Date: Mon, 29 Mar 1999 13:15:08 EST
From: "Rip Van Wormer"
Reply-To: The GREYtalk Discussion List
The subject of just who was primarily worshipped in the prelacy of Almor was never properly resolved in what I could find in the Greytalk Archives. Apparently, EGG has said Heironeous, which doesn't make much sense given the nation's alignment.
It's a NG, CG, N country.
OS in composition.
Surrounded by primarily Oeridian nations.
Pelor is an obvious choice for the nation's alignment, since we can count on him to be sympathetic to CGs and Ns, but the fact that the land has no Flan component casts doubt on this. Granted, Pelor is a common deity, and many non-Flannae revere him, but with the Heroneoi of Nyrond at one side and the Hextoi and Zilchists on the other, I'm not sure that he's appropriate as a major faith.
The issue of the sun in the Prelacy's coat of arms has to be dismissed as a coincidence, I believe. I can't imagine that such an adamantly pro-Oeridian nation as Aerdy could have esteemed Pelor to such an extent as to put him in their coat of arms, and of course Pelor didn't have a symbol as of 1983. Instead, this symbol refers to the rising of the Great Kingdom's might over the Solnor Ocean, and is countered by Furyon/Voll's moon/antler symbol. The priests of Pelor might actually bear a grudge against Aerdy for appropriating their holiest of designs. The origin might involve something like the Oerid armies seizing a relic of the northern Flannae that symbolized leadership to that people, and taking it as their own symbol. The descendents of the ancient ruling house in Tenh (the Wi) probably seek this thing's
return, though it has likely been lost, either during a change of dynasties or amid the general clutter of the old treasuries in Rauxes (or used as payment to finance some war; it might be in Perrenland, a prized trophy of the mercenary-houses).
Anyway, the cult of the Wind seems a likely ingrediant in Almor's religious stew, with the Oeridian cultural domination and alignment. Wind Priests don't, however, seem very *political* to me. Thus, while they might be an element of Almor's state religion, they probably don't define it. Of the old Suel gods, only those of proper alignment would have survived Aerdi persecution: Kord, Lydia, Norebo, Osprem, Phaulkon, Phyton. None of them have enough constituency in the region to dominate the nation.
Anyway, this is what I think:
Kevont is a pantheonist priest of the Church of Almor. The pantheon is lead by Cyndor, Lord of Time and Infinity, and contains the god of the winds (Phaulkon and Velnius) and the seasons (Atroa, Wenta, Velnius, and Sotillion), as well as the gods of travel (Fharlanghn and Celestian) and of celestial bodies (Pelor, Lydia and Beory; worship of the moons is heretical). Procan and Osprem also receive reverence, perhaps as relatives. No one prays to Cyndor directly; the other gods are used as intermediaries. The other local gods are revered outside the church structure.
When the Great Kingdom conquered/conquers Almor, the church is driven underground, and moves its base to Nyrond. Some of the old temples reopen after the animus-Duke flees and Nyrond assumes control of the land.
There's also the question of what "Nyr Dyv" means, and how it connects with Dyvers and Nyrond.
Perhaps "Nyr" represents an unknown quantity, and was given to the mostly unexplored western extreme of the Great Kingdom during its early height, including Nyrond, Ulek, the Shield Lands, Perrenland and the Domain of Greyhawk. "Nyr Dyv" simply means The Lake of Nyrond. As most of this land was lost, it came to refer to the lands remaining.
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