The Ergeshites are a nomadic people who herd goats, rejecting all other livestock. Because of this, they are sometimes called the Pure Goat People. They refer to themselves as Zarkosites, however, after their founding ancestor, Zarkos "the Lion", who they also venerate.
Like the Wheels and the Riders, they are also descendants of Dara Happans who fled the empire in response to the encroaching glacier. Thus, while their ways and their gods are quite different from the others, they are still considered a solar people. They have moved to Ergeshan, the lands north of the Imther Mountains, by the time of the Storm Age
Their main gods are Father Goat (also known as Sidar Goatfather), Mother Goat (known as Uryarda to other Solar peoples), and the Lion Father (also known as Durbaddath), patron of their warriors, who trades his protection for meat. They have mastered the art of meat drying, a skill not prevalent in the Black Eel valley.
By the time of the Chaos Age, a group of Ergeshites calling themselves the Sidarsi have split from the main group and settled east of the Imther Mountains.
Ride Like the Wind[]
Ergeshites first appear in Ride Like the Wind.
Lore[]
About Ergeshites, the clan circle has the following to say:
- "I thought [the Ergeshites] were ruled by a goat king and queen. How does a lion warrior fit in?"
- "Though they worship a goat and a lion, the Ergeshites are still a solar people."
- "A lion warrior serving a goat chieftain? The predator makes common cause with the prey?"
- "Goat People are impulsive. They were first off the boat after the great flood."
- "Ergeshites live to the northeast, but there may be two tribes."
- "When Anaxial saved the peoples of the empire from the flood, goats hopped of the ship early. The sons of Ergesh leapt off to gather them."
- "Like us, the Ergeshites fled the empire, adopting new ways during the exodus."
- "Some of us might be distantly related to them."
Events[]
The Ergeshites appear in the following Ride Like the Wind events:
- Ergeshite Adoption Request
- Blue Goat Encounter
- Ergeshite Duelist
- Ergeshite Trade Offer
- Ergeshite Vengeance
- Ergeshites Invited In
Lights Going Out[]
The Ergeshites make a return appearance in Lights Going Out.
Over the course of the game, at least one group of Ergeshites, which other Ergeshites call the "fiendish Man-Eater clan", has turned to cannibalism.
Lore[]
Your clan ring may now say the following about the Ergeshites:
- "We have not mastered the art of meat drying, but the Ergeshites apparently have."
- "We must have a good reason for calling them Ergeshites instead of Zarkosites."
- "Though named for their ancestor Zarkos, their main gods are Durbaddath the Lion Father and Uryarda the Goat Mother."
- "Though different in nearly every way, Riders and Ergeshites both worship the same goat goddess."
- "The Ergeshites are not ogres, inhuman creatures who look nearly like us, but rather humans who descend willingly into the worst depravity."
- "We used to worship Uryarda, but never made her central to our worship, as these odd folk do."
Events[]
In this game, Ergeshites appear in the following events:
- Ergeshite Cannibals Warning
- Ergeshites Encounter
- Ergeshites Encounter Tense
- Ergeshite Meat Offer
- Ergeshite Meat Offer Returns
Other Stories[]
The Ergeshites, or Zarkosites, may be the same as the people of the country of Zarkos in other Glorantha stories, see here on the main wiki. They may also be related to the Ergeshi, a slave-caste of Dara Happa, see here. Indeed, this misunderstanding may be why the Riders call them Ergeshites instead of Zarkosites.
Images[]
Concept Art[]
