"The new world is coming like a thief in the night. And I am that thief."
Mythos and History
A son of Grandfather Mortal, Lanbril was the quiet one who raged on the inside. When the other gods rejected him and his kind as inferior because their father had been the first victims of Death, he was warped by his rage and devoted himself to vengeance. He was no warrior, no sage, no great speaker, no mighty lover. So if he could not triumph on his own virtues, he would steal those of others. His became an existence of disorder, illusion, stealth and deceit. In many way, though, he has proved the original gods right. He is so wrapped up in day-to-day trickery that he often loses sight of the mythic Big Picture. He is not a friend of Chaos (why destroy your prey?), and in his more reflective moments is delighted by the civilisation of Glorantha ("there are no bigger crimes than trade and government", he chortles), but most of the time he is engrossed in today's trick or tomorrow's scam.
His cult is similarly fragmented and changeable. Lanbrili organise themselves in loose 'rings' under one or more dominant leaders. Within the ring, they are expected to obey orders, tithe their criminal earnings to the communal kitty (used to bribe officials, get members out of prison, etc) and never inform to the authorities. Of course, if you can get away with not admitting to ill-gotten gains, challenging a leader or informing on a rival ring, then so much the better, as Lanbril thrives on intrigue and deceit.
Entry Requirements: Be contacted and invited to join by existing cultists (in some cases, 'an offer you can't refuse')
Physical Skills: Knife Fighting, Climb Walls, Sneak, Move Quietly
Mental Skills: Mythology of Lanbril, Acting, Streetwise, Con, Hear Local Gossip
Virtues: Cunning, wealthy, quick
Affinities:
:: Theft (Light Fingers, The Move Nobody Notices, Conceal Booty)
:: Deceit (Confuse Questioner, Spread Rumour, Switch Items)
:: Other, depending on the specific local ring, reflecting the aspect of Lanbril. This will generally be expressed or acquired through a local thief hero, such as:
::: Eroya the Shadow (much of the eastern shore of the
Oslir), the celebrated black marketeer, renowned master of
Wheeling & Dealing (Haggle, Find Goods, Hide Goods)
::: Bruised Knuckles (urban Kostaddi), the enforcer and
protection racketeer, whose criminal empire was built upon
his ability to Intimidate (Break Stuff, Big Shout, Menace)
::: Selarn of Afadjann (Fonrit), who taught his people how
to survive in a brutal and efficient police state by
providing the arts of Lying Low (Block Divination, Feign
Death, Pass Without Trace)
::: The Clockwork Godfather (Pavis), a fabled alchemist and
petty technologist who produced weird and wonderful thief's
Gadgets (Make Thief's Gadget - a single feat which is
always improvised, with a penalty based on the power and
difficulty of the item in mind). Yes, in other words,
something for those of you who liked the original Lanbril
cult, with all those dusts and toys…
Secret: Steal Feat. Ritual magic: the Lanbrili steals or cheats from the victim something which can represent the affinity in question, such as a sword for a weapon feat, an uses this later in a ritual which is essentially a less charged version of a Lanbril heroquest. Success against the victim's rating in that feat means the Lanbrili has stolen a single use of the feat. It is lost to the victim until the thief uses it or the victim spends a hero point to regain it (the Lanbrili in this case does not lose the feat). The Lanbrili uses the feat at the original owner's rating.
Sacrifices: Lanbril sees those who give up their own wealth as fools and victims, and is not impressed by worshippers who think he can be bought that easily. Cultists are expected at least once a day to practice some petty trick or deception from which they will gain no direct benefit (spreading a groundless rumour, for example, or loosening a chair leg in an inn) to spread a little chaos (with a small 'c') and deceit. Lanbrili seeking to win his favour, though, should try to con others into sacrificing something in his name or throwing away their wealth: substituting his image for another idol about to be worshipped, for example, or convincing a mark to cast silver coins into the sea 'for luck'.
Worshippers: Criminals, especially within central Genertela. Rumours of a common 'thieves' cant' are just that, but Lanbril does teach his cultists secret signs by which to recognise each other. If a foreign thief comes onto your turf, you will at least know him to be a fellow Lanbrili, even if that doesn't necessarily stop you robbing him.
Manifestations: Lanbril's presence is felt whenever a cultist successfully carries out a crime, generally in proportion with the haul and the degree to which trickery was used - a petty mugging is beneath his interest, the culmination of a long and complex sting, though, something he will eagerly watch.
Other Side: Lanbril's Den is somewhere on the God Plane, connected by secret routes and tunnels to many other realms. Worshippers will generally learn the way to one of these routes, without ever finding out where the Den really is. Lanbrili can hope to cheat death as long as they can, like all those who pursue them, but know also that, when they die, Lanbril will secrete away their souls for a while and then slip them back to Glorantha, laundered.
Other Connections: Most cults of law and rulership mistrust Lanbril, just as many associated with crime or disorder often find common cause. However, a particular enemy is Krarsht, whose cult tries to dominate underworlds for their own purposes.
Disadvantages: Merely being a member of the cult of Lanbril will in some cases be a crime punishable by death or exile, in others it will simply ensure a careful watch by the authorities. Also, while the support of the ring can be very helpful, the Lanbrili is also expected to provide that support to other ring members.
Notes:
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