Skip to content
The Well of Daliath
Menu
Menu

Sun Dome information

Posted on October 12, 2020

For those of you writing about Sun County in Prax, it is useful to remember a few details.

Sun County has about 19,000 people. As a general rule, about half are initiates, let’s say 9000 in Sun County. That means there are about 4000 Yelmalio cultists, 4000 Ernalda cultists, and 1000 Others. Throw in another 200 Yelmalio initiates from New Pavis.

So that means there are a total of about 4200 Yelmalio cultists in the River of Cradles. Of those, about 800 serve with the Sun Dome Templars, the rest are militia.

The Sun Dome Temple of Prax was isolated from about 1200-1550, surrounded and often ruled by hostile romads. Their horses all died, their Yelm-worshiping Pure Horse People allies disappeared, nonetheless, they held on ferociously to their Yelmalio cult, although he got dimmer and dimmer.All this changed around 1550 when they came into contact with Dorasar and his Yelmalio-worshipping companion Varthanis Brighthelm, and other adventurers from Sartar. They received magic and secrets from Monrogh Lantern and the light of Yelmalio brightened. The Solitude of Testing ended and the Sun Dome Temple rejoined in communion with its brethren in Dragon Pass. The Sun Dome Temple even chose Varathanis as Count in 1569 and for the next two generations, his family ruled Sun County.

Now Sun County is a mess. Solanthos is dead, and rival factions back Belvani or Vega as their count. New Pavis is now ruled by another Sartarite adventurer who has the loyalty of all the Great Tribes of Prax.

However, it is worth keeping in mind that the Sun Dome Temple is also a major cult center for probably three times as many Praxian Yelmalio cultists. These cultists are dangerous, disloyal, and problematic, but they also provide valuable goods and protection for Sun County.

Additionally, keep in mind that Sun County is in contact with the Sun Dome Temple of Dragon Pass. That contact may be sporadic, but the Solitude of Testing is long over.

One thing this does mean is that the Yelmalio cult in the River of Cradles is twice the size of the higher status cult in Sartar. The Sun Dome Temple of Dragon Pass might be the cultural and religious epicenter of the cult, but Sun County in Prax has much greater mass.

That is of course, assuming you count the Praxian members. Otherwise the cults are about the same size.

But still, that means that the roughly 5000 Yelmalio initiates of Sartar are comparable in number to the roughly 4000 Yelmalio initiates of the River of Cradles, which still means that the Praxian Sun Dome Temple is very substantial. It may be a backwater, but it is an important backwater.

I do think the richer Sun Dome Temple in Sartar is able to maintain more Templars. Perhaps 2400 of 4000 serve with the Templars, and the rest as militia.

And that is why none of the Sartarite tribes really mess with the Sun Dome Temple. The Colymar can muster about 2500 troubles (about as many as the Sun Dome Templars), but most of their troops are militia. The Sun Dome templars are disciplined and trained pikemen. It would take an alliance of several tribes – which really means it would require the Prince. And since the Prince of Sartar is traditionally neutral or friendly to the Sun Dome Temple, why would you do that?

Sun Hawk is often worshiped in conjunction with Yelmalio by the Impala and Sable tribes.

Jeff Richard

Next
Previous
1550 ST, 1569 ST, Cult demographics, Dorasor, Population demographics, Sun County, Sun Dome (Mo Baustra – Prax) (small city), Sun Dome (Vanntar – Sartar) (small city), Sun Dome Templars

Sections

  • Search Tips
  • Current RuneQuest Glorantha Publications
  • RuneQuest Glorantha Corrections and Q&A
  • Catalogue
  • References for Glorantha
    • Gloranthan Canon
  • Gloranthan Documents
  • RPG Systems & Versions
  • Gallery
  • Role-playing in Glorantha
  • About This Site
  • Get involved!

Latest Posts

  • Chaos and The Great Compromise

    The Spike held Glorantha together in the Gods Time. The …
  • Notes on The Red Goddess and Chaos

    In 1220 ST, great stirrings in the world centered in …
  • The Three Categories of Chaos

    Philosophers identify three categories of Chaos in the world: 1. …
  • A Few Notes on Chaos

    Chaos is not “natural”. It entered the cosmos through the …
  • Boldhome After the Dragonrise (1625+)

    After Boldhome’s liberation in 1625, Kallyr spent only a few …

Links

  • Chaosium
  • Glorantha on BRP Central
  • RuneQuest on BRP Central
  • RuneQuest Glorantha on MeWe
  • Glorantha Wiki on Fandom
  • Prince of Sartar Webcomic
  • Glorantha G+ Archives on Tapatalk
  • Search mailing list archive

Latest from BRP Central

  • Out now in hardcover: The Meints Index to Glorantha, 3rd Edition
  • Hyalor Cult?
  • Active sorcery spells
  • Request for info: The "taming" of the Telmori
  • The White Upon the Hills - A review
  • Why would a Golden Bow shaman be adventuring in Sartar? (Alternate question: How old should a shaman be to have an assistant?)
  • help with heroquest idea?
  • Monster Empire
  • Kallyr was busy
  • Adventures in Nochet, Esrolia

Popular Tags

2007 Avalon Hill Boldhome Chaosium Chaos pantheon Cult demographics Cults of Runequest (preview) Ernalda Esrolia (homeland) FR G+ post Greg Stafford Guide to Glorantha (preview) Humakt Issaries Jar-eel Kralorelan pantheon Lunar Empire Lunar Pantheon Magazine Malkioni pantheon Map Maps Michael O’Brien Mongoose Nochet (metropolis) Nomad Gods Oriflam Orlanth Orlanthi pantheon Photo reference Population demographics Prax (homeland) Praxian pantheon RQ3 RQG Sandy Petersen Sartar (homeland) Spirit Cult Subcult Tales of the Reaching Moon Troll Pantheon Yelm Yelmalio Yelm Pantheon

Recently added or updated

  • Chaos and The Great Compromise

  • CHA4032 RuneQuest Glorantha Bestiary – Q&A

  • Protected: CHA4042 – The Prosopaedia (2023)

  • Zaytenera

  • Zotulla

  • Zong the hunter

  • Zzabur

  • Zorak Zoran

  • Zaktirra

  • CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 16 Sorcery Spells Q&A

  • CHA4034 Red Book of Magic – Chapter 02 Rune Magic Spells Q&A (A-M)

  • CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 04 Homelands Q&A

  • CHA4028 RuneQuest: Roleplaying in Glorantha – Chapter 07 Combat Q&A pages 206-225

  • London Calling… A wonderful presentation on the Guide to Glorantha project (2013)

  • CHA4035 RQ Starter Set – Book 1 Rules – Q&A

  • CHA4039 The Smoking Ruin and other Stories – Q&A

  • Teelo Norri

  • Gustbran

  • Time

  • Ulurda

©2023 The Well of Daliath | Design: Newspaperly WordPress Theme