Cults of Glorantha

Orlanth

Orlanth is the chief of the Storm Tribe. His myths are known to all Storm Tribe members, even those who do not worship him directly. He is the god of Storms, god of the Air, symbolic of defiant freedom, symbolic of tribal hospitality and king of all gods.

He is an impetuous, mercurial god; prone to rash actions and then later, rueful reconsiderations. He is swift to anger, swift to calm, noisy but capable of great calm and stillness. Orlanthi feel Orlanth all around them in the calm breeze of a summer day, the gusting winds of fall and the hurricanes of Storm Season. He is triumphant but always with a vulnerable streak; he is wayward but warm and accommodating. His bravery is beyond all others but he is merciful too.

He is the son of Umath, the Primal Air and Kero Fin, the mountain goddess. He is thus the Middle Air uniting Land and Sky but part of neither. He created First Tribe and became its king through proof of leadership. He made many friends and brought many foreign gods into the Storm Tribe. So too did he make many enemies and the Solar Pantheon is considered the greatest of these because Orlanth killed the Sun Emperor, Yelm, with the weapon known as Death. Orlanth thus has many aspects and these manifest as sub-cults of the main Orlanth cult. The key cults are as follows: Orlanth Adventurous – The Questing Aspect. A cult for adventurers, thrill-seekers and Storm Tribe warriors. Orlanth Dragon Breaker – The Killer of Dragons. A cult for those who oppose the Wyrmfriends, including the heretic cult of Orlanth the Dragon. Its greatest hero is Alakoring. Orlanth Rex – The King. A cult for leaders, chieftains and kings. Only those with a duly granted title may join this cult. Orlanth Thunderous – The Primal Storm. A cult for the wild and wayward who worship Orlanth in his purest form.

Runes Runes vary from one cult to another, as follows:

Orlanth Adventurous: Air, Mastery, Motion.

Orlanth Dragon Breaker: Air, Death, Motion.

Orlanth Rex: Air, Light, Mastery.

Orlanth Thunderous: Air, Luck Mastery.

Mythos and History

The central, abiding myth of Orlanth is, of course, the Lightbringers Quest which has a Resonance of 120% for all versions of the cult. Each cult has numerous myths of their own, each relating to Orlanth’s actions before Time began and explaining his character. Some sample myths are as follows:

Orlanth Adventurous

Orlanth Challenges the Emperor (Resonance 90%) – The Need for Respect. The Right of Freedom: The Emperor of the Cosmos was the Sun and he tried to make all his subjects obey him. Umath he could not command because he was too powerful. Kero Fin he tried to command but she was too resolute. Instead he tried to command their son, Orlanth, and brought him to his court. ‘I am your Emperor. Kneel before me.’ Yelm said.

‘I kneel before my mother because she gave me life. I kneel before my father because he gave me breath. What have you given me, so that I should kneel before you?’ Orlanth asked. The Emperor was angered.

‘Because I rule, you must do as I say.’

‘Am I a slave then?’ Orlanth asked.

‘You are a subject,’ came the reply.

‘Accord me respect and I will kneel to you,’ Orlanth said then. ‘Not until.’

Yelm was unused to this insolence and commanded Orlanth away from his court. He then sent a number of his sons to test Orlanth and force respect from him. They set traps, forced duels, created contests and asked riddles. Orlanth lept clear of the traps, won the duels with cunning, became champion of the contests through skill and used Lhankor Mhy’s wisdom to solve the riddles. The sons of the Emperor returned with this news to their father.

‘He must be tamed. Put him in shackles.’

So the air was shackled and Orlanth brought before the

Emperor once more. ‘Am I a subject or a slave?’ Orlanth asked. ‘The choice is yours,’ Yelm said. ‘Give me respect and you are a subject. Give me none and you are a slave.’

Orlanth then called upon Eurmal, who had been watching in the form of the hooded crow who perched in the rafters of Yelm’s palace. Eurmal flew down and pecked free the shackles. Then Orlanth called for Mastakos, who broke through the doors in his chariot and Orlanth jumped aboard. Next he summoned the Four Winds and used these to carry them back to his own lands. Yelm sent warriors and Orlanth was forced to defend himself. He called his friends to him and declared: ‘We shall be our own people with no recognition of an emperor who commands respect but does not seek to earn it. We shall be a tribe and not vassals. No power shall command us!’ This was agreed and from that point Orlanth and Yelm were as enemies.

Orlanth Dragon Breaker

Orlanth Slays Sh’harkazeel (Resonance 90%) – Dragons Can be Defeated: Sh’harkazeel – the Mover of Heavens – was the primal Cosmic Dragon and older than the gods. Sh’harkazeel beget itself and dwelt coiled around the world, with its tail in its mouth. The Mover of Heavens was so powerful that it refuted the divine laws of the Cosmic Court, confounded the machinations of Zzabur and devoured the spirits.

Orlanth and his new tribe of unruly gods disturbed the inner parts of Sh’harkazeel and troubled the Cosmic Dragon. Moving, running about and creating new things, they gave the Mover of Heavens reason for concern, for their clamor gave the Cosmic Dragon pain.

When Orlanth killed the Emperor, Sh’harkazeel made ready to devour the gods to silence their clamor. The Primal One prepared to attack. The coils of the Mover of Heavens enveloped the Sky Dome and when the Emperor’s sons learned of this, they became numb with fear and fled. Seeking a champion, the gods assembled at Orlanth’s camp, full of fear. They came before the Slayer of Yelm and asked him for his protection and aid. Without fear, Orlanth agreed to face Sh’harkazeel.

The gods rejoiced and acclaimed Orlanth as their king. They bestowed upon Orlanth his regalia, his matchless weapons of war and the irresistible thunderbolt. Orlanth filled his body with breath for a year and a day, made ready his weapons, took up his sword with his right hand, set lightning before him, called forth the Six Winds and various hurricanes and mounted his irresistible chariot of storm with four steeds, whose names were Crisis and Rage; he placed Humakt on his right and the shield of Aran on his left, a nimbus of lightning around his head, garbed in armour; with a magic word clenched between his teeth and a healing plant pressed in his palm, Orlanth leapt into the heavens to face Sh’harkazeel. A snorting world serpent, hissing, having thunder, lightning, mist and hail at his command, Sh’harkazeel, the Mover of Heavens without hands or feet, pronounced an incantation; and it terrified all three worlds.

But Orlanth was not terrified and the storm god let fly his breath that poured into the Primal One’s belly, so that its courage was taken from it and its jaws remained open wide. Great Orlanth let lose his irresistible thunderbolt and smote to death the firstborn of Dragons. Orlanth with his own deadly weapons cut the Mover of Heavens into 49 pieces. The spine he cut into two and fashioned the Dragonspine Mountains. Sh’harkazeel’s blood flooded the seas and swore revenge. Its ribs were used to hold up the Sky Dome after the Mover of Heavens had attacked the sky.

Orlanth inhaled the last breath of the Primal One and with that breath learned the Four Sacred Breaths: the Calm Breath that clears the mind, the Storm Breath that gives one might, the Healing Breath that restores life and the No Breath that gives insight and wisdom.

Finally, Orlanth decapitated the corpse of Sh’harkazeel and, with his left hand, took its head as the source of his Power over Dragons. He fashioned his great hall out of its skull and, with his left hand, carries the Green Head of Sh’harkazeel to confound and terrify his foes. In the heavens, Orlanth’s Ring is preceded by the Green Dragon’s Head, the source of Orlanth’s Dragon Power and his residence on the Other Side.

Orlanth Rex

Orlanth Forms the Tribe (Resonance 90%) – The Importance of Counsel and Hospitality: Orlanth brought many friends into his tribe for one reason or another and he sat them in a great ring in his hall. He looked to all and saw that they were good and wise. ‘We call this the Ring,’ Orlanth said, ‘and here all may speak and be heard. I will listen and you must counsel me. One person can make a decision but the wisdom of it comes from many sources. If the decision is wrong, then I will bear it. If it is right, then we all share in it. There shall be no blame.’

‘What if you disagree?’ Wise Lhankor Mhy asked. ‘Then we shall go by the Will of the All and I shall abide by that rule.’ Orlanth replied.

‘We number 10,’ Issaries said. ‘What is the all?’ ‘It shall be eight,’ Orlanth replied, ‘No fewer.’

This was agreed upon and became the rule of the Clan Ring. So it is that Orlanth’s all is Eight out of the Ten.

‘Others seek to join our Tribe,’ Humakt said. ‘What of them?’ ‘In my stead, all are welcome. All are welcome to drink of our water, eat of our bread and sleep at our hearth. Even enemies may do this as long as they offer peace in my hall and no harm to any here. Outside my hall they are enemies still and will be treated as such. If these newcomers are friends then they will always be friends unless they do things that make them enemies. In return we seek the same of their halls: water, food and shelter. Nothing more and nothing less.’

This was agreed upon as wise and became the hospitality of the Clan Ring. So it is that all are welcome to the clan’s hospitality, as long as they abide by the rule of the Ring.

Orlanth Thunderous

The First Voice (Resonance 90%) – All Are Orlanth!: The world was without sound. Umath’s breath had faded and all was a noiseless void. Kero Fin created the god-child and his mewling was First Voice, which all men hear now in their hearts. The voice was Orlanth as yet unnamed.

When the boy became a man he found his breath and this carried his voice. His body was strong and challenged the universe. His strides caused the sky to crack and the clouds to stir. Thunderheads were his war cries; lightning streaks his vicious smiles. The Storm Age had come and many gods stirred in that time as Orlanth rose to the height of his power and caused the world to shudder and listen.

The second silence was when Orlanth killed Light. First the Thunder Voice formed a whisper and then it lulled. Chaos filled that void with a voice of its own and the gods that had stirred in the Storm Age were forced to fight or hide. Those who fought did so with Orlanth and he was now the Scourging Wind.

When the Sun crawled out of Hell, thanks to Orlanth, all voices returned and none was more triumphant than Orlanth’s. All gods bowed to him – even the Sun God – and his tribe had the loudest of all voices. Orlanth was mature now and knew that his voice could moderate between calm and angry, tender and stern. Storms came only when necessary but always because Orlanth willed it. Now was the time of men. And all men love and revere the storm for it is their voice.

All who take a gasp of clear air breathe-in of Orlanth and breathe-out of Orlanth. Every call to arms and rise to defend is Orlanth’s crashing rage echoing in 1,000 gleaming spears and 1,000 unsheathed swords. The smiles of Orlanth’s warriors are the lightning and the pride in their hearts the same scourging wind that defeated Chaos and united a world torn asunder by disorder and monstrosity.

Nature

The four aspects of Orlanth’s cult have their own natures. Essentially the nature is as one but expressed through separate viewpoints and Runes. Herein is the Storm Tribe’s strength: Orlanth is many gods with a single nature and many ways of expressing it. These things are at the heart of Orlanth’s cults:

• Orlanth is the Air that every living thing breathes. Mortals call him Breath of the World, Great Storm, Outer Wind, Lord of the Middle Air and Primal Air. He is the great storm at the centre of Glorantha.

• Orlanth is the Great Mover. Orlanth shows that people can use force not just to cause problems but to solve them. In the Divine World, he controls this power of violence so that it cannot destroy the world again.

• Orlanth is the archetype for all men. He is a worker and warrior, king and common man, rebel and runner. His worship includes everything an Orlanthi needs to know, whether farming, combat, leadership or the wind. Orlanth is the god of hospitality, of gifts and the protector of the Orlanthi people.

The specific natures of the four cults of Orlanth are as follows but all share these three natures.

Orlanth Adventurous

The King of the Gods, Master of Storms, Wielder of Death and Bringer of Light. As Orlanth Adventurous his skills as a poet, fighter, lover and rebel are legendary. To follow Orlanth Adventurous is to live by one’s wits, never shirk from trouble but never shirk from duty, to seek out adventure and danger, challenge all and emerge victorious and heroic. Orlanth Adventurous cultists are either heroes in the making or heroes in their own right. They epitomise the youthful, rash Orlanth who would challenged the sun and kill it, yet bring it back from Hell.

Orlanth Dragon Breaker

Dragons would have ruled the world had it not been for Orlanth. Orlanth saw that dragons meant to transform all into something alien and incomprehensible and sought to stop it. He learned the secret of breaking dragons by learning their language and some of their magic but he was never corrupted by it. One-by-one he sought the dragons who would claim the world and killed them, ensuring that their power would remain lesser in the minds of men than the power of the gods. He created the Storm Tribe to show men how to live as men; not as lizards. Followers of Orlanth Dragon Breaker seek to destroy the Wyrmfriends who would undo all of Orlanth’s work and enslave the world. Orlanth Dragon Breaker cultists are grim, determined individuals who actively fight against the Wyrmfriend influence with a view to its complete destruction. They are proud, ruthless warriors who aspire to HeroQuest for the magic that can fell the mightiest dragon – just as the cult’s hero, Alakoring, has done and shown.

Orlanth Rex

Orlanth is the King of the Gods. Without kings or chieftains there is no society and no order. This is the mature Orlanth; the god who created society, embodies community and is the absolute symbol of leadership. He is a just and fair ruler, a mighty warrior and a symbol for order and stability. All parts of Orlanthi society mirror the things Orlanth Rex created when he made Storm Tribe. All hospitality flows from him and whilst he rules determinedly, those he rules over are never slaves and never subjects; they are part of the greater Storm. Members of Orlanth Rex are, by their nature, leaders of clans and tribes. They look to Orlanth’s myths for the wisdom of good rule and the examples to set to those they defend.

Orlanth Thunderous

Orlanth is the Storm. His nature is untameable but always understandable. He is the freedom of life and the life of freedom. Through him come the fertile rains, the cleansing winds and the breath that fills every lung of every living thing on Glorantha. He made the power of the Air superior to all other powers. Orlanth’s rage is demonstrated in the great storms and his tenderness in the gentle rains that allow Ernalda and her sisters to work the earth’s bounty. Orlanth Thunderous followers represent Orlanth’s primal nature and wield great power in Orlanthi society. They are the woadpainted, sky-clad warriors who form the vanguard of Orlanthi armies and are undeterred by any challenge, any foe or any monster. Their might is Orlanth’s primal nature channelled to its utmost.

Organisation

Orlanth’s cults are widespread, active and high profile. Orlanthi do not hide themselves in the shadows and those who worship Orlanth directly are prominent and proud. Every Orlanthi clan has one or more temples to Orlanth: usually a single temple suffices for all aspects but individual temples to each aspect are not uncommon.

Most Orlanthi males join one of the Orlanth cults and may also initiate into another of the Storm Tribe cults too. But Orlanth is an exclusively male cult: women may venerate Olranth as Lay Members but they cannot initiate.

Males initiate at the age of 16 or 18 as a rule and into either the Adventurous, Dragon Breaker or Thunderous cults. Only chieftains or kings can initiate into Orlanth Rex meaning that the average age for Rex cultists is older than for other versions of the cult.

Initiation is a deeply personal, mythically significant experience. It creates the initial relationship between man and Orlanth and determines how that man will behave as he matures and takes on greater responsibility. The nature of youths in every clan are watched closely and the elders decide on which aspect of Orlanth will be the most fitting. Many follow their fathers but there is no hard and fast rule, so many sons have joined Orlanth Adventurous when their fathers are followers of Orlanth Thunderous. The initiation rite varies from clan-to-clan but in every case it takes the form of a minor HeroQuest. The Initiate takes one of Orlanth’s many myths and attempts a re-enactment using the magic he knows, the story he knows, the community he belongs to and his own character. This is all abstracted in the requirements for Initiates but the reality of the process signals the change from boyhood to manhood; from a carefree youth to an adulthood with direction and obligations. Orlanth followers take their faith seriously and it becomes embedded in the way they act, speak, feel, move and progress through life. Initiation into an Orlanth cult is irreversible. One may initiate into other Storm Tribe cults but one can never sever the relationship with Orlanth. This is a very real god who watches and cares for his tribe. Those who forsake him can expect, at the very best, ostracism from their society and, at worst, violent reprisals from the cult itself.

Temples to Orlanth differ in their structure but all share the same purpose; to bring together Orlanth’s faithful for ceremonies, stories, quests and community. The types of temple are usually:

Orlanth Adventurous

A hall-like temple with effigies of Orlanth stationed at the door and within, carved from wood or stone and depicting Orlanth in full adventuring regalia (arms, armour and shield), a lightining bolt clutched in one hand.

Orlanth Dragon Breaker

A hall-like structure with carvings of Orlanth killing several dragons with his bare hands, their carcasses forming a decorative mural around the base of the temple.

Orlanth Rex

A smaller, stone and wood structure with a throne of wood or stone forming the altar, and depictions of Orlanth in various states of rule; presiding over the Clan Ring, dispensing justice, leading to war and so forth.

Orlanth Thunderous

Circles of standing stones always aligned with Kero Fin. Orlanth Thunderous temples are always open to the elements with an imposing altar of stone at the centre of the henge for sacrifices and offerings. At their most basic a single ring of eight massive stones suffices but sometimes the temples are more elaborate with several rings forming a likeness of the Air Rune. The most ardent and prosperous Thunderous clans build the most intricate and impressive Rune Temples – and always in a high place.

The High Holy Day for all Orlanth cults is Wind Day, Movement Week, Storm Season – the time when Orlanth himself is most active, with driving thunderstorms, lashing rain and crashes of thunder like a divine symphony.

Membership Standard.

Orlanth Adventurous

Acolytes are known as Storm Servants. Rune Priests and Rune Lords are identical in function and known as Wind Lords.

Orlanth Dragon Breaker

Acolytes are known as Storm Servants. Rune Priests and Rune Lords are identical in function and are known as Dragon Slayers or Dragon Breakers.

Orlanth Rex

Initiates are known as Ring Members. The cult has no Acolyte rank. Rune Priests are always Clan Chieftains and becoming chief of a clan entitles a Ring Member to this cult position. Rune Lords are Tribal Kings and occupy the most exalted position, ruling over many clans.

Orlanth Thunderous

Acolytes are known as Storm Servants. Rune Priests are called Storm Voices and lead the members of the cult in all ceremonies and rituals. Rune Lords are known as Thunder Lords and are usually the generals or warlords of Orlanthi armies.

Common Magic

Orlanth Adventurous

Bladesharp, Cover of Night, Mobility, Skybolt, Thunder’s Voice.

Orlanth Dragon Breaker

Bladesharp, Mobility, Pierce, Vigour.

Orlanth Rex

Glamour, Mobility, Thunder’s Voice.

Orlanth Thunderous

Demoralise, Detect Enemy, Mobility, Skybolt, Thunder’s Voice.

Higher Magic Standard.

Spells for each aspect are:

Orlanth Adventurous

Bless Woad, Elemental Summoning (Sylph), Flight, Wind Words.

Orlanth Dragon Breaker

Fight Dragons, Heal Wound, Know Dragon Weakness, Lightning Strike, Shield.

Orlanth Rex

Elemental Summoning (Sylph), Eloquence, Glamour, Mobility, Outlaw, Summon Moot, Thunder’s Voice.

Orlanth Thunderous

Bless Thunderstone, Cloud Call, Elemental Summoning (Sylph), Flight, Wind Mastery, Wind Words.

Special Orlanth Divine Spells

Bless Woad

Instant, Rank Rune Lord/Priest

This spell can only be cast on the High Holy Day upon a ritually prepared pot of woad. The number of people who can wear the woad equals the Dedicated POW of the caster. When worn (and a pot covers all Hit Locations), the wearer gains a number of Armour Points equal to the Magnitude of the spell. The potency of the Armour decreases by one point for each day that it is worn. Covering the woad immediately negates the Armour protection.

Eloquence

Duration 15, Rank Rune Lord/Priest, Ranged

Each point of Magnitude in Eloquence grants the caster +5% to the Evaluate, Influence and Oratory skills.

Fight Dragons

Duration 15, Rank Initiate, Ranged

Each point of Magnitude in the spell provides the recipient with +5% to all Cult Skills employed in any kind of fight against dragons, draconic cultists or dragonewts.

Flight

Duration 15, Rank Initiate, Ranged, Resist (Resilience) This spell grants the recipient the power of flight. He can reach an altitude in metres equal to the spell’s Magnitude x10 and travel at a number of metres per round equal to the spell’s Magnitude. The caster can transport one object of SIZ equal to his POW, as well as himself, using this spell.

Know Dragon Weakness

Instant, Rank Rune Lord/Priest

The spell can only be cast on the High Holy Day of Orlanth. When cast it ensures that the next blow struck against a dragon (of any shape or size) or dragonewt is automatically a Critical Success. It does not matter how long it takes for that first blow to be struck; be it a day, week, month, year or decade; but the spell only lasts for that one blow.

Outlaw

Instant, Rank Rune Lord/Priest, Ranged

This spell takes an hour to cast and is usable only on an outcast of the clan or tribe. It marks the recipient as a clan enemy and means that he will always be detected as being an enemy when any Detect spells are cast that he is in range of. The target of the spell also immediately loses any clan magic possessed and carries with him a taint that members of his former clan can immediately detect.

Summon Moot

Duration 2 Days, Rank Rune Lord/Priest, Ranged

Casting this spell gathers together a clan or tribe. It must be cast within a stead’s borders or within a temple or shrine to either Orlanth or Issaries. It sends out a mental call to all such community members within a number of kilometres equal to the spell’s Magnitude x3. Community members cannot ignore the summons and feel immediately compelled to move towards the location occupied by the caster.

Wind Mastery

Duration 15, Ranged

Wind Mastery increases or decreases the strength of a wind (see Wind Strength, RuneQuest Core Rulebook page 190) by one step for each point of Magnitude of the spell. The spell has no influence on wind direction or temperature.

Wind Words

Duration 15, Rank Acolyte, Ranged

This spell causes the prevailing wind to bring to the caster’s ears any conversations within a number of metres equal to the spell’s Magnitude x100. The caster hears the words as though spoken aloud even if the words were whispered by the speakers. The words are only audible to the caster.

Gifts and Compulsions

Orlanth worshippers do not gain any Gifts or Compulsions but their natures always reflect the aspect of their god and the Rune through which they follow him. The higher the Pact skill, the more like Orlanth’s aspect they behave.

Cult Skills

Orlanth Adventurous

Athletics, Evade, Influence, Lore (Orlanth), Perception, Spear and Shield Combat Styles, Stealth, Sword.

Orlanth Dragon Breaker

Athletics, Evade, Influence, Insight, Lore (Orlanth), Spear and Shield Combat Styles, Stealth, Sword.

Orlanth Rex

Evaluate, Influence, Insight, Oratory.

Orlanth Thunderous

Influence, Language, Lore (Orlanth), Lore (Regional), Spear and Shield Combat Styles, Survival, Sword.

Allied Cults

Chalana Arroy provides Sleep.

Ernalda provides Earthweight.

Heler provides Rain.

Lhankor Mhy provides Analyse Magic.

Mastakos provides Guided Teleportation.

Storm Bull provides Face Chaos.

Valind provides Freezing Wind.

Vinga provides Pathfinder.