There are some 225,000 Orlanth initiates in Peloria, making it the fourth biggest cult in Peloria (tied with Ernalda). Only Seven Mothers, Lodril, and Oria have bigger cults.
During the rise of the Lunar Empire, the Orlanth cult could be thought of as two loose clusters. One was in Saird, and included Imther and Aggar. These people looked to Dragon Pass as their spiritual homeland, and they had been part of that ancient and cultured kingdom. This Orlanth cult was tightly linked to Ernalda and the other Lightbringers. Let’s call them Dragon Pass Orlanthi.
The other was centered on Top of the World, Mount Umatum, and Thunder Mountain. They included Talastar, Anadikki, Brolia, and Charg. They had strong ties to the Carmanian Empire (especially the Bull Shah Dynasty) and were often listed as Friends of the Shah. This Orlanth cult was more tightly linked with Humakt and Storm Bull, was as often associated with Pelora/Oria or Dorasa as with Ernalda. Let’s call them Talastari Orlanthi.
In the late Second Age, Brolia was the home of revolutionary fanatics, who opposed the EWF. They embraced the Ralian hero Alakoring Dragonbreaker and elevated him to king. They allied with the rising Carmanian power against the EWF, and they followed Survilstor against the dragons. For some two centuries, the Wilstorite dynasty ruled a kingdom in Anadikki and Brolia. Brolians aided the Uroxi Purush to seize the Carmanian throne in 1138 as the first Bull Shah.
The Talastari came to the aid of the Carmanians against the Lunar Empire. In 1247 they aided the Old Gods against the new Red Goddess at the Battle of Castle Blue. When the Old Gods submitted, the Talastari retreated with the gods and heroes to Top of the World Mountain. Many of their rulers, nobles, and priests were dead and the western Talastari became an increasingly impoverished backwater which only became more pronounced with the Ban.
Talastar itself had something of a cultural resurgence defending against an increasingly active Dorastor. Its rulers contended with the satrap of Sylila over Lakrene and even Dara-Ni, although in the Seventh Wane, the satraps had clearly the upper hand. However, the Orlanth cult was left alone, even encouraged, as a bulwark against Dorastor.
Now the story of the Dragon Pass cluster is quite different. Remember they were the core of the Empire of the Wyrms Friends. They followed Jannisor to the gates of Glamour in 1275, and then paid for it with the campaigns of the Conquering Daughter. Many fled to Dragon Pass, and settled what became the Kingdom of Tarsh. From 1350 to 1450, they ruled Dragon Pass, until they were supplanted by the Kethaelan Sartar dynasty, which dominated Dragon Pass from 1490 to 1602.
As an aside, there’s another cluster in East Ralios, another in Vesmonstran/Lankst, another in Fronela, and yet another in Umathela. So the Orlanth cult is very diffused.
it would seem like Fronela has several sub-clusters? I’m lumping most of those together. The cult came there in the First Age, and these groups are all largely in contact with each other (although admittedly under the Ban things may have gotten strange).
An interesting point of contention is Oxhead Temple, which looks to Kero Fin as the home of Orlanth, while the Hold in Bilini land looks to Top of the World. Both temples hold Thunder Mountain and Bear Mountain as holy, while the Hold reveres Mount Matu, and Oxhead does not.