Cults of G.. - Index of - Free

Pent nomads ride horses and herd cattle, sheep and goats.
They live harsh, brutal lives on the steppes. Winters are
severe; their summers usually rich and peaceful. Pent’s
northern extents are a land of bleak tundra wracked by
violent storms, buried by snow from the north or flooded
by warm rain from the south. Further south are either
the Rockwood Mountains, inhabited only by monsters,
or the northern edge of the Chaos Wastes, also home of
monsters (and Praxians). Pentan and Praxian nomads are
ancient enemies.
Praxian Tradition
Praxian mythology revolves around the suppression
of Chaos and their ancestors’ struggle to survive in the
Wastes. Under Waha the Great Spirit Khan, they glorify
co-operation, hardiness, generosity and energetic activity.
The Praxians know that their land was once a fertile
paradise, but it is now blighted and ruined by the invasion
of Chaos. All modern animal nomads are descendants of
those few humans and animals who survived the final
catastrophe. Waha taught the wretched remainder of
humanity a new way of life perfectly suited for survival
in that harsh region.
The animal nomads live in the Wastelands and believe
Prax to be their holy land. They raid each other and their
neighbours incessantly. Most tribes claim descent from
Waha or another prominent spirit. The religion has little
existence outside of Prax and the Wastelands but some of
the surrounding lands hire the Praxians as mercenaries.
The animal nomads are divided into five main tribes
– Bison Riders, Sable Riders, Impala Riders (who
are pygmies), Alticamelus Riders and the non-human
Morokanth but numerous smaller ones exist also. Men
join the Waha practice while women follow Eiritha but
many other practices are followed.
Troll Array
In the beginning, all trolls dwelt in the wonderful primal
bliss of Wonderhome, where no light ever came and live
food abounded. The Gods War and the arrival of Death’s
blazing fury ruined this paradise. Death seared many
trolls but many managed to escape to the surface world.
The trolls and their minions quickly spread across the
surface, eating everything in their way and eventually
conquering much of Glorantha. Events culminated in the
Chaos War, when they fought desperately and valiantly
against overwhelming hordes of chaos monsters. After
horrendous sacrifice, the trolls conquered, shattering the
armies and gods of Chaos. Subsequent troll history is an
epic of uninterrupted suppression, violence and treachery
both by and to trolls at the hands of humans, elves, dwarfs
and others.
Troll religion is crude by any standard, but suffices for
their unsophisticated needs. Trolls are actually a diverse
group of related species. The leaders of modern trolls
belong to the type known as dark trolls. These are served
by the race of trollkin; cursed and stunted slaves. Another
servant race is the great trolls, gigantically powerful
warriors and heavy labourers. A few members of the
ancestral Mistress Race still survive in dark caverns
– these fearsome beings have black magical powers
beyond mortal comprehension. Several other troll races
exist, adapted to local conditions.
Solar Pantheon
In the Golden Age, Yelm ruled the cosmos and created
an age of perfection. Every being knew its place and
there was happiness and plenty for all. Yelm’s emissaries
readily solved the few disturbances by chastising those
falling into incorrect ways. With the birth of Umath,
everything changed and the Rebel Gods grew in power and
eroded away the perfection and grandeur of the Empire
until they murdered Yelm. The universe fell into shards,
squabbled over by rebels, monsters and barbarians. Only
when the Rebel Gods humbled themselves and appeared
before Yelm in Hell to beg his forgiveness was the world
restored.
The Solar pantheon generally holds sway throughout
the Peloran basin and a related series of solar cults are
found in the surrounding lands. The organisation of the
Dara Happan Empire mirrors that solar religion with its
imperial pomp and majesty. Yelm rules over all and only
the Emperor of Dara Happa is permitted to worship him
directly. All power and authority is derived from this
divine right. Without an emperor, nobles and overseers
have no authority over the peasants and serfs who form
the bulk of the population. The Golden Dragon Emperor,
who slew the previous emperor and ascended to the
Footstool of Heaven, rules the Dara Happan Empire.
9
Magic and Religion