Seseine and Vovisibor cult & rune spells

[Glenn]

I'm about to start prepping for  a new campaign and want to make use of a couple of Chaos powers I've not made use of in the past. Just wondering if anyone  could direct me to either any official rules and spell lists for Seseine and Vovisibor?

i tend to use a similar format for cults in my campaign and a lot of them become a bit changed from their canon in the way we play them so it would be great to see what other people have put together for those cults in their own games.

All the best

Glenn

 

Edited May 27, 2020 by Scotty
renamed

[Glenn]

didn't mean to name the thread after myself...d'oh

[rsanford]

40 minutes ago, Glenn said:

didn't mean to name the thread after myself...d'oh

I don't know the answer but Welcome!

[jajagappa]

To my knowledge neither has ever been written up as a cult as they were both Pamaltelan and outside of primary focus.  

You can find the following on Seseine in the Guide p.704

Seseine
Seduction
Submission to higher powers often brings unexpected rewards. The goddess wields her great powers with temptations which trouble both Life and Chaos alike, and her powers take equally from both.

And also on p.704-5, the artwork reference

Seseine
Seseine Priestess: The Seseine priestess is a beautiful woman. She is mostly nude, but wears a diaphanous skirt and jewelry to enhance her attractiveness; she is aware of her near nudity and using it to inflame the desire of her cultists (and thereby gain magical power for herself). She is dancing with a cruel ecstasy and has visible contempt for her cultists, knowing that they are mere tools that would do anything she commanded.

Cultists: Her cultists are largely in the darkness. One is presenting the priestess with a human head, recently taken from one of her rivals or enemies. The cultists have skin colors that range
from dark black to blue. They include the rulers and priests of this Fonritian city, all gathered in secret worship.
Statue of the Goddess: The statue of Seseine is dimly visible in the background. It depicts a beautiful woman, painted blue and wearing jewelry made of human heads and a black moon crowned above her head.

Also in Fonrit (p.553) there is also a reference to the following individual:

Seseine Kallig: This demigod sorceress was originally a blue slave. She claims to be the incarnation of the Chaos goddess Seseine and to have seduced a god of Death into servitude. She is served by an all-female band of assassins, all blues and all fanatically loyal.

For magic, think Uleria transformed into powers of seduction, addiction, etc.  I'd expect she'd have Charisma. Probably has magic to Arouse/Inspire (Lust/Loyalty) as passions in a target. Wouldn't surprise me if she has an equivalent to Bless Champion, except that it adds a Chaos Taint. Might have something like Hallucinate, but a version that is directed at a target instead of the self.

As for Vovisibor Filth-that-Walks, also on p.704

Vovisibor
The Filth-Which-Walks
This entity invaded Pamaltela in the Chaos War, melting its way through the mountain wall and defeating all who opposed it. It was finally thrown down by Pamalt when he assembled all the gods of the South and together they destroyed it.

also a reference on p.576

Hunralki: This shaman encountered Vovisibor in the Spirit World and survived, although the Filth-that-Walks escaped from the Scorched Earth.

and p.691

The Artmali were corrupted by Vovisibor, so that they bred with monsters and beasts, and worshiped Gods of Evil. Pamalt had the Old Gods tip the Sky and pour its fire upon Vovisibor, destroying him.

Based on those references, I think Vovisibor is like Wakboth - destroyed/defeated during the Great Darkness, so not actively worshipped.  But, Hunralki's encounter suggests that Vovisibor's spirit exists and may be returning.  I'd probably start from the perspective that it's now a chaotic spirit (much like the Bad Man) - it can be summoned, but will possess the summoner.  Maybe transforms the target into something like a Cacodemon fiend, but with a fetch and access to some of the same spells as Pocharngo and Primal Chaos.

[Scotty]

17 hours ago, Glenn said:

didn't mean to name the thread after myself...d'oh

Renamed

[Jeff]

Some notes:

 

Chaos/Illusion/Fertility

SESEINE

GODDESS OF TEMPTATION

An intense desire for some object, emo­tion, or state of being can lead a person to use evil or corrupt means to gain such. Such vile, overwhelming passion is incited by Seseine, who rules demons of desire, succubi, and similarly horrible creatures. 

 

INITIATE MEMBERSHIP

RUNE SPELLS

Charisma, Desire, Dominate Human, La Petite Mort, Sadness
Desire
Temporarily creates a Lust Passion

Dominate Human

When a succubus encounters a lone member of the opposite sex, it can match its POW vs. the victim’s POW. If the succubus is victorious, the victim’s will is suppressed and he obeys all the creature’s desires until it leaves him. The next morning, he only vaguely remembers what happened as an extremely pleasant dream.

Sadness
Like a long-duration Demoralize

MISCELLANEOUS NOTES

SUCCUBUS

A succubus is a chaotic parallel to a fertility nymph. It takes form from the psychic and physical residue of perversion, rape, passion murder, or similar acts. A succubus can shapechange, appearing female or male at will -- always of the same species involved in the original act. In male form the creature is called an incubus. A succubus or incubus can dematerialize or reappear at will. However, if its body is destroyed, the succubus dissolves and cannot reform without the impetus of another sexual crime.

A succubus travels at night, seeking out people to seduce. Once it has found a victim, it visits him or her nightly until driven off or the victim dies. If necessary, the creature will hypnotize its victim to enable it to continue its activities.
When a succubus encounters a lone member of the opposite sex, it can match its POW vs. the victim’s POW. If the succubus is victorious, the victim’s will is suppressed and he obeys all the creature’s desires until it leaves him. The next morning, he only vaguely remembers what happened as an extremely pleasant dream. Each consecutive time that a succubus overcomes a particular victim, the succubus’s chances for success on subsequent attempts are increased by 10%.
A male visited by a succubus loses a point of CON each time, continuing until death ensues. A woman visited by an incubus eventually becomes pregnant and gives birth to a child tainted with Chaos -- often a lamia or an ogre. An incubus cannot impregnate a woman until it has first visited a male victim (in succubus form). 

A succubus can choose any size it desires, up to a maximum of its POW. Its size does not affect its hit points, which are always equal to its CON.

Characteristics
STR 5D6

CON 2D6+15

SIZ up to POW

INT 3D6+6

POW 2D6+12

DEX 4D6

CHA 2D&+18

Move: 10

weapon a% damage

Grapple 65 special

Fist 65 1D3+1D4

SKILLS: Craft (Courtesan) 97.
MAGIC: forms body from psychic residue of illicit sex; changes form from male to female; Dominate Human ability; 

LANGUAGE: all local languages at 100.

[Glenn]

Thank you so much, hugely appreicate all the information you've put out there.

I can see a role for both cults and their influence in the upcoming campaign even more clearly and more unpleasently than before

[Akhôrahil]

“La Petite Mort”, I believe that one summons a Humakti Duck?

[Pierre]

Yes a joy Humakti Duck with a big long sword for Madame to kill her sofly...

[Glenn]

theres a lot of potential for twisting the fertility runes and spells with Seseine and similarly for coming up with some suitably unpleasent tranformative spells with Vovisibor. Both will work nicely in the setting of a ruined town with haunted memories and dark secrets.

Thanks once more everyone

[davecake]

Thanks Jeff! 

Similar to my thoughts. Succubi and Seseine are clearly very closely linked. 

And absolutely the cult should have the power to create Lust passions - perhaps not just temporarily somehow, and perhaps a version of Arouse Passion that works only for Lust (and perhaps Greed and other related passions). Introducing the Passion mechanic into RQ has been such a great change, and it should be 'leaned into' at every opportunity, passions drive drama so well! 

Passion spirits of Lust (from the Bestiary) seem obviously linkable to Seseine as well. Which might be their mechanism for creating more lasting Lust passions. 

And just noting here the change from Succubi in RQ3, which were always sorcerers, and had to cast Dominate Human as a sorcery spell - it makes much more sense for them to have control over humans as an intrinsic power, and to be linked to the Seseine cult, perhaps with access to its divine magic.

Though there may be Seseine related sorcery around as well, such as Dominate Succubus, the Vadeli influence gets in everywhere and perverts everything. Its long been my theory that the reason there are SO many more succubi in Pamaltela is originally because of the Vadeli Empire there, who discovered the existence of succubi and then would deliberately create them through ritual perverse sex rituals in order to use them as weapons against the Artmali particularly, and then the Artmali became corrupted in ways which further proliferated them. But that is deep background stuff that need not concern a modern game - apart from noting that succubi and the Seseine cult are perfect elements for Fonritian intrigue plots, and the Vadeli probably know more than you'd like about this stuff. 

Its also long been a sort of aphorism that in Pamaltela, Chaos creatures tend to more often manifest as powerful individuals rather than groups (though its a loose trend rather than any form of strict rule). I feel ogres in Pamaltela are more often the children of succubi, and usurping a position that should rightfully go to someone of true lineage and corrupting society through its influence, than the isolated cannibal bands more typical in Genertela. 

 

 

[davecake]

I generally think of Vovisibor Filth-that-walks as a combination of Wakboth and Primal Chaos. A source of both chaotic beings and chaotic spirits, contactable only on the spirit plane now, sounds like it would work for what is left of it in the modern era, after Pamalt used the sky fire to burn its body to less than ash. Much like a spirit cult of Primal Chaos with many Chaos spirits. 

I don't think many humans would be do deranged as to intentionally worship it - maybe the occasional shaman who strayed where they shouldn't and was overwhelmed by it, going mad. Mostly the only beings who would intentionally contact it would be the broos and grayskins of the Nargan (whose influence has sometimes extended beyond). It seems too primal and malevolent even for corrupted Fonritians or Vadeli. 

Though Vovisibor is that only foe that truly challenged Pamalt so he could not face it directly, but was forced to use more drastic means and get cooperation of all of Necklace and other allies. So mythically, anyone that is entirely without morality and wants to oppose the power of Pamalt might find Vovisibor attractive - such as the ogre or lamia children of succubi mentioned above. 

[jps]

Seseine cults are  very good for an intrigue-ridden games and Succubi/Incubi are fearsome foes.

[Godlearner]

Wow, what a find. I been looking for information on SESEINE, and this is feels like a treasure trove. 

Would like to get some more info though. Has anyone done any more work up on this? Such as does Seseine have any allied cults? Any ideas as to the structure? It seems to me that it would a cult centered around a single priest or priestess, a coven(?) which may be in competition with even other covens in the same location.  How would a coven start? By summoning a Succubi/Incubi which can teach a Summon Seseine spell?

 

[soltakss]

13 hours ago, Godlearner said:

Wow, what a find. I been looking for information on SESEINE, and this is feels like a treasure trove. 

Would like to get some more info though. Has anyone done any more work up on this?

I have used Seseine, but only for NPC background. I don't have a cult written up.

13 hours ago, Godlearner said:

Such as does Seseine have any allied cults? Any ideas as to the structure?

I think it will be included in Gods and Goddesses of Glorantha, due to come out next year.

My guess is that Ikadz would be an allied cult, possibly Kjalk and maybe Nysalor/Gbjai.

13 hours ago, Godlearner said:

It seems to me that it would a cult centered around a single priest or priestess, a coven(?) which may be in competition with even other covens in the same location.

That makes sense, as it is the personification of selfish love.

14 hours ago, Godlearner said:

How would a coven start? By summoning a Succubi/Incubi which can teach a Summon Seseine spell?

That could work.

You could also call on Seseine to help you conquer your one true love, or to give you love powers. Shamanic Spirit Cults might be a way forward as well.

 

[Godlearner]

Quote

I have used Seseine, but only for NPC background. I don't have a cult written up.

Not a PC cult for my world, but I like to have a one pager around to refer to when the players run into a worshiper

Quote

I think it will be included in Gods and Goddesses of Glorantha, due to come out next year.

Very excited about that. I am hoping they include a lot of deities which we have not see full write ups for previously and as a personal request ... no more Kyger Litor!!!!

Quote

My guess is that Ikadz would be an allied cult, possibly Kjalk and maybe Nysalor/Gbjai.

Yes, I can see these although I believe Nysalor/Gbjai does not grant anything and is allied to everyone, no matter if want it or not.

 

I guess until that book comes out I will have to use what I came up with. Comments and advise are welcomed.

Skills: Craft Courtisan, Human Lore, Cult Seseine Lore, Ceremony, Dance, Sing, Orate

Cult Magic: Befuddle, False Healing, Invisibility, Glamour, Silence, Sleep, Vigor

Divine Magic: All common, Chameleon, Charm, Erotocomatose Lucidity, Pregnancy.

Associated Cults: Ikadz(Pain Blow), Krjalk (Conversion)

Note: Seseine worshipers can use Summon and Command Cult spirit to summon and control a Succubi/Incubus.

 

Charm

1 point

ranged, temporal, stackable, reusable

By overcoming the targets magic points, this spell makes the target creature regard the caster as a friend. The spell does not make the target fall under complete control, but all requests will be viewed favorably (giving the caster a +100% to a proper Communication skill check). A caster may attempt to give the charmed person an order, by if the order goes against the target's nature another POW vs. POW check must be made. An order to commit suicide will be refused. An attack by the caster, or his allies on the charmed person breaks the spell.

Each additional point stacked with this spell adds +5 to the caster’s effective POW during casting.

 

Sadness

1 point

ranged, temporal, nonstackable, reusable

By overcoming the targets magic points the caster causes the target to enter an emotional state of disassociation and not caring. While in this state the the target uses all skills at half ability and is more susceptible to suggestions (half the defensive ability vs. such attempts including half POW against Dominate type abilities and magics including Charm)

 

Edited December 26, 2020 by Godlearner

[soltakss]

4 hours ago, Godlearner said:

Not a PC cult for my world, but I like to have a one pager around to refer to when the players run into a worshiper

Why not use what Jeff posted above?

[Godlearner]

Quote

Why not use what Jeff posted above?

I pretty much have. Just needed the write up for spells and stuff. Substituted some stuff, because I do not know what his do.

[soltakss]

On 5/27/2020 at 11:37 AM, Jeff said:

Charisma, Desire, Dominate Human, La Petite Mort, Sadness
Desire
Temporarily creates a Lust Passion

Dominate Human

When a succubus encounters a lone member of the opposite sex, it can match its POW vs. the victim’s POW. If the succubus is victorious, the victim’s will is suppressed and he obeys all the creature’s desires until it leaves him. The next morning, he only vaguely remembers what happened as an extremely pleasant dream.

Sadness
Like a long-duration Demoralize

Interesting that none of those are in the Red Book of Magic.

 

[jajagappa]

On 12/26/2020 at 8:11 AM, soltakss said:

I think it will be included in Gods and Goddesses of Glorantha, due to come out next year....

Interesting that none of those are in the Red Book of Magic.

I seem to recall another thread (perhaps on Fonrit) asking about Seseine and GoG where Jeff indicated that Seseine would not be included.  That the spells are not in the Red Book of Magic also suggests that it has not been fully written out, but that may have changed.

On 12/26/2020 at 10:28 AM, Godlearner said:

I am hoping they include a lot of deities which we have not see full write ups for previously and as a personal request ... no more Kyger Litor!!!!

IIRC there are at least 100+ deities, so there will be many that have not had full writeups previously (Sea and Lunar pantheons particularly).  But you cannot have a Darkness pantheon without Kyger Litor, so of course she will be there.

Edited December 27, 2020 by jajagappa

[Godlearner]

Quote

IIRC there are at least 100+ deities, so there will be many that have not had full writeups previously (Sea and Lunar pantheons particularly).  But you cannot have a Darkness pantheon without Kyger Litor, so of course she will be there.

I am thankful for the breadth of coverage, but at least for now will have to rely on what I can scavenge and fill in the gaps with I perceive it to be.

[jajagappa]

20 hours ago, Godlearner said:

Substituted some stuff, because I do not know what his do.

On 5/27/2020 at 6:37 AM, Jeff said:

Desire
Temporarily creates a Lust Passion

For this Rune spell, you could reasonably take the Inspire Love spell in RBOM and swap references to the Love Passion with the Lust Passion.

 

[davecake]

On 12/26/2020 at 11:28 PM, Godlearner said:

I am hoping they include a lot of deities which we have not see full write ups for previously and as a personal request ... no more Kyger Litor!!!!

 

It will include a lot of deities which you have not seen full write ups for previously. It will include Kygor Litor (as Jeff has pointed out, that joke is well over a quarter century old, and there has been no full write up of Kygor Litor published for RQG - and frankly, it's one of the more important cults to write up, and it would be really annoying if we didn't have a full writeup).

The preview I have, from 2019, does not include Seseine. I would be very surprised if it gets added - Seseine is a cult that seems to have very little presence is central Genertela, which is the main focus of the Gods book. But that doesn't mean it won't appear in some official form. 

[Godlearner]

That is cool. Hope to see at least a list of what is in there.

[Akhôrahil]

On 12/29/2020 at 8:19 AM, davecake said:

The preview I have, from 2019, does not include Seseine. I would be very surprised if it gets added - Seseine is a cult that seems to have very little presence is central Genertela, which is the main focus of the Gods book. But that doesn't mean it won't appear in some official form. 

This makes sense to me - we may well see her cult if the Pamaltela cults book happens.