More on Water Oriented Aspects

[Moderator\'\'s Note: Bob Alberti, author of Mitlanyal responds to Mark Bee\'\'s ] [ question about the aspects of gods that may be water ] [ oriented. ] >>Mark Bee asks >>I\'\'m wondering if there are any aspects of the Gods that are concerned with >>or >>deal with nature. Specificly the element of water. If there is such an >>aspect >>could you tell me the god or goddess that the aspect belongs to and the name >>along with a brief discription of that aspect. >The Perfesser replies >The Goddess Avanthe is involved with water, the seas, rain, etc. She >has an Aspect or two that deal with various features of this: E\'\'eth >of the Rains, or Bolende the Master of the Spirits of the Water. As far as Avanthe goes, there\'\'s little to add. Here are the actual entries from Mitlanyal: 4) E\'\'eth of the Rains She it is who brings the rain to water the fields; her older sister Quyela, who fertilizes the crops, and her oldest sister is Chikuna, who ripens the crops and causes them to be ready for the harvest. E\'\'eth has no shrines or images but is worshipped in the fields by priests and priestesses specially trained in her rituals. If she does not respond and rain does not come, farmers may then appeal to Qalai, the Maintainer of Cycles. 16) Bolende, the Lord of the Spirits of Water. Like Niluelde, Hlikarsh, and Dede he is charged with the demons of a specific realm. He is the patron of those missing at sea, of ships that are becalmed, of the creatures of the water (both fresh and salt), of cretins beings from other Planes where water is the medium of existence, and of sunken treasures. His images are shaped like swimming fish with high dorsal fins and long serpentine tails. His shrines are simple stone platforms, found along the banks of a lake, river, or ocean, and his only sacrifices are fresh fish (not crustaceans or eel-like creatures). It\'\'s important to remember, however, that Aspects are very localized. In Avanthe\'\'s Temple, aspects number 18 through 24 are listed as "localized", along with some others. Fishing villages will usually have aspects dedicated to the movement of the schools of fish, the safe conduct of boats, or the flow of currents. These will differ in name and appearance based on the history and tradition of the area. So if your players are in Penom and about to undertake a hazardous journey, they could be directed to the local aspect "Ta\'\'al of Smooth Waters" who sees to the steady rhythm of the waves and their moderate perpetuation, neither too large or too small. Upon landing in Jakalla, they would not find a shrine to Ta\'\'al. A few of the local clergy may have heard of her, but that would be due only to the frequency of commerce between the two cities and not any doctrinal support. Bolende\'\'s shrines are found all over the wharves in Jakalla, however, so your players would have no shortage opportunity to sacrifice their next voyage. Elsewhere, Avanthe\'\'s foreign counterparts have even greater aquatic emphasis. The Lady Shiringgayi of Salarvya has several oceanic Aspects, and the Mreshshel-Atl Lineage of Lake Mrissutl has its own secret Aspect related to the lake which they do not reveal to those outside their lineage. Here\'\'s more from Mitlanyal in this regard: "Whenever there is a great storm, when a ship feared lost returns safely, when a son is born to the master, etc., it is customary among the coastal-dwelling Salarvyani priests to oversee the raising of a stone monolith on the seashore. Such monuments are inscribed with protective runes, and offerings of animals, sea creatures, and occasionally slaves are made to them. These runes seek Shiringgayi\'\'s protection from storms, shipwreck and the like, and especially protection against the sleek pirate galleys of the Haida Pakalani, who practice a similar custom." The aforementioned Haida Pakalani worship their own version of Shiriggayi named Mretten (which, two interpretations removed from Tsolyanu, is becoming quite different): "Known as She Who Strides the Wind, Her symbol is that of two tridents side-by-side, like three fingered hands. It is inscribed ship-bows and guard against Her." Mretten of Haida Pakala is known as She Who Walks Upon the Sea in the nearby Nyemesel Isles, where she is not quite as viciously perceived as in Haida Pakala, and her trident symbol is interpreted as the Two Hands of Mretten. The Ghatoni worship "Onudza the Rain who not only fertilizes the crops, but is connected to storms, the sea, typhoons, and darkness. Before a voyage, slaves are sacrificed from the ship to satiate the gods." The Northeast States have their own interpretations of the Engsvanyali theology, along with their own complex mythology. Occupants of largely mountainous regions, there is correspondingly less emphasis upon aquatic deities. The Pechani worship an interesting pantheon, which includes Setha, Mother of Children, Scatterer of Seeds, Bringer of Rain and Harvests, Singer and Dancer of Festivals (another Avanthe/Dlamelish combination, to the Tsolyani, though the Pechani have their own mythology which has nothing to do with the Mitlanyal.) The secretive Livyani have two gods who are obviously related to the ocean. The Sea-Goddess of Kakarsha is the patroness of sailors and oceangoing travelers. Possibly related to Avanthe, She has special control over the sea and its creatures. And The Lost One of the Sea who combines the attributes of Dlamelish, Avanthe and Thumis, and is also associated with the sea. Fisheries, ships, and algae ponds are operated by the Temple of the Lost One of the Sea on the eastern coast, and the temple complex of the Lost One of the Sea in Laigas is extensive. The Nom, of course, spend most of their lives at sea, and thus they worship Kaa, Pei and To\'\'u, gods of the Sea and Fertility, Storms, and the Night respectively. To\'\'u is included because he is said to have underwater shrines and temples of some sort. So those are a few of the water-related gods of Tekumel. I\'\'m out of time so I hope this will suffice. [Moderator\'\'s Note: Very informative Bob! Thanks. ] ----- Chris Davis Moderator, The Blue Room blueroom@prin.edu The Blue Room\'\'s FTP site: http://nexus.prin.edu or ftp://nexus.prin.edu Available 24 hours a day, except when my PC is down, or unavailable.