Olman

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Olman people of Hepmonaland and Amedio as shown in Scarlet Brotherhood (1999), illustration by Sam Wood.

Olman is generally used in reference to the Olman people, a human society of Oerth, though the term may also refer to both the Olman language and culture of said people. They mainly inhabit the southern fringes of the Flanaess and are primarily a tribal people, though in the past they commanded a great empire. The Olman are roughly modeled on pre-Columbian Central- and South American indigenous cultures such as Aztec, Olmec, Mayan, and Toltec cultures.

Description

Olman tend to have rich reddish-brown or dark brown skin tones. Their hair is always straight and black. Olman eyes are always just as dark, ranging from brown to nearly black. Olman have high cheekbones and high-bridged noses, a trait less strong in those of common birth. Some nobles still flatten the foreheads of their young, for a high, sloping shape is considered beautiful.[1]

Olman native to their own culture speak an indigenous language simply referred to by sages as Olman.

Religion

The deities worshipped by the Olman are many and varied.[2] They were originally worshipped by other peoples on another plane (who are presumed to be the Aztec of Earth). Thousands of years ago, those gods discovered Oerth and the then-primitive Olman, and the Olman worshipped them as supernatural, divine beings.[3][note 1]

The following deities, inspired by Central American mythos, are only the most common deities in the Olman pantheon:[4]

Though not part of the Olman pantheon, some individual Olman groups have also been known to worship a non-divine being such as Xilonen[6] as if it were a true god. In one former Olman city, a creature calling itself Xuxeteanlahucuxolazapaminaco[7] considers itself a god, though the Olman don't worship it. Additionally, a gas spore and a giant snail seem to have also played a part in their mythology.

In Dragon magazine, a series of articles describing the "Aztec Mythos" briefly discussed the Olman pantheon, as they were significant to the Savage Tide AP which was current at the time (2007), saying those discussed were "deities from the Aztec pantheon, some of whom the Olman of the Savage Tide Adventure Path worship." Specifically named in "Aztec Mythos I" were Quetzalcoatl and Tezcatlipoca, those these were reference to the historical deities, rather than fantasy versions.[8]

Temples

Olman temples are usually step pyramids with entrances at the bottom corresponding to the four points of a compass.

Rituals and holy days

Rituals to the Olman deities are typically performed every 20 days, corresponding to the various "signs" of the divinatory calendar. Each sign is ruled by a different deity. Sacrifices may take many forms, depending on the god. The public is required to attend every ritual, held at the temple of the appropriate god.

Unnamed Deities

Because the Olman pantheon includes a great many deities and they are based variously on pre-Columbian Central American mythos, it is thought many other deties from the Aztec, Mayan, Olmec, or Toltec pantheons may also be worshipped by the Olman.

The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan mentions quite a few deities by name, but does not specify names of some other entities revered as gods by the Olman: a coyote (the Aztec god Huehuecoyotl), a crab-headed god (possibly Blibdoolpoolp, or perhaps more likely Kalka-Kylla), an alligator-headed god (probably Huhueteotl), a feathered warrior (probably the Aztec god Huitzilopochtli), a jaguar (Tezcatlipoca as above or the Aztec god Tepeyollotl), a sun god (perhaps Tonatiuh), and a "dual-god, the supreme god, the god of creation" who fits the description of the Aztec god Ometeotl.

History

The Olman use the Olman Lunar calendar for keeping time.

The Olman gods discovered Oerth and the Olman people c.-2400.CY[3] At that time, the Olman had not migrated from their homelands in Hepmonaland. Some 500 years later, the Olman began warring with the Touv people in the northern jungles of Hepmonaland.

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An example of the possible extents of the ancient Olman Empire at its peak. Art by Living Greyhawk Gazetteer author, Gary Holian.[note 3]

Olman civilization advanced much between -1900 and -1500 CY, when they began working bronze and stone, and built great cities in northern Hepmonaland.

A great disaster befell the Olman city states of Alocotla and Xapatlapo circa -1100 CY, when their high priests made a pact with the god Tlaloc, leading to the creation of the yuan-ti.

Around -1000 CY, the Olman people began migrating from Hepmonaland to the Amedio Jungle. There, they erected a portion of their vast empire that would outlast that in Hepmonaland. In -805 CY, the Olman of the Amedio Jungle declared themselves the true Olman nation, marking this year as the beginning of the Olman Lunar calendar (OL 1). By -800, however, all seven of the Olman Amedio city-states would declare themselves independent, though they were still considered part of the same empire.

In -490 CY, the emperor of the Amedio Olman empire, Tloqasikukuatl of Chetanicatla, was assassinated by priests of Zotzilaha. By -425, the empire fell into civil war. The city-state of Tamoachan was destroyed in the magical warfare in a single day.

During the height of their civilization, the Olman built great temples and shrines deep in the jungles of the southern Flanaess. They also explored the southern oceans to an extent that may have out-stripped even modern explorers from Aerdy, Greyhawk, and Keoland. The Olman are also credited with developing the blowgun, sometime in the seventh century before the Common Year.

Current populations

The modern Olman inhabit the Amedio city-state of Xamaclan (last remaining city-state of the Olman's Amedio empire), and are also spread out in isolated tribes throughout the Amedio Jungle. Sparse populations also exist elsewhere. One such remote location is the Isle of Dread, an island far to the south of the Azure Sea which was overrun by the kopru centuries ago. There, many small tribes of Olman remain.

Disclaimer:Any lore presented through the following links does not necessarily adhere to established officially published content, and the views expressed do not necessarily represent the views of the editors of this wiki.

References

Notes

  1. ↑ "The Olman gods are not native to Oerth, having been worshipped first by beings on another prime material plane. At some point around 3,000 years ago, these gods discovered Oerth and the Olman people, and revealed themselves as supernatural beings to the primitive Olman."
  2. ↑ a b c These deities are mentioned in The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan.
  3. ↑ Holian, Gary. 26 April 2024 via Discord. "I found the original map (more than 20 years old) I sent Erik Mona to show him where the Isle of Dread would be. Erik wanted to know, if we put the Isle of Dread in Greyhawk, where would it be. I put it just below the 1983 Glossograpny map.[9] It's close to the equator.
    ...[the Olman Empire] could have rivalled the Suel Imperium at one point, preventing its expansion to the east. ... This would have been at [the Olman Empire's] height before it started collapsing in the east. The Isle of Dread (aka the Kingdom of Thanaclan) was its southernmost outpost. [This is] only a surmise. Could extend further into Hepmonland, or take a touch of the future Sea Princes, especially."

Citations

  1. ↑ Living Greyhawk Gazetteer (2000), p.6.
  2. ↑ The Scarlet Brotherhood (1999), p.67, " ... a heavily structured society of... Olman, worshipping a broad pantheon of deities.".
  3. ↑ a b The Scarlet Brotherhood (1999), p.42.
  4. ↑ The Scarlet Brotherhood (1999), p.42-43.
  5. ↑ The Scarlet Brotherhood (1999), p.56.
  6. ↑ C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan (1980), p.17.
  7. ↑ The Scarlet Brotherhood (1999), p.65, 71, 89.
  8. ↑ Dragon #352 (Feb 2007), p.97. "From Aztec to Olman" sidebar
  9. ↑ World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting (1983), p.18, Glossography.

Bibliography

Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index

The Encyclopedia Greyhawkania Index (EGI) is based on previous work of Jason Zavoda through '08, continued by numerous other fans. The EGI article has a list of sources, product names, abbreviations, and a link to the full, downloadable index.

Topic Type Description Product Page/Card/Image

Ape Clan (Olman) (Isle of Dread) People Group Clan, Dungeon magazine #114 46, 54, 55-56, 63
Boar Clan (Olman) People Group Clan, Isle of Dread (Pop: 138), Dungeon magazine #114 46, 54, 55, 56, 60
Church of Whirling Fury (Isle of Dread) (Olman) People Group Organization/Society, Dragon magazine #350 70
Church of Whirling Fury (Isle of Dread) (Olman) People Group Organization/Society, Dragon magazine #354 65, 69
Olman People Group People, C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan 2, 4, 5, 6, 8, 9, 12, 15, 16, 20, 28
Olman People Group People, Dragon magazine #057 13
Olman People Group People, Dragon magazine #268 71, 72
Olman People Group People, Dragon magazine #315 50, 51, 53, 54
Olman People Group People, Dragon magazine #350 65, 66, 68
Olman People Group People, Dragon magazine #351 60, 70-71
Olman People Group People, Dragon magazine #351P Insert (Map)
Olman People Group People, Dragon magazine #354 64, 65, 68, 69
Olman People Group People, Dragon magazine #356 71
Olman People Group People, Dragon magazine #359 97
Olman People Group People, Dungeon magazine #114 41, 42, 43, 44, 45, 46, 47, 48, 49
Olman People Group People, From the Ashes: References Card #2
Olman People Group People, Living Greyhawk, Living Onnwal Gazetteer, D&D 3.5e 42
Olman People Group People, Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 6, 7, 12, 19, 70, 100, 102, 139, 147, 149, 150
Olman People Group People, Living Greyhawk Journal #1 30
Olman People Group People, Living Greyhawk Journal #4 30
Olman People Group People, Living Greyhawk Journal #5 25
Olman People Group People, Lost Tomaochan: The Hidden Shrine of Lubaatum HO, 2, 6, 22, 24, 32
Olman People Group People, Oerth Journal #03 24
Olman People Group People, Oerth Journal #04 12,13,14,15,16,17,18,19
Olman People Group People, Oerth Journal #06 5
Olman People Group People, Oerth Journal #11 32
Olman People Group People, Oerth Journal #21 8,9,12
Olman People Group People, Oerth Journal #24 21,25
Olman People Group People, Oerth Journal #26 6
Olman People Group People, Oerth Journal #27 16
Olman People Group People, Oerth Journal #30 5
Olman People Group People, Oerth Journal #31 7,42
Olman People Group People, Oerth Journal #32 30,31,37
Olman People Group People, Player's Guide to Greyhawk 34
Olman People Group People, Slavers, AD&D 2e 90, 92
Olman People Group People, The Adventure Begins 14, 15, 32
Olman People Group People, The Scarlet Brotherhood 5, 10, 23, 24, 36-38, 42-47, 49, 50, 52-57, 60-69, 71, 88, 94, Map
Olman Empire Kingdom C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan 2
Olman Empire Kingdom Dragon magazine #350 64-66
Olman Empire Kingdom Dungeon magazine #114 42, 43
Olman Empire Kingdom Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 6
Olman Islands Geographical feature Island, Artifact of Evil 51
Olman Islands Geographical feature Island, C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan 27
Olman Islands Geographical feature Island, From the Ashes: Atlas of the Flanaess 32, 49
Olman Islands Geographical feature Island, From the Ashes: References Card #02
Olman Islands Geographical feature Island, Greyhawk Adventures 34, 91
Olman Islands Geographical feature Island, Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 79, 96, 98, 147
Olman Islands Geographical feature Island, Living Greyhawk Journal #1 13
Olman Islands Geographical feature Island, Living Greyhawk Journal #3 22
Olman Islands Geographical feature Island, The Adventure Begins 12, 29, 34
Olman Islands Geographical feature Island, The Scarlet Brotherhood 7, 23, 27, 63, 64, Map
Olman Lunar Calendar Calendar The Scarlet Brotherhood 64
Olman {Olmec} language Verbal communication Language, C1 The Hidden Shrine of Tamoachan 5, 6, 9, 12, 15, 16, 20, 26
Olman {Olmec} language Verbal communication Language, Dragon magazine #351 63, 71
Olman {Olmec} language Verbal communication Language, Dungeon magazine #114 54, 58, 63, 64
Olman {Olmec} language Verbal communication Language, Living Greyhawk, Living Onnwal Gazetteer, D&D 3.5e 42
Olman {Olmec} language Verbal communication Language, Living Greyhawk Gazetteer 12, 100
Olman {Olmec} language Verbal communication Language, Lost Tomaochan: The Hidden Shrine of Lubaatum 3, 8
Olman {Olmec} language Verbal communication Language, Reference SEE Olman
Olman {Olmec} language Verbal communication Language, The Scarlet Brotherhood 38
Sea Turtle Clan (Olman) People Group Isle of Dread, Clan, Isle of Dread (Pop: 120), Dungeon magazine #114 46, 54, 55, 56, 62
Sea Turtle Clan (Olman) People Group Isle of Dread, Clan, Isle of Dread (Pop: 120), X1 The Isle of Dread (1st-3rd printing), D&D Basic 7
Sea Turtle Clan (Olman) People Group Isle of Dread, Clan, Isle of Dread (Pop: 120), The Isle of Dread: Original Adventures Reincarnated #02, D&D 5e 25, 64, 122
Sea Turtle Clan (Olman) People Group Isle of Dread, Clan, Isle of Dread (Pop: 120), X1 The Isle of Dread (4th printing), D&D Basic 8
South Olman Island Geographical feature Island, The Adventure Begins 33
Tanaroan (Olman) People Group People, Dragon magazine #351 61, 62
Tanaroan (Olman) People Group People, Dungeon magazine #114 42, 48
Tiger Clan (Olman) (Isle of Dread) People Group Clan, Dragon magazine #354 68
Tiger Clan (Olman) (Isle of Dread) People Group Clan, Dungeon magazine #114 46, 54, 56, 62, 63
Tiger Clan (Olman) (Isle of Dread) People Group Clan, X1 The Isle of Dread (1st-3rd printing), D&D Basic 7
Tiger Clan (Olman) (Isle of Dread) People Group Clan, The Isle of Dread: Original Adventures Reincarnated #02, D&D 5e 25, 64, 122
Tiger Clan (Olman) (Isle of Dread) People Group Clan, X1 The Isle of Dread (4th printing), D&D Basic 8
Totemic Demon Slayer (Olman) People Group Profession, Dragon magazine #354 64-69
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