NOTE: I do not believe that these rules describe saint worship for all Malkioni. I do not believe that all Malkioni accept all Saints, though I feel that the Saints included here are recognized by at least the major sects. I suspect that Aeolians and Stygians, at least, worship Saints as sub-cults instead of in this manner. I do believe that most Malkioni are reasonably willing to accept Saints discovered by other sects, so long as those Saints don't violate some tenet of one's own sect.
SAINTS
To gain a saint as a Patron, you must spend a certain
amount of POW. This can be sacrificed over a period of time, and
need not be done all at once. Once the saint is a Patron, you can
invoke him at will and receive his blessing. It costs 1 POW each
time a saint is invoked. The Blessing normally occurs on SR 1 of the
round of invocation. A Saint's Blessing can normally not be
dispelled magically.
A person can have more than one saint as a Patron, and can invoke more than one simultaneously. For instance, a sorcerer who had both Conwy and Joslyn as patrons could invoke both at once, to render a huge spell permanent!
Arkat's Blessing (8 POW): The skin and clothing of all illuminated beings within 100 meters of the supplicant turn translucent white, including the supplicant himself. This effect lasts until the next sunrise. In order to gain Arkat as a patron, you must be illuminated.
Conwy's Blessing (3 POW): Invoked only when a Permanent sorcery spell is cast. This turns the spell into an enchantment -- it no longer requires maintenance, and cannot be dispelled. When Conwy is invoked, a rune-carved object must be selected as the spell's source. If this object is destroyed, the spell is destroyed. The object can be of any size, but must be within the spell's area of effect. Only an individual who has access to Permanence can gain Conwy as a patron.
Daly's Blessing (8 POW): Invoked only when a sorcery spell is cast. The affected spell takes no Presence to maintain (if temporal), but cannot be maintained for more than one day. Only an Journeyman can invoke Daly.
Elleish's Blessing (4 POW): As a general rule, permits a woman to ignore gender-specific caste restrictions. The exact effects of Elleish's invocation varies from sect to sect. In addition to the spiritual influence of Elleish's blessing, Malkioni recognize its legal and moral force, though they may begrudge it. Only a woman may gain Elleish as a patron.
Carmanian: Elleish is unknown amongst the Carmanians. Women who wish freedom normally join Lunar sects.
Castle Coast: Permits a woman to switch from Menena to the caste of her choice. She can switch back to Menena by invoking Elleish again. Future invocations permit her to switch back and forth between Menena and the cast she chose when first invoking Elleish.
Hrestoli: Permits a woman to retain her own caste, rather than assume her husband's (if his caste is higher).
Rokari: Permits the invoker to change from Menena to her father's or husband's caste. Elleish can be re-invoked to change castes again (especially if she remarries), or to permit the woman to reassume Menena.
Sedalpists: Permits the invoker to be appointed to positions of responsibility or power. Also enables a Peasant or Knight woman to be raised to the High Caste of Rule by proper election.
Syanoran (Junora): Permits the invoker to switch castes from her caste of birth to Warrior or Lord. A re-invocation switches her back. Future invocations permit her to switch between the cast she chose when first invoking Elleish and her native caste.
Valkarism: Permits the invoker to A) marry beneath her caste; B) have as many spouses as a male of her caste -- plural husbands may have no other wives; C) free her husband, if a polygamist, from the need to divvy up his income equally among his wives; or (D) permits a Singer woman to carry weapons. Each such use of Elleish requires a separate invocation.
Gerlant's Blessing (3 POW): A bladed weapon in the caster's hand becomes a Fireblade. From then on, whenever the supplicant draws that blade, it is a Fireblade. If the weapon is destroyed, the Blessing is lost. Only a member of an arms-bearing caste may invoke Gerlant.
Hrestol's Blessing (3 POW): When invoked, the supplicant's POW doubles, and remains thus for a full day. At the end of the day, POW drops back to normal, but MPs may remain higher than the user's POW. Joslyn's Blessing (6 POW): Invoked only while casting a sorcery spell. The user's INT is added to the spell's Intensity at no additional MP cost. Only an Adept may invoke Joslyn.
Malkion's Blessing (1 POW): Malkion can be invoked for one of two purposes. (1) once a year, during Sacred Time, the supplicant can name a sorcerous Art., which he then acquires the use of. (2) When casting a spell at any time, Malkion is invoked to reduce the spell's MP cost to 0. The spell goes off at the caster's DEX SR. Most sects restrict the use of Malkion for the first purpose, as follows:
Carmanian: Only Wizards may acquire Arts. Castle Coast: A Peasant may only acquire the Art of Intensity. Hrestoli: A Farmer may not acquire Arts. A Knight may do so to learn Intensity. Rokari: A Farmer or Knight may only learnIntensity. A Lord may learn Intensity plus one other non-basic Art of his choice (only). The non-basic Arts are Ease, Hold, Permanence, and Speed.
Sedalpists: A Peasant may only acquire the Art of Intensity. A Knight may only acquire the Arts of Intensity, Multispell, and Range.
Syanoran: Only Clergy and Lords may learn Arts. Valkarism: Work Folk may learn no Arts. Other castes maylearn all Arts.
Neuteboom's Blessing (6 POW): Invoked only while casting a sorcery spell. The user's INT is added to the casting's Multispell at no additional MP cost. The spell takes no Presence to maintain (if temporal) but cannot be maintained for more than a day, unless it was made Permanent. Only an Adept may invoke Neuteboom.
Nomia's Blessing (5 POW): The user's mind is expanded. For the next week, all research & experience checks automatically succeed, plus the amount of increase is always the maximum possible (this last also applies to training). Thus, if the user does research in Mace Attack, and invokes Nomia's Blessing, not only does he automatically increase, he gets 4 full points.
Ouxey's Blessing (4 POW): Invoked only when a spell is cast using the Art of Hold. It enables the user to Hold that spell in mind even if he already has a Held spell. Any number of spells can be Held, each requiring a separate invocation. Once the spell is cast, the user can re-Hold the extra spell without re-invoking Ouxey, but only if it is the exact same spell.
Example: Thraxon decides that he wants an Intensity 2, Range 1, Hold 2 Hinder to benefit from Ouxey's Blessing. Later that week he casts it in a fight. He still can fill the "slot" left open, but only with another Intensity 2, Range 1, Hold 2 Hinder.
Paslac's Blessing (5 POW): The armor points of a chosen piece of metal, which may be a tool, weapon, or piece of armor, is doubled (it must be touched by the invoker). Paslac can be called upon again to transfer his blessing to a different piece of armor, but only a single piece at a time can be affected per given supplicant. Only an individual capable of bearing arms and armor may invoke Paslac.
Raceen's Blessing (2 POW): Invoked only when a sorcery spell is cast. The spell's Range is multiplied by the user's INT. Only an individual with access to Range may gain Raceen as a patron.
Talor's Blessing (6 POW): Talor may only be invoked just before or during a battle. His supplicant experiences joy while fighting. For the duration, the supplicant is immune to fatigue loss, incapacitation, shock, unconsciousness, or the effects of exhaustion. He fails CON rolls only on a roll of 96-00. In addition, when first invoked, the supplicant can expend 1 or more magic points. For each MP expended, all his skills are increased by 2 percentiles. Only an individual capable of bearing arms and armor may invoke Talor.
Valkaro's Blessing (6 POW): Until next nightfall, the devotee has great force of mind. He automatically succeeds in any INT roll, including Concentration rolls. He automatically succeeds in sorcery spell casting and manipulation, with no die roll necessary, and no critical successes possible.
Waertag's Blessing (4 POW): The user gains the ability to survive underwater. Once he resurfaces for air, Waertag's blessing ends.
Xemela's Blessing (9 POW): The invocation has two parts. In the first part, the supplicant's skin turns night-black, and he or she has one minute to touch other beings. When he or she has touched every being that he or she wishes to affect, or the minute is up, the the second half of the invocation takes place. At this moment, all the beings touched have all damage and other physical harm cured. However, the supplicant takes this damage upon himself or herself, as follows:
For each hit location healed, the supplicant takes 1 point of damage in the corresponding location.
For every person healed of general hit point loss, the supplicant takes 1 point of general hit point damage.
For each disease cured (and the effects healed), the supplicant loses 1 point off the appropriate stat (i.e., curing 8 points of Brain Fever costs 1 INT).
Other losses can generally be figured out by comparing to this general effect. Thus, a person Tapped is cured by losing 1 point of the appropriate stat. Only points lost below the character's normal trait level can be restored -- if your initial POW was 10, and you'd worked it up to 15, and then had it tapped to 8, Xemela's Blessing would only restore you to 10.
If a hit location is completely destroyed, this blessing has no effect -- Regeneration must be used instead. This blessing cannot raise anyone from the dead, nor can it remove the taint of chaos. This blessing will not expel a passion spirit or disease spirit, but it will heal all damage done by such a spirit to date.
Even if the total damage taken by the supplicant slays him or her, the complete effect still works. Hence, one ploy is to "use up" Xemela supplicants in a battle, by having each touch a hundred or more wounded individuals before invoking the second half of the invocation. The supplicant dies instantly in a tatter of bloody shreds (and, most sects agree, rises directly to heaven), but all the soldiers are cured and ready to return to battle.
Unique Saints
Valkarist
Saint-Mama Theya of the Dawn: The Wizard church venerates three aspects of St. Theya, the one-time goddess who guards the Gates of Dawn. In her aspect as St. Theya of the Dawn, she can be obtained as a patron saint by sacrificing 8 POW. Invoking her creates an unmoving circle of light 10m in diameter per MP spent when the invocation occurs. The light is rosy-golden as at dawn. It is true daylight, so creatures who dislike daylight, such as chon-chons and trollkin, have problems with it. Also, creatures which undergo certain effects at dawn (such as ghouls) suffer said effects upon first entering the circle. This effect also operates on other magic effects as if it were dawn. The circle of dawnlight lasts until dawn. Yes, this means that if one circle is up, and a second, overlapping circle is invoked, the first circle is cancelled.
Saint-Mama Theya of the Reaching Voice: may be gained as a patron for 8 POW. Allows the invoker to link to a target within view. The linked individuals can share MP and hit points freely, by mutual consent only. If one is injured, the wound, or part of the wound, can be shifted (again, by mutual consent) to the other. The wound must retain the same hit location. If the linked individual is a creature with a different hit location table, the damage appears on his body in whatever region is the nearest equivalent (use the hit location table's 1d20 list if in doubt). This effect ends at dawn.
Saint-Mama Theya of the Inexorable Fate: may be gained as a patron for 8 POW. Allows the invoker to link to a target within view. That target can not die so long as the invoker is alive. If the target is reduced to 0 or fewer hit points, he goes unconscious and inert, but retains a hold on life. A Sever Spirit or similar effect does disunite the target's soul from its body, but that (now untenanted) body keeps breathing and living, though immobile. On the other hand, if the invoker is killed, the target drops dead on the spot, regardless of damage or hit points. Only divine intervention can save him. He can, of course, be resurrected. The effect lasts until one of the two participants dies, or until dawn, whichever comes first.
End of Glorantha Digest V2 #308
WWW material at http://hops.wharton.upenn.edu/~loren/rolegame.html
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