Dara Happa · Cults of Glorantha

The Gods’ Wall

The most holy place in Dara Happa is the Gods’ Wall, which lies sixteen kilometres north of the capital, Raibanth, and can be reached simply by following the Triumphal Way out of the city and walking until one reaches the cliff face known as either the Castle of Dugoloth or Eggarlodril (Lodril’s Sculpture). Inscribed into the cliff face, some sixty four metres in length by twenty three metres in height, are representations of all the myriad gods of the Solar pantheon, arranged in order of their rank and importance. It was made by Lodril who carved it at the very start of the world, when Yelm became the ruler of the Universe and everything was blessed. Yelm, descending to the world, raised the Imperial Footrest and accepted his enthronement as emperor. He then traversed the lands, moving in a straight line that is the Triumphal Way, creating the processional with each gracious footfall. The way was paved by the one hundred deities of the pantheon and Yelm was so pleased to see his rulership acknowledged in this way that he instructed Lodril to commemorate it.

Lodril created the first seal of the empire and pressed it into the living rock, leaving behind the imprint of that procession in all its glory. Each and every god represented in the Gods’ Wall swore on oath of compact – the Compact of Rule – that acknowledged Yelm as emperor of all. By swearing the oath the gods agreed to act according to their own natures but always to obey the will of the emperor. Thus was harmony established. The stone of the cliff is made from the rock known as Steadfast; a rock so dense and tough that nothing, save adamantium, can damage it. This is how the wall and its carvings have withstood wars, earthquakes and even the great Flood, when Oslira rose in anger and swamped the world. In fact, just prior to the flood the Demon Kings, who ruled Dara Happa for a brief time, had painted over the Gods’ Wall with their own foul creations, but the Flood merely dissolved their blasphemous attempts to hide the truth of the universe and so Oslira restored the wall to its proper glory.

A curiosity of the Gods’ Wall is that it displays some deities that have not yet come into being or who had come into being at the start of Yelm’s rule over the universe. Experts in these matters, such as Plentonius, scribe to Emperor Khordavu, patiently point out that, as emperor of All and Everything, Yelm is perfectly capable of knowing which deities are to come as the empire’s boundaries and wisdom spread to encompass new lands, with new gods accepting the Compact of Rule and bowing before the majesty of Yelm Imperator.

The Gods’ Wall is divided into five sections.

Ezelveztay and the Solar Court

The first section, on the far right of the wall, represents:

• Ezelveztay, which is the One Before the One

• Yelm;

• Kelastan, the Living Throne;

• Ledareeshata, the Pillar Goddess;

The Aetheric Brothers

• Dayzatar, the Invisible Wisdom;

• Arraz, King of the Sky People;

• Lodril, God of the Earth and the Below;

The Overseers of the four quarters

• Ashartcha, Keeper of Wisdom and Ruler of the Compass;

• Indarthrad, Keeper of Insight;

• Nemarthshar, Keeper of Strength; and

• Vanarthurd, Keeper of Sovereignty.

Only the emperor and his direct line may worship Yelm directly. The next four sections depict the one hundred deities swearing the Compact of Rule. Each section is a row of twenty five gods, ranked and ordered according to their importance within the pantheon.

First Row – Gods of Above

These are the Gods of the Above; the Gods of the Sky and the Middle Air. They are the greatest gods outside of the Solar Court. The gods are:

• Murharzarm

The Ten Planets

• Zaytenaras the Transcendent

• Buserian the First Priest

• Reladivus, Master of Serenity

• Shargash, the Master of Strength and War

• Derdurnus, Master of Brilliance

• Deumalos, the Master of Sovereignty

• Falsoretus, Master of Transformation

• Verithurus, the Master of Wisdom

• Ghevengus, Master of Action

• Ghelotralas the Messenger to Below

The Intruder Gods

• Uleria, the goddess of Lust but was once a goddess of Love.

• Umatum, Uleria’s son, who killed Murharzarm and is the father of monsters.

Sky Gods

• Vrimak, God of Eagles;

• Berneel Arashagern, the food of the eagles;

• Avarnia, Goddess of Quails and all small birds

• Tholm, the God of Falconry.

• Antirius, the Word of Yelm;

• Avivorus, God of the Spear,

• Erekos, Goddess of the Upright Jar;

• Shafesora, Goddess of the Rain, Fertility and Plenty;

• Nasakos, Goddess of the Sharing Jar;

• Polaris, Keeper of the Stars;

• Ourania, Goddess of the Sky and Heavens

• Oropum, the Goddess of Guidance.

Second Row – Servants of the Gods of Above

The servant gods are worshipped throughout Dara Happa despite their lower status in the Solar hierarchy. They are all deities concerned with service, labour and prosperity and they act as protectors, aides, companions and workers for the gods of the First Row.

The Highest Goddess

• Entekos, Goddess of the Right Air;

Goddesses of Women

• Arira;

• Naveria;

• Lesilla;

• Koveria, Goddess of Grandmothers, Old Women;

The Workers

• Mohenjar, The God of Overseers;

• Morkatos the Foreman;

• Perandos the Digger;

• Pererlotil the Digger;

• Navestos the Harvester;

• Urder the Worker;

• Morurder the Boss;

• Alfostios the Cooper;

• Ostevius the Carpenter;

• Venurtera the Potter

• Urdera the Carrier. Both Venurtera and Urdera are goddesses.

Others Deities

• Enverinus: A portion of Yelm and the Dara Happan God of Fire.

• Hyraos: God of Harpers and musicians

• Erissa: Goddess of Healing

• Lokarnos: God of Merchants

• Ertelenari: The rebellious Goddess of Bears

• Oroypsus: The God of Pleasure and Good Living

• Yarm Plant: In some backwater regions of Dara Happa, the Yarm Plant is revered as a God

• Ulkamoon: God of the Club

• Galgarenge Goddess of Gryphons

Third Row – Gods of the Earth

Each god represented here has some earthly influence that is considered, in the eyes of the Solar Court, to be in some way demeaning or base. In Dara Happa, such prejudices have been largely ignored, often for practical reasons, and the Gods of the Earth are worshipped across the empire.

• Gerendetho: Lord of the Earth. Not worshipped greatly in Dara Happa, but highly venerated amongst the Kostadi where he is the Father of Kostad.

• Dendara: Goddess of Women, Marriage, Obedience and the Household. Yelm’s chosen wife and so mother of all. Despite being ranked as an earth god, this is purely for reasons of obeisance to Yelm; in all practicality she is highly revered.

• Denegeria: The Daughter. Denegeria was kidnapped by Darkness rescued and released by Yelm.

• Injerina: The Good Sister – counterpart to Bosjerina.

• Oria: Great Goddess, Mother of Earth. All plants and animals are claimed to come from her.

• Bosjerina: The Bad Sister

• Everina: Goddess of Rice. She is one of the Four Great Nurturers of Dara Happa and a popular goddess amongst the Half Citizens of the Oslir plains and lowlands.

• Vergenari: Goddess of Pigs. Another of the Four Great Nurturers of Dara Happa.

• Pela: Goddess of Barley, Grains. Third of the Four Great Nurturers of Dara Happa.

• Biselenslib: A Goddess of Alkoth.

• Deseeti: A God of the Club.

• Thilla: Goddess of Yuthuppa.

• Busenari: Goddess of Cattle

• Memenari: Goddess of Motherhood.

• Selshena: Goddess of the Center. She prepared the ground for Yelm’s descent to earth, and so is sometimes known as the Footstool.

• Vantestos: The God of Government and Rulership

• Sagittus: God of the Bow. He is also called Urengeri, and is the displaced god of Elempur.

• Durbaddath: God of Lions.

• Ergesh: God of the Slaves.

• Uryarda: The Goat Goddess.

• Leafy Plant: A divine accoutrement of Erenbaya.

• Erenbaya: Goddess of Vegetation, especially Trees.

• Tree: Another accoutrement of Erenbaya.

• Surensliba: Goddess of Herons. Greatly revered amongst the Darjinni

• Yestendos: God of Reed Boats. He is a companion of Surensliba

Fourth Row – Gods of the Below

Divided into Good Gods, Bad Gods and Tortured Victims, the Gods of Below are considered to be unfit for the pure to worship. The exception is Oslira who, through several exhibitions of her power, demonstrated her importance to the empire and earned her place as a full goddess. Many othe Bad Gods are worshipped in Alkoth, where they are seen as servants of Shargash and so classified as Good Gods, because Shargash keeps them in check.

The Good Gods

• Oslira: The River Goddess and Blue Serpent. A wife of many higher gods and causer of floods.

• Fish: Oslira’s accoutrement.

The Bad Gods

• Varnaga: God of Crocodiles. An accoutrement oOslira, but hated by Yelm and all Dara Happans.

• Rakenveg: Trickster God. Also noted for being the god of carrots.

• Netta: Goddess of Night and Keeper othe First Hell.

• Veskerele: The Faceless God and Keeper of the Second Hell

• Natha: Mother of Murder, an assassins’ goddess

• Deshlotralas: Keeper of the Third Hell

• Annara Gor: The Hag, also a Keeper of the Third Hell

• Deshkorgos: The Monster Man, Keeper of the Fourth Hell

• Sakkar: God of Fear

• Jajagapa: Dog Headed God and the snarer of souls.

• Sanama: Goddess of Snakes

• Bakoka: Goddess of scorpions and Scorpion Men. Known as Bagog outside Dara Happa.

• Mahaquata: The Bat Goddess of Death

• Gerra: Goddess of Sorrow

• Gorgorma: Goddess of Horror

The Tortured Victims

All these gods are being punished for various sins – some against Yelm and some against the cosmos. All of them escaped from hell during the Great Darkness and some attempted to create their own realms in Glorantha.

• Gamara: The Howling, Armless monster.

• Annilha: A bat demon and sister of Lokarnos.

• Oralanatum and Walindum: A pair of petty, foreign gods who sought to emulate the Higher Gods.

• Rashorana: Another evil goddess

• Erlandus: A god of sexual excess and the husband of Erlanda.

• Kazkurtum: The Empty Emperor, the Worthless Ruler, the God of Nothingness. Kazkurtum ruled in Dara Happa for a time, besetting the empire with monsters.

• Bijiif: The pile of dust that Yelm became when killed.

• Jokbazi: The Broken God.

Underlined names link to that god’s full cult description.