I’ve been fine-tuning some of the cult demographic numbers for Pavis County and the Sun County. As of 1626, there are about 25,650 humans residing in Pavis County – this includes Argrath’s companions but does not include those nomadic bands that might winter in Pavis County. There are about 19,000 humans residing in Sun County.
The biggest cults are:
- Ernalda 5325 (with another 4375 who are mere initiates of the Grain Goddess for a total of 9700)
- Yelmalio 4900 (575 in Pavis County and 4375 in Sun County)
- Orlanth 4700 (all in Pavis County)
- Zola Fel 3500 (1500 in Pavis County and 2000 in Sun County)
- Pavis himself has about 1000 initiates.
Now Orlanth punches higher than that, if you add the 650 Humakti and 550 Storm Bull cultists in Pavis County (many of whom are sworn to Argrath), and the other Lightbringer cults.
But it does give you an idea of the relative numbers of the various cults. Post the Liberation of Pavis, the Seven Mothers cult is very small, only about 500 members, and all in Pavis County).
For a point of comparison, in all all of Sartar (including Far Point and Sun County County) there are 6525 Yelmalio cultists. Of that, 2700 are in Sun Dome County and 1725 in the Far Point. There are more Yelmalio cultists in New Pavis than in Alda-Chur, but the Alda-Churi can also call on the 1000 Yelmalio cultists in the Vantaros tribe.
So let’s just ignore the Yelmalio cult in Tarsh, and focus on the cult in Sartar and Civilised Prax.
The cult in Sartar is about a quarter bigger and is definitely richer. The Sun Dome Templars in Sartar are definitely more militarily skilled and disciplined. But they also must deal with a far more powerful and established Orlanth cult. It may be autonomous, but generally the Sun Dome is an ally of the Prince of Sartar. In Sartar, the Sun Dome and Varntaros are effectively just two more tribes among many.
The cult in Civilised Prax is smaller, but can approach the Orlanth cult as a peer. They are objectively weaker than the Sun Dome templars in Sartar but compared to their neighbours they are much stronger. They can be far more independent and autonomous than their kin in Sartar. And within Sun County, the cult is far more dominant than in Sartar. In Sun County, the traditional “Ernalda cult” is effectively a Grain Goddess cult and is long-tied to Yelmalio – but in Sartar, the Ernalda cult can always call upon the Orlanth cult for protection and support, and has ties to Esrolia.
So even though they are the same cult, worshiping the same god with the same myths and rules, the cults behave differently.
The Big Rubble has several other cults of importance:
- Pavis 500
- Black Fang 250+
- Kyger Litor 500 (plus numerous lay members)
- Zorak Zoran 150
- Argan Argar 50
- Aldrya 1000
- Thed 200
- Mallia 175
That being said, Sun Dome County in Sartar maintains close religious and cultural ties to Sun County in civilised Prax. Two of the last three counts of Sun County have been Sartarite, and Yelmalio cult in Sun County was among the first to follow Monrogh’s vision (after the Sun Dome itself).
As a general rule, for any group of 100 “trolls”, the assumption is that there are roughly:
- 20 adult dark trolls
- 8 immature dark trolls
- 4 Great Trolls
- 3 Cave Trolls
- 65 Trollkin
Some communities have few great trolls or cave trolls, some more. But this is the benchmark.