Yelm was once the god of the sun, head of the solar pantheon, and the Emperor of a perfect and unchanging empire. That is until he was slain by Orlanth, storm god of the Rams. After Yelm's death, the world became colder, even though other sun gods rose in his place.
Yelm's consort was Oria, who descended to the Underworld after his death. Nyalda was his concubine. Yelm had a brother in Dayzatar, a fellow sky god. He was also the father of many gods, including Elmal, Shargash, Yamsur, Little Yelm, and possibly Relandar. After his death, many sought to claim his power and authority as the Sun in the conflict known as the War of Many Suns.
The Rams occasionally call him the (Old) Dead Sun, to distinguish him from the many other suns that have appeared after his death.
Ride Like the Wind[]
Yelm is first mentioned in Ride Like the Wind. His death continues to loom large in the collective conscious of your clan and many others.
Worship[]
You cannot worship Yelm, because he is dead. If you state in clan creation that your clan favored Yelm, your clan will have focused on Elmal after his death.
One of Yelm's treasures, the Solar Mask of Yelm, is an immensely useful treasure that restores expended magic after a successful Gods War ritual.
Lore[]
The clan circle (and your other nobles) say:
- "Elmal fights to restore what was lost when Yelm fell, but despite his fire the world grows ever colder."
- "Emperor Yelm sat on a throne made from the corpse of a defeated dragon."
- "In the Golden City, Yelm sat on his solar throne, and the sky was solid as could be."
- "Since the death of Yelm, Elmal illuminates the day. But there is now a night sky, where his star captains reign."
- "The forces of winter have grown ever larger and more frightening since the Ram god knocked Yelm from his solar throne."
- "The Rams brought about the darkness when their criminal deity, Orlanth, murdered the imperial sun god, Yelm."
- "When Orlanth murdered Yelm, he not only robbed the world of his light, but his warmth."
- "When the gods chose their sacred animals, Yelm picked first, and nodded to Father Eagle ."
- "When Yelm died, Busenari could not find her barn. Then Elmal's light showed her the way."
- "When Yelm fell from the sky, Elmal took his place on the Sunpath."
- "Yatelo bled from Yelm's veins when he was murdered, incarnating as a mad thing of greed and hunger."
- "Yelm the Sun slew Burburstus the Dragon, fashioning it into his throne, Kelastan."
Myths & Rituals[]
Yelm appears in Busenari Finds the Light, and is referenced in Taming the River and Nyalda's Bride Price. He figures indirectly in the ritual A fight against invading trolls.
Lights Going Out[]
The loss of Yelm is still mourned by the Elmali peoples in Lights Going Out, generations later. There is even an event chain of a clan trying to bring him back to life, starting with Yelm Sky Rite.
Lore[]
Your clan ring can say this about Yelm:
- "Orlanth died seeking Yelm."
- "Yelm died a long time ago."
- "Yelm is dead. Yelmalio is his ghost."
- "Unlike his father, Yelm, our sun god, Elmal, joined Orlanth's kingdom."
- "The king of our gods, Orlanth, rebelled against Yelm and slew him."
- "Our ancestors maintained Yelm’s sun temple for generations after his death. But they could not take it with them when they fled Nivorah, and it was crushed to nothing by the glacier."
- "After Orlanth pushed back the King of Waterstead, he claimed the lands of Yelm."
- "Before his death, Orlanth realized he should not have slain the Sun Emperor."
Myths & Rituals[]
His death and the events surrounding it are told in the myth Ages of Glorantha.
Other Stories[]
Yelm appears in other stories of Glorantha, and has articles on the King of Dragon Pass wiki and the Glorantha wiki.
