Subject: RQ Indigestion, Volume 6, Number 1 RQDIGESTV06N01 First Distribution: February 25, 1991 This issue: Grandfather Baboon Jamie O'Shaughnessy Chaotic Vegetation in Your Campaigns Jamie O'Shaughnessy The Circus is Coming! Paul Reilly Three Orlanthi Hero Cults Paul Reilly ====================================================================== From: Jamie O'ShaughnessySubject: Grandfather Baboon GRANDFATHER BABOON (MONKEY GOD). ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ originally by Mark Powell, 1986. re-written and adapted for RQIII by Jamie O'Shaughnessy, 1991. I. MYTHOS AND HISTORY A. BEFORE TIME The worship of Grandfather Baboon began after Time began. Grandfather Baboon was the first Baboon to walk the earth. He roamed The Spike foraging and gathering to live. He is the common ancestor of all Baboons. B. SINCE TIME BEGAN The cult of Grandfather Baboon is known by some as the Monkey God. This is not exactly correct. Grandfather Baboon is not a monkey but monkeys do worship him as their god. C. LIFE AFTER DEATH Grandfather Baboon assures his worshipers that they will have a personalized existence after death and will always be contactable with their family. He cannot guarantee any quality, nor any future for that existence. D. RUNIC ASSOCIATIONS The cult of Grandfather Baboon Is associated with the runes of Beast, Man and Spirit. II. NATURE OF THE CULT A. REASONS FOR CONTINUED EXISTENCE The cult of Grandfather Baboon is used as a link between Baboons and their dead. It supports the reality of their strife and allows them to draw upon their dead for strength. It is also the only true Baboon strong- hold of power and fulfills their needs in the world. B. SOCIAL/POLITICAL POSITION AND POWER Although the cult is widespread in Baboon terms, it is of very little importance in the world of humans. In the world of Baboons, the cult is the law by which they live. The cult will survive as long as there are Baboons on the earth. C. PARTICULAR LIKES AND DISLIKES The cult dislikes Chaos. It is hostile to the cults of Humakt and Zorak Zoran because they bring much death to the world. Daka Fal, obviously, is an associated cult. The cult of Aldrya is a friendly cult as they provide protection to the forests in which the Baboons sometimes live. The cult is also friendly to Kyger Litor. Otherwise, Grandfather Baboon takes a neutral stance on cult relations. III. ORGANIZATION A. INTER-CULT ORGANIZATION There is very little inter-cult organization. B. INTRA-TEMPLE ORGANIZATION Rune Lords of Grandfather Baboon are the leaders of the cult, these, however, are quite rare so Priests usually are in charge. A Priest who is also a Shaman will usually have a higher standing than just a normal Priest. This is not always the case. C. CENTER OF POWER, HOLY PLACES One of the major holy sites for Baboons is the Wild Temple in Beast Valley, Sartar. There are a few small temples in Prax but usually the wandering troops carry their own Shrines. Monkey Ruins, south of The Block by about 60km, is also a holy place for Baboons. It is said that this was once the center of a massive Monkey Empire. It is uncertain as to whether this is true or not. D. HOLY DAYS AND HIGH HOLY DAYS The cult of Grandfather Baboon has its holy days in the Sacred Time. Its High Holy Days are on both Wilddays of The Sacred Time. IV. LAY MEMBERSHIP A. REQUIREMENTS TO JOIN All Baboons are automatically in this cult at birth. Other beastmen, dragonewts and even humans may join if they wish. The examination to pass is usually POW * 5 on 1d100 for baboons. Other races must pass the test of (POW - 5) * 5 on 1d100. B. REQUIREMENTS TO BELONG Members of the cult are encouraged to never harm any baboon (or monkey) they ever meet. This is not always possible in some cases. Lay Members must also sacrifice a Magic Point during worship on holy days. Lay Members may never use animals as familiars. C. MUNDANE BENEFITS All Lay Members will receive free board and food in a Baboon community if they ask. D. SKILLS All members are taught Track, Scan and Sneak up to 30% free, after that they are taught the skills mentioned at half-price. E. SPIRIT MAGIC Lay Members receive the following benefits from being in the cult:- FREE - Clawsharp*, Furstiff&, Speedart REDUCED COST (half-price) - Multimissile, Bladesharp * - Clawsharp is identical to Ironhand except that is only used on Claws and Bite attacks. & - Furstiff works in the same way as protection but if anyone grapples the Baboon they will take damage, equal to the number of points of the spell, from the "sharpened" fur. V. INITIATE MEMBERSHIP A. REQUIREMENTS FOR INITIATION Candidates must have been Lay Members for at least 2 years. They must know all the special skill plus Baboon at 60% or more and must have at least one point of all the spells mentioned above. The exam they must pass is (POW + 100's of Lunars / 3) * 5 on 1d100. They must sacrifice a permanent point of POW to the god. B. REQUIREMENTS TO REMAIN INITIATED Initiates must give 10% of their income to the cult. They must spend 6 weeks a year aiding their priest. During Holy Days they must sacrifice two Magic Points. They are bound by the cult likes and dislikes. Initiates must also fulfill the same requirements as Lay Members to remain in the cult. C. MUNDANE BENEFITS All Initiates are given some sort of spear and a sling free. The cult will always heal or attempt to rescue Initiates being held for ransom or in trouble. Initiates also receive the same benefits as Lay Members and the other usual Initiate benefits. D. SKILLS Initiates are taught all the Lay Member skills at the same price, they may also learn other skills and the ones below at the costs mentioned. REDUCED COST (half-price) - Baboon, Track, Scan, Search, Sneak, Sling Attack, Claw Attack, Bite Attack, Devise, Jump, Climb, Listen, Hide, Conceal NORMAL COST - all other skills E. SPELLS Initiates gain the following benefits from their closer ties with their god than Lay Members. FREE - as for Lay Members REDUCED COSTS (half-price) - Co-ordination, Strength, Vigor NORMAL - all standard Spirit Magic Initiates may sacrifice permanent POW for one-use Divine Magic. VI. RUNE LORD MEMBERSHIP A. GENERAL STATEMENT Rune Lords of the cult (Baboon Lords) are master hunters and defenders of the family group. It is their responsibility to co-ordinate any hunting missions or welfare of any missing members of the cult. They are the rulers of the families and communities. Rune Lords are quite rare in small Baboon troops, they are often found in larger more static communities of Baboons, as in Beast Valley, or in the larger families on the plains of Prax. Rune Lords are always the Alpha males of a group although Alph males are NOT always Rune Lords. B. REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE Candidates must have been Initiates in good standing for at least 5 year and must have 90% in five of the following skills - Claw Attack, Bite Attack, Spear Attack, Sling Attack, Javelin Attack, Track, Devise, Scan or Any Other Weapon+. They must have a POW of at least 15. Prospective candidates must also convince the examiners of their worth. + - it is very rare for a baboon to master a weapon not mentioned above, although it is possible as some baboons have been seen wielding swords and even shields. Convincing the examiners consists of calling an Ancestor by using the SUMMON ANCESTOR DIVINE SPELL. The candidate must then enter into spirit combat with the spirit, if he reduces the spirit's MP's to 3 or less, then the spirit will submit and become his allied spirit. Upon acceptance the Rune Lord must sacrifice another permanent point of it to gain a stronger link with their god. C. RESTRICTIONS Rune Lords of Grandfather Baboon must give 905 of their income to the cult and must spend 50% of their time on cult business. D. BENEFITS The Rune Lord will be given as much iron as possible by the cult (usually very little if any). They gain all the standard benefits of Rune Lords in RuneQuest. They usually house their allied spirits in trinkets, such as bones tied round their neck, feathers, etc. VII. RUNE PRIESTHOOD A. GENERAL STATEMENTS Rune Priests are more common than Rune Lords. Priests are quite often Shamans as well, but not always. Priests are the healers of the family group and they teach the troop its spells. Priests are also used to communicate to the deceased members of their family. They are well respected and are allowed to command any of the group to do as they wish. Only Rune Lords have more clout in the group than do Priests. Larger baboon family groups often contain a few Priests while most smaller ones contain only one (and no Rune Lord). Priests may be male or female. B. REQUIREMENTS FOR ACCEPTANCE Prospective candidates must be able to speak Baboon at 80% and have a POW of at least 18. They must have been a loyal Initiate of the cult for at least 5 years and be in good standing with their Priest. If a candidate fulfills these requirements then he/she must pass the same spirit summoning test as a Rune Lord. Rune Priests do not need to sacrifice another permanent point of POW. Rune Priests are urged to become a shaman if they are not already. C. RESTRICTIONS Rune Priest must sever any other cult connections. Rune Priests are reduced to DEX * 5 for all non-cult DEX based skills. Priests must give 90% of their income to the cult and spend 90% of their time on cult business. D. BENEFITS Rune Priests may be a shaman. They get all the usual Priestly benefits. E. DIVINE MAGIC SPELL COMPATIBILITY Because Grandfather Baboon isn't as powerful as most gods, Priests don't have access to the standard Divine Magic. The ones they can obtain are - Divination, Divine Intervention, Extension, Mindlink, Spell Teaching, Spirit Block, Warding and Worship Grandfather Baboon. F. CULT SPECIAL DIVINE MAGIC The cult has access to the Divine Spell of Sureshot and Shield (see RuneQuest Magic Book). Due to Grandfather Baboon being an extension of the Ancestor Worship cult, Grandfather Baboon's Priests gain access to all the Ancestor Worship Special Divine spells of Axis Mundi, Free Ghost, Gift Power, Gift Spell, Incarnate Ancestor, Resurrect (one-use), Spirit Guardian, Spirit Melding and Summon Ancestor. VIII. SUBSERVIENT CULTS Grandfather Baboon has no subservient cults. Neither has Grandfather Baboon any spirits of retribution. If any member of the cult breaks cult law, they will be exiled from the family and community and even in some cases, hunted down and killed. IX. ASSOCIATED CULTS A. DAKA FAL For obvious reasons Daka Fal is associated with Grandfather Baboon. B. GRANDFATHER MORTAL Grandfather Mortal is thought to have been Daka Fal during the divine age of the early creation. For this reason, Grandfather Baboon is obviously related. C. HYKIM Hykim, Father of Animals, is Grandfather Baboon's father. This explains their association. X. MISCELLANEOUS NOTES Baboons, like humans, have individual "families" in their lives, these are often called troops. Baboons also have a much more closely tied common ancestry than their human cousins, as a consequence of this, Grandfather Baboon teaches that all Baboon belong to one common family. Humans who have known of this cult often label it the Monkey God. As Grandfather Baboon was not a Monkey, this is incorrect. However, Grandfather Baboon also takes the place of the God of the Monkeys so there is some element of truth in these misunderstandings. In the past scholars have often thought that all Baboons worshiped their ancestors alone* (i.e. worshiped Daka Fal). With the information given above coming into light, we can see this is not correct. There is much to be learned about the Baboon's lifestyle and culture that is not already known. * - The cults of Grandfather Baboon and Daka Fal are so closely related that it is often hard to distinguish between the two when a service is being performed. Members of the respective cults can, of course, tell the difference. CULT COMPATIBILITY (as of Cults of Terror table) D S W E H S P Y I C L O K Z A G* P M B T V T C K N F B M A M L Z B C H B *Grandfather 4 2 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 1 3 - 0 0 0 2 0 0 0 0 2 Baboon ====================================================================== From: Jamie O'Shaughnessy Subject: Chaotic Vegetation in Your Campaigns CHAOTIC VEGETATION IN YOUR CAMPAIGNS. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ by Jamie O'Shaughnessy 1991. The one thing to remember when incorporating the following into your campaign is that these are very rare. They should not be placed in accessible area to normal daily life of humans. They should only be encountered in specific situations. just remember - rare! The Chaotic Carrot is a fully written up version in Gloranthan Bestiary style. All the others are reduced format. Feel free to add your own favorite veggies if they're missing. Remember root vegetable tend to work best. They look very effective pulling themselves out of the ground as they sprout little arms and legs. All chaotic veggies have their POW*2 or less on 1d100 of having a chaotic feature. Yes, a fire breathing carrot!!! Or a turnip with 15 point skin!!! ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The Chaotic Carrot. (carrotus-chaoticus - no, only joking!) Chaotic Carrots look like any normal carrot except that they have little thin arms and legs. They also have a face on the front with a big toothy grin and round popping eyes. When they are asleep in the ground growing they contract their arms and legs and close their eyes making them indistinguishable from normal carrots. characteristics average attributes STR 1d4 2-3 Move : 1m/SR, jump 4m CON 2d6 7 HP : 4 SIZ 1 1 Fatigue : 9-10 INT 1 1 MP : 10-11 POW 3d6 10-11 DEX SR : 3 DEX 2d6+6 13 location melee missile points carrot 1-20 1-20 0/4 weapon SR att% damage bite 6 5-10 1d4 Combat Note : When a chaotic carrot is killed (HP<0) it explodes doing its POW in damage to all within 3m. Chaotic Features : Chaotic Carrots have their POW*2 chance of having a chaotic feature. Dodge 25% Magic : none. Skills : none. Language : none. Armour : none. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Chaotic Cabbages. STR 1d6 Move : 1m/SR, jump 2m CON 1d6+6 HP : 6 SIZ 1d4 Fatigue : 13 INT 1 MP : 13 POW 2d6+6 DEX SR : 3 DEX 3d6 location melee missile points cabbage 1-20 1-20 1/5 weapon SR att% damage bite 6 10-15 1d6 Combat Note : When a chaotic cabbage is killed, it explodes releasing a poisonous cloud (diameter=SIZ) which is of potency equal to the cabbage's POW. Dodge 20% Armour : 1 point leaves. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Chaotic Turnips. STR 1d6 Move : 1m/SR, jump 2m CON 1d6+6 HP : 5 SIZ 1d3 Fatigue : 13 INT 1 MP : 10-11 POW 3d6 DEX SR : 3 DEX 3d6 location melee missile points turnip 1-20 1-20 0/5 weapon SR att% damage bite 6 15-20 1d4+2 Combat Note : When a chaotic cabbage is killed, it explodes releasing its acidic blood of potency equal to the turnip's POW. This covers everything within SIZ/2 of the turnip in meters. Dodge 20% ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Chaotic Leeks. STR 1d4 Move : 1m/SR, jump 3m CON 2d6 HP : 4 SIZ 1d2 Fatigue : 9-10 INT 1 MP : 10-11 POW 3d6 DEX SR : 3 DEX 2d6+6 location melee missile points bite 1-20 1-20 1/4 weapon SR att% damage bite 6 10-15 1d6 Combat Note : When a chaotic leek is killed, it explodes in a very bright flash. Victims must roll their Current MP's*5 or less on 1d100 or be blinded for the chaotic leek's POW in rounds. Dodge 15% Armour : 1 point skins. ====================================================================== From: paul@venus.phyast.pitt.edu (Paul Reilly) Subject: The Circus is Coming! {Did anyone else notice that the Genertela Player's Book listed "Entertainer" as one of the two recommended occupations for Holy Country PCs? Well, here is a group of NPC Entertainers from Kethaela who may be found there or anywhere else easily reached, such as Sartar or the Western seacoast states...} Vimini's Six Circles of Delight Vimini is one of the greatest entertainers of Esrolia and indeed of Kethaela. Old but still hearty, he has achieved his life's desire by appearing before the Pharoah. He did it by organizing some of the best available entertainment from each of the six Kethaelan provinces and billing this show as a patriotic tribute to the Holy Country and the Pharoah. Each of the six major acts appears with backdrops, props, and scripted dialogue supposedly representative of the native life in their province. There are several "minor acts" also that take place in between the major acts. After the Holy Performance, the troop became so well-known that they are regularly featured in such places as the Great Market Fair of Nochet and other Kethaelan fairs and festivals. Recently they have been going out of the Holy Country after a suggestion from the Pharoah's Foreign Relations Office that they might serve well as "goodwill ambassadors" to various nations such as Nolos and even Loskalm. Vimini suspects that one or more government agents are in his troop, using their travels as a cover, but he doesn't know who. The Procession: When entering a major town or city, and before a performance if the "stage" area can accommodate the whole circus, Vimini's artistes will stage a parade showing off most or all of their members, although some of the acts are deliberately kept secret until they perform, such as the Big Black Wagon. The order of the rest of the acts and the exact nature of their performances is highly dependent on the venue. Normally the performance might go on all day, with possible extensions into several days ready if appropriate. When all is done, after encores and whatever else, the performers usually do a rousing song and dance with some magical effects and then "vanish" into their tents or somewhere, only to return about half an hour later and begin cleaning up. The Six Major Acts: Gerard's Flaming Dancers Gerard's Dancers represent the best of the ritual fire dancers of Caladraland and brave death by dancing on hot coals and in flames. Gerard always instructs the audience not to distract the dancers by applause or heckling while they are in the flame-trance lest they break the trance and cause serious burns to the dancers. Mikah's Aerial Acrobats Mikah has a well-trained family of acrobats who perform death-defying feats skillfully and aesthetically. These acrobats represent the Orlanthi of Heortland, supported as they are only by the wind. Their acts include human pyramids, jumping with various "see-saw" type assists, and tigh-rope-walking. Rather than a net they have several one-use Fly spells, as they are mostly Orlanth initiates. They are quite devout and the family patriarch Mikah is a qualified acolyte, with a little mobile shrine that he sets up to conduct Orlanth Worship services at for his family and for any initiates in the audience who accept his invitation to attend. The shrine offers Worship Orlanth. This spell is known to Micah, as are Sanctify, Mindlink*3, Heal Wound, Decrease Wind, and Shield 3. Gretella's Gorgeous Girls These sixteen lovelies will "perform the sacred dances of Ernalda before your very eyes" and are housed in their own tent. Gretella is in fact a Donander priestess, but he and the girls in fact are all from Esrolia, as advertised. Each of the girls wears a representation of the Earth and Fertility Runes and as little more as local custom allows. Gretella has several uses of Harmonize and sometimes uses this on the newer girls or for a particularly tricky maneuver. Gretella has a portable shrine and will hold services for the girls and initiates, or separate service that include lay members. Often new male lay members join for a single Worship ceremony (for a moderate fee) in the hopes of meeting these beauties backstage, as it were. Consider these girls to run about 20 APP and 20 DEX given their natural high characteristics and the sorcerous enhancements of Scarabus. The Marshwalkers These men on stilts represent the people of the Rightarm Islands and their comical acrobatics and mime are actually often based on subtleties of Rightarmi culture; Rightarm Islanders who see the act usually laugh twice as hard as anyone else rather than become offended. (The act typically depicts a sort of ridiculous home life with all the normal tasks thereof, such as cooking, games, and fistfights, played out entirely on stilts. For those readers unfamiliar with the Rightarm Islands, they are separated by shallow water at high tide and only by marsh at low tide and the people who live there normally live by fishing, harvesting marsh birds, etc. Some of them actually use stilts, which are mentally associated with all the Islanders by many outsiders, ridiculous though this may seem to the Islanders themselves. They see a caricature of foreigner's ignorant opinions in the antics of these clown-like entertainers.) Sometimes these people have their own act (and always during a "crown performance") and sometimes they are used as "in-betweeners", depending on Vimini's professional judgement and how many in-betweeners are available. Scarabus the Sorcerer Supposedly trained by the Brithini of Refuge, this stage magician augments his sorcerous displays with cunning artifice and prestidigitation. He represents the God Forgot Islands in the show. He presents spells, tricks, mind-reading, and phantasms which vary depending on what he has prepared and the tastes of the audience. For example, any Western audience is jaded with sorcery and will be more amazed by illusions such as levitating a lovely young assistant when the Wizards in the audience are invited to verify that this miracle is performed using _no_magic_of_any_kind. Scarabus is often the second-to-last act, presenting his illusions after sundown when the lower ambient light level renders them more impressive. Scarabus has several spells of use to the entire company, such as Enhance DEX, beloved by acrobats, and Enhance APP, popular with the dancers and some of the other entertainers. With his 17 INT, he can usually keep these stats upped by four or five points on everyone who needs them. The Big Black Wagon This wagon is kept a big mystery. At some point it will be wheeled out and a strange drumming will sound from within. Then out billows the darkness, rendering the whole place spooky and cold. Strange wailing and chanting in Darktongue comes out of the wagon, then out come the trolls, clad in black and red. Some are huge, some tiny; all are well-schooled in their acts which depict various aspects of life on the Shadow Plateau. They have a sling sharp shooter, a magician who controls the darkness, some great troll and trollkin slaves. While these people are very popular in Kethaela due to the relative familiarity and trust Kethaelans have in trolls nowadays (and the sense of security and triumph engendered by the human Pharoah's defeat of the trollish Only Old One) they often are left behind when the circus goes to countries unfamiliar with or hostile to trolls. The trolls also serve some of the same functions as the elephants in a circus: they provide great strength when it is needed and consume vast quantities of food all the time. This is often the last act in Kethaela, taking place well after sundown when the trolls are most comfortable. "In-Betweeners" These acts are usually done by one or a few people in a smaller area while everyone else cooperates to get things ready for the next major act. These acts come and go according to how popular they are and circumstance; often when travelling Vimini will pick up "local talent" to serve this function and to build up local goodwill. Three examples of in-betweeners who have been with the circus awhile are listed below. Hypatia Felicita Originally bought as a slave from Sartarite traders, Hypatia has proven a valuable addition to the circus for her dancing and sable-riding skills. She also knows how to cook, clean, and sew and does this in addition to her act. {Political reason for inclusion: to show a captured Lunar} Xylara's Amazing Animals Xylara is very exotic looking herself, as she certainly has at least half Agimori blood. She is originally from Prax and was traded as a slave until she wound up in Vimini's ownership; he had divined her amazing skill with animals. In her homeland she was an Eiritha acolyte or priestess before being captured into slavery by the High Llama tribe and sold at Pimper's Block. Xylara has many tame animals that she uses in her act, including two zebras, a mountain cat, two black panthers, some giant beetles (!), and a violet-and- black giant butterfly or moth. All of these animals do tricks and would defend Xylara if it is within their idiom, because they love her to distraction. Ditali Tribal Dancers Actually Esrolians dressed up as Ditali, poorly but amusingly aping some of the better-known caperings of the deer-men. Actual Ditali may be very offended but Vimini is sharp enough to cut the act if these appear in his audience. Wandor the Wanderer. Wandor is supposedly a great barbarian warrior who will wrestle or swordfight with all comers (one at a time, of course.) Anyone wishing to fight him must put up a stake which varies according to the venue but is usually around one Theyalan shilling, about 80 RQ3 pennies. Return is (usually) a Theyalan pound (960 RQ3 P) if he is defeated, or two shillings if you last three minutes. {Wandor's actual background is up to the GM to determine; he may be anything from an actual "barbarian" warrior, to a disinherited Western Knight, to an ogre exceptionally good at fighting and acting, to an outcast Vormaini ronin shipwrecked and picked up by Vimini. In any case, he will be good enough to beat twelve out of thirteen opponents who challenge him, which should include all but the greatest PC's. Remember that his challengers will be the best that any local place can offer. Since he is so specialized and does this all the time, his Sword and Grapple skills should be over 100%; how much more depends on your campaign.} Wandor is truly one of the great swordsmen of the day, who could be out slaying tremendous monsters or fighting at the front of armies if that was what he felt like doing. He prefers the circus life, and professes to not like hurting anyone. He will warn people who challenge him that they risk getting hurt, and if they then agree to fight, he will feel no guilt if they get hurt. When asked if it wouldn't be more honorable to find a liege lord and join an army, he will reply, "Better that one man should fight for the entertainment of hundreds than that hundreds of men fight for the entertainment of one." ====================================================================== From: paul@vulcan.phyast.pitt.edu (Paul Reilly) Subject: Three Orlanthi Hero Cults These are all subcults of Orlanth. The first two are for the Orlanthi in Ralios (although they might be known in Jonatela) and the third is a Fronelan hero-cult. Note that the first sub-cult outlined is really a sub-sub-cult; i.e., the Seven Brothers of Thunder are subordinate to Sigolf Cloudcrusher, an important Hero of Orlanth worshiped in northern Ralios. Ralios Seven Brothers of Thunder These kinsmen opposed Sigolf Cloudcrusher's desire to lead the Orlanth cult in Ralios. First he defeated them and stole their magic, then he convinced them to follow him freely and returned it. Now they are overshadowed by the greater hero, but people remember them as part of his story and still sacrifice in their shrine to obtain the magic of Thunder Voice. Normally one must be a part of the Sigolf Cloudcrusher sub-cult to obtain this spell, but descendants of the Thunder Brothers may sacrifice freely for it as long as they are friendly with the Orlanth cult in northern Ralios. Thunder Voice Self Only; Temporal; Reusable; Stackable The user of this spell can project his voice in a thunderous tone audible for kilometers around. His speech is intelligible to those listening within approximately one kilometer per point of the spell in normal conditions and audible for about three times that. Extreme quiet or loud noise will interfere with his magically amplified voice just as it would a normal one. The user may hush his voice down to around a normal conversational tone after he has practiced with the spell awhile. It will still have a sort of "echo chamber" quality, however, and whispering will also be amplified. People within 100 meters who fail a CON*5 roll will suffer tinnatus; other effects can be extrapolated by the game master. Boorish Wind Lords will occasionally use this spell to intimidate merchants or weaklings standing one meter away; its normal use, however, is to address a huge crowd, to shout orders to an army in battle, or to shout boasts at an enemy army. ---------- Orlanthi Hero Cult Wakim Hellroarer Wakim was a Second Age Hero who used Arkat's own Heroquesting methods to resist the incursions of the Dark Empire onto tribal land. He quested, met Orlanth and became a Hero, and introduced several new ideas to his tribe, some of which are still used today. The Bullroarer is used in Orlanthi clan rituals and sacred ceremonies; Wakim introduced its use as a battle signal and clan rallying sign. Wakim introduced the Rune magic of Howling Wind, which is available in many small shrines, usually attached to Orlanth temples, in eastern Ralios, and at a few shrines elsewhere. Howling Wind Ranged, Temporal, Stackable up to a variable limit This spell can be cast on an existing wind or stacked with Orlanthi spells such as Increase Wind. One point of the spell causes a "shushing" sound, two points a loud wind that drowns out normal conversation, three a howling that one must shout loudly over to be heard ten feet away, and four drowns out any normal human voice over the area of the spell (which is the same as Increase Wind.) The spell must be stacked with a wind intensity at least that caused by an Increase Wind of the same force. The main advantage to be had in this spell is that it drowns out all normal communication, including battle commands. This typically handicaps civilized armies more than it does the barbarian Orlanthi, each of whom operates relatively independently. People in the Howling Wind subtract 25% from their Listen per point of the spell. Wakim accepts almost any Initiate of Orlanth as an Initiate of his subcult; a 96-00 roll on percentile dice indicates that the applicant has been turned down due to "bad omens". Once turned down, the Initiate may not reapply, in general. ------------ Fronela: Orlanthi Hero Cult Vorash the Storm Walker was an Orlanthi Hero of Retrint in the Second Age. He opposed the coming of the God Learners and the spread of the Kingdom of Loskalm into Orlanthi tribal lands; while eventually defeated, he nonetheless led many successful raids against the God Learners and was "canonized" as a local cult hero in western Fronela (Retrint, Oranor, etc.) after his death. Vorash turned the God Learner's own methods against them and raided the Hero plane for several special powers. Two of them are available as special spells at certain Orlanth Temples. To buy these spells, an initiate must join the subcult of Vorash the Storm Walker. While no additional POW sacrifice is necessary, the initiate must succeed in a test of World Lore, and due to Vorash's hatred of the God Learners, must forget any sorcery known before joining. Vorash does not accept shamans or initiates of gods other than Orlanth into his subcult (even friendly gods). Candidates are tested and accepted during Storm Season. If a prospective initiate otherwise qualified fails the test of World Lore, he may take it again next Storm Season with a 10% cumulative bonus for knowing the nature of the test. Thus a candidate who tries every year for ten years will almost certainly get in, even if his World Lore is low. 96-00 still fails. Vorashi Rune Magic Storm Strength (N point spell, check Wachaza) Rune Magic, temporal, nonstackable, reusable This spell will double the base strength of an Orlanth initiate on whom it is cast during an electrical storm, snow hurricane, or similarly violent storm. The spell will have a lesser effect of adding 50% to the strength of an initiate in a lesser storm. The recipient of the spell gains the extra strength only while in contact with the wind of the storm. Stsrrrrsrrorm Sense 1 pt. Rune Magic, temporal, nonstackable, reusable This spell will give an Orlanthi on whom it is cast a "feel" for the wind conditions about him, allowing the initiate to sense wind currents, etc. Very useful if you are flying in a storm. Occasionally seamen will join the subcult of Vorash just to get this spell. People do learn to use the sense better after some experience with the spell; one might define a new skill of Storm Sense to fully use the information provided by the spell. This could be a Perception skill with a base of 25%. ----------------------- Spirit Cults Rustum Bowbreaker was a very early folk hero of the Hsunchen. He hated the new-fangled bow that allowed distant slaying, and his spirit offers the Rune Magic of Break Bow. Rustum can be contacted almost anywhere that Hsunchen once warred with elves during Godtime, such as most of Fronela. Many shamans know how to call him. More than one type of Hsunchen has an ancestral hero in this niche, often with a name that sounds like Rustum, but always of their own great tribe. The God Learners concocted many possible explanations of this anomaly, but the mystery of who Rustum was and what his animal type was remains unsolved. Break Bow Instant, Stackable, Ranged. This spell will shatter a bow, crossbow, or similar tension-operated projectile device. Even siege weapons are not immune. Slings are unaffected. To break a bow in someone's possession, their MPs must be overcome. The MPs of the entire crew of a siege weapon must be overcome in separate rolls. In the case of an Elf Bow, the greater of the MPs of the bow or its holder must be overcome. Every additional point of the spell adds 25% to the chance of overcoming the MPs of the bow-holder. ------- Cunning Viper Cunning Viper was reputedly a dark shaman of the despised Viper Hsunchen. While they are believed extinct, his spirit still offers two Rune spells to shamans who are able to contact him (or her) via a piece of the Shattered Snake Stone. Most of the known pieces are scattered in the forest of Fronela; some are held at the Great Library of Loskalm at Northpoint, more as curiousities than as a spirit contact point. It is thought that the Stone originated in Pamaltela; there may be more fragments there. Cunning Viper offers the spell of Slow Poison to those shamans depraved enough to want it. It is rumored that he also offers other spells if a large enough cult is built up. Slow Poison (2 points) Ranged, Duration until broken. This spell is somewhat reminiscent of the Trickster Lie spell. It is cast at the same time as the shaman (or initiate of the cult) tells someone a piece of information, true or false. If the caster overcomes the MPs of the victim, he or she becomes gradually obsessed with the implanted idea until either it is obviously shown to be false, like the Lie spell, the Slow Poison is dispelled, or drastic action is taken by the victim. Often it is used to plant a suspicion that will turn a loyal friend, liege man, or lover against someone they would normally be loyal to; in this case it may take weeks or months to grow. ************* New Spirit Magic (for shamanic peoples) These spells can be obtained from certain spell spirits; they are not too uncommon. Spirit Magic Suck Poison Touch, Instant, Variable The focus for this spell is generally a black lump of charcoal or something similar held in the mouth of the caster. The caster places his mouth to the poisoned wound (or the stomach or mouth of someone who has ingested poison) and sucks while spending the MPs for the spell. The focus typically becomes hot and smoking and is ejected from the caster's mouth as quickly as possible. Each point of the spell will remove one point of CON damage from poison or 2 points of regular damage from Blade Venom or acid. Only the strongest Suck Poison will help the target if more than one is cast, e.g. a 3-point spell will repair 3 points of CON damage, but a 6-point spell cast later on the same victim will repair only 3 additional points, and a two-point spell will have no effect. Shamans often know Suck Poison 6 in areas where poison is common. Suck Poison can be "stacked" with First Aid. Call Arrow Ranged, Instant, Variable Calls an arrow shot by the caster back to his hand. The arrow takes three strike ranks to return. Can be used to call someone else's arrow if their POW is overcome. Works on sling stones, darts, javelins, etc. also. The spell returns weapons of one ENC per point of spell. Call Arrow 2 is usually called Call Spear. Forest Walk 3 Points; Touch; This spell must be learned by the shaman or tribesman from a spell spirit of the forest in which it is to be used; thus it is most useful in places like Rathorela which are essentially one huge forest. The spell adds 15% each to the Stealth Skills of the target and also to the Conceal skill if it is employed using material of the forest such as leaves and mud. The spell also removes one point of any movement penalty normally imposed by the forest terrain. Shamans are rumored to have extracted continuing service from forest spirits which give them the effect of this spell for long periods. A more powerful version of this spell is rumored to exist but is very hard to learn. *************** Trickster Rune Magic Boratory (1 point? 2 points?) Ranged Temporal Nonstackable A spell known to priests of Eurmal and few others. Cast on a person, every word out of his mouth becomes stupefyingly dull. If he succeeds in his regular Oratory roll, people listen anyway but become restless, tapping their feet, humming, etc. A special success will send older listeners to sleep and cause yawning, heckling, etc. among the livelier members of the audience. A critical success requires a (POW + CON) x 1 for listeners to remain awake. Even the Borator himself may fall asleep if he fails (POW + CON) x 4. Even those listeners who remain awake are stupefied and are easily surprised, etc. Cast on an unwilling Orator, this spell is resisted; Eurmali often cast it on themselves or on pompous Orlanthi Wind Voices or Wind Lords. ====================================================================== The RuneQuest(tm) mailing list is a courtesy of Andrew Bell. 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