Looking for a god of Liberation

[Godlearner]

Looking for a diety (spirit) associated with Liberation, Freedom or anti sclavery for my campaign. What are the choices? I do not think that a major diety like Orlanth or Humakt works.

[Richard S.]

Orlanth absolutely, his whole shtick is freedom and "no one can make you do anything"

[Godlearner]

14 minutes ago, Richard S. said:

Orlanth absolutely

Doesn't have the spells for it.

[Nick Brooke]

The Red Goddess, and her Seven Mothers.

What?

[hipsterinspace]

26 minutes ago, Godlearner said:

Doesn't have the spells for it.

He has the myths.

[svensson]

31 minutes ago, Godlearner said:

Doesn't have the spells for it.

What exactly do you mean by that? Orlanth has most of the Motion spells available.

I suppose that Lodril's Invisible Spear subcult might work for you

[Eff]

1 hour ago, Godlearner said:

Looking for a diety (spirit) associated with Liberation, Freedom or anti sclavery for my campaign. What are the choices? I do not think that a major diety like Orlanth or Humakt works.

 

1 hour ago, Godlearner said:

Doesn't have the spells for it.

Lodril's "Smoldering Rebellion" is, based on the Red Book of Magic, the only Rune spell associated with liberation, freedom, or (stretching it) anti-slavery activity which exists in Glorantha which is articulated in a public source. If we extend things further to symbolism, the Red Goddess and Seven Mothers cults, especially the Yanafal Tarnils cult, are of course deified revolutionaries and rebels, and their curved blades include literal adapted peasant weaponry like sickles, scythes, and butchering equipment like the kopis and makhaira, along with the invocation of related "peasant" weaponry like the naginata and bill or billhook. So they also work. 

In a more abstract sense, Orlanth has his freedom gig, but of course in his mythology it is very obscure whether he was actually directly subordinate to the Bright Emperor/Yelm or whether he was always on the "outside", rebel within the order or bandit outside of it. And within the mythical realm, the myth of the gazelets in King of Sartar also positions Chalana Arroy as a rebel figure. 

[Godlearner]

1 hour ago, Nick Brooke said:

The Red Goddess, and her Seven Mothers.

I was actually onsidering this. so its not too far off.

What i am looking for is magic which would to disenchant/distroy bonds be they magical, including enchantments, and physical like manicles. So, I am hoping for a Hero/Spirit Cult I guess which character could join no matter what their main cult is.

[Eff]

13 minutes ago, Godlearner said:

I was actually onsidering this. so its not too far off.

What i am looking for is magic which would to disenchant/distroy bonds be they magical, including enchantments, and physical like manicles. So, I am hoping for a Hero/Spirit Cult I guess which character could join no matter what their main cult is.

I don't think such a cult exists in any official source that's yet been published. There may be a fan source that I have not personally read which has it, but I think it will have to be invented. Now, there are a few questions you would want to ask while engaged in invention- how does this magic interact with Oath, Ban, or Harmony? Does it shatter chains or allow you to slip out of them (i.e. do magical bonds come back into effect after the spell runs out if they still had time remaining)? How systematic is this magic? Are we considering a figure like Spartacus, Nat Turner, or John Brown? Or one like Harriet Tubman, Robert Smalls, or Sojourner Truth? That is, is this the cult of someone who led a forcible uprising, or someone who led others to freedom? Or both? 

[Nick Brooke]

OK, you're coming at this from the "If you don't get a specific Rune spell for it, it doesn't really matter much to the cult" perspective. Jeff has explained why that's a mistake, esp. re: Yelmalio, proud provider of exactly zero Phalanx-related Rune magics since the year dot.

It may be the wrong way to approach the question. But YGWV, of course. From a fan perspective, I'd look to Beat-pot Aelwrin as a prominent slave rebel and liberator, much like Spartacus. (Except he's a Mirror Universe take on Spartacus, who joined the Roman Legions and eventually rose to the top)

[Akhôrahil]

Very few gods/cults are actively opposed to slavery in general. Orlanth kinda but not fully - the Larnstings might come the closest? I could also see an argument for Issaries - fair exchange is impossible if one party is enslaved, after all.

[PhilHibbs]

The problem is, where is the consistent worship going to come from? If someone is enslaved, they have little opportunity to join a liberation cult. Once they've been freed and the overlords overthrown, they will be grateful to and worship the deity, but their children might not and their grandchildren even less so. The cult might become the dominant religion of the freed people, but it would be a relic of the past rather than an active liberating force.

Maybe the cult would persist through some sort of Scarlet Pimpernel network of operatives who sneak into slave accommodations, enlist the subjects, break them out, then move on to the next job. A few might join up long-term each time to keep the numbers up. Could be a good campaign.

[PhilHibbs]

31 minutes ago, Akhôrahil said:

Very few gods/cults are actively opposed to slavery in general. Orlanth kinda but not fully - the Larnstings might come the closest? I could also see an argument for Issaries - fair exchange is impossible if one party is enslaved, after all.

Biturian Varosh traded for a slave (or was it a repayment of a debt?) but he was uncomfortable with it and eventually freed (and married) her.

[metcalph]

Just now, PhilHibbs said:

Biturian Varosh traded for a slave (or was it a repayment of a debt?) but he was uncomfortable with it and eventually freed (and married) her.

He freed her to break a curse that came from acquiring her brother.  Hardly a case of discomfort IMO.

[PhilHibbs]

1 hour ago, metcalph said:

He freed her to break a curse that came from acquiring her brother.  Hardly a case of discomfort IMO.

Probably my memory whitewashing the story.

[Martin Dick]

Nysalor is a god of liberation, but maybe more at the individual level as opposed to a societal level

[Godlearner]

4 hours ago, Nick Brooke said:

OK, you're coming at this from the "If you don't get a specific Rune spell for it, it doesn't really matter much to the cult" perspective.

I am not coming at this from a secific spell, but I would expect some sort of magic that aids in this tupe of thing.

4 hours ago, Akhôrahil said:

Issaries - fair exchange is impossible if one party is enslaved, after all.

The main character is actually an Issaries, so yeah.

3 hours ago, PhilHibbs said:

The problem is, where is the consistent worship going to come from?

That is why I am thinking a Hero Cult which spirings up from time to time as a need arrises.

4 hours ago, Nick Brooke said:

Beat-pot Aelwrin as a prominent slave rebel and liberator

That is an interesting suggestion. Are there any write ups for him as a cult?

4 hours ago, Eff said:

how does this magic interact with Oath, Ban, or Harmony?

That would depend on the spell, but you are correct there maybe version that would work on all of these (and others).

For Runes I am thinking Death and Disorder.

[Rodney Dangerduck]

Danfive Xaron.  Surprised Nick hasn't mentioned them.

It is more a "learn from your slavery, do correct thoughts and deeds, and free yourself" approach.  Not  Spartacus.

 

For the record, I don't think that Orlanth is an anti-slavery God. I'm sure that US southern secessionists also felt that "nobody (them Feds) can make me do anything." 

Edited October 14, 2022 by Rodney Dangerduck

[Squaredeal Sten]

7 hours ago, Godlearner said:

......

For Runes I am thinking Death and Disorder.

Death is not freedom.  Slave revolts may be Deathly, but dead slaves don't found an ongoing cult.

How about Movement?  Slavery is not compatible with freedom of movement.   And it's great for running an Underground Railroad.

If you want to open shackles then how about a cult skill rather than a spell? 

if you want to free the imprisoned, give Create Fissure for a rune spell.  Passage for another rune spell. Possibly Scram. 

If chaotic then Sweat Acid would remove manacles.  But back to skills, picking a lock might work unless they are riveted on, and then a sacred cult enchanted iron rat-tailed file or an enchanted iron hacksaw blade would do wonders.

I don't see Beat-Pot as a freedom cult figure.  He would be more likely to tell you that Freedom is Slavery.

[Jose]

6 hours ago, Martin Dick said:

Nysalor is a god of liberation, but maybe more at the individual level as opposed to a societal level

I always think about Nysalor as Morpheo's speech to Neo at the virtual dojo or well... a draconic being teaching Argrath "do you think that what you breath... is air Argrath? All of this is an illusion, liberate your mind! " 

Edited October 14, 2022 by Jose

[David Scott]

15 hours ago, Godlearner said:

What i am looking for is magic which would to disenchant/distroy bonds be they magical, including enchantments, and physical like manicles. So, I am hoping for a Hero/Spirit Cult I guess which character could join no matter what their main cult is.

So you just want access to Crack and Dispel Magic Rune spells. Dispel magic is a common Rune spell, Crack can be cast with the Disorder Rune. So your best bet would be Eurmal the Revolter (base it on Murderer (RQG 295), and just add on dispel Magic). Revolter is a great accidental pun IMHO 🙂

[Martin Dick]

I did this a long time ago, so it's a bit dated and not 100% finished, but it might spark some ideas. It's a cult of Orlanth Rebellious. It wasn't aimed at PCs either.

The Cult of Orlanth Rebellious.pdf

[dumuzid]

When the Veldang slaves in Fonrit unearth relics of Artmal and the Blue Moon the interaction often frees them of Fonritian enslaving magic, allowing for the eruption of fearsome slave rebellions.  There is probably a cult to Artmal Liberator in Jokotu, the City of the Free in Fonrit, attempting to explore this effect.  

[Godlearner]

13 hours ago, Squaredeal Sten said:

Death is not freedom.  Slave revolts may be Deathly, but dead slaves don't found an ongoing cult.

Death rune is same as severance. I view it in that context.

 

8 hours ago, David Scott said:

Eurmal the Revolter

Yes, that is getting closer. The magic is about right. Would need to separate it from Eurmal to make it more accessable to none Lightbringers and come up with a HeroQuest. Hmm, lets call it "Free yourself. Free the world."

5 hours ago, Martin Dick said:

cult of Orlanth Rebellious

Thank you. I will definently read it over.

[Godlearner]

1 hour ago, dumuzid said:

When the Veldang slaves in Fonrit unearth relics of Artmal and the Blue Moon the interaction often frees them of Fonritian enslaving magic, allowing for the eruption of fearsome slave rebellions.  There is probably a cult to Artmal Liberator in Jokotu, the City of the Free in Fonrit, attempting to explore this effect. 

In my game, the PCs are actively trying to fight off an Afadjani invasion. So, this would work.