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Lunar Settlers

Posted on July 12, 2022

As we all know the Lunar empire forced many people into its distant frontiers. There have been several centers of frontier rebellion within the empire; when such a rebellion is suppressed, whole areas are stripped of inhabitants who are sent with their goods to a strange land.

The Lunar farmers of Prax can tell a uniform story of rebellion, defeat, and bitter marches marked with dead kin left beside the road. Yet, once in Prax, most survivors found themselves preferring the protection of the empire to the expert savagery of the nomads, and they found that their Lunar bonds are the ones which kept them united and safe. To casual observers there was a single block of Lunar farmers. But to Lunars this is an illusion, for they perceive several types of settlers.

Talastar Farmers

The Talastar farmers resemble the Sartarite and Sun County cultures, for they share a common origin. History has localized the character of each region, but left most customs similar. This group includes many peoples from the Pelorian hills as well as Talastar. They speak a language very similar to Sartarite.

Carmanian Farmers

The Carmanian farmers are distinctly different. They do not worship the goddess Ernalda (as do all Orlanthi farmers) and use a different type of plow. Their magic differs also, being more like proper spells than prayers of supplication and respect. They speak their own language, Carmanian, which is related to the tongues of the far west, in Loskalm, but many also speak the Lunar tongue of New Pelorian.

Redland Farmers

The Redland farmers are the last type.They, too, worship Yelmalio, but more highly favor Yelm. Their tongue is Pelorian, also called Lunar, for they descend from peoples of ancient Dara Happa, now the heart of the Lunar empire. They use methods and prayers similar to the Yelmalio people but address their own earth deities instead of Ernalda.

Lunar Farmers in the age of the White Bull

The liberation of Pavis by Argrath did not result in the removal the Lunar farmers from the land. It did shatter their former unity, as their Lunar bonds no longer kept them safe. The Talastar farmers found they shared cult and culture with Argrath and his Sartarite followers, while the Redland farmers had much greater difficulties with their new overlord.

In Dragon Pass there were some rebels who were sent to other areas in the Lunar Empire as settlers. Members of the Maboder, Culbrea, Sambari, and Kheldon tribes, as well as from Far Point and the Bush Ranges, were forcibly relocated to settle in Talastar, Vanch, and the Doblian satrapy. The total numbers were likely not great – perhaps no more than a thousand in total.

Additionally, a handful of youth from noble families were taken as hostages and sent to Furthest or even Glamour. Some eventually embraced the Lunar religion, others tried to keep to their traditions. The hostages in Glamour became largely ignored after Fazzur’s fall from power, those in Furthest no doubt were used as pawns by Pharandros.

Presumably once the wars in Dragon Pass were resolved, the Lunar Empire would have resettled much greater numbers in Talastar or the Redlands. But things never got there.

Jeff Richard

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