Hastatus, The Spear Bearer (Star 87)
I. Mythos and History
Avivorus is the name of the Hero who because of his righteousness ascended directly to Anitirius. He would not stand for the decadence of Orogoros, the 4th emperor of Dara Happa, and called a cleansing light to strike him down. For a badly sung prayer and no sacrifice, the emperor was slain and his palace burned down. Avivorus received ascendence to Antirius for his strength of purpose and strong morality. He assumed the name Hastatus, the Spear Bearer. It is said that Avivath was a later incarnation of this Sunspear Hero.
II. Cult Ecology
Hastatus is the Dara Happan God of the Spear. He is the patron of their hoplites, and his teachings stress the responsibilities of leadership. He imposes a strict code upon his worshipers, but supports them well.
III. The Cult in the World
This cult is centered around the Dara Happan Tripolis. He is primarily worshipped as a subcult of Yelm and has few initiates of his own. The largest of his worship sites is a Major temple in Yuthuppa, with few other temples. On the other hand, shrines to Hastatus can be found in nearly every Yelm temple in the Oslir valley. Certain Hoplite units have taken Hastatus as their patron of their unit, and their standards function as shrines(or temples) to him.
IV. Initiate Membership
Initiates of Yelm the Warrior may automatically join by spending a point of POW in a worship service. New members of hoplite units which support Hastatus may also automatically join with a sacrifice of POW. Others can join after standard initiate tests in the skills of Any Spear Attack, Scan, Hoplite Shield Parry, Ceremony, and First Aid, and succeeding in a POWx5 roll on 1d100. If failed, the prospective worshiper must wait a year. New initiates must also swear fealty to a Yelm Temple.
Initiates are forbidden to learn the spells of Glamour and Darkwall. The initiate is responsible to tell the truth at all times and there are many proscriptions against 'indecent behavior'. Exposing oneself in public is the most serious of offenses, and failing to wear head covering and shoes run a close second and third. Initiates must own a spear and shield and contribute 10% of their time and income to the cult, primarily in the form of training others in the use of the spear.
Initiates receive 200 hours of free training a year, and much more than they can handle if in a Hoplite unit. Training is limited to the skills above plus two-handed spear with shield technique, Craft/Tactics, and Firespeech. The initiate also receives 1pt of Spirit Magic free per 3 years. Initiates may also sacrifice for one-use divine magic.
Spirit Magic: Bladesharp, Coordination, Demoralize, Farsee, Light, Lightwall, Protection, Repair
V. Spear Bearers (Rune Lord)
Spear Bearers are masters of the Spear, both in its use and the teaching thereof. They must have 90% in two different forms of Spear Attack, and three of the following skills: Scan, Craft/Tactics, Speak Own Language, Hoplite Shield Parry, First Aid. They must have been initiates in good standing for ten years. They must then undergo a test of purity before a priest of Yelm and Dayzatar. Abstract this as a POWx2 on 1d100. Failed applicants can try again next year after various purification rituals.
The new Spear Bearer must swear fealty to a Yelm Imperator and his temple. The Spear Bearer must dedicate 90% of time and income towards the cult. Teaching must be a fundamental part of this time. He must own a golden spear(for ceremonial purposes) and a guilded suit of armor(especially helmet and sandals) and shield. The Spear Bearer must endure a more stringent code of behavior than initiates, including strict celibacy when unmarried.
The Spear Bearer gains reuseable divine magic and a 1d10 chance for
divine intervention.
Common Divine Magic: All
Special Divine Magic: Truespear, Impale, Shield, Detect Truth
VI. Hastatus Special Rune Magic
Impale 1 Point
ranged, passive, stackable, reuseable
This spell must be cast on a spear, pike or impaling weapon. Every
point will increases the attack skill of the spearwielder by 10% and
increases the damage done by the weapon by 1d4.
This spell can be stacked with Truespear and Bladesharp. This spell is not stackable with Fireblade or Firespear. If both Fireblade (or Firespear) and Impale are cast on a weapon, it will inflict the greater of the two damage values.
VII. Subcults
Spirit of Reprisal
Avivorus himself is the spirit of reprisal for this cult. He
appears before cult members that overtly break cult vows or slay fellow
cult members. He is extremely harsh on the vows about public indecency.
The perpetrator is approached by a glowing hoplite when he is next in
sunlight. The hoplite verbally berates the perpetrator for their actions
as a Sunspear spell strikes the target. The perpetrator is attacked by one
Sunspear if an
initiate, and ten times if a Spear Bearer.
VIII. Associate Cults
Yelm
The Fiery Father provides Sunspear to Spear Bearers and provides Fireblade to initiates.
Dendara
Yelm's gracious wife bestows the spirit magic spell Vigor to all members of Hastatus' cult.
Lodril
The Earthly son of Aether provides Firespear to Spear Bearers and Ignite to initiates.
Errisa
The Healing Goddess provides the spirit magic Heal to all members of Hastatus' cult.
Dayzatar
The distant son of Aether offers the followers of Hastatus free study of Star Lore when in the city of Yuthuppa.
City Gods
The cults of Alkor, Raibamus, and Buserian each offer free lodgings when in the city walls. This is often in the form of barracks.
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