TEXT: cults of terror
  NINE DANGEROUS DEITIES FOR RUNEQUEST ROLE-PLAYING
  
  cults of terror 
  Classic Edition:  Proofreading by Martin Helsdon and Sue O'Brien.   Layout by Rick Meints and Nicholas Nacario.
  Copyright © 1981 and 2016. All rights reserved. Reproduction of this work by any means without written permission 
  from the publisher, except short excerpts for the purpose of reviews or game play, is expressly prohibited. 
  RuneQuest, Glorantha and HeroQuest are trademarks of Moon Design Publications.
  First Printing - December 2016                    ISBN#  978-1-56882-XX
  Would you like to know more about Chaosium? See our extensive website at www.chaosium.com
  May Arachne Solara bless and protect this book.
  NINE DANGEROUS DEITIES FOR RUNEQUEST ROLE-PLAYING 
  COVER PAINTING by PAUL JAQUAYS
  HISTORY AND COSMOLOGY by GREG STAFFORD
  PRIMAL CHAOS by KEN KAUFER
  MALLIA by ANDERS SWENSON
  BAGOG by CHARLIE KRANK and JOHN NATZKE
  THED by SANDY PETERSEN
  VIVAMORT by SEAN SUMMERS
  THANATAR by PAUL JAQUAYS
  THE CRIMSON BAT by RUDY KRAFT
  KRARSHT by JOHN NATZKE, LYNN WILLIS, CHARLIE KRANK
  NYSALOR/GBAJI by GREG STAFFORD
  INTERIOR ILLUSTRATIONS 
  PAUL JAQUAYS (pages 44, 65, 93)
  RICK BECKER (pages 25, 32, 37, 73, 83, 86)
  ?
  
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  May Arachne Solara Bless and Protect This Book
  INTRODUCTION 
  3
  Time 
  3
  Map of Genertela 
  5
  Sample Cult 
  6
  Sample Cult Outline 
  6
  Devising Rune Spells 
  10
  Cosmology 
  10
  History 
  16
  Salonar Tamaskil Fragment 
  20
  Turney Translation 
  20
  Reminiscences of Paulis 
  Longvale 
  21
  Proper Name Guide 
  22
  Map of Dorastor and Bilini 
  24
  PRIMAL CHAOS 
  25
  MALLIA 
  26
  Mallia Disease Summary 
  32
  BAGOG 
  33
  Cult Rune Spells 
  36
  THED 
  38
  Reverse Chaos/Curse of Thed 
  42
  A Chaotic Interlude 
  43
  VIVAMORT 
  45
  The Sword-Biter 
  48
  Ecstatic Communion 
  51
  THANATAR 
  53
  Thanatar Organizational Chart 
  57
  Thanatar's Gifts and Geases 
  59
  Guardian Summons Chart 
  62
  The Doom of Undying 
  62
  DESIGNER NOTES PART 1 
  69 
  THE CRIMSON BAT 
  70
  Bat Statistics 
  75
  KRARSHT 
  76
  The Halls of Krarsht 
  82
  NYSALOR/GBAJI 
  84
  Benefits of Initiation 
  86
  APPENDICES 
  88
  Spirits of Health 
  88
  New Runes 
  88
  Cult Compatability Chart 
  89
  Thanatar Notes 
  90
  Nets 
  90
  New Skills 
  91
  New Battle Magic 
  91
  New Rune Spells 
  92
  Other Gloranthan Material 
  93
  DESIGNER NOTES PART 2 
  94
  TA B L E  O F C O N T E N T S
  
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  Cults of Terror is a book about the bad guys of Glorantha, the 
  enemies of creation, the foes against whom every fight must be 
  fought. These forces are worthy of fanatical opposition, for once 
  they are loosed in a campaign they will be difficult to dislodge.
  This book also investigates the Gloranthan concept of Chaos. 
  This difficult subject only has been touched upon previously.
  Preceding the actual cult descriptions is an explanation 
  of the several Gloranthan Chaoses. They are presented in the 
  mythical chronology to establish their place in the cosmos.
  Although the cults detailed here are generally despicable 
  in aim, it should be realized that not all creatures of Chaos are 
  totally and automatically corrupt. The cult of Nysalor will give 
  new insight into the behavior of certain Chaotic creatures, and 
  also into the motives of the Lunar Empire.
  The Blank Cult Outline is presented to explain the material 
  which is included in standard cult write-ups. Two cults, Primal 
  Chaos and Nysalor, are unique and do not follow the standard 
  form.
  IMPORTANT: the contributors, editors, and publisher 
  categorically intend that these cults be used for Non-Player 
  Enemy religions. Player Characters should not join these cults. 
  We recommend that Player Characters who join these religions 
  quickly be put to sacrifice by Non-Player-Character priests, to 
  get them out of play.
  This is the second book of RuneQuest-related cults. With 
  its larger companion, Cults of Prax, referees and players have 
  a fair glimpse of religious practices and practical effects in the 
  RuneQuest world, Glorantha. Readers will also get plenty of 
  useful ideas and plot devices for religions in any fantasy world, 
  from ancient Greece to Arthur’s Britain, from Selucid Persia to 
  Lankhmar.
  Cults of Prax was devoted to cults in which players would 
  conceivably want player characters to belong. Cults of Terror 
  contains complete information about the cults described, but it 
  is furnished more in the hope that referees will find it useful in 
  creating believable NPCs than with the expectation that players 
  want to role-play unbelievably brutal characters.
  Important assumptions underlie the facts compiled for 
  this book. Primary among them are the immanence of deity, 
  the reality of workable magic, and relation of these to the way 
  people live. The effects of these assumptions can be explained.
  A cult is a vehicle which provides communication between 
  those people living and the cosmic entities known as deities. A 
  cult is a religion, and it provides for the many deep needs of any 
  mortal being.
  One deep need is assistance lent by the cult to the individual 
  to protect his or her life during difficult times. Another need 
  is some assurance or guarantee of immortality: death casts the 
  weak and the strong alike into the powerful maws of the cosmic 
  entities. Still another need is to provide worldly guidelines to the 
  individual which will aid in the search for safety and preservation 
  of identity.
  In short, a cult supports the individual’s way of life. It gives 
  him focus to find balance within himself and with others, and 
  with the world, and defines his relation with the universe.
  A deity will be worshipped because of his attributes. His 
  or her attributes were gained in the performance of significant 
  actions during the mythical God Time. Such acts are related in 
  the first sub-section of each cult, and in great respect the rest of 
  the cult write-up describes how the mortal beings who came later 
  accept and deal with archetypal acts and their equally archetypal 
  consequences. Worshippers will imitate significant deeds and 
  thereby magically partake of them. These mythic acts and the 
  worshippers’ lives will be similar.
  The cults in this book illustrate in greater or lesser detail the 
  effects of the Gods War and the Great Darkness, portraying some 
  of the forces of Chaos which tried to seize the world-universe 
  of Glorantha, and of the Great Compromise which froze the 
  relations of the gods except on the mortal plane. These Chaos 
  cults are published as part of the ongoing effort to fully depict 
  a world in which magic constantly occurs, of both the everyday 
  variety and of the astonishing.
  Most players will not want to identify with the cults within, 
  but the inclusion of such detail is integral to a rich and full 
  campaign. What are vampires? What does that stack of heads 
  indicate? Who is the Mother of the Broos? Players will want to 
  understand the motivations of villainous non-player characters.
  These cults are restricted for the most part to Genertela.
  THE CAUSE OF TIME
  The world of Glorantha is about 1600 years old. That many years 
  ago, after a great and timeless Darkness, the Sun God rose in the 
  east for the first of many days, instituting the new power of Time. 
  Since then, dates in Time often have been written S.T., Solara 
  Tempora. The year 575 S.T., then, would be the 575th year after 
  the first sunrise.
  Time is the most powerful of the gods of the New Age. 
  We recognize Time in three natural forms (lineal, cyclical, and 
  illusory), but Time did not exist in the God Time or the Great 
  Darkness. The lineal relations imposed upon the myths and 
  stories of those ages originate from our own temporal state of 
  mind, since we mortals are a natural part of the Time flow of the 
  New Age. Mythical events did not necessarily occur in the order 
  we perceive them, and it can be difficult to reconcile conflicting 
  versions of certain occurrences in Dreamtime. The difficulties 
  with which we understand that age are illustrated by the words 
  INTRODUCTION
  INTRODUCTION, CULT OUTLINE, COSMOLOGY, HISTORY, PAULIS
  
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  are reachable only when individuals force Illusory Time upon 
  God Time—causing immense philosophical and thaumaturgical 
  ramifications.
  CALENDRICAL TIME
  Uniform dating in Glorantha is difficult, for many dates are 
  based on local circumstance, such as “the third year after King 
  Grozz defenestrated Harl Half-Ear.” A universal calendar exists 
  in many places, however, and it is used in the following manner 
  for general dating.
  Conventionally, chroniclers list the day of the week first, 
  then the week of the month, then the month or season, and then 
  the year ST (the number of years after the Sun first rose). Two 
  ways commonly are used to record actual dates. One is inscribing 
  the Runes appropriate to the day, while the other is to note the 
  date numerically. Both ways are shown on the Calendar of Holy 
  Days in the appendices.
  In the latter system, Roman numerals have been used to 
  show season: 5/2/I/1614 is the same as L/l/w/1614.
  LUNAR TIME
  Lunar Time is the only important method of irregular dating. 
  Some locales had other notations, but these rarely gained 
  widespread importance, and are more confusing than interesting 
  today.
  The Red Goddess was born in Rinliddi (Peloria) in 1220 ST. 
  Lunar chronomancers always start their chronologies from that 
  date. The Red Goddess lived upon the surface world for 27 years 
  before her apotheosis.
  When she departed and took her place in the sky, the 
  goddess was at the height of her power. Her possessions upon 
  earth suffered a decrease in available mana for 27 years after her 
  ascent, then increased again for 27 years to the levels available 
  when the goddess had been on earth. This makes a 54-year period 
  between the crests of power, with a central low point. This cycle 
  is called a wane, since the power is at a wane during its center.
  The wane is the primary number in Lunar calendar notation. 
  If the first number is a 1, then the event was in the 1st Wane of 
  the goddess; if it is a 7, then the event was in the 7th Wane, and 
  so on. An occasional wane may receive a name or title:
  Hon-eel’s Wane, or the Hero Wars Wane. Events of the 
  goddess’ lifetime upon earth took place in the Zero Wane.
  The second number of a Lunar date tells the year of the 
  Wane in which the event occurred: any number from 1-54 is 
  possible. Lunar daily and seasonal notation is as the S.T. calendar 
  explained below.
  SOLAR TIME 
  DAY
  One day on Glorantha is the time needed for the sun to traverse 
  the sky from east to west. One night is the time needed for the 
  sun to traverse the underworld from west to east again.
  WEEK
  One week is made of seven days, named for the five elements, 
  one Godsday, and one ‘wild’ day. Elemental influences vary in 
  intensity by the day of the week. Windsday will have more airy 
  energies available than usual, for instance.
  we use for it— Dreamtime, Gods Age, Golden Eon, Non-time, 
  and so on. Each word or phrase has some measurement of 
  Time within it. It is interesting and perhaps important that the 
  magicians of the Hero Wars period (when contact was greatest 
  between men and gods) referred to the God Time as “the magic 
  place” or “Godworld,” even when referring to a prehistoric 
  event.
  Time was born in Hell, where the shadows of Chaos reigned 
  and held sway over the heart of the universe. All of the universe 
  was in confusion, elements blundered amidst each other, and 
  devils ran amok, slaying and kidnapping gods and mortals alike, 
  carrying them to the formless void. When the Lightbringers 
  entered the Underworld and completed their great tasks, they 
  forged a cosmic pact which bound all entities, living and dead, 
  spiritual and physical, pure and unholy, intelligent and inert, 
  into the Great Compromise. No beings responsible for the 
  creation of the world had exemption from this final synthesis. 
  In their pact, the deities settled their senseless and destructive 
  wars which had precipitated the Chaos they now united against. 
  They agreed to accept a common ground of existence in order to 
  share responsibility for the protection of the realm and to uphold 
  their present status in the universe. They thus bound themselves 
  irrevocably to the spiritual matrix of the New Age.
  Their vows are the source and cause of Time; the energies 
  of this compromise provided the soul-essence of the New Age. 
  The old deities created the will of the New Age and bound 
  themselves to uphold it. The more powerful the deity, then 
  the more numerous the commitments binding it into the world 
  matrix, and the more effectively fossilized its role in the Time 
  to come.
  The lesser creatures of the world, especially the surviving 
  mortal races, were free to grow, change, and develop within 
  the new age. By utilizing their freedom and knowledge of the 
  new Laws accompanying the New Age, the mortal folk could 
  commune with the gods and powers of the universe.
  KINDS OF TIME
  The form of Time was a function of the Compromise. As stated, 
  there had been horrible fighting and confusion before that 
  agreement. Death and even parts of Chaos were well-mixed with 
  the world. Time re-organized this confusion so that there was 
  regularity between light and darkness, life and death, and other 
  measures of Time.
  Some cults believe in Lineal Time, maintaining that Time 
  once began and that it will continue onward in an unbroken line 
  into the future forever, or until the world ends.
  Cyclical Time, supported by many cults, holds that certain 
  events such as day and night, alternation of seasons, lunar 
  cycles, tides, spiritual recycling, etc., actually are the same 
  event occurring again and again. Minor, local, and mundane 
  observable differences actually measure mortal removal from 
  the primal sources, rather than marking any true change.
  Illusory Time is that progression of events which seems to 
  manifest itself as we glance backward to God Time myth, or 
  upon the activities of Heroquesters performed in that realm of 
  legend and magic. Cosmologically, the world of God Time exists 
  only in stasis, beyond Time, and Chaos lies at the other pole. 
  Reality stretches between them, and the non-existent realms 
  
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  Wildday is an unformed piece of time, often propitious to 
  various Chaos magics. The influences vary widely, however, and 
  depend on location, history, pre-arranged conditions, and more 
  factors. The most powerful local deity may be worshipped on 
  this day.
  Godsday may see the most worship and meditation. The 
  most important holy ceremonies may occur on this day. The 
  deities will be more influenced to receive worship on Godsday.
  SEASON
  A season is made up of eight weeks, named after the eight 
  Powers: Disorder, Harmony, Death, Fertility, Stasis, Movement, 
  Illusion, and Truth.
  Sea-season compares to our spring. This season follows the 
  rebirth of the Sacred Time, and during it the young gods of the 
  New Age are free to exert their influences on the world.
  Fire-season is like our summer. This is a time of warming 
  and ripening, when the plans and schemes of men mature and 
  bear fruit, as do herds and fields. Energies are ripe for activities, 
  intellectual pursuits, and outward expansions.
  Earth-season compares with our fall, with harvest and food 
  gathering against the hard weather to come. The forces of life 
  draw to themselves, leaving the fields and pastures to the soon 
  appearing cold and darkness, but this also is the time of the 
  greatest plenty, and a period of festivity and joy.
  Dark-season is like our winter, and there is great hardship 
  and gloom across the world. Weaker beings should hide now, 
  hoarding their food and spouting cheerful stories before their 
  crackling fires. Only the boldest go forth.
  Storm-season is the time of greatest violence and danger. 
  The Air gods rule this season, and their energies always are of 
  a violent and unpredictable nature. This time is like the War of 
  the Gods; this bloody season can undo the effort of a whole year, 
  and troubles begun here often inadvertently allow Chaos forces 
  to slip into the world.
  Sacred Time equals two weeks in length, but officially is 
  days instead. Normal activity halts, and the world ritually and 
  really re-enacts the death and rebirth of the cosmos in order to 
  replenish the world, for incorporating the entropy of Chaos into 
  the living world is agreed to in the Great Compromise. To live, 
  one must descend into death and be reborn. The participation of all 
  beings in these annual ceremonies and their commitment to them 
  integrates the participants with an unconscious understanding of 
  the cosmic balance—a major factor in the high level of mana 
  generation and use in Glorantha.
  7 days = 1 week
  56 days = 8 weeks = 1 season
  294 days = 42 weeks = 5 seasons + Sacred Time = 1 year
  Days 
  Weeks 
  Seasons
  of the week 
  of the Season 
  of the Year
  1. Freezeday 
  1.. Disorder 
  1. Sea-season
  2. Waterday 
  2. Harmony 
  2. Fire-season
  3. Clayday 
  3. Death 
  3. Earth-season
  4. Windsday 
  4. Fertility 
  4. Dark-season
  5. Fireday 
  5. Stasis 
  5. Storm-season
  6. Wildday 
  6. Movement 
  6. (Sacred Time)
  7. Godsday 
  7. Illusion
   
  8. Truth
  
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  SAMPLE CULT
  The great portion of this book examines nine different cults 
  according to the outline below, in turn followed by a number 
  of appendices dealing with mechanics, cult relations, and 
  background. The rest of this chapter discusses the elements of the 
  outline structure in detail, so that readers will better understand 
  how the remainder of the book is made, and so that those who 
  wish to will have a guide for the creation of their own myths, 
  legends, cults, and the fitting of the cults into a world at large.
  I. MYTHOS AND HISTORY
  The mythology of a religion is its recorded communications 
  between the divinity and the divinity’s worshippers. The 
  mythological actions of the deity determine appropriate actions 
  for the worshippers who wish to partake of their god’s power. 
  The primal actions of the deities determined their sources of 
  power, and when individuals and societies imitate those deeds 
  through worship, the worshippers partake of their divinity’s 
  conquests or creation by aiding in the primal acts.
  These sections never relate all of the many tales of a 
  particular deity, but only those of major importance. Each cult 
  might have volumes of minutiae with which its Rune Priests 
  would be intimate, but to relate such would be extravagant.
  A. BEFORE TIME
  This section tells of the deeds of the deity in the God Time, when 
  the god had freedom of choice. The narrated myths relate the 
  actions which gave the god its present powers and from which 
  the people draw divine aid.
  B. SINCE TIME BEGAN
  The mortal races ruled the world since the first Dawning, and 
  have called upon deities for aid, or commanded them to act. 
  These events form the basis for the tales of the deities since Time 
  began. Also occurring are the many legends of mortals who were 
  able to immortalize themselves through their mighty deeds in 
  the name of, or in defiance of, the godly immortals. Many cults 
  worship the ancient heroes as subservient spirits.
  C. LIFE AFTER DEATH
  How cultists think they will die influences how they think 
  they should live: the possibility of life after death and the quality 
  of that life flavors cult beliefs, gives background useful in 
  understanding the cult, and prompts ideas for adventures.
  Funeral rites provide examples of cult belief, power, and action.
  D. RUNIC ASSOCIATIONS
  All deities are associated with certain Runes of Power. Use of 
  these Runes in cult functions will be an obvious mark of the 
  nature of the deity worshipped. These signs may be understood 
  as vehicles of Power, channels of definition, or foci to manifest 
  symbolic abilities. Similar Runes will not mean an automatic 
  friendship between cults, but at least may indicate a similar 
  general interest or origin.
  CULT OUTLINE
  I. MYTHOS AND HISTORY
  A. Before Time
  B. Since Time Began
  C. Life After Death
  D. Runic Associations
  II. NATURE OF THE CULT
  A. Reason for Continued Existence
  B. Social/Political Position and Power
  C. Particular Likes and Dislikes
  III. ORGANIZATION
  A. Inter-Cult Organization
  B. Intra-Temple Organization
  C. Center of Power, Holy Places
  D. Holy Days and High Holy Days
  IV. LAY MEMBERSHIP
  A. Requirements to Join 
   
  (race, birth, abilities, money, etc.)
  B. Requirements to Belong (offerings, sacrifices, hates, 
  geases, codes of honor, etc.)
  C. Mundane Benefits (board, succor, healing, etc.)
  D. Skills
  E. Battle Magic
  V. INITIATE MEMBERSHIP
  A. Requirements for Initiation
  B. Requirements to Remain Initiated
  C. Mundane Benefits
  D. Skills
  E. Spells
  VI. RUNE LORD MEMBERSHIP
  A. General Statement
  B. Requirements for Acceptance
  C. Restrictions
  D. Benefits
  VII. RUNE PRIESTHOOD
  A. General Statement
  B. Requirements for Acceptance
  C. Restrictions
  D. Benefits
  E. Rune Spell Compatibility
  F. Cult Special Rune Spells
  VIII. SUBSERVIENT CULTS
  A. Spirit of Reprisal
  B. Others
  IX. ASSOCIATED CULTS 
  A. Listed Singly
  X. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
  
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  IV. LAY MEMBERSHIP
  A. REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN
  To join, laymen will have to satisfy certain cult requirements, 
  and these may be of birth, race, ability, money, or whatever.
  Lay members will be required to join a cult each time they 
  attend its services, unless they already belong. Lay members 
  often belong to more than one cult, particularly if they have 
  political aspirations; some cults are enemies, precluding this.
  B. REQUIREMENTS TO BELONG
  Some cults may have requirements for members wishing to remain 
  in the cult, bypassing the necessity of paying the membership fee 
  each time. This state is necessary also for persons preparing to 
  become an Initiate of the cult, or desiring to learn battle magic 
  from the cult. This section explains the relation of existence 
  to the cult’s basic beliefs and demands, at least so far as a lay 
  member is concerned. Requirements generally are minimal; as 
  the cult’s attachment to its lay members also will be minimal.
  Lay members typically will need to sacrifice 1 point of 
  Power during worship on holy days.
  C. MUNDANE BENEFITS
  Some cults offer substantial benefits, such as room, board, free 
  healing, and so on. Most benefits will be minimal.
  D. SKILLS
  Each of the deities worshipped specializes in something, and often 
  these reflect in abilities noted in the rules. Because of their deity’s 
  proximity with the ability, cult members may be able to receive 
  some training for less than normal costs. Likewise, the deity 
  may have been restricted in regions, and this could mean that the 
  worshippers must pay more for an ability or, in some cases, not be 
  allowed to use it at all. Some deities will also have special abilities 
  offered to members only, and often only to Initiates and Rune-
  levels. Skills will be divided into the following:
  Half Normal Cost – 1/2 the normal price
  Normal Cost - the normal price
  Twice Normal Cost - 2x the normal price
  Unique - unique to the particular cult
  Prohibited - not allowed in a particular cult
  E. BATTLE MAGIC
  As with abilities, a deity’s previous actions and present abilities 
  in the magical world will affect the worshipper’s access to 
  magic. Thus battle magic costs may vary, and some cults may 
  have unique spells for members only.
  If joining a cult which prohibits some of the battle magics 
  he already knows, the candidate automatically forgets the 
  prohibited spell or spells within moments of acceptance into the 
  cult. Should he later leave that cult, he will have to repurchase 
  or otherwise reacquire the spell in some manner to know it once 
  again. Battle magics are divided into the following:
  Half Normal Cost - 1/2 the normal price
  Normal Cost - the normal price
  Twice Normal Cost - 2x the normal price
  Unique - unique to the particular cult
  Prohibited - not allowed in a particular cult
  II. NATURE OF THE CULT
  A. REASON FOR CONTINUED EXISTENCE
  This explains the relation of the cult, its social context, and 
  its significance within the cosmological scheme. These will 
  determine the worshipper’s priorities.
  B. SOCIO-POLITICAL POSITION AND POWER
  This varies immensely from place to place, even for the same 
  deity, but will be explained here only in terms of general behavior.
  C. PARTICULAR LIKES AND DISLIKES
  This section applies the previous section to show how they 
  influence the ordinary behavior of the worshipper even when 
  he is not in touch with his cult, concentrating on recognizable 
  prejudices and enthusiasms.
  III. ORGANIZATION
  A. INTER-CULT ORGANIZATION
  Some local temples or cults may be linked in terms of duties, 
  hierarchies, taxes, or sacrifices to other temples, thereby forming 
  a superstructure of command between otherwise isolated units of 
  worship. As applicable, the structure will be defined.
  B. INTRA-TEMPLE ORGANIZATION
  Local bodies, whether farmer or nomad, usually have a structure. 
  The organization may be a disciplined hierarchy, like that of 
  Krarsht, or arrogantly free, like Vivamort. There are no rules, 
  except that there will be rules.
  C. CENTER OF POWER, HOLY PLACES
  A cult may have one center of power or many, whether it be 
  a specific altar or temple, or a Great High Priest. Particular 
  locations may be linked to some special cult event. All such 
  aspects will be known to the cultists.
  D. HOLY DAYS AND HIGH HOLY DAYS
  Cults have special days of worship. Often it will be a day 
  wherein all the worshippers attend special rituals, thereby letting 
  them enter the magical world and partake of ceremonies blessed 
  by the spiritual attendance of their deity.
  Typical holy day worship requires lay worshippers to 
  sacrifice 1 point of their Power. Initiates will sacrifice 2 points, 
  and Rune-levels attend to the channeling of the Power to the 
  deity. Worshippers regain the Power as if it had been used to 
  power a battle magic spell.
  On high holy days, worship requires sacrifice of all but 1 
  point of each worshipper’s Power to their deity during a ritual 
  sacrifice in which they commune directly with the immortals 
  and are invulnerable to everything except that which might 
  harm a god.
  Each year begins and/or ends with a two-week Sacred Time. 
  In that period the world is caught up in cosmic festivities and 
  ceremonies. Great magical energies move the world, and each 
  of the deities appears upon the world to relive their great deeds 
  of creation, conflict, and compromise which brought about the 
  world of Time. The rituals end with the creation of Time and 
  with the birth of the Dawn and Spring, marking the start again of 
  normal, mundane Time.
  
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  To buy a one-time use of a cult Rune spell, the Initiate must 
  permanently sacrifice the required Power points to the deity. The 
  Initiate can then cast the spell with control and knowledge, but 
  then must make another permanent Power sacrifice to learn the 
  spell again. These points of sacrificed Power are known as Rune 
  points. Initiates who know Rune magic when they become Rune 
  Priests do not regain the POW so sacrificed, but do know the 
  spell on a reusable basis if it was a reusable spell.
  One-use Rune spells may not be purchased by Initiates. If a 
  full Rune priest can use the spell but once, the spell usually is too 
  important and powerful to give to an Initiate.
  Divine Intervention is available to Initiates and those higher. 
  There are risks involved. Initiates may try Divine Intervention 
  once per week. To try to use Divine Intervention the Initiate must 
  roll less than his current Power on D100. If the roll succeeds, 
  then the call has been heeded and the plea fulfilled. The cost will 
  be the sacrifice of as many points of Characteristic POW as was 
  rolled on the D100.
  Should the player roll exactly the POW of his character, 
  then the soul becomes a spirit in the service of the god. But if 
  the Divine Intervention was to have some effect on the world 
  in addition to saving the character, the effect will occur, even 
  though the character is still dead.
  VI. RUNE LORD MEMBERSHIP
  A. GENERAL STATEMENT
  The duality of the status of Rune Lord and Rune Priest lies in 
  their focus. The Rune Lord is more concerned with exploring the 
  physical nature of the world and excels in dominating upon the 
  physical plane. The Rune Priest concentrates on the spiritual side 
  of the world, preferring actuation of the subtle magical plane. (A 
  Heroquester’s actions attempt to unify both focuses.)
  Not all Rune Lords will be fighters, though warrior abilities 
  dominate in most cults.
  B. REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE
  All cults require that Rune Lords have been Initiates for some 
  length of time. Every cult has the same basic requirements for 
  their Rune Lords:
  1. at least 90% ability in five skills.
  2. a POW of at least 15.
  3. convincing the cult examiners.
  V. INITIATE MEMBERSHIP
  A. REQUIREMENTS FOR INITIATION
  Initiation into a cult is a serious step, for individuals thereby 
  pledge themselves to the focus of a single divine entity. Unlike 
  lay members, who have free association with other cults, Initiates 
  may partake only of rituals in their own cult and its associated 
  and friendly cults. Pledges are serious, and if one wishes to quit 
  a cult after initiation, there is a brief reprisal against the one who 
  would deny his deity.
  This reprisal is attempted each time by the appropriate spirit 
  of reprisal, discussed in the subservient cults section.
  Initiates need to be lay members in good standing, and 
  they should have a sponsor—although this may be interpreted 
  in a broad fashion. Some cults demand items, monies, or other 
  tokens of sacrifice from the Initiate candidate.
  Initiates will also have to pass a test. This may be done in the 
  same way as related for Rune Lords in the rules, except that often 
  the test is (POW + CHA divided by 2) times 5 or less on D100.
  B. REQUIREMENTS TO REMAIN INITIATED
  Initiates of cults must do more for the cult than any lay member. 
  They must sacrifice 2 points of POW each holy day instead of 
  1 point. They will also be expected to uphold the cult likes and 
  dislikes much more stringently than lay members, who may be 
  able to quit when they wish. Initiates do not have such a simple 
  option: they are pledged to the faith. 
  Initiates must attend cult functions, and may be called upon 
  to do cult business. Most cults demand a tithe of income, usually 
  10%.
  C. MUNDANE BENEFITS
  In return for their work, Initiates get more benefits from their 
  status than any lay member does. Initiates can lead the general 
  congregation during ceremonies, and always receive preferred 
  treatment in cult activities. Many cults offer food, healing, 
  ransom, and so on to Initiates, though the particulars will be 
  special to each cult.
  D. SKILLS
  Just as with lay members, special skills may be available to 
  Initiates. In rare cases, Initiates will have a less expensive 
  version of the same skill taught to them. Special cult skills more 
  commonly will be available to Initiates than to lay members.
  E. SPELLS
  Initiates will more often have special cult battle magics than 
  would lay members. Initiates may be able to purchase one-time 
  use of cult Rune spells for use on cult missions, or receive them 
  as special rewards.
  Example: Igar the Ignorant is an Initiate of Thanatar and 
  wants added help on his next mission. By agreement with 
  his priest he sacrifices 3 points of POW to Thanatar, and 
  his POW changes from 18 to 15, and his basic abilities 
  also may change. In return he gets one use of Create Minor 
  Head and will carry for a week thereafter the benefits from 
  that head.
  Example: Zazz the Vivamort Initiate has just been impaled 
  by a grape stake. He prays hard, his player casts D100, 
  and rolls 11 - he is saved! He finds that the grape stake 
  shattered against the pendant he wears beneath his cloak 
  and that he has been moved a hundred meters from the 
  fight. Now, however, his POW 15 only 7 because of the 11 
  points taken by Vivamort in exchange for answering his 
  call. Zazz slinks away from the fight.
  In the case of vampires, not only has his personal 
  POW been reduced to 7, but so also has been his species 
  maximum POW.
  
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  C. RESTRICTIONS
  Priesthoods operate under divine restrictions. To ignore or 
  violate the will of the deity is to deny the power of that deity, 
  and thereby do damage to it. If a priest is tricked or forced to 
  perform sacrilegious acts, then the cult spirit of reprisal is forced 
  to visit the offending priest. Spirits of reprisal are noted in the 
  subservient cults section in each write-up.
  D. BENEFITS
  Many benefits offset priestly restrictions. The obvious benefit 
  is Rune magic, discussed in the next sections. Other benefits to 
  priests may range from special weapons training to priority meal 
  service.
  Priests have access to Divine Intervention through the 
  intercession of their allied spirits. In this case the allied spirit 
  casts the spell and (for game purposes) acts as an Initiate of the 
  cult to do so. They must roll D100 for less than their current 
  POW to succeed, but lose a number of permanent Power points 
  equal to the number rolled.
  E. RUNE SPELL COMPATIBILITY
  Here are listed deviations from the standard Rune magic spells 
  table in the rules. The powerful cults will have all the standard 
  spells available, but lesser cults and smaller deities cannot muster 
  as much Power, thus being weaker in Rune magic. Some cults 
  might not be able to learn 3 point spells from their god; others 
  also might not know 2 point spells, etc., or have even limited 
  access to 1 point spells.
  F. CULT SPECIAL RUNE SPELLS
  Many cults have special Rune level spells available to its priests 
  (and sometimes Initiates). These will parallel certain aspects of 
  the deity’s nature and aspects. The spells will be listed under this 
  section.
  G. CHIEF PRIEST
  The term Chief Priest may appear in these descriptions to denote 
  a priest who has satisfied requirements to become a High Priest 
  (15 points of Characteristic POW sacrificed for renewable Rune 
  magic), but cannot or chooses not to so become, remaining under 
  the authority of a High Priest. Their skills and loyalty may give 
  them positions of authority in the hierarchy; if they command 
  other priests they are called Chief Priests.
  VIII. SUBSERVIENT CULTS
  Major religions always include the worship of minor spirits and/
  or dead heroes. Such minor deities depend completely upon the 
  central deity for existence: they will not be worshipped outside 
  the cult.
  Subservient spirits will be mentioned who are important 
  teachers of abilities, skills, or battle magic to worshipper and 
  hierarch. Figures lacking cults may be in section I. B of the 
  write-up. Subservient spirits may serve ritual functions or act for 
  the deity. The most common and interesting are noted.
  The spirit of reprisal, or retribution, is a common feature to 
  most cults. This is a spirit, monster, or curse which falls upon 
  Initiates who quit the worship of their deity, or upon Rune Lords 
  or Rune Priests who offend their deity by violating major cult 
  rules. The deity, without excuses, is striking out at those who 
  Most cults specify required abilities. Some cults may be more 
  stringent than as set forth above, and may require knowledge of 
  certain spells as well, a higher POW, or allow other factors to 
  influence the examination process.
  C. RESTRICTIONS
  Being a Rune Lord of a cult places a person very close to deity, and 
  such proximity has many problems as well as benefits. Rune Lords 
  may not be allowed to communicate with other cults, nationalities, 
  or race. They may be required never to use certain weapons, tools, 
  animals, or magics. They must fulfill many functions in the cult 
  and accept many responsibilities. Cult details differ greatly.
  D. BENEFITS
  Closeness to the deity yields many benefits to the Rune Lord. 
  Some or all of these may be manifested as mannerisms or 
  abilities similar to those of the worshipped immortal, reflecting 
  the deity’s super-human power onto the physical plane. The 
  obvious benefits to Rune Lords normally also include an allied 
  spirit, Divine Intervention, and cult-appropriate combat skills. 
  Cults may have special or unique skills and spells.
  A Rune Lord is a natural leader of the cult, along with its 
  priests, and will be respected even by those outside the cult.
  As a reservoir of spell memorization and POW, an allied 
  spirit benefits a Rune Lord. However, its greatest aid is its ability 
  to sacrifice POW for Rune magic spells, just as Rune Priests do. 
  The spirit must have 19 + POW, just as the priest must. The spirit 
  has access to any Rune magic available to the cult priests.
  VII. RUNE PRIESTHOOD
  A. GENERAL STATEMENT
  The cult priests are the source of magical communication 
  between the deity and its worshippers joining the mundane 
  world and the Other Side. The secrets of the deity in the form of 
  spells, are revealed to the world through the priesthood.
  Priests are even closer to their deity than are Rune Lords, 
  and their attention is much concentrated upon their object of 
  veneration. This direction of focus requires much time; many 
  priesthoods have little or no time for physical maintenance, and 
  therefore are reduced to DEX  X 5 for all Dexterity-based skills. 
  Neither do they have time to train a deficient skill up to that 
  level, though they still may learn from experience. Some cults 
  suspend this restriction on Rune Priests because of the natures 
  of their particular deities. Such information will be found in this 
  general statement section of the cult write-up.
  B. Requirements for Acceptance
  All priesthoods have the basic requirements:
  1. know how to Read and Write in the native language.
  2. have a POW of at least 18.
  3. convince the examiners.
  Given the dominant illiteracy in many parts of Glorantha, 
  the phrase ‘read and write native language’ should be understood 
  to include a symbolic language used in rituals, a secret (spoken) 
  magical language, or some other arrangement.
  All cults require service as an Initiate before an examination 
  for priesthood can occur.
  
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  deny it. Such spirits will, unless stated otherwise, doubly attack 
  Rune Priests or Rune Lords who abandon their cult, usually by 
  having two of the things attack at once or successively. These 
  reprisal spirits do not, of course, come into action when Initiates 
  transfer to an associate cult.
  Exploration of any religion will doubtlessly reveal many 
  more lesser spirits. Players are urged to do so in their campaigns.
  IX. ASSOCIATED CULTS
  If the deities of sub-cults are worshipped also outside the central 
  cult, those sub-cults are called ‘associated cults.’ An associated 
  deity always takes part in the mythos of the central cult. The 
  overlap of worship indicates some of the complexities of the 
  personal, social, and cosmic interactions which occurred.
  The deity will be mentioned and, if not listed elsewhere, 
  will be briefly explained. Following that will be any Rune spells 
  learnable from that sub-cult without having to join the central 
  cult, etc. The listed spell or spells are the only ones which may be 
  learned that way. Most borrowing from associated deities is for 
  only one Rune spell, and may even be only special skill training.
  In Cults of Prax, the Eiritha cult (an ancient earth cult) has 
  much more powerful associated spirits than do other cults. This 
  indicates the previous power of the Earth, and is a sign of its 
  broken strength.
  When a priest wishes to join a second cult, as indicated 
  in the rules, it is easier for them to join an associated cult. The 
  standard rules are used, but only the roll to join the second cult 
  must be made.
  If a priest wishes to join an outside, non-associate cult, his 
  task will be much harder. He can only join a friendly or neutral 
  cult, as defined in the appendices. In this case the priest must 
  convince his Head Priest to let him go, and then convince the 
  other cult to accept him.
  X. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
  This section contains random or unclassifiable information about 
  the cult. Sometimes there will be no such notes.
  DEVISING RUNE SPELLS
  Rune magic stems from the generosity of a god, who allows 
  a mortal to wield on the material plane a fraction of the godly 
  attributes. Such spells can create results (such as death) which 
  even Divine Intervention could not normally accomplish, since 
  that would directly involve the god in the affairs of the material 
  world, possibly precipitate godly participation in mortal affairs, 
  and perhaps lead to a new war of the gods.
  Lending Rune magic to mortals is the rough equivalent of 
  one country sending another country arms and supplies with 
  which to fight a war, rather than sending its own troops into 
  battle. This fine line is crucial to the gods of Glorantha.
  With that idea in mind, consider what sort of spells a referee 
  should create in building a new cult for his campaign:
  Create spells appropriate to the god. In a cult of Apollo, 
  for instance, the spells should have to do with music, light, 
  healing, perhaps heat, and hunting and poetry. Apollo would 
  not be associated with storms, the sea, or fire. In Cults of Prax 
  Humakt is concerned with death and fighting, Kyger Litor with 
  people, darkness, and spirits, Orlanth with air and movement, 
  and so on. In this book, Thanatar centers around death, darkness, 
  the consequences of the severance, and ruthless acquisition of 
  knowledge. Some idea of cult emphases will come from the 
  Runes which describe it, and it is a good idea to figure out first 
  what combination of Runes the cult has, and then determine the 
  cult characteristics. Remember that certain Powers, such as Life 
  and Death, are diametrically opposed, and that only a Chaotic 
  and tradition-shattering cult like the Red Moon could combine 
  them.
  Always check the proposed magic against the premier 
  god of the area, power, or attribute. In Cults of Prax, Humakt, 
  the premier Death god, has the reusable spell Sever Spirit 
  available for a sacrifice of 3 points of Power. Therefore no 
  Death or War god should be able to do Mass Death with a 2 or 
  3 point spell. In fact, Humakt is the only Death god able to give 
  his worshippers this as a reusable spell—this is true even for 
  Thanatar, the Severed God, in this book.
  The gods of Glorantha rarely perform material creation, 
  preferring to work with energy, especially magical energy. 
  Any spell should affect only one person or, at most, a small 
  area. No spell should cover more area than the influence of an 
  elemental of similar sacrifice can cover, and it should cover less 
  area and/or cost more to use it if it does more damage than an 
  elemental. Finally, few spells cause large or permanent change, 
  except for the immediate damage.
  The gods are as bound by Time as any mortal: the 
  gods can change neither history nor predict the future. This 
  is because of the Great Compromise, and is fundamental to 
  Glorantha.
  Those who play the board-game Dragon Pass (formerly 
  White Bear & Red Moon) may wonder about the powerful, army-
  destroying spells of that game, but they should remember that the 
  magician units in play are not single entities (not even Cragspider) 
  but regiments of magicians. Open warfare between the proponents 
  of different gods may bring the patrons a bit more into the open, 
  and that combination makes for the vast destruction possible in the 
  board-game. During the course of normal adventuring, this scale 
  of intervention never should occur.
  COSMOLOGY
  BEFORE CREATION
  In analyzing the mythos of Glorantha, four streams of belief 
  prevail. They sometimes mingle and sometimes flow in 
  separate channels, but they all flow in the same direction. Each 
  is a preferred way to reach an understanding of the cosmos. In 
  choosing one stream as a guide, a person finds a cohesive and 
  unified view of reality useful to their individual development. 
  Though one might assume that a particular viewpoint or way of 
  existence is correct and that the others are somehow wrong, as 
  often happened in Gloranthan history, we must warn the reader. 
  Such a limited point of view will only further confuse a difficult 
  subject.
  During the Second Age of Glorantha, a very powerful 
  people came from the island of Jrustela. They managed to create 
  a world-wide view combining all the popular philosophies which 
  they encountered across the world. They were called the God 
  Learners, and from their studies developed Jrusteli magicians and 
  militarists to dominate the coastal lands of Glorantha for much 
  of the Second Age, before nature sprang back and destroyed 
  
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  them. Despite their effective condemnation, the God Learners 
  gave a coherency to the confusing cosmologies, and the Jrusteli 
  understanding remained popular long after the Jrusteli demise. 
  Their views underlie most of the discussion which follows in 
  this chapter.
  The four philosophies of Glorantha are the mystical 
  (whereof the forces and the real knowledge of the world are 
  unknowable except by unusual experiences normally beyond 
  the ken of mortal people), the theistic (whereof the world was 
  brought about by the actions of great and powerful entities 
  known as gods and goddesses), the humanistic (whereof the 
  world is a natural process conquerable and usable by conscious 
  manipulation by the mortal races), and the natural (whereof the 
  cosmos devolved into the material and spiritual world).
  The God Learners developed an order to these four modes. 
  They insisted that they were, in fact, one non-understandable 
  concept evolving from one form into another as part of the 
  creation. They are presented here in order of evolution.
  The Void is the mystic origin of the universe. This pre-existence 
  is said to be indescribable. “It is less than Nothing, Formless 
  beyond Emptiness,” says a Kralori poem. The mystics claim 
  that the dragon-powers manifested themselves in the void by 
  becoming committed and entangled with the world which was 
  yet to come, and in those actions created the barrier shimmering 
  between the perfect void and our understanding of it.  
  The Kralori religion (which is based on Draconic belief) 
  suggests that the void is a state of bliss which should be sought 
  after in every way possible and that even the briefest experience 
  of it will bring about belief, though not understanding, thereby 
  incorporating the individual harmoniously with the cosmos. This 
  unknowable force is nowhere presented as hostile. If a label must 
  be attached, then it is neutral.
  The Prime Mover originates the humanist universe. Nowhere 
  is it personified or otherwise given any attributes of being. This 
  strictly impartial force can be tapped and/or exploited by the 
  dominant mortal races of the world through manipulation of 
  Knowledge and Power. The Malkioni religion primarily supports 
  this belief, and since it further supports active human dominance 
  of the universe there is a corresponding belief that the secrets of 
  this prime mover were discovered by their god and passed on to 
  the people. The Malkioni race founded the Wizards, who think 
  they can shape the universe without consent from gods who are 
  elsewhere believed to rule everything.
  The Silence is the origin of the theist universe. This is a 
  great dormant and impersonal force which is said to contain 
  “everything within it, still One, the wonder of the universe 
  which would come after it.” The theists sometimes personify the 
  silence and call the silence “it,” a being without beginning and 
  without end who is credited as the mother of Glorantha, Queen 
  of the Universe. Always seen as a wondrous and awesome being, 
  this entity has intelligence and benevolence without limit. An 
  anonymous Dragon Pass poet says, “the wondrous Source, the 
  egg of life, the source of wonder.” After creation this is rarely 
  mentioned as important; the intermediaries who stand between 
  it and the worshippers both are closer and more likely to reply 
  to worship.
  The Primal Plasma is the final source of the universe. It is 
  popular with naturalists. Their paintings often depict the plasma 
  as the Well of Wonder, producing the rest of the world. The Well 
  contained a miraculous material which separated into those parts 
  of the elements recognizable as the material world and those 
  spirits which guard and tend them. The plasma is not claimed to 
  be intelligent or to have done any active task.
  The Jrusteli philosophers said that their research brought 
  order and synthesis to these divergent origins, and that each was 
  a finer or grosser representation of the umbilical cord stretched 
  between the unknowable and the real. To quote a poet:
  The void, unknowable, never knew.
  The mover touched and made touching, but never knew.
  Silence woke, and wished up the world, and hoped to know.
  Plasma sang, and entered in, and knew the world at last.
  Every tale or concept of origin was popular in the Dawn 
  Ages among some population. The differences sometimes 
  caused conflict, as they had in the Gods War, both before and 
  after the God Learners. Mystics concentrated in the eastern lands, 
  especially Kralorela. The theists dominated the central lands of 
  Genertela and the oceans. The humanists began in the western 
  lands of Genertela, while the naturalists were found wherever 
  the others were not, especially among animals, savages, and in 
  the lands of Pamaltela.
  THE CELESTIAL COURT
  A body of deities, the Celestial Court, are said to have made 
  the world. Mystics say that since the deities were the first 
  misconceptions concerning reality, they set the pattern for 
  misunderstanding existence. The naturalists claim the powers 
  presented as entities on the court were actually inert Runes 
  which established the formats for further interactions between 
  the emerging patterns of creation. The naturalists and theists 
  agree that godly beings made up the Court.
  The Celestial Court was made up of three distinct parts: the 
  Council of Pairs, the elemental deities, and the Elder Gods.
  The gods of the Council of Pairs also are called the deities 
  of Power. Each of the eight gods were associated with one of the 
  ancient Power Runes:
  Acos (c), god of Law & Stability,
  Larnste (s), god of Change & Motion,
  Uleria (x), goddess of Love,
  Kargan Tor (t), god of Conflict & War,
  Orenoar (y), goddess of Truth,
  Tylenea (i), goddess of Illusion,
  Harana Ilor (l), goddess of Harmony,
  Ratslaf (j), god of Disorder and Confusion.
  The elemental deities provided the mundane stuff of the 
  universe. The eldest elementals are prodigious entities composed 
  of much matter and little intelligence or spirit. These primal 
  Elementals then entered into a self-exploration of potentials 
  which was called devolution. In this process the entities divided 
  and subdivided themselves in a manner which isolated portions 
  of their internalities as recognizably separate beings. Some of 
  these lesser beings were mostly material, while others were 
  
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  highly spiritually developed. This process formed the elemental 
  pantheons of the naturalists.
  Although each of the elementals underwent the same 
  devolutionary activity, their internal devolvement differentiated 
  their natures. The humanists showed that some devolved upon 
  mathematical lines, propounding that the divine genealogies 
  are merely ignorant personifications of derivable mathematical 
  formulae.
  There are always at least four elementals, and a fifth usually 
  is added:
  Nakala, or Dame Darkness (o), goddess of Dark and Cold,
  Zaramaka, or Sir Sea (w), god of all Waters,
  Ga, or Empress Earth (e), goddess of all Earths,
  Aether, or Lord Light (L), god of Light and Heat,
  Umath, or King Storm (g), god of Air and Storm.
  The Elder Gods are impersonal entities whose existence is 
  basic to Glorantha, but who failed to attain any personal status 
  in the cosmos. The deities who came afterward absorbed or 
  mimicked their attributes and functions. There are, for instance, 
  entities called the Maker and Grower, or the Great Mother and 
  Witness.
  The Celestial Court combined their powers and together 
  built the center of the world. This ‘center’ is called the Perfect 
  Palace on its interior, and its exterior was called The Spike. The 
  Spike was the cosmic mountain, and it got its name from Mostal 
  the Maker, who engineered the mundane construction. Mostal 
  loved tools, and so called the place The Spike because it was the 
  thing which nailed together all of reality and held it in place. The 
  Perfect Palace was a place of harmony, beauty, and singularity. 
  It housed the firsts of everything in the world and maintained 
  everything in perfect order. Within its fastness the powers of 
  creation expanded until they spread beyond the protection of 
  the mountain of The Spike. Younger deities left the unchanging 
  mountain with its secrets and filled the universe with variants of 
  the ancient schemes. Thus the world grew.
  THE GOLDEN AGE
  The Golden Age of the gods was a time when dreams were true, 
  then stored for later generations to use as they might. In those 
  days there was nothing but peace and harmony, and all of the 
  cosmos expanded in love. Innocence was everywhere. It was 
  impossible for anything to go wrong.
  This era saw new types of beings. The Form Runes were 
  introduced and the Young Gods were born. Said to be creations of 
  the Celestial Court, each deity made a Form Rune by contributing 
  to it. All the elements then tested the Form, each by its own 
  evolving nature. First made was the Dragonewt Rune, and all 
  the world was trod by races now extinct, whose lives and kinds 
  must be guessed. Then came the Green Age, when the world was 
  covered by vast forests and fields as the gods experimented with 
  the Plant Rune. Next the world knew creatures modelled upon 
  the Animal Rune. Finally came the Man Rune, and humanoid 
  races spread across the world.
  These Form Runes cause lively debate between the 
  humanists and the theists. The theists claim that there were 
  entities or beings which embodied these Forms. Grandfather 
  Mortal, also commonly called Old Man, is the best-known of 
  these. The humanists call those explanations fairy tales, and 
  suggest that the so-called Forms resulted from natural forces 
  which developed impersonally. Both arguments depict the same 
  result— the population of the world.
  The formation, or possibly recognition or usefulness, of the 
  Spirit and Chaos forms did not come about in this era.
  When the elemental deities and power gods grew to the limits 
  of their fulfilment and filled their natural realms, the Young Gods 
  were born. Here, at the borders of the elements, they discovered 
  each other. There was such creative abundance in the world 
  that the natural divisions of the world between elements did not 
  hinder further expansions. The deities and spirits combined their 
  beings and produced new entities.
  At first only the least of the nature spirits engaged in this 
  sort of breeding, and from these unions spring the least of the 
  nature spirits. Joinings between more powerful entities produced 
  increasingly powerful children. These Young Gods were the 
  delight of the Celestial Court, who nurtured their strange powers 
  and taught them ancient knowledge.
  Many races and beings grew in the Golden Age, filling all 
  of creation with their existence and bustle. All lived in peaceful 
  harmony, overseen by a benevolent bureaucracy embodying the 
  tranquility of the age.
  The Sun God, Yelm, is said to have been the Emperor of 
  the Universe when he ruled the world. He was advised by his 
  elder brother, Dayzatar, and aided by his lusty younger brother—
  Lodril. Yelm wed Ernalda, the Earth Mother, and many other 
  deities were counted in his pantheon.
  During this time many cities and nations were made. There 
  was no need to work, for the earth brought forth its own food, all 
  water was pure and healthful to drink, and anything was willing 
  to offer any aid or assistance. Peace was said to be Yelm’s Cloak, 
  and so the world lived beyond Time.
  THE GODS WAR
  The peace of the Golden Age slowly turned into the strife of 
  the Gods War. The process was long, and came in small steps. 
  Viewed with afterthought, the process seems inevitable.
  The birth of the god Umath started the Gods War. It was no 
  fight or conflict, yet it immediately led to violence. Umath’s first 
  recorded activity was to demand a realm of his own to be equal 
  to those of his parents. When none was available, Umath made 
  one for himself by ripping asunder his father and mother. Thus 
  the sky was separated from the earth forever. This perennial 
  violence set the pattern for the children of Umath as well.
  Umath devolved violently, producing a brood of unruly 
  entities bent on taking or making their own realms of influence. 
  They were joined by many other ambitious or frustrated Young 
  Gods. A long period of growth, change, and movement followed 
  in the cosmos, as these new forces found their places. The power 
  of the Storm gods rose at the expense of other pantheons.
  During this time the institution of worship spread as the 
  lesser races sought protection and support from the greater 
  entities. Sometimes the peoples could tame the violence of the 
  gods, but more often not. As the fighting worsened, the races 
  became more dependent for survival upon the gods.
  When deities began competing for the worship of lesser 
  races, the trouble spread rapidly. The Golden Age eroded. 
  Imperial Yelm contested as an equal with barbarian Orlanth.
  
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  foul to sight and smell, which lay on the ground and turned the 
  dust to ash.” The god of Motion stamped upon it, hoping to 
  destroy the thing with his divine trampling, but the slimy thing 
  bit him and pierced the skin. Larnste was immediately infected 
  and ever afterwards limped when he moved. Worse, his blood 
  was infected. Wherever his blood dropped to the earth it left 
  a foul cesspool. The place where the monster had been was 
  drenched in polluted ichor, and never has healed itself. The place 
  is called Foulblood Woods, in the Holy Country.
  There were other such minor invasions as well, but they 
  failed to do more damage to the world than the gods did to 
  themselves.
  THE CONSPIRACY OF THE UNHOLY TRIO
  One god who lived at this time is said to be the last born of 
  the Young Gods. He was called Rashoran, and none know his 
  parentage. At first Rashoran went about calming the frightened 
  gods, teaching them to be unafraid. It is said that of all the 
  cosmos only he did not fear what he did not know. He taught this 
  knowledge to some of the other gods; most of them succumbed 
  to the Darkness without a struggle after learning from Rashoran, 
  though a few seem to have been fortified, such as Humakt and 
  Uleria. Three others found that they were not afraid, and that 
  they could use the fears of others to their own ends. One of the 
  first things they did was to destroy Rashoran to keep his secret 
  to themselves.
  These murderers were the Unholy Trio. Hatred, selfishness, 
  greed, and jealousy motivated them. These short-sighted 
  emotions are now considered to be symptoms of Chaos in the 
  world, and they were originated by the three, who concentrated 
  their forces and wills to create something new.
  The first of the trio was Ragnaglar, whom some call kinsman 
  to Storm Bull, driven to hatred by jealousy and dishonorable acts. 
  The second was Thed, said to have been wife to Ragnaglar at 
  one time. The third was Mallia, another goddess, who had great 
  properties to aid birth and growth. These three joined together 
  and perverted their natures to make their weapon of hatred and 
  vengeance.
  The Unholy Trio made the end of the world. They wove a 
  great magical ritual of potency far greater than anything before 
  accomplished, for they had discovered the wonder and power of 
  Primal Chaos, and used it magically to strengthen themselves for 
  what was to come. They then engaged in their rituals of Chaos-
  birth. When it was done, the world was changed, and new forces 
  roamed the world.
  THE DEVIL: WAKBOTH AND KAJABOR
  The product of the ritual was the Devil, the product of poisoned 
  souls. Documents and oral memories from Storm, Darkness, and 
  Earth cults name the product Wakboth. After that, more deities 
  and spirits of Chaos and destruction were born into the world.
  Wakboth the Devil is the moral evil of the world. This 
  senseless and terrifying entity is caused by wanton disregard for 
  life, and he supports continuous brutal destruction. Twisted and 
  foul, Wakboth is the world defiler. His existence was pure insult, 
  since the world was doomed anyway, and he worsened the pain 
  for all involved.
  The terror spread by such foulness gave the incentive for 
  individuals to fight on and win the I Fought We Won battle 
  The power of Death was either the first of the New Powers 
  or the last of the old. It came first to the hands of Humakt (who 
  used it on Grandfather Mortal) and then to Orlanth (who used 
  it on Yelm). The death of the Emperor of Light felled the last 
  strongholds of the age, and instituted a new reign.
  THE STORM AGE
  Philosophers also call the Storm Age the Lesser Darkness. It 
  began when Yelm was killed, and left the world of the living 
  to follow Grandfather Mortal into the land of Death. Other 
  gods of Light also failed: Dayzatar the Sky God drew further 
  away, Lodril was first buried and then imprisoned by a god of 
  Darkness, and lesser gods (like Yelmalio) were wounded or hid 
  themselves away.
  More than Darkness spread across the age, for life followed 
  the light into the lands of the dead. Spirits of plants, animals, and 
  minerals took the path of the dead and were lost to the world. 
  Without light the earth soon slept, and the world seemed barren 
  when compared to the Golden Age.
  The gods fought when they wished. The Storm gods 
  dominated, but the Darkness pantheons and Sea deities also 
  fielded powerful forces. Glorantha became a broad, barren land 
  swept by angry storms, crushing ice, brutal volcanoes, and pieces 
  of the sky tumbling dead to the earth.
  During this time new races of humans were born in the 
  world, and sometimes the old ones adapted or survived as slaves. 
  Despite the hardships, cultures throve, and grandly barbaric 
  societies gladly and grimly fought for existence.
  Unchanged in all this was the Celestial Court. They had 
  held aloof from the petty squabbles changing the face of their 
  world and lent themselves impartially to anyone capable of 
  wielding the powers, even remaining unattached when their 
  powers were used in new ways by exploitive intelligences. As 
  the crisis grew, the Court could not act to halt their own abuse. 
  Instead they engaged in “immortal discourse, celestial debate, 
  and the scribbling of scrolls.” The world disintegrated around 
  them, at last straining the immortal strength of the Court beyond 
  endurance. Imagine the dilemma of Kargan Tor, the god of War, 
  when he was forced to face himself in battle, or when Uleria, 
  goddess of Love, impregnated herself, or when Acos, god of 
  Law, made a ruling and found himself unjust. It was as if an 
  illness came upon the gods. Tremors shook the immobile Spike, 
  and the cosmos weakened.
  THE BIRTH OF CHAOS
  The growing instability worsened conditions for gods and men 
  who craved peace and security. The initial disruptions were 
  hastened by Ratslaf, god of Disorder, and his race of creatures 
  called boggles. Some blame everything on Ratslaf and his 
  followers, but such blame only shifts attention from the real 
  culprits, the gods themselves, who persisted in acting against 
  their own welfare.
  Gradually there came to be other things in the world. At 
  first these creatures seem to have seeped through cracks in the 
  world’s logic, oozing through and infecting the surface and the 
  interior of reality.
  One such creature is well-known in tales. Its true name is 
  unknown but it is always called Krarsht. Krarsht may have been 
  the creature which Larnste once saw, “a small squirming thing, 
  
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  fought fiercely, desperate in their fear, but the armies of Chaos 
  soon swept down the corridors and into the chambers where the 
  Celestial Court prepared for their end. The Chaos forces burst 
  upon the powers of creation, smashing the ancient Runes and 
  scattering them to the winds. The gods and goddesses collapsed 
  and were hacked to pieces or otherwise abused by their foes.
  The final struggle unbound anxious energies which had been 
  bent and twisted by eons of divine misuse. A cosmic explosion 
  freed the pressure, vaporizing The Spike and its inhabitants. A 
  great vacuum opened in the center of the world, from which 
  stepped the gods of Chaos. This began the Greater Darkness.
  THE AGE OF TERROR
  The Age of Terror is another name for the period known as 
  the Greater Darkness. This was the end of the world for most 
  Gloranthan entities, and a period of pain, fear, and misery for 
  the rest. Parts of the world vanished. Parts were isolated and 
  set adrift in a shapeless existence without hope. Nothing was 
  tenable, and even change was unreliable.
  The destruction of The Spike begins this era, for the 
  explosion rocked the world to its foundations and determined 
  the final struggles of many gods.
  At first the vacuum at the center of the world threatened 
  to swallow everything. However, many deities sacrificed 
  themselves by leaping fanatically to combat the void, and their 
  acts filled it, rather than leaving a hole into emptiness. The gods 
  who sacrificed themselves that way were changed by it, though 
  many of them managed to survive the death of their universe 
  through their actions. Prominent was Magasta, a sea god who 
  rallied almost all the waters of the world to aid him in filling the 
  hole. From that time on, all rivers have flowed downhill, toward 
  Magasta’s Pool, rather than continuing their creeping invasion 
  of the land.
  The struggles were rarely so successful. Death and entropy 
  raged across the land, leaving it barren and rotting. Reigning 
  Young Gods were now fugitives. Places became empty of air, 
  water was broken or jelled, and the earth began to lose solidity. 
  Gods died. Races vanished. Life flickered.
  Gods of terror in this age included Kajabor and Wakboth 
  as leaders. The Unholy Trio continued their rampage, so that 
  the names of Ragnaglar, Thed, and Mallia became synonymous 
  with fear. There were other invaders, too, such as Tien the 
  Headhunter and Krarsht the Hungry One. Beings who had once 
  been Gloranthan in nature, but had turned to Wakboth’s ways 
  for their selfish ends (such as Vivamort) prowled the lands. 
  Conquered areas were filled with slime by a giant malevolent 
  ooze called Gorpgod. New races of creatures, born from Chaos 
  or mutated from traitorous things, crawled over the land. The 
  wildlife once opposed to the invasion, such as the Crimson Bat, 
  was overwhelmed and enslaved.
  Resisters still held out. Where there was a fight there would 
  be help, meager though it might be. Starcaptains fell from the sky 
  and saved their tribes. The Lowfires were freed; Oakfed became 
  a great weapon to scorch away all impurities. Found Child came 
  then and taught people to hunt for food to sustain themselves.
  The destruction of the world and its people left less and less 
  for the gods and monsters to prey on, and they hungrily turned on 
  each other. The ragged survivors eked out a shaky existence amid 
  the warring forces of their enemies; the awesome unity which 
  and helped even gods (like the Lightbringers) to take heart and 
  attempt the impossible, but in the short run Wakboth offered 
  immense advantages to his followers, and in their fear many 
  of the world joined him, swelling the strength of Chaos and 
  bringing all creation to a crisis.
  Kajabor is another major enemy in this age. Kajabor is 
  mistakenly called ‘the devil’ in some older documents, confusing 
  him with Wakboth. They are similar, for both were great gods for 
  a short time, and had many worshippers, and both turned on their 
  followers. But you must know that Kajabor did it because he had 
  to, and that Wakboth did it for delight.
  Kajabor wields entropy in the world. Often called God-Killer 
  or Black Hole or Great Fear, he destroys all vestiges of matter or 
  energy, annihilating all possibilities of individuality or unity:
  Entities slain by Kajabor have never returned, and often even 
  their names have been lost after being pulled from the universe.
  Kajabor is the Great Fear, and this motivator was important 
  to the actions of the gods. Some say the Great Fear drives people 
  or gods to follow such corruption as Wakboth. For those reasons 
  Kajabor is as much an enemy as true evil, even though it is utterly 
  impersonal and, some say, as natural as the forces of creation.
  THE GODS’ LAST STAND
  Several locations are believed to be original sources for the 
  Chaotic armies which began overwhelming the world. Most of 
  these places are on the far edges of Glorantha, where the forces 
  of order were weakest. Genertelan legend says that the major 
  Chaos army approached from the north, and that Kajabor led it.
  The survivors of the gods were notable warriors and leaders, 
  and were inured to the rigors of war and death. A great alliance of 
  deities met upon the Fields of Plenty to fight these new enemies. 
  Genert led the gods’ army. This earth god was the ranking spirit 
  there, though not the greatest fighter. Others with him included 
  Splendid Yamsur, who was a son of the Sun, and Seolinthur, 
  river god for Genert’s realm. They were disappointed that others 
  did not come, such as their allies Storm Bull and Tada, and their 
  friends from the Celestial Court.
  The forces of Chaos fought to utter victory. The gods 
  disappeared in a maelstrom of previously unknown forces. Their 
  bodies were changed to gorp, and their souls were scoured by the 
  Fatal Screaming. Forever polluted, the Fields of Plenty are now 
  called the Krjalki Bog. The mortal races who sought to escape 
  the rout were saved by Genert, who turned many into a stinging 
  cloud of copper which protected the survivors. Their sacrifice is 
  still visible in the wastes of Genert, when the Copper Sands are 
  seen.
  Though inured to death, the Storm Age was shocked the way 
  the Golden Age had been shocked. True Death, divine entropy, 
  sent some gods into flight, some into inertia, and some into more 
  rabid defense. Many gods sought refuge in The Spike, relying 
  upon the ancient Celestial Court for protection.
  From all sides the armies of Chaos were drawn toward The 
  Spike. The inhabitants prepared a spirited if hopeless defense. 
  The once-impregnable Spike was rent by cracks, and it groaned 
  with misuse. The most ancient powers of the cosmos were 
  decrepit and indifferent. The Young Gods did their best and 
  did it well, delaying Chaos and learning some secrets to fight 
  it. But Kargan Tor abandoned his post and the hordes of Chaos 
  slid through his faults and into the heart of stability. The gods 
  
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  Without leadership, the forces of Chaos further fell back. 
  Gods, people, spirits attacked and began the arduous righting of 
  their world. Daka Fal came, and taught people how to tell the 
  living from the dead. Heroes appeared among the people, and 
  taught survival and compassion. Slowly the world knitted into 
  place. The survivors rebuilt, strong in their new-found hope.
  THE LIGHTBRINGERS’ QUEST
  Orlanth always was a leader among the gods of storm. Like the 
  rest he was wild and unruly, powerful and violent. But each 
  god grew differently in the Gods Age, and Orlanth is one who 
  changed and held his own.
  When Orlanth realized the doom of the world, he determined 
  to seize his responsibility for its destruction and forge a new 
  means of righting the wrong. He cast aside his old bonds and 
  sought new ones, voluntarily dooming himself for the good of 
  the world.
  Orlanth had been a chieftain king among the storm gods, 
  and the Lightbringers were his councilors. Once they had agreed 
  to accompany Orlanth on his quest to Hell, each was pushed 
  to the edge of his knowledge and endurance, and beyond into 
  unknown challenges. They trod unlivable plains, forded rivers of 
  acid and hatred, met their worst foes, their deadliest nightmares, 
  and faced their own doomed selves who tried to bar the way 
  before them.
  The whole of their tale is beyond the scope of this essay. 
  They worked, fought, and suffered mightily for their labors, all 
  of them losing parts of themselves forever. Yet they succeeded, 
  and they entered live into the lands of the dead, and found their 
  way to the King of the Dead.
  In Hell, then, Yelm the Emperor and Orlanth the King came 
  to terms. Each swore great vows of truth and honor to bind 
  themselves to the task. The goddess Arachne Solara laid great 
  schemes and plans between them, and they swore to those plans 
  also, joined by the other gods in death who yearned to survive. 
  There came the most terrible test of Orlanth’s honor, in the Fire 
  of Ehlim, and other gods found the key to life.
  They stood fast as Chaos reached the land of the dead, to 
  confront the empty powers of life for the last time.
  ARACHNE SOLARA
  Arachne Solara is the nickname of an otherwise unnamed deity 
  who may be the goddess of Nature in Glorantha. Her origins 
  are mysterious and subject to speculation, but there are strong 
  indications that she is the ghost of Glorantha, the Mother of the 
  Universe.
  Arachne Solara first comes to notice in the tale of the Great 
  Compromise, wherein Orlanth, Yelm, and the other deities in the 
  Underworld swear pacts and oaths to preserve themselves. The 
  plan upon which they agreed is said to have been created by 
  Arachne Solara, based upon mutual support between all of the 
  remaining world.
  The goddess constructed a great and magical web made of 
  many things no longer found in the world, and then she gave the 
  web to all of the gods to hold ready between them. When Chaos 
  entered into their realm, the gods cast the net upon Kajabor and 
  held him tight while the goddess leapt upon him with vengeance 
  and a strength of desperation and mystical splendor. She 
  had stormed The Spike was revealed to be either an accident or 
  a misconception.
  At one point the armies of Kajabor and Wakboth began 
  to devour each other, but philosophers dispute which one was 
  killed, for no one alive or sane could know such things.
  Prevalent belief says that Kajabor was killed by Wakboth, 
  leaving the world defiler to face the Storm Bull and the god of 
  entropy to face the forces of the dead. This theory has much 
  strength, since the mundane world (reconstructed later) was 
  usually held to be the origin of immorality, while the combination 
  of entropy and existence seem to synthesize into the God Time, 
  who later rules the cosmos.
  THE FINAL BATTLE OF MORTALITY
  The tattered remains of the world seemed to have no chance for 
  unified action against the forces of Chaos. They were isolated 
  by unbridgeable gaps. For instance, though there was a staunch 
  fortress of elves who doggedly defended their sterile forests, 
  aided by Arroin and Yelmalio, they were unable to close the 
  gulf of Chaos between themselves and the trolls’ Castle of Lead, 
  another redoubtable fortress.
  There was a unity between them in their wish for survival, 
  and this unquenchable desire brought individuals across time 
  and space, order and Chaos to confront the final dissolution of 
  the world. It did not matter from whence they were drawn or 
  where it occurred. They fought their last desperate fight against 
  overwhelming odds, motivated by their survival and determined 
  to do their utmost. In this way they combined forces and 
  unconsciously aided each other against their own fears. They 
  were alone, yet found themselves with others like themselves 
  and gained strength. They also consciously aided each other, 
  such as when Kyger Litor told Zzabur how to overcome the 
  Silence which plagued him, and Zzabur showed High King Elf 
  how to enchant away the gorp. The fight joined, the forces of 
  Chaos were destroyed, neutralized, or dispatched.
  This is called I Fought We Won, said to be responsible for 
  the preservation of the world. Notable among those who claim 
  this are Kyger Litor and the Darkness deities, and also Zzabur 
  the Sorcerer Supreme. For instance, Zzabur says that he was able 
  to create a great magical spell which harnessed the forces of anti-
  life (entropy) and sparked off a new reaction of Powers in the 
  world to generate a new creation.
  During the period following the death of Kajabor, the Chaos 
  forces dissipated and weakened. Some deities were still capable 
  of action: foremost among them was the raging Storm Bull.
  Storm Bull mustered its forces to fight the Devil in Prax. He 
  was the destructive desert storm which leaves ruin in its wake 
  and whose touch scours flesh from bone. He was backed by 
  righteous outrage and strengthened by compassion, two things 
  of which Chaos has little. Though his kin and his friends were 
  slain all about him, he still fought on, aided by all of the world. 
  When he was thrown to earth, the earth gave him power, and 
  when he was held in the air he drew power from his breath. Fire 
  aided him and so did cold, and when he had run out of allies the 
  cosmos responded to his cry. A massive block of Truestone, a 
  piece of Law cast adrift when the Spike exploded, crashed to 
  earth and struck the Devil, grinding him and spreading him and 
  his strength about. Afterwards other forces and beings further 
  lessened it and destroyed its unity in the world forever.
  
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  those who did are outlined in this book. Thus there are few gods 
  of Chaos left.
  The mortal races of Chaos are more prevalent. They 
  managed to hide in the forgotten places of the world, or to shore 
  themselves up in a few strong points.
  One of the clear distinctions made in the Compromise is that 
  Chaos is not of the world. The deities and powers of the world 
  had touched it, and were still afraid of it, and their continued 
  existence required that they remain apart from Chaos. Chaos 
  became the enemy which must be fought and suppressed. With 
  one enemy recognized by everyone, the squabbling deities found 
  a common theme for unity.
  THE DAWN AGE
  The years following the first sunrise saw the surviving races 
  of the world grow and flourish. Lands broken and ruined by 
  the Gods War and the Greater Darkness were rejuvenated as 
  the deities reaffirmed themselves within the cold matter of the 
  world. The Dawn Age began with a calm and wonderful growth 
  reminiscent of the Golden Age.
  After a time of peaceful growth, many cultures collided 
  violently upon their borderlands. Ancient races renewed their 
  primeval conflicts and there was war between trolls, dwarves, and 
  elves again. Human cultures also clashed, as in Peloria between 
  the sun-worshipping horse nomads and the storm worshipping 
  First Council.
  During this time there is no mention of incursions from 
  Chaos except for a couple of monsters which were uniquely 
  immense entities. For instance, the Crimson Bat, already a 
  glowing red spot of horror in the world, was active and making 
  havoc throughout Genertela. It is known at different times to 
  have been driven away by heroes from many civilizations.
  Four primary cultures survived the Darkness to establish 
  dominant cultures. Each originated in one or two places, or 
  were liberated by someone from those places. Each place can 
  be identified as the homeland of one of the four thought-modes 
  mentioned as propounding a view on what Chaos was before 
  creation.
  Western Genertela was the source of the humanists. The 
  culture began in the land of Brithos, and was ancient even before 
  Time began. It was so old that it had schisms within it even in 
  the Dawn Age. For instance, the Old Malkioni religion was 
  long forgotten, dead when the god was killed, and instead the 
  wizards’ secrets gave spiritual mastery and fulfillment for the 
  people, but the dawning of year 2 established the New Malkioni 
  religion—the spiritual support of the Hrestol knights. The two 
  extant cultures expanded into the darkened lands and drove 
  away or absorbed the savages who lurked there. They were a 
  sea-going race, thanks to intimate contact with the race called 
  Waertagi (who tried never to set foot on land). They dominated 
  the regions around the Neliomi Sea, the trade routes into Fronela 
  and Tanisor, and the coasts of Slontos.
  Central Peloria gave birth to the theistic way of life. There 
  the people entered into formal and powerful relations with the 
  intelligences of the universe, and the worshipped gods gave great 
  magics in return, according to the patterns established in the 
  Great Compromise. The Lightbringer peoples led the liberation 
  of Peloria from Darkness, meeting the sun-worshipping horse 
  barbarians first, and then the sun-worshipping Dara Happan 
  enwrapped the Chaos god in her legs and struggled mightily, and 
  at last devoured him alive.
  Then the goddess carefully collected her net and used it 
  to conceal the birth of her child. The child is the Pledge of the 
  Gods, and all existence swore by it to uphold their agreements. 
  This is also called the Great Compromise or the Immortal Pact, 
  and it is the oath which recreated the world.
  Yelm and Orlanth and the other deities prepared to leave 
  their home of death. There was still a struggle for them, for they 
  were held in the Underworld against their will, and even the 
  victory of Arachne Solara did not bind the Holders of Hell. But 
  nothing could hope to stand against the liberated forces of Light 
  and Life, and so they surged on into victory and beyond.
  The reborn gods reached the edge of the world at the place 
  now called Dawngate. There a star waited for them, and even 
  the Darkness was glad to see them. The flush of Dawn, the rosy 
  goddess, came. Arachne Solara stood upon the Gate of Time and 
  cast her net across the universe, catching each surviving thing 
  and binding it into the new world. Her child was born then, 
  concealed by the net and protected by the strands. The child was 
  called Time. The gods marched across the barren world, bringing 
  warmth, light, and flower to awed survivors.
  The new world was created. Time reigned. History began.
  HISTORY
  CHAOS AND COMPROMISE
  History in Glorantha is the sum of events occurring since Time 
  began. Mythical events prior to Time were non-sequential and 
  simultaneous actions happening without the benefit of orderly 
  lineal time.
  Time is the Cosmic Compromise. The world of Time is 
  bound by certain laws which the world must follow. If the laws 
  of Time are broken by the world then the impossible has occurred 
  and Chaos will re-enter the world. The most impressive display 
  of this came in the Gbaji Wars which concluded the Dawn Age, 
  as detailed later.
  Time permanently separates the gods and their world from 
  the destruction to which they had submitted in the Gods Age. 
  They formed the pact to ensure their survival, and the world 
  opted to become stagnant rather than non-existent. The gods 
  sacrificed all of their freedom in return for immortality. The 
  balance between the extremes of creation and destruction was 
  moderated by cyclical sharing of extremes by the participants. 
  Everything which had been killed in the Gods War had to remain 
  dead one-half of time, yet also was alive one-half. Thus the world 
  which made up the gods’ bodies was subject to those changes, 
  and the magical energies of the world also followed the flow and 
  pattern. Thus in the winter, the earth and fire deities are weak, but 
  in summer the fire gods are most powerful.
  Within the world of Time live other beings, though, who did 
  not share in the Compromise. These are the mortal races who 
  survived. Unlike the gods, the mortals maintained their freedom. 
  They can impose themselves upon the world and change it to a 
  small extent.
  The Chaos things surviving the Darkness and Dawning fall 
  into the second category of entities. Few Chaos spirits survived 
  enough to become worshipped as deities. The more important of 
  
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  In Fronela, the wizards engaged in a thaumaturgical contest 
  with a powerful heathen god, promising a great sign of their 
  strength to destroy their foes.
  In eastern Genertela, in the land of Kralorela, the latest of 
  the Dragon Emperors meditated upon a potent symbol, whose 
  consequence and inner working was unknown. Without realizing 
  it or not caring about it, he called upon the Dragon’s Eye to shine 
  upon him.
  In Pamaltela, a hundred thousand elves, led by their god of 
  nature called Pamalt, sent their energies coursing through the 
  world to call upon a good spirit to come to their jungle to help 
  combat a virulent rot besetting their inner fibers.
  The sun stopped in the sky.
  No-one knows how long it stood there, for that act halted all 
  normal Time. Manuscripts from the west claim that Time was 
  different before and after the Sun Stop, but this is not verified. 
  All the mortals of the world looked skyward; the sun did not 
  move from its place, though the people went about their business.
  At first nothing happened, but then dark strands grew bolder 
  in the sky, like huge loops of rope from the western edge of the 
  world, hooked over it tautly. Soon a great dark net was visible, 
  straining to pull the sun back to its path. Strands snapped and 
  unearthly shadows were cast upon the world.
  Then a great dark spot rose into the sky upon the net. This 
  huge bloated shadow flickered with a smoky glow. The shadow 
  crept across the face of the sun, blotting it out and making all the 
  world cold for a moment. A snapping moment of terror pierced 
  the world, then the dark sky-web vanished, and the edge of the 
  sun crept past the shadow. The shadow disappeared and the sun 
  brightened, but everyone thought it looked paler than it had 
  before. Some said it moved differently, too.
  In Pamaltela, the heat strengthened the many spirits of 
  that realm. They entered into the jungles, plants, and elves, and 
  combated the rot in their fibers.
  In Kralorela, the Dragon Emperor realized the secrets of the 
  symbol, and was liberated from another stage of consciousness.
  In Fronela, the invading god was struck with weakness; the 
  wizards used their magic to destroy his army, and the soldiers 
  fled in panic, never again to be a great force.
  In Dorastor, there was a birth. Born was Osentalka, the 
  Perfect One. Most called him Nysalor, the White Light, and 
  worshipped him by that name. He was a wonder and a miracle to 
  behold, and the peoples who helped to make him accepted him 
  as a god, and instituted his worship.
  The cult of Nysalor grew peacefully and benevolently; it 
  spread eastward from Dorastor into Peloria, and westward across 
  Kartolin Pass into Ralios. The spread of the cult was kind, and in 
  Peloria many elves developed great fondness for this god of Light.
  Against the trolls and dragonewts the cult was harsher. The 
  god Nysalor’s armies carried war to the gates of the Castle of 
  Lead, but instead of storming that impregnable fortress, the god 
  cursed his foes, and the light of his curse shriveled their children. 
  The descendants of Kyger Litor everywhere afterwards suffered 
  the Trollkin Curse. The dragonewts were conquered and became 
  mercenaries for the rulers in Dorastor.
  In the west, Nysalor’s proselytizers encountered the 
  monotheists and humanists of the Seshnegi and Brithini cultures, 
  Empire. Wherever the Lightbringer agents went, these agents 
  of civilization woke the gods and spirits of a region with their 
  worship and magic.
  The god-worshippers also had another source of power in 
  the oceans.
  The vast spiritual empire of eastern Genertela clung to the 
  mystic secrets of the universe as being the most important. This 
  was another ancient seat of culture whose list of kings was long 
  at the Dawning. These peoples say they were untouched by the 
  Great Darkness, because their powers kept them an island of 
  safety amid the fears of Chaos. The dragons are said to have 
  been their teachers; the dragons of Dragon Pass were either 
  worshippers of or proof of the mystical way.
  The naturalists followed the most widespread way of life in 
  Glorantha. They paid worship to local spirits, objects, places, or 
  vague, impersonal, powerful forces. Naturalism is the religion of 
  animals, plants, and spirits. In Pamaltela, the southern continent, 
  this way of existence dominated, and the natives of all races sought 
  to live in a close and simple harmony with their world. In that 
  continent, even many thousands of elves followed this quiet path.
  The expanding cultures of Genertela often encountered 
  indigenous peoples whom they labelled savages and ignorant 
  natives. Despite observer prejudice, these inhabitants were 
  usually spirit-worshippers of similar outlook to the naturalists, 
  though frequently that outlook would be incomplete or limited.
  In the Dawn Age, these cultures had little contact. Though 
  the borderlands were regions of conflict and synthesis where 
  people broke away from stereotypical world views and integrated 
  new knowledge and experience, there was little penetration of 
  new thinking into the strongholds of belief. The west remained 
  godless and practical, the central lands stayed a land of magical 
  beings and places, and the east was a realm of mystic peace and 
  strange studies. The rest sank in savagery.
  But Dorastor was a different land. Government moved there 
  from Dragon Pass so that the leaders could use the remnants of 
  a civilization discovered there. With its secrets men gained new 
  insights, and many from across the world went there to study.
  They unearthed what they thought to be the secrets of the 
  universe, and a way to determine the truth of the matter. After 
  many debates, the leadership decided to attempt to return the 
  Gods Age to the world by making a god, perfect in every way for 
  all people, to be named Osentalka—the Perfect One.
  As the project began, contention arose with those who 
  were not consulted or ignored; swords flashed in the Hall of 
  Inquiry, regiments clashed in Dorastor, and war broke out in 
  distant provinces. The trolls and dragonewts were especially 
  disgruntled, but their opposition was not sufficient to disrupt the 
  project. Great rituals aided the project, and many spirits were 
  summoned while the gods looked on. Thousands joined in from 
  many countries to lend their power to the project, and the rites 
  went forward with less trouble than theorized.
  Everyone was sure it would be a success.
  THE SUNSTOP
  The year 374 was critical for Glorantha. At that time many 
  synchronous events of tremendous magnitude culminated to 
  force an impossible act to occur.
  In central Genertela, the great Genesis of the Perfect One 
  reached a climax.
  
  18
  Cults of Terror
  RuneQuest
  During Arkat’s struggle in Ralios, diverse forces aided him. 
  Wizards obeyed him, contrary to their tradition for mistrusting 
  knights. Many tribes of heathens followed too, despite their 
  dislike of Malkioni monotheism. One by one the strongholds fell 
  until the forces were concentrated in the eastern part of Ralios, 
  especially the City of Wolves and the fortress of Kartolin.
  The Telmori nation, which worshipped wolves, ruled the 
  City of the Wolves. In taking a taint of Chaos to strengthen 
  themselves, they had become a race of werewolves. They 
  commanded the High Llama Pass between Ralios and Fronela. 
  Kartolin fortress commanded the Kartolin Pass between Ralios 
  and Dorastor. Though his efforts against Kartolin failed, Arkat 
  did storm the City of Wolves and put everything to the sword. 
  Though pockets of survivors still hide there and the place still has 
  their name, the Telmori as a people were driven from the land, 
  and afterwards too from Fronela, this last by Talor the Laughing 
  Warrior. They then began their long trek across the continent, to 
  end only when they reached the edge of the impassable deserts.
  While in Ralios, Arkat learned much of the Heroquesting 
  art. This method of spiritual conquest and growth was known 
  previously, but none had the knowledge and power to explore 
  and exploit the possibilities. Arkat made many incursions into 
  the spirit world to gain magical tools and allies against the cult 
  he had sworn to eradicate. Sometimes he failed and suffered 
  greatly from these quests, such as when a poisoned magical spear 
  was turned in its flight and struck him in the foot. This wound 
  plagued him long after. After many years of effort and thousands 
  of lives and souls wasted, Arkat left an army before Kartolin and 
  sought a new approach to the strongholds of the cult in Dorastor.
  Peloria knew Gbaji as Nysalor or Osentalka. There this god 
  was widely known and accepted as a benevolent god of Light and 
  Power by the natives, and their worship of him had gained them 
  peace and plenty in return. The Pelorians afterwards would view 
  this period as the Golden Peace. As the wars drew closer, they 
  gladly provided money and soldiers. Those armies were first used 
  against the races which had betrayed the council and walked out 
  on the creation of Gbaji, especially the trolls (who suffered the 
  tragic Trollkin Curse from Nysalor and the dragonewts [who had 
  been humbled and forced into servitude]). Some humans also 
  fought against the cult, especially at the fringes of his influence, 
  such as Dragon Pass or the northern horse steppes.
  In one great journey through the quavering realms of 
  mythology in search of a liberator, a band of Lightbringers 
  eventually found their way to Seshnela and to Arkat. They 
  convinced him that he could approach Dorastor through Dragon 
  Pass, and that he could find powerful allies there to help him. 
  They also provided him important details about his magical 
  sword and who had made it. Arkat decided to break with his 
  knightly position and to join the cult of Humakt, the god whom 
  people said was his father. These acts endeared him to many 
  residents of the lands he approached.
  Arkat and a western army landed in the Shadowlands, 
  later called the Holy Country. There they were aided by many 
  islanders, and a great army of trolls rose to help him. Surprised 
  by this inhuman aid, he took it immediately and it was well 
  that he did, for the troll anti-Chaos powers were instrumental 
  in breaking the army flowing out of Snake Pipe Hollow against 
  him. The region was cleared after much pain and blood, as a year 
  and the new cult was not well-received. But when a plague 
  broke out in Tanisor and spread into Seshnela and Arolanit, the 
  Riddlers of Nysalor were able to heal the plague, and so were 
  often accepted among those peoples.
  ARKAT AND THE GBAJI WARS
  Arkat came from the western land of Brithos. This hero led a 
  long and successful war against the cult of the god Gbaji.
  Some say Arkat’s father was Humakt, the god of war, but 
  the Brithini claim the hero’s father was a barbarian warrior. 
  Whatever the truth, Arkat possessed a powerful weapon before 
  he left the island: the weapon was called God-Cleaver, reputed 
  to be the Unbreakable Sword.
  His mother was driven from home by outraged parents, 
  though none now know why. Arkat grew up among the Aldryami 
  of Brithos. He was raised in his grandfather’s soldier caste, 
  and proved himself a prodigy in combat. Later, in his youth, 
  he saw the dark side of the foreign cult Gbaji, ‘the Deceiver.’ 
  Because of this Arkat fought well on his island and helped drive 
  the vile religion from the cities. It was here that his life-goal of 
  eradicating the Gbaji cult began.
  As one of the leading soldiers, Arkat accompanied a Brithos 
  expedition attempting to liberate their provinces in Arolanit from 
  the Gbaji influences. Here, though known as the cult of Nysalor, 
  the Gbaji cult gained wide acceptance by curing previously 
  unknown diseases for free. The Brithini wizards discovered, 
  though that the cult actually had planted the diseases in the first 
  place. Such treachery earned Nysalor the new name of Gbaji, 
  and so all his enemies called him thereafter.
  Once freed, the Arolanit city-states volunteered forces to 
  follow Arkat’s army against foreign centers of power, especially 
  in the kingdom of Tanisor. They set off with hope and cheer, 
  but a vampire attack slew many leaders, and the Brithini effort 
  collapsed when routed in one sharp battle. Arkat had no forces 
  to fulfill his vow to destroy the cult. He realized that the Brithini 
  caste structure made impossible efficient use of the forces 
  available. He found new allies in Seshnela.
  The Gbaji cult plagued the powerful kingdom of Seshnela at 
  the time. Arkat raised and organized strong local forces to resist 
  and drive off the cult.
  There he also began to train to become a full Knight 
  of Hrestol. In these years he uncovered the first clues to 
  Heroquesting, though making no great advance in the art. He 
  became a great knight quickly, and led a splendid army against 
  Tanisor.
  Tanisor was a traditional enemy of Seshnela. When the 
  Gbaji cult was driven out of Seshnela, they found refuge in 
  Tanisor and swelled the army there, but to no avail. After several 
  years of fighting, the capital was besieged and taken, and even 
  the famous Vampire Legion was destroyed by Arkat.
  Moving deeper into Ralios, Arkat and his army found that 
  many barbarian nations and non-humans had embraced the cult. 
  Since non-humans were uncommon in Seshnela and Brithos, the 
  invaders called the forces arrayed against them the League of 
  Monsters, using the word Krjalki to describe their non-human 
  enemies as a single group. In their ignorance, much of the army 
  thought that the Krjalki were mutated monsters who had long 
  sold themselves to Chaos.
  
  Classic Edition
  19
  RuneQuest
  Two great schools of investigation existed in the Second 
  Age. One originated in the far east and became a popular mystical 
  religion which created new horizons of magic. The political 
  form of this religion was the Empire of the Wyrms Friends, 
  the Dragonlords. The vast energies for maintaining this type of 
  magic severely oppressed many peoples, and after a time they no 
  longer believed that their leaders could return the Golden Age to 
  them, and began revolting. Aided by foreign gods, the rebellions 
  spread, and destroyed the Empire of the Wyrms Friends in 1042.
  In three generations the peoples of the world took upon 
  themselves the eradication of the dragonewts and their kin, in 
  vengeance for their oppression during the Empire. In 1100, the 
  True Golden Horde entered the nesting ground of Dragon Pass. 
  There they met a world full of dragons, come to their home from 
  across space and Time for the sake of their souls. Few humans 
  escaped from this Pelorian disaster, which brought new respect 
  to the ancient races.
  The second line of investigation was from the God Learners. 
  Their secrets were a synthesis culled from many diverse cultures 
  which brought about new types of magic. Cleverly exploiting the 
  similarities and differences in all that they found, creating grand 
  and grandiose devices or magical spells, they wove the four 
  modes of magic into one etheric cloth of powers and energies 
  which seemed to envelope the cosmos.
  They achieved special freedom not available before to god 
  or mortal, making new realizations, and devising measurements 
  and recordings, and computing and testing their results among 
  the world of the gods. The two accompanying texts show some 
  examples of their thinking and cast further light upon some of 
  the mysteries of Chaos.
  The God Learners pioneered our understanding of the spirit 
  plane. They knew of the travels of Arkat, and of others before 
  him who did not often realize what they did. The God Learners 
  standardized many myths and methods for reaching to the secrets 
  of the gods. They went into the mysterious Other Side to retrieve 
  legendary artifacts or to view cosmic events which had been 
  forgotten. They were accomplished mages, and several among 
  them were noted as heroes of later ages.
  Analogous to the God Learners in the political sphere was 
  the Middle Sea Empire, also called the Jrusteli Empire for the 
  fishland from which they emerged. They dominated the sea after 
  driving off the Waertagi shipbuilders. They rarely took a region, 
  but seized individual cities or established colonies, then let their 
  overwhelming culture infiltrate and take advantage of whatever 
  outlets were available. They ruled almost all of the important 
  coastal regions of Glorantha in the Second Age.
  They fell because they bent Nature too much to their 
  own ends. The forces of the old world and the old gods made 
  abrupt changes which destroyed the newcomers. The brooding 
  Waertagi struck suddenly and sank not only ships but lands as 
  well. The Kralori lands mustered great mental powers and drove 
  their oppressors into the ports first, then flushed them from the 
  land altogether. The lands of Seshnela, Jrustela and Slontos were 
  sunk beneath the sea, and Brithos disappeared also.
  A curse swept across the sea, making it impossible to pass 
  over the surface of the oceans. This also destroyed much of the 
  Waertagi strength; they claim this treachery was by Zzabur, 
  ancient wizard of Brithos. Coupled with the great lands lost to 
  the sea, this was a mortal blow to civilization, and the coasts 
  later the cult of Gbaji/Nysalor was driven from Dragon Pass. An 
  army of dragonewts joined to help.
  The further struggles in Peloria were painful and difficult, 
  and Arkat lost as many battles as he won. His western allies 
  dwindled, replaced by Orlanthi barbarians and trolls. Arkat 
  noted the troll successes and chose to align himself with them 
  more closely. He first joined the cult of Kyger Litor, taking the 
  name Kingtroll, then joined Zorak Zoran as well to bring mighty 
  devastation against his foes.
  This last act horrified many, especially the Lightbringers 
  who had brought him to central Genertela and who now saw their 
  quest a failure since they had brought Darkness instead of Light. 
  The survivors set off again to find proper help. The Humakti 
  were shocked to see their once-revered leader acting trollish, 
  ordering the devastation of cities and fields to destroy his enemy. 
  Already depleted and demoralized, many westerners returned 
  home with sad and fearful stories of their leader becoming a 
  bloodthirsty Krjalki like the foes he once had fought to eradicate. 
  But all the while Arkat’s army inched forward, taking land, city, 
  and fortress, devouring life and leaving little behind.
  Arkat left no part of Dorastor untouched. His remaining 
  armies dissolved in the increasingly awesome struggles that 
  broke the land and drove Chaos from it. Both Arkat and Nysalor 
  summoned mighty heroes and demigods to aid in their last fight. 
  Finally, atop the Tower of Dreams, amid the City of Miracles, 
  the two opponents met in single combat as all existence seemed 
  to shatter around them. The city was turned to dust and poison, 
  killing many of the greatest still surviving. From the ruins only 
  Arkat emerged, and the downfall of Nysalor was complete, and 
  he now was known only as Gbaji the Deceiver. The defamed god 
  was dismembered, and his parts were buried in different places 
  beneath many tons of rock and much powerful magic.
  After the battle Arkat was no longer a troll, or so said his 
  friends, and so did many trolls. The war against Gbaji had lasted 
  75 years; now Arkat retired to quiet lands in Ralios which he had 
  admired in his younger days. There he cleared a simple farmstead 
  and kept the area around it under his watchful eye for his other 
  75 years. In Ralios the region is known as Arkat’s Peace.
  After the war was over and people talked about the events, 
  they always wondered how Arkat could be so lucky against the 
  various cult spirits of retribution, and they wondered where 
  his sword went, and they agreed that he was strong-willed and 
  severe in his dealings.
  People in Peloria said that Nysalor’s reign was a wonderful 
  time, and thought it had been much like the Golden Age. But 
  when people tried to sacrifice to the god to help him with prayers, 
  there was no response, and so they also said he was dead.
  The cult of Gbaji was ended. Those of Peloria who had 
  revered Nysalor returned to their simpler, older gods, but ever 
  afterward held bitterness against the demigod Arkat, who had 
  destroyed a friend.
  THE SECOND AGE
  The years of the Second Age are ca. 500 S.T. to 1100 S.T. The 
  final years of this age vary by region, most concluding with 
  whatever local disaster overthrew their civilization. Despite the 
  cataclysms at the end of the Age, there was little at its start to 
  forebode doom ahead.
  The forces of Chaos enjoyed little success at this time.
  
  20
  Cults of Terror
  RuneQuest
  into Ralios. The kingdom of Loskalm prospered in Fronela, 
  controlling a great peaceful bay. The city-states squabbled, 
  fought hill barbarians and Krjalki, or temporarily united against 
  Tanisor. In Peloria, the tired eastern duchies trembled before 
  mounted barbarians, while the west knew peace. In Kralorela, 
  the ancient mystics lived on, spreading benevolent peace for the 
  submissive farmers and stirring unspoken passions among the 
  richer classes.
  In 1220 S.T., great stirrings in the world centered in the land 
  of Peloria, presaging an event which would utterly change the 
  spread of Chaos across the world. It was the birth of the Red 
  Goddess. The birth was a long-wrought magical spell completed 
  with the extraordinary event. Some say that the goddess was a 
  shattered spirit from the Gods Age who was resurrected by the 
  Seven Mothers. No one knows her parents.
  The unearthly powers of the Red Goddess stirred fear and 
  mistrust from the peoples and deities about her, and her early 
  life was a time of battle and victory. Her battle was temporal 
  at first, then she entered into a great Heroquest to find herself 
  and her secret inner powers. She was gone for years; her lands 
  were abandoned. Power shifted to the interior of the continents 
  for the next age.
  Where Arkat settled and retired, there developed a powerful 
  and dangerous country, called the Kingdom of Arkat by its 
  peoples and the Dark Empire by its foes. The nation deserved 
  both names. It conquered with quick success or used horrible 
  magics to subdue, punish, and destroy. Though benevolent when 
  untroubled, the Dark Empire was cruel when provoked. The 
  Jrusteli helped conquer the Empire while aiding their relatives, 
  the Seshnegi. The Jrusteli were quick to share in the plunder, and 
  many saw afterwards parts from the Dark Empire in the Jrusteli 
  secrets.
  The memory of the Dark Empire survived in parts of Ralios. 
  That is often a land of city-states strung along the fertile rivers, 
  and they revere the name of and worship Arkat. But to many 
  afterwards, the name and memory of Arkat was considered a 
  curse, and they looked upon the Gbaji Wars as the thrashings of 
  two detestable foes.
  No cry of Chaos or uprising from the ooze dismayed the 
  world. The great lands were sunk, Brithos’ curse swept the seas 
  clear, and then the dragons slew thousands in self-defense. The 
  Second Age was over.
  THE THIRD AGE
  The coasts soon became abandoned and mysterious. The great 
  ports became darkened and ruined troll haunts. Though rivers 
  were friendly, no sailor could bear to sail the sea.
  In the west, Tanisor ruled in the south, heir to refugees 
  from broken Seshnela and mistress of the great river system 
  ...of high crown [major importance] concerning the 
  hordes of the Divine Fear may be that the Four Horrors 
  of the long night [the Great Darkness] could have been 
  the Four Origins turned into and through themselves, as a 
  glove may be when first It is sewn and then it is worn. Mark 
  that the inside of a glove may be smooth, yet the outside 
  be rough. So might it be that this Plane is the same and 
  yet different, perhaps not just once but many times, for all 
  things will have a start, a stop, and a new beginning. The 
  forces do set well in balance.
  The Void less than nothing, formless beyond emptiness, 
  became the Wasteworld, the concealer of demons.
  The Prime Mover, that natural force never mining, 
  dissolved to Kajabor God-Killer.
  The Silence, the wonder of the world to come, became 
  the Howling Rage, the Mountain Stabber.
  The Well of Wonder [the Primal Plasma faded from 
  a butterfly to the worm, then to the grey Gorpgod, whose 
  waves lapped upon creation and ate it away.
  This I see as tragic, but not tainted with the evil which 
  came but from Wakboth the Devil at origin; the tears of 
  the world come in this way: that which was beautiful and 
  good outside this Plane became foul and fearsome brought 
  once to us.
  -fragment from the lost book of Salonar Tamaskil, 
  trans. by Greg Stafford
  [Our] philosophers deduce Chaos to be the passionate 
  refusal to recognize the limits of the natural and moral 
  universe. It is part of the mortal condition that this limitation 
  should be vital to a decent life for any of us, but in extreme 
  it is manifested in the so-called Chaotic creatures in whom 
  it is virtually the sole passion. Chronic discontent with 
  the limited world therefore causes the Chaotic creature 
  to ... despise life and the limited happiness it yields when 
  compared to the possibilities of transcending the world. 
  The Chaotic are arrogant: they want to be in the world, 
  but not of it.
  This passionate refusal has odd consequences. 
  Whereas a man might decide to commit murder for 
  financial or moral reasons, the Chaotic being will consider 
  murder because it is forbidden, and he cannot endure 
  being forbidden to act. This refusal of the Chaotic to so 
  submit allows him to draw upon the Power of primordial 
  Chaos, and thereby partially transcend the rules of the 
  world. Yet those rules still determine the Chaotic’s actions: 
  you or I must obey the laws, because they are the laws; the 
  Chaotic must disobey the laws, because they are the laws. 
  Since even the most powerful Chaotic cannot defy all laws 
  at once, they feel forever enslaved by all those checks on 
  their freedom. The true Chaotic, such as the two-headed 
  dragonsnail, must be then both miserable on Glorantha 
  and a menace to the societies of it, and a warrior does both 
  the afflicted being and all of us a favor by killing it.
  ...Chaotic features are the consequence of a particular 
  combination of feelings and ... philosophy characteristic 
  of a Chaotic spirit, and could not be induced in you or 
  I by anything less than attunement of a cursed crystal. 
  Less intimate connections, such as the ability of some to 
  converse mentally may allow thoughts and feelings to be 
  known, but does not alter the personality structure....
  translation by Ray Turney
  
  Classic Edition
  21
  RuneQuest
  THE REMINISCENCES OF 
  PAULIS LONGVALE
  Set apart from the main text throughout this book are the 
  reminiscences of Paulis Longvale cousin of Chief Hahlgrim of 
  the Bilini and companion to Hahlgrim and Ketil Ericsbane
  PAULIS
  Paulis’ father sent his son to Hahlgrim for a summer’s seasoning 
  on the frontier before the youth assumed a bureaucratic position 
  deep within the Lunar Empire. The father had been converted to 
  Lunar ways years before, but kept close clan ties. That summer 
  stretched into several adventure-filled years, as young Paulis 
  rode the turmoil of a typical buffer kingdom both as an educated 
  young man of the Empire and as a blood cousin of a powerful 
  family of the little kingdom.
  At that time Paulis was an Initiate of Irrippi Ontor, and he 
  kept to the ways of his faith even as he developed a cosmopolitan 
  respect for the gods of his cousins, taking notes and setting down 
  impressions. Many years later the cult commissioned him to 
  create a narrative from the deposited materials, which he did 
  after much prodding.
  A bright, humorous young man, Paulis grew colder and more 
  sardonic as the years passed, and his first version of the events 
  which follow frequently was both cruel and inaccurate. To his 
  credit, his work finally repelled Paulis, and upon retirement he 
  created a new version of events to which later historians refer as 
  much for its deft portraits as for the light it casts upon events. It 
  is from this latter version that the translations have been made.
  Paulis affected to be a man of letters, though the work which 
  he left behind is mostly unread today. He wrote in an older 
  Pelorian dialect which was sometimes quaint to read even then; 
  the translators have attempted to render that element of his style 
  as well.
  THE BILINI
  Four kings of the Bilini are important to the narrative. The first 
  is Eric *, whom Ketil killed in 1611 S.T.. After Eric came Hakon 
  the Swimmer, who was slain by Hahlgrim. After Hakon came 
  Bolthor Brighteye, whose death occurred during the period of 
  Paulis’ narrative. The last of the four was Oddi the Keen, priest 
  of Storm Bull and brother to Hahlgrim.
  Ketil had slain Eric in single combat during a battle, but the 
  Bilini nobility swore blood feud upon him, and the king slayer 
  fled to the Orlanthi temple at Oxhead, and there served for many 
  years, gaining the respect and friendship of the powerful, even 
  among the Bilini.
  Hahlgrim was a noble chieftain of the Bilini who long 
  feuded with the royal household. Though not present at the battle 
  where Eric died, Hahlgrim was already an enemy of Hakon the 
  Swimmer when that lord ascended the throne, for both came 
  from rival families jealously struggling for control of regional 
  trade.
  Having taken power, Hakon persecuted Hahlgrim’s kin 
  and took away their trading position. Hahlgrim held his honor, 
  and Orlanth Rex found against the king for a large sum, which 
  was paid. With part of the bloodpain debt Hahlgrim took his 
  immediate family into exile with the neighboring Skanthi 
  hillmen. Hakon resumed his persecutions of Hahlgrim’s clan, so 
  Hahlgrim returned, slew Hakon and burned the now-confiscated 
  fell into disrepair as enemies slowly crushed them. At last she 
  reappeared, this time leading the Crimson Bat, and she spread 
  terror before her. Afterwards, with the Bat and her army, she 
  spread her conquests.
  Because her growth was unprecedented and because she 
  was blatantly connected with Chaos, the Red Goddess’ growth 
  stirred the ancient powers of the Elder Gods. After destroying 
  the kingdom of Carmania, she warred with a race of magical 
  beings at a place called Castle Blue. The old gods were drawn 
  into the conflict, mustered to dispel this eruption of Chaos from 
  the universe. The world seemed torn apart, but when it was 
  remade the goddess was victorious. In mystic struggles and 
  arcane judgements she had proved herself a part of the world 
  of Glorantha, unable to be cast out by the greatest powers and 
  magics. Shortly afterwards she took upon herself the great piece 
  of earth which is now the Crater, and ascended into the sky, 
  where she is now visible as the Red Moon.
  The Red Goddess met and overcame some strange deities 
  in her Heroquest, and these are said to be part of her source of 
  odd powers. These gods include Arachne Solara and Nysalor, 
  and philosophers say she also is intimate with Time. These are 
  all strange powers to the gods of the world, and many still fear 
  and mistrust her.
  Happily the Red Goddess in no way condones the 
  widespread worship of Chaos entities which follow the ways of 
  the Devil and fall into moral depravity. The religion and state do 
  not forbid it, either, as required by their philosophy. The rulers 
  are adroit at manipulating the results if people do fall into the 
  ways of Chaotic gods. Lunar history contains lessons of generals 
  and priests gone bad, and point them out as bad examples.
  By its faith, the Lunar Empire must accept Chaos in 
  philosophy and make use of it as necessary. The Crimson Bat 
  is an example of how this can be done, as may be the vampire 
  regiment rumored training in the mountains. Yet many Lunar 
  heroes gained fame by killing vampires or smashing the slave 
  heads of Thanatar. The awareness of the educated or sensitive 
  concerning the proximity of Chaos makes them acutely aware 
  of their dire responsibilities. The teachings of the Red Goddess, 
  though passionate and fierce, strongly admonishes against 
  certain temptations.
  The Lunar Empire has grown powerful and effective. 
  It has conquered most of Peloria, and nibbles the borders to 
  push beyond, but the final effect of its cults and temptations is 
  yet to be seen. Foreigners are uncertain about what has been 
  brewing inside the imperial borders. Lunar citizens, content in 
  the fruitfulness and peace of the Empire, are often blind to what 
  they might see. Even the Red Goddess, known as the Mistress of 
  Time, is blind to the future.
  Philosophers say it is time for a new cataclysm to end the 
  world age, as seems to occur every 500 years. Others see the 
  gods and spirits drawing closer, as the powers of certain men 
  attain godly stature.
  It is the start of the times when the world is pushed to excess 
  and it is time for hard reckonings. Powers are stirring to make a 
  stand. Old foes have strength for new troubles.
  It is the start of the Hero Wars.
  
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  RuneQuest
  ACOS [AY-cose] – member of the Celestial Court; god of Law.
  AETHER [AY-ther] -  member of the Celestial Court; god of Primal 
  Fire.
  ALDRYA [AHL-dri-uh] – goddess of the forests and elves.
  ARACHNE SOLARA [ah-RAK-ni so-LAHR-uh] – goddess of 
  nature.
  ARKAT [AR-kat] – First Age hero; enemy and destroyer of Gbaji.
  ARROIN [ar-ROIN] – god of Healing.
  ATYAR [AT-yar] – chaos god; devourer of Knowledge; a skull.
  BAGOG [bah-GOG] – Chaos god; queen of the scorpion races.
  BOLTHOR [BOLE-thor] HAIRYBREEKS – a Bilini king.
  CHALANA ARROY [chah-LAHN-uh ahr-ROY] – Lightbringer 
  goddess of Healing.
  CRIMSON BAT – Chaos god; monstrous mutated bat.
  DAKA FAL [DAH-kah FAHL] – god of the dead; founder of all 
  ancestor worship.
  DAYZATAR [duh-ZAY-ter] – god of the sky.
  DELECTI [di-LEK-tie]  - necromancer hero of Vivamort who lives 
  in Dragon Pass.
  EIRITHA [I-REE-thuh] – goddess of herd-beasts.
  ELLISIF [el-LIS-if] – Rune Priestess of Chalana Arroy, Oxhead 
  temple.
  ERNALDA [er-NAHL-duh] – mother goddess of the Earth.
  ETYRIES [eh-TEER-iez] – Lunar goddess of trade.
  EURMAL [IR-mal] – a Lightbringer; the Trickster god.
  GATA [GAH-ta] – member of the Celestial Court; primal Earth 
  goddess.
  GBAJI [guh-BAH-ji] – “the deceiver”; malevolent aspect of Nysalor.
  GINNA JAR [GIN-nuh JAR] – mysterious force sometimes counted 
  as a Lightbringer.
  GLORANTHA [glor-AN-thuh] – goddess of Compassion and source 
  of the universe.
  HAHLGRIM [HAWL-grim] THE MIGHTY – Rune Master of 
  Orlanth; Bilini tribesman.
  HAKON [HAY-kawn] THE SWIMMER – a Bilini king.
  HIGH KING ELF – elf leader of Protectors.
  HRESTOL [HRES-tul] – the first knight; popular in Western belief.
  HROTHMIR [HROTHE-meer] – the Horned Hero; beheader and first 
  victim of Tien.
  HUMAKT [HEW-makt] – god of War and Death.
  HYKIM [HIE-kim] – god of all animals.
  IRRIPI ONTOR [er-RIP-pi ON-tore] – one of the Seven Mothers; 
  god of Knowledge.
  ISSARIES [i-SAHR-ies] – Lightbringer god of trade, communication.
  JALAKEEL [jah-lah-KEEL] – one of the Seven Mothers; goddess of 
  Darkness and Witchcraft.
  KAJABOR [kah-shzah-BORE] – a Chaos god; sometimes called the 
  Devil; god of Entropy.
  KARGAN TOR [KAR-gan TORE] – member of the Celestial Court; 
  god of Conflict.
  KETIL [KET-uhl] ERICSBANE – priest of Orlanth, Oxhead temple.
  KRARSHT [KRAR-sht] – a Chaos goddess of Hunger and Traps.
  KYGER LITOR [KIGH-gore LEE-tore] – goddess of trolls.
  LARNSTE [LARN-stay] – member of Celestial Court; god of Change.
  LODRIL [LOW-dril] – god of Volcanoes and Heat.
  LOWFIRE – tripartite deity of Fire.
  MAGASTA [muh-GAE-stuh] – god of Conflict, Change, and Death 
  in the oceans.
  MALKION [MAL-ki-own] – god of the West claiming omnipotence.
  MALLIA [MAHL-lee-uh] – Chaos goddess of disease; one of the 
  Unholy Trio.
  MONNIE [MON-i] – a Bilini queen; wife to Bolthor Hairybreeks.
  MOSTAL [MOSS-tahl] – god of Dwarves and Builders.
  NAKALA [nuh-KAHL-uh] – member of Celestial Court; primal 
  goddess of Darkness.
  NYSALOR [NIGH-suh-lore] – “The Bright One,” or “White Light;” 
  the benevolent aspect of Nysalor/Gbaji.
  ODDI [OD-di] THE KEEN – a Bilini king; brother to Hahlgrim.
  ORENOAR [oh-REEN-oh-ar] -  member of the Celestial Court; 
  goddess of Truth.
  ORLANTH [ORE-lanth] – a Lightbringer; god of Chieftains, Storms 
  and Justice.
  RAGNAGLAR [rag-NAG-lar] – a Chaos god; the Mad God; father 
  of the broos; member of the Unholy Trio.
  RASHORAN [RAHSH-ohe-ran] – the last-born deity of the Gods 
  Age, or the first of the Chaos gods, slain in the Great Darkness.
  RATSLAF [RATS-laf] – member of Celestial Court; god of Disorder.
  RED GODDESS – the Lunar goddess of the Red Moon.
  SEOLINTHUR [see-ohe-LIN-ther] – extinct god of Rivers; friend 
  of Genert.
  STORM BULL – god of Berserkers and the Desert Storm.
  STYX – goddess of the River of Death.
  THAN – a Chaos god; the Headless God.
  THANATAR – a Chaos god; the Severed God.
  THED – a Chaos goddess; Mother of Broos; one of the Unholy Trio.
  TIEN [TEE-yen] – a Chaos god; enemy of Lhankor Mhy.
  TREACK MARKHOR [TREE-ak MAR-kor] – priest-founder of the 
  Atyar cult.
  TY KORA TEK [TIE KORE-a TEK] – Earth goddess of the Dead.
  TYLENA [tie-LEE-nuh] – member of Celestial Court; goddess of 
  Illusion.
  ULERIA [yoo-LERE-i-uh] – member of the Celestial Court; goddess 
  of Love.
  UMATH [YOO-math] – member of the Celestial Court; primal god 
  of Air.
  WAKBOTH [WAHK-bawth] – Chaos god; called the Devil; god of 
  Evil.
  YAMSUR [YAHM-soor] – called “The Splendid”; an extinct Light 
  god.
  YELM – the god of the Sun.
  YELMALIO [yel-MAHL-i-ohe] – god of Light in the Hills.
  ZARAMAKA [ZAH-ruh-MAH-kuh] – member of the Celestial 
  Court; primal god of Waters.
  ZORAK ZORAN [zohe-RAK zohe-RAN] – god of Darkness and 
  Death.
  ZZABUR [zah-BOOR] – the first wizard.
  PROPER NAME GUIDE
  
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  …Finally Bolthor arrived. Hahlgrim had told me 
  this would happen, but I had not believed that any man of 
  honor in time of need would seek to humble he whose aid 
  he sought. The king was arrogant and portly, his well-fed 
  richness contrasted sharply with the poverty outside his 
  gates. About him hung a white Eubuck cape. The cape was 
  rather shorter than fashionable, and he looked a little like a 
  snow capped hummock. A gold circlet, shining with a glow 
  of its own, held his long hair. His shaggy trews looked poor, 
  but he was famous for them (Bolthor Hairybreeks was one 
  of his appellations; others held less compliment.) At his 
  side, as token of the disturbed state of the kingdom, he wore 
  Ironbreaker, the sword first wielded by Distan, general for 
  the legendary Arkat the Destroyer. Many tales portrayed 
  its magical power, far greater than suggested by the dwarf-
  wrought silver matrices circling the hilt. This sword had been 
  in Bolthor’s line for generations, and it was as much to see it 
  as to see Bolthor (my first king in the flesh) that I had asked to 
  accompany Hahlgrim.
  Only Hahlgrim was seated when Bolthor entered, and he 
  rose in a casually polite manner once the King had come to his 
  attention. Bolthor belonged to many cults, as rulers often do; 
  as an Orlanthi layman he exchanged the tedious alliterative 
  poetry with Hahlgrim which it pleases Orlanth to have spoken. 
  Why a god should choose such an old fashioned, repetitive 
  mode has never been clear to me—why one cannot say a thing 
  and have done with it slides beyond my understanding.
  The two leaders then spoke some Stormtongue which I 
  did not understand, and the conference began.
  Or should have, Bolthor even here could not bring 
  himself to actually make his request, though his chamberlain 
  had made the matter clear beforehand. First the King called 
  for wine. Then he fussed with the fire. Then he asked for paper 
  and ink, and made dubious scratches on it, though Hahlgrim 
  had told me that this foolish man could neither read nor 
  write. At last, though, his voice trembling, the King made the 
  Lightbringers’ summons:
  Chaos stalks my world.
  Broos have bruised me, the Hand has pawed me.
  I have taken up the impossible path,
  And seek those who must aid my task.
  You are not the first of my friends.
  Others walked with me to Heal.
  The Devil took them, they died.
  I failed to save them, Chaos grows.
  Any master of a Lightbringer cult must answer the 
  legitimate call of the summons, or lose all power and benefit 
  of their god. Even though a formality at times, it is nonetheless 
  always binding, and one may escape it only by providing 
  another type of divine assistance. Hahlgrim would have been 
  the last to deny the challenge.
  “I hear and stand before you,” Hahlgrim replied, “But I 
  am only one. What would you have of me?”
  Again Bolthor found it hard to speak, and silence grew. 
  He cleared his throat several times. Rarely have I seen a man 
  of noble blood whose guilt sat so clearly.
  “I have returned your lands to you, kingslayer,” Bolthor 
  said at last, “though I am loathe to seek your aid. My men die; 
  my people suffer. The horrors of Dorastor creep beyond their 
  ancient borders.”
  Hahlgrim nodded.
  “I know that you have allies among the Skanthi, who fight 
  well against creatures of Chaos. You and I would be enemies 
  on other ground, but peril stalks us both here. By Orlanth, I 
  tell you that the dead walk freely upon the earth, that the trees 
  scream and bleed when cut, that the very air has sometimes 
  been poisoned. How foul the world is when the very essence 
  of the Storm Bull can be made impure and sicken the great 
  Bull’s worshippers.”
  “Such things are true,” Hahlgrim agreed. “It was not 
  always so.” It seemed to me that Hahlgrim referred to the 
  days when his family had been powerful at court, before the 
  fear grew and the land was ruined.
  “As a final gift, to aid your battle, I offer you this.” The 
  King rose, and unbuckled Ironbreaker, with its rich scabbard 
  and belt, and held it out in his palms. There were gasps from 
  his coterie, and several nobles rushed part way to him. A 
  general crowding-forward of the watchers then occurred, and 
  I had to retreat to the side of the chamber to stand upon a 
  bench, for I could not see over these long-legged warriors.
  Hahlgrim told me that he was surprised by the offer of 
  Ironbreaker, and that the utter seriousness of the gift gave him 
  full token that victory would come in the end. Of course we 
  did not know then of the fates which overtook both these lords, 
  so different and yet joined to make a desperate struggle.
  “I am unused to such price, King Bolthor,” Hahlgrim 
  said.
  “I ask your fealty in return, Hahlgrim,” the King replied. 
  “I may ask of you your life. Are you used to that price?”
  “Men are dead but once,” Hahlgrim said.
  Then Bolthor seated himself, and Hahlgrim laid 
  Ironbreaker across the King’s lap, and swore him fealty and 
  honor, and the alliance was made.
  ?
  
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  * Eric was a son of Norall of Oakstead, who was famous 
  for the wild mountain cats he bred; they often became temple 
  familiars. Norall was son of Killer Garril, who had slain all his 
  kinsmen who had dared join the Lunar religion. Garril had 
  held his lands on the favor of King Hrodar Grizzlebeak.
  home of his childhood. Returning to the Skanthi, he became a 
  Rune Lord at the Oxhead Orlanth temple.
  Hahlgrim and Ketil met at the temple and became friends.
  The kingdom of the Bilini drifted under the rule of Bolthor 
  Brighteyes, who acted as little more than a Lunar caretaker for 
  many years. But Bolthor’s neglect led to increasing encroachment 
  by the forces of Chaos from the ruined land of Dorastor. As the 
  kingdom deteriorated, the Lunar regional command became 
  worried, and ordered Bolthor to put his house in order or be 
  replaced; Bolthor was enough statesman to know where to ask 
  for help— from Hahlgrim.
  
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  RuneQuest
  Priests also gain access to the following Rune spell:
  Chaos Feature 
  3 points
  Duration instantaneous and permanent, Range touch, not 
  Reusable, Non-stackable
  This spell bestows upon the target a Chaotic feature. Targets 
  must be willing to accept the feature or the spell will not work 
  and the Power will be lost. Once affected, the target always will 
  be tainted with Chaos.
  A successful cast means that the target must roll any die. An 
  odd number means that the Chaotic feature is rolled on the Curse 
  of Thed table in that cult. An even roll means that the Chaotic 
  feature is rolled on the standard Chaotic Features table.
  For each Chaotic feature a worshipper accepts, he adds 
  another 10% to his accumulating chance of turning into a 
  broo. This transformation may not be resisted or altered, 
  and is permanent once it takes effect. The probability for the 
  transformation must be rolled immediately upon the assumption 
  of another Chaotic feature.
  X. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
  THE CHAOS ALTAR
  The leader of the worship shapes an irregular blob from any mud 
  available, preferable Chaos ooze, then places the form in the 
  center of the gathering. Those who wish to demonstrate 
  exceptional piety may sacrifice 1 point POW to the blob, 
  but this is not necessary. Those who do so have a 50% 
  chance of the sacrificed 
  POW being reflected back 
  to them, to the effect that 
  they might never have 
  sacrificed the point 
  of POW in the first 
  place. After the 
  leader 
  indicates 
  that worship is 
  over, he breaks 
  in two the form he 
  shaped, leaving half 
  on the ground and 
  crumbling the other 
  half back to dust.
  All Chaos cults are based upon this cult, and all have it as an 
  associate cult. It is possible for a Chaos creature to belong only 
  to this cult, but there is no obvious advantage to do so.
  I. MYTHOS AND HISTORY
  Primal Chaos is the untainted power of random change. It first 
  entered the world through the cracks in the universe caused 
  by the Gods War. It is the source and mother of all later Chaos 
  things. Primal Chaos is only an associate cult; a member can 
  become a priest of Primal Chaos only if he belongs to another 
  Chaos cult first.
  II. NATURE OF THE CULT
  Worshippers of Primal Chaos commit less to a cult organization 
  than they do strengthen their individual belief in the power of 
  the ooze. There is no temple structure; worship is performed at 
  any place of Chaos strength, and officiated by the most powerful 
  worshipper there. Worship occurs on any day of the year, begun 
  either at sunrise or sundown.
  IV. LAY MEMBERS
  Any being or thing worshipping any cult of Chaos is automatically 
  a lay member of primal Chaos. No skills or spells are taught.
  V. INITIATES
  Any creature accepting the mark of a Chaotic feature is an 
  Initiate automatically of Primal Chaos. Initiation is permanent; 
  there is no easy way to remove the Chaos taint. There is no spirit 
  of retribution for the cult save the vengeance of other members.
  VI. RUNE LORDS
  There are no Rune Lords in the cult of Primal Chaos.
  VII. PRIESTS
  Creatures in the other Chaos cults who reach 18+ POW can 
  become priests of Primal Chaos.
  Priests gain two benefits. First, they have control over the 
  unintelligent things which crawl from the Chaos ooze, such as 
  gorp, dragon snails, etc. The priest must give the creature one 
  point of his own permanent POW for every 10 points of POW 
  that the creature has. Before the transfer of Power, the priest 
  must overcome the POW of the creature with his own Power. 
  If successful, the priest gains limited control over the creature. 
  “Control” is defined as ability to instruct the creature in the same 
  way that other magicians control elementals. It takes one melee 
  round to give the creature simple instructions: attack ahead, 
  follow me, do not attack, etc.
  PRIMAL CHAOS
  THE CHAOS OOZE
  
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  dedicate themselves to her worship. Most beings, though, make 
  propitiatory worship of the Mother of Disease, sacrificing their 
  Power so that she will not appear.
  Under the terms of the Great Compromise, Mallia is the 
  necessary bane of the mortal races, and at last will lead them 
  to the halls of Hell even if they avoid every other fate. In 
  popular terms she is the Keeper of the Cart which carries souls 
  to the Sundering Stream. This means that not even her greatest 
  worshipper is safe from her embrace if he outlasts the span of 
  years allotted to his species.
  Mallia is also the janitor of the gods, providing the corruption 
  which turns flesh and bone back to dust. Without her work in 
  this regard, there soon would be no room for the living. She is a 
  natural ally of the child Time, yet she schemes for the dispersal 
  of the Compromise and the end of Time. She may be so entwined 
  with Law and with Chaos that the ultimate victory of either side 
  will spell her own annihilation. But her worshippers naturally 
  worry about today, not the end of Time.
  SOCIO-POLITICAL POSITION AND POWER
  Mallia’s temples exist only to encourage the sacrifice of Power 
  to her. The spread of disease reminds the people of her presence 
  and of her need for Power.
  All Gloranthan civilizations outlaw the worship of Mallia. 
  If discovered, Initiates are killed immediately and their bodies, 
  possessions, and properties are burned as a safeguard against the 
  outbreak of disease.
  PARTICULAR LIKES AND DISLIKES
  Mallia’s minions generally support other Chaotic cults. Her 
  propitiatory worshippers fear and hate disease, and most of 
  them despise Chaos. Devoted Mallia worshippers (Malliants) 
  take pleasure in the suffering of others, and delight in collecting 
  Power for their goddess from sacrifices to her by devoutly lawful 
  beings.
  The Malliant hates all devotees of the Chalana Arroy cult 
  and all Healers of Arroin for their devotion to abolishing disease.
  III. ORGANIZATION
  INTRA-CULT ORGANIZATION
  Mallia has no set structure or function for temples, and there 
  are no standard communicational or decisional lines between 
  temples. Most actions of a temple will be independent.
  INTER-TEMPLE ORGANIZATION
  The Mallia temple is the body of her Rune Priest, the Disease 
  Master, who has an independent ministry and absolute sway over 
  his Initiates. Any Initiate must defend the Master and perform 
  his orders without fail. There is no shrine or ark before which 
  worship must occur, but worship must always occur in a place 
  susceptible to disease.
  I. MYTHOS AND HISTORY
  BEFORE TIME
  Mallia grew from the Darkness, in the waste and destruction of 
  the Gods War. She found nourishment and life amid the fallen 
  foes, the wreckage and destruction, and the blood of everything 
  that died in that age. She became a corruption of Death itself, 
  tainted and degraded from the swift brightness which Humakt 
  and Orlanth used, becoming a lingering and festering dimness. 
  As beings fell before her, she became fearful that her food would 
  completely fail, and she changed the way she ate, from lightning 
  plagues which depopulated entire nations to the spread of slow 
  death by disease, so that the misery she caused would last forever, 
  as befitted a goddess.
  During the Darkness she became mistress to Ragnaglar 
  and friend to Thed. The children of Ragnaglar, the broos, gave 
  Mallia worship, and she in turn aided them and provided special 
  magics and spirit allies so that they could further the spread of 
  her diseased dominion.
  From love, respect, and fear, other Chaos creatures came to 
  worship her. Men, elves, trolls, and dwarves came to her also, 
  rarely from love, but all praying to Mallia not to infect their 
  tribes. Many survived the touch of disease in the Darkness from 
  their association with her.
  SINCE TIME BEGAN
  Mallia has three aims: to increase the forms and types of 
  disease, to avenge her lover’s death and her friend’s dispersal 
  against the lawful gods by diminishing and confounding their 
  mundane works with sickness and death, and to cajole, frighten, 
  or otherwise convince worshippers of other gods (lawful or 
  Chaotic) to give their Power to her.
  LIFE AFTER DEATH
  Mallia’s faithful know there will be no reincarnation for their 
  spirits, and that all they can hope for is a safe eternity in Hell. 
  Dead Initiates in the cult may be kept for a time as a spirit of 
  disease before they, too, gain the final rest.
  Funeral rites are simple. The body is placed into the earth so 
  that Death and Darkness become one in the worshipper. Initiate 
  and Rune Priest bodies are infected with at least one disease, and 
  only the ignorant or foolish will disturb their unmarked graves.
  RUNIC ASSOCIATIONS
  Mallia is associated with the Runes of Death and Darkness, her 
  foundations and heritage. Where she is worshipped by broos she 
  also is associated with the Chaos Rune.
  II. NATURE OF THE CULT
  REASON FOR CONTINUED EXISTENCE
  Mallia’s diseases are everywhere in Glorantha. Some glory in 
  the worship of such pervasiveness, as the entire race of broos 
  MALLIA
  MISTRESS OF DISEASE
  
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  RuneQuest
  CENTERS OF POWER, HOLY PLACES
  The spread of disease and corruption is a continuous process; 
  there are no special centers of power for the cult. A pit near the 
  base of the Rockwall Mountains is said to be the site of the First 
  Infection, but its location is no longer known.
  Any open wound, locus of infection, or running sore is a 
  holy place to Mallia, and makes more likely the presence of her 
  influence.
  HOLY DAYS AND HIGH HOLY DAYS
  Malliants worship on the same days as do followers of Chalana 
  Arroy—Wildday of Fertility week. A random day during the 
  Sacred Time will be chosen by each Disease Master as the High 
  Holy Day for his temple.
  IV. LAY MEMBERSHIP
  REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN
  Mallia accepts worship and Power from anyone. Her worship is 
  ingrained in the broos, and all of their kind automatically are lay 
  members at birth, with immunity to all diseases. Other beings 
  must sacrifice 2 points POW on each holy day to gain increased 
  resistance to one disease. There are no other requirements for 
  acceptance.
  REQUIREMENTS TO BELONG
  Lay members must sacrifice Power each holy day to maintain 
  protection from a disease.
  MUNDANE BENEFITS
  The lay worshipper gains protection from a specific disease by 
  sacrificing POW to it (and thereby to Mallia). This occurs in the 
  form of increased resistance to infection by the disease, and a 
  person so protected will defend against infection by the disease 
  with their species maximum affected characteristic rather than 
  their personal affected characteristic. A person may sacrifice for 
  such protection anywhere disease could exist. But if a worshipper 
  sacrificed for protection from Soul Waste, Shakes, and Chills, he 
  still would be subject to Brain Fever or other diseases, and would 
  defend against them with rolls against the relevant characteristic.
  SKILLS AND BATTLE MAGIC
  The cult teaches neither to lay worshippers.
  V. INITIATE MEMBERSHIP
  REQUIREMENTS FOR INITIATION
  The Initiate is the lowest-ranking Malliant whose worship is 
  taken seriously. While anyone can become a lay member, to 
  become an Initiate requires special devotion to the Mother of 
  Disease and familiarity with a disease. There are two methods 
  of initiation. A candidate in either case must have been a lay 
  member for at least a week before becoming an Initiate.
  A layman can undergo Involuntary Initiation. If he becomes 
  infected with a disease, he may call upon the power of Mallia to 
  save him. His sacrifice of 2 points of permanent POW will halt 
  the effects of one disease, but it will not restore lost characteristic 
  points nor take the disease culture from him. Rather the 
  worshipper will become a carrier of the contracted disease and 
  will expose to it anyone they contact. Carriers can rid themselves 
  of the carried disease by means of Cure spells available through 
  Hahlgrim traced the tip of his dagger along a crack in the 
  tabletop. “First we must weaken the Chaos close at hand,” 
  he said. “Bolthor’s people are healthy, yet their Chalana 
  Arroy priestesses are paupers. I suspect that the minions of 
  the Mother of Disease are here, though her priests might 
  stand within spear-thrust of us and we would not know it.” 
  We all glanced around the sleepy inn.
  “Ketil, you prepare a party of only the healthiest men, 
  and guard old Torvald the Healer. Seek with him the work 
  of Mallia—he will know the signs.”
  Ketil departed, taking with him Oddi the Keen, 
  Hahlgrim’s brother. Hahlgrim replaced the dagger in its 
  oiled sheath, and we left also.
  We gathered the peasants of the area before him. They 
  were a sorry lot, exhausted, and with fear-haunted eyes. 
  Hahlgrim related his history and origin.
  “In my land,” he said, “the people do not tolerate 
  the slow death, for we know the power of the Healing 
  Mother and uphold her. You must foreswear your sacrifices 
  to Mallia. Rely upon the Healers.” The crowd had been 
  shuffling, as uncouth peasants will, until he spoke Mallia’s 
  name. Then they fell as silent as stone.
  “Easy for you to say,” scowled an old hag at last, “but 
  for us there is life to be lost and life to be gained; why 
  should we forsake one who keeps her filthy word, for the 
  White Goddess, who seems weaker?” And many nodded 
  at this, yet without passion; the pride of these farmers had 
  been hobbled.
  Hahlgrim studied the hag. Her wares were baskets, 
  and under his gaze she shrank a little behind them, as 
  though they were a wall which could dim the blaze of his 
  eyes.
  “It is the duty of the old to speak wisdom,” he replied, 
  “not fear,” and she shrank back a little further. “What 
  worth are your offerings, Basket Woman, when broos 
  hobble past your doors with plague dripping from spear 
  points? Your prayers and offerings strengthen the broos, 
  and Ralzakark their king fattens his folk on your power!” 
  Not a few in the crowd made signs to ward off that King of 
  the Broos, of fearful Dorastor.
  “You speak that name lightly, O mighty Lord from Far 
  Away,” the old woman said sorrowfully. “Whom would 
  you have us strengthen?” She paused. “It may be there is 
  little difference between the kick of a broo and the kick of 
  a nobleman.”
  “So it might seem, yet I will show you differently. Hear 
  me: each who trades for a spell from Chalana Arroy will 
  receive a small pig from my temple, or its equal value in 
  barley or beer. From my own purse will I in addition pay 
  for each spell you gain from the priestess of the White 
  Goddess, whether one or many, nor will I demand you use 
  of these great cures. All this is yours if you promise never 
  again to worship Mallia, and that I swear by the mighty 
  Air itself!”
  
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  disease is halted. A critical hit with this skill will restore 1 point 
  to the affected characteristic. The skill costs the nominal price of 
  400/800/1600/2000 L.
  PREPARE DISEASE POTION
  With this technique the Initiate can prepare substances which, 
  when applied to an open wound or imbibed, will expose the 
  victim to the disease and will require current CON x 5% rolls on 
  D100 to resist. This skill cannot be purchased but is learned for 
  free from the Disease Master. Once the general techniques are 
  known, the Malliant can brew potions for any disease of which 
  he is a carrier. Preparation time depends upon a skill roll for 
  success after a week of work. If the first roll fails, roll again 
  daily, subtracting 10% from the success probability for each 
  failure. When the probability reaches zero or below, the potion 
  is ruined and must be restarted with new materials. A fumble 
  indicates immediate fouling of the potion. Materials for the 
  process cost 100 Lunars and result in 1D4 doses. This may be 
  applied as Blade Venom. Training times for the skill are at the 
  nominal rate of 400/800/1600/2400 L.
  SPREAD DISEASE
  With this skill, a small district can be infected with a sickness 
  without resorting to a spirit of disease. This non-magical attack is 
  recognizable only by a Healer of Arroin who is a master (90%+) 
  in the treatment of disease. Quantities of the appropriate potion 
  are implanted in often-trafficked areas such as wells, pantries, 
  silos, cribs, etc. Inhabitants and visitors to the district will have 
  to make their resistance roll or contract the disease.
  One worshipper of Mallia can infect a square kilometer 
  area per season, and die rolls are made seasonally to determine 
  success. Each failure to spread a disease reduces later attempts 
  by 10% per failure until a year’s time is allowed to go by without 
  any attempt at all. At the end of that time, a new infection or re-
  infection can be attempted at the initial training rate.
  Training is free to Malliants, never taught to non-worshippers, 
  and has the following nominal rates: 300/ 600/1200/2000 L.
  IDENTIFY DISEASE
  This is a knowledge skill for recognizing the type of disease and 
  the infecting agent (spirit of disease, potion, or Rune magic), and 
  determining if an area is infected. Three D100 rolls against the 
  percentage level known of the skill are needed for this skill to 
  function completely. The first roll tells whether disease is present, 
  the second roll tells the specific disease type and symptoms, and 
  the third roll tells the method of infection. This skill is available 
  through either Mallia or Arroin, is taught for free to Malliants, and 
  is learned at the following nominal rate:  200/400/800/1600 L.
  SPELLS
  Initiates will be taught spells from the standard battle magic spell 
  list for the standard costs. In addition, they have access to one-
  use Rune magic available from Mallia, and also the following 
  cult special battle magic spell:
  Sneeze 
  2 points
  focused, passive, instant, 80m
  The caster must overcome the POW of the target. If so, then the 
  target will begin sneezing the strike rank following casting, and 
  either Chalana Arroy or Mallia. Involuntary Initiates gain no 
  benefits unless they seek and find a Disease Master for training.
  The voluntary Initiate will seek out a Disease Master, who will 
  then infect the applicant with a disease potion, and the applicant 
  must sacrifice 1 point of permanent Power to gain immunity.
  REQUIREMENTS TO REMAIN INITIATED
  The voluntary Initiate must sacrifice 2 points of temporary POW 
  on each holy day, and devote 90% of his time and money to the 
  cult. He will be expected to obey the commands of his priest 
  without question or delay.
  MUNDANE BENEFITS
  A voluntary Initiate will be provided with such room and board 
  as is available to the Rune Priest.
  SKILLS
  An Initiate can learn from his Disease Master only those skills 
  which the Master actually knows. Skills normally taught include 
  any Bow, Dagger Attack, Dagger Throwing, Dart Throwing, 
  Identify Disease, Prepare Disease Potion, Rapier, Short Sword, 
  Spear Attack/Parry, Spread Disease, Trap Set/Disarm, and Treat 
  Disease.
  TREAT DISEASE
  This skill allows the user to treat a disease so that the course of 
  a chronic or acute disease will stop after taking 1 point from the 
  affected characteristic. The victim needs total bed rest and the 
  treater can do nothing else while treating the victim until the 
  The crowd gasped at his gifts, and so they were gifts, 
  for never in all their lives could these poor pay back half of 
  what Hahlgrim would give them that day.
  “My gracious lord,” the old woman said, trembling, 
  “may all the mercies of the gods be yours for your promise. 
  Forgive me that I spoke harshly,” and Hahlgrim did there 
  forgive her.
  “This is more than our own king, Burpey Bolthor, ever 
  would swear. I see truly why you displease him, and know 
  why your people wait upon your word,” said a burly youth, 
  and the crowd came near.
  Three places of festering plague were found. Hahlgrim 
  gave orders for their removal, then called for wine. I write 
  this description that all may know of his great generosity 
  and believe it, for even Ketil could not understand at first 
  the gifts of our lord to these humbled people.
  “Giving farmers gold?” he cried. “How should anyone 
  give a thousandth of that for the promise of a peasant?”
  “There is a time for sacrifices,” replied Hahlgrim, 
  studying the sweep of the valley beyond. “I have no need of 
  gold if what I cherish grows freely and proudly.”
  Hahlgrim left soon thereafter, to seek a shaman in 
  the wilds who could protect the farmers permanently. To 
  let Ketil learn humility and charity, he ordered him to 
  administer the giving of the gold to a hundred whining 
  farmers. While Ketil counted gold and swore, I played the 
  flute outside, in the warmth of the afternoon.
  
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  BENEFITS
  The Mallia Disease Master has an increased chance of gaining 
  POW. Instead of the normal roll, the priest may subtract his 
  Power from 25 rather than 21.
  He may use the INT and POW of controlled spirits for 
  remembering and casting of spells.
  He may be assured that the goddess will answer a call for 
  aid. Unlike other cult’s Divine Interventions, the intervention for 
  Mallia will summon a random spirit of disease from the chart 
  contained in the requirements for acceptance for priesthood, just 
  above.
  If the priests can find them, buy them, or steal them, they 
  may attune and use iron weapons and armor.
  Like Rune Lords, priests of Mallia can progress past the 
  normal 100% level of ability, by grace of the goddess.
  RUNE SPELL COMPATIBILITY
  Because the cult has little systematic organization, a Disease 
  Master may not have the opportunity to systematically learn 
  the standard Rune spells. To simulate a normal Disease Master, 
  the referee should randomly pick six Rune spells, then choose 
  two more to complement them. The priest of Mallia can only 
  summon a Darkness elemental, of those elementals available. 
  All Rune spells will be 1 point.
  CULT SPECIAL RUNE SPELLS
  Mallia priests (and Initiates on a one-use basis) may sacrifice 
  permanent Power for the following Rune spells. These disease 
  causing spells may not be dispelled; the victims must be cured. 
  Effective cures for the disease types are listed on the chart at the 
  end of this cult.
  Cause Shakes 
  1 point
  variable, touch, reusable, stackable
  Targets resisting this spell will contract the mild form of the 
  Shakes if his POW is overcome by the caster’s. Voluntary targets 
  automatically contract the disease. The severity will range from 
  mild to terminal, and may increase normally. A 2 point stacking 
  of the spell automatically begins the target at the ‘chronic’ degree 
  of severity, 3 points at the acute, and 4 points at the terminal. The 
  spell may not be stacked higher than that.
  Cause Brain Fever 
  1 point
  variable, touch, reusable, stackable
  The mechanics of this spell are the same in all respects as Cause 
  Shakes, above.
  Cause Chills 
  1 point
  variable, touch, reusable, stackable
  The mechanics of this spell are the same in all respects as Cause 
  Shakes, above.
  Cause Wasting Disease 
  1 point
  variable, touch, reusable, stackable
  The mechanics of this spell are the same in all respects as Cause 
  Shakes, above.
  will continue sneezing for 1 Dl 0 strike ranks. During the time 
  spent sneezing, the target will be nearly incapacitated, and only 
  defends and parries, and that at one-half normal effectiveness. 
  The number of strike ranks sneezing must be added to weapon 
  or spell use strike ranks.
  VI. RUNE LORDS
  The cult of Mallia has no equivalent status.
  VII. RUNE PRIESTHOOD
  GENERAL STATEMENT
  Priests of Mallia are called Disease Masters, and are the prime 
  source of disease in Glorantha. Their duty is to spread infection 
  throughout the world, and their main tools in this effort are the 
  spirits of disease which they learn to bind and to control.
  REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE
  The applicant must have been a voluntary Initiate of Mallia for at 
  least a year. He must have mastered one weapon which impales, 
  must have a POW of 18+, and must have 90% ability in Spread 
  Disease, Prepare Disease Potion, and Identify Disease, plus any 
  one other Mallia skill. Within two months of his application to his 
  Disease Master, a number of Mallia’s Rune Priests will assemble 
  and he must then convince them of his worthiness by attempting 
  to ally one of his Disease Master’s controlled spirits of disease. 
  Determine random spirits of disease on the chart below:
   
  D100 
  Power
   
  01-10 
  2D6
   
  11-35 
  3D6
   
  36-85 
  3D6+6
   
  86-95 
  4D6+6
   
  96-00 
  5D6+6
   
  D100 
  Type
   
  01 
  roll twice and combine (POW and symptoms)
   
  02-10 
  Brain Fever
   
  11-25 
  Creeping Chills
   
  26-50 
  Wasting Disease
   
  51-75 
  The Shakes
   
  76-00 
  Soul Waste
  After determining the Power, type and INT (the INT is 
  always 3D6), the applicant must try to ally it. He must engage 
  the spirit in spirit combat. If the spirit fails an attack when the 
  character succeeds, then he may try to bind the spirit to him. He 
  must overcome the spirit once again, therefore, and if successful 
  must give the spirit some of his own characteristic POW, at a 
  ratio of 1 point permanent POW per 10 POW points or fraction 
  thereof. These points are permanently lost to him, as if sacrificing 
  for Rune magic. In return for the loss of POW, the spirit will be 
  bound to the Mallia worshipper and will act on his commands.
  RESTRICTIONS
  Mallia’s priests must strive continually to spread disease in order 
  to stimulate the worship of the goddess. They must aid and train 
  loyal Initiates, and must give qualified Initiates their first spirit of 
  disease when they attempt to become Disease Masters.
  
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  Normal CON x 5% disease resistance rolls are attempted until 
  one is made, with the number of failed rolls equal to the number 
  of CHA points lost for the duration of the sickness. Recovery is 
  determined by a CON roll each season on Windsday of Fertility 
  week. If made, one CHA point is regained. CHA not recovered 
  after a year is lost permanently.
  Fever - these victims are subject to irrational acts and 
  unpredictable moods. Initial severity is determined normally. 
  Once contracted, the victim’s behavior is determined by the 
  chart below. Severity of the disease will determine the frequency 
  of the roll. A mild case will require rolls every month; terminal 
  victims will roll every five minutes. The effect lasts for 30 minus 
  CON of victim full turns.
   
  1D10 
  effect
   
  1-4 
  Sleep
   
  5-7 
  Befuddled
   
  8-9 
  Demoralized
   
  10 
  Fanatic
  Joint Rot - attacks the character’s joints, slowing him down. 
  Each attack increases the victim’s base strike ranks by one; base 
  strike ranks greater than twelve mean that the character may 
  strike only every other round—subtract twelve from the total to 
  determine the effective strike rank in the next round. Victims 
  whose base strike rank equals 24 or more have had their joints 
  locked, and are helpless. Even if the disease is thrown off, the 
  increase in strike rank is permanent.
  Creeping Crudd - only a person wearing armor will be infected 
  by this disease, such as adventurers constantly encased in 
  that hot, sweaty stuff. Having Crudd reduces attack/parry 
  percentages by 5% for each attack of it. The frequency of attack 
  is determined by the severity of the disease. Terminal Crudd, 
  for example, will reduce all attacks and parries by 5% every 
  five minutes. When a character is reduced to zero, all ability is 
  lost permanently. Undertaking curative measures before then 
  can regain the skills lost. Those 1 m or closer to a victim of the 
  Crudd will notice that the victim stinks.
  To get rid of the Creeping Crudd requires full exposure of 
  the body to the sun and air. For each week spent not wearing any 
  clothing at all, 5% lost skill will be regained.
  Thunder Lung - these sneezing and coughing attacks are violent 
  enough to cause damage to the victim. Find the severity of the 
  disease by normal CON x 5% resistance rolls. A mild form 
  causes attacks with 1D6 severity; chronic form causes 2D6 
  attacks; the acute form causes 3D6 attacks; terminal form causes 
  4D6 attacks. The frequency of attacks also increases with the 
  severity of the form of the disease. Randomly roll the STR of 
  each attack and then try to overcome with that number the CON 
  of the afflicted character. If successful, the strength of the attack 
  is done as damage to the character’s hit points. If the hit points 
  are reduced to zero as a result of Thunder Lung, the character has 
  burst and all creatures within 3 meters are exposed to the disease.
  Brittleskin - a slow, creeping scaling of the skin. The degree 
  of severity determines the rate of spread. The first contraction 
  Alter Spirit of Disease 
  1 point
  permanent, touch, non-reusable, stackable
  Before using this spell, the caster must have made a potion for 
  the disease desired in the spirit of disease. He then must bind the 
  spirit to the potion container and use this spell. The spirit will 
  lose the old disease and begin to carry the new one. Stacking 
  this spell increases the number of diseases that the spirit may 
  carry, all of which must be in potion form first. There is no limit 
  to the number of diseases that a spirit may carry, though there is 
  nothing to be gained by using the same disease twice.
  Minor Infection 
  1 point
  variable, touch, reusable, non-stackable
  A priest of Mallia can effect minor vengeances and warnings 
  by infecting a target with one of the many minor diseases of the 
  cult. Often this spell will be self-targeted by the caster. He then 
  sacrifices 1 point permanent POW to obtain Mallia’s immunity 
  and can then make potions for the disease.
  Minor infections are contagious, but not virulent. Even the 
  terminal stage of such diseases are rarely fatal.
  In casting the spell, the target’s POW must be overcome if 
  the target is resisting the spell. If the Disease Master overcomes 
  the target’s POW, the victim has contracted at least the mildest 
  form of the disease. Determine randomly the type of disease. 
  If the disease is cast at a willing target, the mildest form is 
  automatically given. If a disease is rolled to which the target 
  already is immune, re-roll until an infection is achieved.
  Referees wishing to create their own diseases should pattern 
  them after the ones described and add them to the list.
   
  Roll D100 
  Kind of minor infection:
   
  01-20 
  Sniffles
   
  21-35 
  Sneezing
   
  36-50 
  Blotches
   
  51-60 
  Fever
   
  61-70 
  Joint Rot
   
  71-80 
  Creeping Crudd
   
  81-85 
  Thunder Lung
   
  86-90 
  Brittleskin
   
  91-95 
  Convulsions
   
  95-98 
  Slow Withers
   
  99-00 
  Bleeding Disease
  All of these diseases have exactly the same spell characteristics, 
  as given in the description for Minor Infection.
  Sniffles - infected targets will continually sniffle until the 
  sickness is thrown off. This is a short-term illness. The first 
  resistance roll is CON x 1%, the second is CON x 2%, etc., up 
  to CON x 5%. Make the roll once a day; no rest is needed. This 
  disease occurs in the mild form only.
  Sneezing - this disease has all ranges of severity, but instead 
  of removing characteristics, the character sneezes instead. If 
  a character had terminal Sneezes, he would sneeze loudly and 
  uncontrollably once every 5 minutes.
  Blotches - victims show red blotches on their face and skin. The 
  blotches reduce CHA by 1 point per each degree of severity. 
  
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  The caster will die from the effect of this spell. The Plague is 
  highly contagious, with severity from chronic to terminal; there 
  is no mild form. Plague attacks the CON and STR. Resisting the 
  disease requires the exposed individual to roll below his STR and 
  CON total on D100. Failure to do so means that the character loses 
  1D3 from both STR and CON for each attack. Only successful 
  Divine Intervention or Mallia Initiation will halt the Plague.
  VIII. SUBSERVIENT CULTS
  SPIRITS OF REPRISAL
  Mallia uses her diseases to punish offenders of her cult. Each 
  of her worshippers carries one or more diseases, and gain their 
  immunity through the worship of the Disease Mother. Those 
  worshippers who intentionally harm another worshipper or who 
  are responsible for the persecution of another worshipper by non-
  cultists will immediately lose their immunity to the diseases they 
  carry. Moreover, the virulence of the carried diseases increases 
  to the terminal form. The bodies of dead offenders will infect 
  a 1km area, causing diseases resistance rolls for each disease 
  present, until the body is burned, or a shaman is convinced to 
  cure the diseases, or a worshipper of Arroin practices his Cure 
  Disease skills in the area for a season.
  SPIRITS OF DISEASE
  Spirits of disease are spirits specially bound to the service of 
  the Mother of Disease, and have a special relation with Disease 
  Masters and have also a special type of spirit combat.
  Disease Masters of Mallia need not bind their spirits into 
  any object, but rather bind the spirit to their service. In this they 
  are like shamans, as they are often so referred. The Disease 
  Master may use the spirit’s disease capabilities as well as its 
  POW and INT.
  In spirit combat, the initial attack is normal. But if the spirit 
  of disease should succeed in an attack when the victim fails, 
  the spirit can try to infect the spirit of the target with any of 
  the diseases which it is carrying, and all diseases carried will 
  try to infect the victim at once. This infection requires another 
  roll overcoming the target’s POW, as if the spirit of disease was 
  trying to possess the victim. If successful, this does not force 
  the victim’s spirit from the body but infects the victim with 
  the acute form of any diseases carried. If the victim dies, the 
  priest of Mallia may then try to bargain with and bind the new 
  spirit of disease. He uses the method described in the Initiate’s 
  section when the first spirit of disease was bound. A Mallia 
  Disease Master may only have as many spirits of disease as he 
  has immunities to different diseases, and he must be immunized 
  against all of the diseases carried by his spirits.
  If the binding is unsuccessful, then the victim’s spirit will 
  roam the mundane plane as a spirit of the disease to which he 
  succumbed.
  If the victim manages to defeat the spirit and drive it off or 
  kill it, he will gain immediate immunity to any of the diseases 
  carried by the spirit, for one year. Exposure to those diseases will 
  not affect him. He also will steal 1 D3 points POW directly from 
  the spirit, subtracted immediately from the spirit’s characteristic 
  POW. This stolen Power will not be diseased in any way, and 
  adds to the former target’s characteristic POW as if a Power Gain 
  roll had been made. The character will be entitled to any normal 
  Power Gain rolls after a week’s rest.
  will affect one hit location. Successive attacks will affect 
  another random location. Re-roll if the location already has been 
  infected. When the victim is entirely encrusted, there will be no 
  further spread.
  Cure this disease only by means of a Chalana Arroy temple’s 
  Cure Disease or a spirit of Healing. Mundane Healing has so far 
  proven ineffective. While encrusted, each affected hit location 
  gains 2 points of additional protection. If the skin is broken and 
  damage inflicted on the location, a Repair spell must first be used 
  before any Healing spells will work.
  Convulsions - incapacitating nervous attacks. Each time the 
  disease attacks, the victim will writhe on the ground unable 
  to perform any other action for species maximum minus 
  characteristic CON of the victim melee rounds. Normal severity 
  indicates frequency of attacks.
  Slow Withers - this disease atrophies portions of the body. Slow 
  Withers attacks only one hit location. Each attack of the disease 
  reduces the hit points of the affected location by one. Severity 
  of the disease determines the speed of hit point loss, and Slow 
  Withers will never develop into the terminal form.
  Hit locations reduced to zero or below through the actions 
  of this illness are permanently afflicted and become useless. 
  Healing spells will not regain lost hit points from the Slow 
  Withers. If a chest, head or abdomen hit location reduces to zero 
  or below, the character is dead.
  Bleeding Disease - this sickness has one degree of severity: 
  afflicted individuals require twice as many Healing points as do 
  unafflicted individuals. A character with Bleeding Disease must 
  use Healing 4 to stop bleeding, and Healing 12 to regraft limbs. 
  Only Cure Disease, spirit of Healing, Divine Intervention, or 
  Mallia Initiation will halt these effects.
  Cure Brain Fever 
  1 point
  instantaneous, touch, reusable, stackable
  This spell will heal Brain Fever. One use of the spell will stop the 
  effects; more spells used at the same time will reverse the effects 
  and “regrow INT” at a rate of one point per spell used up to the 
  original intelligence.
  Cure Chills 
  1 point
  instantaneous, touch, reusable, stackable
  This spell heals the Creeping Chills, just as the previous spell 
  cures Brain Fever.
  Cure Shakes 
  1 point
  instantaneous, touch, reusable, stackable
  This spell heals the Shakes, working just as Cure Brain Disease 
  does.
  Cure Wasting 
  1 point
  instantaneous, touch, reusable, stackable, 
  This spell heals Wasting Disease, working just as Cure Brain 
  Disease does.
  Cause Plague 
  3 points
  variable, self, non-reusable, non-stackable
  
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  These procedures, and others like them, constitute the 
  Spread Disease skill.
  DISEASES FROM MALLIA
  Disease 
  Severity 
   Effect Per Attack
  Shakes 
  mild to terminal 
  -1 DEX
  Creeping Chills 
  mild to terminal 
  -1 CON
  Brain Fever 
  mild to terminal 
  -1 INT
  Wasting Disease 
  mild to terminal 
  -1 STR
  Soul Waste 
  mild to terminal 
  -1 POW
  Sniffles 
  mild only 
  continual sniffles
  Sneezing 
  mild to terminal 
  loud sneeze
  Blotches 
  mild to terminal 
  -1 CHA, red 
  blotches on skin
  Fever 
  mild to terminal 
  irrational behavior
  Joint Rot 
  mild to terminal 
  add 1 to strike 
  rank to 24, then 
  joints freeze
  Creeping Crudd * 
  mild to terminal 
  -5% to all attacks 
  and parries
  Thunder Lung 
  mild to terminal 
  sneezing and 
  coughing fits 
  do damage to 
  character and may 
  cause explosion 
  of character
  The above diseases can only be cured by successfully using: 
  Cure Disease spells, Cure Disease plants, Treat Disease skill, 
  spirits of Healing, Divine Intervention, or Mallia initiation.
  * Creeping Crudd can be cured by natural recovery through 
  exposure to sun and air.
  Disease 
  Severity 
   Effect Per Attack
  Brittleskin 
  mild to terminal 
  adds 2 points armor 
   
   
  to affected hit 
   
   
  location; requires 
   
   
  Repair and Healing 
   
   
  to recover
  Convulsions 
  mild to terminal 
  incapacitating attacks
  Slow Withers 
  mild to acute 
  loss of hit 
  location points
  Bleeding Disease special 
   requires twice Healing
  The above diseases can only be cured by successfully using: 
  spirits of Healing, Divine Intervention, or Mallia initiation.
  Disease 
  Severity 
   Effect Per Attack
  Plague 
  chronic to terminal -1D3 STR & CON
  Plague can only be cured by Divine Intervention or Mallia 
  initiation.
  IX. ASSOCIATED CULTS
  PRIMAL CHAOS
  See the Primal Chaos cult for data.
  THED
  Mallia and Thed were great friends in the Darkness, and they 
  often work together to further the spread of misery and suffering. 
  Mallia finds much worship from Thed’s children, the broos, and 
  they are among her most accomplished Disease Masters.
  X. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
  PLANTS AND DISEASE
  This paragraph supersedes the rules given on p.68 of Cults 
  of Prax. For a plant to overcome and eliminate a disease, its 
  potency must overcome the POW of the disease, which is equal 
  to the normal characteristic POW of the victim. If successful, the 
  disease is eliminated.
  INFECTING SMALL AREAS
  A Malliant can infect smaller areas in two main ways. Wells, 
  for example, can be contaminated with potions of disease. All 
  drinkers of the water from the well will then need to resist 
  catching any of the diseases present. Alternately, the spirits of 
  disease can be bound to vials of disease potions. The vials then 
  can be hidden in an area. Whenever another creature comes 
  to within 80m of the area, they will be attacked by the spirit. 
  The only way to clear the area is to find and destroy the vial, 
  thus releasing the spirit (and probably thereby catching one or 
  more diseases), or by defeating the spirit with another spirit or 
  neutralizing it with a spirit of health.
  
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  SOCIO-POLITICAL POSITION AND POWER
  The Scorpion Queen is considered the incarnation of the goddess, 
  and her word is law. She holds the direct knowledge of the race. 
  Directly responsible to her are the priestesses, who take care of 
  tribal duties.
  Bagog teaches that the knowledge needed to achieve 
  perfection is hidden within the minds and hearts of other 
  creatures. To attain that knowledge, those creatures should be 
  devoured by the proper ritual.
  Advancement within the cult is similarly based. It requires 
  that an ambitious scorpion man defeat and eat a scorpion man 
  of higher cult standing. Done with the proper ritual, the victim’s 
  battle magic and skills become the property of the eater. Very 
  powerful victims may be eaten by several younger scorpion men 
  to spread the available pool of knowledge, and to expand the cult.
  PARTICULAR LIKES AND DISLIKES
  Worshippers of Bagog hate all Order/Law worshippers because 
  they persist in persecuting the People. The cult particularly 
  despises champions of anti-Chaos sentiment, such as Storm 
  Bull, Zorak Zoran, or particular worshippers who distinguish 
  themselves in their anti-Chaos zeal.
  The People are friendly with broos, for the goat-heads give 
  relief from wilderness diseases by means of Mallia worship, 
  and the scorpion kinds would rather donate their Power to the 
  Mistress of Disease than to contract her horrible illnesses. The 
  common oppression of the two races provides much ground for 
  co-operation.
  III. ORGANIZATION
  INTER-CULT ORGANIZATION
  Each tribe is an independent entity, each led by their separate 
  Scorpion Queen. Tribes may band together against common 
  enemies, but long-term co-operation is rare, partly because of the 
  territorially possessive feelings of the Queens and partly because 
  the distance between tribes in the wilderness is great.
  Very powerful Queens have allied tribes permanently by 
  fighting and devouring the other Queens. Queen Gagig Twobarb, 
  for example, founded the Queendom of Jab near the Forest of First 
  Reward (as Chaos folk know it) by defeating and eating three other 
  Queens. Since all four Queens were now incarnate in one body, all 
  four tribes followed Queen Gagig without further question.
  INTRA-TEMPLE ORGANIZATION
  The Queen of the tribe is also its High Priestess of Bagog, and 
  she rules her people both spiritually and temporally. Qualified 
  female Rune Lords or Rune Priests may challenge her in combat 
  for her position upon occasion, though certain supernatural 
  I. MYTHOS AND HISTORY
  BEFORE TIME
  When the Devil led his forces into the surface world, many other 
  creatures also escaped to there. One such was Bagog, a slow-
  witted scorpion daughter of the Darkness. Bagog scuttled about 
  the surface world, comfortably enjoying the carnage of the Gods 
  War, fighting and eating all who opposed her. Her stinging tail 
  was a fearsome weapon, and for a while she was content.
  Then other urges shook her, and she began to lay many eggs. 
  Soon they hatched into smaller versions of herself, and while 
  they were mostly scorpions in form, they had been changed by 
  what Bagog had eaten. There were scorpion baboons, scorpion 
  elves, and many other types. Some were unable to live, while 
  others flourished. These latter ate as Bagog had, and their 
  children gained knowledge as well. Soon the scorpion kinds 
  formed a rough social order, centered about the might of Bagog. 
  They ate each other, as well as their foes, hoping to soon acquire 
  the knowledge of all the species.
  SINCE TIME BEGAN
  The tribes have survived since the Darkness because they lived 
  in places that other races dreaded. The scorpion races have 
  made some allies, like the broos, because of the pressures of 
  persecution by the lawful races. Occasional scorpion men heroes 
  have gained much of their abilities through the worship of Chaos. 
  Slowly the scorpion kinds have evolved to their present cultural 
  sophistication.
  LIFE AFTER DEATH
  The cult assures its members of eternal rebirth in the glory of 
  Bagog. The creatures of Bagog feast upon their dead if at all 
  possible, for they believe that their key to perfection may be 
  hidden in the essence of the dead, and therefore may be absorbed 
  by the living.
  RUNIC ASSOCIATIONS
  Bagog is associated with the Runes of Beast, Darkness, Chaos, 
  and Man.
  II. NATURE OF THE CULT
  REASON FOR CONTINUED EXISTENCE
  The worship of Bagog provides the minimum culture needed to 
  survive among the hardships of the wilderness. The knowledge 
  of the race, though long in accumulating, is passed to successors 
  when the proper rituals are made.
  Each member of any of the scorpion races is a member of 
  Bagog upon hatching. Through their lives, the scorpion men will 
  advance through the cult of Bagog as well.
  BAGOG
  THE SCORPION QUEEN
  
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  signs must appear before the challenge must be accepted. In the 
  resulting ritual battle, the victor consumes the loser.
  CENTER OF POWER, HOLY PLACES
  Each scorpion tribe has a center of power in its tribal hearth. Most 
  hearths are portable, after a fashion, being no more than a square, 
  poorly-worked stone slab, which may or may not bear symbols 
  and carving. The hearth is their focus of worship to Bagog, and is 
  necessary for the regaining of Rune magic. Since each tribe has 
  only one hearth, these are jealously protected, for destruction of 
  the hearth deprives the tribe of their link to Bagog. Desecrators 
  of the hearth will be hunted to the death, for rekindling the focus 
  requires lengthy ritual and much Power sacrificed.
  HOLY DAYS AND HIGH HOLY DAYS
  Freezeday of Illusion week of each season serves as the holy day 
  for the cult. The high holy day is Freezeday, Illusion week, Sea-
  season, when the cold winter is gone and the tribes celebrate the 
  return of plentiful food. Frequently great raids begin on this day, 
  with much ritual preparation before the hearth, and the following 
  weeks spent readying new Initiates. Warriors would set out on 
  Freezeday of Death week.
  IV. LAY MEMBERSHIP
  REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN
  The People of Bagog automatically are lay members by birth, 
  and lay membership is available only to the People. Members 
  of other races must undergo the Ritual of Rebirth to become a 
  scorpion man, and they will become a lay member when they 
  hatch.
  REQUIREMENTS TO BELONG
  Each lay member must sacrifice 1 point of Power every holy 
  day to Bagog. They may keep 10% of the goods or money they 
  find, and must be ready at any time to defend the hearth. All lay 
  members will perform mundane duties for the tribe.
  MUNDANE BENEFITS
  Every Bagogi cultist pledges to protect his clutch-mates. Healing, 
  food, room, and board will be available to any worshipper if 
  possible.
  SKILLS
  The following skills will be taught to lay members at the normal 
  rates: Chaos Speech, Club Attack, Rock Throwing, Sling Attack, 
  Spear Attack, Spot Trap, Tail Attack, Tracking, and Weapon 
  Making (to 35% only).
  BATTLE MAGIC
  No battle magic is taught to lay members.
  V. INITIATE MEMBERSHIP
  REQUIREMENTS FOR INITIATION
  When the lay member reaches maturity, or when certain skills 
  have been learned, the lay member is expected to attempt to 
  become an Initiate. A lay member must have the following skills 
  before trying to become an Initiate: one weapon at 50%+ attack, 
  knowledge of Mobility or Healing 3, Tracking or Spot Trap at 
  Though Hahlgrim had been able to raise the main Skanthi 
  tribes from a distance, and knew that portions of their 
  strength were on the march already, he needed to treat 
  with the South Skanthi, a brave but notoriously suspicious 
  folk spread across the hills of Skalsland up to the Rockwall 
  Mountains.
  Hahlgrim led us south, past Thunder Mountain and 
  over the Erinflarth ford at Ribbon Sands, for storms in the 
  south and east had flooded the Skalsplitter and raised the 
  Erinflarth below there to a dangerous level. This meant that 
  we must go through wild country, especially the Hardbrush 
  flats, still reputably safe.
  Hahlgrim led the party, mounted on Lightning a part-
  gelding of high intelligence. With us rode Ketil Ericsbane, 
  Oddi the Keen (a priest of Storm Bull and Hahlgrim’s 
  brother), Ellisif the priestess, and each had brought 3 of 
  their company, so that we made 17 in all. We had holy bread, 
  salted meat, and a gift from Hahlgrim of holy Clearwine, 
  which could open the mind and season the muscles of the 
  soft.
  After we crossed the Erinflarth, we slowed our pace 
  so that Oddi might occasionally check the wild animals 
  for Chaos taint; the Storm Bull’s worshippers had been 
  invaluable in the last few weeks as Hahlgrim began to 
  define the real border between Bilini and the strength of 
  Chaos. Several farmers and one merchant were found to be 
  active worshippers of Chaos by Oddi’s skills alone.
  After several hours, Oddi frowned deeply. “I sense 
  what I would sense were we deep in Dorastor. There is 
  Chaos here today and yesterday, last week, a season or a 
  year ago. Bolthor has indeed delayed long his stroke.”
  Hahlgrim decided to press forward, for we would be 
  among the Skanthi on the morrow, yet to return our way 
  and pass east of the Watch Hills might take many days, for 
  none could know the full will of a storm god. As we went, 
  the ground showed occasional mushy dips, and the healers 
  forbade us water our horses from such depressions, though 
  the Skalsplitter itself was pure though muddy.
  Encamping, the sun quickly left us to slide beyond the 
  Rockwall’s peaks, and the cold came. We had set guards 
  about the camp, but the Chaos onslaught in the night was 
  powerful.
  …After midnight the Chaos creatures struck at 
  the horses. Lightning, whom Hahlgrim never picketed, 
  sounded the alarm. The noble steed smashed one of the 
  demons to the ground with a blow of his powerful hooves. 
  But there were several demons, hairy and glowing in the 
  night, among the animals, and even as we ran toward them 
  we saw one of the fiends use his claws to slash a great 
  wound in Lightning’s haunch. The horse cried out, for he 
  knew doom was on him. But if the monsters thought they 
  had stumbled across simple hill people, they soon learned 
  differently. Not only did these lumbering creatures make 
  their own light and thereby a good target for spear and 
  
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  RESTRICTIONS
  Rune Lords of Bagog must celebrate their holy days with the 
  Initiates. They must lead Initiates on hunts and raids. At some 
  time in their lives they must meet and defeat a Rune Lord of a 
  lawful cult. This last is a prerequisite for female Rune Lords who 
  plan one day to challenge the Queen.
  BENEFITS
  Every new Rune Lord gains an allied spirit in the body of an 
  insect scorpion. If the new Rune Lord defeated one of the same 
  tribe, the allied spirit is that of the old Rune Lord; if in the same 
  tribe, the victor also gains the Initiates of the old Rune Lord, and 
  all of the Rune Lord’s wives or husbands.
  A Rune Lord may marry. A Rune Lord will also receive 
  Darkwall, Healing 4-6, Mind-speech, and Protection 4. A Rune 
  Lord eats as he wishes of all catches made by his Initiate following.
  VII. RUNE PRIESTHOOD
  GENERAL STATEMENT
  The Rune Priests link the scorpion races to Bagog. They wield 
  the magical skill of the god, and often accompany raiding parties 
  to provide magical support. Just as most Rune Lords are male, 
  most Rune Priests actually are Rune Priestesses—female. Priests 
  of Bagog do not lose their DEX-based skills and are expected to 
  continue striving to achieve their highest status.
  REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE
  The candidate must be an Initiate or Rune Lord of the Scorpion 
  Mother, must have 18+ POW, and must defeat a priest of the 
  same or a different cult (in the same fashion as Rune Lords).
  RESTRICTIONS
  The priests are expected to officiate at the tribal feasts when the 
  captives of the season are consumed. Those captives who ask to 
  become members of the scorpion races may undergo the Ritual 
  of Rebirth, overseen by the High Priestess.
  BENEFITS
  The new priest or priestess will gain the allied spirit of the 
  former priest or priestess if the victim came from the tribe. He 
  also will get an automatic Power gain roll, and the battle magic 
  spell Spirit Screen 4.
  The new priest may marry. Priests and priestesses may 
  select as they wish from the prisoners and catches eaten at feasts.
  RUNE SPELL COMPATIBILITY
  The following Rune spells are available to priests of Bagog: 
  Discorporation, 
  Dismiss 
  Elemental, 
  Divination, 
  Divine 
  Intervention, Extension 1-2, Matrix Creation, Mind Link, 
  Multispell 1-2, Shield, Summon Small Shade, Warding.
  CULT SPECIAL RUNE SPELLS
  Sprout Legs 
  1 point
  15 minutes, touch, reusable, stackable
  This spell causes additional legs to sprout from the thorax of the 
  scorpion man. This leg will be usable as a normal appendage, 
  and will have the same hit points as the other legs. One leg will 
  be created for each point of spell, up to a maximum of four.
  50% or better. Once the skills are known, then the lay member 
  must challenge and defeat another Initiate. Usually the Initiate 
  is of another tribe. Sometimes lay members have the Queen’s 
  permission to eat an elf or other sentient Initiate or Rune Master, 
  (though the knowledge transferred will be halved), and a few 
  times a year an elder member of the tribe may voluntarily sacrifice 
  himself to Bagog, an act highly honored by every scorpion tribe, 
  and doubtless appreciated by the challengers, who thereby gain 
  Initiate status without struggle.
  If the challenge succeeds, then the lay member eats the body 
  of the Initiate and becomes a new Initiate of Bagog. Defeat of 
  powerful Initiates sometimes can be accomplished by several lay 
  members, who all may feed on the body.
  REQUIREMENTS TO REMAIN INITIATED
  Initiates are the feeders of the tribes, and must bring to the 
  tribe the equivalent of 30 SIZ points of food each week. Tribal 
  Rune Lords will command the Initiates, whom the Initiates are 
  expected to obey.
  MUNDANE BENEFITS
  Initiates receive the same benefits as lay members, and will be 
  allowed to accompany the Rune Lords on wilderness expeditions, 
  on raids, and other duties.
  SKILLS
  If the lay member has eaten the loser of the Initiation combat 
  according to the rituals of Bagog, then he will always gain +20% 
  with one weapon known by the devoured Initiate.
  Initiates receive training for half normal price in all skills 
  available to lay members.
  SPELLS
  In benefit for winning the Initiation combat, the Initiate gains for 
  free the following spells if not already known: Binding, Healing 
  1-3, Ironhand, Mobility, Protection 2. Other spells will be taught 
  for normal prices.
  VI. RUNE LORD MEMBERSHIP
  GENERAL STATEMENT
  Rune Lords of Bagog are the leading warriors of the tribe. They 
  command the Initiates on raids against foes, and are in charge of 
  the defense of the tribe. Just as Rune Priests of Bagog tend to be 
  female, Rune Lords tend to be male.
  REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE
  The candidate for Rune Lord of Bagog must be an Initiate, and 
  prove his ability in hunting and raiding. He must never have 
  stolen from clutch-mates or his tribe in general. He must be 
  90%+ in five of the skills taught to Initiates, two of which must 
  be weapon skills.
  As he did to become an Initiate, so he must now do to 
  become a Rune Lord: he now must face and defeat another Rune 
  Lord, devouring him if he wins. Usually the Rune Lord will 
  be of another tribe; occasionally by permission the Rune Lord 
  may be of another species. The body is eaten in any case and the 
  knowledge transferred.
  
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  Jabbers 
  1 point
  15 minutes, touch, reusable, non-stackable
  This Rune spell turns one of the scorpion man’s arms into a 
  jabber. Jabbers are long, boney points used for fighting. They 
  have a base strike rank of 2, are used somewhat like spears, can 
  impale, and do 1D8+1 damage plus any bonus. Attack and parry 
  percentage equals to the target’s DEX times 5%. The jabbers 
  have twice the arm’s hit points and are covered with 6 point bone.
  Venom Boosting 
  2 point
  15 minutes, touch, reusable, stackable
  Each point of this spell cast upon a scorpion man will increase 
  the venom potency of the tail sting by 1D6 points. The amount 
  of increase is rolled only after the venom penetrates a foe, and 
  is rolled for separately for each foe hit. This spell is stackable to 
  4 points only.
  Claws 
  1 point
  15 minutes, touch, reusable, non-stackable
  Used like the Jabber spell, this one causes the arm to turn into a 
  large, crab-like claw. The claw has a strike rank of 4, and does 
  2D6 damage plus bonus. Attack and percentage equals to the 
  target’s DEX x5%. The claw has 6 point skin and hit points equal 
  to twice the arm’s. The Claw may also crush.
  Carapace 
  2 points
  15 minutes, touch, reusable, non-stackable, 
  This spell increases the toughness of the exoskeleton of a scorpion 
  man by 12 points, which is added to other natural armor. Some 
  may also wear external armor. This spell is incompatible with 
  Absorption, Reflection, Shield, or Spirit Block.
  Speak to Scorpion 
  2 points
  15 minutes, voice, reusable, non-stackable
  This Rune spell allows the target to converse with scorpions 
  for the duration of the spell. Oratory bonuses help if the animal 
  needs convincing.
  Ritual of Rebirth 
  3 points
  4 hours, touch, reusable, non-stackable
  A challenger gains knowledge of this spell upon the final defeat 
  and consumption of the previous Scorpion Queen of the tribe.
  During the spell’s duration, any prisoner eaten by the Queen 
  will be laid in an egg at the conclusion of the spell. One season 
  after the devouring, the egg will hatch and the being or beings 
  devoured under the spell will be reborn as one of the scorpion 
  races. The upper torso and head will remain identical to the one 
  devoured; the lower body will now be that of a scorpion. Old 
  weapon skills of the devoured will remain intact, as will former 
  knowledge; attack percentage with the scorpion tail will equal 
  the character’s attack bonus plus 5%.
  VIII. SUBSERVIENT CULTS
  SPIRIT OF REPRISAL
  Bagog has no spirit of reprisal.
  Renegades from the cult lose their allied spirits, and their 
  tail shrivels and dies, falling off at 1 hit point of tail per day. All 
  cult Rune magics will be lost. Offenders will have no immunity 
  to scorpion venom.
  sword but the air between us and them began to stir with 
  Rune magic. Our foes reeled even before our blades could 
  bite.
  Oddi, half-armored, his face horrible with battle frenzy, 
  reached them first, stunning the demon who had attacked 
  Lightning. Its claws scraped against Oddi’s chain mail, 
  and the battle cry of the Storm Bull rang out in the night. 
  I raced after Oddi, foolishly not waiting to do more than 
  grab my scimitar. I dodged behind the demon and swung 
  with all my might into the fur behind the thing’s knee, the 
  weighted tip of the blade hewing flesh and bone just as 
  my teacher had taught me. The demon bellowed with pain 
  and buckled immediately, which made my heart fiercely 
  satisfied. Yet I forgot that even trees (for the monsters were 
  three meters high at the least) must somewhere fall, and the 
  stinking hulk came crashing down on me while I was still 
  extended from my blow. I heard the brutal thud of Oddi’s 
  sword as he lopped off the demon’s head with one swing, 
  missing me by little more than a hand’s width.
  Though it was dead, it was heavy, and I could not pull 
  out from beneath it at once. Its glow persisted, and as I 
  struggled from it, I saw things crawling on the corpse, so 
  near my eyes that I cried out in terror and shook even as 
  I pulled free, my skin crawling and my stomach heaving 
  with nausea. By then the rest of the demons were dead or 
  fleeing, and the healers were gentling warriors from their 
  frenzy.
  Hahlgrim 
  and 
  Ellisif 
  argued 
  strongly 
  about 
  Xenohealing Lightning, for the stubborn Priestess did not 
  feel that a horse was worth the drain in Power, but had she 
  not finally relented I feared violence, for Hahlgrim would 
  not deny a friend, even should it have a mane, and any use 
  of arms against a healer would have boded ill for the war.
  When I surveyed the battle site at dawn I was surprised 
  to see that there were beheaded scorpion men as well as 
  demons sprawled where the horses had been tied. One had 
  a long sharp bone in place of its left arm, and a huge claw 
  like a crab in place of its right. Oddi told me how it had 
  grabbed his Initiate with the claw, then repeatedly stabbed 
  her with the wicked bone, but fortunately not killing her 
  immediately—now she was healed, and whistling while 
  she saddled her horse. Another scorpion man had missed 
  his aim in the night, and had impaled a stump with his tail 
  stinger, and was then dispatched before he could remove the 
  stinger from the wood. Stinger seemed too light a word for 
  the appendage, which was as long and as strong as my arm.
  Oddi asked me, a good Lunar worshipper, how I liked 
  my Chaos friends, and indeed these were foul and most 
  gruesome, but I stoutly maintained that not all Chaos folk 
  were such, at which he shook his head. He also told me of 
  his gratitude that I had struck down the demon, but that 
  under the frenzy of the Bull he had come near to beheading 
  me as well as the demon, and that never should I go before 
  the warrior who felt the Power of the Bull.
  We stacked all the heads on a pyre and burnt them, and 
  continued toward the looming mountains, whose beauty 
  looked most hospitable after the terrors of the night.
  
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  and the spells only will be battle magic. In eating scorpion 
  race members, the eater has a chance of gaining each skill or 
  appropriate spell by making a roll of INT + POW divided by 2, 
  or less, on D100. Only skills and spells which the eater does not 
  know at all can be transferred, and only to the first 25% of a skill. 
  Battle magics gained will be known entirely. Rune magic, other 
  than Spell Teaching, cannot be learned this way.
  Members of non-scorpion species may be eaten in this way, 
  but the roll will be INT + POW divided by 4 on D100. All other 
  points about transference remain the same.
  Queens who ingest beings as part of the Ritual of Rebirth do 
  not remember skills or spells from those beings.
  THE MULTIPLE CHALLENGE
  Powerful members of Bagog’s cult occasionally may find 
  themselves challenged by several lesser members at once. This 
  is allowed if the challengers are less than half as skilled as the 
  being who is challenged, and if the total skill percentage of the 
  challengers approximately equals the skill percentage of the 
  incumbent. The challengers have the choice of weapon. If the 
  challengers succeed, they all may feast on the victim’s body, and 
  all may try to gain the benefits of devouring.
  A devouring ceremony ordinarily occurs on any holy day of 
  the cult, or at such other times as the Queen decides.
  Further retribution is the duty of the tribe. If caught, those 
  who failed to follow cult dictates or those who have harmed 
  clutch-mates will be cut apart and their sections laid out to rot. 
  The tribe will not devour cult offenders.
  IX. ASSOCIATED CULTS
  PRIMAL CHAOS
  See the separate cult description of Primal Chaos.
  THED
  Since the birth of Time, the scorpion races and the broos have 
  found common grounds for alliances. The broos provide valuable 
  disease control spells, and the scorpion men provide warriors 
  unmatched in broo society. Melding of the two occurs whenever 
  a broo undergoes the Ritual of Rebirth, creating a scorpion broo 
  with the disease resistance of Mallia’s sons, or when the Bagog 
  worshipper accepts Chaotic features and transforms into a broo. 
  When the latter happens to a scorpion being, only the upper torso 
  (the non-scorpion body) is transformed.
  X. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
  CEREMONIAL DEVOURING
  Properly done, the devouring of opponents may yield 
  knowledge to the eater, but the skills known must be 25%+ 
  ?
  o
  B
  ,
  
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  RuneQuest
  THED
  MOTHER OF BROOS
  source of their existence. It is because of her that Chaos came 
  into the world.
  A few humans secretly worship Thed, but these warped 
  souls are mostly rebels and outcasts from their original cults and 
  from human society. Though they usually are intelligent (they 
  have to be, to survive), they also will be psychotic and without 
  principle in their relations.
  SOCIO-POLITICAL POSITION AND POWER
  Among broos this cult is important. Its priests have rapport with 
  Thed and command her will to the tribe. Among humans and 
  other races Thed has no power except to create fear. Humans 
  discovered belonging to this cult are typically slain by their 
  neighbors, unless the tribe is temporarily allied with Thed.
  PARTICULAR LIKES AND DISLIKES
  Natural for one of the few remaining spirits of Chaos, Thed 
  dislikes nearly every other god, recalling her old power and 
  despising those deities still powerful. The Storm Bull slew her 
  husband, Ragnaglar, and her children, the Devil and many broos, 
  and she hates him and the Air Gods particularly. She greatly 
  dislikes the Darkness deities, who fought Chaos so fiercely and 
  for so long. She is reasonably friendly to the Cacodemon cult 
  and to Mallia, her old ally. Though Mallia has now disassociated 
  from Thed, the beings who worship Thed also often worship 
  Mallia as well.
  III. ORGANIZATION
  INTER-CULT ORGANIZATION
  The temple is the highest organization for this cult; the cult has 
  no formal structure above the temple. Occasionally the broos 
  will meet in council or band together in larger numbers than 
  usual, for a particular purpose, and the dominant personalities 
  present will arrange themselves into a grudging hierarchy, but 
  the process must be repeated at every such gathering, and the 
  bitter results never are the same.
  INTRA-TEMPLE ORGANIZATION
  The most powerful Thed worshipper in an area is under an 
  obligation to Thed to form a coven. According to Thed, this 
  person will know who he or she is, and much of the petty history 
  of the cult concerns the bloody struggles to prove, according to 
  Thed, just who is Thed’s instrument in fulfilling the obligation. 
  Normally a Rune Priest, Rune Lord, or shaman will lead a coven, 
  but if none are available then an Initiate may take command.
  The head of a coven is called the Covenmaster. He governs 
  by manipulation, bullying, threats, bribery, assault, and murder 
  as he sees necessary. If a member of the coven has the power to 
  challenge the Covenmaster, that member is under the obligation of 
  Thed to struggle for power until one recognizes the other as leader, 
  or is killed, or leaves to found his own coven in another place.
  I. MYTHOS AND HISTORY
  BEFORE TIME
  Prior to the Lesser Darkness, Thed was an important goddess. 
  She was the wife of Ragnaglar, who later was called the Mad 
  God, and their children were the broos, who then were untainted 
  by Chaos. Together with Ragnaglar and Mallia, she schemed to 
  introduce Chaos into the world in the form of the Devil. The 
  three had found jealously and pride in themselves, and they 
  dreamed of usurping the functions of the world, and of becoming 
  its unchallenged rulers. Thed herself was the mother of the Devil, 
  and his malevolence twisted and distorted her in childbirth. She 
  participated in the wars of Chaos, and her broos aligned with her. 
  During the war, Ragnaglar was slain by the Storm Bull, Mallia 
  left the conspiracy, and Kyger Litor defeated and skinned Thed. 
  The Devil finally was slain by the Storm Bull and cast to Hell, 
  where Arachne Solara devoured him. Thed dispersed to all the 
  dark corners of the universe, including Prax.
  SINCE TIME BEGAN
  The broos still honor and revere Thed, and obey her wishes. 
  She occasionally is called upon by Animal Nomads for aid in 
  raids and battles, and she grants them this for the perfunctory 
  worship they give her in return. At other times she wanders 
  about, sometimes visiting a shaman or Rune Priest with horrible 
  doom at some altar as they attempt to summon some other, more 
  benevolent spirit.
  Though protected in her existence by the Great Compromise, 
  Thed was on the losing side, and occupies a distinctly minor place 
  in the vast pantheon of deities. It is probable that only her initial 
  role as Mother of the Broos has been effective in maintaining her 
  powers. That connection is also her greatest weakness, as broo-
  hunts are popular activities especially among humans, and it is 
  likely that the broo population has been declining for some time.
  LIFE AFTER DEATH
  Thed’s worshippers become demons of Chaos after they die, and 
  spend their time hunting the souls of those unprotected by their 
  own deities. The demons will be scouts for the forces of Chaos 
  in the Final Battle.
  Though guaranteed an existence after death, that existence 
  seems to most worshippers of Thed to be so little different than 
  what they presently do that few care about the guarantee in any 
  active sense. Typically the forces of Chaos presently are limited 
  to little more than reaction and fringe activity.
  RUNIC ASSOCIATIONS
  The cult of Thed is associated with the Runes of Spirit and Chaos.
  II. NATURE OF THE CULT
  REASON FOR CONTINUED EXISTENCE
  The great majority of Thed’s worshippers are broos and other 
  such vile creatures. They worship her as their mother and the 
  
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  RuneQuest
  The only restraint to the Covenmaster’s power comes from 
  Thed herself, who may by visions instigate a general uprising 
  against a Covenmaster who kills too many of the coven and 
  thereby cuts into her supply of Power.
  CENTER OF POWER, HOLY PLACES
  There are no special places of power to Thed, though places and 
  items may be consecrated to her.
  The Devil’s Marsh is a holy place, since there still are parts 
  of the Devil there.
  HOLY DAYS AND HIGH HOLY DAYS
  Holy days are at the discretion of the Covenmaster, who may call 
  meetings as he wills; most Covenmasters find it more propitious 
  to call meetings on Wildday or Godsday, particularly during 
  Disorder and Illusion weeks.
  High holy days occur during the Sacred Time. It is then 
  that the coven meets to swear in new Initiates and Rune-level 
  members. The length of the meeting varies with the orgiastic 
  stamina of the Covenmaster.
  IV. LAY MEMBERSHIP
  REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN
  Broos may join the cult of Thed without cost. Any creature 
  tainted with Chaos, such as an ogre, scorpion man, or giant can 
  join by presenting the Covenmaster with a small gift of some 
  value. Humans and the like may join only by receiving the 
  approval of the Covenmaster.
  When a human, troll, etc., applies, it must be at a meeting of 
  the coven. The Covenmaster may carefully question him about 
  his backgrounds, motives, and desires. This entry test can be 
  abstracted for game purposes by rolling the applicant’s CHA X 
  5 or less on D100. Each 100 Lunars donated to the Covenmaster 
  by the applicant will add 5 to the number which the applicant’s 
  roll must equal or be less than. Should the prospective member 
  be rejected, he will be attacked by the coven, which may be 
  jealously guarding its identity.
  REQUIREMENTS TO BELONG
  Members are expected to come at the call of the Covenmaster 
  unless they feel the obligation of Thed (see the section on Intra-
  Temple Organization). Members are expected to spread abroad 
  those conditions most suitable to Thed, including anarchy, 
  famine, disaster, and cruelty.
  Broo or not, every cultist of Thed has a duty to keep himself 
  well-fed and free of entangling emotions.
  Every Thedist lay member must sacrifice 1 point of POW to 
  Thed at each coven meeting.
  MUNDANE BENEFITS
  Cult members will be friendlier to other cult members than 
  they might otherwise be, unless they are on opposing sides in a 
  factional struggle, and therefore will provide minimal support or 
  a hiding place to other members on the run.
  Broos belonging to Thed often belong to the dominant cult 
  of their tribe, with heightened status and self-importance.
  The requirements of the cult often force the member to feed 
  himself well before sharing any leftovers.
  “It will take some men,” said Hahlgrim to the King. 
  “It will take an army!” fumed Bolthor.
  They sprawled amid the confusion of the King’s private 
  chambers. In the last seasons the sparring with Chaos had 
  taken its toll even here—the once fine furnishings now 
  looked faded and frivolous, and there were many tokens 
  of war cast about. Here lay the cloven helm of a favored 
  sergeant, there lay a straw doll which alone had survived 
  the burning of a farmstead.
  “You lead my men to ruin and slaughter,” Bolthor 
  continued. “They die, and yet the numbers against us do 
  increase rather than lessen. When we sacrificed to the lords 
  of terror, we knew some peace from day to day. Now no 
  man knows the measure of his time in the world.”
  My lord Hahlgrim was undaunted. “Whose life is 
  safe as a plaything of Chaos? Soldiers do not find victory 
  in surrender—you dishonor the dead, my king, by such 
  musings. You men are undaunted. Take you your guide from 
  their courage, and persevere.”
  Hahlgrim had risen, a vast man and gaunt when seen 
  next to portly King Bolthor the comfort-loving. Hahlgrim 
  had many voices, and he could command or cajole as he 
  saw best fit the hour. Now his voice was cold with contempt, 
  and Bolthor shrank back before the truth it told. This King, 
  I thought, should have been born in a grassier time when 
  the cattle were fat. But here he was, forced to face the duties 
  of kingliness as well as its pleasures.
  The fat of his face drooping, Bolthor nodded at last. 
  “It shall be as you advise, Hahlgrim.”
  King Bolthor commanded, but his arm rested upon 
  Oddi the Keen, for Hahlgrim had been called elsewhere. 
  One in three of all Bolthor’s thanes came that day, and 
  their men, and most of the priests and their guards, and 
  even Queen Monnie the Shrill, Bolthor’s Lunar spouse, 
  a priestess with a powerful reputation. I accompanied to 
  record the deeds, for all would happen by Hahlgrim’s will. 
  We were a strong band, yet even the vast armies of other 
  ages would have been lost in the wilds before us.
  It was near Slimestone, where the giant gorp lived, 
  that our outriders reported the enemy gathering, and soon 
  we all could see howling creatures, leaping and lurching. 
  As their numbers grew, so did their courage: these were 
  broos of every nature, disgusting to the eye. Some were 
  Thed-spawn, others clearly Greyskin grovelers of Primal 
  Chaos, warped almost beyond recognition.
  “They are many,” Bolthor said soberly.
  Oddi nodded cheerfully.
  “It would seem that Hahlgrim knows a way to rid 
  himself of at least one enemy,” the King said bitterly.
  “My lord King Bolthor,” Oddi replied, “Kingship runs 
  deep in our clan—I will not fail you here. My life is yours. 
  And you have your Guided Teleport spell to return you to 
  safety. Fear not —we have come to slay, but not to die.”
  
  40
  Cults of Terror
  RuneQuest
  Lay members whose Rune Lord or Rune Priest is 
  knowledgeable may learn an unusual amount of weapons skills 
  and magic while not making a serious commitment to the cult. 
  Fortunately for the world such knowledgeable individuals are 
  rare.
  The cult has a secret word of recognition which changes 
  every season. Thed bestows the word upon all cult members 
  during a nightmare.
  SKILLS
  Traditionally, Rune Lords of Thed teach their skills to their 
  followers at whatever price they wish. This price often will be 
  some devious act of special brutality. Covenmasters customarily 
  do not teach skills to those who plot against them.
  BATTLE MAGIC
  Rune Priests of Thed usually teach their followers any cult spell 
  they know, by means of Spell Teaching, for a named price
  V. INITIATE MEMBERSHIP
  REQUIREMENTS FOR INITIATION
  An Initiate can be inducted only during Sacred Time. He must be 
  vouched for by at least two other Initiate or Rune-level members 
  of any established coven. When building a coven, a Covenmaster 
  may disregard this pre-requirement as he wishes.
  The prospective Initiate must bring two gifts, one for Thed 
  and one for the Covenmaster. The gift to Thed may be such 
  traditional items as the severed hands from vanquished fighters 
  against Chaos. The gift to the Covenmaster may be money, 
  a potion, a service, or something else of value and use. Once 
  fulfilling the requirements, the applicant rolls D100. A result of 
  75 or less indicates that he has been accepted. A roll of 76-95 
  means that the applicant is rejected, and that he must bring twice 
  the gifts when he next applies, and then must make a new roll for 
  acceptance. Each time he is rejected, he must double his gifts. 
  If an applicant rolls 96-00, compromising data has been learned 
  about him, and the coven sacrifices him to Thed.
  REQUIREMENTS TO REMAIN ACCEPTED
  After acceptance, the Initiate must sacrifice 2 points POW to 
  Thed at each meeting of the coven.
  The Initiate must bring a gift to Thed (see the miscellaneous 
  notes at the end of this cult) on the first meeting of the coven for 
  each season. Outside of normal political considerations, he need 
  bring no more gifts to the Covenmaster.
  Initiates must participate in organized assaults on society, 
  but the Covenmasters determine the details of such matters.
  MUNDANE BENEFITS
  Initiates of Thed may rule covens if there are no Rune levels 
  available. They have high status among the lay members, and 
  very high status as broos among the broos. They generally will 
  be well-fed and well-housed by the cult, and often will be sent 
  on independent missions.
  SKILLS
  Rune Lords will teach their skills to Initiates for standard prices, 
  and will teach for free Medium Shield Parry to 50% to any Initiate. 
  They are not obliged to teach those who plot against them.
  “Yet my heart forebodes,” the King said. “The hour is 
  late; may we not post ourselves upon that knoll?” Bolthor 
  gestured to a low rise which commanded the flat ground 
  around it.
  “Indeed,” said Oddi, “that seems best. Our men will 
  form a shield wall circling the top, on which the broo 
  assaults will break like the slap of a child, and our healers 
  will stay in the center to reach any who fall. The warrior-
  priests will steady our force if they stand among them.
  These broos, my lord, are each a horror, but they will 
  not fight well together unless driven by the will of a great 
  leader.”
  Bolthor nodded. “It shall be as you suggest,” he said, 
  and then ordered his thanes accordingly.
  All through the evening parties of broos attacked, and 
  were slaughtered by our bold men, who attended themselves 
  suffered little. Yet the monsters launched themselves onto 
  our spear points, so that a wall of dead built up before us. 
  Oddi said that it was ever so, for the race made little of 
  learning and sought only easy vengeance for their goddess. 
  Though the fighting was most determined where we stood. 
  Oddi’s senses did not indicate the powerful malevolence of 
  his sliminess, Ralzakark.
  Bolthor was napping fitfully when we approached 
  him and well might he have slept, for fat Bolthor acquitted 
  himself well that night; his sword was notched and his 
  royal armor splattered with the blood of broos. He roused 
  as we came before him.
  “Now is the time, my lord King,” said Oddi. “The 
  broos waver and hang back before their fires; our men are 
  ready; the mages of us will make the light of day long before 
  dawn, and our swords shall this morn diminish Ralzakark’s 
  strength to a tenth that saw the sun rise yesterday.”
  “We shall lead the charge, fair Oddi,” said Bolthor.
  “By my life, my lord, we shall.”
  Both wore full iron chain and plate armor, and both 
  took up an iron bastard sword in each hand. There were 
  murmurs of admiration at the warlike cast of Bolthor’s 
  face. His wife, Monnie, perhaps for the first time in her life, 
  knelt to bid him safe return. Close behind were Bolthor’s 
  personal guards and Oddi’s own housecarls, giants all, 
  each armed with two swords. Then the helms of these great 
  warriors began to glow and shimmer, and they turned 
  toward the battle as one man, and the heavens lit with 
  magical light like day, and the worshippers of the Storm 
  Bull cut through the broos like a plow through the soil, 
  and everywhere overturned them, even the scorpion folk, 
  so that when the true sun rose no broo lived upon the plain 
  before us.
  After the healers had calmed the berserk warriors, and 
  led them back to the knoll, the King rewarded Oddi richly, 
  as befitted a true king, and not one who thought he could 
  take up and put down the job, as might a carpenter. At the 
  feat in the castle, I had once more cause to admire how 
  the uncouth ways of the Storm Bull’s men complemented 
  and somehow justified their lust for war. Only a man who 
  craves no quarter should give no quarter..
  
  Classic Edition
  41
  RuneQuest
  VII. RUNE PRIESTHOOD
  GENERAL STATEMENT
  Rune Priests of Thed are powerful political leaders among 
  the broos, especially in emergencies. Though there are no ties 
  between one priest and another, Rune Priests with sufficient 
  qualifications are called High Priests and initiate new Rune-level 
  candidates.
  REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE
  High Priests only can ordinate new Rune Priests, and only at 
  Sacred Time. They must bring seven gifts to Thed, and need a 
  POW of at least 18. As with Rune Lords, the applicant is rejected 
  only on a D100 roll of 96-00 and must then wait a year to reapply.
  Thed cares little about knowledge and learning, and so 
  waives the language requirement.
  RESTRICTIONS
  A Rune Priest must bring a gift to Thed each week.
  BENEFITS
  Rune Priests may seize any coven from its leader (Initiate, 
  Rune Lord, or Rune Priest). In times of war and stress, priests 
  become important advisors to the broo tribal leaders. They also 
  go through the re-birth of Chaos, as do Rune Lords, and gain 
  the detectable aura. A spirit of Thed (see the subservient cults 
  section) is given to the Rune Priest as an allied spirit. Their most 
  important benefit is in their Rune magic.
  RUNE SPELL COMPATIBILITY
  Because she began as a non-chaotic goddess, Thed retains has 
  access to the following standard spells: all 1 point spells, all 
  Dismiss Elementals, Matrix Creation, 2 point Vision, and 2 point 
  Multispell.
  CULT SPECIAL RUNE SPELLS
  The Thed Rune Priest has access to the following special cult 
  spells:
  Crack 
  1 point
  instantaneous, 160m, reusable, stackable
  This spell must be cast at a non-living, non-magical object, 
  including a piece of armor, a weapon, or a shield. If a spirit lives 
  in the item, the caster’s POW must overcome the POW of the 
  spirit in order to let the spell work. The spell has no effect on 
  spell matrices, crystals, or on elven bows of magical nature. It 
  will shatter a weapon with Bladesharp or Fireblade cast on it. 
  This spell is stackable, in which case more than one item on 
  the prospective victim may be shattered at once. If the spell is 
  cast on an object with Rune magic, such as Truesword or Crush, 
  on it, then the Crack takes effect only if it has enough points 
  of POW in it equal to or greater than those placed in the Rune 
  spell. Objects carried by a character protected by Shield or 
  Countermagic may be destroyed only if the Crack’s caster puts 
  enough points of battle magic POW behind his spell to break 
  through the defending spell.
  A Repair spell will fix a broken object.
  SPELLS
  An Initiate may only learn the Rune spells unique to Thed. A 
  Rune Priest of Thed will teach for free to the Initiate one Rune 
  spell of the Initiate’s choice, and will teach any other spell at 
  the price the priest chooses. All Rune spells taught require their 
  normal sacrifice of POW, of course. The Initiate may be required 
  to sacrifice for Rune magic before any great task.
  Battle magic available to the Initiate is the same as for the 
  lay member.
  VI. RUNE LORD MEMBERSHIP
  GENERAL STATEMENT
  The leaders of the cult expect their Rune Lords to be strong 
  warriors against good, and they excel in oppressing others and 
  forcing unfortunates to obey their will. The Thed Rune Lord is 
  cruel, greedy, and rapacious by nature and by training.
  REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE
  To be accepted as a Rune Lord of Thed, an applicant must have 
  a POW of 15 or more, and must have presented a High Priest 
  of other than his own coven with at least 12 gifts to Thed (see 
  miscellaneous notes) taken within the past season. He must also 
  have at least two fighting skills at 90% or more, and be 90%+ in 
  any three of the following: another fighting skill, the making of 
  acid/poison/blade venom at potency 10+, any Stealth skill, Set 
  Traps, Tracking, Hide Item, or Listen. A Rune Lord is accepted 
  upon a D100 roll of 01-95.
  A rejected Rune Lord must wait one full year before he 
  reapplies.
  RESTRICTION
  A Rune Lord should bring a gift to Thed (see miscellaneous 
  notes) every week of every season except during Sacred Time.
  Non-broo Rune Lords will generally not proclaim their link 
  to the cult, and so they typically do not wear iron, though they 
  may have a full set of iron armor hidden away.
  BENEFITS
  The Rune Lord can be master of his own coven, who must obey 
  him and act at his beck and call. A Rune Lord can take over any 
  coven currently led by an Initiate, and force the Initiate to swear 
  fealty to him, for what that is worth. The Rune Lord is treated by 
  any broo as if he were a broo from birth, though he may not have 
  been, and most intelligent Chaotic beings give him deference. 
  He receives a spirit of Thed for his allied spirit (see the section 
  on subservient cults).
  Upon acceptance he goes through a rebirth of Chaos, a true 
  changing of self. This rebirth takes one full year to complete from 
  the time of acceptance, and which once completed is not reversible, 
  even by Divine Intervention. By becoming fully committed to 
  Chaos through this re-birth, he takes on an aura of Chaos which 
  most creatures of Chaos can sense. But he also becomes vulnerable 
  to Detect Chaos abilities, as well as Rune spells such as Defend 
  Against Chaos, Summon Spirit of Law, and so on.
  
  42
  Cults of Terror
  RuneQuest
  D10 
  Creature
  1 
  broo
  2 
  scorpion man
  3 
  ghoul
  4 
  skeleton
  5 
  basilisk/cockatrice
  6 
  gorp
  7 
  1D3 assorted snakes
  8 
  dragon snail
  9 
  3 meter tall giant
  10 
  nothing
  All creatures have a 25% chance to hit, plus bonuses as 
  applicable. None of these summoned beings may use any battle 
  magic, nor will they consent to be placed in Mind-link with the 
  summoner or anyone else.
  Fumble 
  1 point
  one melee round, 150m, reusable, stackable
  This spell is targeted against an opponent. If the target fails to 
  resist a POW vs. POW attack by the caster, then the victim rolls 
  on the standard Fumble Table. The caster may stack this spell, in 
  which case each additional point causes the victim to have to roll 
  on the Fumble Table for one more consecutive round. A 3 point 
  spell would, for instance, cause the victim to fumble for three 
  consecutive melee rounds.
  Chaos Spawn 
  2 points
  15 minutes, 10m, reusable, non-stackable
  This spell summons a wailing, moaning void appearing in mid-
  air. That flung into or otherwise entering this void is irrevocably 
  lost. The void is a popular way to sacrifice to Thed. After 1D4 
  melee rounds the void leaves a random Chaos creature in its 
  stead. Determine what it is with 1D10.
  REVERSE CHAOS RANDOM EFFECTS TABLE
  result 
  effect
  01-03 
  lose 1D6 POW
  04-05 
  lose 2D6 POW
  06 
  lose 3D6 POW
  07-09 
  lose 1D6 DEX
  10-11 
  lose 2D6 DEX
  12 
  lose 3D6 DEX
  13-14 
  lose 2D6 STR
  15 
  lose 4D6 STR
  16-17 
  lose 2D6 CON
  18 
  lose 4D6 CON
  19-20 
  +3 to victim’s strike rank for duration of spell*
  21-22 
  may not resist any 1 point spells cast at him
  23-24 
  drenched in acid, 2D10 potency (one round only)
  25-26 
  engulfed in flame, 3D10 damage (one round only)
  27-28 
  attracts magic: all 1 point attack spells cast in a 20m 
  radius automatically targets against the victim
  29-30 
  victim becomes immune to fire damage for duration 
  of spell
  31-32 
  roll equal to or below INT x 5 on D100 or stand 
  stupefied for 15 minutes
  33-35 
  all foes have +20% chance to hit victim*
  36-37 
  one valuable gem, magic item, or weapon in the 
  victim’s possession is eaten by Chaos and disappears 
  forever.
  38-40 
  takes one point of damage in random location each 
  melee round until spell expires*
  41-42 
  victim befuddled for spell duration
  43-45 
  non-Rune metals do double damage to victim
  46 
  victim is rendered incapable of physically attacking*
  47-48 
  all foes have +30% chance to hit victim*
  49-50 
  attacked by poison, 2D10 potency (one round only)
  51-52 
  takes 3 points of damage in random location each 
  melee round until spell expires*
  53-54 
  add +3 to damage of all weapons hitting the victim*
  55-56 
  victim bound as in Binding spell
  57-58 
  victim may not resist 1 or 2 point spells
  59-60 
  a spirit of 3D6 POW engages in spirit combat with 
  the victim
  61-62 
  explosion, 3D6 damage to all within 3 meters, as 
  well as to victim (one round only)
  63-65 
  victim becomes physically indistinguishable from 
  caster of spell
  66-67 
  victim becomes silent when moving; adds 25% 
  permanently to Move Silent ability
  68-70 
  target becomes magic attractant for 1  and 2 pt spells
  71-72 
  add +4 to all weapon damage against the victim*
  73-74 
  as above, but add +5*
  75-76 
  as above, but add +6*
  77 
  victim may use no offensive magics*
  78-80 
  victim takes 1D6 points of damage in random 
  location each round until spell expires*
  81-82 
  victim immobilized
  83-84 
  victim goes berserk as in Fanaticism spell
  85 
  foes have +40% chance to hit victim*
  86-87 
  all objects on victim’s body are devoured by Chaos, 
  and victim stands naked and weaponless
  88-90 
  victim may make no vocal sounds, including spell 
  casts
  91-92 
  roll CON x 5 or lose consciousness for spell duration
  93-94 
  victim becomes magic attractant for all spells
  95-96 
  victim demoralized for spell duration
  97-98 
  lose 2D6 of SIZ
  99 
  roll twice
  00 
  victim joins caster’s side for duration of spell
  * The victim may attempt to resist (on the RuneQuest 
  Resistance Table) the initial casting of this effect and, if he 
  succeeds, the spell has no further effect on him. If he fails, he 
  may not resist any subsequent effect of that particular curse.
  
  Classic Edition
  43
  RuneQuest
  duration) are permanent. For example, if Glypto the Thed Rune 
  Priest cast this spell non-reusably at a broo and rolled an 88, that 
  broo would be struck dumb permanently. Similarly, if he had 
  rolled a 12, the broo would lose 3D6 of his DEX permanently. 
  However, if Glypto had rolled a 36, the effect would be the same 
  as if the spell had been cast reusably. Glypto would have wasted 
  his spell for nothing.
  This spell enables the priests of Thed to wield great power 
  among creatures of Chaos, including those that have undergone 
  the re-birth of Chaos.
  Rebirth of Chaos 
  3 points
  permanent, 10m, non-reusable, non-stackable
  Cast upon lay members and Initiates of Thed, this spell has the 
  same effect as the natural re-birth of Chaos which all Rune-levels 
  undergo, and in addition gives the member a Chaotic feature.
  There is a danger in this. The recipient has a percentage chance 
  of dying equaling 5% plus another 5% per Chaotic feature he 
  already has. A broo already with two Chaos features stands a 
  15% chance of death if the spell is cast upon him. A Divine 
  Intervention must be cast to remove the effects of this spell 
  before any revivification can proceed. It will take two Divine 
  Interventions (one to remove the spell and one to revive the 
  character) or one Divine Intervention and one Resurrection to 
  bring back life to the character.
  This spell may be cast upon non-Thedists, but they are 
  allowed to resist. Only High Priests of the cult may sacrifice for 
  this spell.
  This spell does not create a creature. Thed sends it in reply 
  to the summons. At the end of the 15 minutes, the wailing 
  void appears, envelopes the summoned creature, then vanishes 
  for good after 1D4 melee rounds. If the Thed priest throws a 
  successful Divine Intervention as the void coalesces, he may 
  choose from the list above the creature he wishes to appear, and 
  it will have 75% attack chance.
  Reverse Chaos 
  2 points
  15 minutes, 160m, reusable, non-stackable
  This spell is aimed against a single victim, who receives a chance 
  to resist. If he successfully resists the spell, there is no effect. If 
  he fails to resist, he must roll on the following chart, and apply 
  the effects to himself.
  Thed receives this spell as a result of her peculiar position as 
  inside-out Chaos. This spell may also be used non-reusably, in 
  which case the spell is treated as a one-use spell. In this form it 
  may only be cast upon a creature of Chaos, or a creature tainted 
  with Chaos in some way. The creature gets a chance to resist, but 
  if it fails, then the spell’s effects are permanent. In this form the 
  spell is known as the Curse of Thed.
  If a successful Divine Intervention is stacked with this spell, 
  the priest may choose what effect he desires to inflict upon the 
  victim. If a victim’s characteristic is reduced to zero or less 
  by this spell, treat it as a 1. The effects that cause damage in a 
  random location may not bring the victim’s hit points below zero 
  in any one area.
  This spell can be cast as a non-reusable spell on beings of 
  Chaos, in which case the effects of the spell (if they have a 
  The words ‘Chaos’ and ‘Chaotic’ usually are misused and 
  misapplied, adding to confusions. In western Genertela, the 
  word Krjalki means Chaos monsters, yet western manuscripts 
  from every Age refer to both trolls and dragonewts as Krjalki, 
  clearly a misapplication of the term ... sometimes it seems that 
  anything someone fears is called Chaotic....
  Perhaps many creatures or beings have been maligned. 
  In Kralori ... [philosophy] considers all of creation a mistake, 
  or at least that it is a mistake to worship it or consider it 
  real. [There] Gbaji is known as a great psychic liberator, 
  since Illumination frees the person from entanglements with 
  the worldly.
  The Kralori preference or acknowledgement of one of 
  the Chaos gods is a dilemma which has plagued or delighted 
  foreign visitors. Those who wish to save the Kralori from 
  their godless ways are balked because the people often 
  wholeheartedly embrace that god yet stoutly resist all the other 
  Chaos creatures and temptations. Most foreign exploiters 
  claim that they are freeing the land from its archetypal 
  enemies, though conditions will be worse for the people they 
  rule than for those they have not yet conquered.
  ...Kralori are very loyal to dragons. Dragon neutrality in 
  the war of Law and Chaos is well-known, and their constancy 
  in this is legendary. But in Kralorela, dragons have been 
  known to rise to aid the people, a unique situation which 
  raises only more questions.
  ...Perhaps ‘Chaotic’ really means ‘that which we do not 
  understand....’
  The earliest tales exalt Chaos, and it is called “Mother 
  and Father of the World” in an Ulerian song, while an ancient 
  Earth song of the Sacred Time says “there is nothing so 
  wondrous or so blessed as Chaos, from whence we spring and 
  are molded.”
  The concepts most commonly found in the earliest 
  stories are those treating the state as the primal void or 
  the emptiness which preceded the earliest gods, or which 
  uses Chaos as the earliest matter used in the creation of the 
  world. Though apparently diametric, the approach is similar, 
  treating the proto-cosmos as Beingless, possessing neither 
  innate intelligence nor ego. The condition is always passive 
  and inert until acted upon by the gods.
  -portion of a private letter from a  Lhankor Mhy priest,
  ca. 1599 S.T.
  trans. by Greg Stafford
  A CHAOTIC INTERLUDE
  
  44
  Cults of Terror
  RuneQuest
  IX. ASSOCIATED CULTS
  CACODEMON
  Cacodemon gives his grandmother the following Rune spell:
  Create Ghost 
  1 point
  instantaneous, 40m, non-reusable, non-stackable
  This spell binds the spirit of a victim sacrificed to Thed into an 
  area as a ghost. The priest must successfully engage the victim’s 
  spirit in spirit combat for 1 round to create this binding. The 
  victim need not volunteer.
  MALLIA
  Despite Mallia’s later disassociation from Chaos, Thed retains a 
  spell from her.
  Cause Disease/Soul Waste 
  2 points
  15 minutes, 160m, reusable, non-stackable, 
  Unless he can resist this spell, the target will contract acute Soul 
  Waste. He then must attempt to roll CON x 5 or less, or contract 
  chronic disease, and so on. The disease will progress normally.
  DAKA FAL
  Before she became Chaotic, the broos gave Thed ancestor 
  worship. This spell dates from that condition.
  Summon Ancestor 
  1 point
  combat or 15 minutes, 160m, non-reusable, non-stackable
  With appropriate changes of proper names, this spell works 
  exactly as the Thanatari Summon Guardian in this book or the 
  Summon Ancestor of Daka Fal in Cults of Prax, except that it is 
  non-reusable.
  X. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
  THE GIFTS TO THED
  As briefly explained under Initiates, members of this cult must 
  often bring a gift to Thed. This gift must have been taken from 
  others and the taking must have caused the original donor pain. 
  Poisoning a well is an example. This gift would endanger an 
  entire community, which would please Thed very much. Thed 
  would be pleased with ears, sacred items of other cults, limbs 
  and members, heads, cherished personal treasures, etc.
  THE DUEL OF THED
  If two members of Thed’s cult wish to duel, the Covenmaster 
  will choose an official date for the duel at least one week in 
  advance. By the honor of the cult, of course, both parties will be 
  expected to bushwhack each other before then, and that official 
  date therefore represents the Covenmaster’s judgement of when 
  the dispute must be settled. Ordinarily, the longer away the date 
  is set, the more important that the Covenmaster considers the 
  dispute (and the more equally-balanced the opponents probably 
  are). Hiring assassins, poisoning food, and impersonating friends 
  are legal in this duel. jb
  VII. SUBSERVIENT CULTS
  SPIRITS OF RETRIBUTION
  The Covenmaster must slay any straying lay member or Initiate, 
  but Rune-level traitors are struck by the Curse of Thed: roll 
  for a random Reverse Chaos effect, and apply the effects as 
  permanent.
  THE SPIRITS OF THED
  Thed grants these peculiar allied spirits to her followers. They 
  have INT of 3D6 and POW of 4D6, and possess a random 
  Chaotic feature.
  These spirits, unlike typical allied spirits, are not kept in 
  a weapon or familiar, but float about freely with their master, 
  invisible to all but him ordinarily, though they have a slight link 
  to the physical world and may be seen as a shadowy shape by a 
  particular person 1% of the time. At his command the spirit may 
  possess him, giving him its Chaotic feature while still allowing 
  him control over his own actions. It may be commanded to 
  engage a foe in spirit combat, but any points of POW lost by 
  the spirit in spirit combat are lost permanently, due to their 
  Chaotic nature. These allied spirits may cast spells while in a 
  disembodied state.
  
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  RuneQuest
  vampire it touches. All the waters of the material world followed 
  Styx’s vow, and they remain a prime enemy of Vivamort.
  SINCE TIME BEGAN
  Since the Dawning of Time, Vivamort has been hated and 
  feared by most, and embraced by few. These arrogant few 
  are vain enough and fearful enough to want to maintain their 
  present consciousness forever. It has little history in Time since 
  it infests the outer edges of civilization and cloaks its doings in 
  utter secrecy. During Time, the Hero-Priest Delecti has grown 
  to great power and fame in the Upland Swamps of Dragon Pass. 
  Additionally, some tenuous connections with a few other cults 
  have been made.
  LIFE AFTER DEATH
  Vivamort’s vampire cult offers continued awareness in the same 
  dead body and warped soul. If the cult member is a vampire and 
  is destroyed, he is annihilated; he does not enter the cycle of 
  rebirth. Since the higher aspects of his spirit, his mystic essence, 
  already has been sacrificed to become a vampire, the vampire has 
  willingly removed himself from the universal cycles. Vivamort 
  offers life eternal for the highest price—the soul.
  RUNIC ASSOCIATIONS
  Despite the enmity of most of the other gods of Darkness, 
  Vivamort retains his origin in Darkness. His Runes are Chaos, 
  Darkness, and Undead.
  II. NATURE OF THE CULT
  REASON FOR CONTINUED EXISTENCE
  The cult exists because the cosmic duality established in the God 
  Time allows it to exist, and arrogant people exploit that chance 
  to slake their fears of unbeing. A deadly few will always seek out 
  the vampire cult, with its promise of unlimited existence on the 
  material plane, and risk quick death at the fangs of the vampires 
  in return for the chance of undying. Those who live by accident 
  near temples of the cult may aid the cult out of fear, or find that 
  co-operation with it gives them distinct advantage over their 
  fearful neighbors. So long as such weakness exists in the world, 
  the cult will have applicants.
  Vivamort requires many horrors and absolute loyalty of his 
  worshippers. Long Initiate service is required before reaching 
  vampire status.
  SOCIO-POLITICAL POSITION AND POWER
  The cult holds little openly acknowledged position or power in 
  Glorantha. There is some acceptance of it in the Lunar Empire 
  (usually along a contested external border), but the cult is 
  detested by most people and governments.
  I. MYTHOS AND HISTORY
  BEFORE TIME
  Vivamort was a Darkness spirit of the labyrinthine halls and 
  ways of Hell, placed there to stand eternal guard over the Terrible 
  Secret. But Vivamort was curious about what the secret was, and 
  when Eurmal crept into Hell, Vivamort betrayed his trust to learn 
  the secret. There they discovered Death.
  Vivamort aided Eurmal again when he and Humakt came to 
  carry Death to the surface world, helping them past Death-hound 
  and Bimbaros, Hell’s porter. Vivamort knew that all those slain 
  would come to his realm once their souls had met Death.
  Grandfather Mortal was the first to die and the first to come 
  to Vivamort. He also was the first to understand Vivamort’s soul-
  greedy treachery, and great hatred stood between the two. When 
  the Sun later came to Hell, Vivamort was burned and had to flee, 
  hurt and disfigured, to the now-darkened surface. (When the Sun 
  learned of Vivamort’s role in the release of Death, he sent curses 
  upon him.)
  Reaching the surface, Vivamort sheltered a while with 
  Mallia, Mother of Disease, trading secrets of Darkness and 
  Death. He stalked the world for Power. As he went, he learned 
  more of Death, and began to fear what he had unleashed, for 
  he recognized Chaos as an extension of Death. The knowledge 
  froze him with terror.
  Soon the Devil attacked him and wounded him. The wound 
  would not heal, and his Power drained out through it to the void. 
  Vivamort faced not just death, but annihilation from this Chaos 
  wound. Since he wished above all to preserve himself and his 
  vile deeds, he begged help from his Chaos foes and made evil 
  pacts with them.
  The Devil allowed him a hollow existence. Vivamort was 
  cut off from the mystic unity of the world and from the universal 
  flow of Power, and cast apart from both life and death. From 
  that agreement onwards, Vivamort would need to drain life from 
  others and to embrace Chaos. Faced with complete annihilation 
  or acting as an agent of active entropy, he chose the latter out of 
  pride and fear.
  Some write that he found this new manner of existence 
  acceptable, because of the determination with which he took up 
  the cause of Chaos, roaring through the Great Darkness. He used 
  his demonic abilities to rip Power from the harried gods, and some 
  he was able to destroy totally. Vivamort slowly gained allies, and 
  he made others like himself. Once, Vivamort and his undead allies 
  caught Arroin and broke his spirit, but could not kill him.
  News of Vivamort and his transformation reached Hell, 
  carried by spirits whom he had attacked but not annihilated. Many 
  there cursed him then: the Sun’s curse came in effect; Ty Kora 
  Tek, Queen of the Dead, was incensed when Vivamort stole souls 
  who were hers, and she set the Earth against him; the River Styx 
  heard of Vivamort’s betrayal and swore he never would cross her 
  waters again, and to this day a drop from the Styx will destroy any 
  VIVAMORT
  LORD OF THE UNDEAD
  
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  …And so we found exhausted Hahlgrim asleep, while his 
  allied spirit, a snarling lynx, prowled a perimeter around 
  the camp to watch for foes. Our column halted to eat. We 
  held council with our battle lord.
  “Karnoora is no more,” he told us, “unless she knows 
  not the bite of silver nor fears blessed water. It was a mighty 
  struggle.”
  So might we have believed, for Karnoora was a 
  vampire princess of great power, whose mortal continuance 
  (how should one say “life” of a vampire) spanned the ages 
  of the world.
  “Orlanth spoke full to me of her and her ways, and so 
  she was confounded where she thought herself most safe. 
  The Tower of Lead still stands, and her followers still exist. 
  She died last night; they will remove themselves tonight 
  unless we strike first. Should we strike, old Ralzakark 
  will be stripped of another arm, and he shall feel like the 
  worshipper who joins too many cults, and has his coin 
  tithed away at every hand.” Perhaps this last was not a 
  jab at Bolthor, who was famous for joining cults and then 
  whining at the cost, but so we all took it. Bolthor glowered, 
  and later would talk only to his blood thanes.
  Though we were weakened by the fight with the broos, 
  Hahlgrim found enough Rune magic among us to form a 
  compact and powerful band. Most of the army, including 
  Bolthor, was sent home; the remainder he separated into a 
  strong screening force and a few of the most powerful, who 
  would precede the force and attempt to enter the Tower 
  unnoticed, acting as worshippers whom the vampires 
  would surely summon to milk of Power after Karnoora’s 
  demise. Hahlgrim saw fit to leave me with the screening 
  force, under Ketil.
  At that point a message came from Bolthor, urgently 
  requesting a meeting. Hahlgrim opposed a second parley, 
  yet we pleaded with him for it, even knowing of Bolthor’s 
  treachery, since a new insult to the King might leave him 
  intractable. Hahlgrim bridled, for the time was valuable, 
  but the greatest lord goes against friendly counsel at his 
  peril. At length we cantered away from the Tower to meet 
  Bolthor in the mud of Bugswarm swamp.
  Bolthor demanded the return of Ironbreaker. His new 
  sword, the King said, did not fit his hand well, and he 
  craved the return of the heirloom. Hahlgrim had connived 
  to keep secret the full knowledge of the sword’s power, 
  as evidenced by his own explanation of the fight with 
  the vampire princess, and therefore the King had been 
  deceived.
  Hahlgrim said, “My lord King, with this great weapon 
  did you make fast my fealty and also gain the alliance of 
  my family and brethren. It was I who showed you that the 
  forces of Chaos cannot stand against determined men, 
  and that the Lightbringers will triumph always when 
  their bravery and intelligence emulated. Should I return 
  this sword to you, so then will I return to the lands of the 
  Skanthi, for I deem not that you then would withhold your 
  hand against the lands so recently reconfirmed to me. 
  Even this last evening I learned of fields burnt along the 
  Erinflarth. Who then will stand between you and the fury 
  of Ralzakark when he takes the field himself? Ironbreaker 
  may not frighten the hero of the broos. He will sweep across 
  Bilini, and the Great Bat will come to call, and even your 
  wife will not keep you your throne should the bat be used. 
  Trust the word of honest men, Lord Bolthor, and keep your 
  crown. Become Bolthor Gift-grabber, and your worst fears 
  shall be truth. My fealty remains as sworn, unless you have 
  it elsewise. How say you?”
  Bolthor twisted in the saddle while his advisers spoke 
  to him, and his face grew dark. “Keep the toy!” he growled 
  at last, and galloped toward his army. No more of him that 
  day did we hear.
  Hahlgrim swore mightily once the King and his 
  entourage had left, and bid we speed toward the Tower. 
  Later he told me that the sword Ironbreaker had a spirit like 
  the heart of a child, and that if the holder honestly admired 
  the weapon and praised it for itself, then the weapon would 
  speak in return, and reveal all of its secrets. But if the holder 
  beheld and praised Ironbreaker only so that the sword 
  reflected glory upon the wielder, then the sword would only 
  do as it was bid. “Of this latter sort is Bolthor, in whom fear 
  and greed constantly war for dominance.”
  In all, nine set out for the Tower. We followed at a good 
  distance, so that any watcher on the ground could not spy 
  both us and Hahlgrim at the same time. With Hahlgrim was 
  Oddi the Keen, and other stalwart fighters, as well as a 
  powerful Healer. Our leader’s fears proved sound: the sun 
  raced to the west, the shadows deepened. The meeting with 
  Bolthor had cost much: we would have to face the vampires 
  at the beginning of the night.
  Hahlgrim’s party crossed the last stream before the 
  Tower of Lead, and entered the spider tree forest. All about 
  them misty curtains hung from the branches, and tiny jewels 
  of light danced and bobbed among the gathering mists. 
  They avoided the webs as they could, for the lights were the 
  spiders of the wood, and the wise among us told of horrible 
  nightmares, fevers, and painful deaths upon the bite of these 
  strange creatures.
  Suddenly great shapes loomed in the night, and wolves 
  were upon these daring men. The wolves were actually 
  vampires in were-form, for blades often magically slid 
  off their fur. The healer among them sent back the alarm, 
  and we raced to the rescue, some of us (myself included) 
  crossing the stream above and below the fight, to catch 
  the vampires in the curves of the scimitar, as the saying 
  has it. I had barely dismounted, when no wolf but a tall 
  gaunt warrior loomed up before me. I cannot describe the 
  horror I felt when my blade would not bite and the terrible 
  creature reached out his hand through my armor to send 
  a chilling cold through my shield shoulder. I sent the most 
  powerful Mind Blast at him which I could, and knew great 
  joy when the undead began to flop about upon the ground, 
  bereft of all intelligence. With my silver dagger, a parting 
  gift from my father, I cut away the thing’s head, and later 
  burned separately both the head and body.
  
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  RuneQuest
  REQUIREMENTS TO BELONG
  Lay members must give 1 point of Power a week to the cult. 
  Offers of sentient sacrifices will gain favor and permanent lay 
  membership. Lay members may have to do work for the temple, 
  though this is rare. Vampires and lay members rarely interact, 
  except perhaps in the obvious way. High Priests of the vampires 
  vary in their attitudes toward the lay population: some respect 
  the safety of the ‘pool,’ as the flock is sometimes known, but 
  others regard the lay members as cattle, and do as they wish. Any 
  lay member betraying the existence of the temple is punished 
  severely and swiftly.
  MUNDANE BENEFITS
  Vampires usually do not victimize lay worshippers.
  SKILLS
  None.
  BATTLE MAGIC
  None.
  For that reason, the cult locates beyond civilized areas, and 
  its small temples may be located anywhere, frequently operating 
  out of Chaos nests. In the Upland Marsh, Delecti and his cult rule 
  a wretched kingdom.
  The cult operates secretly, preying upon nearby environs 
  and remaining hidden as long as possible.
  PARTICULAR LIKES AND DISLIKES
  Vivamort is friendly to certain sub-cults of the Red Moon (the 
  Crimson Bat in particular) and tolerates Mallia. Daka Fal and the 
  associated cult Grandfather Mortal are specially hated. Eurmal 
  and Humakt are hated intensely, due to the dealings they had 
  with Vivamort in the God Time. Vivamort always dislikes and 
  fights any cult that actively fights Chaos and sees Vivamort as 
  the harbinger of Chaos.
  III. ORGANIZATION
  INTER-CULT ORGANIZATION
  The various temples have little contact. A mysterious council, 
  composed of the oldest and most powerful heroes and priests, is 
  rumored, but nothing is known beyond this. A few temples keep 
  ties with parent temples, if the respective priests are friendly.
  INTRA-TEMPLE ORGANIZATION
  A Vivamort temple will have one to five Rune Priests or Rune 
  Lords in most cases. The most powerful Rune Priest is the High 
  Priest, who runs things as he wills.
  Vivamort allows no direct struggles between his vampires, 
  but vampires are arrogant by nature, and tend to dislike even 
  each other, feeling cramped and confined by too many members 
  in a hierarchy. If too many priests especially have been initiated, 
  the most powerful and ambitious of the lower priests will break 
  with his own temple and set out to colonize a new area and found 
  a new temple of Vivamort. In departing, the priest usually takes a 
  Rune Lord and a few Initiates to aid him.
  CENTER OF POWER
  The Vivamort center of power is the Plateau of Terror, where 
  Vivamort died and was reborn under the terms of his pact with 
  Chaos, and where the first vampires came into being. The Plateau 
  of Terror now may be underground or on another plane of existence 
  with the god, now there may always be a center of power “where 
  life has failed, fear prevailed, and Chaos is seeping in.”
  HOLY NIGHTS AND HIGH HOLY NIGHTS
  Freezeday night is the holy night for Vivamort cultists, especially 
  in Death week of each season. The high holy night is the night of 
  Wildday, Death week, of Dark-season.
  IV. LAY MEMBERSHIP
  REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN
  Almost anyone can be a lay member, because almost anyone can 
  be a scared person accidentally living near an active Vivamort 
  temple, giving Power to vampires in hope of avoiding becoming 
  a victim. Vivamortists demand secrecy, and betrayal of their 
  existence to civil authorities or Chaos-fighting cults is severely 
  and swiftly punished. Only the close-mouthed lay member’s 
  family will be safe.
  I came upon Lord Hahlgrim and Ironbreaker. This 
  was surely a great weapon, for it sang and glowed as it 
  swung, and the vampire against whom he fought parried 
  desperately as it tried to dissolve to smoke and disappear. 
  But Hahlgrim skewered the smoke even as it hung, and the 
  air flashed with power, and its vanishing scream testified 
  that the vampire had been annihilated.
  Around us the fight continued, and many of our force 
  fell, for the vampires were a dozen or more, and some of 
  them great mages. But Hahlgrim and Oddi had planned 
  well. Some of us retreated toward the stream, while others 
  poured out holy water to make an island, so far as the 
  vampires were concerned, of the battle ground. Bounded 
  by water on all sides so that they could not escape, and 
  outnumbered a dozen to one, even the mightiest of them fell, 
  though not before fifty or more of us were dead or mortally 
  wounded. The fighting was fierce, and our Power had been 
  savaged. We brought back the bodies as we could, but some 
  were never reclaimed, and all thought the fight the hardest 
  they had known. I spent much of my force dispelling the 
  shade elemental these creatures called up, and more than 
  one of my comrades congratulated my Lunar training, 
  which made me proud.
  One vampire had been captured, and him we held in a 
  silver slave collar, allowing him just enough POW that he 
  might answer our questions. Before we dispatched him we 
  learned much of vampires and their ways, and learned also 
  that Ralzakark had regained that day an old ally, though 
  our captive knew no more…
  After spiking the vampire beds and making much 
  general destruction and looting of the Tower, we rode away, 
  coming across the camp of a large group of Tricksters 
  further down the valley, who had wandered through broo 
  country from Kartolin Pass and Ralios. They did many 
  entertainments, and Oddi particularly enjoyed them, 
  drinking and riddling with them far into the night.
  
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  Half Normal Cost - Darkwall, Detect Life, Detection Blank.
  Prohibited - Firearrow, Fireblade, Ignite, Lightwall.
  The prohibited spells are prohibited to Initiates only, as 
  being unbecoming to their spiritual development. Rune Lords 
  and Rune Priests may use them normally, if judiciously.
  THE SWORD-BITER
  Vivamort’s Initiates and Rune Masters only may learn the special 
  cult weapon, the sword-biter. This is a type of light mace, treated 
  as such in all respects except that when parrying in combat the 
  sword-biter can disarm an opponent if the user rolls 01-20 for 
  his parry and the attacker has rolled 21-95 for his attack. Treat 
  fumbles normally.
  The sword-biter is a shaped mace with a blunt fork at its tip 
  and a sturdy protective hilt. The vampire will try to parry the blow 
  of a sword with the fork, then twist his weapon and so disarm the 
  attacker. They generally use a short sword in conjunction with 
  the sword-biter, but the capture of non-believers is much more 
  useful to the cult.
  VI. RUNE LORD MEMBERSHIP
  GENERAL STATEMENT
  The Rune Lord of Vivamort actively despoils the living to the 
  benefit of his dark god. He personifies the aggressive, grasping 
  rankness of the grave, which seeks forever to drain life from 
  the living. As importantly, however, the Rune Lord is also the 
  protector of the Vivamort Rune Priest, who in turn is the genitor 
  of further members of this undead race. Vivamortist Rune Lords 
  usually will encounter no contradiction in these twin aims.
  REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE
  To become a Rune Lord vampire, the applicant must have been 
  an Initiate for at least a year (usually for much longer) and have 
  at least 90% ability in Hide in Shadows and Spot Hidden, use 
  two weapons at 90% or better, and be 90% or more in one other 
  skill of any kind. The applicant’s POW must be at least 15. The 
  applicant must die, throwing his soul to Vivamort’s care.
  The same abstraction of the test is used as for an Initiate. 
  Failure to be accepted means death.
  The ceremony involves the assembly of the temple vampires, 
  invocation of Vivamort, and the draining of the Rune Lord 
  candidate of all blood and POW. The candidate dies. Vivamort 
  then places the now-twisted spirit of the candidate back into 
  the body, which must then lie in state for one full day and night 
  or the Rune Lord will be annihilated and never reawake. The 
  candidate that reawakes is now a vampire.
  RESTRICTIONS
  The successful candidate is now a Rune Lord of Vivamort, a 
  creature of the undead, a disjointed soul in a dead body, having 
  the full status of vampire, and will exult in the hatred and 
  fear such status brings. The new Rune Lord will start to gain 
  a distinctive pallor of skin and sheen of hair. His prominent 
  incisors will have developed by the time he rises from the dais, 
  and he will have accrued his now-incredible strength. The new 
  Rune Lord now will register on a Detect Undead spell. He will 
  no longer reflect from a mirror, since his soul is no longer fully 
  tied to the material plane.
  V. INITIATE MEMBERSHIP
  REQUIREMENTS FOR INITIATION
  Vivamort prefers to corrupt those of the lineage of Grandfather 
  Mortal—humans, ogres, trolls, elves, ducks, baboons, etc. Such 
  candidates for Initiate status must have brought victims to the 
  temple. If hard working, loyal, quiet, eager, and vicious, beings 
  may quickly gain Initiatehood.
  Initiates must swear never to betray their vampire Rune 
  Priests and Rune Lords. They must renounce family and clan ties, 
  or bring them within the cult. They must bring at least one family 
  member as a feast for the vampires. If they have no family, a friend 
  will do. In return, the hierarchy agrees to assist the Initiate into the 
  way of the vampire should he later achieve the qualifications.
  A person will be accepted as an Initiate by passing a test, 
  abstracted to the following: INT+CHA+1 per victim supplied, 
  divided by 2 and then multiplied by 5. Roll equal to or less than 
  the result of the calculation on D100. Money contributed does 
  not aid a prospective Initiate’s chances.
  Failure to be accepted means that the candidate is a traitor or 
  prospective traitor, and will become the main course in the next 
  vampire feast. The character may be able to fight his way free, 
  of course, but those who fail the test and fail the escape will be 
  turned into zombie temple guardians.
  REQUIREMENTS TO REMAIN INITIATED
  To remain an Initiate, a person must sacrifice 2 points of POW 
  and 2 hit points (blood) each holy night. Initiates must give one-
  third of their gross income to the temple, and do any work that 
  the hierarchy requires. They must help find victims when such 
  are needed. An Initiate may live at the temple or continue in some 
  role in a nearby community. The Initiate also must place himself 
  at the vampires’ disposal when extra POW is required (as in an 
  attack on a vampire or the temple itself by an organized foe). 
  This is done on command at any time, via the Vampire Touch 
  (see below). Initiates may die from this.
  MUNDANE BENEFITS
  Though vampires are not harmed by the sun, they lose all their 
  special magics so long as the sun shines. Initiates are therefore 
  their invaluable representatives during the day, and have much 
  direct control of the lay population, thereby gaining fearful 
  respect from their former neighbors. An Initiate has limited cult 
  protection, and a ransom. Rune Priests and Rune Lords of the 
  vampires will treat their Initiates fairly, but always know that 
  any Initiate is ultimately expendable. As convenient for their 
  masters, Initiates may gain access to some one-use Rune magic. 
  Individual Initiates may stay at and be supported by a temple.
  SKILLS
  The following skills are taught by the cult to Initiates for the 
  prices indicated:
  Half Normal Cost - Hide in Shadows, Spot Hidden.
  Normal Cost - Camouflage, Move Silently.
  Unique - Sword-biter.
  BATTLE MAGIC
  The following battle magic spells are available or otherwise 
  relevant to cult Initiates.
  
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  RuneQuest
  melee round. Should the damage suddenly exceed its hit points, 
  even though all hit locations are intact, it will turn into smoke. 
  It does so at will, though it may also turn into a bat or wolf. 
  Vampire smoke moves at 1 movement point per melee round.
  The touch of a vampire penetrates armor and attacks the 
  character’s POW just as does a ghost. If the vampire wins, the 
  character loses POW. A victim drained to less than POW 3 will 
  also lose the last Rune magic spell for which he sacrificed. If the 
  bite of a vampire penetrates armor, it drains 1D6 in hit points 
  (blood) per melee round until forced from the victim or until the 
  victim dies.
  Vampire Rune Lords receive an allied spirit. Since they are 
  undead worshippers of a warped spirit, even their allied spirits 
  are unable to regenerate their POW. Such spirits regain their 
  POW in spirit combat, or they may get POW from their master.
  The vampire Rune Lord is susceptible to spirit combat in the 
  ordinary fashion. Vampires register on Detect Undead, but not 
  on Detect Life spells. Vampires are not subject to disease, nor 
  harmed by poisons or Blade Venom.
  Vampire Rune Lords may get one-use cult special Rune 
  spells, but usually choose to content themselves with those spells 
  they drain from the living. For a one-use cult special Rune spell, 
  the Rune Lord must sacrifice POW equal to that of the spell 
  every week for a year, above and beyond the POW that he drains 
  for himself. A Rune Lord who wanted two uses of Raise Zombie 
  would have to sacrifice 4 points POW to Vivamort each week; 
  if he happened to drain 15 points POW in a particular week, 4 
  points would have to go to Vivamort for the spell, leaving him 
  with 11 points.
  The Vivamort Rune Lord can die by the impalement of his 
  heart (chest). The head must be cut off and the body burned 
  for the annihilation of being to succeed, for if the intact body 
  is recovered by Vivamort worshippers, the instrument of 
  impalement can be removed on the next holy night, and the 
  vampire will rise to hunt again.
  VII. RUNE PRIESTHOOD
  GENERAL STATEMENT
  Vampire Rune Priests must further the race of the undead. In 
  doing so, the priest may accept only victims and sacrifices that 
  are intelligent sapients. Vampire priests consort with any sort of 
  being; if they are particularly pleased with a worshipper (or even 
  a feast victim) they may sponsor the person into the cult. Vampire 
  Rune Priests deal with the more spiritual levels of charnel Chaos, 
  and their plans and schemes are longer-range, more intricate, and 
  more pervasive than those of Rune Lords. Rune Priests always 
  lead the temples.
  REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE
  The candidate must have been an Initiate for three years, and 
  must have brought the temple at least 25 victims. Every candidate 
  must have a POW of at least 18, to show worthiness for the new 
  role, and each must know Hide in Shadows at not less than 90%. 
  Every candidate must pass tests to become a priest; these tests 
  are abstracted to the following calculation:
  INT + CHA divided by 2 and multiplied by 5, plus 2 for each 
  language and knowledge skill known at more than 50%. Roll 
  D100 equal to or less than the result. Money donated or victims 
  seized do not improve the score.
  He must lie dormant for one-third of each full day.
  The Death Rune, presented strongly by one who is tied to 
  a Death Rune cult (i.e., who is an Initiate or higher) has great 
  power against the vampires of Vivamort. A vampire may not look 
  directly at that presented Rune, nor may he directly approach it. 
  Contact with the Death Rune causes 3 points of damage to the 
  vampire (as in a Disruption spell). The Death Rune also focuses 
  Disruption spells cast against vampires. A Disruption cast in this 
  way automatically overcomes the POW of the vampire (there is 
  a 95% chance of success) no matter what his POW. To use these 
  powers of the Rune, the Death cultist must present the Rune and 
  concentrate. This cannot be done in any melee round in which 
  the cultist attacks with a weapon or casts a spell other than the 
  Death Rune-focused Disrupt. Focusing on the Rune will not 
  protect a cultist from a rearward attack. Any form of the Rune 
  will be effective—crossed sticks, a Humakti sword, a ritual sign, 
  patterns on cloth, and so on.
  Vampires may call on Vivamort for Divine Intervention, but 
  the vampire does not sacrifice points of permanent POW—since 
  it has none. Instead, the vampire sacrifices to Vivamort some of 
  his species maximum capacity for POW. All the mechanics for 
  Divine Intervention are the same. [Example: a human vampire 
  Rune Lord who gained Divine Intervention with the ‘loss’ of 
  4 points of POW would act thereafter as if he had a species 
  maximum of 17 (21 minus 4).] If the points of POW lost take the 
  vampire below 15, the vampire would cease to function, going 
  into a coma of one month for each point below POW 15. Vampire 
  Divine Interventions tend to be defensive and oriented towards 
  getting to safety in case the POW lost precipitates such coma.
  The lowered species maximum from the Divine Intervention 
  lasts for a year (one complete world cycle) and then raises to 
  that normal for the species. If a vampire’s species maximum is 
  ever lowered to zero, the vampire is annihilated, expunged from 
  every plane of existence forever.
  The Rune Lord will die if impaled in the heart (chest). Fire 
  will burn and destroy the vampire, as a consequence of the Sun’s 
  curse. Immersion in water annihilates vampires, as will even one 
  drop of the water of the River Styx.
  BENEFITS
  Above all, the vampire Rune Lord now has the terrible ecstasy of 
  ripping Power from the world.
  Though the Rune Lord may not be of as high status or as 
  close to rapport with Vivamort as is a Rune Priest, he has some 
  distinct bonuses for dealing with the material world. His vampire 
  status gives him doubled strength. He is ageless and immortal, 
  and has vast amounts of time to develop fighting skills and any 
  other interests. In the interests of self-preservation, vampires will 
  become very skilled in many fields.
  The vampire may Harmonize any person whose glance 
  he catches, without loss of POW to himself. The Vampire 
  Harmonize is a special version of the spell: the victim will not 
  move as the vampire does, instead freezing in his last position 
  until the effects of the gaze wear off.
  A vampire can store Power drained from others, up to his 
  species maximum.
  All vampire hit locations take twice the normal damage. If 
  that much damage is taken, the vampire turns into smoke at the 
  end of the melee round, regaining its hit points at a rate of 1 per 
  
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  The vampire priest is not subject to diseases, nor harmed by 
  poison or Blade Venom. The vampire may be killed by impaling 
  his heart (chest), but the attackers must cut off his head and burn 
  the body to prevent him from rising to walk again on the next 
  holy night.
  THE HIGH PRIEST
  The High Priest of each temple learns to create the Basilisk. 
  Only one Basilisk may be created and controlled by a High Priest 
  at one time. If it is destroyed, the High Priest must go through 
  the lengthy (one week) ritual and then wait an entire year for the 
  egg to hatch. In fashioning this creature, the priest must possess 
  the needed materials, including the rare Rooster’s Egg. This last 
  may be created by a vampire with alchemical skills, or gotten 
  through other means. The High Priest can claim the first choice 
  of victims, the ‘first drinking’ from them, and the ‘last draught’ 
  which dooms them. The vampire High Priest is the undisputed 
  Lord of the Undead, responsible for the furtherance of his master, 
  Vivamort, and the undead.
  The Basilisk characteristics are included in the miscellaneous 
  notes at the end of this cult.
  RUNE SPELL COMPATIBILITY
  Vivamort has power to grant use of only the following cult 
  special spells to his worshippers. Each of these spells must be 
  sacrificed for with Power drained from victims so long as the 
  vampire wishes to keep the spells. The sacrifice for this Rune 
  magic must occur before the vampire drains any POW for itself.
  Rune Lords may gain one-use Rune magic only on Death 
  week, Freezeday night holy nights; for each one-use spell they 
  must drain POW equal to the spells every week for an entire year.
  Any vampire can drain Rune magic from those Rune 
  Priests, Rune Lords, and Initiates who have sacrificed for and 
  are carrying Rune magic. Those drained by the vampires lose the 
  magic and the Power for which they had sacrificed.
  Vampires must drain the victim to below 3 points POW to 
  drain the possessor of a Rune spell. The vampire gains the last 
  spell for which the victim had sacrificed, no matter what size 
  or type of spell. If the last sacrifice increased the Power of an 
  already-known spell (from Shield 3 to Shield 4, for instance), the 
  entire spell (all 4 points in the Shield 4 example) would be lost 
  to the vampire. Captives may be held and drained below POW 
  3 again and again, to steal all the spells the captive knows. If the 
  captive’s POW goes to zero or below, the captive dies, but a spell 
  is still gained by the vampire.
  CULT SPECIAL RUNE SPELLS
  Vivamort teaches only the following spells; other spells of any 
  sort must be drained from victims.
  Divination 
  variable
  permanent, 160m, reusable, non-stackable.
  The caster may ask a question of Vivamort, who will usually 
  answer with a short sentence of up to seven words, though it may 
  be a vision. Bound by Time, gods cannot tell the future.
  The ritual takes one hour, only to be done in a recognized holy 
  place of Vivamort.
  The probability that the questioner will understand the 
  answer is POW x5 or less on D100. Results above that number 
  The same ceremony and lying-in-state occurs for the Rune 
  Priest as for the Rune Lord.
  To be turned down is to become an enemy of the cult. The 
  bodies of those who do not succeed become zombie guardians.
  Those who do succeed awake as vampires, undead creatures 
  of great power, warped souls in dead bodies.
  RESTRICTIONS
  Except for Hide in Shadows, the DEX-based skills of the vampire 
  Rune Priest are reduced to DEX  times 5. The priest has the pallor 
  of skin and the sheen of hair typical to the undead. He will register 
  on a Detect Undead spell, but not on Detect Life. He no longer 
  reflects in a mirror. He must lie dormant for one-third of each full 
  day. He may not look at or directly approach a strongly presented 
  Death Rune held by one consecrated to that Power; the touch of 
  such a Rune causes 3 points damage as a Disruption spell, and 
  can act as a focus for Disruption spells that automatically succeed 
  (95% chance) regardless of the vampire’s Power.
  Not having the time for continued weapons practice or other 
  active training, priests often hunger for such abilities and the 
  power they bring.
  Vampire Priests get Divine Intervention from Vivamort. The 
  priest does not sacrifice points of permanent POW, since he has 
  none, but instead sacrifices some of his capacity for the POW, 
  lowering his species maximum for a time. If the loss of points 
  lowers the species maximum below POW 18, the vampire goes 
  into a coma that lasts one month for each point below 18 lost in 
  the Divine Intervention. The lowered species maximum lasts for 
  a year (one complete cycle), then raises to normal. Rune Priests 
  will be extremely cautious and defensive with calls to Vivamort 
  for aid. If a vampire’s species maximum lowers to zero, the 
  vampire is annihilated.
  BENEFITS
  The Rune Priest has most of the benefits of the Rune Lord. His 
  strength doubles immediately. He may turn into a wolf, bat, or 
  cloud of smoke; while in smoke form he regenerates at 1 HP per 
  melee round. He may Harmonize those whose glance he catches, 
  immobilizing them, without loss of POW to himself. He no 
  longer registers on a Detect Life spell (though he will to Detect 
  Undead). He gains an allied spirit incapable of regenerating its 
  POW and that must gain the POW through spirit combat or from 
  its Rune Priest. His hit locations regularly have twice the normal 
  amount of hits; should one of his hit locations be damaged 
  beyond what it can take, or should the vampire be damaged in 
  excess of his hit points although all body locations are intact, the 
  vampire automatically turns into smoke.
  The touch of a vampire Rune Priest will reach through 
  armor and attack a character’s POW, just as a ghost does. If the 
  vampire wins, the character loses POW. If the bite of the vampire 
  penetrates armor, it drains 1D6 in hit points (blood) from the 
  victim. Vampires often hang on until the victim is dead or the 
  vampire destroyed.
  The vampire Rune Priest may use little Rune magic, and his 
  approach to Rune magic differs from most priests. The vampire 
  has a warped soul and serves a god with no Higher Being. This 
  complicates matters (see Rune Spell Compatibility, below). 
  Vampire priests can use both cult special spells and spells drained 
  from victims.
  
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  VIII. SUBSERVIENT CULTS
  Vivamort has no known subservient cults. A temple may perhaps 
  gain control over some local Chaos worshippers and force them 
  to do as Vivamort wills, but the cult has no ties resembling a 
  normal subservient cult.
  Nor does the cult have a spirit of reprisal. Ex-Initiates are 
  the responsibility of their temples, which have the most to lose 
  from such defections. Temples will use all power to hunt down 
  traitors and expunge them.
  Should any vampire knowingly turn on his master, he will 
  find the binding of his mind and body failing, in exactly the same 
  fashion as if the vampire should lose all his funeral earth, except 
  that the failing cannot be stopped. For further information, see 
  the entry on the elements in the miscellaneous notes at the end 
  of this cult.
  IX. ASSOCIATED CULTS
  MALLIA, MOTHER OF DISEASE
  Vivamort maintains a connection with the being who sheltered 
  him and who helped (inadvertently, some say) destroy him. 
  Mallia has never shaken off these ties of old. Vampires are 
  immune to her form of Death, but aid her and her followers on 
  occasion, and they also can spread a disease given to Vivamort 
  by Mallia in the God Time.
  Cause Creeping Chills 
  1 point
  permanent, touch, re-usable, non-stackable
  This spirit of disease was given to Vivamort in return for 
  secrets of Hell and Death that he brought with him when he first 
  emerged from the Underworld. Some vampires have become 
  ardent spreaders of this disease.
  The spell works exactly as if the victim simply had been 
  exposed to the disease as per the disease rules, except that the 
  spell is blockable by defensive magics. Once contracting the 
  disease, the victim must be healed or die.
  X. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
  THE VAMPIRE
  The vampire can be created only on the holy night of the cult, the 
  final stage in the ordination of the Rune Lord or the Rune Priest 
  to be. The nascent vampire is drained of all of his POW, which 
  is offered to Vivamort. Vivamort is present at the ceremony, and 
  deigns to bind the mind of the candidate back into the dead body. 
  Then Initiates or victims must give POW and hit points (blood) 
  to the new vampire. The new vampire lies in state for one full 
  day and night before arising to his new role. He takes on a pallid 
  white skin and lustrous hair. His STR doubles immediately 
  and his teeth lengthen. He may now turn into a bat, wolf, or 
  smoke, Harmonize without loss of POW anyone whose glance 
  he catches, and use all the other powers of the vampire form.
  Vampires get spirit allies which cannot regenerate their 
  POW (they must steal it from victims or have it given them by 
  their vampire masters) Vampires can use a few special cult Rune 
  spells. Vampires can drain magics from their victims. Vampires, 
  both Rune Lord and Rune Priest, can call for Divine Intervention 
  from Vivamort, but with possibly deadly affect if Vivamort takes 
  much of their Power storage from them.
  Vivamort was a renegade from Death, as are many of his 
  followers renegades from various Death cults. Vampires are 
  mean that the god does not answer. A result of 96-00 means that 
  the answer is misleading, and the referee must attempt to mislead 
  the questioner. The referee makes all D100 rolls. 
  Each POW point of this spell used allows one question to be 
  asked.
  Create Skeleton 
  1 point
  instantaneous, 40m, reusable, non-stackable
  Using the bones of a victim, the caster animates the skeleton at 
  the victim’s old level of competence (with a limit of DEX x 5).
  Summon Small Shade 
  1 point
  15 minutes, 16, non-reusable, non-stackable
  A shade is a tall, cloaked human-sized figure in a pool of darkness 
  3x3x3m. It engulfs characters in the pool of darkness and attacks 
  them with fear shock. All statistics and characteristics are as 
  standard.
  Create Ghost 
  2 point
  instantaneous, 40m, reusable, non-stackable
  Binds the spirit of the victim into an area as a ghost. The caster 
  must engage successfully for one round of spirit combat to create 
  this binding. The victim need not volunteer.
  Create Zombie 
  2 point
  instantaneous, 40m, reusable, non-stackable
  This spell creates a zombie out of a newly slain victim. The 
  zombie is exactly as shown in the standard monster description.
  Raise Ghoul 
  2 point
  permanent, 40m, reusable, non-stackable
  A vampire may cast this spell on the grave site of any victim 
  that he has killed himself or was party to killing through bite 
  or touch, exactly one week after the victim’s death. On the next 
  night, the doubly unfortunate victim will claw his way out of the 
  grave, and become a ghoul, hungering for the flesh of the living. 
  The caster may assign the ghoul a task, but eventually it will 
  wander away and operate on its own, perhaps grouping together 
  with other ghouls or haunting an area singly, yet always seeking 
  the flesh of the living.
  Ecstatic Communion 
  variable
  30 minutes, 160m, re-usable, non-stackable
  This spell is cast during a temple holy night sacrifice. It causes the 
  loss of victim POW and hit points to become the most exquisite 
  sensual joy for both the drinker and the victim. Persons under 
  this spell will be unable to respond to outside events until the 
  spell has ended. At such sacrifices it operates as an area spell for 
  all donors at the altar. Victims may attempt a saving roll equal to 
  or less than their POW + INT; those who fail that roll must make 
  another at the same percentage, or they will cooperate fully with 
  the vampires in addition to feeling the ecstasy.
  This spell is commonly used at the creation of a vampire, 
  though it also may be used outside the temple, to quiet a victim’s 
  cries or to gain power over a sybarite or hedonist. Outside the 
  temple this spell acts as a Rune magic attack, and must overcome 
  the victim’s POW. If the spell once has been effective against a 
  particular person, that person will thence resist its influence at 
  one-half his or her POW.
  
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  by the Sun’s curse from the darkness of Hell. Fire damages the 
  vampire terribly, in a way unregeneratable until the next vampire 
  holy night. Either magical or normal flame will harm the vampire 
  in this fashion.
  Earth - Every vampire carries at least a handful of his burial 
  earth in his coffin. This earth represents the undead vampire’s 
  Stasis connection, symbolizing his victory over the grave.
  The Earth Powers are not pleased with this desecration of 
  their element and despise the use to which Vivamort puts the 
  stasis principle. Should the vampire lose all his funeral earth (he 
  may have several coffins with earth in them), he begins to lose 
  his powers, one per day. The powers are lost randomly, but the 
  vampire will not know which one is gone until it fails for him. 
  Once all special vampire abilities have been lost (the doubled 
  strength is never lost, though), the vampire will lose one point 
  of POW from his species maximum per day. After 21 days the 
  normal human vampire will be at zero POW, and incapable of 
  accepting POW. He ceases to function. On the next day he ceases 
  to exist. A vampire may reverse this process by getting more 
  grave earth from his burial site.
  Several Earth cults have sacred burial tools, usually shovels 
  that deliver unregeneratable damage to vampires, in the same 
  manner as fire. Their use in digging graves for the dead and their 
  holy place in cult funeral rites gives these tools their special 
  powers.
  A gnome called up from the grave earth carried in a vampire 
  coffin would be an unholy force, since the originating earth is 
  infected with Chaos. The gnome would be commanded by the 
  vampire, but would run amuck if the vampire were absent.
  The Sun - The Sun forced Vivamort from Hell and cursed 
  him. At present the light of day does not harm the vampire, but it 
  strips him of all his special powers. The vampire may not drain 
  POW or blood, Harmonize, perform metamorphosis, etc. The 
  vampire keeps his skills and his doubled strength.
  Water - All the waters of the world took up the vow of the 
  River Styx against Vivamort. Water is a prime enemy of Vivamort 
  and vampires, and vampires travel by water precariously.
  No vampire may cross running water except by bridge, boat, 
  on the back of another, etc. Immersion in running water kills the 
  vampire. Vampires may cross, or live in swamps and marshes 
  with impunity. Waha left the taint of the Devil in the marshes of 
  the Good River, and that taint allows the vampires access to all 
  such areas.
  Special holy water, blessed by Rune Priests of certain water 
  cults, has great effect against vampires. When this pure and holy 
  water is sprinkled on the grave earth carried by each vampire, the 
  earth loses its potency. The vampire may not cross this holy water, 
  even if it is but a thin film on the ground, the doorway, or whatever. 
  A vial of this pure water, applied to the vampire’s person, causes 
  1D6 unregeneratable damage to the vampire’s body.
  greatly affected by the determined presentation of the Death 
  Rune by one consecrated (Initiate or higher) to a Death cult. The 
  Rune causes damage on touch and acts as a focus for a highly 
  effective Disrupt spell. Forceful display of the Rune gains the 
  individual a measure of personal protection from vampires and a 
  method of attack also. Vampires will usually not directly attack 
  the presenter, but may order Initiates, allied spirits, or available 
  skeletons, zombies, etc., to do so.
  A vampire may drink the blood of any being with an INT of 
  5 or more and a POW of 5 or more. Vampires do not drink from 
  non-sentients.
  Characteristically, Vivamortists choose dark or black 
  clothing lined with crimson silk.
  THE ELEMENTS
  Vampires are repugnant to the five elements. The blight of 
  Vivamort is unnatural, and the elements have some power 
  against this cancer.
  Air - Air elementals can disperse the smoke form of the 
  vampire. The vampire cannot coalesce again for the amount of 
  STR of the elemental, expressed in hours. Elemental Air does not 
  constrain vampires as greatly as other elements, since Vivamort 
  stole some of the Air’s powers in the God Time. The Storm Gods 
  and their worshippers despise Vivamort because of this.
  Fire - The power of Heat and Fire is vibrant energy, totally 
  antagonistic to a vampire’s existence. Fire was set onto Vivamort 
  j ou
  
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  Trapped between the unbearable Light of the Sun God and 
  Hrothmir’s avenging axe, Tien stood firm. Swiftly came the 
  blade of the Horned Hero, separating the god’s ram-horned head 
  from his black-shrouded body. The head rolled into the full Light 
  of Yelm’s glory, and the Air God’s son heard the roar as the flesh 
  crumbled from the bone, searing away most of Tien’s power of 
  Darkness, leaving his living eyes to stare blindly. At the same 
  moment a cry of release took Hrothmir’s attention;  the grisly 
  head of a once-beautiful woman shriveled to dust and became the 
  ghostly form of the Mistress of the Light of Knowledge, and then 
  faded forever into the depths of Hell. Thus distracted, Hrothmir 
  failed to see the body of the severed god come forward until 
  the sky god’s son was enveloped in darkness and fear, which 
  dismembered and fed upon the hero’s spirit. At last it removed 
  Hrothmir’s head and placed it upon its own headless shoulders.
  The body of Tien had lost much in the battle. The separation 
  and searing of its head cost it all but meager control over 
  Darkness; only the possession of a part of Death had prevented 
  it from dying. It no longer retained the powers stolen from the 
  Mistress of the Light of Knowledge, nor had it the ability to 
  devour the knowledge of others—those were lost when Hrothmir 
  severed the god. By taking the hero’s head, it regained some of 
  its intelligence and seized a portion of the spells and abilities 
  possessed by Hrothmir. The dismembering of the Devil’s 
  son made its control over reality imperfect, and so the spell 
  preserving the head became imperfect. Soon the head began 
  to decompose, and with it went the knowledge seized with the 
  head. What was left of Tien needed more heads. A frequent and 
  terrible sight during the Darkness was the vision of the god 
  Than (a corruption of Tien) wandering the catacombs beneath 
  nameless mountains, or prowling the fens of Snake Pipe Hollow 
  with something else’s head balanced atop his shoulders, yielding 
  Than magic and knowledge for a while.
  Tien’s horned skull fared differently. Resting in the full 
  Light of Yelm (who was ignorant of the Chaos God’s nature), 
  Lhankor Mhy discovered it on his quest to Hell. He attempted to 
  destroy the skull but could not, nor could the skull of Tien affect 
  the knowledge god with his mind-stealing abilities, for Lhankor 
  Mhy had learned to protect himself from that power. Thus fate 
  prevented any final vengeance on either side. To prevent Tien’s 
  skull from causing further harm, the knowledge god carried it 
  with him out of Hell and cast it into the Ocean. This act displeased 
  several water deities who swiftly caused it to be cast up on the 
  shore of an island. The deities have since borne no love for the 
  sage lord or his followers. The skull was soon forgotten.
  In spite of Yelm’s burning Light, this piece of Tien did not 
  die either. Stripped of flesh and bereft of the control of Death 
  I. MYTHOS AND HISTORY
  BEFORE TIME
  The Devil entered the world; with him came the slimy hordes 
  of Chaos. Foremost in his father’s (the Devil’s) favor was Tien, 
  who commanded the most powerful of the legions. He personally 
  directed the destruction of the god Genert. Tien continued his 
  terrible conquests until his forces were routed at last by a vastly 
  outnumbered army of order which used strategy devised by 
  Lhankor Mhy, the god of knowledge.
  Tien was furious, and sought personal vengeance against the 
  god. He set an intricate trap for the sage lord, alluding to the 
  whereabouts of Lhankor Mhy’s missing love, the Mistress of the 
  Light of Knowledge. Lhankor Mhy was deceived, and walked 
  into Tien’s black pit, and there was captured and imprisoned. 
  The vengeful son of the Devil prepared a ceremony to drain all 
  knowledge from his captive and then funnel it into himself. The 
  knowledge god instead found the knowledge to escape from his 
  bonds and flee from the Chaos creature’s treacherous tunnels. 
  Tien became obsessed with the destruction of Lhankor Mhy, 
  abandoning all other activity to pursue and harry that foe.
  Lhankor Mhy, fearing another meeting with Tien, found 
  protection with the Lightbringers.
  It was then that the Spike exploded.
  With the fall of the Greater Darkness, Tien stalked the sacred 
  vestibules of the cosmic mountain, shadowing the Devil and 
  hunting the heart and soul of Glorantha, plotting the downfall of 
  his arch foe. In a golden room deep in the mountain he came upon 
  the shining goddess, the Mistress of the Light of Knowledge, the 
  true Light of Lhankor Mhy’s existence. In triumph, he used a 
  sharp garrote to capture this magic for his own. It became known 
  that Tien had not merely beheaded her—he had magicked her 
  soul into her still-living head. He carried this foul trophy with 
  him, extracting her magic and skills to supplement his own. With 
  the Mistress went all the Light of Knowledge left to the world; 
  the Great Darkness was now complete.
  As the Lightbringers rallied the Darkened world to their 
  cause, events ran against Chaos. With the death of the Devil, 
  Tien had no protection from the wrath of Storm Bull and his 
  sons, one of whom, Hrothmir the Horned Hero, pursued Tien to 
  the gates of Hell itself.
  There the Death/Darkness deity easily slipped away, and 
  hid in the fringes of the Underworld where Yelm’s Light barely 
  reached. In fury, Hrothmir slew himself to pass through the barrier 
  between life and death, and entered the Underworld also, bound 
  by powerful oaths to destroy this thing of Chaos. Again Tien fled, 
  now into the darkest crypts of Hell, blocking his pursuer’s path 
  with the dead and the Dark, warping both by the Chaotic forces 
  of the outer Darkness. But all ways Tien chose led back to the 
  Underworld’s center, for all paths of the living end in Hell.
  THANATAR
  THE SEVERED GOD
  
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  and Darkness, it still retained its memory, its power to consume 
  knowledge, and its hatred of Lhankor Mhy. But the only victims 
  available to it for centuries were small animals and primitive 
  islanders who enshrined it as a death god—a power over which 
  it had no domain.
  Lhankor Mhy’s ability to resist the Consume Mind spell was 
  passed on to all Priests and Rune Lords of Lhankor Mhy. It is an 
  inner secret of the cult and may not be taught to outsiders, lay 
  members, or even cult Initiates.
  SINCE TIME BEGAN
  Though not a major deity, many of Than’s Chaotic followers 
  survived the transition into Time and remembered the leadership 
  of the Devil’s son. Along with vile-souled humans, they formed 
  the first bands of rapacious headhunters to terrorize the Dawn 
  Age. Imitating their deity, the Thanics collected the living heads 
  of their victims and drew limited magics and skills from them. 
  In the catastrophe of his severing, Than lost the ability to grant 
  Rune magics to his followers except for the Create Head spells 
  and a few Death and Darkness magics. The Thanics needed the 
  heads as their only source of Rune magic. In posing so clear a 
  threat, the worshippers of Than became anathema to most cults 
  and only the most vile would deal with them.
  Many faithful Thanics sought the skull of the severed head 
  across the mortal plane. But the head, resting in a sandy niche 
  of a tiny island temple, had been found by a wandering, self-
  serving Priest of Lhankor Mhy who had been intrigued by it, 
  and who spent several years researching its origin. Once he 
  knew the truth, the power-hungry sage concealed the skull in 
  the catacombs of an unknown city in the Kralorian Empire, 
  and learned from it the awful knowledge-devouring spells. In 
  the process he founded the cult of the Horned Skull, whom he 
  named Atyar, Devourer of Knowledge.
  Feared throughout the Empire, the cult gained in power, 
  attacking other temples and wresting knowledge from captives 
  who would be found later in alley ways and side-streets, broken 
  and mindless.
  Constant persecution by other cults and local wars at last 
  forced the Atyari to flee the Empire, in a diaspora continent 
  wide. Before leaving, the highest priests of the Atyari gathered, 
  and sealed the skull of Atyar deep beneath the catacombs in a 
  special place, protected by great magics. The flight from the 
  Kralori Empire ended in the mutual discovery and unification in 
  Genertela of the cults of Than and Atyar into the cult of Thanatar, 
  the Severed God. Separate worship of both Than and Atyar 
  continued, loosely united under the leadership of the Thanatari 
  High Priest.
  The juncture of the cults brought the members benefits. 
  Atyar’s hatred of Lhankor Mhy was aided by Than’s head-
  stealing abilities, giving the Atyar worshippers power against 
  the knowledge god’s Priests, who were unaffected by Consume 
  Mind. In return, the Atyari wove the Create Major Head spell for 
  the worshippers of Than, perfecting the already-existing spell.
  The reunion of the two parts of the Severed God did not 
  reform Tien. Since each part had developed separately, the two 
  could not make one whole again. Since the pieces did not knit 
  together, the Severed God was formed, and each piece retained 
  its individuality.
  We stayed at Bolthor’s country rest for several days. We had 
  picked off Ralzakark’s strength while it was uncoordinated; 
  now all Dorastor would know of the heavy blows against 
  him. As he gathered his forces, what should we do?
  Hahlgrim argued mightily that the rest of Bolthor’s 
  strength must be raised, and that some should again press 
  up the Sludgestream to engage those Chaos forces it might, 
  while the main army should cross the Tobros Mountains, 
  bypass Ralzakark’s musters, and destroy him and his 
  citadel on the Plateau of Wrath.
  After three days, Bolthor had agreed to nothing, and he 
  offered little reason for his delay, except that delay was what 
  he did best, as Ketil grumbled. We ate in our apartments at 
  sunset, then I sat down to compose a letter to my father.
  Hahlgrim watched the reflection of the Red Moon from 
  a window while I wrote. Ketil had taken a horse to visit a 
  lady love in a village half an hour away. Oddi was adding 
  some accounts in another room. I felt a draft, and looked to 
  where the door to the hall swung open silently. Hahlgrim 
  turned too, and we watched Bolthor, in full armor, walk in, 
  and a dozen of his thanes also, all armed and some with 
  heavy crossbows. Lord Hahlgrim was overly mindful of me, 
  and would not at first resist. He sighed rather, saying “You 
  are the ‘old ally’ of Ralzakark, King Bolthor? I thought it 
  might be so, yet I hoped against it, for you could well serve 
  out your days safely.”
  Bolthor would not respond. He drew his sword and 
  held it by the blade. “You will return my sword to me, and 
  accept this one, Hahlgrim. I have agreed with Ralzakark 
  that my forces will not patrol beyond Dorasta shrine, and 
  that his forces will not penetrate beyond the Oilstream and 
  Frog river. The patrol work will be well for your abilities, 
  Lord Hahlgrim.” He stared pointedly at me, and I hated 
  this fat fool.
  Hahlgrim, his face mask-like, made no reply.
  “Give me the sword, Hahlgrim,” Bolthor commanded, 
  then repeated the command.
  Hahlgrim stirred, smiling grimly, making a curious 
  small gesture as he said, “Bolthor.”
  But instead of completing the sentence, we all heard a 
  loud crack from the other end of the room. The scabbard 
  holding Ironbreaker to the wall exploded, and the jewels 
  from it rolled noisily across the stone floor while shreds of 
  leather fell everywhere. But such we saw but did not attend, 
  for Ironbreaker itself did not fall but rose swiftly into the air, 
  glowing brightly. Several thanes made magical passes at it, 
  others fired crossbows at it, and the cruelest thane shot my 
  Lord Hahlgrim through the lungs. Though Hahlgrim fell, 
  Ironbreaker did not pause. Bolthor screamed and his thanes 
  scattered, but Ironbreaker still came through the air.
  “Thanatar!” the King squeaked. A new horror came 
  into the room, teleporting silently behind the collapsing 
  Hahlgrim. The teleporter was a thin man, in black, and 
  around his waist he wore many shrunken human heads. He 
  
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  they ritually vow to mend their ways. Most cults consider it 
  an honor to be part of an expedition into a Thanatar complex. 
  Such expeditions may prompt alliances between cults normally 
  hostile, such as Orlanth and Seven Mothers, but even the 
  Thanatar cult cannot get hereditary racial enemies like trolls and 
  elves to cooperate.
  PARTICULAR LIKES AND DISLIKES
  This cult fears, hates, hunts, and opposes almost every other cult. 
  Lhankor Mhy and Storm Bull followers are specially despised 
  from pre-Time wrongs, nor are cults with similar Runes (such as 
  Humakt, Zorak Zoran, and Kyger Litor) loved. Sun worshippers 
  are unpopular.
  While this cult mains an alliance of sorts with other Chaos 
  cults, this too is fragile. It is hard to trust someone who may 
  snick off your head tomorrow.
  Thanatari never use gold for anything, and will go out of 
  their way to spit on this Sun-related metal.
  III. ORGANIZATION
  INTER-CULT ORGANIZATION
  There is little organization or contact between temples. If a 
  temporary unity is needed, the word of the eldest or the most 
  powerful High Priest of Dark Truths decides all questions. Due 
  to the lack of contact, temples occasionally are devoted purely to 
  the worship of either the aspect of Than or of Atyar.
  INTRA-TEMPLE ORGANIZATION
  A Thanatar temple has three branches, all presided over by a 
  single High Priest of Dark Truths. Just beneath him is the ranking 
  Rune Lord, known as The Doom Lord (all other cult Rune Lords 
  are known as Doom Masters).
  Of slightly less power are the ranking Priests of the three 
  branches of the cult. The branches are the Hand of Than, the, 
  Horn of Atyar, and the Breath of Thanatar. Except in extremely 
  large temples or communities there will be no other full priests.
  Below them in descending order of influence are the Doom, 
  Masters (corresponding to Rune Lords), the Doomed (advanced 
  cult Initiates), the Doom Seekers (Initiates), and the laity.
  The cult, while seeming well-organized, is based on the 
  successful use of brute force. The High Priest of Dark Truths 
  reigns heavy-handedly over his subordinates, and is shielded by 
  The Doom Lord and his Doom Masters, guardians and entourage 
  loyal to his person. When the High Priest dies (in whatever 
  fashion), succession may be determined by assassination rather 
  than assignation, with the ranking priests of the three branches 
  fighting it out to the finish. The Priest of Thanatar normally 
  is groomed for this position and will have the backing of the 
  Doom Masters. But it is not unknown for the entire hierarchy of 
  a temple to die during a period of succession, leaving the temple 
  in the hands of he who can grab it.
  CENTER OF POWER AND HOLY PLACES
  The cult has no center of power. Death is everywhere; darkness 
  and destruction are where you make them. Cult members find 
  power and comfort in being underground, but groups may be 
  found in deep forests or cities. A special holy place is the island 
  upon which Atyar was first cast out of the sea; another is the 
  secret vault which holds the skull of Atyar.
  Because of its Chaotic and disgusting practices, the cult 
  has been heavily persecuted wherever discovered, with frequent 
  raids made on its underground hideouts and complexes.
  Of the skull of Atyar, legends vary. Some say that the broo 
  Hero, Greegrog, retrieved the skull and was made immortal for 
  his pains. Others say that the skull still lies deep beneath the 
  rubble of that Kralori city, waiting to be found.
  LIFE AFTER DEATH
  Since they will be safely escorted to a part of Hell known as the 
  Place of Waiting, followers of Thanatar do not fear death. From 
  there they will be drawn back to serve the living as familiars and 
  allied spirits in the form of human guardians. A guardian is a cult 
  spirit bound into the ritually-prepared body of a human being 
  (see the miscellaneous notes at the end of this cult). Thus life 
  after death is promised to all believers.
  When a Thanatari lies dying, the Gatherer of Souls (one 
  of many subservient cult spirits) appears to the stricken cultist 
  and guides his or her soul to the Place of Waiting—reputedly 
  that part of Hell where Hrothmir separated the head and body of 
  Tien. After completing a term of service as a guardian, the spirit 
  returns to the Place of Waiting once gain to bide till the day when 
  the forces of Chaos engage the gods in the final battle.
  To aid in the defense of Thanatar temples, the bodies of dead 
  cultists are turned into undead. Initiates who die are animated as 
  zombies on cult holy days. Lay members who die are usually 
  interred for a year and then animated as skeletons on holy days.
  RUNIC ASSOCIATIONS
  Tien originally possessed the Runes of Death, Darkness, and 
  Chaos. From the Mistress of the Light of Knowledge he stole 
  Truth. When the god was decapitated, Than lost Truth and most 
  of his control over Darkness, but kept Death and Chaos. Atyar, 
  the skull, lost the use of Death and Darkness, but did retain 
  Chaos and Truth. The reunion of the god created a lessened deity 
  of Death, Darkness, Chaos and Truth.
  II. NATURE OF THE CULT
  REASON FOR CONTINUED EXISTENCE
  As long as beings desire the gain of something for nothing, and 
  do not care if it is at someone’s expense, then the cult of Thanatar 
  will exist, for Thanatar represents the covetousness of creatures 
  for the abilities of their fellow creatures.
  The cult has two goals: to regain Tien’s power and status 
  and to gain vengeance upon the gods responsible for his present 
  state.
  SOCIAL/POLITICAL POSITION AND POWER
  Among the closed societies of many Chaotic creatures, the 
  Doom Priests and Doom Masters of Thanatar wield great power, 
  often second only to hereditary secular leaders and the priests 
  of racial deities. Thanatar remembers fondly his pre-eminence 
  during the God Time and seeks to lord it over his fellow deities of 
  Chaos, threatening the leaders of other cults with their gruesome 
  knowledge-stealing abilities.
  Human regions hold the cult anathema, and persecute and 
  ritually execute its worshippers in purification rites conducted, 
  by priests of most cults, and usually presided over by a Sage 
  of Lhankor Mhy. Lay members of Thanatar may be spared if 
  
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  HOLY DAYS AND HIGH HOLY DAYS
  Dark-season is the holiest period for Thanatari. High holy days 
  for the cult fall upon Wildday of Disorder, Death and Truth weeks 
  in that season. During Disorder week, cultists celebrate both 
  aspects of the Severed God. In Death week Than is emphasized, 
  as is Atyar in Truth week.
  Every Wildday of each Disorder week during the rest of the 
  year is a holy day. Upon these days, Doom Seekers (Initiates), 
  the Doomed and lay members can form new cult relationships, 
  and new guardians are created to replace lost ones or to be given 
  to newly-promoted cultists. Heads created on holy days can last 
  up to half-again as long as normal.
  IV. LAY MEMBERSHIP
  REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN
  All races may join this cult, though non-Chaotic creatures will 
  join at -5 CHA. Applicants must be willing, if not eager, to be 
  members of a Chaos cult which openly decapitates intelligent 
  beings in order to seize their abilities. The attraction of this cult 
  for creatures of Chaos was hinted at earlier: Thanatar frequently 
  forms a ‘shadow-government’ in Chaotic areas, and if the 
  advancement of an ambitious broo or scorpion man is blocked 
  along racial or tribal lines, he or she often gains personal power 
  by becoming Thanatari. Except in certain hideous areas of the 
  world, the same opportunity does not exist for creatures of Law. 
  It would take, for instance, a human of reasonable persistence 
  and intelligence even to find a Thanatar complex, and his motives 
  for doing so would normally be psychotic.
  Of necessity secretive and paranoid, the rulers of a Thanatar 
  complex will test applicants extensively. This is abstracted to the 
  following: non-Chaotic beings must make a D100 roll under their 
  (CHA-5)x5%+5% for each gift of value to or service performed 
  for the cult. Chaotics must roll under the average of their (STR + 
  CON + DEX)x7%+5% for each gift of value or service rendered.
  If the character fails the roll, the priests have doubted his 
  sincerity. If he or she is not a Chaotic creature, they will consider 
  the applicant a spy. Spies are dealt with gruesomely.
  Outsiders are not welcome at Thanatari ceremonies.
  REQUIREMENTS TO BELONG
  Lay members must attend all holy day ceremonies, and must 
  sacrifice 1 point of battle magic POW each such ceremony. They 
  must donate at least one day per week of their time in labor 
  for the temple—usually in mining and shoring to expand the 
  labyrinthine domain of the underground complex.
  Lay members will know only the main entrance to the 
  temple. Lay members must shun all contact with Storm Bull, 
  Yelm, Yelmalio, and Humakt followers, and must try to lead 
  knelt beside the motionless Hahlgrim, who was still down 
  even though I had put my six points of Healing on him. The 
  dark figure swiftly pulled out a silver garrote, and I knew 
  his purpose. I launched myself at him and upset his cast 
  even as Oddi the Keen burst through the door beyond.
  We all seemed to hesitate, though not truly. Perhaps 
  the memory of the moment would be chiseled in anyone 
  who saw the blazing sword hover over the squealing king, 
  then descend like lightning through his armor, his skull, 
  his torso, and plunge thunderously into the marble floor, 
  quivering there with the sound like pork sausage sizzling. 
  Bolthor, superb armor and all, had been split fish-wise.
  Meanwhile, the Thanatari cultist and I rolled on the 
  floor, grappling, the heads around his waist shrieking as we 
  weighted on them or sent them thudding against the cold 
  stone. Our brains swarmed with Rune magics, yet one could 
  not defeat the other. This man was as strong as a demon, and 
  at last he got the garrote around one of my wrists. Even as 
  I squeezed my thumbs into his throat, he desperately jerked 
  the loop closed, and severed my hand. I remember seeing the 
  member fall away, but so filled with blood lust was I that I 
  merely held with the other hand and shoved the stump into 
  the assassin’s face, so that the blood rushed into his eyes to 
  blind him. He teleported and I fainted.
  When I awoke, I was healed. Hahlgrim was dead. No 
  resurrection cast succeeded. Oddi howled to Orlanth that 
  the god had no reason to despise such a hero as Hahlgrim. 
  At last Oddi lay weeping beside his brother, the sword 
  Ironbreaker in Oddi’s grasp. Silently we kept vigil over the 
  body for an hour, then Oddi related the rest.
  Bolthor’s thanes had fled when their lord was slain, for 
  as with Hahlgrim he could not be healed or resurrected. 
  In his dying, Hahlgrim saluted Oddi as the new owner of 
  Ironbreaker, and told him the secret of the sword. One of 
  the properties of the weapon was that it would infallibly 
  kill one person, but that the death would be paid for by the 
  infallible death of the sword’s wielder as well. Hahlgrim 
  had decided upon his own death when he realized that 
  he could not protect me from the crossbow quarrels; this 
  revelation made me feel profoundly humble, unworthy of 
  this great man’s death, and I begged forgiveness from his 
  brother, which Oddi granted without stint.
  Oddi had healed me and arranged his brother in the 
  Orlanthi burial position, and then had saluted Ironbreaker, 
  which revealed its full self. With the great sword, Oddi set 
  out for revenge, and found a dozen of Bolthor’s best thanes 
  in frightened council. He was on them like a thunderclap, 
  and with the terrible Ironbreaker he slew them all in 
  moments. One of the servants told me that Oddi had been 
  like an avenging god, and that Oddi alone broke the best 
  of Bolthor’s line in half an hour’s time, penning them 
  within the castle walls and forcing them to jump or to be 
  slain where they cowered (for Bolthor’s kin were no more 
  valiant than the fat king himself). Oddi had smashed down 
  armored doors and torn through strong walls to corner the 
  rats of Bolthor, and indeed I saw much evidence of Oddi’s 
  towering rage and mighty vengeance.
  A vision had alerted Ketil, and he rode in with a 
  hundred or more followers to secure the grounds and aid in 
  the burial preparations. After new attempts at resurrection 
  (for then we could not believe that a sword could be so 
  made that a god could not undo its work), we buried our 
  Lord upon Ash hill, overlooking his lands.
  Oddi thereafter would observe only forms of worship, 
  and would not swear by any god.
  
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  victim’s head will be severed from his body if enough damage is 
  done. Garroting can be performed only from the rear.
  In melee, the hit location rolled must be the head or no 
  damage is done, but if the victim is completely unaware of the 
  attacker, the head will be hit automatically. Once hit, the garrote 
  stays in place turn after turn, but successful attacks must be made 
  to do additional damage. Give all successive attacks a +20% 
  chance to succeed.
  To dislodge the attacker, compare the STR + DEX of the 
  victim against that of his opponent, and make a successful attack 
  on the Resistance Table. If 20% of the score needed is rolled, 
  the garrotter is thrown to the ground. If the victim fumbles, the 
  garrotter may roll additional damage against his victim.
  STR needed:  12 
  DEX needed:  9 
  Hit Point:  3 
  ENC:  0 
  Base chance:  05% 
  Length:  0
  Training:  200/400/900L./experience
  Damage:  1D6+1 (damage ignores all armor except hood, un-
  less. neck armor is specified.)
  For full training prices, the cult will teach this weapon to 
  anyone who could qualify as a member, whether or not he is a 
  member.
  BATTLE MAGIC
  Half Normal Price:  Bludgeon, Disruption, Extinguish.
  Twice Normal Price:  Darkwall, Healing, Ignite, Repair.
  Forbidden: Fire Arrow, Fireblade, Harmonize, Light, Light-
  wall. If these spells are already known, or learned from a 
  severance, they will be forgotten.
  Initiate-level or higher followers of Lhankor Mhy into situations 
  where they may be abducted. In some cases lay members will be 
  used as first-wave shock troops in assaults where the defenses of 
  a stronghold must be worn down.
  MUNDANE BENEFITS
  While they are in the temple (the entirety of typically sprawling 
  underground Thanatari complex is considered the temple), lay 
  members are guaranteed the protection of the cult. In exchange 
  for an additional day of service per week, the laity may live 
  without charge in the temple.
  SKILLS
  Lay members can learn any skill except those forbidden by the 
  cult. Any lay member immediately will want to obtain the special 
  talisman that protects the wearer from attack by the insane head 
  spirits which litter every temple complex: see the miscellaneous 
  notes at the end of this cult for details.
  Half Normal Price: Attack and Parry with short sword, 
  Parry with medium shield, Move Silently, Hide in Cover, 
  Dark-tongue (Read, Write, and Speak), Garrote.
  Forbidden:  Axe Attack and Parry.
  Unique: the garrote is the cult’s special weapon. It is used in 
  the ceremonies that create the cult’s Heads.
  THE GARROTE
  A garrote is a thin, strong wire or band which is put around an 
  enemy’s throat. At 50% or less skill with this weapon, the wielder 
  can choke and kill his victim; at  
  more than 50% ability, the 
  High Priest of Dark Truths
  Hand of Than Priest
  Breath of Thanatar Priest
  Horn of Atyar Priest
  Doom Seekers (Initiates)
  Doom Seekers (Initiates)
  Doom Seekers (Initiates)
  Laity
  Doom Masters (Rune Lords)
  Doom Masters (Rune Lords)
  Doom Masters (Rune Lords)
  The Doomed (Adv. Initiates)
  The Doom Lord
  The Doomed (Adv. Initiates)
  The Doomed (Adv. Initiates)
  Doom Seekers (Uncommitted Initiates)
  
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  SKILLS
  The following skills are available from the cult at the noted 
  prices or modifications of prices. These skills for Initiates are in 
  addition to those for lay members.
  Free:  Darktongue (Read, Write, Speak), Garrote, Hide in 
  Cover, Move Silently.
  Half Normal Price:  Alchemy Skills, Any Language (Read, 
  Write, Speak any known language and many dead ones), 
  Evaluate Treasure, Oratory.
  BATTLE MAGIC
  In addition to spells taught to lay members, the Initiate may learn 
  the following:
  Half Normal Cost:  Befuddle, Demoralize, Fanaticism.
  Normal Cost:  Healing, Ignite.
  The Initiate also has access to reusable cult specialty Rune 
  magics, but he must choose a branch of the cult to serve, and 
  he must make a commitment of loyalty to that branch’s priest. 
  At that point he has access to the spells as if he were a priest of 
  that branch. These spells, however, are available for one time 
  usage through the permanent sacrifice of Power. Spells that have 
  a one-time usage by full priests or 3 point spells are not available 
  to Initiates.
  The commitment to a cult branch is unimportant to the 
  god. Changing allegiance from one aspect to another is a purely 
  political matter, earning the Initiate enmity or safety as the 
  factional struggle indicates.
  VI. DOOMED STATUS
  GENERAL STATEMENT
  The title and status of a Doomed (or The Doomed, or Doomed 
  One), has no exact parallel in other cults. The terms cover 
  Initiates who are both preparing for Rune Lord and Rune Priest 
  status. Members of The Doomed usually are in transit to another 
  status, though many cultists are satisfied to remain Doomed 
  till death. Most of the time of a full priest of the Thanatari 
  is spent within the temple on cult business; it is the Doomed 
  Ones who adventure for Thanatar, and they are ritually free of 
  responsibility to the priests of Thanatar’s aspects in so far as 
  cult political struggles are concerned. 
  The Doomed therefore represent dangerous wild cards in the 
  temple hierarchy, and as much as possible the priests prefer 
  to keep their Doomed performing wicked missions beyond the 
  temple complex if they do not quickly advance to Rune-level 
  Status.
  Initiate fighters who meet the requirements for The Doomed 
  will automatically become a Doomed One. But those Initiates 
  preparing for the priesthood (there are only four full priests in a 
  temple) must first pass a test similar to that for a priest.
  REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE
  When an warrior Initiate reaches 60% ability in 5 of the skills 
  needed for Doom Master (Rune Lord) status, he may become a 
  Doomed One by means of a ceremony.
  V. INITIATE MEMBERSHIP
  REQUIREMENTS FOR INITIATION
  Thanatar Initiates are known as Doom Seekers. To become an 
  Initiate, a candidate must possess a 90% ability in one of the 
  skills required for Doom Master (Rune Lord) status.
  A candidate will be assigned a holy day when his ceremony 
  will be performed. During the week preceding that holy day, the 
  candidate also will be assigned one of the Doomed (an ‘advanced’ 
  Initiate), who will follow the candidate as he enacts a very minor 
  Heroquest, imitating events of the Severed God’s mythos. 
  These acts include decapitating a follower of Storm 
  Bull, Humakt, Yelm, or Yelmalio (recalling the decapitation 
  of Tien), setting fire to a structure known to hold at least two 
  living occupants (preferable Lhankor Mhy followers) and 
  tossing the previously decapitated head into the flames. Thus 
  this act of meaningless violence is combined with the symbolic 
  disintegration of Atyar’s flesh. The skull must be retrieved so 
  that it can be brought to the initiation ceremony.
  The ceremony itself is long and disgusting. During it, the 
  candidate must undergo further tests, abstracted as follows:  
  roll under the percentage of his second-highest ability on the 
  list of requirements for Doom Master + his CHA x 5 divided by 
  2, on D100. The central test is given by the cult spirit, the Voice 
  of Atyar, a subservient spirit summoned for the initiation. A 
  candidate passing the test gets a free question, which the spirit’ 
  must answer truthfully (and usually cryptically).
  The new Doom Seeker is then marked with a small white 
  blemish, shaped like a horned human skull, normally placed on 
  a hidden part of the body. The presence of this mark protects the 
  Initiate from attack by the insane spirits which roam the temples, 
  and replaces the talisman the former layman carried.
  Candidates who fail the test must wait two full seasons 
  before undergoing the test again. Repetition of the Heroquest is 
  unnecessary.
  REQUIREMENTS TO REMAIN INITIATED
  Once accepted into full cult membership, the Initiate must take 
  a random Thanatari gift and accept a random geas. The Initiate 
  may take only one gift, with its requisite number of geases. The 
  gifts and geases represent the desire of the Initiate to follow 
  more completely the way and ideals of Thanatar. 
  The Initiate now assumes the title of Doom Seeker, must 
  sacrifice 2 points of temporary POW on holy days, and must 
  follow and enforce the cult likes and dislikes more stringently 
  than need any lay member.
  A Doom Seeker can be required to participate in any cult-
  sponsored raid or expedition. He must continue to donate of his 
  time in the form of supervision or instruction. Once per season 
  the Doom Seeker must provide a living captive for cult use.
  MUNDANE BENEFITS
  A Doom Seeker may receive a weapon from the cult, usually 
  a garrote or a short sword. He has access to the libraries and 
  instructors of the Atyar cult. By benefit of the horned skull 
  blemish, he is immune to attacks by the decayed head spirits. 
  He also can see by the light cast by the cult’s special Darklight 
  spell.
  
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  previously. He must not change that aspect until he becomes a 
  priest, whereupon he may change aspects as he desires.
  RESTRICTIONS
  The warrior Doomed One has none of the restrictions and vows 
  of the Doom Master, though he must enforce all cult likes and 
  dislikes to the best of his ability. He is responsible only to the 
  leader of the temple, the High Priest of Dark Truths, and to 
  the Doom Lord of the temple. Though he may offer respect or 
  alliance to the other ranking Rune Priests and Rune Lords of the 
  temple, he owes them no fealty.
  Initiates planning to become an adventurer-priest Doomed 
  One or a full priest later must pass a test. For game purposes 
  abstract the test to POW + CHA divided by 2 x 7, giving a 
  number which must be rolled under on D100 in order to pass 
  the test successfully. No bonus is gained for length of service or 
  gifts, but since the candidate for Doomed adventurer-priest must 
  have a minimum of POW 18, few will fail this test. Those who 
  do fail must wait to take a second test till the next Dark-season.
  Passing the test, the Doomed One is then inducted into one 
  of the three aspects of the cult if he has not already chosen one 
  THANATAR’S GIFTS
  The following are ten gifts which Thanatar usually bestows on cultists once they reach the status of Doom Seeker or higher. For each 
  gift, the cultist must concurrently accept the stated number of geases. Both the gifts and the geases must be determined randomly.
  THANATAR’S GEASES
  Most rolls upon the Thanatar Gift table will indicate that a certain number of geases must be taken. These geases will make the 
  cultist a better follower of Thanatar, though they may seem mysterious to mortals. Roll D100 for each geas so indicated.
  Gift (roll 1D10) 
  Number of Geases
  1 
  +10% Knowledge bonus. 
  2
  2 
  +10% Stealth bonus.  
  2
  3 
  +1 to a raisable characteristic.  
  1
  4 
  +1 to a non-raisable characteristic. 
  3
  5 
  +10% in short sword attack. 
  1
  6 
  +10% in garrote attack. 
  1
  7 
  Permanent 1 point of Countermagic against
   
  magical attacks cast by Fire/Sky-related
   
  cultists. 
  3
  8 
  +10% in parry with short sword. 
  1
  9 
  +10% in any non-weapon-related skill. 
  1
  Gift (roll 1D10)                               Number of Geases 
  10 Special (roll 1D6 to determine): 
   
  (1) Grow ram’s horns. In two years they may
   
        be used to butt like a broo for 1D6 damage. 
  1
   
  (2) Skin/fur turns pitch black. Add 10% to 
   
        Hide in Cover at night or in darkness. 
  1
   
  (3) Skin becomes like 1 added point of armor. 
  1
   
  (4) Cultist may select any 1 gift. 
  0
   
  (5) Re-roll on 1D10 gift table. 
   
        Gift has ½ the geas cost (½= 0).
   
  (6) Re-roll twice on regular table.
  D100 
  Geas
  01 
  Favored by Thanatar; no geas.
  02-05 
  Eat only the flesh of sentient creatures.
  06-08 
  Always eat of the flesh of each victim.
  09-11 
  Distrust all members of the other two cult aspects.
  12-14 
  Slay all non-Thanatari cult member Chaotic beings.
  15-17 
  Never use minted coins.
  18-20 
  Never use an edged weapon.
  21-23 
  Distrust everyone.
  24-26 
  Never speak in the presence of a non-Thanatari.
  27-29 
  Ride no animal.
  30-33 
  Wear no head protection.
  34-38 
  Never go into sunlight or blindness may result; 
  roll under CON x5 on D100 or be permanently 
  blinded.
  39-41 
  Never go into torchlight or effect is as 34-38.
  42-43 
  Never go into any non-cult light; effect is as 
  34-38; see also cult Rune spell Darklight.
  44-54 
  Never use fire in any form, including 
  creation of cult light.
  D100 
  Geas 
  55-62 
  Accept Chaotic feature; 25% chance of Thed’s 
  Reverse Chaos feature being the type gained.
  63-64 
  Always challenge Storm Bull worshippers.*
  65-67 
  Never eat vegetables, except elves.
  68-70 
  Never wear metals other than tarnished silver.**
  71-74 
  Never wear leather armor.**
  75-79 
  Never eat the flesh of cattle or bison.
  80-83 
  Always challenge Lhankor Mhy worshippers.*
  84-86 
  Never lie to a fellow cultist.
  87-91 
  Never combat an undead.
  92-93 
  Never use magic on an enemy while in combat.
  94-95 
  Never attack with a weapon.
  96-98 
  Roll twice more.
  99-00 
  Roll three times more.
  *  This duel is always fought to the death.
  **  Roll for particular hit location to which this applied. On 
  a roll of 20 the cultist never may wear any armor made 
  of non-cult metal.
  
  60
  Cults of Terror
  RuneQuest
  Part One
  Short Sword Attack
  Short Sword Parry
  Medium Shield Parry
  Garrote
  Part Two
  Move Silently
  Hide in Cover
  Part Three
  Read/Write Darktongue
  Speak Darktongue
  Read/Write other language
  Speak other language
  Oratory
  Evaluate Treasure
  Alchemy 
  The candidate also must know the spells Befuddle, Darkwall, 
  and Disruption.
  RESTRICTIONS
  The Doom Master accepts the normal restrictions for Rune Lord. 
  For Thanatar, he vows not to attack a priest of the cult unless 
  he also becomes a priest. If he breaks this vow, the cult spirit 
  of reprisal immediately will attack him. Since this is a most 
  disorderly cult, there are few other restrictions; here rule depends 
  on the strength of the ruler, not on laws or tradition.
  BENEFITS
  Besides the benefits accruing to a Rune Lord, the Doom Master 
  must take another random gift and geas from Thanatar. The Doom 
  Master receives 1D3 pieces of magical tarnished silver armor 
  or weapons, all forged to the temper and strength of bronze. 
  The first piece is always a short sword. He might also receive 
  (depending upon the whim of the priests) 1-2 more guardians. 
  He always will receive an allied spirit, normally bound into a 
  weapon but who can be made into the more free-willed guardian 
  if so desired.
  Divine Intervention will not bring back a Doom Master 
  from the dead.
  A Doom Master may sacrifice POW for Thanatari Rune 
  spells on a one-use basis unless he has passed the Doomed One 
  preliminary test for the priesthood.
  If a Doomed One had not chosen an aspect of the god, as 
  a Doom Master he now must choose the combined aspect of 
  Thanatar. If he has chosen previously, he can keep that choice.
  A Doom Master may become either a Doomed One priest 
  candidate or a full priest with no loss in fighting skill if he has a 
  DEX of 18. Normally, in fact, the High Priest of Dark Truths is 
  both a Doom Master and a Doom Priest, in no small part because 
  of the extra personal power thereby available.
  The Doom Lord, the senior-most Doom Master, has access 
  to the cult spirit of reprisal as a one-use 3 point Rune spell.
  The priest-aiming Doomed One is in the same situation. In 
  addition he may not receive an allied spirit or be allowed the full 
  increased chance of POW gain. Like any Doom Priest, his DEX-
  based skills cannot rise above his DEX x5; unlike the priest, he 
  may continue to train up to that level of ability.
  BENEFITS
  Added to the benefits he received upon becoming an Initiate, 
  any of The Doomed receive a guardian as a bound spirit (see 
  miscellaneous notes at the end of this cult). The guardian is 
  gained at no risk to a Doomed One. He may have other bound 
  spirits, but only one guardian. In accepting the guardian, the 
  Doomed One also accepts a second gift (and geas) from his god, 
  Thanatar. It is possible to refuse the guardian and the second gift/
  geas at no personal penalty.
  The Doomed may stand aloof from cult power struggles, or 
  choose individually to back any faction, regardless of the aspect 
  of the god currently served.
  A Doomed One aiming toward the priesthood has access 
  to all 1 and 2 point spells available to his chosen aspect. Such 
  Initiates also can use available reusable 3 point spells on a one-
  use basis only. Except as noted, all spells will be reusable. When 
  such a Doomed One is promoted to Rune Priest and changes 
  aspects in the process, he loses the reusable quality of any Rune 
  spells not compatible with the new aspect. Such Initiates gain 
  a fraction of the priest’s POW gain bonus; they subtract their 
  current POW from their species’ maximum POW +1.
  VII. RUNE LORD MEMBERSHIP
  GENERAL STATEMENT
  With the exception of the senior-most Rune Lord in each temple 
  (he is The Doom Lord), Rune-level fighters are known as Doom 
  Masters. As with Initiates, Doom Masters may serve whatever 
  branch of the cult they wish—unless they are also a Doom Priest, 
  whereupon they are limited to one aspect of worship. A Doom 
  Master should represent the cohesion of the aspects of the cult, 
  being at once a physical fighter whose goal is to bring death 
  to the world, and to be a scholar whose actions are marked by 
  rational (if erratic) deliberation. They must combine weapons 
  skills with stealth and knowledge.
  REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE
  Candidates for Doom Master must have spent at least one 
  season as a Doomed One, and they must have a POW of 15. 
  The candidate may also have passed the preliminary test for 
  becoming a priest while a Doomed One-but note that if he had, 
  his DEX would have to be at least 18. If he did pass such a test, 
  he may continue to use any 1 point Rune spells he may have 
  learned. Any other spells become one-use only and may not be 
  re-learned until he becomes a priest.
  Candidates for Doom Master must have 90% ability in five 
  of the skills listed below. At least two skills must come from Part 
  One of the list, at least one skill from Part Two, and at least two 
  from Part Three.
  
  Classic Edition
  61
  RuneQuest
  RUNE SPELL COMPATIBILITY
  Doom Priests, Doom Masters, The Doomed, and Doom Seekers 
  have no standard Rune magics except as they are stolen from 
  living heads made through Create Heads or wrenched from 
  victims via Consume Mind. No stolen spells relating to fire or 
  anti-Chaos may be used.
  No Rune magics except cult specialty spells may be taught.
  CULT SPECIAL RUNE SPELLS
  The following spells are particular to this cult or have been 
  permanently stolen or derived from similarly Runed cults during 
  God Time. The availability of a spell to a given branch of the cult 
  will be indicated in the parentheses following the spell name, 
  along with the Power points required to be expended to learn 
  the spell if other than listed. (Example: Darklight costs priest of 
  Than and Thanatar 1 point of POW, but it costs priests of Atyar 2 
  points to learn, due to Atyar’s loss of Darkness control.)
  A spell usable by a cult branch will bear that branch’s name 
  in parentheses just after the spell name, as well.
  Create Skeleton
  (Thanatar, Than, Atyar-2) 
  1 point
  instantaneous, 40m, non-stackable, reusable
  Using the bones of a deceased lay member, the priest animates 
  the skeleton at the victim’s old level of competence (with a level 
  of DEX x5).
  Darklight
  (Thanatar, Than, Atyar-2) 
  1 point
  special, 10cm, non-stackable, reusable
  This spell is peculiar to the Thanatar religion. It creates what is 
  known as the cult light. The spell can be cast on any item capable 
  of burning non-magically, and of giving off non-magical light: 
  torches, lamps, lanterns, braziers, campfires, etc. The fire must 
  then be lit by using an Ignite spell. The light that springs thereof 
  will be invisible to non-cult eyes. Laity who possess the special 
  cult talismans, Initiates, and Rune-levels all will see a purple 
  light. A fire so treated will give off heat, and will burn normal 
  fuel. As long as the fuel is within the one-meter-cube magicked 
  area, only Darklight will be emitted, but any flame crossing 
  the boundaries will burn normally and be seen normally. The 
  duration of Darklight therefore depends upon the availability of 
  fuel and the retention of the flame within the magicked area.
  Fire/sky view this spell as a grievous perversion, and seek to 
  extinguish all such flames. It is particularly their goal to smother the 
  eternal flame flickering in each temple’s worship hall; the flames are 
  reputed to be scions of the first Darklight spell cast in God Time.
  Ingest Scroll
  (Thanatar, Than-2, Atyar) 
  1 point
  instantaneous, touch, non-stackable, reusable
  This is an Atyar specialty spell. The priest casts the spell on 
  a scroll or any single page of information that he holds in his 
  hands. The spell causes the information to be transferred to 
  and translated in the caster’s mind, destroying any trace of it 
  on the page or scroll. To prevent shock for 1D6 turns, add INT 
  + CON, divide by 2, multiply by 5, and roll equal to or less 
  than the result on D100. If the character does go into shock, he 
  must make a second roll, under his INT x5 on D100, or lose 
  VIII. RUNE PRIESTHOOD
  GENERAL STATEMENT
  The cult is divided into three aspects, Than, Atyar, and Thanatar, 
  and three factions correspond to that. There will be a High Priest 
  and at most three full priests in a given temple. The three priests 
  will be known as the Hand of Than, the Horn or Atyar, and the 
  Breath of Thanatar. There will be no other full priests, though 
  many may have passed the preliminary test available to The 
  Doomed.
  Each branch of the cult has cult specialty spells available to 
  it. The Thanics have Death and some Darkness spells; the Atyari 
  have knowledge-devouring spells; the Thanatari draw from 
  the other aspects and add a spell similar to ancestor worship to 
  summon back the guardians. While the full priests of the cult 
  have numerous Rune spells, they possess no basic Rune magics, 
  no Extension, Warding, etc. All such were lost in the God Time. 
  Necessary basic Rune magics are stolen from living heads that 
  are taken from victims who have been ritually prepared and 
  decapitated.
  REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE
  A new priest is chosen whenever a vacancy is formed in the four-
  priest hierarchy, whether by death, promotion, or the creation of 
  a new temple. The candidate actually selected must have been a 
  Doomed One adventurer-priest for at least a full year, and must 
  have POW of 18 or greater. He must undergo a test which is 
  abstracted for game purposes to POW + CHA, divided by 2 and 
  multiplied by 5. A D100 roll under that result must be made. A 
  Doom Master qualified to become a priest may subtract 10 from 
  his roll, and additionally may subtract 5 more from his roll for 
  each year that he has been Doomed. If accepted, he becomes the 
  new priest of the vacant branch of the cult. If a temple has been 
  worshipping only one aspect, it is possible that the new priest 
  could choose which of the other two aspects he would represent 
  and advocate.
  A new priest can also be ordained when it is desirable to 
  send him (or he desires to go) to found a new temple. He will 
  commonly take several Initiates of his choice.
  RESTRICTIONS
  The Doom Priest officiates on all holy days. He very rarely 
  leaves the temple complex, though he may elect to accompany 
  important raids when he feels that leadership by the more cavalier 
  Doomed Ones would be inappropriate.
  He or she must sacrifice 1 point of temporary POW each 
  day, unless on a mission outside the temple. The Doom Priest is 
  subject to the standard Rune Priest restrictions.
  BENEFITS
  Besides the standard benefits as defined by the rules, the Doom 
  Priest must accept another random gift and geas from Thanatar. 
  He also may receive 1-2 additional bound spirits in the form of 
  guardians (see the miscellaneous notes at the end of this cult), 
  and he may obtain an allied spirit. This spirit might be either the 
  more free-willed guardian or it might be bound into a weapon 
  or object. The priest has full access to all Rune magics available 
  from his aspect of the god.
  The High Priest of Dark Truths of each temple has access to 
  the cult spirit of reprisal as a reusable 3 point spell.
  
  62
  Cults of Terror
  RuneQuest
  all the information he gained from the page or scroll, and one 
  randomly chosen knowledge skill will be permanently lowered 
  by 1D6 x5%. Ingest Scroll can also absorb a single sentence of 
  information that has been chiseled in stone or carved in wood.
  Summon Guardian 
  1 point
  Duration is Combat (15 minutes or until bound into body) 
  within 160m of caster, non-stackable, reusable or non-reusable 
  by the situation.
  This spell resembles the Summon Ancestor spell used by Prax 
  cult Daka Fal, except that it summons a willing spirit of a departed 
  cult member from the Place of Waiting. The spirit so summoned 
  must then be bound into the body of a specially sacrificed victim. 
  The summoned spirit will have an INT of 3D6 and a POW of 
  3D6+6 (there is information on guardians in the miscellaneous 
  notes at the end of this cult). Such spirits are reusable only when 
  used in ceremonial situations.
  The spell may also be used on a non-reusable basis to 
  summon a guardian to do spirit combat with a foe. The spirit 
  arrives with the characteristics indicated on the chart below. 
  After giving commands to the spirit, the summoner rolls D100 
  and if 96-00 (fumble) occurs, then the spirit misunderstands the 
  command and turns on the summoner.
  Guardians may be used for a spirit attack against a foe, as 
  ordered by the summoner. They may also use known spells, but 
  will deplete their Power to do so. In either case, loss of Power to 
  11 or less causes the spirit to disappear even from spirit combat 
  and return to the Place of Waiting.
  They cannot be used to memorize spells, supply Power, or 
  to teach the summoner. They will have available only the spells 
  and knowledge of the victim.
  Summon Small Shade 
  (Thanatar, Than) 
  1 point
  15 minutes, 160m, non-stackable, reusable.
  This is the standard shade. It has an attack chance of 20%, is 27 
  cubic meters in size, has hit points of 1D6+6, STR of 1D6+6, 
  and is in movement class 12.
  THE DOOM OF UNDYING
  Thanatari cultists are feared for their Rune magics allowing the 
  creation of living heads severed from ritually-prepared victims. 
  These heads can feel, think, and remember, though they have 
  no will of their own. This horror sets the Thanatari apart from 
  even other Chaos cults, whose brethren have reason to fear that 
  someday they too may dangle from the belt of a headhunter—
  fully aware and unable to act. The two spells following this 
  section relate the use of the magics.
  When Tien was severed by Hrothmir, the god lost the 
  ability to give all but his own special magics to his followers. 
  The two head-creating spells let Thanatari draw upon the magic 
  and knowledge of a victim so long as the independent head of 
  the victim survives. There are two spells. Create Minor Head 
  preserves the victim’s living head for one week; it places the 
  caster in Mind Link with the head, allows the use of the head’s 
  battle and Rune magics, and gives use of portions of the victim’s 
  Knowledge-based and other skills. The other, more insidious, 
  spell is Create Major Head, that gives the caster greater control 
  over the magics and abilities of the preserved head.
  GUARDIAN SUMMONS CHART
  This chart should be used whenever a Priest or Initiate 
  used the Summon Guardian spell. It mimics the variety of 
  randomly available souls.
   
   
   
   
                  (# of spells) 
  D100 
   
  type 
  POW 
  INT 
  Rune 
  Battle
  01 
   
  F 
  5D6+6 
  3D6 
  2D4 
  2D4+6
  02 
   
  F 
  4D6+6 
  3D6 
  2D4 
  2D4+4
  03 
   
  F 
  3D6+6 
  3D6 
  2D4 
  2D4+2
  04 
   
  F 
  2D6+6 
  3D6 
  1D4 
  2D4
  05 
   
  F 
  1D6+6 
  3D6 
  1D4 
  1D4
  06-09 
   
  F 
  5D6+6 
  3D6 
  1D4 
  1D4
  10-13 
   
  F 
  4D6+6 
  3D6 
  1 
  1D4
  14-17 
   
  F 
  3D6+6 
  3D6 
  1 
  1
  18-21 
   
  F 
  2D6+6 
  3D6 
  0 
  0
  22-25 
   
  F 
  1D6+6 
  3D6 
  0 
  0
  26-35 
   
  N 
  5D6+6 
  3D6 
  1D4 
  1D4
  36-45 
   
  N 
  4D6+6 
  3D6 
  1 
  1D4
  46-55 
   
  N 
  3D6+6 
  3D6 
  1 
  1
  56-65 
   
  N 
  2D6+6 
  3D6 
  0 
  1
  66-75 
   
  N 
  1D6+6 
  3D6 
  0 
  0
  76-79 
   
  M 
  5D6+6 
  3D6 
  1D4 
  1D4
  80-83 
   
  M 
  4D6+6 
  3D6 
  1 
  1D4
  84-87 
   
  M 
  3D6+6 
  3D6 
  0 
  1
  88-91 
   
  M 
  2D6+6 
  3D6 
  0 
  0
  92-95 
   
  M 
  1D6+6 
  3D6 
  0 
  0
  96 
   
  E 
  2D6 
  3D6 
  0 
  0
  97 
   
  E 
  3D6 
  3D6 
  0 
  0
  98 
   
  E 
  4D6 
  3D6 
  0 
  0
  99 
   
  E 
  5D6 
  3D6 
  1 
  1D4
  00 
   
  E 
  6D6 
  3D6 
  1D4 
  1D4
  F (friendly) - spirit will do as summoner desires.
  N (neutral) - spirit will do as summoner desires, but at a 
  coat of 1/10 the POW of the spirit In battle magic power 
  from the caster. This must be expended immediately and 
  cannot be used by the summoner of the spirit.
  M (malign) - these spirits always will attack a summoner 
  to try to possess them.
  E (evil) - these spirits always will attack the summoner to 
  try to destroy him.
  To determine which battle magic spells are known, 
  roll 1D50 and consult the Basic Battle Magic chart. A roll 
  of 50 is a bonus roll, and the spirit knows whatever spell 
  the summoner wants. To determine which Rune spells are 
  known, roll 1D15 and consult the Standard Rune Magic 
  Spells table. A roll of 10, 18, or 24 (Rune power) means 
  the spirit knows a special cult spell. (To determine the 
  spell, roll 2D8 and consult the table of contents of Cults 
  of Prax. The spirit then will know a 1, 2, or 3 point Rune 
  spell from the indicated cult) A roll of 25 means the spirit 
  knows the Rune spell of Spirit Block.
  
  Classic Edition
  63
  RuneQuest
  A chanter needs ten strike ranks to recite this. He then 
  crushes the head, living or dead, with his feet. Living heads 
  must take their full hit points before dying; for effectiveness, 
  treat crushing as a kick. Once he has crushed the head, he then 
  compares his POW against that of the ghost in a Resistance 
  Table roll. A successful roll means that the ghost is freed. If not 
  succeeding, the crusher may try again, but as if he had lost a 
  point of POW. Meanwhile, the mad ghost can continue to attack 
  the person. A head can be crushed even if part or most of it has 
  crumbled to powder.
  The skulls of victims often are mortared deep within 
  masonry walls.
  A non-Thanatari might imagine it wise for owners to crush 
  his discarded heads, preventing the effectiveness of the Lhankor 
  Mhy ceremony. But this is not done. Such heads are sacred 
  representations of the Severed God. Crushing a head not only 
  invites immediate retribution from the cult’s spirit of reprisal, 
  but also risks that the spirit of the head waits for the Initiate or 
  Rune Priest in the afterworld.
  The creation of the living heads violates the tendencies 
  of the natural world enough that the universe itself may try to 
  repel the vile creature performing such an act. The first-time 
  user of either of these spells will have a 5% chance of gaining a 
  Chaotic feature, a chance increasing 5% each time such a spell 
  is cast until such a feature is gained. Only one feature will be so 
  acquired. The Chaotic feature will not necessarily be a favorable 
  feature—there is a large chance that the feature will be taken 
  from the broo goddess Thed’s 2 point Rune spell Reverse Chaos 
  (see the cult of Thed). To determine the feature, roll D100 and 
  consult the following table.
  01-25 
  standard Chaotic feature
  26-49 
  standard Chaotic feature plus Reverse Chaos feature
  50-00 
  Reverse Chaos feature
  Roll D100 on the Appropriate table(s)
  There is a non-cumulative 03% chance per use of the spell 
  that further Reverse Chaos features will be gained.
  Gaining a favorable Chaotic feature may be a blessing to a 
  creature of Chaos, but it may not be so to a human. Most humans 
  object to neighbors who are marked with Chaos, viewing them 
  much as they would a broo, Jack O’Bear, or gorp. This will cause 
  the cultist to lose popularity, and probably his life. Anti-chaos 
  cults feel obliged to remove such tainted people from the face of 
  the earth, even if any Thanatari connection is unknown.
  Create Minor Head
  (Thanatar, Than, Atyar-2) 
  1 point
  one week, touch, non-stackable, reusable
  Create Minor Head is a Than specialty spell, creating limited 
  versions of the heads which the Thanatari use for magical 
  knowledge and power. The spell requires a two day long ritual in 
  which a single living victim is decapitated with the ritual silver 
  garrote and his spirit trapped within the severed, living head with 
  all knowledge and magics intact. The spell places the head in 
  a limited form of Mind Link with the priest, and he draws out 
  magics as he requires.
  Under either spell, the head may not resist the exploitation 
  of its abilities. No caster ever learns magic from a head. Heads 
  never learn magics or skills, or go up in POW.
  Each spell must be cast by the person who will use the head, 
  and requires that much time be spent in preparation. One spell 
  creates one head. The ceremony involves the ritual cleansing and 
  purification of the victim, often involving some use of Darklight 
  fire and torture, followed by a two-day to one week long ritual 
  (depending on the spell cast), and the final beheading of the 
  victim with a silver garrote and the accompanying casting of the 
  required spell or spells.
  Heads must be carried by the Doomed One or Doom Priest 
  who cast the spell, or by one of his bound guardians. The total 
  number of heads with which the caster can be in mental contact 
  is limited to the result of the caster’s INT divided by 3, rounding 
  down to eliminate fractions. A caster’s allied spirit may make use 
  of the knowledge and spells contained by the head.
  Every humanoid head has an encumbrance of 2, up to SIZ 
  21. Find the encumbrance of larger creatures by dividing their 
  SIZ by 10 (round remainders of less than 5 downward, and more 
  than or equal to 5 upward: thus a creature with SIZ 25 has a head 
  with an encumbrance of 3). Heads of small creatures, such as 
  pixies and ducks will have encumbrances of 1.
  Though heads will have the hit points they had in life for 
  that location, wounded heads will not heal without magic. In the 
  case of Minor Heads, they will not heal at all. Any healed head 
  always has one less hit point than it had before being damaged. 
  A head with 5 hit points which is damaged and then healed will 
  have only 4 hit points after that; if damaged again, it will heal 
  only to 3 hit points, etc. Heads without hit points are dead; no 
  magic or procedure will bring them back.
  Heads need no sleep or food. Heads do not speak, though they 
  do open their mouths, grimace, open and close their eyes, etc.
  When a head dies or is destroyed, rapid decay occurs, and it 
  turns to a stinking mass in a few hours. All magics in it are then 
  lost forever, though even death does not free the spirit therein 
  from the magic which bound it to its head. The spirit remains 
  trapped in the head, becoming an insane ghost that attacks any 
  living being not protected by special Thanatari talismans or 
  blemishes. Such ghosts have a range of 20m from their heads.
  Thanatari cultists use cast-off heads as boundary markers, 
  watchdogs, and guards. Masses of them often will be found 
  stacked together, a sight discouraging to improperly-protected 
  intruders.
  If the caster dies, his heads die with him, though they still 
  are not unbound.
  Two ways exist to free Thanatari head ghosts. The Daka 
  Fal Rune spell, Free Ghost, will do the job. More commonly, a 
  Lhankor Mhy ritual is used. Priests of Lhankor Mhy teach the 
  ritual without cost to any who wish to learn. The intonations 
  necessary to the ritual require a week to learn correctly. The 
  words of the ritual follow.
  In the name of Full Knowledge
  I rip this tool from Thanatar,
  To confound his presence
  In the scheme of being
  And to hasten the end of Chaos.
  Go, spirit, to the fate of your will!
  
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  Rune magics taken from a bound head are reusable if the 
  spell is already reusable, but Create Major Head forces the caster 
  to choose one and only one Rune spell to use. To gain additional 
  Rune magic from the head, the priest must permanently sacrifice 
  POW to Thanatar, as per the rules. Further, using Rune magic 
  subtracts battle magic POW from the head equal to the points of 
  the spells. This drain is temporary and can be regained, but it also 
  taxes the head and may kill it. Reflect this chance by subtracting 
  the head’s POW after casting the Rune spell from the head’s 
  current POW, then compare the result against the head’s current 
  full POW on the Resistance Table. A successful roll indicates 
  that head is dead and rapidly decomposing.
  The priest also can use and reuse the battle magics of the 
  victim, and can use the head’s own POW to cast them if the 
  priest wishes. POW so used (it is drained from Rune magic use) 
  returns at one-fourth the normal rate of 6 points every 24 hours.
  A head down to 1 point of POW loses consciousness and 
  the priest temporarily loses the use of its spells, knowledge, and 
  skills. A head at zero POW is dead, and such a death keeps a 
  head from becoming an insane ghost—no spirit, no ghost. When 
  a head dies, all magics are lost.
  Magic cannot be learned from a bound head.
  Besides spells, the summoner also may gain knowledge 
  from his victim. All Knowledge-based skills may be used at 
  a level up to or equal to the priest’s INT x5. Other skills are 
  improved differently, since knowledge only plays a part in their 
  functioning. To determine the bonuses in Manipulation, Stealth, 
  Perception, and combat skills, see Create Minor Head for details.
  In contrast to magic, knowledge and skills can be learned 
  with Create Major Head. Each season that a priest possesses a 
  head, he may choose to permanently improve by 5% in one area 
  of knowledge or skill possessed by each of his heads, due to long 
  and continued contact with them. This gain is limited to up to 
  three-fourths of the head’s ability in the case of knowledge-based 
  abilities and up to 15% in the case of all other abilities, depending 
  on the former ability of the head, as per skills temporarily gained 
  from a head. See Create Minor Head.
  Create Zombie (Thanatar-3, Than) 
  2 points
  instantaneous, 40m, non-stackable, reusable
  This spell creates a zombie out of a recently dead Initiate. The 
  zombie is as shown in the rules. Preserving flesh and applying 
  Strength and Vigor spells forces this to be a 2 point spell. 
  Devour Book (Thanatar-3, Atyar) 
  2 points
  instantaneous, touch, non-stackable, reusable
  This spell of Atyar is the next step up from Ingest Scroll. When 
  cast, the spell causes all knowledge within the book clutched by 
  the priest to be absorbed into his mind. The caster must roll less 
  than his CON + INT divided by 2 multiplied by 5, on D100, or 
  he goes into shock for 1-6 hours, staring blankly into space. If 
  the roll is failed, make a second roll of INT x5 or less on D100. 
  If the second roll is failed, all knowledge absorbed from the book 
  was lost when the shock set in, and 1D3 Knowledge skills are 
  permanently lowered by 1D10 x5%. The spell, regardless of 
  success, will do 5 points of damage to a character’s hit points 
  much like poison, and can be healed only like systemic poison.
  A book so absorbed is left with completely blank pages. 
  Any spell the victim knows is usable by the priest, and that 
  includes all compatible Rune magics. But no new spells may be 
  brought to mind—the head cannot learn, and cannot store new 
  material. Rune magic is cast on a one-use basis; battle magics are 
  reusable as long as the head lives.
  Though the caster must supply his own POW, the use of a 
  Rune spell from the head temporarily drains from the head four 
  times the POW normally sacrificed to gain the spell originally. 
  Thus a 1 point Rune spell would drain four points of POW from 
  the head, and so on. After each use, the cumulative POW lost 
  is compared against the head’s remaining POW and a roll on 
  the Resistance Table is made. A successful roll means that the 
  head dies and decay begins. The head is useless immediately. If 
  the head is not overcome, it regains the POW at one-quarter the 
  normal rate.
  Create Minor Head normally lasts a week. If the final day of 
  the ritual fell on a cult holy day, the spell will last ten days. The 
  head will have the hit points it had in life, but will not heal and 
  will not be healed if damaged in any way. When the spell fails, 
  rapid decay sets in. The head swiftly becomes a fetid, stinking 
  mass. Any magics remaining in the head are lost.
  Besides magic, a priest may withdraw knowledge and skills 
  from his victim, but such attributes will be temporary and last 
  only as long as the head is alive. All knowledge-based skills 
  possessed by a head may be used by a priest at a level equal 
  to half the head’s ability. Other skills improve differently, since 
  their functioning stems only partly from knowledge.
  Manipulation, Perception, Stealth, and combat skills are all 
  gained as follows:
   victim’s former skill % bonus gained
   0-49% 
   
  no bonus
   50-74% 
   
  05%
   75-89% 
   
  10%
   90%+ 
   
  15%
  For a skill bonus to be gained, the priest’s own skill must be 
  at least 25 lower than that of the head’s. Thus, if a head formerly 
  had a 65% ability in picking locks, the priest would have to have 
  an ability in that area of less than 40% to gain the 5% bonus. 
  The bonus may take the priest over his maximum required skill 
  level, but an ability in a DEX-based skill never may exceed the 
  priest’s DEX x5.
  Create Major Head (Thanatar, Than, Atyar-3) 
  2 points
  until destroyed, touch, non-stackable, reusable
  The cult is truly infamous for this disgusting power. The spell 
  must be stacked with the 1 point spell Create Minor Head (which 
  remains reusable). Like the Create Minor Head spell, this spell 
  also requires a lengthy ceremony in which the head of the victim 
  is removed with a silver garrote. The ceremony requires 8 hours 
  a day for an entire week to prepare the victim and the priest.
  This spell creates a more permanent living head which lasts 
  until it is destroyed, giving the priest much more control over his 
  collection.
  As in Create Minor Head, the priest is in Mind Link with the 
  head and may draw upon the victim’s magics, including all battle 
  magics and compatible Rune magics, but the control differs from 
  the lesser spell.
  
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  This spell also may be used to summon a specific guardian 
  to do combat with a foe. Then the Summon Specific Guardian 
  spell remains reusable, but Summon Guardian is lost as a one-use 
  spell. Used in this manner it is exactly like the Daka Fal Summon 
  Specific Ancestor. All rules apply. The Summon Guardian spell 
  and the Guardian Summons Chart contain the needed data.
  For more about guardians, see the miscellaneous notes at the 
  end of this cult.
  Summon Spirit of Teaching (Thanatar-3, Atyar) 
  2 points
  1 day, 160m, non-stackable, non-reusable
  This spell must be stacked with both Summon Guardian and 
  Summon Specific Guardian, and it must be cast from within a 
  Warding spell or the spirit summoned is treated as malign. The 
  spell summons back the spirit of Treack Markhor, the traitorous 
  priest of Lhankor Mhy who founded the Atyar cult. He is a 
  neutral spirit and will immediately demand the sacrifice of battle 
  magic POW equal to a tenth of his current POW. He will teach 
  Lhankor Mhy Rune magic via rapid teaching. Twice the POW 
  required for the spell must be permanently sacrificed to him. He 
  knows all Lhankor Mhy Rune spells.
  Treack Markhor:  INT 23, POW 6D6+6
  Summon Voice of Atyar (Thanatar-3, Atyar) 
  2 points
  15 min./3 questions, 10m, non-stackable, reusable
  This spell is usable only on cult holy days by priests of Atyar or 
  Thanatar. It summons the subservient cult spirit known as the 
  Voice of Atyar. There is a 35% chance that the spirit will appear 
  ordinarily, but if the summoner is the temple’s High Priest of 
  Dark Truths, the chance of success raises to 75%. The summoner 
  must prepare for a full week.
  When it appears, the spirit has the corporeal form of a 
  shimmering silver ram’s skull, with horns and brightly glowing 
  eyes. The Voice of Atyar tests Initiate candidates and answers in 
  a truthful but cryptic way up to three questions per summoning. 
  A priest who summons the spirit may ask of it three questions, 
  which must be answered. The ritual of the questioning conforms 
  to the procedures for Divination. A priest may summon the spirit 
  for his own purposes but once a year. A second attempt to call on 
  the spirit within a year for personal purposes will cause the Voice 
  to attack the caller if the ritual succeeds.
  The answer to a question may be a vision or no more than 
  seven questions. Being bound by Time, the Voice cannot foresee 
  the future. The ritual takes an hour to perform and must be done 
  in a temple or other recognized holy place sacred to Thanatar.
  The probability that the priest or Initiate correctly reads the 
  vision or message is POW x5 or less on D100. And, since no one 
  is perfect, there is always a 5% chance (96-00 on Dl 00) that the 
  character will read the signs wrong. The referee must then make 
  up an answer purposely misleading.
  The Voice of Thanatar has the following attributes:
  INT 25 
  CON 16 
  SIZ 1POW 30 
  DEX 20 
  Defense 30% 
  Hit Points 18 Armor 6 points
  Spells:  Befuddle, Disruption, Multispell 2, Protection 3. It also 
  has 2 points of Divine Intervention, and one each of the cult 
  specialty Rune spells available to a Doom Priest of Atyar.
  Devour Book also can absorb one page (approximate length) of 
  information that is chiseled in stone or carved in wood.
  Summon Specific Guardian (Thanatar, Atyar-3) 
  2 points
  combat (15 minutes or until bound into body), 160m, non-
  stackable, reusable.
  This spell resembles the Daka Fal spell, Summon Specific 
  Ancestor. It must be stacked with a 1 point Summon Guardian 
  spell. It is the nearest approximation to a resurrection ability that 
  the cult has. The spell calls back the spirit of a specific deceased 
  cult member from the Place of Waiting. The being summoned 
  will be dealt with as if it had undergone Resurrection (see the 
  Chalana Arroy cult in Cults of Prax), losing abilities as dictated. 
  Normally this spell is used only in ceremonial situations.
  The deceased must have died by wounds, poisons, or other 
  physical damage. The spell will not work on beings slain in 
  spirit combat, Soul Waste, or magically-oriented Power-draining 
  death. Since a special sacrifice has been made, the body of the 
  sacrificed victim does not need special healing, since this is part 
  of the ceremony.
  Once using the spell, the priest or allied spirit must engage in 
  spirit combat with the specific ancestor, and if succeeding in the 
  first round of combat, then the spirit is bound into the prepared 
  body. If the soul of the departed wins the round, it returns to the 
  Place of Waiting.
  Deterioration Caused by Loss of Time
  If one or more full days passed before Summon Specific 
  Ancestor was attempted, the spirit may have lost some abilities 
  and magics. Use the chart to determine the loss, subtracting the 
  stated percentage from each ability.
  Magic losses accrete: a specific guardian returning on the 
  third day after death will have lost the fifth point of all his variable 
  spells as well as the fourth point. Lost abilities are exclusive:  
  the stated percentage is the total percentage lost in each ability. 
  Abilities do not go below zero.
  If the spell is performed in less than one full day keep all 
  skills and all spells (including Rune spells) intact.
  Full 
  Battle 
  Rune 
  all skills
  Days 
  Magic 
  Magic 
  Percentage
  Dead 
  Losses 
  Losses 
  Losses
  1 
  6th point 
  none 
  15%
   
  all Var. spells
  2 
  5th point 
  none 
  30%
   
  all Var. spells
  3 
  4th point 
  none 
  45%
   
  all Var. spells;
   
  ALL 4 pt. spells
  4 
  3rd point, 
  none 
  60%
   
  all Var. spells;
   
  ALL 3 pt. spells
  5 
  2nd point, 
  All 
  75%
   
  all Var. spells; 
  including
   
  ALL 2 pt. spells 
  one-use
  6 
  ALL 1 pt. Spells 
  none 
  90%
  7 
  oops!
  
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  FUMBLE TABLE
  Roll once with 1D10.
  1 
  caster permanently loses 1D3 points of INT.
  2 
  caster’s memories are lost and replaced by those of 
  the victim. In effect, the victim has become the caster; 
  the mind of the original caster no longer exists.
  3 
  caster goes insane; sits in corner and gibbers.
  4 
  spirit of victim immediately attacks the caster.
  5 
  caster permanently loses all knowledge 
  of 1D10 battle magic spells.
  6 
  caster permanently loses all knowledge 
  of 1D4 Rune magic spells.
  7 
  caster loses the ability to use 
  Consume Mind ever again.
  8 
  the catatonic shock state lasts 1D6 weeks.
  9 
  the catatonic shock state lasts 1D6 weeks. Roll again.
  10 
  roll twice more, ignoring rolls over 9. 
   
  Reroll duplications.
  Sever Spirit (Than) 
  3 points
  instantaneous, 160m, non-stackable, non-reusable.
  This spell strikes like a garrote to slice the spirit of a character 
  from his body. The caster must make a successful POW vs. POW 
  roll. If successful, the victim dies. If not, the victim takes 1D6 to 
  his CON, the effects being similar to poison.
  Summon Spirit of Reprisal (Thanatar) 
  3 points
  15 min. against non-cultists or till mission is accomplished, 
  160m, non-stackable, non-reusable (Doom Lord), reusable 
  (High Priest of Dark Truths).
  The High Priest of Dark Truths and the Doom Lord of each 
  temple have access to this spell. It allows the caster to summon a 
  powerful cult spirit either to punish wayward cultists to save the 
  temple or to personally defend them (see IX., Subservient Cults, 
  for a description).
  IX. SUBSERVIENT CULTS
  THE SPIRIT OF REPRISAL
  This spirit has no name. It appears as a shimmering silver skull 
  with ram’s horns and glowing eyes, floating over the headless 
  shoulders of a large humanoid shrouded in ink-black robes, as 
  though a combination of the Voice at Atyar and of the Gatherer 
  of Souls. Either a temple’s Doom Lord or its High Priest of Dark 
  Truths can summon the spirit. Each must use a 3 point Rune 
  spell. The duration of the spirit depends upon the function to 
  which it is summoned. If called upon to enact retribution upon a 
  certain cult member who has transgressed (by crushing a head, 
  betraying a temple, attacking a priest while he was under vow, 
  etc.), the spirit will accomplish its task and return to the spirit 
  plane upon completion. The retribution against a cult member 
  usually consists of at least three rounds of spirit combat in which 
  the spirit drains INT, a round of shade attack, and a successful 
  physical attack. This usually leaves victims alive, but destroyed 
  mentally.
  If called upon to attack non-cultists, it will remain for the 
  duration of the spell (15 minutes), or longer if stacked with the 
  appropriate Extension spell.
  Consume Mind (Atyar) 
  3 points
  instantaneous, 10m, non-stackable, reusable
  The third and most powerfully dangerous of the Atyar specialty 
  spells. This is the only way that a priest may gain permanent 
  use of a victim’s Rune magic. This spell does not work against 
  Lhankor Mhy Rune Priests and Rune Lords. When this spell is 
  cast upon a victim, the totality of the being’s memory is drained 
  from it, and is transferred to the caster’s mind, leaving the victim 
  a mental vegetable. This spell can be cast only during Disorder 
  week, and requires the entire week to perform. Because of the 
  concentration he needs to cast this spell, the priest often secludes 
  himself into the safest area of the temple; he is almost defenseless 
  while casting this vile magic.
  To succeed in the spell, the priest must succeed in a POW 
  vs. POW attack upon his victim. Failure at this point means the 
  ritual is unsuccessful and may not be cast for another season.
  If successful, the priest then is liable to catatonic shock. A 
  roll under his CON + INT divided by 2 and multiplied by 5 lets 
  him evade this result. If he fails the roll, he is in shock for 1D6 
  days and must further roll on the fumble table below. He will 
  also have to make a D100 roll of less than his INT x5, or lose all 
  information that he gained from the victim’s mind, AND he will 
  have 1D6 Knowledge skills permanently lowered by 1D10 x5%.
  Regardless of success or failure, this powerful spell does 
  1D6+4 points damage to the caster, and heals like systemic 
  poison.
  Three points of Reflection cause Consume Mind to go 
  back on the attacker. If Reflection succeeds, treat the result as 
  a fumble.
  Successful use of Consume Mind allows the caster to gain 
  1D10 randomly chosen points of battle magic. Treat in all ways 
  as though the caster had learned them in a normal fashion. The 
  caster also gains 1 point of Rune magic, which he may select 
  at will. Additional points of Rune magic may be withdrawn 
  simultaneously if 1 point of Divine Intervention is stacked with 
  the spell for each point of magic to be gained. Any spells so 
  stolen must be cult-compatible. All spells so gained are reusable, 
  including cult specialty magics.
  Knowledge skills known by the victim can be gained at a 
  rate of 5% per week in each skill. To improve, a priest must make 
  a roll as though he were learning by experience. If the experience 
  gain roll is once missed in a certain skill, the priest may gain no 
  further expertise in that area from that victim. Knowledge skills 
  gained in this manner may rise to equal the priest’s INT x5, but 
  not exceed the victim’s former skill level. All DEX-based skills 
  may be gained up to 15% additional ability. See the Prologue 
  to the Create Heads spells and the spell descriptions for more 
  details.
  Like a Create Head, this ability causes the user to gain a 
  Chaotic feature or a reverse Chaotic feature. The feature will 
  be gained by the directions in the Prologue to the Create Head 
  spells.
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  rounds down to 1, and so on. Only by dispersing or driving back 
  the Gatherer may the wounded be properly healed.
  As mentioned, there are many Gatherers in the world. 
  Though many will be in existence at any given time, only one 
  will appear to any given person.
  THE VOICE OF ATYAR
  For information about this spirit, see the 2 point spell Summon 
  the Voice of Atyar.
  TREACK MARKHOR
  This is the spirit of the founder of the Atyar cult. He is a former 
  priest of Atyar’s enemy, Lhankor Mhy. For more information on 
  this spirit, see the 2 point spell Summon Spirit of Teaching.
  X. ASSOCIATED CULTS
  There are no associated cults. Some of the other Chaotic cults 
  such as Vivamort, Mallia, and Thed allow Thanatar cultists to 
  join, but usually at -5 to -10 CHA. Those who do join may learn 
  skills and battle magic, but any Thanatari above lay-level are 
  bound within the confines of their god’s abilities. It is impossible 
  for them to learn Rune magic by other methods. Members of 
  other cults may join the Thanatar cult, but may not progress 
  higher than Doom Seeker as long as they are bound beyond lay-
  level to another deity.
  XI. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
  TEMPLES
  The temple/living areas of this cult are usually labyrinthine 
  subterranean complexes. Often they may link to Chaotic 
  communities of varying size. The worship hall will be large, 
  pillared, and lit only by Darklight lanterns. In a room behind the 
  altar is a lamp which is guarded always. It holds the cult’s eternal 
  flame, rumored to have been lit by the first casting of Darklight, 
  and passed on to every temple of Thanatar.
  Every temple will have one or more libraries. There will be 
  large prisons in which sacrificial victims and captive priests are 
  kept. These captives will not be mistreated, since their bodies 
  and heads will be used to supplement the ranks of guardians and 
  to provide magic for the ever-needful Thanatari.
  Temples of this foul deity are virtually small slices of 
  Chaotic Hell. Most areas are guarded by living cult members, 
  skeletons, zombies, and the ghosts of rotted heads. Almost any 
  Chaotic creature conceivable can be present in these hell-holes.
  WORSHIPPERS
  Chaotic creatures, such as ogres, broos, Jack O’Bears, scorpion 
  men, and goblins usually follow this god. Humans, with 
  increasing frequency, are finding their way into this cult. In a 
  few vile areas, humans compose entire temples.
  GUARDIANS
  Guardians are the familiars of the Thanatar cult. They are human 
  beings whose spirits have been replaced by those of deceased 
  Thanatari.
  On holy days, unwilling non-cultists are forced into spirit 
  combat with the cult’s spirit of reprisal until the victims’ INT 
  is devoured, and they die. Using the Summon Guardian spell, 
  a priest then calls a spirit from the Place of Waiting. A ritually-
  If the spirit must defend the persons of the High Priest or 
  the Doom Lord, and not simply the sanctity of the temple, it 
  immediately demands payment of 1D10 battle magic POW 
  points.
  THE SPIRIT OF REPRISAL
  STR 24 
  SIZ 3X6X3 * 
  INT 18 
  POW 30   DEX 20
  Move 12 Hit Points 24 
  Attack 40%
  * SIZ when attacking as a shade; otherwise about 21.
  The spirit can attack in three different, but not simultaneous, 
  ways: as a spirit, POW vs. POW (permanently draining INT, not 
  POW); it can attack as a medium shade, making a fear-shock 
  attack; or it can attack physically, with a 40% attack doing 1D6 
  + 2D4 damage.
  A spirit of reprisal may summon a Gatherer of Souls to its 
  aid and cause the Gatherer to attack its opponent.
  THE GATHERER OF SOULS
  This headless man in flowing black and silver robes appears to 
  and beckons dying cultists. He is a minor physical manifestation 
  of the god-aspect Than.
  He safely guides the Thanatar dead to the Place of Waiting, 
  where they are added to the pool of spirits who can join the ranks 
  of Thanatari guardians. There are many of these spirits; the 
  Thanatari rely on them to protect their souls from the beings who 
  wait in Hell to prey on the unguarded souls of Chaotic cultists.
  The Gatherer of Souls appears to any dying Thanatar 
  worshipper who possesses either the layman’s protective 
  talisman or who bears the Thanatar blemish. The Gatherer also 
  appears to any being dying inside the temple complex—if the 
  being is unmarked or without a talisman, the Gatherer of Souls 
  attacks him immediately. ‘Dying’ is defined as having 3 or less 
  hit points or as being in shock from massive body damage.
  Normally the spirit is visible only to the dying, but if Detect 
  Spirit is cast upon it, the spirit becomes visible for the duration 
  of the spell. Also, if it chooses to attack as a shade, it will become 
  visible for the duration of the attack. It is itself a combination of 
  a normal spirit and a small shade—similar to the spirit of reprisal 
  but much less powerful.
  THE GATHERER OF SOULS
  STR 1D6+6     SIZ 3x3x3m*  POW 3D6+6     INT 3D6   
  DEX 20           Move 12 
  Hit Points 1D6+6
  * SIZ when attacking as a small shade; otherwise SIZ 2D6+6.
  The Gatherer of Souls waits patiently for cultists to die 
  completely before guiding their spirits to their new home.
  As a spirit, it attacks a creature by normal spirit combat. 
  If it succeeds, it will drain 1D4+1 hit points instead of POW 
  (remember, it usually attacks dying beings). Take the points 
  directly from the being’s CON.
  It also attacks just as do normal small shades. If the 
  Gatherer is destroyed physically, that particular portion of the 
  manifestation is merely dispersed for a week or so.
  Lurking Gatherers (Gatherers within 30m of the point in 
  question) diminish by half all healing spells, potions, and herbs. 
  Thus a 2 point spell does but 1 point of value, a 3 point spell 
  
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  RuneQuest
  prepared Doomed One engages the summoned spirit in combat 
  and binds it into the body as if it were a familiar. A spirit so 
  bound becomes a guardian.
  Treat a guardian as both a bound spirit and as a non-player 
  character. The binder may draw upon the guardian’s POW and 
  spell-storage capacities, as per a normal familiar. All normal 
  rules concerning bound spirits in familiars apply. However, the 
  guardian may use any of its spells to fight for and defend its 
  master. When a guardian or its binder dies, the spirit once again 
  returns to the Place of Waiting, to bide there till the forces of 
  Chaos engage the gods in the final battle of the world.
  PROTECTIVE TALISMANS
  Because of the special blemish which they all bear, Thanatari of 
  Initiate level or higher are immune to the attacks of the rotted-
  head ghosts. Lay members of the cult obtain similar protection 
  by have a charm created for them. Such a talisman is constructed 
  from a human finger bone, human hair, and a shard of tarnished 
  silver (often in the form of a horned skull.) At the time of 
  creation, the lay member sacrifices a point of POW into it; that 
  point of POW is lost until the talisman no longer contacts the 
  wearer’s body. At that moment the charm breaks, and the POW 
  is regained in six hours. The charm normally hangs around the 
  neck, secreted under clothing.
  PRONUNCIATION NOTES
  Pronounce the name of the original god, Tien, as TEE-yen. The 
  “th” in Than is said as it is in “thee”—fully voiced; the “a” is 
  short, as in “at”. Say Atyar as AT-yar; the second syllable rhymes 
  with “far”. Pronounce Thanatar as THAN-i-tar, once again fully 
  voicing the “th” as you would in the normal English word “than”.
  HIT LOCATIONS
  A person carrying a living head has a special hit location chart:
  01-04 
   
  Right Leg
  05-08 
   
  Left Leg
  09-10 
   
  Abdomen
  11  
   
  Carried Head
  12  
   
  Chest
  13-15 
   
  Right Arm 
  16-18 
   
  Left Arm
  19-20 
   
  Head
  For non-humanoid creatures carrying living heads, use some 
  abdomen or hindquarters number as a hit location for the carried 
  head. Randomly determine which head is struck if more than one 
  is carried. Heads may be armored. Armor on a head adds to the 
  encumbrance of the head, usually only one point per such head.
  y t
  CULTS OF TERROR DESIGNER NOTES
  By Greg Stafford
  One of the especially strong points of Glorantha is its 
  realistic portrayal of the deities and their religious cults. This 
  is natural since the world of Glorantha, which is presented 
  as the preeminent example of a cohesive game world for the 
  system, is a theistic world where the gods are real and the 
  world is a mythical construction following the prescientific 
  conceptions of cosmology. The world is a flat lozenge that 
  floats upon the cosmic ocean, surrounded by the primeval 
  darkness, and covered over by the bowl of the sky.
  Cults of Prax was the first supplement that we designed 
  that dealt with details of the religious systems of the world. 
  It presents fifteen religions that are independent or semi-
  independent, yet integrated within the whole of the world. 
  It gave the requirements, beliefs, and mythical backgrounds, 
  and also, the spells and special skills which the deity and cult 
  taught. It personalized, the deities and gave guidelines for 
  the whats and whys of the gods. It fleshed out much of the 
  world with its extensive background, adding local color and 
  hundreds of motivations for adventures.
  Cults of Prax included some terribly bloodthirsty and 
  violent deities. It is questionable whether or not they would 
  be called Good, though they were all carefully placed and 
  explained within the world system to justify their continued 
  existence. Some of the deities were presented as being 
  enemies of each other as well.
  But there was still something lacking. Glorantha’s 
  mythical structure includes a class of gods and beings which 
  are called chaotic. The term includes several different concepts 
  within its definition, and by its very nature it is antithetical 
  to existence and Being. All of the cults in Cults of Prax are 
  presented as being dire foes of the chaotic things of the world. 
  But there were no chaotic deities in Cults of Prax.
  People complained about this, especially when their 
  characters had reached relatively powerful positions as rune 
  lords* or rune priests. The characters had, generally, faced 
  and (usually) defeated their classical foes from Cults of Prax. 
  They had also typically faced and crushed the monsters in 
  the rulebook that are classified as chaotic. But where, they 
  asked, were the gods of these monsters? Shouldn’t they, too, 
  have deities worthy of their worship? Don’t they, too, have 
  some sort of powerful entity that is capable of giving them 
  special powers and magics?
  Cults of Terror answers those needs, and I am confident 
  that many people will be sorry they ever asked.
  Cults of Terror is a book of the bad guys of Glorantha. 
  It contains details on nine dangerous deities, presented in 
  the same clear and complete format as in Cults of Prax. 
  These monstrosities range from the crude and simple to the 
  sophisticated and complex. Now the leaders of the enemy 
  can be presented with magics comparable to those wielded 
  by their foes. No longer will the good guys move with 
  impunity into a chaotic stronghold, confident that their rune 
  spells will carry the day.
  
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  THE CRIMSON BAT
  STEED OF THE RED GODDESS
  The cult is responsible only to the Red Emperor, and the 
  Bat is an arm of his power, though he may temporarily assign 
  command of the use of the Bat to a particular general or military 
  district governor.
  In times of peace, the cult must maintain the Bat at its 
  minimum level. It is fed an average of 25 intelligent beings 
  once per week. Its feeding requirements are exact, and covered 
  completely in the miscellaneous notes at the end of this cult. If 
  the Bat is not properly fed, it will fade from the mundane plane, 
  requiring many sacrifices and great magics to bring it back.
  In wartime the cult membership grows, and the Bat’s hunger 
  increases for the demon is used regularly in attacks. The food 
  consumption increases by a factor of ten, and the bat then must 
  be fed twice weekly.
  The Lunar Empire finds the Bat useful. The Chaos light it 
  emits acts in all ways as a miniature Glowline, and all Lunar 
  magicians within that area cast their magic as if the Red Moon 
  were in its full state. This area about the bat is called the 
  Glowspot, and it varies from 4 - 20km in diameter depending 
  upon the feeding level of the Bat.
  The Bat is a great deterrent to uprisings in the borderlands. 
  With its Chaotic cries, it can chase away all animal life from 
  wide areas and make the life of a nomad impossible, and with 
  its great attacks it can defeat and devour any settlement or tribal 
  citadel. By imperial decree, the Bat has not been seen for years in 
  the Heartland Sultanates, confined to client states such as Tarsh, 
  as a gruesome reminder of the might of the Red Moon.
  Though not directly mandated by the Goddess, the Red 
  Emperor has declared that Rune Priests and Rune Lords of the 
  cult shall not be more than lay members in any other cult.
  SOCIO-POLITICAL POSITION AND POWER
  Most Lunar citizens consider the Bat and its cult a necessary 
  evil, and try to avoid contact with it. Since the cult is responsible 
  directly to the Emperor, the civil and military authorities usually 
  cooperate fully with it.
  Cultists constantly watch for food suitable for the Bat. The 
  food must be intelligent, and bands of cultists search the streets 
  and alleys for criminals, runaway slaves, and adventurers to use 
  as food. Peasants will be used only when other food types are 
  insufficient. This rarely happens.
  III. ORGANIZATION
  INTER-CULT ORGANIZATION
  There is only one temple to the Crimson Bat, the Bat itself. Rune 
  Priests, Rune Lords, and Initiates can sacrifice and gain cult 
  Rune magic while within the Glowspot, and the Bat acts in all 
  ways as a temple for the sacrifice of Power on holy days and for 
  regaining Rune magic.
  I. MYTHOS AND HISTORY
  BEFORE TIME
  The Crimson Bat once was a natural animal, but was horribly 
  mutated by the flood of Chaos which infected the world after the 
  War of the Gods. It grew to a tremendous size, and glowed with 
  Chaotic forces. The glow was the Glowspot, and it was a source 
  of Chaotic power.
  To feed these energies, the Bat consumed enormous amounts 
  of food and for survival required the Power from intelligent 
  beings.
  SINCE TIME BEGAN
  During the First Age, the Crimson Bat roamed the world without 
  restraint. It descended upon towns and cities without warning, 
  devouring the people. The early hero Arkat met the beast in 
  battle, withstood it, and managed to banish it from the mundane 
  plane. It did not reappear in the Second Age.
  In the Third Age, the Red Goddess was born in Peloria. She 
  brought new and radical ideas and beliefs about the powers of 
  the world to her people, and they joined in her worship. Filled 
  with her inspiration, they conquered and converted the lands 
  around them to the words of the goddess. The goddess left the 
  world for a time to forge her place within the pantheons of the 
  Elder Gods. While she was on this Heroquest, powerful enemy 
  lords took the opportunity to strike. So strong was their hate 
  of the Red Goddess that they reached and besieged her capital 
  before she returned.
  She returned riding the great monstrosity of the Crimson 
  Bat. Enemy forces knew great terror, and died in regiments as 
  the Bat made war. Many survivors went mad. Lunar historians 
  refer to this battle as the First Battle of Chaos, and use that day, 
  Freezeday, as the feeding day for the Bat.
  LIFE AFTER DEATH
  The cult promises nothing about life after death, except that loyal 
  and lucky cultists will be spared the eternal agony of being eaten 
  by the Bat.
  RUNIC ASSOCIATIONS
  The Crimson Bat is identified with the Runes of Chaos and 
  Death. Since its binding by the Red Goddess, it has been allied 
  with the Lunar Rune.
  II. NATURE OF THE CULT
  REASON FOR CONTINUED EXISTENCE
  The cult was formed by the Goddess to care for and to feed 
  the Bat. In binding the demon, she gained some control over 
  the beast’s hunger, finding a low maintenance level so that the 
  Bat could stay on the mundane plane without the sacrifice of 
  thousands of people each week.
  
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  INTRA-TEMPLE ORGANIZATION
  In peacetime the cult has about 25 constant members, though this 
  will vary. The High Priest has four assistant priests, two of whom 
  will always be at 90% or more in Bat Mastery. The five Rune 
  Lords supervise the sweeps for Bat food, and an assistant priest 
  will often accompany such a hunt. The Initiates number 15-40, 
  and five or so always will accompany a Rune Lord on his sacred 
  mission. The number of lay members will change constantly as 
  the Bat moves from place to place.
  CENTER OF POWER, HOLY PLACES
  The Crimson Bat is the center of power, and the holy place is the 
  Glowspot.
  HOLY DAYS
  The Dark Moon day, Freezeday, is the holy day for the cult. At 
  maintenance level, the Bat will be fed his 25 human sacrifices 
  on this day.
  IV. LAY MEMBERSHIP
  REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN
  To join the cult, the prospective member must acknowledge the 
  power and might of the Crimson Bat and of the Lunar Empire 
  and donate at least 50 Lunars to the cult. Captives may join the 
  cult as lay members to try to avoid becoming Bat food.
  REQUIREMENTS TO BELONG
  Laymen do not continue in this cult. The cult must be rejoined 
  each week, and that is possible only in the proximity of the Bat, 
  which moves regularly. Lay members are expected to fully aid 
  the collection of food for the Bat.
  MUNDANE BENEFITS
  Lay members will be eaten by the Bat only after all non-cultists 
  have been devoured.
  SKILLS
  The cult offers no skills to lay members at any price.
  BATTLE MAGIC
  The cult offers the following battle magic spells to laymen:
  Half Normal Price - Binding.
  V. INITIATE MEMBERSHIP
  REQUIREMENTS FOR INITIATION
  To be accepted as an Initiate, the candidate must present himself 
  to a priest of the cult. If there is room for a new Initiate the 
  candidate must then attend the next feeding of the Bat, and 
  temporarily offer the Bat all but one point of his Power, and at 
  least 150 Lunars. There is a 99% chance that the Bat wilt accept 
  the Initiate. One percent of the time the Bat rejects the candidate 
  by taking all of his Power and eating his body.
  REQUIREMENTS TO REMAIN INITIATED
  Initiates must obey the commands of their priests and Rune 
  Lords and work always to keep the Bat fed. Initiates must 
  worship the Bat on holy days, and offer themselves as food if 
  the Bat’s supply is insufficient (this is imaginable only if the Bat 
  [Though] the allies of Bolthor among the Bilini were few, 
  Oddi the Keen hunted them down without rest, until all 
  were dead, chastened, or exiled. To Monnie, Bolthor’s wife, 
  Oddi did little save isolate her from events until he could 
  confer with the commanders of the Lunar Military Districts 
  behind Bilini. Though no Lunar partisan, to my happiness 
  Oddi made plain his willingness to insulate the Empire from 
  such barbaric and Chaotic forces as he might, in return for 
  his freedom in Bilini matters—all, in truth, that interested 
  my friend. I was able to smooth negotiations, and the Lunar 
  staffs expressed their satisfaction at my Initiate status in 
  Irrippi Ontor. My father was impressed by my adventures 
  and new position, and this made me glad.
  Bolthor’s head halves we kept atop the main gate at the 
  capital, so that all might see that Bolthor would never 
  return.
  Oddi was not yet settled to becoming a king, though the 
  succession lay squarely on him since he had so thoroughly 
  crushed Bolthor’s line. Strange fits of anger came upon 
  him; occasionally he would rage about the palace. Many 
  thought he would harm himself or doom innocents, but 
  we made friends with his needs and kept our distance, 
  for usually he was gentle and considerate. These spells 
  abated as the death of Hahlgrim grew distant, and Oddi 
  planned a new campaign against Ralzakark. Ketil he kept 
  at his right hand, for Ketil was as careful with the wealth 
  of the kingdom as he had been with Hahlgrim’s coin. The 
  strike against Ralzakark would not begin until later in Sea-
  season, so Oddi, I, and a few trusted men rode to Oddi’s 
  lands in the north, to settle debts of Hahlgrim and to hunt.
  …We headed for the Copperbark, where eubuck and 
  sand-nosed deer live abundantly. On the second day a cold 
  wind blew from the northwest. That night we saw the sky 
  in that direction glow as bright or brighter than the Red 
  Moon, and our horses grew skittish. The next morning the 
  birds did not sing, nor saw we other life. We rode toward 
  where the bright glow had been, and saw the cause.
  In the valley below rested a great red shape, as long 
  and as high as a castle wall. My heart leaped as I praised my 
  good luck: this was the fabulous Crimson Bat, upon whose 
  legendary back the Red Goddess herself had returned from 
  the spirit plane to reclaim her earthly empire. I sent a 
  prayer to She who Leads the World.
  My companions were not so pleased. It is an 
  unfortunate truth that the mortal cultists of the Bat are an 
  arrogant and self-pleased group, who pay little heed to 
  others except as Bat food. I do not know how many actually 
  are eaten, though it has a prodigious appetite during war. 
  Any number may be more than convenient for unpopulated 
  country, and it is there that the Emperor, may he be blessed, 
  must keep the Bat.
  Oddi swore, for though the great creature was just 
  across the border from Bilini, yet no one had told him of 
  its coming.
  
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  VI. RUNE LORD MEMBERSHIP
  GENERAL STATEMENT
  Rune Lords of the cult are known as Feeders. They enable and 
  assist the mundane functions necessary to the regular feeding of 
  the Bat, and accompany and guard cult priests who must venture 
  into unfriendly territory.
  REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE
  There are only five Rune Lords in peacetime, so the referee 
  must decide if the cult has room for another. There may be an 
  indefinite number during a war.
  Feeders must meet normal requirements for Rune Lords 
  (POW 15+ and five skills at 90%+). Of the five skills, at least 
  two must be combat skills, and one of those must be with a 
  sickle-shaped weapon such as the scimitar. The applicant may 
  not be an Initiate in any other cult. An applicant can apply for 
  Rune Lord status once per year; an applicant must have been a 
  cult Initiate for at least one full year.
  The percentage chance on D100 of acceptance equals the 
  applicant’s POW + CHA, plus the total number of intelligent 
  beings he or she personally captured and fed to the Bat. A fumble 
  on the acceptance roll means that the Bat ate the applicant.
  RESTRICTIONS
  Crimson Bat Rune Lords have few restrictions. They must obey 
  the commands of the High Priest and they must work very hard 
  to keep the Bat well fed. If they elect to have an allied spirit, they 
  must satisfy its appetite as well (see the associated cults section 
  below). Rune Lords may keep 30% of any earning, to provide for 
  any Initiate followers.
  BENEFITS
  The Rune Lords of this cult get few benefits beyond those 
  normally available such masters; food, lodging, and expenses 
  are paid by the cult. The junior-most Rune Lord will not be fed 
  to the Bat until all Initiates of the cult have marched into its jaws.
  Upon acceptance as a Rune Lord, each receives one complete 
  set of iron equipment, including armor, shield, and two weapons. 
  The individual Rune Lord may choose his own type of armor and 
  his own weapons. Rune Lords desiring it may choose to have 
  an allied spirit. All Rune Lords may ride upon the Crimson Bat 
  when it flies to new feeding grounds.
  VII. RUNE PRIESTHOOD
  GENERAL STATEMENT
  Rune Priests have responsibility for the care and feeding of the 
  Bat. All their actions will be directed to that goal. Though they 
  may be found adventuring in areas distant from the Bat, they 
  only will be so found on specific missions assigned by the High 
  Priest. Most of their time is spent feeding the bat or obtaining 
  and guarding the Bat’s food.
  REQUIREMENT FOR ACCEPTANCE
  In addition to the normal requirements for priesthood, priests 
  of the Crimson Bat must Read/Write New Pelorian (the Lunar 
  official language) at 85% or better. To be accepted for priesthood, 
  they must pass the same test as do Rune Lords. There are only 
  four assistant priests at any one time. To be a priest, they must 
  not have been Initiated to any other deity.
  was among Lunar forces suffering a disastrous defeat). All spirits 
  bound by Initiates must be fed to the Bat, and every Initiate is 
  required to donate 90% of any earnings to the cult.
  MUNDANE BENEFITS
  Initiates will not be fed to the Bat unless there is an extreme 
  shortage of Bat food. Any available non-cultists and all lay 
  members will be eaten by the Bat before the first Initiate is. If 
  Initiates become food, the most junior Initiate is taken first, and 
  the most senior Initiate taken last.
  While attending the Bat, Initiates have their food provided 
  for them by the cult; the cult pays for all needs and expenses.
  Favored Initiates may ride on the Bat with the Rune Priests 
  and Rune Lords when the Bat flies to new feeding grounds.
  Initiates may join associate cults of the Crimson Bat, but this 
  will disqualify the Initiate for priesthood with the Crimson Bat.
  SKILLS
  Initiates will be taught almost any skill that a current priest or 
  Rune Lord of the cult has mastered, at half the normal cost and 
  at twice the normal time to learn the skill. The Crimson Bat 
  promotes no skill over another, believing that even the most 
  esoteric skill may be useful in bringing back the Bat food.
  SPELLS
  In addition to the normal one-use Rune spells available to most 
  cults, this cult also sells battle magic to Initiates on the same 
  basis as the skills its Rune Masters know.
  Divine Intervention is not available to Initiates of this cult.
  It was our fortune then to see the camp break up. The 
  select rode upon The Bat itself; the rest, mostly Initiates 
  and prospective fodder, kept pace on the ground in a long 
  caravan paralleling the flight of the creature. It flew no 
  faster than a horse would walk, and its enormous wings 
  flapped at an awesomely slow rate; no non-magical beast 
  could have stayed so aloft.
  We followed the cult for several hours, and all of us 
  were relieved that its course took it back within Lunar 
  territory shortly. Oddi said that it might be going to Dragon 
  Pass, for he knew of fighting there.
  Once The Bat swooped down upon a poor farm and 
  ate the inhabitants. Another time it chased fleeing peasants, 
  uprooting trees and rocks to feed upon those who sought 
  safety beneath. My friends were livid with rage, but did 
  nothing, for here they had no power but their own, which 
  was little against the Bat. I hung my head that my people 
  would employ such method against the weak, and suppose 
  that this occurs only because the Bat has not entered the 
  Heartlands for many years, and that no one there knows 
  how it lives.
  When we crossed into Bilini, we all were silent, but 
  Oddi’s silence lasted longer, for the creature was a thing of 
  Chaos, yet his Storm Bull sense had betrayed him and he 
  had known nothing Chaotic was at hand.
  When we came to the palace, his mood was heavy, and 
  he retired to his quarters for two days, seeing no one and 
  eating nothing…
  
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  RUNE SPELL COMPATIBILITY
  Rune Priests of the Bat are able to use the following standard 
  Rune spells: Absorption, Concealment, Discorporation, Dismiss 
  Elemental 1, 2, and 3, Extension 1 and 2, Mind Link, Multispell 
  1, Shield, Spell Teaching, and Warding. This version of the 
  Absorption spell diverts the POW directly to the Crimson Bat.
  CULT SPECIAL RUNE SPELLS
  The cult will teach the following cult special Rune spells for the 
  price the teacher wishes to charge.
  Bat Wings 
  1 point
  15 minutes, touch, reusable, non-stackable, 
  This spell works only on Initiates and Rune Masters of the cult 
  of the Crimson Bat. It causes a pair of large bat wings to grow 
  out of the back of its subject. These crimson wings enable their 
  possessor to fly at a movement rate of 12 for the duration of 
  the spell.
  The wings are, for all purposes, part of their possessor’s body. 
  They have 3 point armor skin, and they take the same number of 
  hit points as their possessor’s arms. Use the Wind Children hit 
  location table.
  Although physical damage does disable the wings, any 
  damage they sustain does not come off the character’s total hit 
  points.
  RESTRICTIONS
  Priests of this cult are restricted to the neighborhood of the Bat; 
  they may go out on their own only with specific permission of 
  their High Priest.
  BENEFITS
  Each priest of this cult is a personal Glowspot. No matter where 
  or when, their spells always work as if it were full moon.
  The priest may decide to receive an allied spirit (see the 
  associated cults).
  When the High Priest decides to leave an area and fly the 
  Bat to a new location, the priests may ride atop the Bat to the 
  new feeding ground. Priests will start to learn the Bat Mastery 
  skill from the High Priest.
  Bat Mastery [Knowledge skill] 
  0%
  Successful use of this skill brings the Bat back under the control 
  of the cult should the Bat ever break the Binding spell wrought 
  by the Red Goddess. The Bat must be satiated with food and 
  Power before the skill will work. If the Bat should go berserk 
  from hunger, the priests can control it once it has completed its 
  feeding. See the miscellaneous notes of this cult for information 
  about guiding the Bat.
  Bat Mastery may be learned from experience (though the 
  local population will not cheer the student when he misses), but 
  it is taught only to 90%. A priest will learn 5% in the skill for 
  every four weeks he studies; he must accompany the Bat in order 
  to study.
  t ?
  
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  PRIMAL CHAOS
  The Emperor’s decree against initiation in other cults is largely 
  based on an understanding of the potential of Chaos. Misuse of its 
  abilities is frowned upon. No priest or Rune Lord of the Crimson 
  Bat may have Chaotic features, for if control of the Bat fell into 
  the hands of a Chaotic, the devastation could be immense.
  Philosophically, however, the Emperor allows the individual 
  to choose. The cult of Primal Chaos is available to Initiates of 
  the Crimson Bat, but joining the cult will void any chance of an 
  Initiate’s advancement to Rune level in the Crimson Bat, being 
  restricted to Initiate forever.
  Initiates of the Crimson Bat gain access to the following 
  spell through the worship of Primal Chaos:
  Chaos Feature 
  3 points
  permanent, touch, one-use, non-stackable
  At the instant that the caster sacrifices Power for the functioning 
  of this spell, the sacrificer is marked with the Touch of Chaos—
  he gains a permanent Chaotic feature. Cast any die: an odd roll 
  indicates that the caster rolls for the Chaotic feature on the Curse 
  of Thed chart given in the cult of Thed write-up. An even roll 
  means that the standard Chaotic features chart is used.
  Each Chaotic feature taken results in a cumulative 10% chance 
  of the caster permanently changing into a broo. The change roll 
  is made immediately after assuming a new Chaotic feature.
  X. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
  FEEDING THE BAT
  The Crimson Bat must be fed each week, on Freezeday. If it is 
  not fed, its requirements double each day that passes. If still not 
  fed its new requirement, the Bat will fade and disappear from the 
  mundane plane on the following Godsday. The Bat, therefore, 
  must be fed regularly and on time.
  Both the body and spirit of the Bat must be fed. At its 
  maintenance level its body requires 250 total SIZ points (an 
  average of 25 creatures of SIZ 10) for food each week. The Bat 
  will not quibble about the type of meat so long as it is fresh:  
  not more than one or two days dead.
  In feeding the spirit, the Bat will devour only the spirits of 
  intelligent beings (those with INT 6+). The spirits of enough 
  beings to give it a minimum of 250 points POW each week are 
  needed (this is an average of 25 creatures of POW 10 for food 
  each week).
  THE SURROUNDING POPULATION
  The Crimson Bat roams the borders of the Lunar Empire, 
  stopping every week or so in a new area. It has not been in the 
  Heartland of the Lunar Empire for years, by imperial decree.
  When the bat enters an area, the people react in one of four 
  ways. (1) They flee immediately and return when the Bat has 
  departed; they often return to find their property confiscated 
  or destroyed. (2) They hide, but the cult has become expert at 
  tracking down and finding people. (3) If captured, they join the 
  cult as lay members, and betray non-cultists; since the Bat will 
  eat lay members when needed, this tactic is of uncertain benefit 
  if the population is small or if everyone joins. (4) Some will fight 
  the cult; unfortunately the cult is very strong compared to their 
  normal foes, and always has with it the awesome trump of the 
  Crimson Bat itself.
  Fangs 
  1 point
  15 minutes, touch, reusable, non-stackable
  This spell works only on Initiates and Rune Masters of the 
  Crimson Bat. It causes the growth of huge red fangs from the 
  mouth of its subject. Attacking with these fangs, the user has 
  a base chance of 50% (pluus any attack bonus) to hit, and does 
  base damage of 2D6 (plus any damage bonus). Furthermore, the 
  fangs secrete an acid of potency equaling their user’s CON, but 
  to which the user is immune while the spell lasts.
  Power Drain 
  2 point
  15 minutes, touch, reusable, non-stackable
  With this spell the caster has the same ability to drain Power 
  as does a vampire. His touch will reach through an opponent’s 
  armor, attacking him POW vs. POW in the same fashion as a 
  ghost. Unlike a vampire, the priest cannot keep the Power; it 
  flows through him directly to the Crimson Bat.
  Glow Spot 
  3 point
  15 minutes, 20m, reusable, non-stackable, 
  This spell causes the subject to act as a Glowspot with a radius 
  of 20 meters. Inside that area all Lunar magic functions as it does 
  on the day of the full moon. For this effect to work on targeted 
  spells, both the caster and target must be within the radius of this 
  or another Glowspot.
  VIII. SUBSERVIENT CULTS
  THE LITTLE BATS
  Those Rune Priests and Rune Lords wishing to receive an allied 
  spirit may have one from the sub-cult of the Little Bats.
  These spirits look like small red bats, and they function in 
  all respects as normal allied spirits except that they, too, have 
  an appetite to be fed. Once each Freezeday they must engage an 
  opponent in spirit combat and completely annihilate them. Of 
  the Power they eat in this combat, half goes to the Crimson Bat 
  while the rest maintains the physical body of the little bat. Little 
  bats attack opponents in spirit combat by landing on their head 
  and gripping hard with their claws. In the course of the combat, 
  they pulse bright red. If a little bat is not fed for two consecutive 
  weeks, it loses patience and attacks its master.
  A little bat has INT of 2D6+1 and POW of 3D6+6. In 
  physical combat they have one hit location with 2 points of armor 
  and 2D3 hit points. If one is killed physically, it will reform its 
  body and return to its master on the next full moon.
  These bats also serve as the cult spirit of reprisal. Any 
  Initiate or Rune Master who deserts the cult will be attacked 
  once by 2D3 of little bats.
  IX. ASSOCIATED CULTS
  THE SEVEN MOTHERS
  The Seven Mothers grant the Crimson Bat the use of the 
  following spell:
  Mind Blast 
  2 point
  variable, 160m, reusable, non-stackable
  This spell must overcome the POW of the target to be successful. 
  If successful, it destroys the INT of the victim for a number of 
  days equal to one-half the attacker’s POW. A roll of 01-05 always 
  succeeds and also does 1D6+2 damage to the target’s head.
  
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  NOTES:  
  1. The Bat can emit a horrible, madly Chaotic keening affecting 
  all creatures within 4km, except for Initiates, Rune Lords, 
  and Rune Priests of the cult. All unintelligent, uncontrolled 
  animals will flee the area, and all intelligent creatures will 
  become demoralized for 1D10 days.
  2. Two of the Bat’s five eyes on his head can eject Chaotic blood 
  from the Bat every other melee round, to a range of 80m. 
  This blood can be removed only through successful Divine 
  Intervention. (Note: because of the extremely Chaotic nature 
  of the Bat, Divining for blood removal may be attempted as 
  often as needed; no god would let a worshipper be affected in 
  this way without hope.) Each melee round that an individual 
  is covered with the blood, no matter how much, he loses 
  one point of cast Rune magic. Once all cast Rune magic is 
  eliminated, the victim will then begin to lose the knowledge 
  of any Rune magic sacrificed or traded for, at the rate of one 
  point per 5 melee rounds. Traded magic will be devoured 
  first. When all Rune magic has been absorbed by the blood, it 
  will dry and crumble off. Once free of the blood, Rune magic 
  again may be sacrificed for as normal.
  3. The wings of the Bat can create a wind with a strength of 
  100.
  4. The Bat never can be surprised.
  5. Any creature of SIZ less than 50 will be swallowed on a 
  successful bite attack.
  6. The current POW of the Bat is equal to the number of POW 
  points sacrificed to it since its last feeding day.
  7. The Bat’s body host a number of very large (SIZ 4) ticks. 
  Anyone not at least an Initiate of the Crimson Bat who tries 
  to ride the Bat will be attacked by 4D6 ticks. Each carries 
  the disease Soul Waste. These ticks are smaller than standard 
  ticks.
  Attack damage HP Armor points
   50% 
  2D6 
  8 
  3
  8. The Bat will absorb all the battle magic cast or in effect 
  within the Glowspot. Priests and Rune Lords of the Bat will 
  be unaffected.
  9. All discorporate or unbound spirits 
  (except fetches) which come within 
  the Glowspot will be absorbed 
  instantly by the Bat.
  10. The Bat absorbs all magic, 
  battle or Rune, cast at it.
  11. The Bat regenerates up to 
  20 hit points per location 
  each melee round.
  12. The bat may unhinge 
  its 
  jaw 
  to 
  swallow 
  unimaginably large things. 
  On a special bite roll, 
  the Bat can swallow 
  whole anything up to 
  half its current size.
  The people are usually convinced that assisting the cult will 
  cause the least damage. They round up undesirables, traders 
  from other countries, minor cultists, and such, and hope that the 
  offering is adequate.
  GUIDING THE BAT
  Bound by the Red Goddess, the Crimson Bat is obliged to follow 
  the instructions of the High Priest or any order given correctly 
  via the Bat Mastery skill. But if the Bat is not properly fed, it 
  has a percentage chance equal to one-tenth the Power due it of 
  becoming uncontrolled. In this state, the Bat will devour whole 
  towns to satisfy itself. If it cannot feed to satiation, it will vanish 
  from the mundane plane on the next Godsday.
  THE GLOWSPOT EFFECT
  The Bat exerts a force which acts in all ways as the Lunar 
  Glowline for Lunar magicians. All Lunar magicians within the 
  Glowspot of the Bat act as if the Red Moon were full.
  At full ability, the Glowspot of the Bat extends for some 
  20km or so. At minimum ability, the Glowspot covers an area 
  with a radius of approximately 4km.
  When seen, the entire area within the Glowspot is filled with 
  a bright red light emanating from the Bat. The light is visible day 
  and night.
  The Crimson Bat, Chaos demon bound to the service 
  of the Red Goddess and the Lunar Empire.
  STR 250 
  CON 120 
  SIZ 18 
  INT 13 
  POW var.  
  DEX 150 
  CHA see below 
   
  Move 12 
  Hit Points 162
  D20 
  Location 
  AP/HP
  01-02 
  R LEG 
  85/51
  03-04 
  L LEG 
  85/51
  05-08 
  BODY 
  85/52
  09-12 
  R WING 
  85/50
  13-16 
  L WING 
  85/50
  17-20 
  HEAD 
  85/51
  Weapon 
  SR Attk% 
  Damage 
   
  Pts
  Bite 
  5 750% 
  1D10 + 26D6 
   
  Breath * 
  1 750% 
  3D6+10 acid +12D6
  Tongue 1 ** 2 750% 
  3D6+10 acid +12D6  
  30
   
   (range 10m)
  Tongue 2 ** 3 750% 
  3D6+10 acid +12D6  
  25
   
   (range 20m)
  Tongue 3 ** 4 750% 
  3D6+10 acid +12D6  
  20
   
   (range 30m)
  Chaos Scream (see note 1)
  Eye Spit (see note 2)
  Wing Buffet (see note 3)
  * in the exact shape and range as a dream dragon’s breath.
  SKILLS:  Flying 500%.
  
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  Cults of Terror
  RuneQuest
  KRARSHT
  THE HUNGRY ONE
  bright promise. But the cult keeps no written records; only 
  Krarsht herself knows the true bounds of her deeds. The cult 
  tunnels through society as she tunnels through the earth.
  LIFE AFTER DEATH
  Krarsht promises that every loyal follower of her in life shall 
  become her in death, and will learn her every secret and have 
  available her every Power. This shall be true for every follower, 
  even though there shall always be only one Krarsht. Philosophers 
  who have studied the question declare that Krarsht’s promised 
  Many Into One is illusion, and that while Krarsht may indeed 
  store a worshipper’s ego in some unimaginable way, the dead 
  worshipper will have no will—that all functioning of the god 
  remain hers alone, and the worshipper merely dreams his 
  presence. It is believed that Krarsht plans a special use, perhaps 
  thousands of years in the future, for the myriad worshipper 
  identities she has stored, but no one has guessed its meaning.
  RUNIC ASSOCIATIONS
  The cult is associated with the Runes of Mobility, Stasis, and 
  Death.
  II. NATURE OF THE CULT
  REASON FOR CONTINUED EXISTENCE
  Since the Dawning, worship of the Waiting Mouth has infested 
  many civilizations. This religion appeals to bureaucrats, 
  con men, unscrupulous traders, and those in general whose 
  foremost desire is to be on the side of power always; the cult 
  of Krarsht teaches many skills and rationales that the ambitious 
  find useful. The cult can conveniently do away with rivals and 
  enemies, as the Mouth needs occasional sacrifices, but not so 
  many that the wrath (or even the curiosity) of the public is 
  aroused. Cult lay members are expected to be or to try to be 
  active in local economies and politics. Others may find success 
  in underworld dealings. Frequently cult members will serve as 
  a clandestine network making any service or item available at 
  a profitable price.
  SOCIO-POLITICAL POSITION AND POWER
  This cult always attempts to be obscure or unknown, even 
  in the few areas where major portions of the population are 
  worshippers. The name of Krarsht may be unknown to those who 
  worship her. This is satisfactory to her, for Krarsht is patient. 
  The cult emphasizes secrecy, and its operatives know only 
  so much as they need to function effectively. Only an Initiate 
  or higher-ranking cult member ever enters a cult temple. Lay 
  members rarely see priests, and then only during induction of 
  new members and at occasional ceremonies. Lay members never 
  knowingly see Rune Lords of Krarsht; even Initiates may not see 
  a Rune Lord for years at a time.
  I. MYTHOS AND HISTORY
  BEFORE TIME
  The endless bickerings and jealousies between the gods weakened 
  and finally tore the fabric of the world during the early Gods 
  Wars. Through the tears oozed illogical horrors which intensified 
  the fear and terror of the conflict. One such creature, whose true 
  name is still unknown, was called Krarsht. Also known as the 
  Waiting Mouth, the Hungry One, and the Devouring Mother, 
  Krarsht survived by feeding on what she perceived as the refuse 
  of Glorantha.
  It is thought that Larnste, patron of Change, once saw the 
  squirming being of Krarsht and sought to eliminate that Chaos 
  evil from the world. When he tried to step on the foulness, 
  however, Krarsht sprang to bite the god, breaking his divine skin 
  and infecting the wound immediately. Where the god bled, there 
  rose up a foul and evil forest, a perfect nesting ground for all 
  things Chaotic. The wood was later named Foulblood Wood and 
  has remained a bastion of Chaos.
  In the Great Darkness, Krarsht reigned unchallenged for 
  a while, but at last had to face Storm Bull and his followers. 
  That god seriously wounded the Devourer in a number of violent 
  battles. Each time Storm Bull could corner her, Storm Bull was 
  able to cut off another part of her being, most of which died, 
  while Krarsht bit at and tore great wounds in the mighty sky-
  bull. By tasting his blood, the Waiting Mouth learned some of 
  Storm Bull’s secrets, modified them, and took them for her own. 
  Finally the valiant bull drove Krarsht from the surface world, 
  and she was forced to eat holes in the world in which to hide. 
  At first the Storm Bull followed her into these caves, but the 
  Devouring Mother was more clever than the other Chaos gods; 
  some of her amputated parts grew into minor versions of her, 
  the Krarshtkids. Following her underground, they began eating 
  other, diversionary tunnels. Soon it became impossible for the 
  Storm Bull to follow her without being in danger of being lost, 
  and so she escaped annihilation.
  SINCE TIME BEGAN
  During the ages to follow, Krarsht grew comfortable in her 
  underground domain. Save for errant Mostali miners, her rivals 
  were few and, unmolested in her labyrinth, she recovered some 
  of her former strength. She attracted some followers from those 
  who admired her tenacity. Her losses in direct confrontation with 
  the forces of Order taught her the usefulness of patience and the 
  satisfaction of vengeance, and she became known as the Waiting 
  Mouth to those few who still knew she existed.
  Throughout Time, Krarsht has never tried to hold surface 
  kingdoms, since she owns much of the world beneath. Instead 
  her forces operate against individuals of the surface, those in 
  responsible positions who are ambitious and temptable, or the 
  honorable men who oppose the unprincipled. In fact, Krarsht 
  may be the ultimate tool, if not the cause, of the decay and 
  ultimate evilness of many mundane empires which began with 
  
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  RuneQuest
  PARTICULAR LIKES AND DISLIKES
  Worshippers of the Storm Bull are this cult’s first hate, because 
  of the damage he did to the Devouring Mother during the Gods 
  War. From those great wounds she never recovered. Cultists fear 
  the Humakti, who have proven adept at spoiling many of the 
  cult contracts with their Sense Assassin ability. Krarsht always 
  encourages lay brethren and Initiates to report immediately the 
  presence of Rune Masters of these cults.
  Former Initiates or Rune-levels of Krarsht are few. Such of 
  those who violate cult dictates immediately will be attacked by 
  the minor spirit-mouths of the cult, the Krarshtides. Each night 
  for a week the former worshipper will be attacked by one of these 
  monsters, who will eat his Power and attempt to drive him mad. 
  Should the offender survive these assaults, other cult members 
  will hunt him until they get him.
  III. ORGANIZATION
  INTER-CULT ORGANIZATION
  Through the unity of Krarsht, the regional temples maintain 
  a reliable flow of information. While direct communication 
  between the far-flung temples is impossible, very important 
  information can be told to a sacrifice just before the ceremony of 
  sacrifice, and that information (as the sacrifice understood it) will 
  be made known in a vision to all of the High Priests of Krarsht 
  after the victim has been devoured. In times of the greatest 
  crisis, a cult member will volunteer to be told the information 
  and then be sacrificed; a cultist is more likely to understand and 
  convey cult information accurately than is an ordinary sacrifice 
  paralyzed with fear.
  INTRA-TEMPLE ORGANIZATION
  Each temple of Krarsht may control a region 50 - 200km across, 
  with small satellite shrines to the goddess controlled by far-flung 
  Initiates of that temple. The groups of lay members worshipping 
  at the shrines are called Drools. Rune Priests of the cult regularly 
  ride a circuit of 10-15 Drools, stopping for a short time at each in 
  order to perform a few services and to induct new lay members.
  Rune Priests (called Tongues) remain at the temple and 
  co-ordinate cult activities when they are not riding between the 
  Drools.
  Rune Lords (called Jaws) are the master craftsmen of the 
  cult. They always perform the most sensitive or dangerous tasks 
  for the Mouth. They do not work often, but train frequently. 
  Their clients never see them, know their identities, or have any 
  knowledge of them except their intent. The only way to contact 
  a Jaw of Krarsht is through an Initiate of the cult.
  CENTER OF POWER, HOLY PLACES
  The centers of power for Krarsht are her regional temples and 
  local shrines. Her temples are vast underground labyrinths 
  carved by Krarsht’s children. Each will have several disguised 
  or camouflaged openings to the surface world, usually a cave 
  hidden by brush. The land surrounding the opening will always 
  be controlled by an Initiate or lay member of the cult.
  The local shrines are given by Krarsht to worthy Initiates 
  so that they may form their own Drool. A shrine is good for the 
  sacrifice of Power to the Maw, but good for nothing else. Rune 
  magic can only be regained at a temple, etc. Sometimes these 
  shrines are great idols, and sometimes small, easily carried altars 
  (Though indomitable in war, Oddi knew black moods 
  between battles, and often he was difficult to be with.
  The war with Ralzakark went well. The wily foe lost many 
  battles, and the Sludgestream itself had cleared greatly, yet 
  Oddi was unable to bring the final strength of the broos to 
  battle. The upper reaches of Dorastor were broo held, and 
  the pass into Ralios lay closed.)
  Ketil and I rode out from the palace, for we had been 
  too close upon our work. I knew not the farms and vales 
  west of Oddi’s family holdings, so we went there for the 
  rare cheeses which Ketil promised surpassed all others. 
  On our fourth day there we were interrupted in our easy 
  explorations of friendly larders by a young farmhand with 
  very frightened eyes.
  He and his brothers had been digging a well when they 
  struck curious rock which rang hollow to their picks. After 
  some difficulty they broke through, and discovered a strange 
  underground tunnel large enough for them to walk upright 
  in, which seemed to run on forever. They explored the way 
  in both directions a little, but wisely felt their powers more 
  useful in farming than in fighting, and sent for their local 
  Orlanth priest, who in turn advised us of the discovery.
  …In one direction the tunnel ran on without turn 
  or interruption. The best lights and spells we cast down 
  it told us that it had no end or deviation. That was to 
  the northwest. In the other direction the tunnel went 
  little more than a kilometer before several other tunnels 
  branched off. There was no dust on the floors, and the air 
  was fresh. The tunnels were very circular, more like tubes 
  than caves. Neither of us had known anything like it. With 
  some misgivings, I conferred with a Lankhor Mhy priest in 
  Shomashill, but there was no Irrippi Ontor temple within 
  several days’ ride. The priest was equally reluctant to 
  deal with me, but I tempted him into cooperation with my 
  tantalizing information. He could not immediately identify 
  the meaning of the structures, and thought they might be 
  some bones of an unknown god.  …The priest had eyes as 
  large as mine when he finished his report. We resolved to 
  enter the tunnels as soon as possible…  Where the tunnel 
  branched, a new shaft was sunk, and we continued our 
  exploration with secure communications.
  One tunnel was a dead end, but the other two opened 
  into a wonderland of convoluted tubes traveling without 
  reason up and down, over and under, through each other 
  and around each other in loops and spirals. At last we found 
  the way to the main hall, and drove new shafts directly to it, 
  bypassing the maze in which we always became lost.
  The complex held many tubular rooms and ways, 
  but astonishing was the main hall. Here the diggers had 
  carved straight tunnels in grids along all three dimensions 
  of existence, and the result was an enormous open lattice-
  work cube, perhaps a hundred meters on a side, though 
  our torchlight could not penetrate the heights. The effect 
  of the hall was oppressive and threatening, and we were 
  doubly nervous because of the reputation of Krarsht which 
  
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  Cults of Terror
  RuneQuest
  when the Initiate is first recruiting his Drool. The shrine may be 
  shrouded with black silk. If a shrine can be seen, the image of 
  Krarsht will be roughly circular and flat, with six legs about the 
  perimeter of the body, and a large central mouth.
  The great holy place of the cult is south of Dragon Pass, 
  in the Holy Country, where Larnste first saw Krarsht and failed 
  to kill her, and where Krarsht’s first feeding took place. Where 
  Larnste tried to crush the Maw is still his giant footprint. About 
  the toes of the footprint collected the infected blood from 
  Krarsht’s bite. This blood fed Chaos, and from that area sprang 
  the foulness which cultists know as the Forest of First Reward, 
  and decent folk call Foulblood Wood. It continues to be a center 
  of Chaotic activity.
  HOLY DAYS AND HIGH HOLY DAYS
  The cult deliberately aligned its ceremonial days to conflict with 
  those of the Storm Bull. Thus its holy days are during Stasis 
  week of each season: on Freezeday in Sea-season, on Waterday 
  in Fire-season, on Clayday in Earth-season, on Windsday in 
  Dark-season, and Fireday in Storm-season.
  The cult high holy day for the year also is Wildday, Stasis 
  week, Storm-season.
  IV. LAY MEMBERSHIP
  REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN
  Members of the cult are rewarded for bringing in reliable new 
  members, and punished for suggesting fools and traitors. The 
  applicant will be questioned thoroughly by a group of lay 
  members, then scanned by a concealed Initiate with Sense Order. 
  There will be a later interview with the Initiate of the local shrine. 
  If the applicant is accepted for probationary membership, he will 
  have to prove worthy of it by ambition and deed. A Rune Priest 
  permanently inducts the applicant into the cult after satisfying 
  his own sense of the worthiness of the probationer. It is up to the 
  Initiate to decide when the new probationer might be ready for 
  permanent status.
  Applicants found to be Initiates or Rune-levels of any cult 
  of order, and particularly cults of Truth, will never leave the 
  questioning session. However, the cult encourages lay members 
  of other cults to continue their observance of the rituals of the 
  other cults, and in general welcomes any being with discipline, 
  ambition, and greed.
  REQUIREMENT TO BELONG
  Lay members must donate 5% of their earnings to the cult and 
  attend each service. Every lay member must vow complete 
  secrecy about the existence of the cult and all matters concerning 
  the cult.
  Lay members must accomplish the majority of recruitment 
  of new worshippers, and are relied on to pass on all news, 
  rumors, and other useful local information to the Initiate. They 
  often make the initial contact with potential clients. Many of the 
  street urchins infesting every sizable town will be lay members 
  of the cult.
  The lay member must provide one intelligent being as a 
  sacrifice each season, and sacrifice 1 point POW each service.
  the priest revealed to us and because so many of the tunnels 
  were vertical that we could not adequately explore the 
  entire warren.
  “I have bred large cats to fight large rats,” said Ketil, 
  “but there are no cats great enough to rule here.”
  When one of us saw movement far above, we alerted 
  everyone, as well we did, for the Krarsht beasts dropped 
  among us with hideous shrieks soon thereafter. These awful 
  things were unknown to us or to the Lankhor Mhy priest, 
  though doubtless Irrippi Ontor held the information, could 
  I have gone quickly to such wisdom.
  The Krarsht beast is thin and circular, perhaps two 
  meters across, and it has six legs. Standing, it is not more 
  than a meter tall, but its six legs give it great springing 
  ability. I have seen them jump six meters or more from a 
  standing start. When they land, they strike their targets 
  so that their mouth (which is in the middle of their body) 
  engulfs the head of the victim, while the body folds 
  somewhat around his body, from the top down, and the 
  massive digger claws at its extremities may occasionally 
  be brought to bear upon a man, though this is quite rare. 
  The things’ spit and tongue are also death-dealing. Their 
  favorite attack is to drop from above, an attack impossible 
  to miss in the vertical tunnels…
  …When we returned, we brought stout pikes, and being 
  so armed spelled the doom of the beasts we could find. Ketil 
  rigged stopper bars on the wooden hafts. When the terrible 
  things fell upon us again, they were firmly impaled by their own 
  force in falling, and the bars extending from the hafts stopped 
  the beasts from quite reaching the carriers of the pikes. There 
  they would squirm and scream, their blood streaming down 
  upon our pikemen, who nonetheless stood firm.
  Within a few days we had carried the battle to the few 
  hanging back in the vertical shafts, and here again Ketil 
  was invaluably ingenious in rigging pole arms which we 
  could fight with while ascending the dangerous heights…
  By the will of the Goddess, this was the worst fight I 
  ever experienced, for the enemy was bloodthirsty, the way 
  mysterious, and the fighting often in pitch blackness. When 
  we had satisfied ourselves that all the beasts were dead, we 
  turned aside a stream and began to fill the lower depths 
  with water. Militia we called up followed the long tunnels 
  in either direction until they passed out of the very land of 
  the Bilini, where our power could no longer penetrate. We 
  sealed and destroyed what we could, and flooded the rest, 
  but perhaps we could have turned the Erinflarth into those 
  holes, and still never filled them…
  We had found a temple of Krarsht new-built, and just 
  before the followers would have gathered there to begin 
  their horrible activities. The farmer on whose land the true 
  (disguised) entrance was found had disappeared without 
  trace, and a Storm Bull search of the area revealed no 
  Chaos. Had we known what the place was from the start, 
  we would have kept the discovery secret, but as it was, 
  everyone within many hours travel learned of the strange 
  place too quickly…
  
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  RuneQuest
  IV. INITIATE MEMBERSHIP
  REQUIREMENTS FOR INITIATION
  The prospective Initiate must have been a lay member for at least 
  a year, and must know Hide in Cover, Move Silently, and Net 
  Attack/Parry at 50% or more. He must then convince the Initiate 
  under whom he worships to sponsor him the next time that a Rune 
  Priest officiates at ceremonies. Abstract this as a roll of D100 of 
  POW + CHA plus 1 for each 1000 Lunars given to the cult and 
  1 for each worshipper recruited for the cult by the applicant and 
  then divide the total by three and multiply it by five. A roll equal 
  to or less than the result on D100 means success. Applicants who 
  fail the roll must wait for another season. Applicants who fail 
  twice have lost the trust of Krarsht and are fed to her children.
  REQUIREMENTS TO REMAIN INITIATED
  The new Initiate is called a Lip. Once accepted, he must restate 
  his vows to the Waiting Mouth and his complete loyalty to the 
  cult. The new vow is of utmost seriousness, and Initiates will be 
  warned (once) that they now never will be allowed to leave the 
  cult alive.
  A Lip must sacrifice 2 points POW each week to Krarsht. If 
  this sacrifice is not performed, a Krarshtide spirit will hunt down 
  the offender and hound him until either he is driven mad or dies, 
  or until he returns to explain to his Drool or his temple.
  Lips must provide two sacrifices to Krarsht per season.
  MUNDANE BENEFITS
  Initiates in good standing who have been in a temple for 
  three years or more and who have followed cult dictates may 
  be provided with their own Drool or be sent out along with a 
  Rune Priest to establish one or more new Drools. They also will 
  receive a small shrine to Krarsht.
  All Initiates have better access to training than do lay 
  members, since they have proved their devotion.
  SKILLS
  The following skills will be available at every temple:
  Half Normal Price - Acid Brewing, Camouflage, Climbing, 
  Composite Bow, Dart Throwing, Jumping, Light Crossbow 
  Attack, Lock Picking, Poison Brewing, Spot Hidden, 
  Spot Trap, Thrown Dagger, Trap Set/Disarm, and Weapon 
  Making.
  Lips will be trained in the following cult special skills:
  Bribery 
  05%
  The knowledge skill Bribery may be taught to a person up to 
  his Oratory percentage or to 50%, whichever is lower. Bribery 
  is taught to Initiates and Rune Masters for free; it is also taught 
  occasionally to non-cultists for 500/1000/EXP. A D100 roll equal 
  to or less than the Bribery skill successfully bribes the target. A 
  critical hit bribes the target without leaving him knowing that he 
  has been bribed: the bribery will not show up quickly if the target 
  is questioned. It will show up by Divination.
  Sense Order 
  05%
  This ability is first learned to 5% ability plus perception bonus, 
  and rises only through experience. Success in this skill allows 
  MUNDANE BENEFITS
  Each person recruited by a lay member who becomes a permanent 
  lay member is worth a reward of 10 Lunars to the recruiter. If a 
  recruiter brings in a member who eventually becomes an Initiate, 
  the recruiter receives 100 Lunars from the cult.
  Lay members will be found in all cults and occupations. 
  They often help each other find lucrative positions, and will 
  make emergency loans.
  The cult will relocate lay members who are under suspicion 
  by local authorities, but even in emergencies will not admit a 
  lay member to a temple. If a lay member has performed with 
  conspicuous incompetence, he will be fed to the Hungry One. 
  The cult can provide Healing for members, with payment to be 
  settled when the member is able.
  SKILLS
  Krarsht lay members receive training in the following skills:
  Half Normal Price - Hide in Cover, Move Quietly, Listen, 
  Short sword attack only.
  Prohibited - The Peaceful Cut.
  Unique - a lay member may begin training in the cult special 
  skills, Hurl Pratzim and Net Attack/Parry:
  HURL PRATZIM
  Initiates brew this disgusting liquid from the saliva of the 
  Krarshtkids. It is cohesive and viscous. The user reaches into 
  a pouch holding several handfuls of the stuff. He then casts 1 
  point temporary POW into it, and throws it at a target. Casting 
  this stuff demands skill, because when it leaves the hands it 
  begins to expand and form a conical web about 3m in diameter. 
  If the throw succeeds, the saliva binds and entangles the target. 
  Victims hit by pratzim must make an STR vs. STR roll to 
  escape. The pratzim is always STR 15. A missed roll means 
  that the victim is bound, may not fight with any weapon, and 
  may hop, if still standing, at a movement rate of 2. A fumble 
  roll means that the victim is hopelessly entangled and will 
  strangle to death in CON + 5 rounds unless freed
  The beginning skill at Hurl Pratzim is 0%. The skill is 
  learned at the rate of 300/600/1200/EXP for members of the 
  cult, and 600/1200/2400/EXP for non-members. Each handful 
  can be hurled only once. Lay members will have ten handfuls 
  per season.
  BATTLE MAGIC
  The cult teaches all the battle magic spells. In addition, lay 
  members may learn a cult special spell, True Net.
  True Net 
  1 point
  temporal, passive, 80m
  This focused spell affects only nets and handfuls of pratzim, 
  increasing the chance to hit by 5% per point of spell, and 
  increasing the strength of net or pratzim by one point. This 
  spell is stackable to 4 points, and is not compatible with other 
  weapon-improving spells.
  
  80
  Cults of Terror
  RuneQuest
  Jaws sometimes are required by the cult to maintain a public 
  identity, though never in regions dominated by Storm Bull 
  worshippers. The public cover permits a Jaw to be intimately 
  acquainted with religious, political, and economic conditions 
  in an area, and it is said that experienced Jaws know years in 
  advance just who their clients will be. The Jaw never makes any 
  contact with a prospective client, though a layman may well do 
  so. Just as with the Waiting Mouth, the Jaw is patient.
  Entire political structures may be infested with Krarsht 
  worshippers; even then, none will know the Jaws.
  REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE
  Krarsht requires her Jaws to have 90% ability in one missile 
  weapon, Move Quietly, Camouflage, Trap Set/Disarm, and Hide 
  in Cover. They must be able to brew a potion or acid to at least 
  POT 10, and have 15+ POW.
  When the requirements are met, the temple priest will 
  assemble a quorum of their number to examine the applicant. 
  There will also be 4D6 Krarshtkind present. The applicant must 
  then convince them of his worthiness, abstracted for game 
  purposes as a roll of 0100 equal to or less than POW + CHA 
  divided by 2 plus 1 per contract previously brought to the temple 
  by the applicant. If the roll is not successful, then the applicant 
  waits at least one season before trying again. If the second 
  attempt does not succeed, the applicant will be devoured by the 
  assembled mass of Krarshtkind.
  RESTRICTIONS
  Jaws may marry only within the cult, and then only with someone 
  of Lip status or greater. They must fulfill or be working at all 
  contracts to which they have committed the cult, and must make 
  at least one contract per season should their workload fall below 
  a level determined by the High Priest of the temple. Most Jaws 
  will live a disguised life in a community; they will not be able 
  to absent on long journeys and special missions; for that reasons 
  some Jaws will always remain at the temple, both to guard it and 
  to act as a reserve.
  BENEFITS
  Jaws have the normal Rune Lord benefits of Power Support and 
  Divine Intervention. Instead of the normal allied spirit, they may 
  ally a Krarshtide (see the associated cults section).
  For each weapon skill mastered, Jaws receive one iron 
  weapon of that type (or 5 iron arrows, quarrels, darts, etc.). Jaws 
  keep 40% of their livelihood profits and incidental monies (not 
  cult contract money) for the purpose of keeping paid informants 
  and supporting an occasional Initiate aide.
  SKILLS
  The following skills are available to both Rune Lords and Rune 
  Priests:
  Acting 
  10%
  This is a knowledge skill. It costs 500/1000/3000/EXP to learn 
  from its masters; Jaws and Tongues may learn it for half price. 
  When the skill is successfully used, the persona portrayed will 
  seem real and natural to all who see the user. It may be combined 
  with the Disguise skill.
  the user to sense the presence of concentrated Order; it does not 
  trigger for the background radiation of the natural world, but 
  does alert the user in the presence of special magical items of 
  Order or of Initiates and Rune-levels of such cults. This skill is 
  effective to a range of 15m. Successful users will receive a vague 
  sense of unease and the knowledge that Order is near.
  Cost:  time. Available only to cultists.
  Brew Pratzim
  This knowledge skill successfully used allows the user to brew 
  five handfuls of pratzim for each person participating in the 
  process. The brewing takes four hours, and requires a SIZ 3 
  amount of blood for each participant. A Rune Priest must provide 
  the necessary Krarshtkid spittle as the base for the potion.
  Cost:  time. Available only to cultists.
  Teeth of Krarsht 
  0%
  These special cult throwing weapons are designed to administer 
  poisons from a distance. They are disc-like, with six sharp points 
  arranged equally around the perimeter (each representing one of 
  the Devourer’s legs.) The weapon does 1D4 damage plus the 
  effect of the poison. Basic skill is 0% plus any attack bonus. The 
  training cost for this weapon is 100/300/900/EXP for cultists; 
  non-cultists will be taught only to 25% for a flat sum of 1800 
  Lunars. Teeth of Krarsht can be made by any worshipper with 
  25%+ Weapon Making skill.
  VI. RUNE LORD MEMBERSHIP
  GENERAL STATEMENT
  The Rune Lord of Krarsht is called a Jaw, and is responsible 
  for successful completion of cult contracts. A contract to Krarsht 
  occurs whenever any worshipper of Krarsht interacts with the 
  world, for the worshipper in accepting the way of the Hungry 
  One has agreed to further the power of Krarsht both during 
  and after life. More narrowly, the cult undertakes deeds for 
  non-cultists which those ambitious, jealous, or greedy souls 
  may be too squeamish or too much under suspicion to perform 
  for themselves. This might be an assassination or murder, a 
  kidnapping, (rarely) a theft, the spread of rumor or gossip, and 
  so on. The cult will undertake to perform these contracts to its 
  utmost power, because it knows that every such contract paves 
  the way for more Chaos in the world.
  A contract will either be ‘one-legged’ or ‘six-legged.’ For 
  a negotiated price, the cult will attempt to complete a one-
  legged contract once and only once. For six times the price, the 
  cult will agree to a six-legged contract, to be attempted until 
  successful. The cult will never decline any contract which it 
  perceives will further the will and domain of Krarsht and of 
  Chaos generally.
  A Jaw is contacted through the local shrine Initiates. The 
  client or contractee will never meet the Jaw. Once the veracity 
  of the client has been established, the Initiate will arrange an 
  interview at a safe place, and there question the client by using 
  a long and constantly improved list of questions. A scribe may 
  copy the client’s answers, or the Jaw actually may be listening 
  from behind a partition. Once the list of questions is ended 
  and satisfactory payment made (50% in advance, 50% upon 
  completion), the client never is seen again.
  
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  Defend Against Law 
  1 point
  15 minutes, range 160m, reusable, non-stackable
  This spell adds 30% to the defense (as does the Shimmer battle 
  magic spell) of one being who is fighting against one or more 
  followers of Law/Order. This spell will not work against Chaotic 
  beings.
  Face Law 
  1 point
  15 minutes, 160m, reusable, non-stackable
  This spell will affect only lay members of Krarsht. The target 
  will stand his ground and fight the lawful foe he faces, even if he 
  would ordinarily run.
  Chomping 
  1 point
  15 minutes, touch, reusable, stackable
  For each point of POW up to 4 put into the spell, the target will 
  do an additional 1D6 damage with a bite and increase his attack 
  chance 10%. The target’s teeth will grow longer and sharper, and 
  the chomper will be able to impale as per the rules. This spell 
  often is used in conjunction with Venom Bite.
  Tongue 
  2 points
  15 minutes, voice, reusable, non-stackable
  This spell allows the target’s tongue to be used as a weapon. 
  The tongue has a range of 3m, and will have an attack chance of 
  the target’s DEX x 5 to succeed. If so succeeding, the attacker’s 
  POW must overcome the POW of the defender. If succeeding, 
  the defender takes 4D3 in Disruption-like damage.
  Sweat Acid 
  2 point
  15 minutes, touch, reusable, non-stackable
  A successful cast causes the target’s skin to secrete an acid 
  whose potency equals the caster’s POW. The target or the items 
  he carries or wears will not be affected by the acid, but beings 
  or foreign items who touch the target will suffer the effect of the 
  acid.
  Venom Bite 
  2 points
  15 minutes, touch, reusable, non-stackable
  The target of this spell injects a poison of potency equal to the 
  caster’s POW on a successful bite attack which does damage. 
  The target will be temporarily immune to the poison’s effects for 
  the duration of the spell.
  VIII. SUBSERVIENT CULTS
  SPIRIT OF REPRISAL
  Krarshtides appear as shadowy, palely luminous images of the 
  Mother Mouth, identical in form to the Krarshtkids below. Each 
  spirit has a POW of 2D6+12. In use, these spirit attack by means 
  of spirit combat. If they succeed in an attack and their victim 
  does not, they may attempt to drive the victim insane. To do this 
  they must make another POW vs. POW attack, just as in spirit 
  combat. If they again succeed, thoughts and terrors of Chaos 
  devour the victim’s mind, driving him insane. Those who go 
  insane traditionally kill themselves, but they are in any event no 
  longer a threat to the Maw.
  Disguise 
  05%
  This knowledge skill costs 200/400/800/1600. The successful 
  use means that the character has altered his appearance to all 
  viewers.
  BATTLE MAGIC
  A Rune Lord or Rune Priest of Krarsht may learn this battle 
  magic spell for 500 Lunars; it may be taught to non-cultists for 
  1000 Lunars.
  Image Creation 
  2 point
  unfocused, temporal, passive, 80m
  This spell creates an image of a humanoid figure, the actions of 
  which will be the actions of the caster of the spell. The image 
  may look different, as when the caster is stranded in the middle 
  of a band of trolls and really wants to look like a troll until he can 
  get away. The image may be cast over the caster, or on any other 
  target with-in the 80m range of the spell.
  If the image is intentionally jostled or attacked, it will go 
  away. During the round the enemy took to hit the image and 
  dispel it, the image will provide the target with a 5% additional 
  Defense-add per point of SIZ difference between the image and 
  the target. The maximum image SIZ is 21. Casting the spell 
  requires no motion which would give away the fact that the 
  character is casting a spell.
  VIII. RUNE PRIESTS
  GENERAL STATEMENT
  The Rune Priests, called Tongues, run the cult. They oversee the 
  feeding of sacrifices to the Waiting Mouth, oversee the shrines, 
  and induct new members. Fighters and magicians from the 
  Order cults have rarely invaded the temples of Krarsht with any 
  success.
  REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE
  The prospective Tongue must have been an Initiate of four or 
  more years good standing, must Sense Order at 90% or more, 
  Read/Write the local language at 90% or more, and have a POW 
  of 18+.
  RESTRICTIONS
  Tongues may marry only from within the cult, to worshippers 
  who are at least Lips (Initiates). They are restricted to DEX x 5% 
  in advancing all DEX-based mundane skills. Priests do not need 
  to personally bring sacrifices to Krarsht.
  BENEFITS
  Priests live at the regional temple when they are not travelling 
  on cult business. When there they receive free room and board.
  RUNE SPELL COMPATIBILITY
  Rune Priests of Krarsht have access to all standard 1 point Rune 
  spells. They cannot summon Small Elementals, but they can 
  call up a Krarshtkid who will act as an elemental would (see the 
  associated cults section).
  Tongues may use the following cult special spells:
  
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  IX. ASSOCIATED CULTS
  PRIMAL CHAOS
  See the separate cult write-up for Primal Chaos.
  BLACK FANG BROTHERHOOD
  The brothers of the Black Fang found much to admire about 
  Krarsht, and they occasionally appear at local shrine services. 
  Many Black Fang schemes require sub-contracting particular 
  skills or contacts from the Hungry One. In return for profitable 
  co-operation with a probably continent-wide organization, the 
  Brotherhood provides these two spells:
  Concealment 
  2 points
  15 minutes, 160m, reusable, non-stackable
  This spell combines Invisibility and Silence, and makes the 
  Invisibility passive. If the character protected by this spell 
  attacks with missile, melee, or magic, he becomes visible in the 
  first strike rank of the melee round in which he attacks and will 
  disappear after the last strike rank of that round unless engaged 
  in melee. In any round the character disengages from melee, he 
  will disappear again at the end of the round of disengagement.
  Vision 
  2 points
  15 minutes, 160m, reusable, non-stackable, 
  This spell gives a mobile viewpoint up to 240m away from the 
  spirit of the recipient of the spell, as described in the rules.
  X. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
  BUILDING A TEMPLE
  When a Tongue of Krarsht has satisfied himself that a new 
  temple is needed, and has secured a surface area proper for the 
  comings and goings of the cult, he consecrates the site in a brief 
  ceremony. The consecration notifies Krarsht that a new temple is 
  needed. For months thereafter, Krarshtkids will tunnel to-ward 
  the temple-to-be’s location, and then start on its construction 
  without further prompting by the Tongue. Krarsht will reveal the 
  completion of the complex and its only-then-existing entrance in 
  a vision to the consecrating priest.
  A temple of Krarsht is built to Krarsht’s specifications, which 
  always change in arrangement. There are quarters for the Rune 
  Masters of the temple, the ceremonial halls, and the feeding pits 
  for the Krarshtkids, and many labyrinthine connecting tunnels, 
  and tunnels which go nowhere. Pits open with-out warning, and 
  streams occasionally break through in unexpected places. The 
  first exploration of a Krarsht temple is both a sacred thrill and a 
  mortal terror for the consecrating Tongue.
  DIVINE INTERVENTION
  Krarsht is proud, and wants no worshipper to avoid becoming 
  her when that is his destiny. But she is willing to help a mission 
  occasionally. She does not provide normal Divine Intervention 
  for followers. If a follower asks for her intervention and she 
  deigns to give it, she will send 2D3 Krarshtkids and 1D3 
  Krarshtides to her worshipper. For 15 minutes he will have 
  nominal control of the beings, as a member of another cult might 
  control an elemental. After that time, the beings return to whence 
  they came.
  A Krarshtide has 3D6 INT. A Jaw of Krarsht may choose to 
  use one of these spirits as an allied spirit. If they do not succeed, 
  they will be subject to the spirit’s insanity attack.
  KRARSHTKIDS
  From the parts of the Mother hacked off by Storm Bull in 
  the Great Darkness grew the Krarshtkids. Resembling (but much 
  smaller) the Waiting Mouth, a Krarshtkid has a central body 1 m in 
  diameter with six legs jutting out around its perimeter at roughly 
  equal spacings. These creatures can eat anything but favor loam, 
  clay, sand, and limestone. They are the primary builders of the 
  underground Krarsht temples. As they eat, mature Krarshtkids 
  make individual 3m diameter tunnels, turning the earth they 
  munch (through their digestive tracts) to a form of stone with 
  which they line their tunnel walls. A younger Krarshtkid may eat 
  a tunnel as small as 1 m in diameter. Tongues frequently choose 
  Krarshtkids as allied spirits, in which case use the INT + POW 
  stats for the Krarshtides.
  Characteristics 
  Average
  STR 2D6+6 
  13
  CON 3D6 
  10-1l
  INT 3D6 
  10-11
  POW 2D6+12 
  19
  DEX 3D6+6 
  16-17
  SIZ 7 Move 3 
  Hit Points 11
  01-02 F LEG 
  3/4
  03-04 RF LEG 
  3/4
  05-06 RR LEG 
  3/4
  07-08 B LEG 
  3/4
  09-10 LR LEG 
  3/4
  11-12 LF LEG 
  3/4
  13-20 BODY 
  7/6
  Weapon 
  SR Attk% Damage 
  Parr% Pts
  Fang 
  7 
  50% 2D6 * 
  - 
  -
  Tongue 
  6 
  75% ** 
  - 
  -
  Spit 
  1 
  80% ***
  *  Fangs - when a successful bite does damage to the target, 
  the potency of the poison (equaling the CON of the 
  Krarshtkid) will try to overcome the CON of the target. 
  If successful, the target will be paralyzed for 20-minus-
  CON days.
  ** Tongue - a hit by the tongue will then attack the POW of 
  the target. If successful, the target will take 4D3 damage - 
  In a Disruption spell.
  ***  Spit- the spit of the Krarshtkid is the pratzim base which 
  the Initiate learns to brew. This will entangle the victim if 
  successful.
  
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  BLACK FANG RELATIONS
  Though relations with the Brotherhood are nominally cordial, 
  Krarsht worshippers find the membership of this great crime ring 
  undisciplined and never expose any inner secrets to it. It will sell 
  skills to selected members of the Brotherhood, but reserves the 
  right to reject any such application without comment. Skills are 
  sold at ordinary rates.
  The few Black Fang members who actually know of 
  Krarsht see the cult as admirably performing what seem to be 
  incomprehensibly long-range actions. Individuals of the cult 
  never enjoy the fruits of crime, and have about them an austerity 
  which borders on the disgusting.
  Since Krarsht practices little organized crime (such as per 
  week levies, disposal of stolen goods, prostitution, etc.) and 
  Black Fang practices little else, the two cults rarely collide on 
  questions of policy or execution.
  THE HALLS OF KRARSHT
  Some say, though none but Krarsht will know, that all of the 
  subsurface world is honeycombed by the servants of the Hungry 
  One, and it is in fact likely that at least some major river valleys 
  of Glorantha are crisscrossed by her underground ways. The 
  dwarves, though loath to talk of their own affairs, have a few 
  times encountered the Krarshtkids, if not their worldly masters 
  or other-worldly Mistress. It is known, though, that the dwarves 
  prefer granite, marble, and basalt as structural elements, while 
  the Krarshtkids find such hard materials to impede the Mobility 
  component of their make-up.
  Philosophers point out that lack of ventilation in the great 
  lateral connecting tunnels surely makes impossible all physical 
  and underground movement between the temples by any but 
  the Krarshtkids. Others are not so sure. If the connectors do 
  not serve a purpose now, may they not in the future? Is Krarsht 
  not merely a surviving Chaos God, but the Chaotic parallel to 
  Arachne Solara herself? And will Krarsht’s webs of nothingness 
  be shown to bind all Glorantha in some unimaginable way at the 
  end of Time? Stories are told of tunnels which open the ways 
  to Hell, and other tunnels which open to strange places without 
  gods. More is said, but it is fanciful.
  sc
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  NYSALOR/GBAJI
  THE BRIGHT ONE/ THE DECEIVER
  LIFE AFTER DEATH
  The cult offers no promise or hint about life after death, nor has 
  any requirement for burial. Local custom prevails.
  RUNIC ASSOCIATION
  The cult is associated with the Runes of Chaos, Light, and 
  Mastery.
  II. NATURE OF THE CULT
  REASON FOR CONTINUED EXISTENCE
  The realities of the world always are in question, and there 
  always are new revelations and perceptions which may alter any 
  being’s outlook on the universe. The cult will continue to exist 
  until all questions have been asked and answered.
  SOCIO-POLITICAL POSITION AND POWER
  The cult exercises little or no actual power, and even at its height 
  seemed to do so only because of the personal actions of prophets 
  operating in its name.
  The cult continues to exist because sapients cannot refrain 
  from asking questions about the nature of existence.
  PARTICULAR LIKES AND DISLIKES
  The cult has no particular likes or dislikes. Cultists will tend to 
  shrink from performing or advocating extreme actions of any sort, 
  but the definition of extreme action is left to the individual cultist.
  III. ORGANIZATION
  INTER-CULT ORGANIZATION
  The cult has no normal cult or temple operations at all, and so 
  cannot have inter-cult organizations either.
  INTRA-TEMPLE ORGANIZATION
  The cult has no regular temples and needs none. Sometimes 
  worshippers will form schools, but these have no cult standing.
  CENTER OF POWER, HOLY PLACES
  The land of Dorastor, to the northwest of Dragon Pass, was the 
  former center of power of the historical cult. Arkat the Liberator 
  razed that land; it has since grown into a nightmare realm, 
  perhaps because the balance of civilization was lost. Its peasant 
  population consists of Chaotic ghosts, nations of renegade elves, 
  psychotics, raging lunatics, and fugitive werefolk. The monsters 
  of Dorastor are unspeakable and unique. Only a few have 
  traversed it since its razing; only the boldest will now attempt 
  its dangers.
  The places where the sections of Nysalor’s body are buried 
  might be considered holy places, though there are no special 
  effects from them nor do worshippers gather at the sites. All the 
  known sites are in Dorastor.
  I. MYTHOS AND HISTORY
  BEFORE TIME
  This deity first was known as Rashoran, and he either was the 
  last of the gods born, or was the first Chaos deity created. He 
  is known to have been killed by the god of entropy sometime 
  during the Great Darkness.
  SINCE TIME BEGAN
  Near the end of the First Age, the mortal races successfully built 
  a new god, Nysalor, “The Bright One” or “The Perfect One.” 
  By those titles he was (and still is) worshipped reverently by the 
  peoples of Peloria.
  In western Genertela, where the priests of the cult went 
  beyond the control of their god in Dorastor, the cult came to be 
  called Gbaji, a vulgar word meaning “The Deceiver.” The name 
  seems well-deserved in that region.
  The cult prophets of Nysalor originally had spread their 
  word far and wide, but met great resistance in the west from 
  the Malkioni, who had their own cosmic secrets. The prophets 
  discovered that they could secretly introduce plague and disease 
  into an area, present themselves as healers, then proceed to 
  cure the infection. Their popularity rose rapidly in Ralios and 
  Seshnela, but that new power tempted the prophets of the 
  cult, and they fell prey to the vanity of such strength. More 
  and more of them chose the easy ‘dark side’ of the cult, which 
  said that the Illumined need care only for themselves. Some 
  areas widely supported such dark prophets, and the people 
  took up the secrets of this new faith. In this way terrifying 
  cities of undead grew, whose living population merely masked 
  the existence of their vampire lords. Ancient horrors were 
  discovered and re-established, such as the Thanatar complex 
  in Ralios. Everywhere people cheerfully sprouted Chaotic 
  features and became Krjalki.
  Arkat Humaktson, “The Liberator,” led the heroic cleansing 
  of the land, spending three generations in the task, and in the 
  end leaving a trail of cinders across the continent before the final 
  victory. Though its temporal power was broken, and its god now 
  lay dead, the cult could not be completely eradicated because it 
  required no temples or priesthood. The survivors of the Gbaji 
  Wars hid themselves, and many deliberately forgot their riddles 
  to protect themselves.
  The Red Goddess woke the cult. She undertook a great path 
  and in her journey sought passage beyond an empty shadow on 
  the Spirit Plane. She engaged it, defeated it, and thereby became 
  Illuminated by the god Nysalor. With his knowledge, she went to 
  deeper places and freed the Crimson Bat from its eternal bondage. 
  Returning home with it, she confirmed her mighty empire. Since 
  then, the beliefs of the cult of Nysalor have become integral to the 
  cult of the Red Goddess. Through Nysalor the Lunars have access 
  to Chaotic abilities and powers unreachable by normal deities.
  
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  HOLY DAYS AND HIGH HOLY DAYS
  The cult has no set holy days.
  IV. LAY MEMBERSHIP
  The cult has no lay membership, since the cult has no actual 
  structure to it. It is impossible to be a casual member of this cult 
  if you are in it in all.
  V. INITIATE MEMBERSHIP
  GENERAL STATEMENT
  Initiates are the backbone of the cult, for it has no other hierarchy 
  except for whatever respect a many-questioned Riddler may 
  evoke from those he questions. The cult poses no standards for 
  questions or questioners.
  An Initiate is one who has been Illuminated by Nysalor’s 
  Light. In this consciousness-awakening, the individual breaks the 
  mold of fear and mortality within which he has been confined, 
  and gains special insight, into the relation of Chaos and the 
  world. This insight completely alters the individual’s perceptions 
  and powers thereafter.
  REQUIREMENTS  FOR INITIATION
  To become an Initiate, the being must be Illuminated. The being 
  will be Illuminated by making a successful Illumination skill 
  roll, automatically done once per year during the Sacred Time.
  To attain the Illumination skill, a person must successfully 
  answer Nysalor Riddles. A Riddle is a bizarre question about 
  facets of everyday life, with an unusual answer capable of 
  shocking a person to some very unusual realizations about 
  the world in which they live. A Nysalor Riddle exists which 
  corresponds to each of the skills listed in the rules; there are 
  separate Riddles for attacks and parries of weapon skills.
  When a character is asked a Nysalor Riddle, he must attempt 
  to make his percentage with the corresponding skill on D100. 
  This will not require use of the skill, merely the roll of the dice. 
  If a roll is made equal to or less than the skill percentage, then the 
  question was answered correctly.
  Each correct answer to a Nysalor Riddle equals a 1% chance 
  of success for Illumination in the following Sacred Time. The 
  points are cumulative and cannot be removed or forgotten in any 
  way. A person can be asked the same Riddle many times until it 
  is answered correctly. A particular Riddle adds 1% only the first 
  time it is correctly answered; after that it has no effect. Character 
  “Whom else should I tell?” Oddi laughed. “It was all 
  prompted by those Trickster rascals and their riddles, you 
  know. How could I have not understood before now – here 
  where Ralzakark finally has consented to fight us – that I 
  have been Illumined?” He shook his head with chagrin, 
  but without the black moodiness which I had known for 
  days. “How can I tell my clan and my cult? They would cut 
  off my head! But I thought you, a Lunar, should know, for if 
  it becomes known, you will be supposed to have converted 
  me to your foul ways and will thereby be in great danger 
  from those who love me best.”
  This seemed true to me, though I would let it be as the 
  Goddess willed and had no thought of flight from my post.
  “There is a connected matter,” Oddi added. “How 
  shall I fight this battle today, feeling as I do? The hate has 
  gone out of me, and I have no lust for war.”
  He said this matter-of-factly, as though declining a 
  platter of eels. How much attitude makes of us all, for the 
  day before he would have fallen on his sword before such 
  words escaped him! I pondered what should be replied. I 
  was young and strained for the fight myself, yet saw here a 
  great chance to bring this noble barbarian to the ways of 
  the Goddess and of true civilization.
  “My King, it is said there is a dim and a bright side to 
  all of existence, and that only those who are Illumined see 
  that the difference resides not in existence but in the way 
  we choose to see it. What Nysalor would tell you I know 
  not, for Illumined I am not, but the Lunar way is this: the 
  man who knows best will know best his duty. It matters 
  nothing that we fight here today on the side of order, and 
  that Ralzakark and his hordes fight for Chaos, for if we 
  all willed it in reverse, so then would we fight, each in the 
  other’s place. The Goddess knows that just as Chaos can 
  corrupt order, so can order undermine chaos. These ways 
  of alignment are of our birth and our training, but they are 
  not ways of living. Life itself does not care, and the Spider 
  will weave Her web regardless, for all was made so by the 
  Compromise.
  “If you are a King without hate and lust, then your 
  subjects will praise you only more, so long as you pursue 
  your duties with diligence and honor. Why you came to be 
  here this day with this knowledge only the Spider can know, 
  and you must take it up with her. But if you will remain 
  King, then kingly you must be in the same way you are just 
  now friendly with me. Do, and exist; hesitate and lose life 
  for it.
  “We must ponder our responsibilities, using them as 
  we might use masks and disguises. What lies beneath the 
  mask only you can say. But if you will be king, why then 
  ride we must against Ralzakark, and slay without stint, and 
  take honor for those who have followed you.”
  Oddi nodded at last, and we rose from the hummock 
  where we had rested. The sun rose as we rode toward the 
  mountains. The ten thousand spears of Ralzakark glinted 
  far in the distance. About us our brave thanes and warriors 
  gathered and sang. With clear eyes we rode firmly to our 
  destiny.
  Example: Pericippus the Priest hears a Nysalor Riddler 
  say something unusual, like “What is the difference 
  between a Silent Movement?” This is the Move Quietly 
  Riddle of Nysalor, and Pericippus is 70% at Move Quietly. 
  His player rolls a 48, and Pericippus replies, somewhat 
  surprised at himself, “The sound of a man dying.” He 
  feels a bit odd. He has succeeded in gaining another 1% 
  chance of being Illuminated. The following Sacred Time, 
  in the midst of his normal sacrifices, Pericippus’ player 
  rolls 14 on D100. Since Pericippus’ character sheet shows 
  a total of 17 Nysalor Riddles answered, the priest has 
  been Illuminated. He is almost overcome by a swoon, but 
  succeeds in finishing the rites.
  
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  from physical evidence, gesture, intonation, etc., which non-
  illuminated persons would not have cause or way to understand.
  Immunity to Detect Chaos/Law Skills - an Illuminate will 
  not register to either type of sense.
  Immunity to His Spirits of Reprisal - an Illuminated 
  person will never be attacked by any spirit of reprisal of a cult in 
  which he is an Initiate or Rune Master, even if he has disobeyed 
  cult rules, quit the cult, or encounters the spirit on the Spirit 
  Plane.
  Immunity to Detect Chaos/Law Spells - an illuminated 
  person will not register on either type of spell.
  Secret Knowledge - the illuminated one will know as truth 
  that Chaos is, in itself, neither evil nor inimical. This secret 
  knowledge is the source of the other five benefits of Initiation. It 
  makes the person of Law free from automatic fear of Chaos and 
  the obsession to destroy it. Likewise, it frees creatures of Chaos 
  from their twisted convictions and offers them the chance to rid 
  themselves of the hate which rules their lives.
  Illumination will give the realization, but it is not necessary 
  that an individual change his life if he has other, stronger 
  beliefs which intervene. Illumination conveys much the same 
  information present in the fragment from Salonar Tamaskil’s 
  book, but teaches by emotional experience rather than intellectual 
  argument.
  The Ability to Learn Nysalor Riddles - only the 
  Illuminated may ask Nysalor Riddles, and they ask only those 
  which they know. Learning a Riddle requires sacrificing 1 point 
  of permanent characteristic POW during the Sacred Time for 
  each Riddle.
  Besides being asked Riddles, Illuminated beings may try to 
  discover the answers to Riddles through meditation. For each 
  season spent concentrating on any specific Riddle, one who is 
  Illuminated can attempt to roll D100 equal to or less than INT 
  x 1%. Success indicates that the answer was found, and now 1 
  point POW can be sacrificed to learn the Riddle.
  RESTRICTIONS
  Many know the stories of Nysalor and Gbaji, and distrust those 
  who ask strange questions. It generally will be impossible for 
  them to tell what is or is not a Riddle, since Riddles will be 
  ordinary sentences, and they well may not know that they have 
  been Riddled.
  Several cults have taken upon themselves the destruction 
  of Chaos and things Chaotic, and they often count Nysalor 
  worshippers among their foes. Some of their specialized tools in 
  this fight may not work against the Illuminated (such as Storm 
  Bull’s Sense Chaos), but if some cultists recognize, suspect, 
  or receive reports of people asking odd questions or acting in 
  a socratic manner, they may strike out-of-hand to destroy the 
  incipient Chaos before it spreads.
  It is very dangerous to exploit this cult’s undetectability by 
  joining many different religions and learning their special cult 
  spells. Members of the religions involved will find it questionable 
  and distasteful, say, for a Fire priest to raise zombies, show 
  vampiric powers, or to use strong Darkness spells. People know 
  of this tempting cult, and know also that members of it can be 
  tempted by the ease of its dark side applications.
  sheets should note which skill-Riddles have been answered 
  correctly, as well as the total number of correctly answered 
  Riddles.
  BENEFITS OF INITIATION
  An Illuminate immediately gains six kinds of benefits.
  Ability To Sense Illumination - once the person is 
  Illuminated, he always will recognize other Illuminates. This is 
  not a skill or sense, rather the Illuminate’s special knowledge 
  permits him to deduce the presence of another Illuminate 
  
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  RuneQuest
  ARKAT THE DESTROYER
  The ultimate irony of the struggle between Arkat and his arch foe 
  Gbaji is that Arkat was Illuminated while still a youth under the 
  tutelage of the elves of Brithos. This secret was known only to 
  the highest of the Arkat cult’s leaders.
  The Arkat cult maintains a strict watch on itself and the 
  rest of the world. As Illuminates, they can detect Illumination 
  in others. Their strict moral code is clearly within the bounds 
  of acceptable non-Chaotic behavior, and their great duty is to 
  maintain order and stamp out Chaos, and they know no limit 
  in pursuing that duty. They have developed special skills and 
  abilities to deal with Chaos, especially the Gbaji worshippers.
  An Arkat cultist will never accept the use of Chaotic magic. 
  They never will deal fairly or honestly with any Chaotic being or 
  thing. Now that their Heroquesting abilities have been dispersed 
  through all cults, they aim only to destroy Chaos, and will not 
  rest till they have done so.
  The cultists of Arkat consider themselves the epitome of the 
  Light Side of Nysalor, and condemn without hesitation he who 
  is prey to the Dark Side. As exemplars, they pride themselves 
  in their steadfastness, taking great pains to perform good deeds 
  in the world and protect the good name of their hero god, who 
  suffered so much and who paid the ultimate price for his inner 
  knowledge.
  VI. RUNE LORD MEMBERSHIP
  The cult of Nysalor has no Rune Lords.
  VII. RUNE PRIESTHOOD
  The cult of Nysalor has no Rune Priests.
  VIII. SUBSERVIENT CULTS
  The cult of Nysalor has no subservient cults.
  IX. ASSOCIATED CULTS
  Though they are rare in central Genertela outside the Lunar 
  Empire, the cult of Nysalor has a good reputation with a number 
  of other cults, and in those places temples may contain a shrine 
  to the god set up, and acknowledge it as a place where Riddlers 
  are welcome. This is normal in Lunar territories, where Nysalor 
  is popular. Occasionally a shrine to Nysalor will appear in light 
  or elf temples, or in temples to localized deities. Nysalor is also 
  associated with Primal Chaos.
  Since Nysalor is now only a shadow on the Spirit Plane, his 
  Initiates neither get nor receive spells and skills from associated 
  cults without joining those cults.
  X. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES
  THE LUNAR CONNECTION
  The Red Goddess encountered the god Nysalor during her 
  Heroquest for apotheosis. Nysalor, long dead in Glorantha, was 
  still attainable on the God Plane, and when the Red Goddess 
  attained Illumination, it was her final release to godhood. She 
  experimented with her contacts with Chaos, first summoning and 
  controlling the Crimson Bat during the First Battle of Chaos. 
  Since then many worshippers have followed her path, and 
  many in the Empire can balance the powers of Chaos with their 
  responsibilities to the world.
  Worshippers of the Red Moon need not be members of 
  Nysalor or participate in anything tainted with Chaos. Fearful 
  peoples outside the Empire treat the cult and the state as a single 
  entity, but this is not accurate; their fear of Chaos blinds them to 
  the many facets of the Lunar way.
  THE DARK SIDE
  The dark side of Nysalor is not, as one might expect, merely 
  alignment with Chaos. It is a more subtle temptation. Once 
  a being has realized that there is no final difference between 
  Chaos and Law, he may later make a similar but false parallel 
  between his personal ethics and his personal desires, reasoning 
  that since there is no ultimate division to the former, neither 
  is there any final difference between the latter. The parallel 
  is not consistent, however, since both Law and Chaos create 
  in different ways, and all creativity rests upon co-operation 
  between elements of existence. He who operates solely from 
  personal desire will not cooperate, since the childish core 
  of any being’s personality knows no constraint. Without co-
  operation and creativity, the being is a parasite, living off or 
  stealing the products of others without exchange. Nothing he 
  can do or make can add to the sum of his species or culture. In 
  this sense, fully Lawful beings can be as much agents of the 
  dark side as was the worst Gbaji prophet.
  j
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  APPENDICES
  FRIENDLY CULTS
  Even without formal arrangements these groups will find 
  each other supportive and agreeable. Meetings are likely to be 
  pleasant.
  ASSOCIATE CULTS
  Associate cults share much in common—myths, rituals, and 
  spells. There is no religious hostility; worshippers can be trusted.
  NON-CULT BUSINESS
  When not on cult missions, individual members may be able to 
  overcome cult prejudice. Of course, those willing to exploit their 
  enemy or associated cults may use those prejudices as an excuse 
  for a fight, a free meal, an introduction, or quick help.
  Referees should tailor prejudice to circumstance.
  SPIRITS OF HEALTH
  These great healing spirits are available to shamans and priestesses 
  of Chalana Arroy. A spirit of health can rid an infected person of 
  his disease in just the same manner as a spirit of disease gave 
  it. The spirit of health must engage the disease in combat. The 
  strength of the disease equals the victim’s characteristic POW. 
  If the spirit of health succeeds in ‘possessing’ the disease, it will 
  drive the sickness from the victim’s body.
  If a spirit of disease and a spirit of health meet in spirit 
  combat, the first to overcome and ‘possess’ the other will 
  permanently neutralize the other’s abilities. If, for example, a 
  POW 16 spirit of health engaged a POW 14 spirit of disease, 
  both would be able to attack the other. If the spirit of disease 
  succeeds in its attack, and the spirit of health misses its attack, 
  the disease spirit then can attempt to neutralize the health spirit. 
  If it immediately overcomes the spirit of health’s POW again, 
  the health spirit will lose its disease curing properties, and it 
  becomes a normal disembodied spirit.
  NEW RUNES
  These new Runes are not the most ancient known, but fulfill 
  particular needs and are commonly accepted.
  The Undead Rune combines Life and Death; it is a Form 
  Rune. The other four Runes are pairs of modifications each of the 
  Fire and Darkness Runes Light and Heat are components of Fire 
  yet often found separately. Cold is a component of Darkness. 
  Ice is claimed as a separate element by some northern peoples. 
  These latter four are all modified Element Runes.
  CULT COMPATIBILITY
  By myth and through history, certain deities and their cults 
  acquired prescribed behavior relative to one another. Individuals 
  learn these responses, cult myth, ritual, and legend reflect them, 
  and religious activities reinforce them. When strangers meet, 
  whether on cult business or matters otherwise committed to their 
  religious cause, in neutral territory, they can be expected to act 
  as indicated on the chart nearby.
  ENEMY CULTS
  These cults know no compromise. Members will fight if they 
  think they can win, or flee if they fear they will lose. No one 
  expects or will give mercy.
  HOSTILE CULTS
  Relations are strained, and the historic tension precludes 
  peaceful dealings. There will be difficult moments when hostile 
  cults meet.
  NEUTRAL CULTS
  Such cults act according to present circumstance. Trouble may 
  occur, but the spark must be deliberate, not caused by minor 
  squabbles.
  APPLYING THE MECHANICS
  Example: Oskandar Oddfellow is currently an Issaries 
  Initiate and wishes to join the Storm Bull cult. He gathers 
  all his worldly goods and first goes to see his current 
  Issaries priest. As seen on the Cult Compatibility Chart, 
  Issaries’ attitude towards Storm Bull is a 3, friendly. To 
  find Oskandar’s chance to gain permission from his priest, 
  use the formula of POW + CHA + donated money, divided 
  by 3, then multiplied by the reaction number given by the 
  chart (a 3 in this example). Oskandar donates 500 Lunars. 
  The example formula is 13 + 11 + 5, divided by 3, then 
  multiplied by 3, equaling a 27% chance to gain approval. 
  He makes his roll with a 13.
  Now Oskandar approaches the Storm Bull temple. He 
  donates 2500 Lunars, a sum intended to offset the priest’s 
  natural resentment of traders: Storm Bull is neutral 
  towards Issaries, giving a reaction number of 2. The 
  example formula thus stands at 13 + 11 + 25, divided by 3, 
  then multiplied by 2, equaling a 32% chance of acceptance. 
  Poor Oskandar rolls an 89, and is rejected by the stinking 
  priest. His money goes to the temple anyway.
  Oskandar retains Issaries’ permission to try to join 
  Storm Bull and will not need new permission. He may try 
  another time in the next season if he wishes, or travel to the 
  next Storm Bull temple or priest and try again.
  L
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  Cold
  Ice
  Light
  Undead
  Heat
  
  Classic Edition
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  RuneQuest
  As stated in RuneQuest Classic, an Initiate or priest of one 
  cult may become  a priest or Initiate of another by making the 
  same roll she made to become an Initiate of the first cult, for both 
  cults. Generally, this is a matter of adding the character's POW 
  and CHA to a quantity equal to 1 for every 100 Lunars contributed 
  to the cult, dividing the result by three, and mutliplying by 5 to 
  find the percentage chance of being accepted.
  This chart also supplants that method. Now the player of the 
  prospective multi-cult character must multiply first by his cult's 
  reaction to the potential new cult. If that roll is successful, he 
  must multiply then by the other cult's reaction to his first cult. 
  Nysalor illuminates do not use this chart except as it pertains 
  to other cults to which they may belong.
  CULT COMPATABILITY CHART
  0 – enemy
  1 – hostile
  2 – neutral
  3 – friendly
  4 - associated
  Daka Fal
  Storm Bull
  Waha
  Eiritha
  Humakt
  Seven Mothers
  Pavis
  Yelmalio
  Issaries
  Chalana Arroy
  Lhankor Mhy
  Orlanth
  Kyger Litor
  Zorak Zoran
  Aldrya
  Primal Chaos
  Mallia
  Bagog
  Thed
  Vivamort
  Thanatar
  Crimson Bat
  Krarsht
  Nysalor
  Daka Fal
  -
  1
  1
  1
  1
  3
  2
  1
  1
  2
  1
  1
  4
  1
  4
  0
  0
  0
  4
  0
  0
  0
  0
  2
  Storm Bull
  2
  -
  4
  4
  2
  1
  1
  2
  2
  4
  2
  3
  2
  4
  2
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  Waha
  2
  4
  -
  4
  2
  1
  2
  2
  2
  2
  2
  2
  2
  2
  2
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  Eiritha
  2
  4
  4
  -
  2
  2
  2
  2
  2
  3
  2
  2
  2
  1
  4
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  Humakt
  2
  2
  2
  2
  -
  1
  2
  2
  2
  2
  2
  3
  2
  1
  2
  2
  1
  2
  2
  0
  0
  2
  1
  2
  Seven Mothers
  3
  2
  3
  3
  2
  -
  3
  3
  2
  3
  2
  1
  2
  1
  3
  4
  0
  2
  2
  2
  1
  3
  1
  4
  Pavis
  2
  1
  2
  3
  2
  2
  -
  3
  3
  3
  3
  3
  2
  1
  4
  1
  0
  0
  1
  0
  0
  2
  1
  2
  Yelmalio
  2
  2
  2
  2
  2
  2
  3
  -
  2
  3
  2
  2
  1
  0
  4
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  2
  0
  2
  Issaries
  3
  3
  3
  3
  3
  2
  3
  3
  -
  4
  4
  4
  2
  2
  2
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  Chalana Arroy
  3
  4
  3
  3
  2
  2
  3
  3
  4
  -
  4
  4
  2
  1
  4
  0
  0
  2
  2
  0
  1
  2
  2
  2
  Lhankor Mhy
  2
  2
  2
  2
  2
  1
  2
  2
  4
  4
  -
  4
  2
  2
  2
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  Orlanth
  2
  3
  2
  2
  3
  1
  3
  2
  4
  4
  4
  -
  2
  1
  2
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  Kyger Litor
  4
  3
  2
  2
  2
  1
  2
  1
  1
  1
  1
  1
  -
  4
  1
  0
  1
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  Zorak Zoran
  2
  4
  2
  2
  1
  0
  1
  1
  2
  1
  1
  1
  4
  -
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  Aldrya
  4
  2
  2
  4
  2
  2
  4
  4
  2
  4
  2
  2
  1
  0
  -
  1
  1
  1
  1
  1
  1
  1
  1
  3
  Primal Chaos
  2
  0
  0
  2
  2
  4
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  0
  2
  -
  4
  4
  4
  4
  4
  4
  4
  4
  Mallia
  3
  2
  2
  3
  1
  2
  3
  2
  3
  0
  3
  3
  3
  2
  3
  4
  -
  3
  4
  4
  2
  2
  3
  4
  Bagog
  2
  0
  1
  2
  2
  2
  2
  1
  2
  2
  2
  1
  1
  0
  2
  4
  2
  -
  3
  2
  2
  2
  2
  4
  Thed
  4
  0
  1
  1
  2
  2
  2
  1
  1
  2
  1
  1
  1
  0
  1
  4
  4
  3
  -
  2
  2
  2
  2
  4
  Vivamort
  0
  0
  1
  2
  0
  2
  2
  1
  1
  0
  1
  1
  1
  1
  2
  4
  4
  3
  3
  -
  3
  3
  3
  4
  Thanatar
  2
  0
  1
  2
  0
  2
  2
  1
  1
  1
  0
  1
  1
  1
  2
  4
  3
  2
  2
  2
  -
  2
  3
  4
  Crimson Bat
  3
  0
  2
  3
  2
  3
  2
  2
  2
  2
  2
  2
  2
  0
  2
  4
  2
  2
  2
  1
  1
  -
  2
  4
  Krarsht
  2
  1
  1
  2
  1
  2
  2
  1
  2
  2
  2
  1
  2
  1
  2
  4
  2
  2
  2
  2
  3
  2
  -
  4
  Nysalor
  3
  3
  3
  3
  3
  4
  3
  3
  3
  3
  3
  3
  1
  1
  3
  4
  4
  4
  4
  4
  4
  4
  4
  -
  This table combines the cults featured in Cults of Prax with the 
  cults of this book. Further research demonstrated inaccuracies 
  in the original chart; this chart supercedes the previous 
  compatibility chart.
  When determining a cultist's attitude toward another cult, read 
  the horizontal line corresponding to the cultist's affiliation across 
  to the vertical column for the other cult. THIS IS NOT A MIRROR 
  IMAGE CHART: for instance, the proselytizing Seven Mothers 
  are detrminedly friendly to Waha, but Waha nomads are hostile 
  to Seven Mothers. Many chaos cults are neutral to Lightbringer 
  cults, but Lightbringers are enemies to all chaos cults.
  Unless a potential lay member is a member of a hostile or 
  enemy cult in the eyes of the cult he wishes to join, the lay member 
  of the one cult may usually become a lay member of another cult.
  
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  Cults of Terror
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  THANATAR NOTES
  CULT SYMBOLS
  Cult colors are black and silver. Cult Rune metal is tarnished 
  silver. The cult stone is flint. The cult phyla is man, which it uses 
  for its magic and familiars.
  Silver possessed by this cult for more than one year becomes 
  permanently tarnished. Nothing short of Divine Intervention will 
  untarnish Thanatar silver. No decent merchant will accept such 
  coinage.
  CULT GARB
  Rune levels of the cult wear black robes trimmed with silver. 
  Initiates wear untrimmed black clothing. Rune levels prefer 
  to wear silver armor. If iron armor and weapons are available, 
  they will be plated with silver before use. All cult warriors will 
  wear ram-horned helmets if possible. The High Priest will affect 
  a ram-horned skull mask of polished (but tarnished!) silver; 
  it often will be trimmed with gems and may be evaluated as 
  heirloom jewelry.
  NETS
  Part of every culture in Glorantha, and in any other world, is the 
  net. A net is usually a set of lines knotted together into a grid 
  pattern made to catch objects too big to fit through the holes of 
  the grid. The mesh of a net can be small, for catching small fish, 
  or large, for snaring larger prey, such as men.
  For game purposes there are three nets of interest: fishing 
  nets, trapping nets, and combat nets. Their many similarities 
  include their manner of construction.
  NETMAKING
  Netmaking is a manipulation skill. While a netmaker may 
  specialize in one of the three net forms (fishing, trapping, 
  or combat), he can make any of the three types. This skill is 
  common to foresters, fishers, and mariners. Its basic chance is 
  15%: its nominal cost to learn is 300/600/900/EXP.
  The netmaker’s player rolls once upon completion of the net 
  to see if it always works. If not, each time the net is stressed, the 
  character’s Netmaking percentage at the time he made the net must 
  be rolled equal to or less on D100. If the roll is not successful, the 
  net will break, unravel, or fall apart in some fashion.
  COMMON ATTRIBUTES OF NETS
  For game purposes, all nets have two attributes, SIZ and STR/
  hit points.
  SIZ is the size (area) of the net. Combat nets rarely are larger 
  than SIZ 20, the maximum size usable by a man with one hand. 
  Fishing and trapping nets may be of any size, but require one 
  man per 20 points SIZ if the entire net is to be manipulated at 
  once. Any net must have a larger SIZ than its intended target or 
  it cannot fully entrap that target.
  Nets commonly have a strength of 4D6+18 (an average of 
  32), and the STR also counts as its hit points in any one area. A 
  being has three options to quickly emerge from an ensnaring net: 
  ripping it open, cutting it open, or burning it open.
  Ripping Open a Net - The character must match his STR 
  versus the net’s STR on the resistance table. A successful roll 
  means that the net now has a hole in it large enough to crawl 
  through. A second successful roll lets the ripper walk through the 
  Before I returned home, though, I made the short ride to 
  Oxhead to visit Ketil Ericsbane, who then was Chief Priest 
  of Orlanth there. Though perhaps as penny-pinching as 
  before, he set a fine table for the two of us. We exchanged 
  formalities over the meat, pleasantries over the bread, and 
  got serious over the mead.
  “That Oddi,” Ketil said. “I can’t quite trust him. He 
  has something strange about him now. He laughs at the 
  wrong times. Sometimes he changes his mind too quickly 
  from serious matters.”
  “There’s no doubting that he’s a good king,” Ketil 
  added. “I’m astounded that he can get the Lunar goods 
  as he wishes and yet keep out the Etyries merchants.” 
  This was more astounding than I could tell Ketil, for the 
  dispensation had come from the Red Emperor himself. “He 
  tithes his farms regularly, and does not harass the peasants. 
  His seasonal sacrifices are feasts of roasted cattle for all 
  those that work his lands. Yet…” Here Ketil could but 
  shake his head disapprovingly.
  “Everyone, not just his hired poets, sing his generosity 
  and wisdom,” I agreed. “And he is courageous.” Oddi 
  had a great reputation as a fighter; already arrogant fame 
  seekers sought to slay him, but all those Oddi had killed 
  calmly, without grin, tear, or boast afterwards.
  “Yes,” Ketil said, “Oddi the Brave they call him. And 
  who else could have stood against great Ralzakark, and 
  killed that monster twice in one melee?” We both smiled 
  recalling that day of blood and triumph.
  “He is just, too,” I added, for I wished to allay Ketil’s 
  mind as best I could. “And pious.” Orlanth ordered his 
  worshippers have five virtues. Oddi had all.
  But Ketil grimaced. “Yes, he is just, and he pays his 
  tithes.”
  Poor Ketil, Oddi had shown no interest in more than 
  cursory membership in Orlanth. We investigated the mead 
  again, and then I spoke more of Oddi’s devotion to his 
  people. Then I requested that the poet in the corner sing 
  Beovarg’s Song, the tale of a scandalously impious hero of 
  another Age, always a favorite of the Orlanthi. After I had 
  made some promises for Oddi, and given a few presents of 
  my own, Ketil’s mood changed somewhat. “Well, no man is 
  perfect,” he admitted.
  “Perfection is for the gods,” I suggested, and we 
  drank to the idea.
  Ketil agreed to underwrite the new temple which 
  Oddi wanted. He affirmed his vows next morning, when I 
  left early to follow the Erinflarth on the first leg of my trip 
  to see my long-missed family. Oxhead would send priests 
  far up the Sludgestream to follow the farmers who were 
  reclaiming its lower reaches. Oddi would be as pleased 
  as he could be. The thought made me smile. I wished the 
  land and its people a just peace while I was gone, and that 
  never would I see Oddi, Ketil, or any of my friends from 
  there again.
  - The end.
  
  Classic Edition
  91
  RuneQuest
  Combined Attacks - A net could be cut and burned at the 
  same time to reduce its hit points, which also reduces its STR, 
  and then the victim could apply his STR versus the weakened 
  STR of the net and rip his way out.
  FIGHTING WITH NETS
  Only combat nets are meant to be used in battle. Other nets 
  usually are too big, and are weighted differently to fulfill their 
  primary function. Any warrior trained in fighting with a net will 
  use a fishing or trapping net at half his normal ability with the 
  combat net.
  Fighting with a net is a unique combat skill. It requires a 
  specially-made combat net. There are two combat nets, the 
  normal net and the large net. Each has a basic chance of 05, 
  costs 100 Lunars to make, and has a nominal price to learn of 
  400/800/1600/EXP. The normal combat net has an ENC of 2, a 
  STR of 15, and a strike rank of 2; the large combat net has an 
  ENC of 3, a STR of 20, and a strike rank of 1.
  A combat net can be snapped with (doing 1D4 damage), 
  much as children do with wet towels, or it can ensnare an 
  opponent. Fighters normally carry nets on the left arm, and in 
  that position the net can be used as a shield. In absorbing blows 
  hole. This assumes that the ripper has not been trussed up in the 
  net and can still move his arms and hands, perhaps getting some 
  leverage with his feet. Even a common net usually will be strong 
  enough to hold a man, but those wanting to trap great trolls get 
  stronger nets made.
  Cutting Open a Net - Only edged weapons work against 
  nets. If the enmeshed being has an easily reached sheathed knife, 
  he may be able to pull it out and cut with it. Edged weapons 
  already in hand might also work in the referee’s judgement, but 
  such weapons in such a case will do only the damage of a dagger, 
  because of problems of leverage and the unusual awkwardness 
  of the cutting angle. Damage bonuses and Bladesharp will add 
  cutting power. For the victim to escape the net, he must destroy 
  the entire hit points of the net (they are the same as the STR of 
  the net). The full hit points are present in every area of the net, 
  and should one part of the net be cut open, other parts will have 
  the same hit points.
  Burning Open a Net - Nets usually are flammable, and will 
  take full damage from a torch or Fireblade. Unless excessively 
  dry, though, a net will not catch fire, so that the flaming object 
  must be held against the net each turn until the hit points are 
  burned away.
  NEW SKILLS
  Skill 
  Cult(s) 
  Lay Member Cost 
  Initiate Cost 
  Outsider Cost 
  Acting** 
  Krarsht 
  unavailable 
  200/500/1500/exp 
  500/1000/3000/exp
  Bat Mastery 
  Crimson Bat 
  unavailable 
  for priests only@ 
  unavailable
   
   
    
  5% per 4 weeks; free
  Brew Pratzim 
  Krarsht 
  unavailable 
  free 
   
  400/800/1600/3200*
  Bribery** 
  Krarsht 
  unavailable 
  free 
   
  500/1000/exp
  Disguise* 
  Krarsht 
  unavailable 
  200/400/800/exp 
  200/400/800/1600**
  Garrote 
  Thanatar 
  200/4001800/exp 
  free 
   
  unavailable
  Hurl Pratzim 
  Krarsht 
  300/600/1200/exp 
  same as lay member 
  600/1200/2400/exp*
  Identify Disease 
  Mallia, Arroin 
  unavailable 
  200/400/800/1600 
  unavailable
  Net Attack/Parry** 
  Krarsht, various 
  400/800/1000/exp 
  same as lay member 
  same as lay member
  Net Making** 
  various 
  300/600/900/exp 
  varies by cult 
  same as lay member
  Prepare Disease Potion Mallia 
  unavailable 
  400/800/1600/2400 
  unavailable
  Sense Order** 
  Krarsht 
  unavailable 
  learn 5% in first week; unavailable
   
   
    
  the rest by experience
  Spread Disease 
  Mallia 
  unavailable 
  300/600/1200/2000 
  unavailable
  Sword Biter 
  Vivamort 
  unavailable 
  400/800/1200/exp 
  unavailable
  Teeth of Krarsht 
  Krarsht 
  unavailable 
  100/300/900/exp 
  1800 for 25%/exp
  Treat Disease 
  Mallia, Chalana Arroy unavailable 
  400/800/1600/2000 
  unavailable
  * These skills are rarely available to non-cultists except in special circumstances.
  **These skills may be available through other cults not described in this book or in “Cults of Prax”. 
  NEW BATTLE MAGIC
  Spell 
  Points 
  Cult 
  Lay Member Cost 
  Initiate Cost 
  Outsider Cost 
  Image Creation 
  2 
  Krarsht 
  2000 
  free 
  2000
  Sneeze 
  2 
  Mallia 
  unavailable 
  500 
  1500
  True Net 
  variable 
  Krarsht 
  regular 
  500 per point 
  regular
  All costs are in Lunars.
  
  92
  Cults of Terror
  RuneQuest
  Defending Against Nets - A net may be parried. The shield 
  used to parry a net is caught in the net, immobilizing the shield 
  arm, unless the parrier rolls his DEX or less on D100. A weapon 
  used to parry a net will be caught unless the parrying character 
  makes a roll of DEX times 5 or less on D100. If the attacker’s 
  weapon is caught in the net, it immobilizes his weapon arm 
  unless he lets go of the weapon.
  A fishing or trapping net dropping upon a victim from above 
  cannot be parried, though the victim may be able to dodge it.
  -Steve Perrin
  from edged weapons, its hit points will be destroyed just as 
  would be a regular weapon’s. Trainees in Net Fighting learn both 
  attack and parry.
  Attacking to Ensnare - a successful attack which is not 
  parried allows the attacker a roll on a special hit location table.
  01-10 legs caught, cannot move, arms, upper torso, and head are 
  free.
  11-12 arms caught; legs and head are free.
  13-15 right arm and head caught.
  16-18 left arm and head caught.
  19-20 head caught, vision obscured, attack/parry halved.
  The areas caught must be freed by ripping, cutting, or 
  burning, as outlined above. If there is no tension on the net, 
  the victim can simply unwind the net from himself. A D100 
  roll equal to or less than the victim’s DEX as a percentage 
  will accomplish the unwinding. Make the roll once per melee 
  round. If the character’s arms are pinned, he cannot unwind 
  without help.
  NEW 1-POINT RUNE SPELLS
  Spell 
  Primary Cult 
  Assoc./Secondary
  Bat Wings 
  Crimson Bat 
  none
  Cause Brain Fever 
  Mallia 
  none
  Cause Chills 
  Mallia 
  Vivamort
  Cause Shakes 
  Mallia 
  none
  Cause Wasting Disease 
  Mallia 
  Thed
  Chomping 
  Krarsht 
  none
  Claws 
  Bagog 
  none
  Crack 
  Thed 
  none
  Create Ghost 
  Cacodemon 
  Thed
  Create Minor Head 
  Thanatar 
  none
  Create Skeleton 
  Vivamort, Thanatar 
  none
  Cure Brain Fever 
  Mallia 
  none
  Cure Chills 
  Mallia 
  none
  Cure Shakes 
  Mallia 
  none
  Cure Wasting Disease 
  Mallia 
  none
  Darklight 
  Thanatar 
  none
  Defend Against Law 
  Krarsht 
  none
  Face Law 
  Krarsht 
  none
  Fangs 
  Crimson Bat 
  none
  Fumble 
  Thed 
  none
  Ingest Scroll 
  Thanatar 
  none
  Jabbers 
  Bagog 
  none
  Minor Infection 
  Mallia 
  none
  Sprout Legs 
  Bagog 
  none
  Summon Guardian 
  Thanatar 
  none
  Venom Boosting 
  Bagog 
  none
  NEW 2-POINT RUNE SPELLS
  Spell 
  Primary Cult 
  Assoc./Secondary
  Carapace 
  Bagog 
  none
  Chaos Spawn 
  Thed 
  none
  Create Ghost 
  Vivamort, Thanatar 
  none
  Create Major Head 
  Thanatar 
  none
  Create Zombie 
  Vivamort 
  none
  Devour Book 
  Thanatar 
  none
  Ecstatic Communion 
  Vivamort 
  none
  Power Drain 
  Crimson Bat 
  none
  Raise Ghoul 
  Vivamort 
  none
  Reverse Chaos 
  Thed 
  none
  Speak to Scorpion 
  Bagog 
  none
  Sum. Specific Guardian Thanatar 
  none
  Sum. Spirit of Teaching Thanatar 
  none
  Sum. Voice of Atyar 
  Thanatar 
  none
  NEW 3-POINT RUNE SPELLS
  Spell 
  Primary Cult 
  Assoc./Secondary
  Cause Plague 
  Mallia 
  none
  Chaos Feature 
  Primal Chaos 
  all Chaos cults
  Consume Mind 
  Thanatar 
  none
  Glow Spot 
  Crimson Bat 
  none
  Rebirth of Chaos 
  Thed 
  none
  Ritual of Rebirth 
  Bagog 
  none
  Sum. Spirit of Reprisal 
  Thanatar 
  none
  H. NEW RUNE SPELLS
  
  Classic Edition
  93
  RuneQuest
  Plunder – Individualized booty for RuneQuest parties. Includes 
  minor historical notes and references. By Rudy Kraft.
  Foes – Contains 1200 individualized statistics for over 60 types 
  of Gloranthan human, other sapient, or monster. Interior cover art 
  size comparison chart. Saves much time in setting up RuneQuest 
  adventures. By David Forthoffer.
  The Wyrms Footnotes – This is now the official RuneQuest 
  magazine, and has undergone a general upgrading in appearance, 
  care, and presentation. Frequent materials dealing directly with 
  Glorantha. Edited by Charlie Krank.
  Different Worlds – A general FRP magazine which will include 
  Gloranthan data such as new cults and designers’ notes. Edited 
  by Tadashi Ehara.
  The following works are planned, but have no set date of 
  publication. Titles are tentative.
  Lords of Fate (formerly Masters of Luck and Death) – The third 
  boardgame of Dragon Pass. A Heroquest to become the ruling 
  deity on the board. Covers the Holy Country to the south of 
  Dragon Pass. By Greg Stafford.
  Men of the West – The humanist knights and wizards of Brithos 
  and how their society interacts with the theists of central 
  Genertela and Dragon Pass particularly. By Charlie Krank.
  HeroQuest – A new FRP game compatible with but distinct 
  from RuneQuest. The mighty of Glorantha enter the lands of 
  myth and legend, penetrating the immortal stories to fight in the 
  Gods War, to crusade against chaos, or to aid the Lightbringers. 
  A revolutionary concept and approach to myth, magic, and 
  gaming. By Greg Stafford.
  The Pavis Campaign – Maps, personalities, scenarios, cults, and 
  other background material bearing on the city of New Pavis and 
  the vast ruins of the Big Rubble (Old Pavis). Material is drawn 
  from the campaign led by Steve Perrin.
  The Dorastor Campaign – The nastiest place in Glorantha, 
  Dorastor has ruins, poison forests, demonic spirits, mutant elves, 
  chaos heroes, unspeakable monsters, hideous geography, and 
  other reasons to avoid it. Recommended for the bravest, boldest, 
  and most foolish.
  Others – The Dark Troll Campaign, The Elf Campaign, The 
  Mostali Campaign, The Lunar Cults, The Grazelanders, The 
  Sartar Campaign, The Hero Wars, Ships and Islands, more.
  OTHER GLORANTHAN MATERIAL
  Glorantha is the discovery of Greg Stafford, who has accumulated 
  that universe’s myths, histories, legends, and lore since 1966. 
  He has recorded well over a million manuscript words on the 
  subject. Some material appeared previously in fanzines, but they 
  now are out of print and no longer available. Other material has 
  appeared since 1975 in Chaosium publications. This appendix is 
  a guide to those sources.
  PUBLISHED SOURCES
  Dragon Pass (formerly White Bear & Red Moon) – This game 
  started it all. It is a board-game based on Dragon Pass and the 
  wars fought between Prince Argrath and the Lunar Empire. 
  Besides the rules, it includes short histories of the many human 
  and non-human nations and races in Dragon Pass, and of the 
  heroes and superheroes of the age. By Bob Corbett and Greg 
  Stafford.
  Nomad Gods – The second board-game published, it extends 
  to the east the map in Dragon Pass, dealing with the Animal 
  Nomads of Prax. It is compatible with Dragon Pass, and in its 
  new boxed version all game mechanics are transferable, so that 
  a double-sized version with Dragon Pass is playable. By Bob 
  Corbett and Greg Stafford.
  RuneQuest Classic – This is the fantasy role-playing game of 
  the universe of Glorantha. It holds light background material 
  concerning that place. By Steve Perrin, Ray Turney, Steve 
  Henderson, Warren James, and Greg Stafford.
  Cults of Prax – Extensive mythical, magical, and social notes 
  of Prax and Pavis. A close look at the lifestyles of some of 
  Glorantha’s more primitive residents, with narrative notes by 
  Biturian Varosh. By Steve Perrin and Greg Stafford.
  Griffin Mountain – A very large scenario pack about the lands 
  of the Balazarings, to the north of Dragon Pass. Large maps link 
  to the Dragon Pass map at the same scale. Citadels, giants, water 
  creatures, chaos nests, griffins, wind swords, traders, ambushes, 
  all inter-tied and cross-referenced for hundreds of possible 
  adventures. By Paul Jaquays, Rudy Kraft, and Greg Stafford.
  Snake Pipe Hollow – Dense scenario pack for stronger characters 
  in this Dragon Pass adventure set. Underground adventures and 
  overland encounters. By Rudy Kraft and Greg Stafford.
  Apple Lane – This scenario pack is for beginning characters and/
  or referees. It has two scenarios, much background detail and 
  many NPC statistics. By Greg Stafford.
  RuneMasters – This companion to Cults of Prax gives complete 
  statistics for a very strong Initiate, Rune Lord, and Rune Priest 
  for each of 15 cults in Cults of Prax. Has also a full commentary 
  on the growth, care, retinue, and the fighting formations that a 
  Rune-level party will use. By William R. Keyes.
  
  94
  Cults of Terror
  RuneQuest
  DESIGNER NOTES CONTINUED
  Primal Chaos is the first cult. It is relatively simple, a simple trade 
  of personal characteristics for chaotic features. Mallia is next, the 
  goddess of Disease whose powers are invisible and cruel, and 
  within the cult are a whole new batch of horrible sicknesses to 
  plague a campaign and give your characters a slow and lingering 
  death which is entirely unworthy of any heroic individual. 
  Bagog is the goddess of scorpion people who eats her enemies 
  and gives birth to a mutated form of her meal. Thed is the 
  Mother of Broos, the primary foe of the world whose ancestors 
  maneuvered the birth of Chaos and nearly brought the destruction 
  of all of creation. Vivamort, the God of Vampires, gives even 
  more terrifying powers to those undead, and almost unkillable, 
  monsters. Thanatar is the creepiest thing I have ever read, and I 
  swear that none of my PCs would ever venture against a temple 
  of Thanatar if they have a choice. His horrors must be read to be 
  believed. The Crimson Bat, familiar to devotees of Dragon Pass, 
  is a monstrous mutated animal who sold out to chaos and has 
  managed to survive ever since, supported by its worshippers who 
  fear it so much they will join it. Krarsht is the deity of rottenness 
  within, subtle and vicious, eating away at the hearts of men and 
  the world. And last is Nysalor, also called Gbaji, the Illuminator, 
  a mysterious and enigmatic deity whose strongest power is the 
  inherent fears and evils that lurk hidden within all of creation.
  The write-up is preceded by a long and detailed discussion of 
  the cosmology of the world, as well as philosophical discussion 
  of the world of Glorantha. I wrote this as background to give 
  a proper idea of the place of chaos within the world, and to 
  help satisfy the thirst of those people who are clamoring for 
  more information about the world. It includes both mythical 
  and historical background, revealing more of the secrets of the 
  universe. I wanted to fill in the motivations of the gods, and also 
  to provide many hints about possible scenarios. This section is 
  about ten pages long and full of surprises.
  Of major interest in the development of this book is that 
  there are a total of nine other contributors to it. Cults of Prax was 
  a joint effort by Steve Perrin and myself. While compiling this 
  book I wanted to spread the work and effort, and to tap into the 
  creative minds of other referees and players. We had originally 
  intended to include both these deities and some of the other 
  good guy deities, but the contributions of the good guys were 
  far overbalanced by these and so we decided to go with only 
  Cults of Terror. The others will appear in other Chaosium Inc. 
  publications when appropriate.
  The efforts of the authors are apparent in the write-ups, and 
  there is not a page of submission that was not rewritten at least 
  once. During these rewrites some of the religions underwent 
  considerable changes, usually for the worse. The Thanatar cult, 
  by Paul Jaquays, grew from being a simply disgusting and gross 
  cult to fulfill an important place in the cosmic scheme as the 
  enemy of Lhankor Mhy, God of Knowledge. Sean Summers’ 
  Vivamort underwent at least three changes in its development, 
  changing through many playtests until we finally found the 
  proper presentation and powers which’ were appropriate to its 
  place in the world. Of particular interest was the cult submitted 
  by John Natzke. We played with it, expanded it, and worked hard 
  upon its development until it had a life of its own. Eventually 
  it grew too large and complex to maintain its integrity and 
  consistency so that it burst into two separate cults. Thus hatched 
  Bagog, Scorpion Mother, and Krarsht, the Hungry One. This was 
  a most peculiar development, but like so much which occurs in 
  FRP it had simply taken on a life of its own and grown beyond 
  the original conceptions. I am afraid that the world of Glorantha 
  is the worse for it, but the creative effort that came about was a 
  wonderful experience of us all who participated.
  Like all Chaosium Inc. products, Cults of Terror is marked 
  by a fictional narrative that illustrates the text at hand with active 
  examples of how the cults and monsters could appear in play. 
  This one is the saga of Oddi the Keen and his long struggle 
  against the growing threat of chaos armies from the vile land of 
  Dorastor. The writing of this section was a particular delight to 
  me, for I find wonder in the creative process and enjoy watching 
  the growth and change of it.
  Originally I wrote out the sections which were intended to be 
  the examples. I wrote about a somewhat dour individual called Ketil 
  Ericsbane, a priest of Orlanth. Like all first drafts this one needed 
  much work, but because of the workload I was unable to devote my 
  full time to properly developing it. As I worked, conferring often 
  with Lynn and others, the emphasis of the saga slowly changed 
  so that, instead of Ketil, the center of the action was now Ketil’s 
  friend, Hahlgrim the Mighty, another Orlanthi priest.
  Writing is never as easy as we’d like it, and Lynn and I all 
  agreed that the saga needed more work. This time the task fell on 
  Lynn, our Production Manager. We discussed the needs of the text, 
  the desires of the writer, and the emphasis we wished to place. 
  Lynn worked and wrote hard, smoothing the lumps which I had 
  left and the creases which others had made, working it like fine 
  leather until it became the fine piece of work which is presented in 
  the book. And in its final form the main character, Hahlgrim, met 
  the fate so many characters meet and found his doom at the hands 
  of deceitful friends. In the end it was Oddi the Keen, brother to 
  Hahlgrim and a priest of Storm Bull, who emerged victorious in 
  both the story and the text.
  I have rarely engaged in such a wonderful effort as this 
  project became. Though we were presenting the deadliest and 
  most destructive deities of the world there was an enlightening 
  air of creativity that prevailed throughout the whole production. 
  I enjoyed the work, especially the multifaceted sharing which 
  was necessary with the seven contributors who were freelancers 
  and the two fellow employees of Chaosium Inc. It was a growing 
  thing, both in the immediate experience and the final product, and 
  a sharing thing, drawing upon the energies of many people who 
  worked cooperatively towards a final product that is a work of art.
  The making was a joy to me, and also to the others who 
  worked on the project. It seemed to be a penultimate example 
  of the real secret strength of FRP: the creative cooperation of 
  many minds participating to reach a common goal. We enjoyed 
  the effort, and we all have grown through it. We believe that we 
  have done our best in our efforts, and hope that we have managed 
  to convey some of the pleasures to you in our final product.
  We hope that you will like it as well.
  
  CHA4008-H $24.95 USD
  RuneQuest, HeroQuest and Glorantha are registered 
  trademarks of Moon Design Publications LLC.  
  All rights reserved. 
  Discover more at: www.chaosium.com. 
  a supplement for RuneQuest classic edition
  cults of terror 
  NINE DANGEROUS DEITIES FOR RUNEQUEST ROLE-PLAYING 
  The bad guys of Glorantha: nine cults of the cruel and unusual, destined 
  to enliven every campaign. Cults include PRIMAL CHAOS, MALLIA, 
  BAGOG, THED, VIVAMORT, THANATAR, THE CRIMSON BAT, KRARSHT, and 
  NYSALOR/GBAJI. Each cult has described cult myths, history, requirements 
  for lay, Initiate, and RuneMaster membership, subservient and associate cults, 
  and miscellaneous notes. There are now Rune spells, battle magics, skills, 
  five new Runes, an expanded cult compatibility chart, full rules for nets, a 
  pronunciation guide, the adventures of Lunar Initiate Paulis Longvale, and 
  exciting mythical and historical essays by Greg Stafford. This book is fully 
  compatible with RuneQuest classic edition; the concepts and descriptions in 
  it can be used for any fantasy role-playing system. Similar to Cults of Prax.
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Runequest and Glorantha (d100)/RuneQuest (d100) [multi]/Misc/RuneQuest Classic - Cults of Terror.pdf