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Subject: [GREYTALK] ancient flan kingdoms
My continually evolving ideas are currently stopped at this, influenced primarily by Taras Guarhoth, Paul Redmond, (both of whom almost certainly based their work partially on that of Steve Wilson in the Oerth Journal I) and the Gurps Fantasy II book. Also, I took some gods from The Gargoyle.
A little from Joe Katzman, too. I blatantly contradicted much of what the above worthies did, for which I apologize, but it was the only way I could get it all to fit! Gah! My words are too long! I never say "whom!"
Ancient Flanni Cultures
Acererak's Despotry: Acererak, a son of Orcus, encouraged the worship of his sire in his subject lands (which included Sunndi and the Lordship of the Isles), as well as Orcus' subjects Baphomet and Hacamuli. The ancient god Wastri, once credited as the creator of the human race throughout the southern lands, still retained a following in Acererak's day. The faithful of Olidammara were a popular scapegoat, and heavily persecuted.
Cairn Hills: The original inhabitants of the Cairns are mysterious; they may have been the same as the rulers of Vô. In any case, they vanished, leaving only their tombs as evidence of their existence. For millenia, the native hillfolk worshipped Beory, Krovis, Pelor, Nerull, Trithereon, and Ehlonna.
Dal Wiim (Burneal Forest, Land of Black Ice): The natives of Dal Wiim worshipped the snow, and are said to have had magical powers over it.
Derrak: Derrak, to the east of the Nyr Dyv, was a necromantic society strongly influenced by the Olman Empire and the Kingdom of Sulm. It was one of the root cultures that would ultimately found Loryiaelor. They revered Allitur, Nerull, Pelor, and Berei, with druids of Beory and Obad-hai common in rural regions. Incabulos was much feared, and blamed for ancient plagues which devestated the nation.
Galap-Driedel: an extremely short-lived offshoot of Vô in the Cairn Hills region; defeated by halflings some five years after its founding.
Geoff: The Flannae of the valley south of the Barrier Peaks were druidic, as most of the western Flan not influenced by the people of Rao were, and as such looked primarily to Beory and Obad-hai, though many adopted the gods of their gnomish and elvish allies.
Hidden Land: The valley now claimed by the Black One was always an elven land. The valley elves and gnomes originally worshipped various entities from the plane of Shadow.
Itar: unknown, but doubtless very ancient. There seems to be no bottom to the ruins of this culture, and its gods, if that's what they were, are unrecognizable.
Ket (and thereabouts): The Flannae living between the Yatils and Crystalmists primarily adopted the Baklunish gods, though some stubbornly followed the way of Rao.
Kreptaris: The kingdom of the arch-lich Kreptaris gur-Hoth a noble of Vô who ruled part of Loryiaelor for several hundred years after Vô's fall.
Lordship of the Isles: After Acererak left this world, these islands, formally subject to his rulership, became a fanatic theocracy dedicated to the obliteration of all magic (worshipped Allitur, Berei, Wastri and Aizun, goddess of strife).
Loryiaelor (Bandit Kingdoms, Tenh): Considered to be the flower of Flanni civilization by many; worshipped Allitur, Nerull, Pelor, Berei, Beory, and Obad-hai.
Mad Lands: The unpleasant territory now claimed by Iuz was once controlled by a number of cruel and insane demigods of various animal aspects. The native human culture was well-adapted to their harsh existence, and could be kind among themselves. The Madlander gods were slain by Iuz shortly before his ascension.
Rimtach: A nomadic people of the Bandit Kingdoms related to the Rovers; one of the two peoples who founded Loryiaelor. The Rimtach worshipped Beory, Obad-hai, and Allitur.
Rovers: The nomads of the north, related to the Rimtach. The Rovers worshipped the Horsemother (Ehlonna), Old Woman (Beory), Old Man (Allitur), Ugly Beast (Mykal, god of beasts), Coyote, Reindeer, Remhoraz, Raven, and Mammoth. They recognized, but did not worship, the gods of the sun and moons.
Spidered Throne, Empire of the: Vecna's empire was in the Sheldomar Valley, or nearby (perhaps in Geoff or Sterich: there are a variety of styles of architecture in ruins throughout the region which the locals invariably claim were the site of Vecna's capitol. Usually these turn out to be Suloise in origin, or forgotten early fortresses of the Keoish empire. Some of the strongest candidates are found in the Duchy of Ulek, and Vecna's "empire" may have been limited to that region). Whatever the case may be, the land was dominated by the cult of Vecna himself, along with a number of entities collectively called the Circle of Darkness. The priesthoods of Rao, Beory, Joramy and Zodal, always strong in the Sheldomar and Javan basins, never died out in the Empire of the Spidered Throne.
Sulm (Bright Desert): A kingdom of great magic, worshipping Pelor and Nerull in dualistic fashion, along with the Dark God (Raven, sometimes confused with Tharizdun with contemporary scholars), Boccob, and various outer planar lords. There was a heavy Olman influence, and Incabulos was much feared.
Thillronia: The wanderers of the Thillronian Penninsula had shamans who ministered to a variety of spirits, including Reindeer, Tree-of-Life, He Who Slices Through Glaciers Like Warm Blubber, Sun Wolf (Pelor), Hound of Hell (Nerull), Raven (a creator god), and Oerth Mother (Beory)
Tilvanot: The hunter-gatherers of this penninsula worshipped Allitur, Nerull, Olidammara, and Pelor. An earlier culture, vanished by this time, worshipped Tharizdun exclusively.
Trakon (Pomarj): The Drachensgrab penninsula was home of a few small city-states based on sea trade and mining, along with a few core crops. The Trakon worshipped a number ancient heroes, including Krovis, along with the gods Ehlonna and Trithereon. Their civilization was destroyed by an invasion of gnolls, although their culture survived south of the Lortmils and along the Sheldomar.
Tribelands: The lands now inhabited by the Tiger and Wolf Nomads and up the coast of the Drawmij were once dominated by Rover-like tribal peoples, anarchic in government and dedicated to personal spirit guides drawn from ancestors and local animals.
Ur-Perrenland: The cold Yatil mountains and the shores of Lake Quag were, during the earliest days of the Baklunish, controlled by dwellers in massive black cities (of which Mordenkainen's Obsidian Citidel is a remnant). Before famine ended their reign, they revered the elder gods Boccob, Tharizdun, Cyndor and Louhi. Afterwards they became a clannish society of hunters and raiders, absorbing gods from whatever people they met, including Bleredd, Beory, Trithereon, Obad-hai, Mykal, Ulaa, Incabulos, and Aotar, the goddess of winds. In modern times, Heironeous has become known as the king of the gods, and many Oeridian gods have entered the pantheon, especially the gods of the winds.
Sterich: This reclusive valley was dominated by druids dedicated to a local version of Obad-hai.
Vô: The Isles of Woe and conquered lands, known for its mysterious, possibly half-human rulers and powerful magic. Shrines to Boccob are common to ruins of this culture found on the mainland.
Voll: The people here, subsistance farmers like most of the early members of their creed, were monotheistic worshippers of Rao, who they claimed had reshaped their lands from mountains to plains in order to increase their prosperity.
Yuir (modern Yeomanry): The elves of this valley had their own pantheon that was eventually absorbed into the Seldarine. The native firbolgs worshipped the gods of the giants.
dys times are unholy,
Rip Van Wormer
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