Seventh Wane in 1579 when Tarkalor Trollkiller, later King of Sartar, granted land to the Sartar Sun Dome.

Jeff was commenting on Saird, not Sartar.  The Sun Domes there survived the Dragonkill (though most of their templars would have been killed).  They rebuilt, joined Jannisor's army in the First Wane, and continued as an important presence throughout southern Peloria during the 3rd Age.

Edited by jajagappa
  • Helpful 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, jajagappa said:

Jeff was commenting on Saird, not Sartar.  The Sun Domes there survived the Dragonkill (though most of their templars would have been killed).  They rebuilt, joined Jannisor's army in the First Wane, and continued as an important presence throughout southern Peloria during the 3rd Age.

I see that they had trained militias and a very different structure. Thanks for the tip.

... but they still didn't worship Yelmalio, he was still Daysenarus at this point 😉

Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 minute ago, Qizilbashwoman said:

I see that they had trained militias and a very different structure. Thanks for the tip.

... but they still didn't worship Yelmalio, he was still Daysenarus at this point 😉

Yelmalio was already a title. 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...