Cacodemon

Mythos and History
Cacodemon is the secret heart of the Devil, the fragment of his spirit which he kept secreted away while he fought the petty gods of man, troll and beast. When the combined forces of the foolish gods crushed the Devil beneath the last piece of law, Cacodemon awoke, and went forth to carry out his father's goal of destroying Glorantha.
As the last remnant of the Devil, Cacodemon was cautious, ever aware that if he was destroyed, then the Devil and his duty would go unfulfilled, and so Cacodemon kept to the shadows, around the fringes, for if people recognised it for what it was they would destroy it.
Cacodemon often went amongst humans in the guise of a man, finding some isolated tribe and sending them into destruction, but his goals changed when he found a small clan of humans, who offered him food and shelter, but then turned on him with their knives.
Revealing himself in his foul fullness, the humans fell to the ground in worship. They begged his forgiveness, for they thought he was another wandering victim, one of the "food in the shape of men" they fed upon. They showed him they were the last true humans left, and begged him for his aid, and Cacodemon was moved by their abomination, and taught them how to feed on the food-men, and how to survive the coming world.
When the sun rose once more, the true humans went out as families and as individuals, to live amongst the ignorant masses of the world, and to feed on them in secret as the first ogres.

Nature of the Cult
Cacodemon is the patron of the ogres and other foul beings who prey upon their own kind as the wolf preys upon the hare. In return the ogres act as his hands and eyes within the world, and gradually corrupt and blight the world towards Cacodemon's purposes.
The cult is widespread, found wherever ogres are, but is never very large or powerful. Cacodemon offers his worshippers no afterlife, and most are simply bound into slavery by their living kin to act as ghouls or other spirits, while their dead flesh nourishes the next generation of ogres.

Depiction
Cacodemon is rarely pictured the same way twice, however many features are common, including wings, beweaponed limbs or tails, and a bestial head bearing many horns.

Particular Likes and Dislikes
Cacodemon has many enemies, and no friends. Even the other Chaos gods and spirits he merely views as rivals and allies of convenience. He directs most of his ire at anti-Chaos cults, especially Storm Bull and Zorak Zoran who have long preyed upon his chosen people.

Cult Organization and Holy Places
The cult has only the bare minimum of a hierarchy, with each band of ogres acting more like an extended family than a proper cult. Of course like any family, they are often riddled with feuds and rivalries, and ogres fear no kinstrife. The only authority the ogres recognise is that of the Talon of Cacodemon, who can commune with their lord, and binds and controls the family's ancestors.
Each family knows at least one holy place, those areas where Cacodemon has tainted by his presence, often a small grove in a nearby forest, a deep and isolated cave, or a bloodstained altar-stone on the bank of a treacherous river. Nomadic ogres often know many such places along their favoured routes.

Holy Days
Cacodemon lacks any holy days, for his worshippers worship whenever and wherever is convenient, although when a worship site is in use, the Talon will often declare a day to be holy, based on his own preferences and desires.

The Cacodemon Tradition

• Cacodemon accepts worshippers from any race or culture, although he favours the ogres most of all. Anyone wishing to join the tradition must partake of a communal cannibalistic feast along-side other members of the tradition. This serves to unite them all in common purpose, as well as tainting the spirits of new members, preventing them from easily leaving the tradition.
• For game purposes, any hero may join the Cacodemon Tradition, gaining it as a Keyword with a rating of 17 and gain a number of charms within it, as described in the HeroQuest core rules (pg 112)

The Cacodemon Spirit Society
While anyone can join the Cacodemon Tradition, not everyone becomes initiated to its higher mysteries, not even amongst ogres. Those who do wish to partake of these mysteries must first have a rating in their Cacodemon Tradition of 1w or higher then petition their Talon to join the Cacodemon Spirit Society, granting them access to the following spirits:

False Face. Made from the tortured spirits of ogre's victim bound into a leather mask formed from their face, these grisly charms provide the ability to Impersonate Human. The taboo of this charm is Never Use Your Birth Name.

Feasters on the Dead. These spirits are the ghosts of dead ogres. Cacodemon cultists summon these ancestors to inhabit a dead body, making it rise once more as a walking corpse which craves the flesh of man as much as the ogre did in life. These spirits provide charms to Create Ghoul. The taboo of this charm is Feed Ghoul at Least Once a Week.

Guise of Innocence. To form this charm the heart of an uninitiated child is salted and dried until it has shrivelled to the size of a nut, the child's spirit within provides charms to Avoid Magical Detection to its master. The taboo of this charm is Never Speak a Child's Name.

Unclean Soul. The chaotic spirit of a gorp lies within the gullet of the ogre, enabling them to Vomit Acid as a charm. The taboo of this charm is Eat Only Meat.

Talons - Cacodemon Shamans

• After many years of service, tribute, and much bowing and scraping to the local Talon; a member of the Cacodemon Tradition with a rating of 11w or greater may undergo training to become a Talon, a shaman of Cacodemon.
• They are led to the nearest active holy-place to Cacodemon, and there the Talon summons the ancestors of the prospective shaman and binds them into a monstrous spirit known as a Fiend. When the Talon leaves, the Fiend attacks their descendant attempting to seize his body for themselves. The fight lasts until the prospective shaman has beaten the Fiend into submission (as a major plot obstacle), or they themselves are torn apart by the component spirits of the Fiend.

The Fetch (Fiends)
Fiends are gestalt entities, the result of a hundred ogre ancestors bound into a single form, and resembling the many and varied depictions of Cacodemon itself, often appearing radically different each time they are summoned.
The Fiend performs all the functions of a fetch (cf. HeroQuest pg. 114), but may embody itself in a specially prepared vessel, such as a gorp or bound human. The Fiend can be treated as a sidekick in this form, and has access to all the charms the Talon does.

Lesser Metals of Glorantha

Gloranthan Bronze stands apart from the other metals of Glorantha in a few regards. Firstly, it is a natural alloy of copper and tin, where all others are pure. It cannot be easily enchanted, in fact it may be impossible to do so, for enchanting metal and purifying it seem to be synonymous, and bronze is by its very nature a mixture.
Bronze is said to be the metal of air, but at the same time silver has been given that position (see Sartar: Kingdom of Heroes, page 69), and Orlanth teaches magic to enchant the metal.
It seems plausible to conclude that silver is the metal of the Middle Air, the realm of planets, winds, and moons, explaining why cults such as Yelorna and Sedenya claim silver as theirs.
To return from this digression, where does this leave Bronze? As a mixture of sky and ground, it is still a metal sacred to the storm gods, but even more so than that, as one of the most common metals in Glorantha, it could be said to be the metal of the Middle World. Where things are made of everything.

But sky and ground were not the only coupling in the gods age, it would seem likely then, that other alloys, native or forged, would exist in Glorantha, and be sacred to many people. Here are my suggestions for a few of them:

Brass
Second only to bronze in abundance, this metal is formed where fiery gold and earthy copper have been mixed. The result is a bright metal, that although superficially resembling gold, is much lighter and stronger.
The largest brass deposits are in Peloria, where it far surpasses bronze in prevalence, both as an ore and when used for tools. The Dara Happans call the metal "Lodrilli Gold", claiming that it was formed when Yelm's brother plunged deep into the earthy Oria, tainting his pure golden nature. They regard the metal as fit only for commoners, who use it for both decoration and toolmaking.
Even outside of Peloria, the metal's connection to that land is implicit, with brass often going by the name of "Pelorian Bronze". The residents of Sun County import a large amount of the metal, due to their fondness for it for arms and armour.
The Esrolians call Brass "Mountain Copper", for mountains often mark where fire and earth have met, and import most of theirs from neighbouring Caladraland. Shunning its usage for martial purposes, they instead the metal towards musical purposes, with great brass gongs and horns being used in many celebrations.

Black Bronze
Also known as "Stygian Bronze", this dark and heavy metal was prized by Arkat's dark empire. An alloy of lead and copper, the metal looks much like bronze, but is darker, and the metal quickly tarnishes, developing a purple patina, leading it to be called "Liver-stone" in some regions.
In the Kingdom of Night, the metal is said to be a mark of Esrola and Argan Argar's marriage. The coinage minted by Ezkankekko is said to have been this metal, although few remain after the God King Belintar slew the Only Old One, and ordered all likenesses of him, including on his coinage, destroyed.
The mercenaries of the Black Horse County are often seen outfitted in scale-armour made of this metal, which they claim is the only metal able to withstand the rigours of Hell. Certainly the value of this "Hell Metal" has been proven in the middle world, as their armour has resisted the arrows and spear-heads of their neighbouring Grazelanders, who regard this metal as an abomination and wound upon the world.

Pewter
Often said to be the "Night Metal", this alloy of tin and lead is rarely found outside of Ralious, Kethaela, and the Kingdom of Ignorance, where it was sacred to gods like Argan Argar, Xentha, and Basko. The metal is typically a dull grey, although when the tin content is high, the metal acquires a bluish tint to the discerning eye. Like its parent metals, pewter is soft and easily worked, making it unsuited for warfare. It is a popular metal for the making of tableware, with plates and drinking vessels forming the majority of pewter goods. The Kralori call this metal the metal of ignorance, and have banned its usage within their Empire, claiming that it dulls the mind and soul, although this is likely to be due to its association with Chen Durel.

Electrum
When Gold and Silver are alloyed together, they form the metal known as electrum, or "White Gold". Electrum is commonly used to stretch gold supplies, alloying it with the more abundant silver to form a metal that resembles gold, although it is somewhat paler than its parent.
The Lunar Empire has begun using electrum for their jewellery, leading the Dara Happans to nickname it "Lunar Gold", any attempt at using it for coinage has been firmly blocked by the Lokarnos Cult, who regard it as an abomination. Likewise in Fronela, the city of Southpoint has abandoned the metal, blaming its taint for the Fronelan Ban and emergence of the Kingdom of War. Despite this, the metal is still popular in the west, both for coinage, and tableware.

Amalgam
Just as bronze has become a common name for any metal alloyed with copper, amalgam is the term known by alchemists for alloys of aluminium with other metals. These alloys are rare in nature, for the ever changing nature of aluminium does not bond well with other metals. Most are instead created by alchemists in their rituals to enchant other metals, for amalgams can be quickly separated by those who know the right magic, to leave liquid quicksilver and the remaining metal solid and purified. For just as water purifies and cleans by carrying away impurities, so does quicksilver absorb cleanse and purify any metal it is alloyed with.

Nymphs

History
The classification of nymphs originally comes from Dara Happa, where they were the daughters of the great gods and goddesses of the world. The nymphs were divided into four great families, tracing back to their mothers.

• The Oriads, descended from Oria the great Mother. These were the nymphs of mountains, fields, valleys and also natural life, through her daughters Erenbaya and Uryarda. As Oria was the most fecund of goddesses, the Oriads are the most plentiful of nymphs, and could be found everywhere in Dara Happa.
• The Ouraniads, created by Ourania, the daughter of Dayzatar. These were the nymphs of above, who dwell in the sky world as wives of gods and servants of great heroes. The Ouraniads were among the fewest of nymphs, for Ourania was a virginal goddess, and each celestial nymph was formed purely from her powers of creation.
• The Oslirads, daughters of the great river goddess Oslira. These were the nymphs of streams, lakes and other bodies of water, and were respected by the people of Henjarl as nurturers and providers.
• The Annarads, who were the terrible children of Annara Gor, queen of the Third Hell. Like their mother, they were monstrous creatures of the underworld, and were said to hate all those who dwelt above. Despite this, they were also said to keep many monsters restrained by their powers.

In early myth all nymphs, including the horrific annarads, were respectful and dutiful beings, as Dara Happans expected their wives and daughters to act. But when Yelm died, many were said to have lost their way and retreated out of civilization. The worst of these became monstrous beings, hostile to men, and gave birth to monsters.

Those who remained loyal to the Dara Happans were given proper respect, and often became patrons of cities, such as the great oriad Thilla who watches over Yuthuppa to this day. Others became the wives of great heroes, and their divine lineage has been proven to run in the noble families of Dara Happa.

In the age of Nysalor, when Dara Happa and the peoples of the Second Council joined together, mutual exchanges of knowledge occurred Dara Happans, Orlanthi, the Elder Races and others. The Dara Happan families of nymphs were expanded to encompass the daughters of many foreign deities, and were adopted by others as appropriate terminology.

The names of the families were changed during this period, sometimes merely an alteration in spelling or pronunciation, such as oriad becoming oread, or ouraniad becoming the aurae.
Others underwent a more drastic reclassification. The oslirads, being the nymphs of rivers, were recognised as merely one branch of the greater family of sea nymphs, descended from Mirintha, the mother of all sea peoples. Due to an unfortunate scribal error, the sea nymphs were not recorded as mirinthe, as the merfolk know them; but were instead confused with the ancestresses of the merfolk, the niiads. The sea nymphs were thus given the name naiads, and this widespread error has proven impossible to correct.

Due to elf influence on the Bright Empire, the children of Erenbaya, the tree nymphs, became recognised as their own family. Recognising Erenbaya as an aspect of their great progenitor Aldrya, these nymphs became known as aldryads, and eventually the first syllable was dropped, resulting in the modern name of dryad.

With the trolls having left the Second Council early on, and despising the Dara Happans for their worship of the sun, little research was ever performed into the nature of the annarads. In the time of the bright empire, the common name of hag was applied both to them and to any other malign nymph. A misconception which has proven hard to shift.

When the Bright Empire was destroyed both the newly liberated Orlanthi, and the maudlin Dara Happans kept this revised family tree of nymphs. This proved of interest to the God Learners as they absorbed the Orlanthi of Ralios and Kethaela into the Middle Sea Empire.

The God Learners attempted to classify nymphs into five families based entirely around the elemental runes they recognised.

• The Oreads were the daughters of all earth gods and goddesses. The God Learners even attempted to reintegrate the dryads into this classification once again, but this proved a short lived solution.
• The Aurea became the name of the nymphs of air and storm, ironically separating them from their original ancestress, who as a star goddess had no connection to the air.
• The Asteriae was to be the new category of celestial nymphs, the children of star gods who inhabited the sky world. Any other lesser goddesses of fire were placed into this category as well, for the God Learners proved that all fire originated in the sky world.
• The Naiads remained mostly untouched, although it has been suggested that the God Learner usage of their erroneous name is part of the reason it is so hard to correct.
• The Suberiads were the one time annarads. The God Learners having investigated them heavily through both Dara Happan and trollish myth, they discovered that what the Dara Happans had feared were merely the most surface dwelling of a far more ancient and numerous family of nymphs, which they linked to Subere, the great goddess of darkness and secrets.

Among the discoveries of the God Learners was that the description of the now Suberiads as "hags", was something of a misunderstanding. Nymphs, they declared, were incarnations of the feminine principle of nature. As such, when they were contented, they appeared as beautiful young women, pleasing to the eye of all who look at them. This desire was part of their divine nature, and even their usual enemies could fall victim to it. (However, this was not always to the nymph's advantage, as found when trolls viewed a pleasant dryad, they saw it not as a beautiful troll-wife; but instead as the most delicious looking tree possible).
Conversly, when a nymph is angered or saddened, they reflect the more hostile aspect of nature, becoming monstrous beings of hate and fear. The God Learners believed this to be a result of man and nature becoming separate and hostile at the end of the Golden Age.

The God Learners used this discovery to their advantage in heroquesting. When encountering a hostile nature goddess in a myth, they could appease her rather than fighting her, reverting the hag to their nymph form, and bypassing the threat.

As was not uncommon in those days, this backfired on the God Learners when they claimed that the goddesses Babeester Gor and Voria were in fact the same goddess in a hag and nymph aspect. They sought to use this revelation to plunder the temples of Esrolia. Despite their confidence, Babeester Gor was unsatiated by their offerings of blood wine, and the remains of these foolish sorcerers can still be found tortured deep within Babeester Gor's cavern.


Appearance
Nymphs usually appear as supernaturally attractive women, although this is merely an assumed form, and not their true nature. As such it is likened to the temporary creation caused by Illusion magic (and a cult of Pelorian mystics has praised and condemned Glorantha herself as the nymph of all creation). While universally attractive, each nymphs form will take on aspects of its home. A dryad's skin will be green, and her hair will be wreathed with blossoms and vines; likewise some oreads are known to be hairy and bestial, resembling the beastmen they dance with.
However, nymphs are not bound to this form, and may dissolve it at will, or manifest through the physical parts of their home, such as naiads appearing in a body made of shoals of fish, or aurae as intangible mist.
Whatever their form, a nymph always resides within a particular area of the natural world. whether materially, or spiritually. Any nymph's assumed body which leaves this area will dissolve as soon as it leaves, leading to the legend that a dryad will die if it travels too far from its home grove.

When hostile, a nymph reflects the malevolent aspect of nature. Their assumed forms will be monstrous, often covered in thick hair or scales, and the hair atop their heads becoming like wild serpents or curling vines. Their faces become caught in a grim expression of hate and rage, and their appearance inspires a supernatural terror, much as they once inspired desire as a nymph.

Shargash

Mythos and History
Shargash is one of the children of Yelm, and is numbered against the Eight Celestial Gods, and founders of the cities of Dara Happa. Among his many titles are Master of Strength, Overseer of Alkoth, the Devourer, the Thunderer, the Purifier, the Lord of Ashes, and the Wielder of the Skyspears.
Before the great darkness, Shargash was kept restrained by the power of Antirius, and by the word of the Rightful Emperor. He was only loosened when the worst of foes came about, and even then he was commanded never to destroy his foes.
When Umatum the rebel arose in the skies, the Emperor Yelm released Shargash to oppose him. In this Shargash was unsurpassed, for he twisted Umatum around himself, turning him away and binding him to the north. This defeat was so powerful that Umatum's kindred could no longer walk straight, twisting eternally from the wounds their father suffered.
When the serpent Oslira came from the south to drown the land, Murharzarm the son of Yelm released Shargash to oppose her. Shargash went with his children to bind her in place. Oslira was impressed by Shargash's strength and glory, and so became his wife and bore him many great sons, and gave her bounty to the people of Dara Happa.
In this way, Shargash defeated every rebel who came to oppose the Emperor, but because he could only bind them, and not destroy them, each defeat would only bring worse foes.
This became obvious when the rebel gods, cloaked with shadows, rose up to slay Murharzarm. Shargash wept bitter tears at the death of his brother, and roared with rage when Yelm disintegrated with sorrow, but still could not act without the word of the Emperor. And Murharzarm's successors would not allow him his freedom.
When the ice came to enclose Dara Happa, the Emperor Marnalarvus knew the way to preserve the good land from its enemies. He built a great roof to cover the land, to keep out all foes. But the lazy and foolish people of Darjiin refused to help. They instead built a false tower, and placed their goddess Surenslib on it, to mock the rightful Emperor. Marnalarvus looked at this folly and insult, and released Shargash for a moment with a single command. Shargash took his kin to lay waste to Darjiin, and took the people as slaves, and returned the stone of the tower to Marnalarvus so that the roof may be built. But even at this point, Shargash was not released from the power of Antirius.
Finally there came a time when there was no Emperor upon the seat. At this time, Antirius was gone, and Shargash's restraints were broken. He knew that now the Empty Emperor, Kazkurtum would come. So Shargash took a bead from his necklace and placed it around his city of Alkoth, to enclose and protect them from what was to come. Now released, Shargash destroyed all he encountered, and took those destroyed and placed them within Alkoth, so that they would be protected from Kazkurtum's false rule. Not a single plant, or man, or rock was spared this destruction, and so all was safe when Kazkurtum appeared.
Kazkurtum was all that the Emperors were not, he was evil, he was unrighteous, and he was wrong in countless other ways. He desired to rule all that was good, but as it was protected within Alkoth's Enclosure, he could not touch or corrupt them. He fell upon Shargash to be destroyed, and thus reach what he craved. But Shargash was wise, and so broke Kazkurtum to pieces and bound him to secret places, where he placed protection over them.
Now knowing that the world was safe from Kazkurtum, Shargash opened his Enclosure, to release all that he had once destroyed. And though many fools and rebels escaped, so too did Yelm who now had no more to fear or weep over.
And in this way, did Shargash protect the world.

Nature of the Cult
Shargash is the Dara Happan god of war, destruction, and violence. He is the great red planet who travels across the Sky dome, destroying intruders, and smiting the unworthy. He is also a god of death, who destroyed the world so that Yelm could rebirth it, and so he is feared and respected by all the peoples of Dara Happa.
Shargash is worshipped by warriors across Dara Happa, particularly in Henjarl and Kostaddi, but in the city of Alkoth his worship eclipses all others, even that of Yelm. Even when he is not worshipped directly, all Yelmic rituals call Shargash forth; both to propitiate the hungry god, and to evoke his protection from hostile demons and rebel gods.
After death, Shargash's worshippers know that they will end up in his Enclosure, the great ring of which even Alkoth is merely the palest of imitations. Here they will be protected by the god, and act as his army against any would dare attack Yelm, Emperor of All.

Depiction
Shargash is almost always depicted in the garb of a warrior, with one hand clasped around a mace or club, and the other around a forked thunderbolt or spear.
Plentonius identified the fifth figure of the first row of the Gods Wall with Shargash, despite that figure's lack of Shargash's usual accoutrements.

Rune Affinities:
Shargash is associated with the Runes of Sky, Death, and Disorder.

Sky Rune Affinity
Shargash is a god of destructive celestial fire, raining down destruction upon the surface. Initiates have used his Sky Rune affinity to burn with a fiery aura, enchant gold, enhance their spear fighting, make their spear heads burst into flame, send down a bolt of celestial fire to burn their foes, and summon and command Lesser Gods of Destruction.
Initiates strong in this rune are loyal and pure.

Death Rune Affinity
As a god of both the underworld and of war, Shargash can make use of a broad assortment of the powers of Death. Initiates have been known to use his Death Rune affinity to enchant iron, fight and banish demons from the underworld, fight on while mortally injured,raise the dead to fight once more or slay their foes with a single mace blow.
Initiates strong in this rune are relentless and ruthless.

Disorder Rune Affinity
Shargash's association with the Disorder Rune comes from his disruption of the heavens. He has destroyed moons, stars, and planets when they have opposed the Celestial Order, and in doing this, set the sky into motion. This rune is often called Shargash's Thunderbolt and it is the container of his Thunder powers, claimed from the rebel Umatum. Initiates of Shargash have been known to use his Disorder Rune Affinity to strike down rebels, call forth a howling wind, smash objects, terrify friend and foe alike, and sunder weaponry.
Initiates strong in this rune are destructive and reckless.

Opposed Runes
Shargash is in conflict with the runes of Life, Harmony, and Storm.

Particular Likes and Dislikes
Above all else, Shargash is loyal to Yelm, the first and greatest Emperor. This has earned him respect, if not friendship with the other deities of Dara Happa. He has had many lovers with the goddesses of Dara Happa, although the most famous are long-legged Biselenslib, and the river goddess Oslira, who is his wife.
Shargash is the enemy of all storm deities, and even though Doburdun is loyal to Yelm, Shargash still has a rivalry with him, and the worshippers of both gods are quick to come to blows.

Cult Organization and Holy Places
All Dara Happan cities have a temple of Shargash, known as an Enclosure, within their walls. These are round, high walled structures, left with an open roof so that the smoke of the cremated dead may rise to the sky world unobstructed. Here the remains of Shargash's faithful are left, surrounded by friezes of monstrous demons and wailing shades, and without any distinction between the lowest ranked lay worshipper, or the most devoted priest, as all are equal in death.
The greatest of the Enclosures is the city of Alkoth itself, surrounded by the great green walls of Shargash' band, a single great ring or bead which was left by the god, for his worshippers to seek sanctuary within. These unbroken walls have never fallen to outside invasion, and the gates to the city must tunnel beneath the green stone ring. Like all Enclosures, the city of Alkoth is situated within the Underworld itself, and everyone recieves a funeral when they enter, for they are now counted with the dead.

Priests
Shargash's priests are, by long standing tradition, recruited from the ranks of freed slaves. Their main responsibility is overseeing the Enclosures, and cremating the bodies of the dead.

Holy Days
The High Holy Day of Shargash is the first day of the fifth week in Dying Season (Or the Wildday of Fertility Week in Storm Season, on the Theyalan calendar). On this day, marking Shargash's destruction of the universe to allow for its Rebirth, Shargashi march through all Dara Happan cities, singing songs of war and life. Upon seeing someone, they must ritually slay them. Either by smashing a votive image (which are carefully prepared before this day), or by throwing them into the nearest Enclosure. Sometimes the ritual aspect is forgotten in the heat of the moment, and in the morning it is distressingly common for the city streets to be stained with blood.

Sacrifices
Worship of Shargash always requires the sacrifice of a living creature, for the god of destruction is pleased when blood is spilled upon the ground. Above all else, he praises the sacrifice of human lives to appease him, and many slaves or traitors are slaughtered and burned during the great rites in Alkoth.

Initiates

• All initiates of Shargash must possess an affinity with the Sky Rune of at least 1W. 
•  They must be male, and swear an oath to obey the Lawful Emperor of Dara Happa. 
• The initiate is taken into an Enclosure, where they are initiated into Shargash's mysteries in a ritual cremation ceremony.

Subcults

Alkor 
Alkor is the god of the city of Alkoth, and is often treated as the more peaceful aspect of his father. Most of the farmers and other non-combatants of Alkoth worship Alkor for the bounty he can provide. His worshippers can use the Sky Rune to protect fields and herds from disease and pests.

Eusibus
Eusibus, also known as Upon Hilltops, was a son of Shargash, who claimed the mantle of Emperor using ancient rights, and ruled Henjarl with wisdom and strength. Even his enemies became his loyal followers after he beat them, and yet Eusibus still bent his knee to the rightful Emperor once he appeared, and Eusibus was appointed general of the Dara Happan army. His worshippers can use the Fire Rune to Protect their Superiors.

Kendathalus
Kendathalus was Shargash's nephew, but the Red God raised him as if he were his own, and so Kendathalus became a great warrior. When Oslira attacked Dara Happa, it was Kendathalus who struck her down at the Emperor's command. His worshippers can use the Death Rune to calm rough waters.

Urkarmascha (Death)
Urkarmascha, called brother of Alkor, was chosen by his father to lead his army against the Darjiini who mocked the Emperor Marnalarvus. Even now, the Alkothi are known to take vengeance against the weeder folks of Darjiin, but none hate them so much as those who worship Urkarmascha as a subcult of Shargash. This subcult provides the I Hate Darjiini Usurpers Feat.

Urndudud
Urndudud is the Thunderer, who broke the bonds of the sky dome, setting it into motion. The god then went to destroy all who opposed him, creating the celestial Desert. While other, rival gods have called themselves by this name, the Shargashi know that their god was the original, whose thunder broke Umatum the Rebel. His worshippers may use their Disorder Rune to fight other celestial beings.

Devotees

• A Shargash initiate with a rating of 11W or more in their Sky Rune may seek to dedicate himself completely to Shargash and become a devotee of the god.
• A devotee of Shargash is subject to the usual restrictions.

Feats

I Hate Darjiini Usurpers
"I Hate Darjiini Usurpers." So said the Emperor Marnalarvus, and at this great statement, Shargash and his army were loosened against the people of Darjiin. Whenever these words are rightfully said, all Alkothi and other worshippers of Shargash are filled with a righteous rage, and will march against the followers of the Heron Goddess, to slaughter all who would oppose them without mercy or fear.

Skyspear
The Skyspear is the killing bolt, the deadly weapon of Shargash which sends all other gods tumbling from the skies, straight into the Underworld. When Shargash wields this spear, no being of air or sky can face him and live, and when he throws it as a javelin, the very sky burns at its passing. Only the hand of Yelm may turn aside this deadly weapon, for only he is pure enough to survive its touch.

Lesser Gods of Destruction
Shargash is served by many demonic figures, many of whom were once his foes until he conquered and enslaved them. In the city of Alkoth, these demons walk along side mortals and shades without a second glance, but there and elsewhere, the most common of these fiends are the Shadzorings, the Hell Men.

Shadzoring
Commonly called the Hell Men, these gods resemble mortal Alkothi soldiers in form, but their skin is bright red and they burn with sacred flames. The Shadzorings are summoned by Shargashi heroes and priests to aid them in battle, for the Hell Men are fierce and furious fighters who bear a wide variety of weapons with which to wage war for the god of destruction.