The origin of the Pentans are with two (and maybe three) Grey Age groups.
The first are the “Starlight Ancestors” who appeared along the Upper Arcos River. They likely rode chariots and wagons pulled by their horses, but maybe some rode horses as well. They followed Pole Star, the first star to reappear in the sky, and when Lightfore (Yelmalio) appeared in the sky, they sacrificed to him and helped bring Light in the Darkness.
The Starlight Ancestors split and divided, and some went north, some went east, and from there they split and divided more. They adapted to herding reindeer and adopted dogs. Eventually they came into contact with foot people – Lodrilli farmers, and they made themselves overlords. They began herding cattle and sheep instead of reindeer. Yelmalio was their ruling god, but they also worshiped Pole Star, Eiritha, and others. Eventually the leader of one of the tribal groups – the HirenMaDor – performed a grand ceremony in the ancient city of Raibanth and was proclaimed Emperor of Dara Happa. Remember this is a hundred years or so before the Dawn.
Meanwhile, the other group called the Pure Horse People were in Dragon Pass and Saird. They too worshiped Yelmalio, but they said they were descendants of the One that was shattered in the Gods War. They rode and herded horses, and refused other beasts. By doing this, they remained true to the lost One and had a faint contact with it.
With the Dawn, the Pure Horse People or Hyalorings came into conflict with the HirenMaDor. In all the contests with the HirenMaDor, the Pure Horse People won – their horses were the best, and their magic was stronger thanks to the connection with the revived Sun (“imperial Yelmalio”). When the HirenMaDor refused to accept their leader Vuranostum, a magical priest-king surrounded by geases, as king, they fought a battle. But the HirenMaDor were dispirited and quickly surrendered. The newly conquered people then convinced Vuranostum to become the Emperor of Dara Happa.
The sons of Vuranostum fought among each other, and none was willing to undergo the Ten Tests. Yelmalio then summoned them to fight against the Rebel Gods who had escaped the Underworld, but the horse god was defeated and bound by Orlanth. After this the Pure Horse Tribe disbanded, and the Pure Horse People became a priestly caste in the tribes. The HirenMaDor became a noble ruling caste. The foot folk were the farmers, boaters, merchants, and crafters who supported these nobles and priests, sometimes called the Sons of the Sun.
For another 100+ years, the Sons of the Sun ruled Dara Happa. They came into conflict with the Theyalans, and with the growing Returned Yelm cult (which sought to redefine Yelmalio as the harbinger of a returned Yelm). Now contrary to GRoY, Yelm the Sun Disk was recognized, but very hard to contact except the Pure Horse People priesthood. But in 221, Yelm Imperator was invoked in the ceremony enthroning a new Dara Happan emperor, Khordavu. With the aid of the Second Council, the new emperor defeated the army of the Sons of the Sun. Those priests and nobles that would not submit to him were forced east.
This is the origin of the “historical” Pentans or at least most of them.
There’s a third group as well and that is those people who were already in Pent prior to 221+. Some claim that they are descended from the Starlight Ancestors who went east. Others claim they are the children of Yamsur (who was destroyed in the Greater Darkness).
In post-Sheng Seleris Pent, we have three groupings – traditional Solar, who have a Yelm worshiping nobility, a Yelmalio worshiping Rider class, and who herd cattle and sheep (Eiritha); Pure Horse People, who are a priestly caste and worship Yelm; and the Storm tribes, who worship a bunch of Air Gods.
Now I think from a modern Pentan view the story is much simpler: We are descended from those who followed the Pole Star in the Greater Darkness. We chosen by Yelmalio to prepare the world for Yelm’s Return and we conquered the world, defeating trolls, monsters, and ice demons. Dara Happa was ours, and our kings were enthroned Emperor of the World in the City of the Sun, ruling over the foot people with Justice and Wisdom. But the foot people are treacherous, and they allied with monsters to exile our ancestors into Har As Jing.
However, we are the children of the Sky Gods, and living in the Har As Jing has made us strong. We can call upon the powers of the Sun, the Planets, and the Stars, upon the winds and spirits, and upon the beasts who serve us. The noble horse is our most beloved servant.
So we can see there are strong religious ties between Pent and Dara Happa, but there’s a key difference – Yelm Imperator. There is no Yelm Imperator subcult in Pent, and all Pentan confederation rulers need to rule with the aid of Yelm priests.
However, I don’t think that is always the case. For example, I am pretty sure that Sheng Seleris counted as a Yelm Imperator ruler.
I am curious about the relationship with Yelm and Yelmalio. Prior to the Dawn, nobody could worship Yelm – he was dead and in the Underworld. But Yelmalio – aka Lightfore – showed up in the sky during the Grey Age. With the Dawn, the Pure Horse People, who strictly kept ancient taboos around horses, were able to go from Yelmalio to the returned Yelm.
So think about this in the sky. A pale “Little Sun” appears in the dark sky, turning it grey. It wanders around the sky, and can be called upon and spoken with. It tells us to bring Light to the world. Eventually its path becomes regular as more stars appear in the sky. Then amid great portents, one morning the bright and burning Sun returns to the sky giving us Day and Night. The Sun is in the Day and the Little Sun is in the Night. The Little Sun follows the same path as the “Little Sun” and there is clearly a connection between these two.
The Pure Horse People because of their taboos and strict lifestyle are able to contact the Sun, which has much more magic than the Little Sun. The HirenMaDor are only able to draw magic from the Little Sun, except with the aid of the Pure Horse Priests. But the Returned Sun cult are able to draw directly on the full range of the Sun’s magic.
So the Pentans are more traditional Yelmists than the Dara Happans? Certainly. Except many Pelorians would say that Yelm Imperator is the defining feature of the Yelm cult. Which the Pentans lack. This is not a schism more, of a jump-start problem. The emperor needs to consecrate them, and since 221, they’ve not been able to have an emperor. Conceivably they could have new rites to create an emperor, and perhaps that is what Sheng Seleris did.
The Pentans have the Yelm Golden Bow shamanic tradition, but their Yelm the Priest cult is pretty much the same as what you find in Peloria.
The Pentans recognize that the Little Sun is worshiped by agriculturalists and nomads. The Little Sun is easy to worship. This is the rank and file of Pentan society.
The Imperial Sun is much pickier. Only those descended from Yelm worshipers can directly worship Yelm. This is the ruling and priestly classes of the Pentans.
The Imperial Sun is also the ruling god of Peloria and their emperor is their high priest. They have been seduced by the Red Goddess, who has made her son emperor.
The Little Sun is also worshiped in the hills of Peloria and they fight against the Darkness and the monsters that live beyond those lands. The Little Sun is also worshiped by the elves of the Elder Wilds and other forests. They may be co-religionists but are not necessarily friends and allies except against the Darkness.
I do find it strange that some people forget that Yelmalio is worshiped among the local elves! And of course the Wood People are not always exactly on the same page as the Horse People, even if they share some of the same gods.
In all three cases, the Little Sun defends his people against encroaching Darkness in a hostile environment. The Little Sun accepts humans, elves, beast people, griffins – even dragonewts, regardless of ancestry. He’s approachable, and if you serve as a warrior for the tribe for two years you can even initiate into the secrets of the Little Sun.
Am I right in presuming that the Grazelanders are a (much) later offshoot from this? Yes. The ancestors of the Grazelanders were a Pure Horse People tribe that were recruited by the Kingdom of Dragon Pass to fight against the Praxians.