Cults of Glorantha

Eurmal/Trickster

Eurmal is the Primal Trick; the illusion of the Universe; the Cosmic Joker and the force of Disruption that inevitably initiates change that, if left unchecked, is Chaos. Eurmal is the Innocent Prank Gone Wrong; he is the Teaser and, inevitably, the Destroyer.

Through his pranks, jokes and tricks Eurmal challenges the nature of all gods. He is not necessarily a malicious or spiteful god but if denied his nature becomes peevish and insolent, his tricks taking nasty turns. Eurmal tries things to see what will happen; to him, consequences are for others to deal with whilst he observes. If all turns out for the best then no-one was hurt and perhaps things are better. If things go badly wrong, well, how could he have known they would turn out like they have?

Runes Disorder, Illusion, Luck, Motion.

Mythos and History

One day Eurmal was grubbing out secrets. He wanted to know something that he could use in a trick but was having no luck. Fleeing from one angry god he went beneath the earth and found a cave he had not found before. In it was something he had not seen: some kind of tool; a long blade with a short crosspiece. It radiated power and Eurmal was intrigued by it but dare not touch it. He suspected this was a secret of some importance but he did not dare explore it himself.

Eurmal went in search of Humakt and found the grim brother of Orlanth deep in contemplation. ‘I have something to ease your sorrow,’ Eurmal promised. Humakt, as dour as Eurmal was cheerful, doubted it, but followed the Trickster anyway, ready for some prank. When they reached the cave Humakt was surprised at the tool Eurmal had found.

‘It is very powerful,’ Humakt noted. Eurmal nodded.

‘And only you can use it,’ Eurmal said. ‘I am sure of that.’

‘Perhaps we should ask Orlanth,’ Humakt said, slowly, ‘Or Lhankor Mhy. Lhankor Mhy will know what this is.’

‘No!’ Eurmal protested. He was scared that either of those gods would hide the tool away and no one would ever use it. Eurmal was eager to see what it would do. ‘When I found this tool there was a goddess standing right there, over it.

‘Fetch Humakt!’ she told me. So I did. Would you go against a goddess?’

‘Which goddess was it?’ Humakt asked. ‘Ernalda?’

‘No,’ Eurmal said, spinning his lies, ‘but one much like her. She knows you.’

‘I had better leave it there. It seems someone lost it. They might come looking for it.’ Humakt turned to leave.

‘Or, better, you could take it and go find who lost it!’ Eurmal said. Humakt thought long and hard about this, whilst Eurmal bounced about, eager for Humakt’s decision.

‘Very well,’ Humakt said. ‘I will find who this belongs to.’

When Humakt took up the tool he knew it was a new power in the world but he did not understand what it was. He knew it was a Finality and not a power that any of the Storm Tribe had come across before. He did not know this was Death. The search for the owner was fruitless and at length Humakt returned the sword to the cave, Eurmal sulking and petulant at his side. They left together. Still Eurmal did not know what this power called Death did. As they returned to the surface they came across Orlanth who was in a rage. Once again the Sun Emperor had humiliated him. Orlanth needed something to prove his strength.

‘I have nothing,’ Humakt said.

‘But you do,’ Eurmal said, slyly. ‘You have the new Power. You could loan it to Orlanth.’

‘No,’ Humakt said, flatly.

‘I want this power,’ Orlanth said. ‘Give it to me!’

‘It is not mine to give.’ Humakt said and stalked away. Eurmal took Orlanth to one side.

‘I know where it is,’ he said. ‘You could use it and replace it. Humakt would never know.’ Orlanth was so desperate to have a revenge on the Emperor that he was ready to be tricked. He agreed and followed Eurmal into the cave. There, he stole Death, took it to the Celestial Court and used it against Yelm the Imperator. The sun died and the world was plunged into darkness. Orlanth, terrified, gave Death to Eurmal and told him to take it back. Eurmal, satisfied that he now knew what this new power did, took Death but soon wearied of its burden. He came across Zorak Zoran, who, happy that the Darkness was upon them, sought revenge on Flamal. ‘If I lend you this new power, will you return it to the cave where it belongs?’ Eurmal said. Zorak Zoran said that he would and took Death, using it to kill Grower. Then the world was plunged into even greater Darkness. Death became unleashed as a force with many taking it and using it. Eurmal thought it best to hide then; after all, people might consider it his fault…

Nature

No formal cult for Eurmal exists. Instead there are many, separate, small cults – dedicated individuals and small bands of like-minded people – who follow what Eurmal represents, or seeks to represent. Usually they identify with Eurmal through some perceived injustice against their person and usually because they wish to absolve themselves of blame. But there are no temples to Eurmal, no structure and no ranks. Instead, Eurmal and the Trickster in general manifests through many disparate individuals who identify with Trickster and attribute different powers to him.

There is no agreement as to what Runes Eurmal really possesses. Disorder and Illusion certainly but others claim that the fleet-footed nature of the Trickster shows mastery of the Motion Rune whilst the luck with which Trickster seems blessed shows that the Luck Rune is his, also. Eurmal can be followed through any of these Runes.

Organisation

There is no truly organised cult of Eurmal. His worship persists because men will always seek to trick each other. The cult’s existence is therefore a trick itself. Those who venerate Eurmal might claim that great temples exist but they do not. No one controls the cult; it has no Rune Priests or Rune Lords, although these ranks can be attained through simple diligence and Eurmal’s magic made available.

The God Learners, however, have found a way of promoting Trickster as a bonafide cult. Hofhadalos the Non-Wise, a God Learner, has privately financed the construction of The Temple of United Eurmal. This is a collection of all known Trickster shrine types, so Trickster adherents who have attained some skill in the rank equivalent to priest, can obtain all Trickster Divine spells at one place. The experiment has worked, although no new spells have come to light and the temple, in Slontos, is proving to be a drain on Middle Sea Empire resources. Those involved with its building and administration, including Hofhadalos, have either disappeared, gone mad or taken their own lives. The temple is thus in constant disarray with the promised ranks of priests nothing more organised than squabbling, selfish individuals seeking short-cuts to personal power and wealth.

Membership

Following Eurmal is simply a matter of declaring that one is doing so and dedicating a Pact to the life of the Trickster. All other cult conditions then apply, even though there is no cult per se to grant further ranks. Essentially they are unnecessary; Tricksters take what they want anyway and worry about the consequences later.

It is common for Eurmal cultists to choose a path through which they will practice their dedication to Trickster. The path chosen usually involves some form of tutelage from an experienced Trickster cultist who teaches some of the magic he knows to his protégé. The most common paths are described here and Eurmal cultists should adopt one path, keeping its nature a secret from their fellows:

Destroyer: When angered, Eurmal becomes destructive. His discovery of Death and how he treated that power are evidence of his wish to destroy the world in punishment for its hypocrisy. Many followers of Trickster take a similar approach, seeking the destruction of authority and the sowing of disorder.

Dismemberer: Stories tell of how Eurmal removed parts of his body deliberately only to restore them when the time was right. Followers of the cult aim to perform similar tricks through appropriate magic.

Firebringer: Many people agree that Trickster, in one form or another, stole fire from the Darkness. Among the Pentans he was Raven, in Pamaltela he was Hare and for the Theyalans he was a Lightbringer. Followers of this aspect are fascinated with fire and aim to spread its power.

Fool: Eurmal’s humour saves him on many occasions by making everyone laugh, or otherwise amusing others. In many cultures Trickster is the animal that amuses and in Orlanthi culture he is the clown who uses pratfalls and puns to win around Orlanth following some ill-judged scheme.

Fright: Trickster finds it amusing to frighten others and this manifests in may of his followers: those who spread fear through stories, deeds, myths, nightmares and other ways of causing fear and distrust.

Glutton: Eurmal is selfish and greedy. He lacks self-restraint and is prone to gluttonous urges. Stories of his gluttony are legendary, such as when, in Kralorela, he punished his enemies by eating everything edible in the land but burst because he could not hold it all.

Imp: The Prankster, followers of this path enjoy mischief and practical jokes that annoy but cause little real harm. Their jokes may be crude and, sometimes, dangerous but are rarely intended to do more than cause personal amusement at the expense of others.

Mask: This is the path of the cheat: sometimes for profit and sometimes just to harm others. The disguise of The Mask creates false reasons and worship, which seem useful to those who join but proves always to be empty and meaningless.

Murderer: When the power of Death was finally used, and it became widespread, Eurmal made use of it. It has often served his needs to remove troublesome elements that disrupted his schemes or simply to punish. Those who choose this path treat murder as a casual pursuit that is simply another means to an end.

Rogue: Those who live by their wits and guile follow this path. Their favoured myths concern how, Eurmal, in Fronela, tricked the ancient kings into feeding him for seven years before they discovered that he never fulfilled his promises; and in Kralorela where he sold imaginary armies in return for sleeping with the imperial harem. This path attracts those who enjoy the cunning plan and deceit as a way of gaining what they need.

Seducer: Eurmal is a seducer and those who follow this path are compelled to seduce on a regular basis, satiating their desires and needs careless of who is hurt in the process. Seduction has many uses and achieves many ends. Eurmal has seduced goddesses, mortals and demons – even Sinjota, the demon of darkness guarding the gates to the underworld, who eats her lovers. She ate Trickster, too.

Shapechanger: Eurmal is notorious for changing shape. His preferred forms are the fox, the badger, the weasel, the rat, the raven, the nightingale, the cuckoo, the carp, the turtle and sometimes the wise old man or woman who always gives the wrong advice. Those who follow this path seek shapechanging magic in the form of sorcerous grimoires, or practice disguises and impersonations.

Thief: As Thief, Trickster’s favourite form of thievery is stealing from friends or companions, which he does often and ensures that someone else gets the blame. Followers of this path do likewise, stealing habitually and enjoying nothing more than stealing from those who have cultivated some trust in the cultist.

Common Magic

Most Common Magic is scavenged from a variety of sources. However the following spells are common enough through Eurmal followers that they might be learned by others: Babel, Bandit’s Cloak, Befuddle, Countermagic Shield, Demoralise, Entertainer’s Smile, Fate, Glamour, Golden Tongue, Mobility, Slow, Speedart.

Higher Magic

The Divine Magic available to Eurmal cultists depends very much on what path they have chosen. The spells they can learn are as follows:

Destroyer:  Sever Spirit, Sureshot.

Dismemberer:    Regenerate Limb, Split Body.

Firebringer:    Lightning Strike, Sunspear.

Fool:   Laughter, Madness.

Fright: Fear, Madness.

Glutton:    Cure Disease/Poison, Gorge.

Imp:    Dismiss Magic, Laughter.

Mask:   Illusion, Mindlink.

Murderer:   Reflection, Sever Spirit.

Rogue:  Amplify, Illusion.

Seducer:    Aphrodisiac, Channel Strength.

Shapechanger:   Beast Form, Illusion.

Thief:  Dismiss Magic, Illusion.

Gifts and Compulsions

Whichever path an Eurmal cultist takes, he must take a Gift, dedicating at least one POW to it, and a Compulsion. There are no exceptions. The Gift and Compulsion are his to choose and should fit the path he has chosen:

Gifts

Abstinence: Exist without one requirement, for example air, food, sleep, water.

Animal Familiar:    The recipient receives the companionship of a natural animal with a SIZ in D6 no greater than the POW spent on this Gift. The familiar obeys simple commands but will not go against its nature. If a further point of POW is invested, the creature can speak with its master.

Change Gender:  The Adventurer changes from male to female or vice-versa. All characteristics and skills remain the same but the voice and physical functions of the new sex are gained. It costs one POW to change gender once, 2 POW to change a second time, 3 POW to change a third and so forth.

Combat Acuity:  Increase Combat Actions by +1.

Divine Training:    Raise a skill appropriate of the path to 100%. Endurance: Endure any pain. Never needs to test Resilience to prevent unconsciousness when wounded and immune to torture.

Enhanced Learning:  Result of Improvement Rolls are doubled thus, a failed Improvement roll means a skill advances by 2 points; successful Improvement improves skill by x2 1D4+1.

It costs 1 POW for one Improvement Roll; 2 POW for a second, 3 POW for the a third. Thus, an Adventurer who wants three enhanced Improvement Rolls must spend 6 POW on this Gift.

Eternal Life:   The recipient will not die of natural causes during the lifetime of the Gift, although they are still vulnerable to death through violence.

Increased Damage Modifier:  Increased Damage Modifier. The agent’s Damage Modifier is recalculated, based on the sum of STR, SIZ and POW.

Increased Health:   The Adventurer’s Hit Points are recalculated, based on the sum of CON, SIZ and POW.

Increased Reactions:    The Adventurer adds his critical score in a weapon to his Strike Rank (for example, an Adventurer with a weapon skill of 60% would add +6 to his Strike Rank).

Innate Luck:    When rolling for any Skill Test, the Adventurer can choose which way to read the D100 result. For example, a roll of 90 could be read as 09. Note: if double digits, such as 00, 11, 22 and so forth, are rolled, the result cannot be reinterpreted.

Magical Recovery:   Magic Points regenerated at twice usual rate.

Physical Recovery:  Natural Healing is at twice the usual rate for Resilience.

Sense Enemies.  The Adventurer is immediately aware of the enemies of the cult and those who would directly harm him.

Compulsions

Acute Depression:   Become increasingly morose. As the Pact skill increases, behaviour becomes more depressive until it reaches the suicidal at the 95% level or greater.

Acute Insomnia: Unable to sleep for fear of never waking. Become gaunt-eyed, cadaverously thin and intensely paranoid of even one’s closest associates.

Agoraphobia:    Develop Agoraphobia. Cannot abide wideopen spaces where one is exposed and vulnerable.

Armour Rejection:   Cannot wear armour of any kind; must always wear loose-fitting clothes or robes.

Attention Deficit:  Unable to concentrate for long periods. Tasks requiring periods of concentration take twice as long to complete.

Black Widow:    Develop the need to kill any lover. Requires Persistence test to control the desire. Subtract the Pact percentage from the Persistence skill before the test is made.

Chromophobia:   Aversion to a particular colour in all its forms. Cannot wear that colour or stand to be in the company of any who does so.

Claustrophobia: Develop claustrophobia. Cannot enter any space of less than 3 times SIZ willingly; stricken with panic if forced into such a space.

Collector:  Collect and catalogue obscure objects constantly.

Colour Obsessed:    Wear nothing but a specific colour or hue. The skin must be dyed completely to a shade of that colour. Lose 1D4 CHA.

Dread:  Visions of terrible carnage disturb the sleep and leave the dreamer feeling worthless and drained.

Fear of Death:  A constant and gnawing fear of death – something no cultist could ever admit but that drives the individual to distraction with growing anxiety.

Forgetful:  Lose short-term memory (–1 INT).

Gluttony:   Cannot stop eating or drinking. Become corpulently fat. +1 SIZ and –1 CON for every 20 points in Pact skill. Insomnia: Sleep is almost impossible; fatigue constantly builds.

Jealousy:   Uncontrollable, irrational obsession over some trivial matter: a jealousy over a lover, or the tendency to find a slight where none occurred.

Kleptomania:    Become compelled to steal – magical and sorcerous items but also mundane things that could very easily be bought.

Merciless:  Never surrender or accept the surrender of any foe.

Never Ending Search:    Obsessed with finding the ultimate location for something lost to your cult.

Nightmares: Experience terrifying dreams and sleepless nights. Awake suffering from one level of fatigue.

Obsessive Compulsive:   Develop Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. Must check everything several times. Must complete simple, everyday tasks in a set order. Eat the same foods in the same places at the same times.

Paranoia:   Become increasingly paranoid. Friends and colleagues are inferior beings jealous of your impending god-hood. As your Pact skill grows, so does your jealousy, eventually becoming murderous.

Pattern Obsessed:   Becomes obsessed with the shapes and geometries of things, seeking to study and understand every nuance and every angle.

Pedantic:   Obsessed with detail. Study every word and every letter without fail. Tasks involving study and concentration take twice as long to accomplish.

Perfectionist:  Develop an uncontrollable anger and violent temper if things are not done perfectly – and they never are. No one can meet the cultist’s impossibly high standards.

Phobia: Develop an irrational fear of three separate things: the dark, the cold, spiders, rats and so forth.

Pyromania:  Become obsessed with starting fires and opposed to all those who try to extinguish them.

Rancid: Develop foul body odour or unsightly sores and buboes (–1 CHA).

Secretive:  Become intensely secretive and jealous of information gained. Take unusual and risky measures to protect even the most trivial knowledge.

Self-Pitying:   Destined to sorrow. Nothing brings comfort or pleasure. All dreams are nightmares, all experiences fleeting and unfulfilling. Life is futile.

Tedious:    Become an oppressive bore on one particular subject, imparting all knowledge about it in long, rambling, tedious eulogies.

Tic:    Develop a nervous tic, mannerism or speech impediment.

Unkillable: Develop the overwhelming belief that one is invulnerable to mortal weapons.

#### Cult Skills

The cult has no dedicated list of cult skills but there are clearly some skills that fit certain paths: Stealth and Seduction, for example. These skills can be learned from an appropriate cult mentor who schools the Trickster cultist in the path he follows.

Allied Cults

None.