Glorantha: What the Dragon Lord Whispers 
What the Dragon Lord Whispers
Immortal Wisdom From the Sun King
originally published in Gods of Glorantha
This document is Copyright © 1998 Issaries, Inc. It may be freely linked to, and 
one copy may be printed for personal use, but any other reproduction by 
photographic, electronic, or other methods of retrieval, is prohibited.
Table of Contents
  Where did the world come from? 
  Can you tell me the truth about...? 
  Gods of Kralorela 
Where did the world come from?
The venerable Cosmic Dragon was the sole inhabitant of the former universe. In 
its inerrability, it comprehended that the many is superior to the one, and it 
dismembered its sacred form. From Cosmic Dragon's awesome breath came the First 
Ocean. From Cosmic Dragon's consecrated bones came the First Mountain. From 
Cosmic Dragon's exalted scales and hairs came animals and plants. From Cosmic 
Dragon's ineffable soul came Aether, holy spirit. First Ocean properly 
apportioned itself into many oceans, seas, lakes, and sky waters. First Mountain 
broke into ranges of peaks and hills. The first creatures obediently bred to 
cover Cosmic Dragon's world. Aether formed the sky gods from his sacrosanct 
spirit.
Where did I come from?
From Cosmic Dragon's numinous heart came Wild Man. At first Wild Man knew no 
restraint. Plunging through the world, he basely mated with trees, rocks, and 
beasts. These miscegenations produced the Four Hundred Sacred Races.
Finally, Empress Earth pitied Wild Man, and created Allgiver, first woman. Wild 
Man was tamed to live in quietude with Allgiver. Their child is the venerable 
Aptanace the Sage, and we descend from his divine children. Aptanace's children 
each took his rightful place in society: one was the first potter, one the first 
builder, the first astrologer, tailor, herbalist, farmer, and so on. Thus arose 
the seven hundred Divine Arts of civilization.
Why do we die?
Death is the natural state of the universe. Wild Man was the first of all to 
die. Correct Thought teaches us that death is a transition, a change. Just as 
the Dragon Emperor retires his luminous crown to progress to the sixteenth stage 
of existence, we must discard our bodies to reach our ultimate goals. The 
hallowed Sun Emperor shows us his path to the superior afterlife.
What happens after we die?
Most folk travel to the Excellent Palace of Pleasant Reward to await the Passing 
On of His Supereminence the Dragon Emperor. At that blessed time, their souls 
accompany him to the auspicious next stage of existence. Hence we must perform 
Right Action and support the Dragon Emperor, lest our souls be left behind when 
he Passes On.
Why am I here?
Unrelenting service to Holy Ones is the secret for happiness. We exist to serve 
the Emperor, and he exists to serve us. Foreign lands are trapped in ignorance, 
knowing only inferior or false gods. The duty of all the Children of Heaven in 
our Kingdom of Splendor is to serve and emulate the superior man.
How do I do magic?
All life knows its own proper magic. Like eating and sleeping, it is part of 
existence. Our Exarchs know powerful dragon magic. City officials have strong 
and true magic from the Gods of Light. Farmers in their fields know potent 
secrets of the Rice Mother which I shall never know. Talk with me and I shall 
tell you what magic is meant for your life.
I have heard of other powers. Can you tell me the truth about ...
...Aldrya?
She and her kind adore the Sun above all other gods, and are close to his 
presence always. So they are strong in summer and pitiful in winter, as is Yelm. 
So elves are tied to barren cyclicism, and can never be released to enjoy true 
spiritual progression.
...Chaos?
When the egregious Rebel Gods sought to overthrow the Divine Order they 
uncovered dreadful allies too powerful to control. Many gods struggled, but only 
the wisdom and sacrifice of our commendable land regenerated the pure universe.
...Kyger Litor?
The foul and bitter smoke which preceded true creation could have become 
transparent and sweet, but the deplorable Rebel Gods prevented perfect 
completion. This corrupt residue, fearful shadows upon the face of reality, 
still haunts the living and rules in the squalid lands of ignorance.
...Lunar Goddess?
Those unfortunates dwelling in sordid lands beyond our own certainly feel their 
lack. The Red Moon is an unconscious attempt by the inhabitants of Peloria to 
emulate our Divine System and to parallel our ever-virtuous Dragon Emperor. But 
the imitation is ever inferior to the reality.
...Magasta?
These monster gods are enemies of both sky and earth and ever seek to quench 
life with their liquid powers. Baneful secrets are hid within the lethal depths 
of the ocean and behind its blind banks of fog.
...Monotheists?
The refractory sorcerers of the West have failed to find the superior path. They 
witness the infinite truths of the Children of Heaven, but truncate these truths 
- cutting themselves off from divine sources. They are left with a parody of 
true religion. Their faith defies the truth of divinity and immortality, and 
replace true devotion with empty philosophy.
...Mostal?
This strange god is both friend and foe. As a friend he upholds cosmic order. 
But he woefully enslaves those who serve him and he mocks true life. Mostal is 
like an undead god.
...Orlanth?
Orlanth the Rebel is the fearsome usurper who once sought to tear down our 
benign Dragon Empire. He rules wild places and is the leader of foes. He 
destroyed the Golden Age with pernicious wars. Yet he was conquered through the 
purity of our celestial truth and is now tamed by compromise.
...Primitive Spirits?
These are broken bits of the old universe, cut off from contact with higher 
planes. These inferior entities are meaningless to us.
Gods of Kralorela
Aether, Keeper of the Whole
Aether is the immutable unity of all existence. When he dwelt in our Kingdom of 
Splendor, nothing else was here. He thought several sons and peoples into 
existence, then retired behind the sky.
Dendara, Good Goddess
Dendara is the Mother of Life. She serves her husband, Emperor Yelm, as the 
superior wife should serve her husband. She provides us with raiment, drink, and 
her daughter the Rice Mother.
The Dragon Emperors
Before a Dragon Emperor is permitted to Pass On, he must bless all subsequent 
posterity. Thus did Daruda bring about the wondrous dragon magics, thus did 
Mikaday teach correct laws and ordinances, and thus did Vashanti create the Web 
of Righteous Knowledge to unite our nation under one government.
Even as we worship our present Dragon Emperor, Godunya, to attain spiritual 
progression, so do we worship past Dragon Emperors to use their magic and skills 
to exalt our lives while we yet live. Their names tingle the tongue: Metsyla, 
Shavaya, Daruda, Thalurzni, Mikaday, Vayobi, and all the multitude of our 
Celestial Rulers, save for Shang-hsa May-his-name-be-cursed.
East Isles Gods
When the original puissant empire of Yelm was beset by vulgar and putrid hordes 
of barbiarian gods, we maintained ourselves by the rigorous authority of our 
divine Emperors. But the heavenly land of Vithela was inevitably obliged to 
withdraw its perfection from the sordid wastes of the Gods War. As it withdrew, 
corpuscles or fragments were torn from it by savage, blind-hearted monsters. We 
now call these corpuscles the East Isles. Separated from the holy land of 
Vithela as well as from our own divine precepts, the unfortunate inhabitants 
thereof are forced to worship a multitude of interior beings and demons.
Godunya and the Exarchs
We Children of Heaven are most fortunate. Even as we dwell in the pleasantest of 
lands, we are served by the wisest of rulers. In our Kingdom of Splendor are 
many Exarchs whom we are blessed to worship. Through them, our souls touch the 
unattainable majesty of Godunya, our sacred Dragon Emperor. Through him, our 
souls attain progression to higher planes of reality in the afterlife.
Gorgorma, sister of Dendara
Gorgorma is a frightening mirage, a loathsome horror, noisome, squalid, and 
evil-shaped. She lurches through the nightmares of the Children of Heaven and 
besmirches the lovely robes of beauteous Dendara. Yet gladly would we embrace a 
thousand such lamentable horrors to retain Dendara's delightful presence.
Hykim and Mikyh
These are the sinister gods of the Beast People. These depraved races dwell in 
our mountains and their ways have plagued the Children of Heaven ever since holy 
Yelm's downfall at the hands of the terrible Rebel Gods.
The Path of Immanent Mastery
The thoughts of certain among the Children of Heaven are clumsy and untutored. 
They foolishly believe that true inspiration and pure dragon powers can be 
attained through a hasty and crude approximation. The superior man comprehends 
their system's vanity. Our divine Emperor permits them to persist as a lesson in 
the folly of impatience.
Rice Mother
Her neverending bounty blesses the basest of peasants and her generosity extends 
even to the scabrous and unclean. All the Children of Heaven are gifted with our 
lives by her kindly nature. Other lands are cursed by her absence, forced to 
consume abominable provender.
Vormain Gods
When the Rebel Gods assaulted the Divine Order, the isolated islands of Vormain 
were compelled to stern discipline and the worship of austere and cruel gods, 
led by their emperor Valzain. In this way, they inhibited the destruction of the 
Gods War and were preserved from utter ruin. They yet maintain their harsh 
regimentation. We are happy indeed that our Dragon Emperor and our Imperial 
Armies and Fleets have freed us from the necessity of such a grim existence.
Yelm, Emperor of the Cosmos and God of All Fire
Second ruler of Kralorela, his rule was the Golden Age of the world when all was 
perfect and grand. All of existence was his realm, and he organized the world 
into its parts.


See also:
Pantheons of Glorantha: The Eastern Pantheons


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