Cults of The Secret Places

–♦–
Ardwin is a large nation and, in some regions, a sparsely-populated one. In the depths
of the forest, or the wilds of the swamps or the desolate ocean coasts, there are still, as
yet, places innocent of the step of orc, or dwarf, or elf. Even in the settled areas, there
are places of mystery—swamps only a few miles from populated and heavily trafficked
rivers, where one can walk in for a half hour and starve to death trying to find the way
out again. There are fields in the prairie that have not yet felt the cut of the plow and
unlit hill caves which dwarven explorers have never reached.

In ancient places, ancient forces dwell.

Some who learn of these mysteries are drawn to them. They dream dreams or see
visions, they are restless and distracted until they set out into the untamed, until they
make a pilgrimage to a lake they’ve never seen but immediately recognize, or a great
twisted tree, or a strange blank stone jutting arrogantly from the turf. They arrive and
instinctively drop to their knees, lower their heads, and listen.

Others find secret places through sheer chance or, if not that, destiny. A youth chases a
wayward kid for miles. An old widow hunting mushrooms falls through a dark crust
of dirt to find herself somewhere larger, and stranger, and dark. Young lovers seeking
privacy away from prying eyes instead find themselves in the presence of a booming
voice.

Whether it’s fate or the force of enchantment, people of all Ardwin’s races have found
these rare and magical places, and almost all have come to worship spirits dwelling
there. They are rarely given the option to refuse service.

Spirits of the Land

–♦♢–
The spirits that animate these areas are landscape. Perhaps they can only exist
mysterious and inhuman. They do not when anchored to such a place. Perhaps
seem to possess the capacity for self- their nature warps places around them
questioning that gives pause to elf and and, by the time they’re mature enough
orc alike. They simply are. They do not to communicate, they’ve necessarily
consider their agendas, they enforce made significant changes. Perhaps the
them. Excuses and arguments do not location is a trap in which spirits become
change their minds: They can only be entangled, and the world is full of such
persuaded in terms of their own creatures with no tie to the physical realm
extremely narrow and inflexible values. and no means to communicate with the
They show no signs of having bodies, but living. Or perhaps they lack any interest
are all tied to unique features of the in doing so. These creatures of principle

1
 Spirits of the Land
–♢♦–
have little curiosity about themselves, or So the spirits develop human cults to
about anything abstract. Questions of carry out their commands. These cults
“why” or inquiries about ethics and are generated with Company rules and
morality are usually just ignored. It’s can be attacked with all the guile and
almost like they can’t hear anything craft REIGN characters bring to bear.
that’s not relevant to their agents or
agendas. Initiation

While their ends and means vary greatly, Anyone who accepts the cult’s rule can
there are some elements common to how make a pilgrimage to the spirit’s site and
all these beings operate and exist. accept a physical mark, indicating that
the person belongs to its unseen master
Ephemeral Eternity forever. This is covered in greater detail
in the descriptions of individual sects, but
As mentioned, all these spirits are tied to in brief, initiates are tangibly marked,
features of territory, usually beautiful or usually in a subtle way. They can offer
ominous ones, but always impressive. pleas and requests to their masters at any
They are otherwise invisible and distance, though their gods rarely deign
imperceptible even by magical senses. to reply. The spirits can, however, send
This makes them virtually indestructible. dreams to their followers, no matter how
A spirit in a waterfall resides in that far the follower is. They can also speak
space. If you divert the river, it resides in directly to those who are present at the
the cliff. If you manage to tear down the shrine. Different spirits can present their
hill, it resides in soil beneath the rubble. people with gifts, but they also punish
There are neither Company nor personal inexorably those who disobey their
actions that can injure them directly. This strictures and commands.
is not to say, however, that they can’t be
stopped. Inhumanity

Reliance on Agents Even spirits whose rules seem benevolent

are inhuman and inflexible. Even those
For all their eternity, the spirits have little whose principles seem virtuous and just
active influence on the world. They can are utterly unconcerned with the feelings,
only help those who accept their help comfort or happiness of their followers.
(usually in the form of obeying their Consider a spirit who demands that his
commands). They can sicken and injure initiates slay any who partake of fruits
those who violate their holy places, but that have been sanctified to it. If a
even the largest such shrines are no larger mother finds her child has unknowingly
than a few hundred paces across. They violated this stricture, the spirit punishes
aren’t difficult to avoid, if you’re her disobedience as viciously as it would
forewarned. one who disobeyed from pure spite.

2
 The Sect of Taka’Tah
–♦♢♢–
Taka’Tah is a spirit with a young cult but Agenda: Order. Taka’Tah is primarily
plenty of growth potential. Centered in concerned with the placement of persons
the forest, its sect is highly accessible to and objects. Things have a place.
the resident elves. Given their freedom Removing them from their place is
from food, farming or sustenance odious.
gathering, joining a cult of pure order
and pursuing a life of complete, Nowhere is this more true than at the site
predictable stability might appeal. of its sacred Throat. Anyone who tries to
cut down one of the trees that surrounds
Location: Deep in the forest is a hole. It it takes an Area 4 Killing attack every
looks, at first, like a sinkhole, but upon round until she either (1) flees or (2) dies.
closer approach the turf and soil wears The damage takes the form of
away and reveals stone, curving gently spontaneous boils on the undersides of
inward, smoothly ringed or spiraling limbs or inside body apertures. If you
downward, getting progressively steeper, don’t want buboes in your lungs, leave
moist and dark. The hole itself the trees alone. Moving a stone? Suffer
—“Taka’Tah’s Throat” to believers—is the attack once, then again if you don’t
about three long elf-paces across and get the message and quit.
seemingly bottomless.
The trees around it grow
Other Worlds, Other Spirits?
protectively canted in
above, forming a thick There’s absolutely no reason you shouldn’t be able to
canopy over it. Sacrifices import Taka’Tah or something like it to Nain, Milonda
to the spirit are simply or Heluso. The rules hold, regardless of the origin of
tipped down the hole. No the spirit or the background of the setting. Just take
sound emerges to indicate care how you integrate these entities into the setting.
that they have struck a If you stick with their canonical love of secrecy, there’s
fundament. Indeed, if no reason they’d have necessarily attracted attention
some enterprising dwarf in the two continents—though the magic of a
or orc were to tunnel powerful Uldish sorcerer might give even Mobrau
beneath the Throat, he pause. These creatures could be the totems behind the
would never break into tribes of the Lightless Jungle. Just decide in advance
the open space of it. From whether they’re susceptible to Death Forging.
beneath, the ground there
Placing them in Nain, there’s no Great Tongue word
seems to be hard,
for these, and most magic simply doesn’t recognize
impenetrable granite.
they’re present. Compared to wizardly whims, even
Only from above is there
strict Gy’Tyah might be preferable. Especially in
the sacred abyss.
exchange for the power to avenge oneself on the
arrogance of enchantment.

3
 The Sect of Taka’Tah
–♢♦♢–
The Blessings, The Laws described above). If the child refuses, the
parent must disown it and never speak to
Know You Your Place And There it again until it relents and joins the sect.
Reside, To Find The Favor Of Taka’Tah:
Those who dedicate themselves to A parent who refuses to mark a child
Taka’Tah are required to prostrate develops a mist over his vision,
themselves at the edge of the Throat and increasing the Difficulty of all Sight rolls
incise their master’s mark upon the by 3. Each additional child refused to
inside surface of their lower lip. The Taka’Tah increases the Difficulty, to a
blood is to drip into the abyss, and then maximum of 9. But every time a parent
the supplicant may, with the spirit’s dutifully marks his child, one Company
permission, take a stone from the grove to which the parent belongs gets a +1
and carry it away to his home. He is to Territory bonus for that month.
bury the stone upon his land and live Companies can only benefit from this
there forever after. Specifically, he is to once per month, however, no matter how
spend each night within a half mile of the fertile their cultists are.
buried stone. So long as he does this, he
gains +MD to his Vigor rolls. But any Render Unto Taka’Tah Sacrifice While
time he spends the night away from his Alive, And Upon Your Death Return To
land or his stone, he takes a point of Taka’Tah Your Master: At every full
Shock to every location at dawn and loses moon, a deer, sheep, ram or stag is to be
the Vigor bonus die. Take a Taka’Tah sacrificed to Taka’Tah at the hand of the
cultist’s stone from his property and he’s cultist. Cultists who can’t lay hold of the
in a real bind. The spirit, however, appropriate animal can substitute a small
always knows where every stone lies. bird, and those who can’t perform the
sacrifice personally can designate a close
Mark Unto Taka’Tah Your Children relative to perform the killing. Those
With A Promise, And Upon Their who perform this rite gain the Blessing of
Growth Let Them The Promise Fulfill: Taka’Tah, which can be spent one time to
When a cultist has a child, he must take either add a 2x10 success to any roll, or to
the child to the shrine and mark its increase the Width of a set by two. No
forehead with Taka’Tah’s emblem, using individual can have the Blessing more
moisture from within the holy Throat. A than once. Moreover, traveling to
cultist who fails in this permanently loses sacrifice offsets the “sleep at home” order.
a Wound Box from a leg location as his
foot curls and twists into a clubfoot. The There is no specific punishment for
child can then receive dreams from the failing to offer sacrifice, but a cultist who
spirit. When the child is ready to move fails more than twice in a year is bound to
into its own home, it must voluntarily get some stern words from his fellow
enter the service of Taka’Tah, (as Taka’Tah congregants.

4
 The Sect of Taka’Tah
–♢♢♦–
region, making their land
available to proper
worshippers.

Outside direct proximity

to the Throat, she has few
agents. Her most trusted
are her three children
(two elves and a sprite
from her second
marriage), ages 13-19,
who receive dreams from
Taka’Tah but are not yet
tied down to their own
The Cult of Taka’Tah property and are therefore free to
proselytize all over Ardwin. Through
Currently, cult is led by an elfin woman
them (and others who have yet to plant a
named Beridel who has the advantage of
stone) the cult is negotiating with some
living a mere five mile hike from the
goblin settlements along the central river.
sacred abyss. She makes the pilgrimage
The goblins are too distant to join the
weekly and Taka’Tah speaks to her far
sect, but have some interest in fostering
more frequently than to anyone else. At
beliefs that prevent some elves from
least, that’s what she says.
answering any military call-ups.
The strictures of serving the spirit make a
Close to the Throat, the struggle for
crusade of conquest impractical, to say
supremacy is subtle and not violent, but
the least: No army is going to ride out to
grudging and increasingly bitter. Some
victory when Taka’Tah is plaguing them
cultists are open—indeed, abusive!—
with injuries every morning they spend
about their recruiting. Others keep their
away from their designated home site.
faith to themselves but still work to aid
But Beridel is cunning, ambitious and a
their fellows and undermine unbelievers.
true believer. Her goal is to recruit
The nonbelievers are feeling increasingly
everyone of every race who lives within
besieged and paranoid.
two days’ travel of the Throat. She
pursues this by visiting the ill and Might 0, Territory 3, Sovereignty 3,
promising them health as a reward for Treasure 2, Influence 1
loyalty. She has also identified some
stubborn ‘apostates’ who are aware of the Assets: Small Horizon, Patriotism,
cult (though many dismiss it as silly Defensible Terrain, Blessed Cult (see page
superstition) living close to the Throat. 6)
Her goal is to drive them out of the

5
 The Sect of Gy’Tyah
–♦♢♢♢–
Unlike Taka’Tah, the sect worshipping Agenda: Purity. Specifically, Gy’Tyah
Gy’Tyah is well established and has a seeks to isolate her followers from
history stretching back decades. Mostly anyone who does not worship Gy’Tyah).
adored by a mix of orcs and
gnomes, Gy’Tyah is The Blessings, The Laws
selective about the
Gy’Tyah Shall You Adore,
worshippers she accepts,
And Her Token Carry
but has been known to send
Always: A token of
her call hundreds of miles
Gy’Tyah takes the form of a
into the dreams of the
a smooth pebble from
lonesome and susceptible.
around her cliff face,
Location: Along the ocean incorporated into the body.
cost, miles from the nearest This is most commonly
fertile field or defensible done by piercing and
hult, there is a weird spire stretching an earlobe or lip
of stone, rising alone from to accommodate the stone,
the sand and unlike anything else around but some followers swallow (and
it. The twisted tower is called Gy’Tyah’s periodically boil and re-swallow) their
Shrine. There are three villages stones, or carry them in other locations.
surrounding it, about ten miles away in The most dedicated incise their flesh and
each direction, entirely occupied by her sew the stone inside. Anyone who bears
followers, the Purified of Gy’Tyah. They such a stone in his body gains two
do not look kindly upon strangers who benefits. First, he cannot be subject to the
wander into their territory. Unless, of Gy’Tyah Curse (described below) and
course, they too believe. secondly, he always knows how far the
shrine is and in what direction. (For
some Direction-based tests, this can

The Blessed Cult Asset

Having a real, objective supernatural force on your side has definite advantages in
the pursuit of Company policy. Cults of totemic spirits—and only cults—can take
this Asset. Once per month, it can give a temporary +1 bonus to any Quality except
Sovereignty, through the agency of miracles. Plagues of frogs, fire from heaven,
unnatural fertility? All possible… at a price. To achieve the bonus, the cult must
fulfill some demand the spirit imposes. No obedience, no miracle. What sorts of
requests do spirits make? It all depends on their agenda, but barring some sort of
goal-driven concrete achievement, they all are partial to tests of loyalty. Human
sacrifice is not out of the question.

6
 The Sect of Gy’Tyah
–♢♦♢♢–
be worth a +1d to +3d bonus.) Note that this punishment is to journey to the
he does not have to be a worshipper. shrine and make an offering of an
Someone who can sneak to the shrine, unblemished calf or sheep. Re-offense, of
steal a rock, and incorporate it into his course, means resumption of the curse.
body gains Gy’Tyah’s benefits, regardless
of the spirit’s will. The same burden and absolution process
apply to any Gy’Tyah follower who
There are consequences for such theft, of wears a garment made of two different
course. By the spirit’s command, such types of fibers woven together; who
thieves are to be dragged back to the stores two different types of grain, fruit
shrine and tormented for a full day of or vegetable in the same container; or
pain for each day they held the stone, who eats both meat and fish in the same
until death is a blessed release. meal. The final stricture is that those who
obey Gy’Tyah cannot touch the living
Cultists who do not carry the stone are flesh of nonbelievers. As long as there’s
not punished, other than by the loss of its no skin-to-skin contact it’s all right, but as
direction and protection. soon as they touch someone faithless,
including a fellow worshipper who has been
Like Shall Cleave To Like, And From
subjected to the Burden, the Burden falls
Unlike Be Held Apart: Orcs who
upon them as well.
worship Gy’Tyah marry only other orcs.
Gnomes marry gnomes. Elves marry On the other hand, every follower who
elves. Any who take Gy’Tyah’s stone and spends a month pure gets to add a
then intermarry (or have any sort of Master Die to all attempts to catch fish. If
sexual contact with someone of another you’re an orc living on a barren seashore,
race) are subject to the Blasphemer’s that’s pretty attractive.
Burden.
The Pure Shall Know Gy’Tyah’s Mercy,
Here’s how the Burden works. The first But Those Who Torment The Obedient
day, it rolls a pool of 4d+MD against its Shall Be Struck Down With Great
victim. With any set, regardless of the Wrath: Anyone who belongs to the
victim’s Body or Vigor or anything else, Purified of Gy’Tyah can curse others of
the accursed loses a point of Body and his race, so long as they are not also
suffers intermittent headaches, joint pains Purified. Pure orcs can curse impure
and horrible nightmares. The next day, orcs, but not impure elves. (Why not?
and every day after, it rolls 4d until it gets Because orcs have no business worrying
a set. When that happens, Body drops about the spiritual cleanliness of elves or
another point. Then it rolls 3d every day sprites or anyone but orcs. Similarly,
until it gets a set (costing another Body Purified elves need only concern
point), then 2d every day until the victim themselves with cursing other elves.)
dies. The only way to purify oneself from

7
 The Sect of Gy’Tyah
–♢♢♦♢–
This curse is not as strong as the you do so much as single point of Shock
Blasphemer’s Burden from Gy’Tyah to a fellow cultist, or even do no damage
herself, but it’s still nasty. To place the but still slap him, you permanently lose a
curse, the cultist has to say “Gy’Tyah’s Wound Box from the location from which
curse be upon you!” to the target, or at the damage originated. Bit him? Lose a
least mutter the words in his general point from the head. Kicked him? Lose
direction. Then the cultist has to make it from the leg. Punched him or threw a
some kind of representation of the victim stone? Comes off the arm. This damage
—a painting, a statue, a voodoo doll or takes the form of the limb withering and
what have you. It doesn’t need to shriveling as if badly burned or
incorporate any hair or body matter from prematurely aged.
the victim, however. Upon completing
this mystic focus, the target immediately The Cult of Gy’Tyah
loses a point of Body and suffers the
Individual Purified tend towards
usual Burden symptoms. Every day, the
insularity, avoiding speech and even eye
target makes a Body+Vigor roll against
contact with strangers, but this actually
the 4d Curse pool. It’s opposed. If the
runs counter to the cult’s stated goal of
Vigor roll can gobble out the Curse set,
bringing all of Ardwin (or even the
nothing happens. If the Curse gets a set
world) under the benevolent gaze of
in, another point of Body drops. If Body
Gy’Tyah. This is easier said than done,
hits zero, the victim dies.
but there are evangelists traveling the
Each cultist can only curse one enemy at roads and waterways of Ardwin, seeking
a time. If the cultist dies, the curse lifts. the downtrodden and weak, promising
If the victim can find and destroy the them provender and vengeance if they
effigy, that breaks it as well. Otherwise, only accept their place in the natural
he’s going to have to get to Gy’Tyah’s order. All they have to do is make the
Shrine and steal a stone or get religion. pilgrimage and accept the stone.

Cultists—even those who share a race— These recruits are typically secretive
can’t curse one another because their about their worship, and the evangelists
Gy’Tyah stones protect them. If a cultist never stay in one place for long,
doesn’t have his Gy’Tyah stone, he can be especially after persuading someone to
cursed, but he won’t be because the law make the trek to the Purified villages.
states “The Pure Shall Know Gy’Tyah’s Some who join the cult stay in the coast
Mercy.” In practice, this means Gy’Tyah villages, becoming one more fisherman,
cultists don’t hurt one another. Any of albeit one with strange songs and stories
the Pure who strikes another, bare to help earn the regard of neighbors. But
handed, with a weapon, with a spell, on there are few goblins, dwarves and elves
purpose, accidentally—doesn’t matter. If in the villages, and the lack of romantic

8
 The Sect of Gy’Tyah
–♢♢♢♦–
opportunity usually propels the recruits quickly came to prominence within the
back toward their homelands. Only now community and has rallied many to his
they’re armed with Gy’Tyah’s Curse. religion. But recently the Klogues have
started paying attention to rumors of
The dwarves and goblins along the river curses and (wrongly) jumped to the
have their suspicions about a weird cult conclusion that the Redflags are
of witchcraft that has seeped up from the poisoning people. They’re gearing up for
shore, but so far little is known beyond major repression.
suspicion of those who won’t shake your
hand skin-on-skin. Some unscrupulous The only other place with Gy’Tyah
Gy’Tyah cultists have taken a proactive worshippers in any real community is the
stance by accusing others in their home city of Bountiful, where an interracial
towns of witchcraft, sometimes going so group follows Gy’Tyah joyfully and
far as to place a curse, hide the token in openly, seeming like nothing more than a
their patsy’s home, and then let it be silly, happy cult with some inconvenient
found. By far the most active Gy’Tyah rules, but nothing that precludes trade.
cult outside of the Purified villages is in Unless the course of events changes
the city of Blackflag. The dwarves of drastically, they’re going to be amazed
Blackflag, a neutral minority in a and appalled when Blackflag erupts in
politically polarized tyranny, were violence and the Redflags try to purge the
already viewed with suspicion by both Purified of Gy’Tyah.
the Redflag revolutionaries and the
Klogue family rulers, so they were Might 1, Territory 3, Sovereignty 3,
already isolated and trading at a Treasure 1, Influence 2
disadvantage. A disgruntled dwarf who
Assets: Blessed Cult, Shipshape Navy,
converted to Gy’Tyah and used the Curse
Patriotism
judiciously against his business rivals

The Sect of Jossode

–♦♢♢♢♢–♢–

Where the voices of other totems are

usually booming and deep, Jossode speaks
in small and still tones of perfect
rationality. It (or “he” to his servants)
sounds like somebody’s wise old
grandfather dispensing pearls of wisdom.
This is one factor that has led to Jossode
worship being widespread throughout

9
 The Sect of Jossode
–♢♦♢♢♢–♢–
Ardwin. But at the same time, the smooth plane of stone. While it’s the size
disorganization of Jossode’s cult, and the of a sapling or shrub, closer inspection
requirements of honoring it, keep its reveals that it has the shape of an ancient
numbers small. There aren’t many tree, only in miniature. (Someone from
cultists to this entity, but they aren’t our world would recognize it as a
geographically bound. naturally-occurring bonsai, hundreds of
years old but shrunken due to the
Jossode does not call out to the lost or scarcity of soil and water.) This tree,
searching like Gy’Tyah does. Rather, the described in hushed tones as “distant
unjustly persecuted are more likely to even when close enough to touch, huge
draw his attention and receive his despite its small size” is the seat of
dreams, guiding them to his domain Jossode’s will.
where he offers them power in exchange
for service. Perhaps every year, a few Agenda: Justice. Not in the vague mortal
hundred in Ardwin feel put upon enough sense of general fairness on a social level,
to open their minds to Jossode’s dream but personal, individual, particular
call. Of those dreamers, only one in ten, balance between harm done and dealt,
or less, is desperate enough to set out into and favors given and received.
the mountains. But of those who survive
to find his locus, most accept his The Blessings, The Laws
patronage eagerly. His initiates consume
Leave No Offense Unavenged, Nor
one leaf (no larger than a flower petal)
Kindness Unrewarded: The cult of
from the sacred tree and shave their
Jossode is often composed of loners,
heads completely. (Yes, eyebrows too,
though one gets small and very tightly
giving some a look of perpetual surprise.)
bound clusters of worshippers, often
Forever after, they are expected to keep
with a family or marriage basis. When
their hair and beard and eyebrows
these solo worshippers do manage to talk
denuded, storing the daily shavings until
with one another, there’s often reference
they can be brought back to Jossode once
to “debt.” This doesn’t mean money. It
a year, on the anniversary of the pilgrim’s
means a spiritual imbalance between
first pledge of loyalty.
insult or benevolence.
Location: High in the mountains, on the
If you do a favor for a Jossode cultist, she
ever-disputed border between the
will do a favor in return, one of exactly
dwarves and the orcs, there’s a hidden
equal merit as close as she can judge it.
canyon, small and steep and barren of
(If she judges wrongly, a dream from
life… except for one tiny tree. At the far
Jossode is sure to correct her.) Save the
side of the gorge, a half-mile hike over
life of one marked to Jossode and the
rocks, there is a perfect miniature tree
cultist is likely to follow you doggedly
growing from a crack in an otherwise
until an opportunity to spare you equal

10
 The Sect of Jossode
–♢♢♦♢♢–♢–
peril arises. A Jossodite who ignores a initiate of Jossode receives one point of
petty favor loses a point of Charm as her Shock to the same location, immediately.
face erupts with disfiguring warts—the This ignores armor and can’t be dodged
greater the debt, the more warts, or or parried. Anyone who does a point of
larger, or more prone to ooze odious Killing damage, or any combination of
matter. This never results in a loss of Killing and Shock, to a cultist, receives a
more than one point of Charm, however. point of Killing damage to the same
location. Followers of Jossode are
One who ignores a major favor loses her permitted to inflict additional damage,
voice. She is unable to speak until she but they are forbidden to kill others.
rights the imbalance. (This is reserved for (That’s an overreaction.) The exception
punishing violations like a life-debt she’s is, they can kill anyone who killed
not even attempting to repay.) someone to whom the Jossodite was
Interestingly, Jossode only tracks debt of indebted. Even if the debt was minor!
favor from the moment of initiation (A Jossodite who kills while defending
onward. Jossode cultists owe no herself is considered to have committed a
particular debt to their parents, but their minor injustice, as described below.)
children are owed protection and
sustenance until they’re old enough to If someone owed a life-debt dies from
see to themselves. (Jossode sees the act of violence or injury, the Jossodite either
bringing a life into an unjust, uncertain permanently loses the point of Charm
world as an imbalance that incurs debt from warts (if she was at least trying to
on the parent.) Abandoning a child is the save him) or loses her speech (if the
fastest route to muteness. However, cultist abandoned her responsibility). If
these curses do break when the initiate the holder of a life-debt dies of a
returns on the anniversary of initiation preventable cause like starvation or
and offers Jossode the shaven sacrifice. thirst, that’s cause for muteness. Dying
of illness or age usually results in the
Naturally, the oppression of indebtedness wart-curse until the cultist returns on her
means Jossodites tend to be standoffish initiation anniversary.
and independent. Several die every year
as a direct result of their unwillingness to Repay Only In Proportion: Jossode
ask for or accept aid. keeps close track of his servants and
sends dreams to those who have
The other side of the coin is that uncollected debts owed them (reward or
Jossodites cannot leave insult or injury revenge) or who owe others.
unavenged. Indeed, anyone who
damages a follower of the tree receives It’s important to understand that Jossode
damage in return. Someone who does only considers physical aid or injury.
only Shock damage to any location on an Words? Words are air. The man who

11
 The Sect of Jossode
–♢♢♢♦♢–♢–
slandered you, who seduced away your importance. Nonbelievers who’ve been
wife, who stole your property through blessed typically get an insight on
legal chicanery? You owe him nothing. something that’s troubling them within a
The guy who picked your pocket, him week, whether they consciously want
you can punish. The armed men who supernatural advice or not.
forced you off the unfairly-seized land?
Them you can wrack with banes all night Jossode isn’t all knowing, but he’s aware
and day. Similarly, the man who called of everything that his followers know,
you a beggar and made extravagant japes which gives him a broad (if shallow, and
at your expense after giving you a bowl alien) insight into the broader doings of
of soup? You owe him a blessing. Ardwin. He can also see anywhere
within a thousand miles of his tree as if
The Blessing of Jossode is no mere vague from the perspective of a hawk or eagle
invocation of good will. It’s a specific circling above. If he knows a living or
benefit and it’s transferrable. Jossodites dead person’s name, he can find where
receive one blessing per week. They can that individual is. All this information
store them up until needed. Handing out can be conveyed in dreams to the blessed.
a blessing (which is done by waving your
hand at someone and
muttering “May Jossode’s
wisdom guide you” or some Debts of Vengeance
similar platitude) equalizes a Debts of favor only matter after initiation. Debts
minor debt—someone did you of revenge are negotiated separately.
a favor but it wasn’t major, Specifically, when someone is in the presence of
life-changing or life-saving. Jossode and considering taking the leaf, she can
(Major debts have to be name specific individuals who have harmed her
equalized with tailored and the degree of punishment she thinks their
actions, not just spiritual harms warrant. Jossode, in turn, indicates how
tokens.) much punishment he thinks their crimes deserve.
If it’s sufficient for the querent, then Jossode
Any initiate with a blessing helps her achieve the payback after initiation. If
can use it whenever he wants it’s not enough (or too much) she can walk away
and hold it indefinitely. To use and try to avenge herself unaided.
a blessing, one simply
mediates on a question and For the murder of a close relative or beloved
receives a hint from Jossode in friend, Jossode’s usually willing to countenance
a dream. These dreams can be a death sentence. A gross theft, tormenting
cryptic and confusing, but assault, or failed murder attempt usually justifies
usually are memorable and the permanent removal of an arm or leg, by
have a strong sense of Jossode’s reckoning.

12
 The Sect of Jossode
–♢♢♢♢♦–♢–
Alternately, there’s Jossode’s Bane, which The Cult of Jossode
you can use on anyone who has harmed
you, stole from you, damaged your Jossodites are more willing to work with
property or otherwise materially done you one another than they are to accept aid
wrong. To inflict the bane, you have to from outsiders (or to help others), simply
look at the target and hiss. (He doesn’t because, with fellow cultists, there’s an
have to see you doing this.) Every round understanding that balance will be
you do this, he takes an Area 1 Shock maintained. Participating in collective
attack. It ignores armor and can’t be activities is always a balancing act
dodged, parried or otherwise stopped. If between obligations. The composition of
it hits the head or torso, it takes the form the cult makes it even more complicated.
of bleeding from an associated aperture
The sect is probably 40% dwarf and 40%
(eyes, nose, throat or other). On a limb,
orc. Those communities are physically
it’s a bruise that’s vaguely shaped like
closest to Jossode, so it’s easier for them
Jossode’s tree-glyph.
to make the trek on the word of an
This can be done over and over, but the evangelist (as opposed to those drawn
tricky part is, Jossode decides when the from all over by spirit-sent dreams).
victim’s had enough. Then the Bane Between orc traditions around scar-bonds
stops working, though the damage done and hunting packs, and dwarven value of
remains. For a minor affront, 3-4 points community, these are not groups that
is typical, or until it starts converting to tend to produce independent loners. So
Killing damage. For a major insult, it orc or dwarf hermits tend to be very
goes until the limb is filled or until severe about their separation from hult
Killing conversion. At that point, the and family. Many who come to Jossode
harm has been balanced and the cultist are extremely anti-social, but at the same
has no call to further harm the victim. time, drawn to close-knit groups because
(Note that hitting someone real hard is that’s how they were raised. What
also, typically, sufficient for equalizing happens? They form close anti-social
minor harm as long as you don’t kill him. collectives. Often, feeling put-upon by
Hitting someone hard enough to put their home hults, they band together for
Killing damage in a limb is typically campaigns of insinuation and
enough for even a major theft. It’s provocation in addition to any specific
equalized whether he gives the stolen vengeance. Remember, words don’t
object back or makes reparations.) count…

For the purposes of aiming, this is a Might 2, Territory 1, Sovereignty 3,

Medium distance attack. Treasure 2, Influence 2

Assets: Blessed Cult, Sinister Operatives,

Irregular Forces

13
 The Sect of Jossode
–♢♢♢♢♢–♦–
The cult is changing, however. One orc and makes good use of threats and bluffs
named Hultharp was drawn to Jossode against non-cultists to get their loyalty.
by a dream of vengeance after a rival (His ability to dispense the Blessing is
tribe razed his hult and killed his sons. well known, as is his scrupulous honor
But Hultharp had his war band with him when it comes to paying his debts.) His
and they all pledged their oath to Jossode goal is to build or seize a hult and rule it
on the same day. So now their collective in accordance to Jossode’s law. If he
yearly pilgrimage has a far different tone succeeds, many of those sullen loners are
than the lone journeys most Jossode going to have opportunities they never
cultists undertake. Hultharp is shrewd expected.

The Sect of Mobrau

–♦♢♢♢–
The goblin-cult of Mobrau is vicious, But their animosity towards those who
voracious and (to outside morality) will not follow is equalled by their
utterly ruthless. It exists to consume. generosity to their fellows within the sect.
Those who fall under its sway are sent to No Mobrite can rest while his fellow
drag in more thralls, under threat of worshipper is in distress and he could
torture if necessary. Any who resist are help. They aren’t required to love one
anathema. Compromise is allowed only another—Mobrau cares naught for
as a prelude to betrayal. Secrecy is the feelings—but they are inflexibly
inflexible rule until the dominion of obligated to help each other.
Mobrau is complete. Only then can its
priests throw aside their disguises and Location: Where Ardwin’s central river
rule openly. emerges from the mountains, it branches
off into several odious swamps before
flowing into firmer ground and winding
its way past Blackflag and into the
gnomish heartland. Deep in one of these
swamps, there is a circle of five trees and,
in the middle of the circle, a low island of
pure, white, sparkling sand. That island
is the temple of Mobrau. No matter how
heavy the rains and how high the river, it
is never submerged. No matter the
extremity of draught, its trees never
parch and the water around it never
drops. Between tree and sand is the
clearest water in Ardwin.

14
 The Sect of Mobrau
–♢♦♢♢–
Agenda: Total authority. Mobrau wants Belonging also has practical benefits. For
to rule all and, failing that, enslave those one thing, any Mobrau cultist you meet
too foolish to bend knee to it. takes care of you if you’re in trouble. If
you’re not in trouble, there’s little
Mobrau’s goal is to blanket the world motivation to serve Mobrau, which is
with its four-tiered caste system. At the why its faithful often make trouble for
top is Mobrau itself, receiving homage the faithless. Mobrau approves of
and obedience. Below that are the conversion-by-the-sword. Indeed,
priests, who have constructed their own anyone who enters the grove and
shrines. The priests instruct the faithful displeases Mobrau is vulnerable to being
who have made their own peace with consumed by fire. (This is a 10d attack
Mobrau, and the faithful use as slaves pool that does W+2K damage, Waste
those who have refused Mobrau’s offer. Killing.) Fortunately, the flames won’t
strike outside the circle of trees.
The Blessings, The Laws
Anyone who cuts off his sacred buboe
The Sacred Sand Of Mobrau Is With
immediately and permanently loses a
You Always: Those who accept Mobrau’s
Wound Box from every location as
dominion do so in the temple grove, or at
Mobrau punishes him for insolence. If
a subordinate shrine (as described
the buboe is cut off by someone else, the
below). When they agree to live by
cultist still suffers (for taking insufficient
Mobrau’s rule, they make a small cut on a
care of Mobrau’s property).
knob of their spine, insert a few grains of
the sacred white sand, and then bandage The Stranger Gets One Chance To Join
over it so that the sand heals inside their Before A Lifetime Serving: Here’s the
flesh. Every year, on the year’s longest heart of that “conversion by the sword”
day, they must attend a shrine and add business. Mobrau cultists are expected to
more sand to the scar-sac that develops. seek power over the unconverted and,
(Some who have obeyed for decades have when they achieve that power, offer a
wens the size of oranges.) chance to join the sect. Any Mobrau
cultist who kills someone without
There is no concrete mystic advantage to
offering the chance to ‘repent’ and join
pledging fealty at this level, but every
suffers terrible wracking pains, inflicting
Mobrau cultist has nightly dreams of
a point of Killing damage on every
great beauty and pleasure, visions of the
location. The same punishment awaits a
paradise that awaits a world utterly in
cultist who offers the person a second
thrall to Mobrau. These dreams fade, as
chance after being refused. Some cultists
dreams do, but give the Mobrites a great
have died after asking a loved one four
deal of confidence even during severe
times to join them in service.
hardships.

15
 The Sect of Mobrau
–♢♢♦♢–
If the offer is refused, the cultist can Show Your Faith With Blood For
perform the enslavement ritual. But this Mobrau: On the shortest night of the
rite can only be worked upon those who year, every Mobrite must go to the temple
permit it, so usually it’s offered as an or to a subordinate shrine and sacrifice a
alternative to death. When the rite is warm-blooded animal by breaking its
complete (it consists of a muttered prayer neck, hanging it by its hind legs, and
to Mobrau and the uncovering of the slitting its throat over the sacred sand.
sacred buboe), the slave must see the Mobrites who do this are instantly healed
person who performed the rite at least of all damage and illness. Those who fail
once a day or suffer an Area 1 Shock to do so (and it must be attended to in
attack. The slave is freed upon the death person) take an Area 10 Killing attack as
of the enslaver, though the Mobrites try Mobrau strikes them with convulsions
to keep that secret. Freedom can also be and open weeping sores.
achieved through initiation or spiritual
warfare (see page 17). Those Whose Service Is Pure May
Become Priests And Guide Their
The Beloved Of Mobrau You Shall Fellows: After serving Mobrau for two
Serve and Aid. The Despised Of years or longer, a cultist can make a
Mobrau You Shall Deceive And special pilgrimage to the temple on the
Destroy: If a Mobrite knowingly leaves shortest winter night and perform a
another cultist in distress—hungry, human sacrifice to become a priest. The
thirsty, cold, unclad, imprisoned, without sacrifice victim must be someone who
shelter—the Mobrite is tormented by refused conversion to Mobrau and who
nightmares and loses a Wound Box from also resisted enslavement. If the sacrifice
his torso until he makes amends. The is made, the killer becomes a priest and
same punishment awaits those who may take a handful of white sand away
voluntarily spend more than one night with him. Wherever he plants that sand
under the same roof with an unbeliever. in the soil becomes a subordinate shrine
to Mobrau, where new cultists can be
However, Mobrau also blesses the inducted and sacrifices offered.
obedient with the means to deceive Gradually it becomes whiter and sandier
outsiders. Every Mobrau follower emits until, after fifty years, it’s the size of the
a subtle perfume that narcotizes original sand bar. But unlike the temple
suspicion and brings agreement—but in the swamp, this shrine can be
only when dealing with the faithless. destroyed (using ‘spiritual warfare,’
When using any Charm-based Skill on described on page 17) and Mobrau
the unbeliever, any set of Width 2 gets cannot strike interlopers with fire at it.
promoted to Width 3.

16
 The Sect of Mobrau
–♢♢♢♦–
In addition to having his own shrine, the shrine access, engage in a sort of
priest gains the Voice of Mobrau: Any grudging socialism, and periodically raid
time he’s speaking to Mobrites, any pairs their non-worshipful neighbors for food,
he rolls with Command Skills are profit and warm bodies. In the past
widened to 3x sets. many of those captives converted,
especially when they realized that the
The priest can charge fees for access to alternative was slavery, but recently their
his shrine and, if he pronounces neighbors have become very vigilant
judgment on a court matter brought about defense and (consequently) very
before him by Mobrites, they are wary of any stranger who might be a
expected to abide by it at risk of being Mobrite in disguise
excluded from Mobrau’s delightful
dreams. But a priest who gives advice The more interesting shrine was founded
that Mobrau dislikes can also find himself by a sprite named Marhaul, a traveling
cut off from the visions of reward. herbalist who got captured, was
enslaved, but figured out where the
The Cult of Mobrau temple was and went there figuring
(correctly) that if she initiated herself
Currently there are three major priests of
she’d no longer have to serve. She then
Mobrau. Two of them are goblins living
set off, tearfully told of her capture, and
in the swamp in very traditional small-
roused a group of gnomes on the
scale tyranny. They have villages far off
swamp’s borders to strike at the ‘debased
the beaten path where they monopolize
villains.’ But of course she’d warned her
cultists beforehand. It worked so well
Spiritual Warfare that two years later she tried the same
thing with a group of credulous orc
It’s up to individual GMs whether
mercenaries a few towns upriver. Two of
totemic curses can be broken with mortal
them escaped, but she got one as a
magic or epic quests, but there is one way
sacrifice, so she has her sand in hand and
to escape from spiritual punishments: A
is looking for a good site to set up her
different Blessed Cult can collectively
shrine. Currently, she has traveled far,
pray for his release. This is a Sovereignty
far, far away from the cult’s initial home,
+Influence roll, opposed by the curse-
with a group of eight goblin bodyguards.
cult’s Sovereignty+Influence. This is a
She’s eager to spread Mobrau’s word.
dynamic contest, with the single Highest
set prevailing. However, the sect praying Might 2, Territory 3, Sovereignty 3,
for release takes a -1d penalty if it’s Treasure 2, Influence 2
asking on behalf of someone who is not,
himself, an initiate. Assets: Eloquent Diplomats, Blessed
Cult, Permanent Underclass.

17
 The Sect of Darohay
–♦♢♢–
Darohay’s observances are not talked
about so much as talked around. As a
fertility cult, its practices are morally
suspect among polite gnomish company,
but too many people have seen too many
failing farms make impressive reversals
to dismiss the goddess entirely.

Location: Not all of the predominantly

gnome-inhabited plains of Ardwin are
settled. The population isn’t so thick that
you can’t find large acreages of center of the vale. It is there, at the center,
undeveloped prairie. This is particularly when one is the focus of a bowl of
true for land with less access to water, glorious beauty, that Darohey speaks.
where the hills and fields are kinder to
scrubby sedge grass than to typical Agenda: Fertility. Darohey seeks to bring
gnomish crops. the land into bloom, prodigiously
increasing the offspring of her followers.
In the middle of one such wilderness,
there’s a dell hidden among a series of The Blessings, The Laws
low, rolling hills, and anyone who tops
Know Darohey And Know Increase, But
one of the surrounding mounds is treated
Yield Unto Her The Firstborn From Her
to a breathtaking sight. The low valley
Fertility: To become a Darohey cultist,
before them is absolutely filled with
one needs only accept her rule from the
flowers—bright buttery golden in spring,
sacred dell and eat a petal from one of
deepening to a peachy rose in summer,
her flowers. Upon leaving the dell, a
and finally turning velvety blood red in
bright gold ring forms around the irises
autumn.
of the cultist’s eyes. The ring is thin,
(In winter? In winter the dell is not there. requiring a Difficulty 3 Sight roll to spot
From the first snowfall to the Spring casually. If the cultist is face to face with
Equinox, the valley of Darohey simply someone and looking wide-eyed, it’s
does not exist.) noticeable without a roll. Even when
seen, it’s not violently unnatural—it
The blooms are small, the size of a little could be passed off as an unusual bit of
coin, but so thick upon the soil that one pigmentation, if you’re not superstitious.
can hardly see through them to the pale
green stalks holding them up. Anyone Once per month, the cultist can bless a
who walks into the blossoms finds Company with a temporary +1 Territory
himself ankle deep after three strides, bonus. A Company cannot benefit from
quickly rising to waist height at the very this more than once per month, no matter

18
 The Sect of Darohay
–♢♦♢–
how many cultists bless it. This benefit Darohey Is Jealous And Success Is Only
takes the form of fecund fields or beasts, From Her: Once per month, Darohey
or unusually productive work. The smites an unbeliever close to the cultist (if
cultists cannot use this power between there are any). This takes the form of a
the first snowfall and the Spring Equinox. fertility curse. Hens lay bad eggs, cattle
have stillbirths or give sour milk, land
However, every cultist is expected to becomes parched and stingy. This inflicts
offer the firstborn of all his animals— a -1 Territory penalty to one Company
cattle, sheep, ducklings, kittens—to and, as with the benefits of blessings, the
Darohey by taking it to the grove, letting penalty never gets beyond -1, no matter
it eat the flowers, and then setting it free. how many Darohey cultists are
(This applies only to animals born after innocently infecting it with their
initiation.) Animals offered in this way proximity. Additionally, human beings
have their eyes turn completely golden. If who aren’t believers have a difficult time
a Darohey follower kills a golden-eyed conceiving when their neighbors are
animal or eats of its flesh (even cultists. While those in Darohey’s sect
unknowingly) he permanently loses a don’t have to want this and can’t control
Wound Box from his head and becomes or direct it, they’re usually aware of it
sterile. He loses the Wound Box but through dreams in which they (for
remains fertile if he sees someone else instance) tear apart a neighbor’s cattle
trying to harm one of Darohey’s animals barehanded, or uproot his crops. The
but does nothing to prevent it. only respite from this happens between
the first snowfall and the Spring Equinox.
If a cultist goes an entire year without
bringing the firstborn of his animals to You Shall Spread The Seed Of The
the dell, he gets the Wound Box and Word On Fertile Soil, But Withhold
sterility punishment until he brings the From Barren Places: To become a
animals and consecrates them. priestess of Darohey, a female initiate
must travel to the dell with a pot of soil,
Members of the sect also offer their own
uproot one of the plants, and take it away
firstborn children, by taking them to the
with her. (Only women can serve
valley and offering them a flower to eat.
Darohey in this fashion.) That plant, so
This must happen before the child is five
long as it lives, serves as a shrine to the
years old, or else Darohey punishes (as
goddess. People can eat its leaves to
described above). The children who eat
become initiated and can offer their
the blossom are treated as initiates—
animal sacrifices to it before releasing
receiving the dreams and the fertility
them. If transplanted into good soil, the
blessing, having to obey the bans—
plant grows rapidly.
whether they want it or not.

19
 The Sect of Darohay
–♢♢♦–
Priestesses immediately gain a +2d+ED The Cult of Darohey
bonus to all Vigor rolls. However, if the
plant (or, post sowing, their Darohey The sect is widespread and disorganized.
garden) dies, so does the priestess. No There is little in the way of ‘leadership’
exceptions. Note that like all of because the soft approach works so well.
Darohey’s curses and blessings, the Vigor Cultists move into a new area and their
bonus disappears during the winter—just farm prospers, while their neighbors
like the flowers. work harder and harder just to break
even. When those neighbors ask for
Anyone who kills a priestess of Darohey advice or aid, the cultists are happy to
after the Spring Equinox and before the help, and can sincerely say, “You know
first snowfall becomes permanently what worked for me? Darohey. Her way
sterile, sexually deadened, and loses a is truly a better way to live…”
Wound Box in the torso. These
symptoms are relieved in the winter, but Those lovely groves can be found on
the only way to be permanently freed is prosperous family farms all the way to
to become Darohey initiate, or to engage the mountains in the north and in hidden
in spiritual warfare. groves in the western forests.

Might 2, Territory 3, Sovereignty 3,

Treasure 3, Influence 2

Assets: Blessed Cult, Predictable Bounty,

Unbalanced Economy

20