Structured Worship Framework for GM’s & Players

[Mossmac]

Here are some of my initial ideas about how to make worship more interesting for players to partake in. There is a general framework on splitting the Deity’s Mythological Story over the five seasons and each holyday focusing on a particular aspect of the mythological story

I would love to have some feedback on what people think about this idea and ways to improve on it.
 

The Worship Ritual

 

The Worship Ritual is usually enacted with a combination of meditation, prayer chant, singing, dance and music all acting out a drama of a particular myth of the deity. Symbolism also plays a key part with symbols and runes central to the myth represented in a variety of ways. Tattoos are often inscribed during worship for greater significance.

GM’s can embellish the ritual story as the Middle Plane is Touched by the God Plane during the ceremony. Player’s may see and experience different things during the same worship depending on their worship result. A Critical roll will result in a far more intense experience than a simple pass for example. Player’s may use associated skills and runes to attempt to enhance their Worship role, as well as the usual bonuse for location, type of holyday, sacrifices etc, increasing the chance for a critical result and possible associated gifts. Fumbles often result in a negative effect for the worshipper at the GMks discretion.

 

The Deity’s Mythological Story

 

The complete Deity’s Mythological Story is split across the five seasons with each season associated with one part of the story. Worship during that season focuses on those particular aspects of the diety’s myth story.

A Heroquest that is directly associated with that part of the Myth are more likely to be successful when performed in the related season and more likely give greater rewards.

 

Season Name

 

Detailed description of the Diety’s Myth associated with the Sea Season

 

 Name of Season, type of holyday, day of the week,  Week name – 

 

Central Myth: 

A Brief description of the main aspect of the Myth acted on this holyday. This may vary from sub cult to sub cult and from culture to culture and even on circumstances. It will always be drawn from the Season Myth section.

 

Location

Description of a location that would be beneficial to the worship rite, in particular locations that enhance the myth. This is never mandatory but will significantly improve the chances of a successful worship.

 

Length and Action: 

Description of the typical time of day and /or night that is needed to reform the worship rite, as well as any specific actions carried out by the worshipers usually associated with the mythological story telling.

 

Special Outcomes

A description of bonuses or outcomes that result in a successful worship rite of the Myth. Many of these outcomes will be to do with cult runes, skills, spirits and spells as well as the usual restoring of Rune Magic Points. The extra bonus outcomes should be closely related to the Myth Story being told. 

 

Critical Worship results may be rewarded here at the GM’s discretion. Examples include:

 

Critical result (automatic 1D6 reputation)

a cult taught skill +D4%

A cult related passion +D4%

Immediately learn a cult known spirit magic spell that lasts until the next season holy day.

An item the player owns is now enchanted

Succeed at one divine intervention until the end of the season

Succeed at divination once until the end of the season

Use a rune spell once without expanding rune points. Lasts until the next Holiday

Learn a Rune Spell from an associated cult that can be cast once following normal rules. Lasts until the next season holy day of the associated clan

Miraculous phenomenon: at GM’S discretion example 

Cult spirit appears to aid the player

Visions of the past present future

A new marking/tattoo appears on the adventurer 

A broken weapon is repaired

Etc

 

Heroquesting a Myth related to the season should in general be easier to complete by the quester and give greater rewards than if the quest was attempted in a different season to when the Myth is associated with.

 

 

 

[Mossmac]

Example: Ernalda Cult (sub cults of Ernalda, Ernalda Allmother (social aspect), Ernalda the Healer (healing aspect), Ernalda the Queen (leadership aspect), Esrola the Mother (fertility aspect) May place emphasis on certain parts of the myth)

 

Sea Season –

 

Once the seas covered all. But the world grew and Ga, Earth, emerged from the depths. Mountain peaks, plains, ridges, and hollows rose above the waves. Gata was born. Empress Earth joined the Cosmic Court.

Earth birthed twin daughters, Asrelia and Ty Kora Tek, who came out from the deepest earth. Asrelia’s daughters were Marangor and Ernalda, whose beauty and bounty brought life to the land.

Asrelia ruled the Earth Tribe and was the first Goddess to live outside the Great Mountain. She had many children but only a few are important to us here.

From all the goddesses came Life. In that prehistoric Green Age, Flamal’s spores and seeds spread everywhere and everything was good. No drought or famine visited the land. Everyone lived in peace and plenty for all their lives that went on forever. It was the Golden Age.

 

The Flower of Life

The first Flower Day was at the start of the Golden Age when the Bright Emperor commanded that members of all the gods’ tribes live in the Golden City at the center of the world. This need for change distressed many, whose tranquility had been undisturbed during the Green Age. “How can we possibly survive somewhere new? We will die,” they said.

“There is always another way,” said Ernalda. “Let me show you the Flower of Life.” Then she showed to the goddesses of her tribe the secret of the commanded change. She turned herself from the tight bud of life to the open blossom, an explosion of life like the effusion of a sweet scent. The others were not just comforted by this, but excited to flower too. Ernalda told them to wait. She gathered all those who were going to the Emperor’s place, and together they planted the beautiful  flower gardens that pleased the Emperor and his court.

The first Flower Day celebration among humans was at the Dawn. Ernalda gathered together the forces of life that had been freed by Orlanth and brought them back to the world. First came young Voria, the Flower Girl, who gave the signal for the surviving humans to rejoice. When her footprints bloomed the waiting people came out from their hiding places. She taught them the dance of new life, and promised the dancers that she would come again every time they danced when her flowers bloomed.

This celebrataion is also called the Shearing Feast. In the blessed and wonderful Storm Age, Ernalda first sheared the sheep of Heler to relieve them of their uncomfortable wool. When she came forth from the Underworld at the Dawn she again sheared Heler of his wool. This caused the overcast sky to clear, so that the stars and sky became visible for the first time in ages.

 

 

 Sea Season Holyday Clayday of Fertility Week – 

 

Central Myth: Birth of twin daughters, Asrelia and Ty Kora Tek. Green age with Flamyl to the golden age.

Location

Water source in a wooded area at Dawn process through the cropped fields and pasture herds blessing them

 

Length and Action: Day long celebration beginning just before dawn and ending at sunset. Ernalda and all women are honored on this day with songs and gifts. While the women conduct the inner ceremonies, the men of the community prepare a great feast. The priestesses and devotees perform ceremonies, cast auguries, and make plans for the coming season. These rites involve the entire community, which comes together to revere Ernalda through her various aspects.

 

Special Outcomes

Any Child born during this ritual will be especially blessed by Ernalda. +10% Earth/Harmony and Fertility Rune Affiliation. If the Child is one of  a twin also receive +10% Sea Rune Affiliation

 Earth/Fertility/Harmony Rune Magic has a +10% success if cast during the ceremony. A Critical success Worship roll will double this to +20%

With a successful Worship roll on a seasonal holy day, initiates get 2D6 Rune points restored, and Rune Priests, God-talkers, and Rune Lords get all Rune points replenished. With a failure, an initiate gets 1D3 Rune points replenished; God-talkers, Rune Priests, and Rune Lords get 1D6 Rune points replenished. Sub cults of Ernalda, Ernalda the Queen (leadership aspect), Esrola the Mother (fertility aspect) may attempt an experience roll for either their Earth, Fertility or Harmony rune.

 

 

 

Special Sea Season Holyday Waterday of Harmony week – Flower Day -

 

Central Myth: 

Ga emerges from the sea depths. Gata is born.Empress earth joins the Cosmic Court

Ernalda Allmother awakens Voria the Spring Maiden, the Newborn who bears the energy of life forward at the new year.

 

Length and Action

At Dawn Ga Emerges from a water source. Empress earth joins the Cosmic Court at Midday. Feasting until sunset. The women perform sacred sheep shearing, saving the wool to weave holy vestments. Girls gather many bunches of flowers, unmarried women gather the first fruits of spring- time, and married women bake bread in the shape of flowers and lambs. The women prepare a feast for the entire community from these gifts. The priestesses and devotees perform ceremonies, cast auguries, and make plans for the coming season. These rites involve the entire community, which comes together to revere Ernalda through her various aspects.

 

Location

Living Water Source (Usually the main Local River) ending at a central community gathering location.

 

Special Outcomes

Children born at the ceremony are blessed by Earth, Fertility, Harmony and Sea +10% Rune affinity.

 Earth/Fertility/Harmony/Sea Rune Magic has a +10% success if cast during the ceremony. A Critical success Worship roll will double this to +20%

With a successful Worship roll on a seasonal holy day, initiates get 2D6 Rune points restored, and Rune Priests, God-talkers, and Rune Lords get all Rune points replenished. With a failure, an initiate gets 1D3 Rune points replenished; God-talkers, Rune Priests, and Rune Lords get 1D6 Rune points replenished. Sub cults of Ernalda, Esrola the Mother (fertility aspect), may attempt an experience roll for either their Earth, Fertility or Harmony rune.

Every other Clayday is a minor holy day

 

Central Myth

Songs and stories of the season’s myths

 

Length and Actions

30 minutes

All initiates attend these rites, but only the devotees and priestesses spend the entire day in sacrifice and other rituals. 

Location

Hearth of the Home

 

Special Outcomes 

Children born on clayday are blessed by Earth/Fertility/Harmony +5% Rune affinity.

Ritual Earth/Fertility/Harmony Rune Magic has a +5% success if cast during the ceremony. A Critical success Worship roll will double this to +10%

With a successful Worship roll on a minor holy day, initiates get 1D6 Rune points restored and God-talkers, Rune Priests, and Rune Lords get 1D6+1 Rune points replenished.

With a failure, no Rune points are restored.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[icebrand]

I loved it!!!

You should use this as a "demo" pdf and do a full pdf with all the gods and a bit deeper on game mechanics! I would buy it! (Idk what's chaosium deal with 3rd parties ATM, maybe you can't and it's a lot of work for pure fan material)

Edited December 1, 2020 by icebrand

[jajagappa]

4 hours ago, icebrand said:

(Idk what's chaosium deal with 3rd parties ATM, maybe you can't and it's a lot of work for pure fan material)

That's all currently through the Jonstown Compendium on DriveThruRPG.  See: Jonstown Compendium Content Guidelines – DriveThruRPG Support