[Glorantha] Karasali

[Peter Metcalfe]

John Galloway:

>Can anyone tell me anything about Karasal and/or the Lenshi
>Tradition?

There are two sources.

Karasa is first mentioned in the Glorious ReAscent (p21)
as being a mistress of an Emperor who gave birth to
Orogoros.  After Orogoros grows up, he acquires a
snake-belt with the spirit of his father in it and with its
advice becomes Emperor.  There's additional details
but I get the impression the narrative has been
contaminated from other sources.

The Serpent appears in the Carmanian Tradition as showing
him an underground secret.  This might be the Jewelled Vault
but the Glorious ReAscent but this may be an example
of the contamination that I'm worried about.  For starters,
the Jewelled Vault features in a mythical dispute between
Kostaddi and the Sankenites of Vanch and is elsewhere
said to be in Darjiin (all places being miles away from
Karasal).

However there is a Serpent tradition closer to home and
that's the legend of FaElsor and the Serpent in the
Entekosiad (p10).  In this legend, a savage serpent by
the name of Ursturburn attacks the Goddess FaElsor but
is conquered and tamed by her daughters.  There's a
phallic context to this myth as its the means by which the
Darsenite women control and tame men.  And Darsen
is right next to the land of Karasal.

Hence its my belief that Orogoros learned the secrets
of the untamed serpent and with that power became
Emperor and that the Karasali have continue this
tradition.

Returning to the Glorious ReAscent (the author of whom
is hostile to him) describes him as ordering people to
take their clothes off.  For that crime, he is slain by
Avivorus with a Sunspear.  Another source (the
Elmexdros Rolls Text (Fortunate Succession p89)
describes him as making leaders and patriarches
responsible for the actions of their families and mobs
in an effort to control violence as well as passing
laws against Incest.

Again applying this to modern Karasali, they doff
their caps and shoes in the presence of their social
betters (these are the examples of clothing regulations
that Orogoros was killed for).  They are violent and
clannish due to their worship of the Serpent but
order is kept in checked by making their leaders
responsible for their actions.  They also have some
elaborate incest taboos but the nature of this
is unknown.

>Does anyone know what the "Lenshi traditions" are
>that the Karasali people have inherited since the
>Dwan Age? (Imperial Lunar Handbook vol 1, page 47)

The Lenshi are actually a horse-riding people that are
descended from the Starlight Tribe that originated in
what is now Garsting as a fusion of people from
Balazar and Pent.  The myths we have about them
are primarily indicative of the gods and spirits although
they view them as Stars.

During the Great Darkness, they migrated into
the Karasali satrapy and interbred with the
Karasali.  Hence the Karasali of 1621 are heir
to the traditions of Orogoros and Lenshi.

The Lenshi worship Kargzant as the sun and have
a number of warrior heroes (who would probably be
subcults teaching one affinity).

         Hero                    Foe

         Kalikos                 Ice
         Vernderu the Skier      Ice
         Zantaros                Trolls
         Kuranits                Rinliddi and Birds
         Targos                  Reindeer folk

There are no heroes against Elves as the Lenshi, like
their kindred, have always been crap against them.

During the Great Darkness, the hero Hestus learned
how to paint himself to avoid detection and injury.
Through his deeds, Hestus freed the reindeer woman
(ie the Lenshi started herding reindeer) and also
learned magic from the Dog Star (ie they acquired
dogs at the same time).  I don't believe this means
that Hestus knows three affinities but rather that
his worshippers can learn magic from the Dog Star
and the Reindeer Women (probably along the
lines suggested HQ p120 (Subcults and Daimones)).

Lenshi himself is famous for fighting bulls and his
people acquired herds after defeating Harantho at
the Bull Stops Here Battle (the battle was won
by digging ditches and hahas).

The Lenshi hate Jajagappa as he was a god of
an enemy tribe and learned how to live in cities
from KetEnari, a lunar deity.

Their knowledge god is Keternung who studied
the Stars and seems to be closely related to
Buserian.

--Peter Metcalfe