Either way (I've written this following the second interpretation at the
moment), I think that each Sect would also include those who worship the
various gods/spirits listed here, as acolytes or devotees; thus, each Sect
would be
its own miniature War Machine, theoretically self-sufficient, possessing
shrines to all of these entities in addition to their primary gods of choice.
The acolytes of these cults would be responsible for coordinating plans and
logistics with their counterparts in other Sects, though the cults might also
exist at the "meta" level, directing the War Machine from a more centralized
point and smoothing out the problems between the various Sects. The Sects
would come together for battles, sieges, and campaigns, and disperse
afterward, in part to ease the logistical strain of feeding them, almost
always on the move except for rest and training periods at their Headquarters
- -- I think.
A final note; as sketchily as they are here presented, I guess these are essentially traditional Theistic cults, teaching spirit/battle magic and divine magic as appropriate, which follows the G:GCotHW form which states that warriors receive spells as per Barbarian Initiates. This raises the mild problem of their well-described Tapping; while Tapping could perhaps be learned as Monotheist peasants learn their spells -- i.e., they only know the one spell, and never learn the skills to manipulate it -- given the limited duration of the Tapping spell, this raises the odd image of each Sect having to drag around huge numbers of serfs with them which they tap immediately before battle (a small number maybe, but too many becomes a major impediment), and there would be little productive point in Tapping the serfs immediately upon their enslavement, as the mps or fatigue pts would simply dissipate in ten minutes. I suppose that there could simply be a few full-fledged sorcerors who go around Tapping all of the serfs, but this concentrates this particular Horror a bit too much, IMO. An alternative I would suggest would be that the particular Tapping spell learned by their warriors is a variation on the traditional one, with an Intensity of 1 and a Duration of "good until used." Some may find this has the potential of making them too individually dangerous.
Most of these gods do not yet have anything in the way of a "personal" name yet, though such may not be necessary. Continuing in the voice of the Warlord:]
We are the War Machine; we are one in Kargan Tor, first God of Conflict and
Separation. We are the Fanged Vise Sect, who follow the way of Hammer and
Anvil, who trap our foes in the vise of pike and charging horse, and there
slaughter
them. Some amongst us, who form the Anvil, worship the Bright God of Spear
and Phalanx, who blesses their pikes and gives them magic to hold the line;
some amongst us, who form the Hammer, worship Horsebreaker the Lancer, who
gives them magic to guide their spears and horses in the fray. Many of us
also worship other Gods of the War Machine, invoking it in its full glory and
bettering our pursuit of Victory. Other Sects follow other ways, such as the
Rain Horse Sect, who worship Horsebreaker the Archer, and the Dark Dancer
Sect, who worship Zorak Humakt and the Veil of Iron.
*The Marcher God* feeds the Ravening Maw of the War Machine. He is
worshipped by the Quartermasters of our Sect, who feed us when we are hungry
and direct our encampments. The Quartermasters direct the serfs of the War
Machine; some serfs are allowed to become laymembers of the Marcher God cult,
and are called Overseers. The cult of the Marcher God includes the subcult
of *Pathfinder*, the god of the way, who reveals the path of the War Machine
and protects us on it. He is worshipped by the scouts, raiders, and pioneers
of our
Sect, who clear our way and alert us to ambush.
*Campfire* is the goddess of the hearth, the locus of the Pack. Around her
your Pack camps, and over her your pact with the Pack was made, the adoption
that marked you as part of the War Machine when you were but a child.
*Lord Fortress* is the God of Wall and Tower, of stone and earth and cut
tree. He is worshipped by our pioneers, engineers, and siege engineers; he
aids us when we march by clearing paths and building bridges, when we camp,
and when we build our forts. He also aids us in blocking the paths of
others, ruining their camps, and laying siege to their forts; he is a
double-edged god. Some serfs are allowed to become lay members of the cult
of Lord Fortress, and are called Overseers.
*The Eyes and Ears of the War Machine* are the gods of stealth and secrets,
who listen and watch our foes and enemies; they are worshipped by our scouts
and spies and agents, and provide magic to let us learn the plans and
intentions of those who oppose us. Our Eyes scout and watch our paths and
our Ears walk unseen amongst our enemies; they count the numbers of our foes,
listen to their talk, and follow their footsteps.
*The Mouth of the War Machine* speaks for the War Machine in its dealings
with the World. Our heralds worship it. When our foes and enemies wish to
parley with us, they speak to the Mouths of our Sect, who accept their
unconditional surrender and inform them of our coming to claim the rights of
the victor.
*Vile Rumor* is the Goddess who Whispers in the Dark. Our spies and agents
worship her, and she provides them magic to allow them unnoticed amongst the
camps of our foes and enemies. Those who follow her include the
Rabblerousers, who incite the fear and madness in crowds and inspire riot,
and the Whisperers, who spread confusion and dissension by quiet word and
deed, and fill the heads of those who plan against us with falsehoods and bad
ideas. She provides us with spirits of madness and fear, hatred and rumor.
*Fear-in-the-Night* is a darkness goddess who spreads terror and gnaws at the
stomachs of our foes and enemies even when they think themselves safe in
their camps. The raiders, those in our Sect who follow her, strike in the
night or when least expected, with direct action and subtle fear, to rob our
foes and enemies of their sleep and health and misplaced confidence. She
provides us with spirits of fear and discomfort, pain and doubt.
*Din and Discord* are the goddesses who hover over the battlefield, the twins
of confusion and bafflement. They provide us with spells to confuse our foes
and enemies on the field, to rob them of their sight by blinding them with
darkness and fog, fill their ears with noise, mistake friend for enemy; they
also help us protect ourselves from the very same.
*Pillage* is a vile goddess, a two-edged goddess indeed, who hates the land
which we must ignore. She provides us with spells and spirits of fire and
plague for us to loose upon our foes and enemies; but we must be careful with
them, and control them, lest they turn upon us and rob of us of the spoils of
War. Thus she is kept in a Strong Box, and let out only when necessary.
*The Healing Hand* is the goddess who fixes our wounds and preserves our
bodies and strength for the War Machine. The bodymen, our physicians,
worship her; she provides them with skills and spells and spirits to heal the
damage done by our foes and enemies.
*The Carrion Eaters* are the Crow, the Vulture, and the Jackal, the Sacred
Eaters of the War Dead, the children of Ty Kora Tek, leader of the Spirit War
Machine [?], who feast upon our bodies when we have been slain. Those
amongst us who handle the clean bones of the dead and the Sacred Urns of our
Sect worship them; they also choose the Spirits of the War Dead who will aid
us, and pick out useful Ghosts from amongst our Foes, as is the right of the
victor.
*The War Smiths*, the Damascened Gods, are the gods of armor and weapon, the
workers of iron and bronze, wood and leather. They are worshipped by our
Smiths, our siege engineers, and Quartermasters, and provide us with the
weapons and accouterments of War. Their cult includes the cult of *Kiln
Fire*, the sacred flame which makes their art possible. Some serfs are
allowed to join the War Smiths or Kiln Fire as lay members, and are called
Assistants or Bellows Workers.
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