# Tricksters in Glorantha/RuneQuest

There are many Trickster figures in Glorantha, some connected, some not. Many areas have local Trickster heroes, spirits or deities but there is one Trickster that is found in many areas - Eurmal.

I do not believe that all Tricksters are equivalent, except in a very general sense in the same way that all Storm deities are equivalent. So, Hyena is not the same as Raven who is not the same as Turnip Boy who is not the same as White Face who is not the same as Lanbril who is not the same as Eurmal. Similarly, modes of worship and abilities gained differ between the Trickster deities. Raven is worshipped in a different way to Hyena and both are different to Eurmal.

Most Tricksters are worshipped theistically, in other words as Gods who can be worshipped to gain Spirit and Divine Magic. In shamanic areas they may also be accessed shamanically to give particular shamans trickster powers.

The majority of Tricksters are restricted to one locale and can only be found in a single village, town, city or region. Generally, worshippers of one Trickster deity have no relationships with other Trickster deities and have to join the cults of other Tricksters in order to gain their abilities. Quite often an initiate of a Trickster deity can join the cults of a similar deity without penalties, but this depends on the cults involved. Most Trickster cults are mutually friendly or at least neutral to each other and membership is quite fluid.

I certainly do not believe that an initiate of a Trickster cult may access any Trickster rune magic simply by showing up at a shrine. This only applies to the cult of Eurmal and even then only under certain conditions. The idea of a single all-encompassing Trickster cult is on the one hand laughable and on the other repulsive and, in my opinion, not in the spirit of Glorantha.

## Shrines

There are many different types of Shrine to Trickster deities, ranging from Holy Places to hidden shrines, to shrines in associate cults to open shrines.

### Holy Places

These are sacred sites often relating to events that the Trickster performed in God Time. They rarely support a permanent cult but always provide some powers or abilities.

### Secret Shrines

These are shrines that outsiders do not know of and even many cultists are unaware of. Membership of cults at these shrines is definitely by invitation only and is a closely guarded secret. Many cults of the Thief Aspect or Assassin Aspect of Trickster cults have Secret Shrines.

### Hidden Shrines

These are shrines that outsiders may have heard of but are not particularly obvious. Quite often these are well known in the local area but do not make themselves known to outsiders.

### Open Shrines

These are known by outsiders and are generally visible and accessible. These are treated in the same way as normal temples. Cults based around open shrines are generally not dangerous ones otherwise they would be persucuted.

### Associate Shrines

These are shrines to Tricksters in associate cult temples. They act as normal Trickster shrines and can be used by Trickster initiates to repray rune magic or learn spirit magic.

### Non-Eurmal Shrines

Where a shrine is to a Trickster deity that is not Eurmal, it is treated as a normal shrine to a normal deity. It is tended by an acolyte, shaman or priest, needs a full complement of worshippers to be active and provides divine magic according to the temple size. These shrines are no diferent to those of other deities, such as Orlanth.

### Eurmal Shrines

The cult of Eurmal is different from any other cult in Glorantha. This means that its shrines are different from those of other cults.

- Each shrine grants a single divine spell that can be learned and reprayed ate the shrine.
- Shrines do not require a specific number of worshippers at the shrine in order to remain active.
- Each shrine is guarded by an initiate of Eurmal who controls access to the shrine. This initiate may require a service or task to be performed in order to grant access to the shrine.
- Where a shrine teaches a spirit magic spell, the shrine teaches the Spell Teaching spell but has a number of spell spirits associated with the shrine. When Spell Teaching is cast at the shrine, one of the spirits from the shrine is summoned and the appropriate spell may be learned. Any Spell Teaching spell from Eurmal may be reprayed here but other spells may not be learned here. Spell Teaching may not be used outside a shrine.
- Initiates of a particular Aspect of Eurmal will normally be well-received at shrines to the same Aspect. Learning spells from these shrines normally requires a simple service or gift.
- Initiates may repray spells at any shrine that grants the spell, whether or not the spell was lerned at that shrine. This also applies to shrines in associate cult temples.
- Members of associate cults to Eurmal may sacrifice for their associate cult spell at any Eurmal shrine that teaches the spell - so Orlanthi may learn Charisma from any Eurmal shrine that teaches Charisma, whether or not it forms part of an Orlanth temple.

## The Cult of Eurmal

The cult of Eurmal is unique in form and structure and nothing exists in Glorantha that is similar. This means that Eurmali gain rune magic in different ways and have different rules to other deities and, in particular, to other Tricksters.

- The cult of Eurmal is divided up into different Aspects, each of which is treated as a sub-cult of Eurmal.
- Each Aspect has access to a virtually open-ended list of divine magic, but shrines to Eurmal only teach one spell, so magic is difficult to come by.
- An initiate of Eurmal can access spells and abilities from all the Aspects but usually commits to a single Aspect or to a number of Aspects.
- When an initiate joins a particular Aspect, he sacrifices a point of POW as if becoming an initiate of the Aspect. This has no real effect apart from tying him to that Aspect. This then makes it a little easier to gain acceptance at shrines to that particular Aspect.
- Any initiate of Eurmal may sacrifice for Eurmali divine magic reusably, as if they were priests or acolytes.
- Eurmal initiates may learn skills from any Eurmali who is willing to teach the skills. Learning of skills is not automatic and is sometimes quite difficult.

Eurmali can be classified as several different types - clan based, village based, sponsored or outlaw.

### Clan-Based Eurmali

These serve a single clan and both support and are supported by the clan. While on clan territory the Eurmali are protected by the clan and any attack on the Eurmali is treated as an act of hostility and is in breach of clan hospitality and clan law. These Eurmali serve in the Eurmal position in HeroQuests, rituals, clan functions and clan councils.

### Village-Based Eurmali

These are based in a particular village or town and are similar to the clan-based Eurmali in that they are protected by the village they serve. They normally take the position of village idiot, village drunk, village fool or something similar. They act as Eurmal when required inn HeroQuests, councils, rituals or other village functions. Unlike the clan-based Eurmali, they are not tied to a single clan and thus can help different clans who are friendly to the village.

### Sponsored Eurmali

These are asociated with an important person, ususally a Wind Lord or Chieftain. Quite often the Eurmali is a bonded servant or slave, but this is not always the case. The Eurmali will restrict his activities so as not to hurt or embarass his sponsor or his sponsor's family or friends and, in return, the sponsor will protect the Eurmali. Sponsored Eurmali take part in HeroQuests or rituals as Eurmal and a close bond often forms between Eurmali and sponsor, especially when the sponsor performs many HeroQuests. Powerful Wind Lords or Chieftains may well have many sponsored Eurmali, each specialising in a different Aspect and this gives the sponsor great flexibilty when HeroQuesting.

### Outlaw Eurmali

These are not tied to a clan, village or sponsor and have no protection from harm. Many are wanderers but some stay in one area, perhaps guarding a shrine or raising a family. Outlaws have no protection and can be freely revenged against by those whom they have injured. Some people say that outlaw Eurmali may be attacked by all-comers, but I am not at all sure about this. Even though Eurmali are not protected by the law, they are protected by two things - fear of the Eurmali himself and fear of retribution from other Eurmali. Most Eurmali are fairly powerful at doing the things that they do and are tricky characters at the best of times, so an attack on an Eurmali must be sure to succeed otherwise he will be sure to escape. Even though Eurmali are individuals by nature, they do tend to stick together when threatened and wil often take revenge on those who kill other Eurmali without reason. Many outlaw Eurmali will travel and get to know other Eurmali and will treat them as friends or colleagues and will not look kindly on attacks by outsiders.

[End]