Earthmaker, the Great Spirit, Tradition Keyword
Entry Requirements: Everyone born within the Rathori people is a bear
and part of the religion. A rite of adoption for outsiders exists,
which changes the candidate's spirit into a bear. It is dangerous and
most who attempt it die.
Abilities: Open Spirit World, Earthmaker Tradition Knowledge, Speak
to Wolf, Worship Earthmaker.
Virtues: Scorn Civilization.
Magic: Tradition Spirits (Spiritists usually start with 5 charms):
Wilderness Spirits—Attract Mate 17, Bound Through Undergrowth 11 to
19, Chip Stone Neatly 15, Find Edible Plants 13 to 6W, Forage Through
Snow 18, Ignore Biting Insects 15, Make Fire 15, Make Safe for
Drinking 18, Run Away! 4W, Sense Predator 3W.
Core Practices: Earthmaker is worshipped by men and women alike.
Great Secret: Dismember Self.
Other Side: Earthmaker rules the Great Forest
BearFather: Irgar, Irdag and Orenra
In the Great Darkness everyone was confused and no one knew how to
live, dance, or drum. Rathor, the White Bear, came to teach people
how to live in harmony with nature. The people are descendants of
Rathor's sons: Irgar the Grizzly (the most numerous), Irdag the
Black Bear (a significant minority), and Orenra the Blue Bear (a
smaller group). Each people worships their own ancestor bear, all of
whom have similar stories of the adventures in the godtime, but each
of which has individual differences, secrets unknown to other peoples.
During the Great Winter, Grasper, King of Below, laid a trap for for
Rathor, in the shape of a fine lodge. Some of Rathor's followers
scouted to lodge, which sprung the trap that broke their backs. They
have walked on four legs ever since and are the ancestors of the
bears. Those who stayed outsidethe remained on two legs; they are the
ancestors of the people.
Entry Requirements: Everyone born within the Rathori people is a bear
and may join.
Abilities: [BearFather] Practice Knowledge, Follower of [BearFather],
Open Spirit World, Spirit Face, Speak To Bear.
Virtues: Calm, Patient, Wise.
Practice Spirits:
Bear spirits (three of these)— Bearhug 13-8W, Bear's Hide 12 to 7W,
Bear Running 12 to 10W, Bite of the Bear 15-2W, Brave Heart 17, Keen
Smell 19, Knock down Enemy 14 to 4W, Rage of the Bear 20-6W, See at
Night 1W, Strength 17-8W, Swim 15, Terrifying Growl 14W, Tough 15-8W.
Den spirits (three of these)—Comfort 14, Find Healing Plant 8 to 6W,
Heal Wound 14 to 1W, Heal Injury 9 to 4W, Shield Cubs 17-4W, Suckle
Young 16W.
Man spirits (three of these) — Cunning Trap 17 to 3W, Bear Help 15,
Hide Scent 19, Keen Flint 19, See Hidden Tracks 14 to 1W, Stalk Prey
1W, Sureshot 16 to 4W.
Spirit Ally: A worshiper can only have a bear spirit as a spirit ally.
Secret: Bearwalking This ability allows people to shapechange into
bears. A bearwalker must possess a complete skin of the type of bear
he wishes to become. Bearwalking is the ability used to change into a
bear (resistance of the world, 14) and the ability of the bearwalker
to use human skills while in bear form (all physical abilities are
at -10). Bearwalkers have the abilities of a full-grown bear
(Anaxials' Roster, p.79) and can use hero points to increase bear
abilities.
Practice Secret Requirements: Follower of [BearFather] 1W2, Spirit
Face 1W2, Speak To Bear 1W2.
Charms and Fetishes: Rathori keep their charms and fetishes within a
medicine bag that hangs around their neck.
Other Side: The bear fathers lives in lodges in the Wild Forest where
the salmon are always leaping.
Disadvantages: Rathori may not cut Grandmother Earth's skin with the
plow and disdain living away from nature in towns or cities.
Silent Stalker
People do not worship Silent Stalker, but one of his children, who
has different names among the clans. The hunter spirts teach people
how to stalk, even bears and mammoths, and how to use the bow. They
also teach people the Great Prayer before killing and the Lesser
Prayer before slaughtering to give thanks to Grandmother Earth and
ensure the prey go on to Enimipol the Mother of Beasts.
Entry Requirements: Be a man (initiation usually occurs around age
14).
Abilities: Follower of Silent Stalker, Silent Stalker Practice
Knowledge, Spirit Face.
Virtues: Patient, Sly.
Practice Spirits:
Hunting spirits—Animal Calls 13-17, Escape 18, Find Trail 12-4W, Hear
Enemy Coming 18, Hide Scent 13-2W, Stalk 15-5W.
Bow spirits—Arrow Protection 7 to 18, Curved Arrow Flight 15, Escape
15, Flaming Arrow 11 to 9W, Shoot Great Distance 20.
Brother Dog spirits—Find Sustenance 15 to 5W, Hunting 15 to 5W.
Spear spirits—Sharp Spear 10 to 5W, Stout Haft 7 to 1W, Strike Down
Foe 19.
Spirit Ally: A worshiper can only have a wolf spirit as a spirit ally.
Secret: White Bear magic ( Rathor showed Silent Stalker the magic
that allowed him to stay awake during the Great Winter. Some hunters
of silent stalker learnt Rathor's magic and could remain awake during
the winter, to protect the people. No one has learned this secret
since Harrek the Berserk killed and skinned the white bear, nor does
it seem to work for any who learned it any more).
Practice Secret Requirements: [Hunting weapon] 1W2, Follower of
Silent Stalker 1W2, Spirit Face 1W2.
Charms and Fetishes: Telmori tattoo their charms and fetishes
directly onto their skin, so that they will not be lost when
Shapechanging.
Other Side: Lorel lives in the Sky World where he and his companions
hunt the many deer.
Disadvantages: Members may not plough the soil.
Denmother
Denmother is the spirit of domestic activity for the Rathori,
sometimes considered to be the patroness of older women. She
discovered and raised the hunter child during the Great Winter. Skin
paintings depict Denmother as a comely old woman bearing a chopping
knife and cooking skins. Denmother is loving, caring and responsible
to her children. She is a source of healing and blessings.
Entry Requirements: Be a mother.
Abilities: Calm Husband, Follower of Denmother, Rathori Practice
Knowledge, Spirit Face.
Virtues: Love Family, Sacrifice Self for Children.
Practice Spirits:
Den spirits—Beauty 18-20, Comfort 14-18, Endurance 13-17, Fertility
14 to 3W, Find Child 14, Fire Spirits 14 to 10W, Shelter 14 to 5W,
Watch in the Night 15.
Health spirits—Ease Birth Pangs 14 to 20, Fight Disease 12, Kiss
Wound Better 14 – 1W, Heal Injury 9-4W, Soothe Pain 18.
Disadvantages: They may not gain a spirit ally.
Horned Man (Shamanic Practice)
Father of Shamans
Horned Man was the outsider, whose strange behavior made everyone
angry, so that he was exiled from the people, where he made new
friends, and then returned to help people when they were lost, by
keeping the rhythm of Rathor's sacred dance upon his drum, and
showing them the value of his new friends. The people know that those
who seem different or touched, may be destined to walk the shaman's
path, and may seek the shaman's aid before exiling them into the
forest for breaking taboos.
Horned Man shamans deal with many of the spirits of the tradition who
have few worshippers of their own.
Entry Requirements: Must be a member of the BearFather practice and
have the capacity to become a shaman.
Abilities: Follower of Horned Man, Horned Man Practice Knowledge,
Open Spirit World, Spirit Face.
Virtues: Contrary, Mysterious, Unpredictable.
Special Spirits: Horned Man shamans contact the spirits that have few
other worshippers such as the Four Companions, Agikoros the Fire,
Chief Star, Enimipol the Mother of Beasts, Salmon Man, Acorn Spirit,
and Toad Man.
Secret: Spirit Bear (When visible, the shaman's fetch appears as a
translucent bear, of his ancestral type)
Shamanic Abilities: Heal Self, Shamanic Escape, Spirit World Travel.
Fetishes: Horned Man fetishes vary depending on the specific spirit
being worshipped.
Other Side: The Horned Man lives by the Thunder and Lightning Falls
in the Great Forest. A cave behind the curtain of water is his home.
Disadvantages: The shaman is seen as contrary, often crossing gender
boundaries or behaving in ways that are taboo for ordinary people.
Most people avoid them for this reason and fear that their activities
will bring trouble or curses down on the people.
Root, Leaf and Branch (Independent Practice)
Local Spirits
The Rathori are a semi-nomadic people, alert to and in tune with the
spirits of the places they pass through in Rathorela. Over time they
have learned how to treat with the spirits, which gifts to bring to
please them, what behaviors to adopt to flatter them. In addition
they know tales of important ancestors whose deeds took place in
these lands and who look favourably upon the people.
Entry Requirements: Show respect for the local spirits that the den
encounters on its migrations.
Abilities: Follower of Root, Leaf, and Branch, Root, Leaf, and
Branch Practice Knowledge, Local Area Geography, Open Spirit World,
Spirit Face.
Virtues: Observant.
Practice Spirits: Usually no more than one spirit of each type.
Forest Spirits—Bear Fruit 4W, Earthen Den 17-20, Hide in Scrub 15-
12W, Tree Leaping 5W, Wildfire 15-6W
Hero Spirits—Bear Necessities 12-0W, Canny Exchange 15-2W, First To
Strike 13-5W, Lead Companions 11-3W, Find Way 17-7W, Sword Fighting
13-8W.
Land Spirits—Climb 5W, Find Trail 13 to 5W, Shelter in Hollow 3W.
Stream Spirits—Calm the Waters 2W, Carry Downstream 15-19W, Float 11-
3W, Salmon Trap 18-2W, Swim 17- 8W, Tickle Trout 15-3W
Spirit Ally: A practitioner can have only one of the above spirits as
an ally.
Charms and Fetishes: Each spirit has its own home, and these vary
widely. Most prefer medicine pouches filled with herbs, dirt, water,
or bones from the original worship site.
Other Side: These spirits have a wide range of homes, only united by
their association with the Telmori and other local shamans.
"Glorantha, Glorantha Trading Association, Sartar Rising, Imperial
Lunar Handbook, Lords of the West, and Odyssey of Terror are the
trademarks of Issaries, Inc., and are used under license. HeroQuest,
Hero Wars, RuneQuest, and Issaries are the registered trademarks of
Issaries, Inc., and are used under license."
"Glorantha is the creation of Greg Stafford. Greg Stafford and
Issaries, Inc., reserve the right to use any Gloranthan names,
places, and concepts, from any Original Material, in any future
Gloranthan development or publications, without further credit or
payment."
Thanks again to Jeff, inspired heavily by Blood Over Gold in places
Powered by hypermail