Aronius Joranthir was a Carmanoi from Bindle who
commanded a detachment of heavy cavalry sent to battle the rebels in Twice
Blessed in 2/29 (1330 ST). His command
was ambushed and Aronius himself barely survived the encounter. In 2/34 Aronius led his house’s
Hazar-knights against the marauding Char-Un nomads. In several close battles he rallied the Carmanian knighthood with
his sterling example and drove the rampaging horde back into their bleak
lands. After the war Aronius organised the
resettlement of the devastated Western Reaches and converted his followers to
the Lunar Way. His family was not part
of the powerful and ruling house so they never ruled the region; but their
popularity with the Hazars made them a potent political faction in the Reaches.
Aronius was reborn in 4/50 in the time of the
Empire’s greatest need. The nomads of
Pent ravaged the land and eastern demons had been loosed on the people. He undertook a great hero-journey into the
mists of Sheng Seleris’ past to find a weakness that would topple the
warlord. Aronius retrieved that weapon
from the eastern dragon-lands and delivered it to his Shah at Kitor in
4/52. He played a game of ravenkaaz
with his friend the Son of the Moon while they waited for the barbarians to
arrive. The Shah allowed Aronius to win
the game and rewarded his victory handsomely.
In the battle that followed, Aronius’ discovery
allowed the Shah to defeat Sheng and cast him into a Lunar hell. Aronius hewed down several of Sheng’s
warband and led the pursuit across the Empire that destroyed the Pentan terror
and finally brought peace back to the Heartlands.
Seeing that his duty had been done, Aronius
apotheosised and the Shah did him the honour of appointing Aronius to the
council of Egi on the Moon.
Requirements: Carmanoi caste
Physical
Skills:
Courage
Mental Skills: Play ravenkaaz, Knowledge
of Pentan tactics
Affinities:
Hazar (Charge, Steady lance, Fell sword, Fearless mount, Arrow armour, Slow Pentan)
Carmanoi (Command loyalty of Hazar, Lead battle, Suppress peasant, Command Vizier)
Heroism (Endure distance, Play ravenkaaz, Wise as an Egi, Strike hero)
Secret: Rebirth (You can be ritually reborn into a new baby in your direct line of descent. Your spirit melds with the baby’s and you retain your mental and physical skills – but not physical characteristics - and magical abilities. You are still bound by the limitations of the body you occupy.)
Worshippers: Aronius is worshiped by his descendants and is venerated as the epitome of Carmanian chivalry. There are about 4,000 initiates and devotees; most of whom are family. His family takes great pains to remain true to his ideal as he could do as he did at his second birth where he inhabited the body of a descendant. Many of these Hazars belong to the Lances of Joranthir, an elite of Lunar chivalry.
Otherside: Aronius Joranthir’s Castle of Crimson Pavilions is outside the Red Ruby City on the Moon where his followers come to lead the knightly – and noble - life of tournaments, jousting and feasts. From the Crimson Pavilions Aronius’ followers can exit onto the surface of the Red Moon or Sedenya’s Throne. After death, Aronius’ followers join him in the Eternal Tournament to harden themselves for duty in their Lord’s service fighting the Empire’s foes.
Other Connections: Aronius Joranthir is an Egi and personal friend of the Shah of Carmania (aka the Red Emperor). This gives his family and cult tremendous political power that they use to keep the more powerful houses off balance.
Disadvantages: The ruling houses in Carmania hold a special dislike for Aronius’
family and the Lances of Joranthir due to their popularity with the Hazars and
his close relationship to the Shah.
This is exacerbated by the Shah using their political clout to counterbalance
the strengths of the other great houses.
Aronius is also hated by the Pelandan peasantry for keeping their kin in
serfdom.
Bisos is the Bull God who came to Oronin from the
south. He liberated the land from the
DediOronin, the painted blue men who were keeping the people in thrall, cold
and hungry. Bisos fought the blue men
and burned their homes. He divided the
newly liberated land among his followers and settled down to farm
peacefully. YarGan sent his blue-lipped
minions to slay Bisos and resurrect his dominion over the land. Bisos called on the wind goddess to help
fight the invaders. He challenged their
leader to single combat and was slain.
When YarGan’s champion turned to gloat, Bisos rose from the dead and
hewed the champion in twain. With this,
the people of Oronin asked Bisos to protect them and he accepted appointing his
people to lead the Oronians and Bisos joined the Jernotian Gods as a god of the
noble, the soldier and the commoner.
When the Darkness came and Entekos fell into the
underworld, BusEnari died, Pela died and the people went hungry and cold Bisos
sent the best of his people into the south where they would be safe from the
demons and monsters that now stalked the land.
Shortly after this Bisos was slain and passed into the underworld
himself. When Turos finally awoke from
his sleep and freed the gods from hell Bisos was one of the first ones to
return. He summoned his folk from the
south where they had prospered and they brought their children, and their cows,
and their plows, and their chickens, and their wagons north to refound the
cities of Bisos.
When a hoard of barbarians came out of the south the
Bisosae marched to defend the people but were defeated. Daxdarius finally defeated the Andam Horde
and freed the Oronin peoples from their conquest. Daxdarius proved that Bisos was not wise enough to properly rule
the land and lead it in war. Daxdarius
supplanted Bisos as the noble’s god and the soldier’s god but Bisos remained
the commoner’s god and the warrior’s god.
When Carmanos, the Carmanian prophet, defined
Idovanus as the Greater God many Pelandans resisted this new thing. The Bisosae summoned Bisos to trample this
upstart but the Prophet slew the bull, confined him to hell and reduced his
people to abject servitude. When Bisos
realised the truth of his origins he agreed to loyally serve the Good God and
returned to the world to raise his people from slavery and act as their
intermediary with Idovanus.
Carmanos used Bisos’ powers over the Blue men to
defeat the Spolite Empire and liberate the lands of Pelanda from their dark
rule. Using these powers, a series of
Carmanian Shahs worshipped Bisos and surrounded themselves with Bashkars, known
as the Bull Guard. This worship
elevated him back to place of noble’s god and soldier’s god after the Magi
recognised the cult. His combative
magics were used in the conquest of Dara Happa by the Bull Emperors and this
helped elevate his position.
Today, Bisos is worshipped as the Strong Arm of
Idovanus, and a mediator between the Good God and his Carmanian and Pelandan
followers. Bisos is a god of the Hazar
Knights, a god of soldiers, and (more importantly) the God of Carmanian
freeholders. He is the patron of deity
of the Bashkar, Bull Guards, that protect the Son of the Moon, the current
Padishah.
Requirements: Must be male.
Great Secret: Be Bull (Character becomes one with Bisos and is taken out of play)
Worshippers: Carmanian males of the
Hazar caste and socially mobile Pelandans.
Otherside: Bisos’ Palace is in the Blessed land of Vanstal in the Realm of
Idovanus where the unsullied Light of Idovanus shines upon him. From his palace, Bisos’ followers can exit
to the Green Age, the Golden Age and the Dark Age. After death worshippers of Bisos join him in his Palace where
they bask in Idovanus’ Sacred Light and help Bisos in his eternal service until
they are freed by their seventh part.
Other
connections:
Bisos is the primary god of the Hazar farmers and of many of the Hazar
knights. He is also popular with
farmers around Lake Oronin with an increasing number of Pelandans in the
Western Reaches. The main Pelandan
farming god is Turos. Turos is
recognised by the Idovanic Church as being an appropriate deity for the lower
castes but if a Pelandan wishes to rise in social standing they must seek else
where and Bisos is the most accessible option.
Disadvantages: none significant.
Bisos
the Hazar (Carmanian Knights)
Affinity: Berserk Combat,
Bull, Hazar
Secret: Leap Up From Death
Bisos the Freeholder (Carmanian Farmers)
Affinity: Bull, Fief
Management, Farming
Secret: Control Pelandan
Bisos the Bull (Pelandan Farmers)
Affinities: Agriculture, Domestic
Animals, Maintain Stead
Secret: Plow Any Field
Bisos the Hazar is the aspect of Bisos devoted to
battle and manliness. Bisos is the
patron of many Carmanian Hazar-Knights including the elite Bashkars who guard
the Shah. He is renown for his
blood-rage and the strength of his thews.
Requirements: Must be a warrior of some
sort.
Skills: Myths of Bisos the Hazar,
Enduring Strength.
Affinities:
Berserker Combat (Charge, Fight While Injured, Butt of the Bull, Fight Multiple Foes)
Bull (Loins of the Bull, Endurance of the Bull, Strength of the Bull, Stoicism of the Bull)
Hazar (Bull’s Shield, Menacing Glare, Roar of the Bull)
Secret: Leap Up from Death (instantly returns to life with full AP. Can only be used if reduced to dead or dying as a result of the contest)
Worshippers: Carmanian Hazar-knights, Pelandan Sergeants and footsoldiers, Bisosae hillmen and the elite regiment of Bashkar Guards. Often peasant followers of Bisos become members of Bisos the Hazar to escape the drudgery of their existence, it is a sanctioned way for them to progress through the stratified Carmanian caste system.
Other Connections: The berserker tendencies of the Bisos Hazars has led the Viziers to link Bisos to the darkness of the Spolites and the Bull Shahs.
Disadvantages: When using berserker
combat characters must bid at least ½ of their current AP total.
Carmanos was the Prophet who first defined Idovanus
as the High God and Genaseterus as the God of Evil. He incorporated the Romanakin wisdom into the revolutionary
dualistic Carmanian Church. Carmanos
was the son of Charmain, the Goddess of Lake Oronin, and Syranthir Forefront,
the leader of the Fronelan Exodus; thus he unified the Oroninelan and Fronelan
theologies. Carmanos came forth from
the Lake with five stone slabs incised with the Codes of Carmanos; these Codes
form the basis of Carmanian law and society.
Carmanos was opposed by the Pelandans who attempted
to use their gods against his faith.
Carmanos was well versed in the Pelandan myths by his mother’s people
and knew that like Kenstrata and Orogeria when they ate Purendi their son, the
Pelandan vision of what was true had been cloaked by the evil magics of the
Lie. Carmanos refuted their false
truth, broke the magic of the Lie with the light of Idovanus and showed the
surviving Pelandans the truth, which they gladly accepted.
Requirements: Must be of the Carmanoi
Caste.
Physical
Skills:
Noble Bearing.
Mental Skills: Myths of Carmanos,
Knowledge of Carmanian Law, Rule House, Negotiate
Affinities:
Law (Judge Carmanoi, Define Law, Enforce Law)
Suzerainty (Righteous Wrath, Inherent Superiority, Command Hazar, Command Vizier)
Idovanic Light (Drive away shadow, Smite Spolite, Highlight Lie)
Secret: Dethrone the Lie (Acts as an integrated passion spirit that augments any ability used to overcome the Lie)
Worshippers: Carmanos is worshiped as the Law-Bringer and the First Shah by all Carmanoi. He is seriously worshipped by those Carmanoi interested in his heroic aspects of Law, Light and Rule. Due to the increasing popularity of the Lunar cults and rivalry with Aronius Joranthir Carmanos has declined in worship over the last century.
Other Side: Carmanos’ Throne sits in the centre of Castle Blue in the centre of lake Oronin in the center of the Realm of Idovanus. From the Throne worshippers can exit to the Golden Age and the Storm Age. Initiates of Carmanos join him in the Castle after death; where they participate in tournaments and hunts and feast on exotic dishes served by the people of Castle Blue until freed to Idovanus by their seventh soul.
Other Connections: With the cult of Charmain of the Lake and the Magi.
Disadvantages: Compared to the Lunar
Carmanoi, those who follow the older ways are less adaptable to current
Imperial policy and suffer accordingly.
Ganesetarus, GanEstoro to the Pelandans, is a god of
lurking shadows and insidious evil. He
is called the Dark God, the Liar and the Betrayer. Ganesetarus has stalked the land of Pelanda spreading gloom and hatred
in his path since the earliest days of Jernotious’ reign. He kidnapped DenegEria, the Life-bearer, and
stole her away from the land. This
caused the first winter and great suffering to all.
He swore vengeance on Kenstrata the Hunter for
conquering one of his beasts. He hurled
his Death Dart at Kenstrata but the Hunter knocked it aside. Ganesetarus cursed Kenstrata’s son to be
unrecognisable to his parents. When the
son did not return his parents and all the people of the land fell to dispair. Orogeria his mother, agreed to give
Ganesetarus everything that was hers to get her son back. The Betrayer took her clothes, her tools,
her home, camp, grounds, fire and blanket.
He then took the earth and the sky and the sun and the night and finally
the fire and the water. Even after all
of this Orogeria still did not recognise her son. Ganesetarus could not be found and when the truth of his oath was
tested for justice it did not work, and his oath was proven to be true. Orogeria could see her son but not recognise
him so was cheated.
Because Ganesetarus had everything and did not share
it, everyone was dying of hunger, and because Kenstrata’s son was missing all
were dying of sorrow as well. Kenstrata
prepared a great feast with what animals he could find and invited everybody. When the guests arrived they were shocked
and horrified to see that Kenstrata had slaughtered and prepared his son. None would say anything, and none would eat
anything. Ganesetarus appeared into the
growing shadows to mock them as cowards and provoked them into seeing the
truth.
Ganesetarus’ quick tongue and earnest tone have led
many power-hungry men and women to the deepest pits of depravity in their lust
for mastery over their fellow beings.
The blood-soaked altars in Spol have unleashed uncounted horrors on the
world including the Empire of Gloom, which conquered Pelanda, and most of Dara
Happa before the coming of the Carmanian Exiles. His dark rites, requiring human sacrifice, and fickle loyalty to
his worshippers keep their numbers small but dedicated and twists their souls
in the most perverted ways.
Requirements: Be extremely unpleasant yet
cunning enough to survive.
Skills: lie, gossip maliciously,
bully
Affinities:
Deception (Deceive self, Avoid justice, Compel belief in falsity, Specious appearance, Lie with truth)
Misery (Betray one’s own, Inflict pestilence, Spoil food, Spread Gloom)
Cynicism (Cause doubts, Deny Faith, Enhance scepticism, Encourage parochialism, Boost fatalism)
Secret: Death Dart (Acts like a mystic strike. If the target is reduced below 0 AP they die.)
Worshippers: Those who wish to attain power by the quickest route with no compassion for their fellow beings. They tend to rise quickly in the Empire and manipulate those below them to their greater gain.
Other Side: Ganesetarus’ Palace of Gloom, the source of deceitful shadows, slouches in the shadows of the Valley of Despair under the Specious Mountains in the Jernotian Realm. From his Palace worshipers can exit into the Storm Age and the Darkness. After death his initiates stalk the Otherside misleading other travellers for their amusement.
Other Connections: The Carmanians and Pelandans associate him with Fronalko and YarGan.
Disadvantages: Ganesetarus is despised by
all peoples including many of his own worshipers.
Humakt is the Dark that serves the Truth. He is the Carmanian God of Death, the
Executioner’s God and the Black Swordsman.
He guards the Gates of Hell and ensures that only the dead pass through
them. He often stalks the lands of the
living seeking those who have cheated him so that he can drag them screaming
back to his Keep.
Idovanus forged Humakt in the Fires of Ungaili as a
weapon in the fight against Ganesetarus.
During the Darkness Humakt fought against the demons of the Lie with
sword and dagger and host. He slew the
Crawling Demon, Pergak; he hewed the six heads off of Thorlug so that now she
has one; he led an army to storm the Tower of Dancing Shadow and slew the
Spirit of the Despairing Grasp. When
Idovanus found that the Lie was raiding the Underworld for demons he directed Humakt
to build a keep over the Gates of Hell to ensure that only the dead could
enter. When Ganesetarus’ warlord
stormed the Keep of Death Humakt sent his body back and mounted his grinning
skull on his battlements. Humakt slew
many demons and more people. He slew
nobles, warriors, women and even children; all were servants of the Lie, even
through they did not know it.
The present day cult is accepted by the Idovanic
Church but was originally a fusion of Fronelan barbarian and Spolite worship of
the primary death god now recognised as Humakt. The Spolites had their own name for this god, whom they called
Glougthat, this name has been banned by the Idovanic Church and any worship of
this entity has been declared demonic and corrupted by the Lie.
Requirements:
Skills: Execution, Sword and Shield
Fighting, Great sword combat, Craft Sword, Dagger fighting, Myths of Humakt,
Battle Tactics
Affinities:
Battle (Demoralise Foe, Charge of Death, Headless of Loss, Penetrate Line)
Combat (Shout of Pain, Killing Frenzy, Strike of Doom, Great Blow, Execution Strike, Enchant Iron)
Death (Fearless of Death, Unhealing Wound, Hew Spirit, Stop
Resurrection)
Secret: Kill (acts as a mystic strike; in addition to contest results, if driven below 0 AP target dies)
Worshippers: Carmanian Hazars who remember the older days of Carmanian glory; very strong among the Spolite Knight-Killers, Executioners and Bodyguards, soldiers throughout the Imperial forces.
Other Side: Humakt’s Keep of Death stands on
the far bank of the River Styx crouching over the imposing Gates of Hell and
bars the cold road to the Underworld.
From the Keep initiates can sally to the Storm Age, the Darkness Age or
into the Underworld itself. After
death, Humakt’s worshippers serve to strengthen the Gate Watch ensuring that
only the dead pass through. The Watch
spends their time endlessly practising the arts of killing.
Other Connections: Though this cult has been accepted in the Idovanic Church, it still has a past heavily influenced by the Spolites, and some say Ganesatarus.
Disadvantages: Due to the incarnation of
Death among worshippers, no one of devotee rank in the cult can ever be
resurrected. Worshippers are shunned by
the majority of the population as they are ruthless, cold and committed to
Death.
Mystical diety
Idovanus is the Good God, the God of Law and the
Highest God. Created by the Prime Mover
to embody all things Good, Idovanus directs his divine helpers and through them
the people of Carmania. Because
Idovanus is so pure himself, he is unknowable and untouchable through direct
contact to the vast majority of Carmanains.
Only the Magi can contact him directly.
Estrekor was the first Magi of Idovanus, the select
caste who could speak directly to the Good God, pass his instructions back to
the people of the Church, and manifest his will through the empowerment of
philosophies. The Magi showed the
Pelandan gods the error of their ways and accepted then into the true faith
under the strict guidelines set by Carmanos.
The Magi of the Order are selected at birth for the
purity of their blood and trueness of their hearts. They are raised in the Order’s austere monasteries and sheltered
from any possible worldy pollution behind ranks of guards and thick, bare stone
walls. The Magi learn to discern
Idovanus’ will by reading the sun and their Ersoon fire-sticks.
Requirements: You are born into it and
chosen at birth. You are raised your
entire life in the cult.
Physical
Skills: Austerity
Mental Skills:
Meditate on
Idovanus
Virtue: Commune with Idovanus
Counter: Refutation of non-Idovanic
truth, Reflect the Lie
Strikes: Burn with Ersoon, Bolt of
Ersoon
Secret: Manifest Idovanic Philosophy (Acts as a mystic strike that changes
reality. By focusing the will of
Idovanus upon the philosophical truth of something that truth can be used to
change the reality of the Lie. In
practise this means that a Magi can alter current reality to suit his preferred
truth. This is usually done in groups
and over a considerable amount of time.)
Practitioners: The Order of Carmanian
Magi in their Grim Temple at Brinnus.
Other Connections: The
head of the order is the Hierophant of the Carmanian Church.
Disadvantages: Extreme secular lifestyle with no personal
freedom except their service of Idovanus.
Carmanos the Prophet revealed the Carmanian religion in which Idovanus, the Good, warred eternally against Ganesatarus, the Evil. Carmanos also revealed Malakinus, the source of Good Sorcery, and established the first of its Orders. The Malakinus Traditions is practiced (and occasionally licensed for use by other orders) by the Magi. Malakinus learned sorcery by studying Idovanus, which is the source of all Good. Malakinus was adopted without hostility by the Lunars after they conquered Carmania, when Carmanos was revealed to be a previous incarnation of the Red Goddess preparing for her own full appearance.
Requirements: Open to Male Carmanians only
Skills: Read Carmanian, Write
Carmanian, Symbolic Sight, Scribe Pentacle of Power
Grimoires:
Malakinos
Carmanios, “The
Book of White Sorcery.” Spells: Extinguish Fire, Float In Water, Turn Away
Beast, Turn Away Spirit, Resist God
Book of
Healing. Spells:
Heal Self, Heal Person, Heal Animal, Protection from Weapons, Start Breathing,
Secret: Reflect Magic
Worshippers: The Carmanian
Malakinus Order oversees several schools which report to the Magi and, as may
be expected, are generally obedient and not troublesome. They are not clergy,
but they do work for their sponsors to do good, and report whatever they see.
Other Connections: The
Order reports only to the Carmanian Magi, but maintains six elegant facilities
in the western Lunar Empire. Membership in the magi includes increased status
even for the beginners.
Disadvantages: Enemy of all Ganesetarus practitioners and
worshippers (Ganesatarus
the Deceiver is the god of Evil, an embodiment of Lies and the Devil)