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Created On 7 February 1999
Last Updated On
23 December 2004
Copyright © 1999 Simon E. Phipp

Orlanth Aquarius - The Wind on the Waves When the world was Dark and people feared, the Waters invaded and gained their mastery. The Oceans worked their mighty muscles and their Children, the Seas, walked the lands, followed by the Rivers and the Lakes. Much of the land was destroyed and many gods fought the Waters, chief amongst them were the Storm Gods who fought with violence.

One Storm God was Orlanth who was the Chief of the Storm Gods and the King of the Gods. He first skimmed over the waters, touching them with his might and raising waves and sea foam. Then he dived into the waters and wrestled with many of the deities there. Some joined him and became dolphins, whales, otters and friendly air-breathing mermen, others fought him and were beaten. Orlanth also visited Daliath's Well and the Baths of Nelat at this time. Eventually, Orlanth tired of the fighting and returned to the Air that was his home.

 When the World went Bad many things changed. The Oceans heaved and currents changed direction, the stars moved or died, the winds went their own way and our boatmen were afraid. They called on Orlanth for help. The Wind on the Waves promised them three things - he gave the Dolphins a special task to guide boats to shore so that they would always be able to be rescued; he made certain that certain winds always blew in certain directions in certain places so that sailors could be taken where they wanted to go; he made clouds that lived above islands and coastal mountains and ordered them to stream across the sky so that sailors could see them from far away and hence find land.

 Once, a mighty Empire arose in the Seas and pretended to be friends with the Wind on the Waves. Their sailors travelled widely and Orlanth's Winds pushed them to their destinations. They found many islands, using Orlanth's skills, and grew prosperous. However, they tried to bind Orlanth to their will so that his Winds would only blow where they wanted them to and so that their enemies could not use the Winds. Orlanth did not like this and blew those who wanted to bind him far away. He asked his many friends for help. His Wife asked her Earth Kin to turn over and smashed the cities. His Darkness friends cloaked the Empire in Darkness and made them afraid. His Sea Friends drowned the Empire's Cities. His Wizard friend made a mighty spell which stopped the Empire's ships from sailing the Oceans, but the Wizard friend made a mistake, some say Eurmal made him sneeze when casting his spell. In any case, he forced everyone from the Oceans and hid himself and his lands away in shame when he realised his error.

 Orlanth did not desert his friends and carried friendly winds between the islands to comfort them. His mermen carried on his worship and spoke to those people on the lands, making sure that his skills were not forgotten. Eventually, Orlanth's Winds whispered secrets into the ears of a brave man who sailed the seas once more, guided by Orlanth's Winds, by Dolphins and by the clouds that lived above the islands, as Orlanth had promised. Many people remembered the teachings of the Wind on the Waves and could travel the seas in safety.
 
 

Lay Membership

This is basically the same as for other forms of Orlanth, but Boat or Swim is substituted for Ride.

Initiate Membership

This is basically the same as for other forms of Orlanth, but Boat or Swim is substituted for Ride.

Initiates may learn the skill of Navigate.

Navigate Skill (Base 0% ,Knowledge)

 This skill allows navigation of the Oceans without using the Stars or Currents, relying on Winds, Clouds, sea birds and dolphins. Generally it can only be used where the sailor knows the Winds and Clouds in question, so it is best used where he has been or where he has been told about. In completely unknown waters, he can tell where islands are simply by finding cloud formations. It can be used in addition to normal Navigation skills.
 
 

Wind Lords

These are Rune Lords who can cast reusable Divine Magic. Membership is as normal Orlanth cults, but with Boat/Swim used instead of Ride.

Wind Lords have access to the Scarf of Mist but no other Magic Weapon Subcults. They must not riddle with Fire/Sky cultists nor must they offer aid to Earth Priestesses.

Common Divine: All

Special Divine: Wind Warp, Increase Wind, Decrease Wind, Breathe Air
 
 

HeroQuests

Orlanth Aquarius knows of several Orlanth Quests, namely those involving Orlanth's exploits in the waters. Many of these Quests are not known across all Orlanth regions and people often have to seek out Orlanth Aquarius in order to learn these Quests.

 The Quests most often known are: Baths of Nelat, Daliath's Well of Wisdom, Crossing the Oceans (LBQ), Freeing of Heler, The First Dive.
 
 

Associate Cults

Grandfather Whale

Grandfather Whale gives Deep Dive.

Deep Dive (1 pt, Stackable, Temporal, Reusable)

 Each point allows the user to hold his breath for 15 minutes, no matter how deep he dives. This does not allow him to breathe water and if he loses his breath he will begin to drown as normal.
 
 

Grandfather Dolphin

Grandfather Dolphin gives Speak to Dolphins
 
 

Sofal

Sofal gives Call Turtle

Call Turtle (2 pts, Non-Stackable, Instant, Reusable)

 This calls a turtle to the caster. If a turtle is within a day's range that will be called, otherwise Sofal will provide a turtle to come. Once there, the turtle must be commanded or whatever. This is often used when hunting turtles.
 
 

Electric Eel

Electric Eel gives the spell of Lightning Touch to his comrade.

Lightning Touch (1 pt, Range Touch, Stackable, Reusable)

 This is as the same as Lightning but is range touch. It does 1D6 damage per point of spell to the location touched. There is a percentage chance equal to the damage taken to stun the target, causing them to be functionally incapacitated. Each round of being stunned, roll CONx1% to come out of it.
 
 

Flying Fish

Flying Fish gives the spell of Flying Leap.

Flying Leap (1 pt, Stackable,Reusable)

 This allows the target to leap from the water and glide for a distance up to POW in metres per point. This does not allow the user to fly - it is simply a leap. Often this is used to leap on board a ship or to aviod sharks as they are about to strike. Once the leap has been made the spell is used up - the user cannot make several leaps with this spell.

 The LightBringers give their normal spells to Orlanth Aquarius.

 The cult of the Wind on the Waves has friendly relations with Orlanth in the Clouds (Orlanth Thunderous), Orlanth in the Winds (Orlanth Adventurous) and Orlanth on the Throne (Orlanth Rex) although it receives no spells from them.
 

HeroQuest Version

Abilities: Navigate by Wind and Clouds, Boat, Swim, Sword Fighting, Mythology of Orlanth, Soul Sight, Predict Weather
Virtues: As Orlanth
Affinities and Feats:
Friend of the Sea (Call Dolphin, Dolphin Aid, Lightning Touch, Speak To Dolphins, Call Turtle, Deep Dive)
Movement (Flying Leap)
Wind (Wind Warp, Increase Wind, Decrease Wind, Breathe Air)
Other Side: Orlanth Aquarius lives in the Wave Storm that rides the waves. Some people call this the Worlath Storm.
 

Notes

When Orlanth conquered the Oceans, he left his cult amongst the Islands, the Triolini and other island dwellers. The cult was always small and disorganised because of the vastness of the Oceans. Some of their secrets were uncovered by the First and Second Councils when the Theyalans made contact with the Orlanthi of the Islands. Harmast could well have learned the Crossing of the Oceans from Orlanth Aquarius. However, the Jrusteli were the first people to properly understand the cult of Orlanth Aquarius and used the cult to navigate the Oceans and to raise and lower Winds at will to drive their fleets across the Oceans. They tended to make the cult more important than it was originally and became associated with the Cult in the islands. When they were destroyed, many people turned away from the cult and left it to its own devices. Even now, the cult is sometimes not trusted by some islanders and by Theyalans, hence its limited appeal.

 [End]