From: Peter Metcalfe (P.Metcalfe@student.canterbury.ac.nz)
Date: Tue 04 Mar 1997 - 11:55:51 EET
Paolo Guccione:
===============
spake against sorcerized divine cults by pointing out that there
IMO there needs to be an intermediary stage (or range of such stages)
is a wide gap between sorcery and spirit magic in da roolz.
between spirit magic and sorcery which depends on how 'logical' one
is. Frex, in the more sophisticated theistic cults (not Malkionized),
they wouldn't rely on spell spirits to learn spirit magic but instead
meditate on an aspect of the God. Spell spirits is for backward
heathens IMO.
>Where I definitely disagree
>with Peter is in any sort of mistaken identity between Chalana and
>Xemela: St. Xemela has a well-known historical backgrouns, which is
>rather hard, I would say impossible, to mistake for the Lightbringer
>Myth and Chalana. Or are you suggesting that Hrestol is Chalana's son?
>Yep, that would mean that in Otkorion he is in fact Arroin! Hard to
>believe, but intriguing...
They both wear white dresses and are healers. Suspicious don't you
Confusing Xemala with Chalana would be a mark of grotesque
think? As for Hrestol being Arroin, I think that Arroin is not
known of in Ralios. Or if a Henotheist did hear of Arroin, he'll
assume that Arroin and Hrestol are different sons.
ignorance in Safelster and this sort of belief would be a
mark of how backward the Otkorioni are or even a slander
to mock them.
Joerg Baumgartner:
==================
JR>>I do have to agree with David Hall that Nick Effingham's "St.
>>Orlanth" looked more as Sartar with sorcery than the West.
>I find such an approach somewhat appropriate for northern Otkorion, which
>has more Lankst "tribe" inhabitants than it has Westerners.
I really think the Lanksti being Korioni have much more in common
with the Safelstrans than do the East Wilds Orlanthi or Sartar.
The Naskorioni are considered to be Orlanthi by the Safelstrans
but are to be Sorcerers by the East Wilds folk.
>In Ralios, things are likely to have been different. Otkorion was
>part of the Korioni tribe of the Enerali, which IMO should find some echo in
>the cult description - maybe some obscure subcult, with holy places in
>bygone Galanini centres of power (Hrelar Amali, for instance).
This may be a good as time as any to introduce some notes
SYNOPSIS OF SAFESLTRAN MYTH UP TO THE DARKNESS.
of mine of how I feel the modern Safelstrans view their distant
past. I must acknowledge some help from David Dunham.
The First Man is Eneral who is made by the Invisible God to be the
Lord of Ralios. Eneral makes a garden east in Hrelar Amali. He
names the animals and makes the Galanin the Horse the King of
all Beasts subject only to him and his sons alone.
Eneral has four sons by his wife Ralia: Vustr, Fornao, Uton and
Korion. After Eneral retires, his sons decided to have a contest
to see whom would be lord, wizard, knight and peasant. Almost every
Safelstran believes that Vustr lost the contest and was condemned to
be the peasant to his brothers. He refused to accept this judgement
and so fled to Vustria and mated with wild animals. The savages of
the East Wilds are reckoned to be his offspring.
Nobody agrees who was lord (nor wizard nor knight for that matter). The
Tanisoreans claim that Fornao, who was their ancestor, was chosen and that
since his House became comingled with the House of Malkion, the Kings of
Seshnela have a duty to rule all Ralios by Divine Mission (through descent
from Malkion) *and* by inheritance (through descent from Fornao). The
People of Korioni and Utoni do not agree and claim they should be lords.
Arkat supposedly settled the question but the God Learners destroyed all
knowledge of his solution.
Vivamort was the honoured guardian of the Stygian Vault where the
Unbreakable Sword and other famous weapons were stored. He was
charged by his master to let none set foot within the vault and
espy his treasures. One day, Vivamort was mocked by a thief
by the name of Eurmal who said that Vivamort guarded nothing of
value. Vivamort took umbrage at this and forgot his oaths. He
manhandled Eurmal and took him into the vault and showed him.
Later Eurmal returned with a Vustrian Bandit by the name of
Umath. They blackmailed Vivamort into showing them the vault
again. Eurmal then stole the Unbreakable Sword from the Vault
and gave it to Umath.
This caused Vivamort much shame and remorse and he ran off into
the hills like a madman. Thereafter he developed numerous plots
to revenge himself on Umath. To this day, no follower of
Vivamort can bear the sight of the death rune for it reminds them
of Vivamort's treachery. When Eneral discovered the theft, he
pursued Umath who had the sword. They met and Eneral was slain.
Thereafter Umath was known as Humakt which means Murderer.
The Lords of Hrelar Amali then held a contest to see who would
marry Eneral's wife, Ralia. Ehilm, an exiled king from the Kingdom
of Logic, was proved worthy and so he was chosen. He ruled
wisely according to some and like a tyrant according to others.
Orlanth then challenged Ehilm for the hand of Ralia for he too
wanted to be king. Although successful, Orlanth refused to
let Ralia return to Hrela Amali to celebrate the rites of Spring
for he feared that Ehilm would not let her return to his stead.
This caused a famine in Ralios and Ehilm sent an army to Orlanth's
stead to compel him to let Ralia go free. Orlanth however
ambushed Ehilm's Army and Ehilm himself was slain. So began the
Darkness.
The Tanisoreans say that Ehilm and Orlanth agreed to settled their
differences on the Great Duelling Field of Kustria. Orlanth
however 'borrowed' (with Eurmal's aid) the Unbreakable Sword. As
he stepped into the arena, he drew his sword. Ehilm then recognized
the weapon and raised a point of order and honor with the judges for
the weapon was stolen and hence forbidden under the rules. Orlanth
took this opportunity to stab Ehilm most brutally in the back and so
began the Darkness.
- --Peter Metcalfe
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