[Glorantha] Karasali

John Galloway:

>Can anyone tell me anything about Karasal and/or the Lenshi
>Tradition?

There are two sources.

Karasa is first mentioned in the Glorious ReAscent (p21) as being a mistress of an Emperor who gave birth to Orogoros. After Orogoros grows up, he acquires a snake-belt with the spirit of his father in it and with its advice becomes Emperor. There's additional details but I get the impression the narrative has been contaminated from other sources.

The Serpent appears in the Carmanian Tradition as showing him an underground secret. This might be the Jewelled Vault but the Glorious ReAscent but this may be an example of the contamination that I'm worried about. For starters, the Jewelled Vault features in a mythical dispute between Kostaddi and the Sankenites of Vanch and is elsewhere said to be in Darjiin (all places being miles away from Karasal).

However there is a Serpent tradition closer to home and that's the legend of FaElsor and the Serpent in the Entekosiad (p10). In this legend, a savage serpent by the name of Ursturburn attacks the Goddess FaElsor but is conquered and tamed by her daughters. There's a phallic context to this myth as its the means by which the Darsenite women control and tame men. And Darsen is right next to the land of Karasal.

Hence its my belief that Orogoros learned the secrets of the untamed serpent and with that power became Emperor and that the Karasali have continue this tradition.

Returning to the Glorious ReAscent (the author of whom is hostile to him) describes him as ordering people to take their clothes off. For that crime, he is slain by Avivorus with a Sunspear. Another source (the Elmexdros Rolls Text (Fortunate Succession p89) describes him as making leaders and patriarches responsible for the actions of their families and mobs in an effort to control violence as well as passing laws against Incest.

Again applying this to modern Karasali, they doff their caps and shoes in the presence of their social betters (these are the examples of clothing regulations that Orogoros was killed for). They are violent and clannish due to their worship of the Serpent but order is kept in checked by making their leaders responsible for their actions. They also have some elaborate incest taboos but the nature of this is unknown.

>Does anyone know what the "Lenshi traditions" are
>that the Karasali people have inherited since the
>Dwan Age? (Imperial Lunar Handbook vol 1, page 47)

The Lenshi are actually a horse-riding people that are descended from the Starlight Tribe that originated in what is now Garsting as a fusion of people from Balazar and Pent. The myths we have about them are primarily indicative of the gods and spirits although they view them as Stars.

During the Great Darkness, they migrated into the Karasali satrapy and interbred with the Karasali. Hence the Karasali of 1621 are heir to the traditions of Orogoros and Lenshi.

The Lenshi worship Kargzant as the sun and have a number of warrior heroes (who would probably be subcults teaching one affinity).

         Hero                    Foe

         Kalikos                 Ice
         Vernderu the Skier      Ice
         Zantaros                Trolls
         Kuranits                Rinliddi and Birds
         Targos                  Reindeer folk

There are no heroes against Elves as the Lenshi, like their kindred, have always been crap against them.

During the Great Darkness, the hero Hestus learned how to paint himself to avoid detection and injury. Through his deeds, Hestus freed the reindeer woman (ie the Lenshi started herding reindeer) and also learned magic from the Dog Star (ie they acquired dogs at the same time). I don't believe this means that Hestus knows three affinities but rather that his worshippers can learn magic from the Dog Star and the Reindeer Women (probably along the lines suggested HQ p120 (Subcults and Daimones)).

Lenshi himself is famous for fighting bulls and his people acquired herds after defeating Harantho at the Bull Stops Here Battle (the battle was won by digging ditches and hahas).

The Lenshi hate Jajagappa as he was a god of an enemy tribe and learned how to live in cities from KetEnari, a lunar deity.

Their knowledge god is Keternung who studied the Stars and seems to be closely related to Buserian.

--Peter Metcalfe Received on Tue 13 Dec 2005 - 23:43:08 EET