AlHazred

Looks good! Looking forward to seeing Captain Mercer and Commander Grayson!

I highly, highly recommend you check out the old Atlantean Trilogy setting from Bard Games. I'm not familiar with the more recent iterations by Morrigan Press and Kheperu Publishing, but the original is fantastic. The authors pulled in a lot of "lost world" information from historical myths, in an attempt to provide a good basic sort-of-ancient-Earth setting. If you can find The Lexicon, it has no stats, just scads of cultural and location information that would be easy to use in any RPG. I used it with both AD&D 1st edition and Fantasy Hero back in the day.

Invisible Orlanth is the result of a particularly ambitious priest (Monrogh 2.0?) demonstrating mythically that Orlanth and the Invisible God are the same god.

I remember getting a poster map of the Lunar Empire when it first came out; it was about 3 feet by 4 feet or so. Lovely thing. Then I printed out Sartar to scale; it was a tiny square about an inch and a half by two inches. I pasted it to the bottom of the Lunar Empire map, to the accompaniment of my (Sartarite) players' groans and gnashing teeth. Good times!

Deep One --> "Some sort of deep-sea fish or lizard. Fascinating! Reminds me of the stuff that Frenchman Professor Arronax wrote that showed up in that rag Whispers." Serpent Person -> "This appears to be a particularly well-preserved skeleton of a large reptile, perhaps related to deinonychus. I've seen similar remains in some materials we received from a dig in Oklahoma, north of the Wichita River. Exciting to think there might be one of these stupid brute species still around!"

There is a totally understandable work requirement in "overcoming creator anxiety," that takes as long as it takes. Just looking forward to seeing the eventual product, no matter how long it takes!

As I look over Alan's product listing on RPGGeek, I realize he was all over that Vikings campaign. It started with me reading QuestWorld and realizing they had the "Souse" (because their Viking-analogues came from the South) and that it would be interesting to fit a historically-flavored-without-being-tied-to-actual-history campaign there. My original first session was the sample one from the Vikings book -- while everybody's at the longhouse, somebody comes running in to tell them "there's a dragon nearby, it attacked Rorik's Stead!" They go there and fight the thing (I actually used a hrimthur (frost) giant instead of a dragon). Then they wanted me to run something else. I dusted off Snow King's Bride and turned it into a two-session arc to bring the girl to her far-off betrothed's stead. After that, the PCs were well-defined enough that I ran mostly homebrew scenarios (the only one I remember was where the party went to Ran's domain at the bottom of the sea to ask for her aid in the village's fishing), and I think I stole his "Phoney Stones" scenario from SoloQuest and changed the god from Issaries to Njörðr. It was wild. I always meant to adapt his SoloQuest 2: Scorpion Hall for group play as well, but the opportunity never presented itself.

I could see an argument for Yuhurol the Golden Ram, and his cleansing golden showers...

I really enjoyed his SoloQuest materials, and once used SoloQuest 3: The Snow King's Bride as the basis of a very successful multi-session RQ3 Vikings mini-campaign.

It occurred to me I never posted my Cacodemon writeup. It's a conglomeration of several sources: @Tindalos' blog post here (the opening paragraph is stolen directly from there, as it is perfect), and the snippets of Cacodemon found in various HQ products (like Barbarian Adventures). It doesn't look like, at any point in HQ development, there was a defined version of Cacodemon's cult. In Barbarian Adventures, ogre followers of his have affinities of Anarchy and Deception. Elsewhere, they are depicted as spiritists. It's all over the place, as if the cult was deliberately obscuring its form—which is quite in keeping with the spirit of Cacodemon. Below is my attempt at his cult, using some of the "mixed magic" elements of my Thanatar writeup. I see the Cacodemon cult as a cult for serial killers and such, as well as ogres and Chaos creatures. It seems to me the quiet neighborly type who is always polite and neat, and then secretly hunts his neighbors and cannibalizes them in a bizarre kitchen in his secret basement, is exactly the kind of follower Cacodemon would have. Chaos entities receive power from the negatively-themed actions people take: Thed receives power whenever someone is raped, Thanatar receives power when someone covets and steals knowledge or power they didn't earn. Cacodemon probably receives power every time someone indulges their secret fantasy that they know is detrimental to others, but they revel in the feeling of power it gives them. Cacodemon Remnant of the Devil Cacodemon is the secret heart of the Devil, the fragment of his spirit which he kept secreted away while he fought the petty gods of man, troll and beast. When the combined forces of the foolish gods crushed the Devil beneath the last piece of law, Cacodemon awoke, and went forth to carry out his father's goal of destroying Glorantha. As the last remnant of the Devil, Cacodemon was cautious, ever aware that if he was destroyed, then the Devil and his duty would go unfulfilled, and so Cacodemon kept to the shadows, around the fringes, for if people recognised it for what it was they would destroy it. Cacodemon often went amongst humans in the guise of a man, finding some isolated tribe and sending them into destruction, but his goals changed when he found a small clan of humans, who offered him food and shelter, but then turned on him with their knives. Revealing himself in his foul fullness, the humans fell to the ground in worship. They begged his forgiveness, for they thought he was another wandering victim, one of the "food in the shape of men" they fed upon. They showed him they were the last true humans left, and begged him for his aid, and Cacodemon was moved by their abomination, and taught them how to feed on the food-men, and how to survive the coming world. When the sun rose once more, the true humans went out as families and as individuals, to live amongst the ignorant masses of the world, and to feed on them in secret as the first ogres. Note—Cacodemon is a creature of Chaos, perhaps even the archetypal Chaos creature. His worship has features of both a spirit society and a theistic cult. Worshipers of Cacodemon may learn his affinities (even if they concentrate their spirit magic) or use charms of Cacodemon spirits (even if they concentrate their theistic magic). He does not teach his followers Soul Vision or Spirit Face; rather, his worshipers may learn an ability called Predatory Gaze, which has features of both. It is used by Cacodemon's followers to evaluate the food-men around them, to determine how best to undermine their social structure to reap a harvest from within. Entry Requirements: Cacodemon accepts worshippers from any race or culture, although he favours the ogres most of all. Note—Followers must take the Crave Human Flesh virtue at 13, if they did not already have it beforehand. Abilities: Camouflage Self, Impersonate, Intimidate, Lie, Mythology of Cacodemon, Predatory Gaze. Virtues: Crave Human Flesh, Destructive, Self-Centered. Affinities and Feats: [Disorder] Anarchy (Convince Mark, Disrupt Flesh, Encourage Trust, Inflame Passions, Restart Argument, Sow Discord) [Illusion] Deception (Conceal Bolt Hole, Hide Chaos Feature [D+5 to D+30], Impress with Presence, Lie, Simulate Worship [D+10]) Spirits: [Chaos] Unclean spirits—Chaos spirits of the Devil’s legions (Eradicate Essence 14, Sever Spirit 18 to 12W2, Sever Soul 16 to 16W, Vomit Acid 15 to 5W) [Man] Victim spirits—Man spirits of tormented victims (Create Ghost ritual 12 to 6W, Create Skeleton ritual 15 to 8W, Create Zombie ritual 16 to 10W, Impersonate [Person] ritual 18 to 8W2) Marks: The first charm a worshipper receives is always bound into a tattoo of a severed hand on the worshipper’s breast. Other charms are typically in the form of another tattoo or of some type common to the local area. Secret Requirements: Crave Human Flesh 1W2, Mythology of Cacodemon 1W2, Predatory Gaze 1W2. Secret: Summon Fiend (summons a Fiend of Cacodemon. These creatures are many and varied, but each embodies a small part of the essence of Cacodemon. If a worshiper summons Fiends too often, they will be adjudged a risk to the cult, and the Fiend summoned will target them as well.) Worshippers: Cacodemon's worshippers are mainly ogres but anyone is welcome to spread his anarchy and help the undoing of the world. Only true ogres may dedicate themselves to Cacodemon as devotees. Manifestations: Cacodemon is depicted as a chaos horror. Other Side: When a worshiper of Cacodemon dies, the Cacodemon consumes his spirit just as the worshiper consumes the bodies of others on the mundane plane. Holy Places: There are many holy places for the Cacodemon throughout Glorantha; these are either places where the Cacodemon himself performed some act or, just places where someone else performed an act that the Cacodemon feels sympathy for. Disadvantages: In order to maintain their lifestyle and their god, worshipers of Cacodemon must live within human society. The ogres worship Cacodemon by killing and eating human beings. This obviously makes them extremely unpopular. Any ogre who makes himself known to humans would be instantly put to death by most cultures. This makes meeting other ogres very difficult and hence the cult is secretive and badly organized. When a worshiper of Cacodemon comes within eight kilometers of a place holy to him, his Crave Human Flesh virtue is boosted by 20 points (W). If a follower steps onto the holy ground itself, their Crave Human Flesh virtue is boosted 40 points (W2). These boosts do not qualify the worshiper as far as Secret Requirements.

Remnant of the Devil Cacodemon is the secret heart of the Devil, the fragment of his spirit which he kept secreted away while he fought the petty gods of man, troll and beast. When the combined forces of the foolish gods crushed the Devil beneath the last piece of law, Cacodemon awoke, and went forth to carry out his father's goal of destroying Glorantha. As the last remnant of the Devil, Cacodemon was cautious, ever aware that if he was destroyed, then the Devil and his duty would go unfulfilled, and so Cacodemon kept to the shadows, around the fringes, for if people recognised it for what it was they would destroy it. Cacodemon often went amongst humans in the guise of a man, finding some isolated tribe and sending them into destruction, but his goals changed when he found a small clan of humans, who offered him food and shelter, but then turned on him with their knives. Revealing himself in his foul fullness, the humans fell to the ground in worship. They begged his forgiveness, for they thought he was another wandering victim, one of the "food in the shape of men" they fed upon. They showed him they were the last true humans left, and begged him for his aid, and Cacodemon was moved by their abomination, and taught them how to feed on the food-men, and how to survive the coming world. When the sun rose once more, the true humans went out as families and as individuals, to live amongst the ignorant masses of the world, and to feed on them in secret as the first ogres. Note—Cacodemon is a creature of Chaos, perhaps even the archetypal Chaos creature. His worship has features of both a spirit society and a theistic cult. Worshipers of Cacodemon may learn his affinities (even if they concentrate their spirit magic) or use charms of Cacodemon spirits (even if they concentrate their theistic magic). He does not teach his followers Soul Vision or Spirit Face; rather, his worshipers may learn an ability called Predatory Gaze, which has features of both. It is used by Cacodemon's followers to evaluate the food-men around them, to determine how best to undermine their social structure to reap a harvest from within. Entry Requirements: Cacodemon accepts worshippers from any race or culture, although he favours the ogres most of all. Note—Followers must take the Crave Human Flesh virtue at 13, if they did not already have it beforehand. Abilities: Camouflage Self, Impersonate, Intimidate, Lie, Mythology of Cacodemon, Predatory Gaze. Virtues: Crave Human Flesh, Destructive, Self-Centered. Affinities and Feats: [Disorder] Anarchy (Convince Mark, Disrupt Flesh, Encourage Trust, Inflame Passions, Restart Argument, Sow Discord) [Illusion] Deception (Conceal Bolt Hole, Hide Chaos Feature [D+5 to D+30], Impress with Presence, Lie, Simulate Worship [D+10]) Spirits: [Chaos] Unclean spirits—Chaos spirits of the Devil’s legions (Eradicate Essence 14, Sever Spirit 18 to 12W2, Sever Soul 16 to 16W, Vomit Acid 15 to 5W) [Man] Victim spirits—Man spirits of tormented victims (Create Ghost ritual 12 to 6W, Create Skeleton ritual 15 to 8W, Create Zombie ritual 16 to 10W, Impersonate [Person] ritual 18 to 8W2) Marks: The first charm a worshipper receives is always bound into a tattoo of a severed hand on the worshipper’s breast. Other charms are typically in the form of another tattoo or of some type common to the local area. Secret Requirements: Crave Human Flesh 1W2, Mythology of Cacodemon 1W2, Predatory Gaze 1W2. Secret: Summon Fiend (summons a Fiend of Cacodemon. These creatures are many and varied, but each embodies a small part of the essence of Cacodemon. If a worshiper summons Fiends too often, they will be adjudged a risk to the cult, and the Fiend summoned will target them as well.) Worshippers: Cacodemon's worshippers are mainly ogres but anyone is welcome to spread his anarchy and help the undoing of the world. Only true ogres may dedicate themselves to Cacodemon as devotees. Manifestations: Cacodemon is depicted as a chaos horror. Other Side: When a worshiper of Cacodemon dies, the Cacodemon consumes his spirit just as the worshiper consumes the bodies of others on the mundane plane. Holy Places: There are many holy places for the Cacodemon throughout Glorantha; these are either places where the Cacodemon himself performed some act or, just places where someone else performed an act that the Cacodemon feels sympathy for. Disadvantages: In order to maintain their lifestyle and their god, worshipers of Cacodemon must live within human society. The ogres worship Cacodemon by killing and eating human beings. This obviously makes them extremely unpopular. Any ogre who makes himself known to humans would be instantly put to death by most cultures. This makes meeting other ogres very difficult and hence the cult is secretive and badly organized. When a worshiper of Cacodemon comes within eight kilometers of a place holy to him, his Crave Human Flesh virtue is boosted by 20 points (W). If a follower steps onto the holy ground itself, their Crave Human Flesh virtue is boosted 40 points (W2). These boosts do not qualify the worshiper as far as Secret Requirements.

In my mind, it's not a question of if we consider them totally separate, it's how the cultists in-universe think. And I could see schismatics emphasizing different aspects depending on what the political climate is of the area they are in. In Sartar, I think a priest pushing Gustbran worship will have fewer doctrinal issues than one pushing Lodril, or some Vestkarthen thing -- the only Vestkarthen story most Sartarites will have heard is one where he's a jerk Uncle to Orlanth. Gustbran in my games is popular with the occasional foreign trader or non-enemy visitor -- followers of Mahome or Oakfed can worship at his shrines (quietly, and without making a spectacle), as can Lodril followers from further North.

I believe Lodril in Sartar/Heortland is basically Gustbran, culticly speaking. Vestkarthen is the "unworshipped" entity, Gustbran is the "worshipped" entity.

You know, people give Ethilrist a hard time, but it's not all his fault! He has never been the same since the Hungry Jack incident, and his whole dick-waving contest with Keener Than.

Or, S'Kallyria, the Scorpihen Queen!

I still want my fallen Hueymakti scorpion-duck -- Quackensting, Destroyer of Nests!

What, you think the Scorpion Queen is going to eat her opponents raw? Like some sort of, I don't know, some sort of savage? Everybody knows proper breading is key to cooking the most succulent and delicious of sentient creatures!

Maybe each of its forearms are stingers, and the tail is replaced by a manticore head on a long, prehensile neck. [img DiscoveryChannelAliensGuy.gif] "CHAOS!" [/img]

No offense to @Erol of Backford, but now I want to see one of the talented artists on the boards tackle the noble subject of scorpion-ducks... Probably @Stew Stansfield or @Lordabdul! That way I could integrate it into Legendary Duck Tower...

My memory might be serving me wrong, but I think he's a wild-eyed prospector type who always has a treasure map handy. Who knows where he gets them from? Maybe he's a Hobo Hero, and is able to sift through the trash heaps in the God Plane?

Sure, that should absolutely work. In the short term. But my reading of giants in Glorantha, eventually Disorder wins out and something goes awry, except in very rare cases like Gonn Orta (who's definitely in the Heroic or even Superheroic tier which defies generalities anyway). Unrelatedly, how bad would it be for the player characters if, after much chicanery and shenanigans, they managed to acquire the pancreas from Boshbisil's cave, only to find it's not Gbaji's pancreas, but rather Eagle-Eye Gjorni's? "I get that a lot! Similarity in pronunciation, don't you know! Anyway, thanks for the organ back! In return, here's a treasure map that's guaranteed, I say, guaranteed, to lead to Gbaji's liver!"

I mean, the last time the ring's use went awry, a few giants went to Dykene are practically leveled the citadel. But if your PC wants to take the risk, that's fine, I'm sure. 🙂 GM mentions that the older giants don't eat very often, but when they do it's in prodigious, economy-threatening quantities. Younger giants don't seem to eat quite so much, but all giants have the Disorder rune in spades, so any plans involving the giants should definitely not survive contact with the enemy...

I found my old Different Worlds magazines, and paid special attention to issue #24, the Mostali Special. It gave me some ideas, which I used to edit the Way of Mostal post above. It also has a Dwarf Weapons article by the late, great Steve Perrin, which basically expanded on the gunpowder Dwarf weapons introduced in Griffin Mountain. I need to take another look at those and see what their stats are in HQ.

I think it's the lack of agency that's the bigger problem.

Pendragon has been around long enough that stuff that was pirated three decades ago is still floating around the web in pirated form. I remember finding some old scenarios in a compilation PDF (I think it was, "The Great Book of Pendragon Treasures") which had a lot of content that had been shared on the old Chaosium listserv and then never published -- house rules, cultures, etc. When collating the adventures, I found that several of the scenarios in it had just been pirated from fanzines. I've probably had that document on my hard drive(s) for better than 30 years and I never knew.