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Elder Races and Human Cults

Posted on October 25, 2023

The Aldryami and Mostali have a surprising amount of overlap with major human cults. Both have strong ties to the Earth pantheon (Aldrya is the daughter of Ernalda, and Asrelia is friendly with both elves and dwarves). Aldryami in particular worship deities that overlap with humanity – Babeester Gor, Chalana Arroy, Ernalda, Flamal, Grain Goddesses, Voria, Yelmalio, etc.). Nonetheless, the Earth pantheon is dominated by human-oriented cults. Same thing with the Solar deities much beloved by the Aldryami.

This is not the same when we get to Darkness and Water. Those pantheons are predominantly non-human in origin. Argan Argar and Xentha are perhaps the only Darkness cults with large human followings and they are hardly the most important Darkness cults – Kyger Litor has almost none.

This is even more true for the cults of Water. Human interaction with Water is trivial – rivers, lakes, rain, a few bays and the tops of oceans. More than 90% of the element is unknown to mortal humans – this is the realm of the triolini. A few humans offer sacrifices to Magasta, but this is usually through friendlier more accessible cults. Nelat and Daliath are nearly unknown to any but the mightiest surface heroes. The great mysteries beneath the seas are largely off limits for air-breathers.

Now to me this suggests that even though the Aldryami are vegetation spirits, they are nonetheless more easily integrated into human mythic patterns (at least at a superficial level) than the trolls, dwarfs, or triolini are.

I suspect it is much easier for a human to interact with an elf or even a dwarf than a dark troll. First dark trolls are significantly bigger than humans, and view us as food. They have twisted and stunted versions of themselves as slaves – who they eat if need be! The trolls are nocturnal, preferring night to day, and are known to worship the powers of Hell. They are creatures of the Darkness, not of Day and Earth.

The Theyalans might be the human culture with the greatest expertise as dealing with several different Elder Races – trolls, elves, dwarfs, dragonewts, etc. The Malkioni have a long tradition of interaction with the Aldryami, the Kralorelans with the dragonewts, the Umathelans with the elves, but only the Theyalans have a long history of interaction with many different species.

Argan Argar is necessary for trolls to interact with surface world types. Aldrya has a MUCH EASIER in with Ernalda/Dendara, who is one of the main human deities. Humans have to earn their enmity, which combined with their long memories mean that elves often distrust humanity – but they certainly have locked-in paths of peaceful communication. They don’t need a specific deity of peaceful contract as that is already taken care of! The Mostali largely ignore humans and their usual response to humans is to shut the door not to the eat them.

But Kyger Litor is at best Neutral with main human deities (Ernalda), and usually Hostile (Orlanth or Yelm). She gets along with most human ruling deities about as well as Orlanthi get along with the Lunar Empire.

Jeff Richard

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Aldrya, Aldryami, Argan Argar, Magasta, Mostal, Mostali, Xentha

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