Here’s an approximate number of cultists inside of Boldhome, as I think people might find this one real interesting:
Cult – Approximate number of cultists c. 1626
- Orlanth – 1400
- Ernalda – 1000
- Maran Gor – 50
- Babeester Gor – 75
- Chalana Arroy – 400
- Eurmal – 150
- Issaries – 750
- Lhankor Mhy – 400
- Daka Fal – 100
- Humakt – 400
- Seven Mothers – 900
- Uleria – 150
- Gustbran – 150
- Eiritha – 150
- Yelmalio – 150
- Storm Bull – 150
- Aldrya – 200
- Argan Argar – 200
- Kyger Litor (alone) – 100
- Mostal – unknown
- Other – 325
So in Boldhome, Orlanth and Ernalda are underrepresented as a percentage of population (about 20% each instead of 34% each), but Issaries is way over-represented (over 11% instead of 3%).
Chalana Arroy and Lhankor Mhy seem over represented? They are there for the entire surrounding region. They are specialists supported by the rest of the population.
I’m especially surprised at the Ernalda numbers. Ernalda is not the only largely female cult. Also Boldhome may well have the largely concentration of Vingans in Sartar. As an aside, breaking this down by gender, I have 3250 male, 3250 females. So no imbalance at all.
Why the Vingan concentration? There are a lot of Vingans in Kallyr’s entourage.
Orlanth and Ernalda only make up about 20% and 15% of the population each? That’s very small compared to the rest of Sartar. Are they primarily rural deities? Orlanth and Ernalda absolutely dominate in the rural areas. In the cities you have much larger numbers of specialist cults. So although Orlanth and Ernalda are still the largest cults even in the cities, they are a plurality instead of an absolute majority.
There are a LOT of young unmarried warriors in post-Liberation Boldhome. and a lot of Vingans, Of course some of the specialist cults skew female – so it does actually work out.
The Vingans are included in the total for Orlanth? Yes
150 Uleria cultists! Uleria is actually an amazing cult. It is not easy to be truly dedicated to Love.
Less Daka Fal than I expected. That’s ancestor worship directly through Daka Fal alone.
So Boldhome has lots of different types of people. You have lots young, unmarried warriors from the Adventurous cult, Issaries merchant and caravaners, veteran Humakti warriors, Earth women with their snakes, Thunderous free men, Yelmalio Sun Domers, Babeester Gor warriors, dancing Earth Shakers, Seven Mothers mystics, hazia fiends, and poets (presumably hanging out in cafes and inns), Eurmal clown bands, Chalana Arroy holy women, bearded scribes, love hippies, Storm Bull cultists ranting about the White Bull, cattle women, and more.
There’s a cacophony of music, shouts, and tongues. There are dancers, sights, and smells. Spices from the Holy Country and beyond, Praxian beasts, incense and hazia, and of course wine.
I am frankly horrified at the thought of 150 Eurmal cultists in close proximity to one another. Eurmal cultists are not only tolerated by the Orlanthi, but actively encouraged by the leadership of the Orlanth cult.
Are all the entertainers Orlanth/Drogarsi or Ernalda/Skovara initiates? Donandar is one of the Other cults, but is typically worshiped through Orlanth or Ernalda.
900 Seven Mothers Cultists!? They live there. Many of them were born there. And the Humakt cult, and to a lesser extent Orlanth and Yelmalio cults, really gets angry when noncombatants are killed. And that is nearly 2000 folk.
I assumed there was more animosity as they represent the “oppressor”. The Lunar garrison was massacred when the city was liberated.
More like the sort of orgy of violence and score settling that you expect with the fall of a city. But once the Humakti killed the soldiers, they demanded that civilians not be harmed. And the Orlanth priests agreed. So the violence more or less stopped and the surviving Seven Mothers cultists are largely safe.
Well the city fell in such a manner that people couldn’t really flee. Maybe I’ll post some details about the Liberation of Boldhome later.
200 Aldrya that’s a surprise. That’s the Elf embassy.
As an aside Boldhome normally supports a great temple to Issaries as a result of the caravan trade.
There’s 750 Issaries initiates in Boldhome. Assume that there are another 250 in surrounding areas that come for holy days (that means btw that Boldhome is the center of a full third of the Issaries cult in Sartar!). Then add in another 100-500 foreigner cultists from the Holy Country, Prax, or the Lunar Empire.
As a result, on seasonal and high holy days, the temple likely routinely gets 1500 Isaaries cultists, more than enough to support a great temple.