Evil Emperors: Yelm and Malkion

[Nel]

Reading through Sartar: Kingdom of Heroes, I found some contradictory facts about the Evil Emperor Yelm:

* How did Yelm defeat Orlanth during the 1st contest, the Contest of Music?
- By performing a Court Dance, according to S:KoH p. 96
- By playing the Harp, according to S:KoH p. 104

* When did Orlanth kill Yelm?
- On the battle of the Extinguished Field, according to S:KoH p. 40
- By wielding Death during the 4th contest, the Contest of Weapons, according to S:KoH p. 96 and GtG p.117

Also, could you tell me about the Evil Emperor Malkion?
According to GtG p.387, his cruel sorcerers and inhumans dwarves enslaved Orlanthi people during the Gods war until they were freed by Orlanth.
I haven't find any other mention of Malkion as a/the Evil Emperor, and that title looks to be applied by Orlanthis only to the Bright Emperor (aka Yelm) and the Emperor of Dara Happa (the earthly representative of Yelm).
Is this an errata, and GtG p.387 should say Evil Emperor Yelm instead of Evil Emperor Malkion?

[metcalph]

54 minutes ago, Nel said:

Reading through Sartar: Kingdom of Heroes, I found some contradictory facts about the Evil Emperor Yelm:

* How did Yelm defeat Orlanth during the 1st contest, the Contest of Music?
- By performing a Court Dance, according to S:KoH p. 96
- By playing the Harp, according to S:KoH p. 104

These are two different myths.  In one place the Sun God performed a courtly dance to defeat the Storm God.  In another place, the Sun God played the Harp.  Later on, the Storm God was identified as Orlanth and the Sun God identified as Yelm.  But instead of deciding which one was correct, they found that both were.  

54 minutes ago, Nel said:

* When did Orlanth kill Yelm?
- On the battle of the Extinguished Field, according to S:KoH p. 40
- By wielding Death during the 4th contest, the Contest of Weapons, according to S:KoH p. 96 and GtG p.117

The extinguished field lies, I believe, in Ralios where the early Ralians had a myth about Erulat (later identified as Orlanth) defeated Ehilm (Later identified as Yelm) in the Battle of Battles*.  Ehilm was killed and Erulat forced to retire through a poisoned wound.

*See here: http://www.glorantha.com/docs/safelster-in-the-first-age/

These variations are important in heroquesting because Harmast knew a certain magic that when he ventured onto the hero place and encountered a version of the myth that he didn't like, he could change it to something more favourable to him.  Let's say, he went to kill Yelm and found him at the Extinguished Field.  Harmast, because of his last battle alongside Arkat, wants to avoid battles.  So he changes the myth to be one in which he fights (and kills) Yelm in a duel.

54 minutes ago, Nel said:

Also, could you tell me about the Evil Emperor Malkion?
According to GtG p.387, his cruel sorcerers and inhumans dwarves enslaved Orlanthi people during the Gods war until they were freed by Orlanth.
I haven't find any other mention of Malkion as a/the Evil Emperor, and that title looks to be applied by Orlanthis only to the Bright Emperor (aka Yelm) and the Emperor of Dara Happa (the earthly representative of Yelm).
Is this an errata, and GtG p.387 should say Evil Emperor Yelm instead of Evil Emperor Malkion?

No.  It's a condensed version of mythical events that are described in some more detail (but not fully) in Revealed Mythologies.  Basically in western Genertela, the people there were enslaved by dwarves and vadeli and only freed themselves by becoming Vingkotlings.  The ruler of the Vadeli (like all Malkioni of that period) belonged to the Golden Caste and had golden skin so some identification of him as the Evil Emperor was bound to happen.

 

[Patrick]

Golden Vadeli? Really?

That's the first time I see that as more than a rumor...

 

Orlanthi would call any unpleasant ruler Evil Emperor anyway, just like many Malkioni call all non-humans Krjalki...

[metcalph]

8 hours ago, Patrick said:

Golden Vadeli? Really?

That's the first time I see that as more than a rumor...

Quote

Another extinct subrace, the Yellow Vadeli, have not been seen since the Gods Age.

Guide p527

 

[Darius West]

I could easily imagine the Vadeli creating the Cult of Ompalam... who is another candidate for an Evil Emperor...

[soltakss]

On 9/17/2016 at 8:04 AM, Nel said:

Reading through Sartar: Kingdom of Heroes, I found some contradictory facts about the Evil Emperor Yelm:

* How did Yelm defeat Orlanth during the 1st contest, the Contest of Music?
- By performing a Court Dance, according to S:KoH p. 96
- By playing the Harp, according to S:KoH p. 104

These were either two contests (Dance and Music) or have been conflated into one Contest. I treat them as two distinct contests.

 

On 9/17/2016 at 8:04 AM, Nel said:

* When did Orlanth kill Yelm?
- On the battle of the Extinguished Field, according to S:KoH p. 40
- By wielding Death during the 4th contest, the Contest of Weapons, according to S:KoH p. 96 and GtG p.117

Both, they are almost certainly the same place/time/event.

 

On 9/17/2016 at 8:04 AM, Nel said:

Also, could you tell me about the Evil Emperor Malkion?
According to GtG p.387, his cruel sorcerers and inhumans dwarves enslaved Orlanthi people during the Gods war until they were freed by Orlanth.
I haven't find any other mention of Malkion as a/the Evil Emperor, and that title looks to be applied by Orlanthis only to the Bright Emperor (aka Yelm) and the Emperor of Dara Happa (the earthly representative of Yelm).
Is this an errata, and GtG p.387 should say Evil Emperor Yelm instead of Evil Emperor Malkion?

 

Orlanthi are precious about the Evil Emperor, as they have a concept of freedom (Nobody can make me do anything/Violence is always an option). Orlanth has the Movement Rune, which makes a static, oppressive emperor automatically evil. Yelm is THE Evil Emperor, although Aether Primolt was Emperor before Yelm and was Orlanth's grandfather. Malkion is AN Evil Emperor as he oppressed and tried to control the Orlanthi.