Cults of Glorantha

Gustbran the Bonesmith

Gustbran is the god of smiths and craftsmen. The name ‘bonesmith’ comes from his ability to work with metals, the bones of the gods killed during the Gods War. Gustbran makes all the tools and weapons for the Orlanthi deities. Every smithy is a shrine to Gustbran; he requires no other worship site. His Initiates are the Redsmiths, the workers of bronze. He was born during the Darkness of the world and, until then, had lived in the folds of Mahone’s Cloak. At the time of his birth he was known as the Source of Many Torches because his furnaces erupted through the darkness and helped bring light and heat to a world that was dark and cold.

Runes

Fire, Mastery.

Mythos and History

Gustbran Leaves the Fire Tribe (Resonance 70%) – Appreciation for Craft and Utility. Those Who Make Contribute: Gustbran was part of the Fire Tribe and made new things constantly. This displeased the Emperor who saw each new tool as a challenge to Perfection. He called Gustbran before him and forbade him from making anything new: ‘You are rebellious, like the fool Orlanth. Your tools are useless to us. Stop or leave us!’

Gustbran, being headstrong, left, taking his forges and his tools with him. He went straight to the Storm Tribe’s stead where Orlanth welcomed him and there he found Elmal, who had been friendly to him whilst the Emperor’s sycophants had scorned his work. Gustbran was given a place for his forge and he worked, from then on, for the Storm Tribe, which appreciated his work. He made ploughs for Barntar, spearheads for Orlanth and shoes for Urox, who needed iron to trample the Chaos Foe. When Orlanth moved to bring the sun back from Hell, Gustbran made Orlanth’s armour. When the Emperor rose again he went to Gustbran and commanded him to return to the Fire Tribe. Gustbran refused. ‘I was not welcome there because you were vain. I am welcome here because I am useful and there is no vanity to cloud their judgement. Here I remain.’

And so the Emperor, bound by the Great Compromise, left chastened at Gustbran’s rebuke.

Nature

Gustbran’s cult is no-nonsense and practical. Dedication to craft is at the heart of the cult and most smiths follow Gustbran through the Mastery Rune in order to become the very best craftsmen that they can. Pride is taken in well-made goods that do precisely what they need to. Embellishments and ornamentation are important but only once utility is assured.

It is thus the nature of the cult for its members to be taciturn perfectionists who have little time for fancy and ostentation, unless commanded to make an item for a specific ritual or ceremony, in which case they will work marvels of skill, detail and beauty.

Gustbran is usually depicted as a large fire, sometimes with eyes peering from the midst of the flames. Smiths portray him as a burly red man with hammer, bellows and other appropriate tools.

Organisation

The cult has no formal structure. Each smith works to his own ways and to his own pace. Every smithy and forge is a shrine to Gustbran and the cult has no temples, although the master craftsmen of the cult act as priests with the ranking Rune Lord of the region acting as the leader of the Gustbran ceremonies on the cult’s High Holy Day, which is Fire Day, Movement Week, Dark Season.

Otherwise Gustbran cultists venerate through their work. Every time the forge or furnace is lit, a small dedication is thrown into it to honour Gustbran. Every piece made by a Gustbran cultist bears the maker’s mark and Gustbran’s Runes, to show that a master smith has made it.

Membership Standard.

The cult has no Rune Priest rank.

Common Magic

The cult teaches: Armoursmith’s Boon, Bladesharp, Chill, Detect Flaw, Detect Metal, Ignite and Repair.

Higher Magic Standard.

The cult also offers: Channel Strength, Dismiss Elemental (Salamander), Elemental Summoning (Salamander), Gleam, True (Weapon). It also teaches Durability:

Durability

Duration Permanent, Rank Acolyte, Touch

The casting of the spell takes as long as necessary to forge whatever it is the caster is forging. At the end of the casting period the resulting object has its natural Hit Points and Armour Points increased by the Magnitude of the spell. The effect of the spell is permanent.

Gifts and Compulsions

Initiates can opt to choose one Gift, for a cost of one Dedicated POW and one Compulsion, from the following lists:

Gifts

Divine Training: Raise a Craft skill to 100%.

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

Perfection: Raise either STR or CON up to the species maximum (21).

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.

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

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.

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.

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

Cult Skills

All Craft skills related to smithying, armour and weapon making and so forth. Hammer Combat Styles, Brawn, Perception, Resilience.

Allied Cults

None.