[Glorantha] Teshnan and Vithelan wisdom

[Peter Metcalfe]

Santo

>Is Karkal (Karki), the Vithelan God of Fire, followed in Teshnos?
>In the HQ rulebook, he is acknowledged as the father of Vai
>Madar Sa, the Teshnan incarnation of the Cosmic Star Archer.

IMO that's an error or rather the Vithelan name for VMS's father.
In Revealed Mythologies, Karkal has attributes similar to that
of Lodril ("favours humans, whom he allowed to tame fire") and
so I think the Teshnans would say that Solf was his father.

>In Revealed Mythologies, it is mentioned that the "Minister of
>Fire"/Karki  is disemboweled by Sekever, plunging the world into
>Darkness.  It seems to me this happened during the Demigods Cycle, and
>perhaps this is an impetus behind the Sage Chal revealing the Five Fiery
>Forms to the people of Teshnos.

The Minister of Fire is a Kralori Title and so the events would be confined
to Kerandurath/Kralorela rather than Teshnos.  More significantly, the
event is the earlier of Sekever's reign (it occurs between the reigns of
Shavaya and Daruda) whereas Sekever ruled again between the reigns
of Mikaday and Vayobi.  This later reign is the one more likely to have
sparked the revelation of Chal.

>More generally, how similar are Vithelan cosmological beliefs to the
>Chalite Mysteries?   In my Teshnan game I have hinted that in previous
>Ages, before the Seleran Empire, many more mystic lineages existed, but
>were systematically exterminated by Sheng Seleris and his followers as
>part of their Atrocity Rites.

I really see the Teshnan, Trowjangi and Melib beliefs as being informed
by the beliefs of the invading Blue People rather than Vithelan Orthodoxy.
In addition, the lands of Kralorela, Teshnos and Vormain are slightly
unusual compared to other Vithelan lands because they were influenced
by the Dragon Dogsalu and his son Govmeranen.

--Peter Metcalfe