Lodri Great Temple

[Erol of Backford]

I assume there is a Great Temple to Lodri at/near/under Vent?

Caladraland, a nation of nearly a half million people at the edge of Esrolia. Lodril lives here in a great volcano, and is sometimes called Veskarthan (which just means "the Vent"). According to the local Lodrili, this is where Lodril descended from the Sky and entered the Earth.

Are both the high and low temples for Lodril and the low fires?

Are there others Great Temples to Lodril in the Holy Country or Sartar or Prax (not interested in the Lunar Empire) and what would the population be? There are cult members in Prax and so where is the temple?

Can anyone describe the architecture or is it all rough igneous rock caves? Would dwarves have helped create it or would they be enemies of sorts? Lodril and his sons are worshiped in their distinctively terraced “ten-block pyramids”.

Where is Lodrilela [the Land of Fire]?

Lookout Volcano: The Caladralanders use this volcano as a lookout point upon the Vinavale and southern Esrolia. A signal fire here can be seen by both the Low Temple and the High Temple.

High Temple (small city): High upon the walls of the Vent is the religious center of Caladraland. From here, the fire priests commune with Veskarthan the Volcano God and his children.

Low Temple (large city): Located in the Highvale of Caladraland, the Low Temple is the common gathering place for the Caladralander clans and the center of their government.

[metcalph]

9 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Are both the high and low temples for Lodril and the low fires?

I had the idea that the High Temple was for savage Lodril and the Low Temple was for the civilized Twins.

9 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Are there others Great Temples to Lodril in the Holy Country or Sartar or Prax (not interested in the Lunar Empire) and what would the population be? There are cult members in Prax and so where is the temple?

There is or was a temple to Lodril in Nochet.  The main son of Lodril in Dragon Pass is Quivin but he was defeated by Maran Gor a long time ag.  In Prax, Lodril makes his influence felt through the Oakfed cult (psychotic pyromomanics).  

9 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Can anyone describe the architecture or is it all rough igneous rock caves? Would dwarves have helped create it or would they be enemies of sorts? Lodril and his sons are worshiped in their distinctively terraced “ten-block pyramids”.

Initially it was rock caves but I think the architecture would now be a mixture of Jrusteli and Holy Country buildings carved out of lava specially summoned for the purpose.

9 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

Where is Lodrilela [the Land of Fire]?

Pamaltela IIRC.

 

[Erol of Backford]

Yes, found it as well, if I may assume Lodri and Veskarthan are the same or nearly so in Nochet? Surprised its not close to Yelmalio Temple...

I do love the map Jaja.

 

[Eff]

46 minutes ago, Erol of Backford said:

Yes, found it as well, if I may assume Lodri and Veskarthan are the same or nearly so in Nochet? Surprised its not close to Yelmalio Temple...

I do love the map Jaja.

 

Well, Nochet is largely a collection of ethnic neighborhoods that form a cosmological vision, so Caladraland is south by southwest of Esrolia and so that's where Veskarthan goes, while the biggest collection of Yelmalio people is from Sartar and northern Heortland, to the northeast, and so it goes northeast but south of the Sartar neighborhood. Really quite a delightful motif. 

[soltakss]

On 7/14/2022 at 11:26 PM, Erol of Backford said:

Are both the high and low temples for Lodril and the low fires?

Like Peter, I assumed the High Temple was for Lodril and the Low Temple was for Caladra & Aurelian.

The Low Fires would also have shrines, or even small Temples, in the Low Temple. They might be present in the High Temple, but not for common worship.

I see the High Temple as being for high-ups in the cult. It is the place for mysteries, as it has access to the lava pool. It is the place for sacrifices, throwing them into the lava.

Caladra might also have a Shrine in the High Temple, being the Volcano's Fire, whereas Aurelian is more likely to be important in the Low temple, being the Body of the Volcano.

On 7/14/2022 at 11:26 PM, Erol of Backford said:

Are there others Great Temples to Lodril in the Holy Country or Sartar or Prax (not interested in the Lunar Empire) and what would the population be? There are cult members in Prax and so where is the temple?

Every Volcano is a Holy Place to Lodril and would have a Temple of some sort. Similarly, Caladra & Aurelian would have temples at most Volcanoes.

Beneath the Shadow Plateau is another Holy Place for the Lodril Cult, and the Trolls would have a Temple to Lodril the Servant, or Lodril in Chains, but it probably isn't a Great Temple.

The Footprint is another Holy Place to Lodril, being where the Sky Spear thrust itself into Krarsht. I doubt if there is a Temple there, though.

On 7/14/2022 at 11:26 PM, Erol of Backford said:

Where is Lodrilela [the Land of Fire]?

Isn't that just the old name of Caladraland?

 

[Erol of Backford]

Possibly there IS a temple there but it has been abandoned, taken over by Chaos similar to the temple in Snake Pipe Hollow? 

This idea fits into the Backford campaign so I am copying to that thread. Thank you Soltakss!

[jajagappa]

On 7/14/2022 at 6:26 PM, Erol of Backford said:

Can anyone describe the architecture or is it all rough igneous rock caves?

Depends on whether the dwarfs have been working there or not.  Certainly would be igneous rocks, but the dwarfs can do wonders.

On 7/14/2022 at 6:26 PM, Erol of Backford said:

Would dwarves have helped create it or would they be enemies of sorts? Lodril and his sons are worshiped in their distinctively terraced “ten-block pyramids”.

Dwarfs might both help to create it, and also have chained the volcano god at times to their bidding.  Outside, the Caladrans will likely have made step terraces for horticulture.

On 7/14/2022 at 6:26 PM, Erol of Backford said:

Where is Lodrilela [the Land of Fire]?

It's an old name for Pamaltela.

On 7/14/2022 at 6:26 PM, Erol of Backford said:

Are there others Great Temples to Lodril in the Holy Country or Sartar or Prax (not interested in the Lunar Empire) and what would the population be? There are cult members in Prax and so where is the temple?

All the volcanoes of Caladraland have Lodril temples.  Any community in Caladraland will have temples to Lodril, Caladra and Aurelion.

Nochet has a couple temples to Lodril.  If you follow the Way of the Pillars just a bit farther east/right from the Temple of Veskarthan, you'll find the Temple of Lodril's Spear (and the massive phallic spear in its courtyard). 

My short writeups:

Temple of Veskarthan.  The original temple of Veskarthan was destroyed in the Great Devastation.  Queen Asranalda sent the Five Seekers plus One south to Caladraland to appease the Old Fire and to bring back a Sacred Stone with which to found a new temple in the Fire Gods honor.  The Seekers not only found a Sacred Stone, but gained the aid of Velalordan Eyes-of-Fury.  Velalordan found the Heart of Flame and consecrated the ground to Veskarthan.  The new temple soars high above the surrounding neighborhoods and here the Great Devourer is appeased.  Each year, offerings and gifts are sent from Esrolia to the High Temple of the Vent to appease the Great Devourer and his fire-scarred Caladralander priests.

Temple of Lodril’s Spear.  The great black basalt pillar of Lodril’s Spear stands tall in front of the old god’s temple and marks the beginning of the Way of the Pillar. 

(And as a side note, the Way of the Pillars is called that because it is lined with phallic statues in honor of Lodril.  The annual Festival of the Spear passes along here and ends at Esrola's Temple.)

As for Sartar - the Quivin Mountains were noted.  Otherwise the Palace of Black Glass (now the Shadow Plateau) was the prison of Lodril (and all obsidian).  And there are ancient volcanoes in Dagori Inkarth now inhabited by trolls.  

As for Prax - the only Lodril worshipers there are the Agimori, and I don't think there are any permanent temples.

On 7/15/2022 at 12:13 PM, Erol of Backford said:

if I may assume Lodri and Veskarthan are the same or nearly so in Nochet? Surprised its not close to Yelmalio Temple...

Why would they be close?  You have to think of Nochet as a city of settlers.  Esrolian settlers, Caladran settlers, Islanders, Heortland and Sartarite settlers, even Esvulari settlers (and more recently settlers from Melib & Teshnos, Kralorela, Pamaltela, etc.).  They settle among kin and friends.  As @Eff noted the Caladrans came up from the south, so settled in that part of Nochet; the Yelmalions came from the northeast along with other Sartarites so settled there.

And note that both are rather equidistant from the Temple of Harono (the Sun) which is totally segregated from the common masses by being part of the Sacred City.

On 7/16/2022 at 4:01 AM, soltakss said:

The Footprint is another Holy Place to Lodril, being where the Sky Spear thrust itself into Krarsht. I doubt if there is a Temple there, though.

The myth notes: "A god looked down and saw the writhing horror, and he took Veskarthan’s Spear and struck it. The spear drove the monster deep into the earth and also freed fiery Veskarthan from his dark prison. Veskarthan fought the creature and drove it deeper into the earth. In exultant victory, Veskarthan burst forth from the Vent, spewing lava and rocks all about and raising a huge pall of ash which poisoned the air."

Where Veskarthan's Spear struck is a question - possibly the hole to the Underworld as that is the only known/definite hole.  It freed Veskarthan from his prison (in the Underworld?), but Lodril only emerged at the Vent (not the Footprint).  Which puts the Great Temple at the Vent.

Lodril's eruption produced the Ash that subsequently buried the Stone Woods and fossilized or petrified its inhabitants.  As the inhabitants of the Stone Wood are all ancient, pre-Dawn beings, they do not worship Lodril.

 

[Uncle Ted]

Has anyone else added small parties or lone Man-and-a-half Lodrili wandering from Prax to High Temple on pilgrimage? I could see it as a mark of cultural significance, like the Hajj among Muslims - not a requirement, but an accomplishment worthy of respect.

Uncle Ted 

[Erol of Backford]

My Backford campaign has Agimori twins adopted by Gwydion of Sklar. Raised and educated civilized they have been encouraged to investigate their ancestry and heritage. I assume this will involve, at some time, a trip to Vent and the High Temple. Lodri, after all is there forefather?

The trade running between Nochet and the Heortland in this campaign will make the trip to Vent more palatable, I just need reasons beside them being curious to make the 100km journey from Notchet up the mountain some 3,500' to Holy Town.

I like the pilgrimage idea Ted and will investigate what path and season any Agimori would go to Vent through Hoertland and the rest of the Holy Country. Maybe seeing a few Agimori passing through Backford wold be an interesting polt hook to travel there!?

Did you detail the Agimori pilgrimage route through the Holy Country? I'd be curious to see it.

[jajagappa]

1 hour ago, Erol of Backford said:

My Backford campaign has Agimori twins adopted by Gwydion of Sklar. Raised and educated civilized they have been encouraged to investigate their ancestry and heritage. I assume this will involve, at some time, a trip to Vent and the High Temple. Lodri, after all is there forefather?

Remember that twins in the Caladraland culture represent Caladra and Aurelion, the progeny of Lodril.  Even if they don't know this, they will be looked upon in that view if they arrive there.  

The natural plot hook will be that many folk in Heortland or Nochet will see twins (particularly those following Lodril) and assume they are Caladralanders and ask about whether they worship them and/or if they can acquire Firebone and Earthblood for them (a trade angle).  

[Erol of Backford]

I have both Agimori being male but I suppose that wouldn't matter too much as twins are twins? I didn't even think on that, yet another feather in the hat for the characters.

Thanks!

[Erol of Backford]

I just noticed that in the northern Sartar map there is a beautiful smoking crater called Old Woman Mountain.

Is the Old Woman Lodril's mom?

Do Trolls worship Lodril here or is he also imprisoned here like in the basement of the Shadow Plateau?

 

[Qizilbashwoman]

Lodril doesn't have a mother! If you want to make a local myth, have her be His little-known twin.

Edited January 4, 2023 by Qizilbashwoman

[hipsterinspace]

Trolls wouldn’t ever worship Lodril, he is a Fire/Sky god. In troll mythology he is a prominent mythic foe of Argan Argar, Argan Argar’s victory over him and consequent marriage to Esrola gives his cult the (quite good) Suppress Lodril rune spell. I’d presume it’s a similar relationship to the Shadow Plateau if there is any relationship to speak of.

Edited January 4, 2023 by hipsterinspace

[metcalph]

Just now, hipsterinspace said:

Trolls wouldn’t worship Lodril, he is a Fire/Sky god. 

Except for their smiths.

Quote

Most troll cities have their own leadsmiths and bronzeworkers.
These troll smiths are worshipers of the subterranean
god Lodril, deity of volcanoes and gloomy heat; and the deity
Gustbran, deity of smithing and bonfires. Many such smiths
possess magic spells and songs capable of softening and smelting
metal without fire or light. Some of the master troll smiths even
build small forges with blazing coals. Less audacious troll smiths
beat out their metal with brute strength alone, ignoring the need
for heat at all. All troll smiths are considered magicians by
common trolls, and they are frequently villains in troll stories.

RuneQuest Companion p66.

There's mention of Lodril worshippers in Trollpak and he would be like Humakt in their religion -  a frightening but necessary deity.

[Erol of Backford]

3 hours ago, hipsterinspace said:

I’d presume it’s a similar relationship to the Shadow Plateau if there is any relationship to speak of.

I understood Lodril was imprisoned under the Shadow Plateau at some time but may have misunderstood that...

[Erol of Backford]

So there may be a shrine to Lodri on the Old Woman in a troll settlement... thanks!

[jajagappa]

21 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

I understood Lodril was imprisoned under the Shadow Plateau at some time but may have misunderstood that...

Yes, that is correct, too.

He's a god though - his body exists wherever and everywhere you find lava.  Just like Orlanth exists in ALL the air, not just the air over Sartar.

[dumuzid]

21 hours ago, Erol of Backford said:

I understood Lodril was imprisoned under the Shadow Plateau at some time but may have misunderstood that...

yeah argan argar stole his spear, put him in a gimp suit, made him raise the Palace of Black Glass and installed him in the basement.  

[soltakss]

On 1/4/2023 at 11:11 PM, hipsterinspace said:

Trolls wouldn’t ever worship Lodril, he is a Fire/Sky god. In troll mythology he is a prominent mythic foe of Argan Argar, Argan Argar’s victory over him and consequent marriage to Esrola gives his cult the (quite good) Suppress Lodril rune spell. I’d presume it’s a similar relationship to the Shadow Plateau if there is any relationship to speak of.

Some Trolls worship Lodril the Slave.

16 hours ago, dumuzid said:

yeah argan argar stole his spear, put him in a gimp suit, made him raise the Palace of Black Glass and installed him in the basement.

Truth!

[hipsterinspace]

3 hours ago, soltakss said:

Some Trolls worship Lodril the Slave.

I'd have thought that would be something done through Argan Argar rather than through direct worship

[soltakss]

13 hours ago, hipsterinspace said:

I'd have thought that would be something done through Argan Argar rather than through direct worship

Maybe Lodril the Slave is also a subcult of Argan Argar, in any case some trolls worship Lodril directly. After all, he is Heat or Fire without Light, so the trolls don't mind him that much. 

Edited January 7, 2023 by soltakss

[mfbrandi]

11 hours ago, soltakss said:

Maybe Lodril the Slave is also a subcult of Argan Argar, in any case some trolls worship Lodril directly. After all, he is Heat or Fire without Light, so the trolls don't mind him that much.

Or — maybe, just maybe — Dayzatar, Yelm, and Lodril are as little three deities as [insert triple of earth goddesses here] (as you can do it vertically or horizontally) and Argan Argar’s “superpower” is to overwhelm “heaven” by just not seeing the light. AA’s is the magical power of ignorance (or at least of turning away, which solars might say of Lodril, too); ZZ’s is the magical power of knowing too much (and his overheated acid-and-meth-fried brain is drawn to the deities of “cold light”); XU strikes a happy balance and is the friend of the middle brother/aspect.

[Ironwall]

2 hours ago, mfbrandi said:

AA’s is the magical power of ignorance (or at least of turning away, which solars might say of Lodril, too); ZZ’s is the magical power of knowing too much (and his overheated acid-and-meth-fried brain is drawn to the deities of “cold light”); XU strikes a happy balance and is the friend of the middle brother/aspect.

 I like what your saying but personally i feel like argan aggar is the middle and XU is the ignorant one

Edited January 7, 2023 by Ironwall

[Joerg]

6 hours ago, mfbrandi said:

Or — maybe, just maybe — Dayzatar, Yelm, and Lodril are as little three deities as [insert triple of earth goddesses here] (as you can do it vertically or horizontally) and Argan Argar’s “superpower” is to overwhelm “heaven” by just not seeing the light. AA’s is the magical power of ignorance (or at least of turning away, which solars might say of Lodril, too); ZZ’s is the magical power of knowing too much (and his overheated acid-and-meth-fried brain is drawn to the deities of “cold light”); XU strikes a happy balance and is the friend of the middle brother/aspect.

That would make the Darkness trio something like the midwives or perhaps even mothers of the three brothers?