These are some of Michael Raaterova's ideas for the Lhankor Mhy cults. Originally made public in the Glorantha Digest (V2 #577), the information is especially focused on the Mhysticism practiced by the cults and the various subcults.
There are many cults of the Knowing God, all different yet all the same, because Truth is always the same. The make-up of the cult varies wildly from region to region. I will present some examples of how the cult works in certain cultures.
My god is true to wisdom, for he is the Elder - advisor to kings and singer of memory.
My god is true to honour, for he is the Lawspeaker - judge of disputes and witness to oaths.
My god is true to knowledge, for he is the Sage - diviner of secrets and father of letters.
My god is true to himself, for he is Truth - light in darkness and calmness of mind.
- - traditional prayer
In rural, isolated clans that have little or no contact with outsiders, the functions of the Lhankor Mhy initiates are pretty limited. The initiate of the knowing god is an elder or has the status of an elder and is the constant knowing companion of the chieftain. The secrets of the knowing god is for the old ones who have enough years to be wise. These wise elders keep and sing the traditions and memory of the clan. They teach the youth about the gods and the world. They interpret the intentions of the gods and advise the chieftain, especially at moots. A younger member of the clan with an interest for knowledge are apprenticed to the Elder if he deems them suitable. During the Years of Silence he must listen and learn. If has learned well, the Elder sends him away to a temple to be initiated into the mysteries of Truth, or, if there are no temples, he sends him away on a Wanderyear to learn the mysteries of Truth for himself (a vision quest or shamanic initiation). Usually, there are no accessible temples in the area. When the new initiate comes back he will become the son and companion of the Elder and learn the ways of wisdom from him, until the time has come for him to take the Ring of Knowledge from the Elder and become the new Elder. The cult of the Knowing God is more like a spirit cult, and the deity worshipped is likely to be an Angel of Truth. In many cases the wise elder is also a half or full shaman. The rune magic available is limited to Memory Trance and, possibly, Lore Trance.
Most tribes have a temple dedicated to the knowing god, usually situated in the chief god's temple. The clan chieftains have their knowing companions, but there is also a tribal Lawspeaker who has the highest rank and is the master of the moots. The tribal leader has his own knowing companion, who is an expert diviner and the wisest elder of the tribe. In a war tribe, the knowing companions serve as strategists and curse the enemies with spirits of confusion. The functions of the Lawspeaker include judging disputes, enforcing honour and witnessing oaths. The Lawspeaker is chosen from among the knowing companions. He is often accompanied by a Humakti Sword, who act as executioner and oathbinder. The Lawspeaker has access to all special rune magic except the Scrying Ritual, the Ritual of Letters, the Ritual of Tongues and True Sight. The knowing companions, who are lesser priests, do not have access to Truespeak. Of course, exactly which spells are available where varies. Usually the temple is not big enough to support subcults and there is but one school of thought practiced at the temple. Unorthodox initiates are sent away on Wanderyears until they see the errors of their ways. The secret of letters may be known at the temple if the tribe is a backwater province to an urban culture. Most Lhankor Mhy temples belong to variations of this category. If the temple is situated relatively near urban centers it propably has some of the trappings of an urban temple.
These temples are almost all situated in towns or cities. It is a repository of knowledge and sports a library of some sort. The practical wisdom of the sages may be lacking, as they are professional collectors of lore and don't suffer the hard knocks of rural life. A few of them become quite disconnected from ordinary reality, pondering the abstractions of their own imagination. But many sages are extremely knowledgable, and several are among the wisest people in Glorantha. The urban temple and its members provide many services for society, though most initiates think of such services as necessary evils which constantly interrupt their quest for truth. They witness contracts and oaths, hire out as scribes and teach lettercraft. They judge disputes and enforce honesty for the officials of the city god. They hire out their powers of divination. They bring justice and truth to treachery and illusion. Individuals may become knowing companions, diviners and advisors to the powerful. There are lots of different positions and responsibilities in the temple. Copying, translating and repairing of books are overseen by the Librarian. The Mystagogue teaches initiates and acolytes the secrets of the knowing god's magic. The Provost takes care of ground service and payment. The Treasurer is responsible for all the artifacts and enchanted items held in the temple. There are different kinds of initiates and acolytes who know the magic appropriate for their tasks. The two standard kinds are those stay in the temple and those who go on expeditions. Most sages prefer to stay in the temple and contemplate their experiences and the Trigrammaton. Many systems of divination and models of truth have been formulated over the years, collectively called the Mhysticism. Every temple has its own interpretation of the Mhysticism. Think of it as Gloranthan qabbalah with heavy sprinkling of greek philosophy and orphic overtones.
A Lhankor Mhy temple is always protected by cult spirits, the entrance doors are guarded by Spirits of Confusion, and there is always an Angel of Truth in the inner sanctum.
Shrines teach one of the following: Command [Cult Spirit] (except Angel of Truth), Lore Trance, Memory Trance, Shield Mind or Truespeak.
The Lhankor Mhy cult does not teach Evaluate, for this is a skill for Issaries. Nor do they revere Dilfar the Deepsighted, who is also of Issaries.
Lhankor Mhy does not intervene in the affairs of mortals. He cannot grant Truth, for everyone must find Truth on their own. Thus, there is no Divine Intervention for Lhankor Mhy followers.
Common Obsessions and Passions: Attention to Detail, Curiosity, Fear Thanatari, Hate Thanatari, Hoard Books, Hoard Secrets, Honour
Common Geases: Never Lie. Never tell a Secret. Always keep your word. Celibacy. Poverty. Ascetism. Abstain from [a pleasure of life] for a season every year. Abstain from [a pleasure of life] always. Answer every question asked. Remain silent for a day every week. Never allow another to use your writing quill.
Less Common Geases: Answer truthfully every question asked. Never answer a question directly. Contemplate the Trigrammaton from dawn to dusk every Godsday. Do not use your eyes from dawn to dusk every Wildday. Never refuse to accompany a friend on a trip or journey. Communicate only in writing.
Breaking a geas means that the culprit gets a visit from the Brain Flayer.
Personality Traits: HONEST, TEMPERATE (ASCETIC), just, energetic (curious) and suspicious (sceptic). Most Carnalists are Lustful instead of Temperate. Some Immersionists are Indulgent instead of Temperate. Different schools of thought have different virtues, but usually incorporate some of the above.
All Detection Charms, Clear Mind, Destroy Thanatari Head, Farsee, Mindspeech
CLEAR MIND (self, temporal)
This spell gives the caster full control over all of his mental faculties for the duration of the spell. This means that the caster is mentally unaffacted by intoxication and painful wounds, and is not inspired by passions. Spirit charms that affect the caster's mind (like Demoralize, Fanaticism and Befuddle) must overcome the resistance of the Clear Mind spell. Rune magic like Fear or Mindblast affect its target normally, dismissing the Clear Mind.
All Common, Call Angel of Truth, Command [Cult Spirit], Confuse, Lore Trance, Memory Trance, Ritual of Letters, Ritual of Tongues, Scrying Ritual, Shield Mind, True Sight, Truespeak
CONFUSE (1pt, LOS, temp, nonstack, reusable)
Befuddles the target. The duration of the confusion can be extended. Lhankor Mhy once tricked Trickster with Truth, for Truth can seem paradoxical and confusing, and can harm those unprepared for it.
LORE TRANCE (2pts, ritual, nonstack, reusable)
This is a ritual for gaining knowledge about anything. The caster must have some connection with the target queried about to act as a focus for the ritual. It is a dangerous ritual, as the caster may ask for forbidden knowledge and catch the attention of Gift Carriers, or attract Spirits of Confusion. Roll ceremony every hour. A success lets the character gain the answer to one question or at least a true statement about the target of the magic. A special means two answered questions and a critical means three. Failure means that the character has catched the attention of a Gift Carrier and that the trance ends. Fumble means that the caster is attacked by several Gift Carriers. Also, if the caster fails his luck roll (once every hour) he is attacked by Spirits of Confusion. If the caster performs the ritual with the target queried about present everything becomes easier. If the caster performs the ritual in a Truth temple, the Spirits of Confusion and the Gift Carriers will trigger temple defenses. The Trance is usually performed with lots of techniques for gaining knowledge: sky-gazing; bone-throwing; rune-casting; reading of blood, livers, the flight of birds, patterns of clouds, river waves, smoke swirls. Other methods are numerology, gematria, cabala and the permutations of the sacred trigrammaton of truth.
MEMORY TRANCE (1pt, self, temp, nonstack, reusable)
The caster can retell the memory of any incident he has witnessed with the amount of detail he wishes, for the duration of the ceremony. The caster can not retell things he didn't perceive.
RITUAL OF LETTERS (2pts, ceremony, self, spec dur, nonstack, reusable)
This ritual summons the Spirit of Letters, which can only be summoned at daybreak and always leaves with Yelm, no matter what. When summoned it possesses the summoner, who can then understand any written text, regardless of what language it is written in. Languages that use senses or organs that the summoner does not possess can not be understood fully. If Commanded the Spirit of Letters can teach the summoner one language instead. The summoner gets one experience check in Read/Write [Language] per point of Extension stacked with the Command, which is also the duration of the teaching. If the ritual was used to learn a language the magic is one-use and the POW sacrificed is gone.
RITUAL OF TONGUES (2pts, ceremony, self, spec dur, nonstack, reusable)
This ritual summons the Spirit of Tongues, which can only be summoned at daybreak and always leaves with Yelm, no matter what. When summoned it possesses the summoner, who can then understand what people say regardless of what language they are talking. Languages that use senses or organs that the summoner does not possess can not be understood fully. If Commanded the Spirit of Tongues can teach the summoner one language instead. The summoner gets one experience check in Speak [Language] per point of Extension stacked with the Command, which is also the duration of the teaching. If the ritual was used to learn a language the magic is one-use and the POW sacrificed is gone.
SCRYING RITUAL (1pt, 1km, spec dur, nonstack, reusable)
Works mostly like Clairvoyance, but the caster needs a reflective surface (preferably a water mirror) through which he can see the target, and he needs a connection to the target scryed. Each extension doubles the range. Roll ceremony every minute to see if the caster can keep the connection up. Failure ends the spell. Fumble leaves the caster temporaily blinded.
SHIELD MIND (1pt, self, temp, stack, reusable)
All mind magic cast against a Shielded Mind must overcome the equivalent of a countermagic 6. Each stacking increases the strength of the resistance by 6.
TRUE SIGHT (2pts, self, temp, nonstack, reusable)
The caster and any person in mindlink with him can automatically sense and usually see through any glamour and illusion within sight and can sense a disguise. If the illusion is on a person (such as Enhanced App, the Glamour charm, an ogre's False Form), roll MP vs MP to see through.
In addition to cult power, spell and magic spirits there are at least the following:
SPIRITS OF REPRISAL
SPIRITS OF CONFUSION
These spirits can initiate spirit combat. If they win, they Confuse the victim until they are Commanded to leave or exorcised.
THE BRAIN FLAYER & THE MIND WORM
The Brain Flayer destroys the mind of culprit as usual and the Mind Worm drives him temporarily or permanently insane. The results of losing spirit combat with the Mind Worm can vary according to the whim of the storyteller and the seriousness of the offense - the culprit may gain unwanted Obsessions and Fears (passions) or lose ordinary passions, or gain derangements (a la vampire/ mage), or temporarily (days, weeks, seasons, years) be Confused as per the Rune Magic, or be blinded for a season. Usually lesser transgressions are reprised by the Mind Worm, and major ones by the Brain Flayer. The spirits of reprisal can also be summoned and bound by Sages and sent against enemies of the cult (like Thanatari and thieves). Sometimes the Mhy sends a spirit of reprisal as an ally to a Sage.
ANGELS OF TRUTH (THE GREY ONES)
These Spirits of Truth have retained their status within the cult and thus their magic. If persuaded they can initiate spirit combat or cast spells for the summoner. They can also be persuaded to share their knowledge with the sumoner. When manifested or incarnated (when they possess the summoner) they dispel all illusions within their POW in metres, and all who look upon them must match MP vs MP or be forced to speak nothing but Truth as long as they are in the presence of the Angel.
Chalana: provides Restore Intelligence
Issaries: provides Create Neutral Ground
Eurmal: provides Clever Tongue
Orlanth: provides Wind Words
Lhankor Mhy provides Shield Mind to his associates, and/or teaches them the spirit charm Clear Mind.
Copyright 1996 Michael Raaterova
Hosted by: Peter "Eschew Obfuscation" Michaels, with permission from the author.
Please send email to me at pmichaels@aol.com.
Please send email to Michael Raaterova at michael.raaterova.7033@student.uu.se.
You can go back to my Glorantha page, or back to Fool's Paradise.
Posted: 06 March 1997
URL: http://members.aol.com/pmichaels/glorantha/mrlm.html
Glorantha© is a registered trademark of Chaosium, Inc. RuneQuest© is a registered trademark of Avalon Hill Co., a division of Monarch Avalon Inc. No challenge of these or any other trademarks or copyrights is intended, implied, or inferred by this or any other pages by this writer.