Gagarth Entry Requirements: Be outlawed and demonstrate useful abilities. If a worshipper of the Storm Pantheon, survive attacks by appropriate agents of reprisal (see Thunder Rebels). Physical Abilities: Close Combat (Spear Fighting), Maintain Pursuit, Ranged Combat (Thrown Spear), Ride Horse. Mental Abilities: Boast, Bully, Mythology of Gagarth, Resist Authority, Taunt. Virtues: Cruel, Violent. Affinities: Wild Hunter (Long-reaching Spear, Never Lose Spoor, Run Down Prey, Spot the Weakest) Wild Wind (Abrasive Wind, Howl Like the Wind, Stinging Hail, Direct Tornado, Windwalking Steed) Secret: Spinstorm Dance (Ritual magic. The devotee performs an ecstatic dance, at the end of which he transforms bodily into a whirlvish. His ability rating in the secret becomes his Might. He retains enough intellect to know friend from foe and carry out tasks, but loses most physical, mental, and personality abilities, which are replaced by whirlvish abilities. The worshipper may voluntarily transform back to human form only after he has slain a victim. If his whirlvish body is disrupted physically, he also returns to his human form). Worshippers: Outlaws of Heortling society: bandits, renegades, and kinslayers. Other Side: Various myths recount how Gagarth is granted or takes a stead in the Storm Realm, then tell how he will not tend and care for it. He is jealous, however, and will not allow another to claim even what he has discarded. Gagarth's Stead lies in the Outlaw Wilds of the Storm Realm; although ruined and abandoned, he will furiously confront any that travel there. After death, Gagarth's worshippers may win a place in his Wild Hunt, but are just as likely to become its prey. Other Connections: Gagarth is an enemy of the Storm Tribe Pantheon. Heortling worshippers of Gagarth are often encountered with Praxian worshippers of the Wild Hunter Practice. Holy Days: Gagarth's holy days occur each season on the Winds Day of Disorder Week. His high holy day is held on the holy day during Dark Season, when great raids are staged to gain vengeance against Orlanth for outlawing Gagarth and stripping him of many of his powers. Selven Hara Selven Hara was once a woman, but through Sedenya became a goddess. She was born in the Fifth Wane (about 150 years ago), and as an adult became a merchant. She traveled widely and studied the teachings of Etyries, the merchant goddess. At Gostolos she heard and absorbed the Word of Etyries, whereupon she began her thirty years of ministry. After death she became a goddess to protect the organization that she had founded, the Ibex Moon Society. Entry Requirements: Be a worshipper of Etyries, any of the Seven Mothers, or any aspect of the Lunar great goddess, or join the Ibex Moon Society as a permanent employee. Mental Skills: Mythology of Etyries, Mythology of Selven Hara. Virtues: Calm, Inclusiveness, Loyal to Customers. Affinity: Travel Safely (Be Understood by Anyone, Calm Strangers, Detect Enemy, Find Shelter, Run) Secret: Escape Safely (Automatically succeed at a single final action during any contest in which the character has used his Travel Safely affinity, even if he normally would not be allowed a final action.) Sacrifices: Worshippers of Selven Hara typically purchase small birds and animals for sacrifice, such as doves and rabbits. Rather than being slain or burnt, however, worshippers set the animals free as a sign of devotion to the goddess. Worshippers: About 800, scattered at many stops along the Oslira River. Manifestations: Selven Hara's presence can be felt whenever one of her worshippers leads, protects, or safely returns a customer. Although the Ibex is not used by her worshippers as a draft or riding animal, that animal is considered sacred by Selven Hara, and is often used to represent her. Other Side: Selven Hara has a home upon the face of the Red Moon in one of the Nathic valleys. After death her worshippers rest for a while upon that divine celestial body, as is common among Lunar initiates. Other Connections: The cult of the goddess Etyries is the leading mercantile cult in the Lunar Empire. Temples are in all major cities, most smaller ones, and many borderlands. The cult customarily helps the society, for a small fee. Disadvantages: Selven Hara is not always appreciated by locals, primarily because of its Lunar affiliation rather than its or its members' activities. Rufelza, the Red Moon Goddess Rufelza is the Red Goddess who is visible overhead day and night. She is the big red celestial body, and her powers are big, broad and sweeping, simple to understand, and immediate. Rufelza is the Red Moon: red blood, red earth, and red rage. She was created when Wakboth the Destroyer impregnated the great goddess Glorantha, and born when the Spike exploded. Her personal tribulations saved the whole world (including the earliest peoples), so all things are her descendants. Bad gods and powers have not all surrendered to her, though, and her job is not finished. She was born as the avatar Teelo Estara; conquered this world, the Other World, and then Chaos; and brought Glorantha back to life. When everyone worships her then the world will be whole. Rufelza is the Divine Contradiction, who cannot be comprehended by most people. When the paradox of her existence is understood, the worshipper can counter any magical act with its opposite, just as the goddess does. Her cult has the largest number of worshippers of any Lunar cult. Its subcults are the Phase Temples, each of which is recognized as one of the Seven Mothers. Entry Requirements: None. Mental Skills: Embrace Contradictions, Mental Balance, Mythology of Rufelza, Sedenyic Philosophy. Virtues: Inclusiveness, Independence. Affinities: Chaos (Control Chaos Creature, Hide Chaos Taint, Use Chaos Talent) Madness (Cure Madness, Make Dizzy, Make Scared, Mind Blast) Revenge (Recognize Enemy, Strike Enemy, Summon Terrifying Entity, Terrify Oppressor) Secret: Paradoxical Defense (Acts as a mystic counter only against magical attacks.) Sacrifices: On holy days, it is expected that nobles and merchants will contribute food and drink to the Rufelzan priests in homage to the Goddess’ unifying and equalizing ways. It is customary for Rufelza's worshippers to give a day’s labor to their priest as a sacrifice to show their dedication to the Goddess. Worshippers: Common people, especially the mob. Rufelza accepts everyone and everything into her cult. Manifestations: The primary manifestation of Rufelza is the Red Moon itself, which is visible in the sky above Glorantha all day and night. In this way, her worshippers know that they are always within sight of their Goddess, who makes them One with her and with each other. Other Side: Rufelza’s favorite home on the surface of the Red Moon is the Ocular Palace that stands in the center of the Ruby City. It is a city of dream and immersion where individuals are lost amid endless pleasure, exotic sensations and overwhelming passions of service and harmony. Initiates can exit from here to Sedenya’s Throne. Other Connections: Supported by the Imperial government. Disadvantages: Subject to the Lunar Cycle; considered by many to be "low brow." Ygg of Threestep Ygg was a storm god, a son of Valind and raised upon the glacier at the height of the storm tribe's glory. His grandfather Vadrus was defeated, and his father Valind was tamed, but Ygg was never conquered. He cared only for his worshippers, a band of nearly lost seafarers who sailed their fragile ships through seas of salt and ice. Ygg steered them to refuge from the Black Ice and the Cascading Glacier. After centuries of isolation in their northern homeland, Ygg sent a great hero to lead his people to freedom. Dormal came and taught the rites of Openwater Sailing to the Yggites. Now they sail once again on the waters of the world, raiding all those they meet to give glory and sacrifices to their god. Physical Skills: Endure Cold, Ignore Snow and Ice, Tough. Virtues: Obedient, Taciturn. Affinity: Northern Sailing (Freeze Triolini, Pivot Ship, Resist Cold, Shipspeed, Stormsailing) Secret: Sail through Ice (Acts as an affinity, allowing the sailors and captain of a ship to sail through icy waters without their ship becoming stuck or damaged.) Sacrifices: The Yggites of Three Step Island most commonly sacrifice a portion of their plunder to Ygg, usually by throwing it overboard during a storm. Goats are the more traditional sacrifice, but the woolly goats of the Yggs Isles do not thrive on Three Step, and goats are uncommon in many of the areas of the Genertelan coast, where the Yggites sail. Worshippers: There are about 500 worshippers in the Threestep temple. There are several thousand worshippers back home in Yggs Isles. Manifestations: Ygg is the Sea Storm. He sends raging winds to tear sails and hard rain to freeze ropes, both to destroy his enemies and test his worshippers. He sends icebergs to destroy the ships of his rivals, both to ensure that his worshippers sail supreme and to indulge his joy and love of destruction. Other Side: Ygg's God World home is a great longship which is made of iron-hard ice that crushes its way through glaciers and floes upon the Icy Sea. His favored worshippers are his crewmen, cheerfully toiling over oars in freezing blasts so they can occasionally raid other gods. Other Connections: This is a regional temple for the cult back in Yggs Isles. However, they are very far away and care little for this band of wayward wanderers. Disadvantages: Ygg is a storm god, but not part of Orlanth's Pantheon. Barantaros the Hidden Gale One day Orlanth led the Storm Tribe warriors on a great raid and left behind only Barantaros, one of the Thunder Brothers, to guard the stead. Not long after Orlanth left, a minor god came running to Barantaros, saying that a great army of Fire Chaos was coming. Barantaros went into the hills where the Chaos army had to pass and concealed himself among the rocks and bushes. As the vile creatures roared past, Barantaros gathered his strength and rushed upon them like a whirlwind, striking here and there with seeming impunity. He routed the fiery army and was re-warded well by Orlanth when he returned from his raid. Entry Requirements: Join the Hidden Gale warband. Physical Skills: Ambush, Climb, Run Up Hills. Virtues: Love Sartar, Loyal, Patient. Feat: Whirlwind Combat . This feat can be used only to augment combat abilities, and is Berserker magic. Secret: Attacking Death Gasp (This releases the devotee's soul to attack in a new contest against his killer. The ability rating of Attacking Death Gasp is equal to the negative AP the character had at death. The character's soul fights as a whirlwind, battering the enemy with debris and snatching away his breath. The soul wind collapses when all enemies are killed or at sundown, whichever comes first.) Sacrifices: Members of the Hidden Gale warband must sacrifice their normal life to worship the god, so that Orlanth's people can be free. The weapons of slain enemies are broken and given to Orlanth as proof of the love and loyalty of his followers. Worshippers: Members of the Hidden Gale warband. Manifestations: Barantaros is present in the attack from ambush, the whirlwind attack of the fanatic, and in the death gasp of the foes of Orlanth. Other Side: Barantaros’ stead is in the Mountain Wild region, near the winter winds, on Orlanth's tula in the Storm Realm. From it one may enter into the Storm Age or the Darkness Age. Other Connections: Barantaros is one of the Storm Tribe. His followers are a rebel band, welcomed by any Heortling who resists the Empire. Disadvantages: Hidden Gale members are fanatic foes of the Empire and are detected as such by appropriate magics. Members are not resurrected. Karrg Unfettered Subcult of Karrg Karrg Unfettered is inspired by Stephen Martin's article in Book of Drastic Resolutions, volume Darkness Karrg unfettered is a sub-cult of Karrg, which believes that males deserve better recognition within Uz society. Centred around Sentry Mountain in Dagori Inkarth, cult members will be found in small numbers in many clans throughout the region. Although disliked by the Great Mothers this cult is hard to suppress as Karrgs Sons in Dagori Inkarth are obliged to make pilgrimages to Sentry Mountain where the Priests of Lead who tend Karrg's petrified army welcome new members. The cult recognises Karrg's prowess as warrior and warleader. Devotees are able to ignore normal restrictions placed upon Karrg's Sons, but will usually be seen to uphold them at least in public. They still recognise Kyger Litor's ultimate authority, but believe that Karrg as War God has a place to play independently as Uz champion and leader of her warriors. Entry Requirements: Convince Priests of Lead of suitability Mundane Abilities: Close Combat (Maul or Mace), Leadership, Recognise Enemy's Weakness Virtues: Strong Willed, Adventurous, Independent (No longer has 'Dutiful' or 'Self-Sacrificing' as virtues) Affinity: Warrior (Stand Ground, True Maul, Terrifying Roar, Inspire Followers, Overpower Foe, Furious Blows) Secret: Combat Trance. 1/4 of the secrets rating can be added to relevant abilities when facing foes in battle. Although not a berserk state he is not able to retreat when using the cult secret.