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Created On 6 October 2002
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# Garana-Tar Cult

## Mythos and History

### Before Time

Garana-Tar was a friend of Arroin during the God Time. Some even say that she was Arroin's lover at some time. Like Arroin, she was kind and gentle and she helped others throughout the Great Darkness. However, unlike Arroin and his mother, Chalana Arroy, Garana-Tar could not accept that all life was sacred, so she took up arms against the evil that hurt her friends.

Garana-Tar performed several deeds during the Lesser and Greater Darkness, these included breaking Death when it was wielded by Bagog and Aranea, blunting Death when she faced Grandfather Viper and draining the poison from Arroin's wound when he faced Bagog. Her particular skill was in defeating wounds caused by poison in its many forms. She quested far and wide in order to face the deities that used poison and she found the means to overcome their poison.

### Since Time

Garana-Tar survived the Darkness and was worshipped in a few small subcults of Chalana Arroy and High King Elf. During the Gbaji wars, she was summoned by the Theyalans to fight Gbaji, but she did not follow Arkat when he became a troll. For this, she was imprisoned by Arkat and her cult was forgotten save for a few healers who continued to pay homage to her.

### Runic Associations

Garana-Tar is associated with the runes of Life and Mastery.

## Nature of the Cult

### Reason for Continued Existence

Garana-Tar is worshipped by those who need her skills and spells to defend against poison. Her few shrines can be found in Chalana Arroy temples or in Aldrya groves.

### Social/Political Position and Power

Garana-Tar has no social or political power, even in the cults where she is recognized.

### Particular Likes and Dislikes

Garana-Tar does not like the deities of Darkness or of Chaos. She is friendly to the aldryami and also to Arroin.

### Holy Days and High Holy Days

The cult has the same Holy and High Holy Days as the cult of Chalana Arroy.

## Organisation

### Centre of Power, Holy Places

Garana-Tar has no centre of power, but her shrines are normally at places where she used her powers. So, she has a shrine near the Foulblood Forest, where she drank the poison that filled part of the Footprint and a shrine in the Red Wood where she helped Tada.

## Lay Membership

### Requirements to Join

Members of Chalana Arroy, Arroin, High King Elf and Aldrya are automatically considered Lay Members of the cult and may gain the benefits wherever there is a shrine to Garana-Tar. Any sentient creature that is not of chaos and not of darkness may become a lay member.

### Requirements to Belong

Lay Members may never deliberately make poison. They may use poison against their foes.

### Skills

Reduced Cost (1/2 standard price): Treat Poison, Poison Lore
Normal Cost: Brew (Poison Antidote), Shield Parry
Prohibited: Brew (Poison)

### Spirit Magic

Reduced Cost (1/2 standard price): Heal
Normal Cost: Protection

## Initiate Membership

### Requirements for Initiates

Anyone whose parents are members of the cult may automatically join the cult without a test.

Any initiate of Arroin or High King Elf may automatically join the cult on a 95% chance.

Anyone else may join the cult be convincing the examiners and rolling the cult skills of Treat Poison, Brew (Poison Antidote), Poison Lore and Shield Parry.

### Requirements to Remain Initiated

Initiates are not forbidden to use poison against others, but they are prohibited from making poison.

### Mundane Benefits

Initiates of Garana-Tar may ask for healing at any Chalana Arroy, Arroin or Aldryami temple at no cost.

### Skills

As Lay Members.

### Spirit Magic

Reduced Cost (1/2 standard price): Heal
Normal Cost: Protection
Unique: Poison Guard

Poison Guard (Variable, temporal, Passive)

When this spell is cast, it adds the number of points in the spell to the target's CON for the purposes of resisting against poison. This is compatible with Vigour, Strength and any other spell. So, Algar casts Poison Guard 6 before a combat with scorpionmen, for the next 5 minutes his CON of 13 is treated as being CON 19 when resisting poison. He is struck by a sting which injects POT 10 poison, the chance of overcoming his CON is (10 - 19) x 5 + 50 = 5% and fails with a roll of 20, so Algar takes 5 HP damage. He is struck again and the POT 15 poison has a (15 - 19) x5 + 50 = 30%, and rolls 40, so he takes 7 HP damage. Without Poison Guard, he would have taken 25 points of poison damage and would have been killed.

## Priests

### Requirements for Acceptance

A prospective Priest must have 10 points of Divine Magic and know three cult skills at 90%. The prospective priest must convince the examiners as for an initiate.

### Restrictions

A priest of Garana-Tar may never use poison or make poison.

### Mundane Benefits

### Skills

As Lay Members.

### Spirit Magic

As Initiates, but Priests are taught Poison Guard to 4 points for free, if not already known.

### Divine Spell Compatibility

Priests of Garana-Tar may sacrifice for all 1 point Common Divine spells, in addition they have the spells of Poison Purge and Poison Shield.

Poison Purge (One point, Ranged, Non-Stackable, Instant, Reusable)

When cast on a person who has been affected by poison, this allows the poison to be healed by the number of magic points cast with the spell. If there are multiple poison wounds, the healer decides which to heal first until the magic points are exhausted. So, Algar casts Poison Purge with 12 magic points on Andar, his companion, who has been struck by scorpionmen doing 7 and 8 points of poison damage, Algar heals the 8 point wound and as much of the 7 point wound as he can, in this case he heals 4 points of damage. If Poison Purge is cast before the poison has taken effect, it reduces the POT of the poison instead of the damage done. So, if Algar casts Poison Purge with 14 magic points on Drandar who has been hit by a scorpionman's sting with POT 18 venom, the Poison Purge reduces the venom's POT to 4, which does 2 points of damage when it fails to overcome Drandar's CON.

The sharp-eyed amongst you may have worked out that the benefits of casting Poison Purge before the poison takes effect are not as great as when casting it after the poison has taken effect. There is a gamble to take as to whether to cast the spell early and hope the patient survives or later and cure more damage. In a combat situation, most will cast the spell early.

When Poison Purge is cast with Cure Chaos Wound, it costs no magic points to cure all the poison affecting the patient, as long as the poison was caused by a chaotic foe.

Poison Shield (Stackable, Ranged, Temporal, Reusable)

This reduces the POT of any poison affecting the recipient of the spell by twice the number of points in the spell. So, Algar casts Poison Shield 3 when fighting some more scorpionmen, any poison affecting him for the duration of the spell will be reduced by 6 POT.

## Subservient Cults

### Spirit of Reprisal

Any priest who deliberately uses poison, or any member deliberately making poison will become unable to resist the effects of poison, so all poison will do maximum damage.

## Associated Cults

Garana-Tar is treated as a subcult of Arroin and High King Elf. However, until Garana-Tar is released, she is only available at a very few shrines. Once she is released, her worship may be spread to other shrines.

## Miscellaneous Notes

### Garana's Cavern

Garana-Tar is currently imprisoned in a cavern, the whereabouts of which are unknown. Some initiates believe it is in the forests of Balazar, for Garana-Tar was friendly to the Aldryami there and tried to stop Arkat from burning the forests. Others believe the cavern is in Dorastor itself, but this is unlikely as most think that Garana-Tar did not follow Arkat the Troll to Dorastor. If anybody finds Garana's Cavern, they will be able to perform a HeroQuest to free her, but they must evade the Black Guardians who bar the way and must break the Poison Chalice that pours burning poison into her mouth and onto her face. If they do this, then they will be able to direct the cult however they wish as Garana-Tar will make them Chief Priests of her cult.

### Garana's Leaves

Garana-Tar wore a necklace of leaves, a present from Arroin. When she was bound, Arkat tore the necklace from her and distributed the leaves to his friends and allies. Now, many years have passed and the leaves are scattered, their history lost. However, the leaves are still powerful and have several properties:

- They allow the sacrifice and re-praying of the Poison Purge spell. Any priest or acolyte may repray the spell, initiates gain the spell on a one-use basis.
- If boiled in water, they produce a healing broth with a POT of 3D6 + 6 that can be matched against a poison to cure the poison.
- If swallowed, the leaf cures all poisons affecting the swallower, but the leaf is destroyed.

### Garana's Antidotes

The cult of Garana-Tar is skilled at producing poison antidotes. Normally, these are produced by initiates of Arroin and are thought to be part of the Chalana Arroy cult. Part of the wealth of the cult comes from selling poison antidotes to adventurers.

[End]