The Gorakiki Tradition

Mythos and History
Gorakiki is the greatest and most well known of the daughters of Kropa the many-legged.
Born when the first appeared in the darkness, Gorakiki thrived in this time of endless food and safety. She bore many children, who each went out to find their own place in the world.
Kyger Litor, the mother of trolls, befriended Gorakiki, pledging her protection for what gifts Gorakiki could offer, and together the trolls and insects thrived, becoming the greatest in all of existence.
When the burner arrived, Gorakiki fled with her children, arriving on the surface world. Here she had more room to grow, and although food was never as bountiful, her children grew new methods to hunt and catch it.
She once again became allied with Kyger Litor, and together their children expanded, conquering the shadowed surface world, and becoming masters of all.
When the burner returned to the surface, Gorakiki hid in the trolls' caverns, only coming out during the dark of night, although some of her more adventurous children adapted to the new light, and becoming fearless warriors.

Nature of the Cult
Gorakiki is the mother of all insects, the most successful of all creatures of darkness. As such her cult is found across all of Glorantha, even when it is not obvious.
While small bands of Hsunchen worship some of her aspects, and humans and elves sacrifice to Gorakiki to ward off her children, the most infamous worshipers of the Insect Mother are the trolls. To them, she is both provider and protector, even as they provide and protect her children.

Depiction
Gorakiki is present in all depictions of insects. Among the trolls, her totems often resemble piles of refuse made from discarded carapaces and mandibles of their local totem.

Particular Likes and Dislikes
Gorakiki has few friends, and even fewer enemies, for she cares most about food and shelter, and ignores those who do not trouble her. Any who offer her tribute will be looked on with kindness though, and Gorakiki is willing to share her gifts with those who have helped her.
Among her worshipers, the cult of Argan Argar is often a convenient source of allies, for the nests of the insect mother produce many valuable creatures and resources which the Argan Argari are eager to trade for.

Cult Organization and Holy Places
Gorakiki's cult is spread out into many self-sufficient nests (Shrines of Gorakiki) and spirit societies. There is little inter-shrine communication, even between those of the same society, and rivalries are common within different nests within the same community.
A nest is devoted to breeding, caring, and aiding one of Gorakiki's children, and deep within them lie the actual breeding chambers, the most sacred place within each nest, and where the most powerful and dangerous rites of the Insect Mother are performed.
Each nest is divided into two groups, the workers and the guardians, each is led by an Imago, a Shaman of Gorakiki, and therefore each nest must have at least two shamans to remain sanctified, and both shamans must remain united in purpose, even if they do not care for one another personally.

Holy Days
The cult holds special rites on the Freezeday of each season's Fertility week, celebrating the emergence of new insects, or their progression to a new stage of life. During Dark season, these rites are especially frenzied, and few trolls will approach the cult's nests during this time.

The Gorakiki Tradition

• Any hero with the Beast Rune has the potential to join the Gorakiki Tradition, although only among trolls and the strange insect people of Jrustela is this common. To join, you must convince an Imago (a shaman of Gorakiki) to initiate you into the tradition.
• For game purposes, any hero with a Beast Rune can join the Gorakiki Tradition at the same rating as their Beast Rune. Simply add Kyger Litor Tradition (Darkness, Beast) keyword after the Beast Rune.
• When joining the Gorakiki Tradition, you receive a number of charms, as described in the HeroQuest core rules (page 112). Charms of the Gorakiki Tradition typically include Climb Wall, Deadly Bite, Find Prey, Hide From Light, Kill Plant, Make Chitin Weapon, and Speak with Insects.
• In addition, when joining the Gorakiki Tradition, heroes must choose a spirit society to belong to. This spirit society follows the rules found in HeroQuest page 113.

Spirit Societies

Gorakiki-Beetle
The Beetle was the first of Gorakiki's children, and has almost as many children as her mother. In the darkness of Wonderhome, Beetle provided food and protection to the trolls, and was fed and nurtured by them in turn. Even today beetle shells are the most common material for troll arts and armour, for they are far more common than lead, and do not require heat to work.

• Carapace. Slumbering beneath the troll's skin, when awoken these spirits thicken the skin into a hard black and shiny shell, acting as a charm of Grow Carapace. The Taboo of this charm is Protect Others.
• Many Arms. These spirits rest in the arms of the troll, and act as a charm of Grow Extra Arms, sprouting them from their sides when activated. The Taboo of this charm is Never Refuse to Help.
• Sprout Weapon. These are spirits of many different kinds, but all inhabit the head of the troll. When awoken, these spirits act as a Sprout Weaponry From Head charm, allowing the troll to grow large horns, antlers, beaks, or shovel-like projections of carapace, turning their own face into a weapon. The Taboo of this charm is Never Retreat.

Gorakiki-Locust
Gorakiki birthed the Locust mother after the exodus from Wonderhome, when food became scarce for the first time. The Locust mother and her children (including grasshoppers, crickets, and katydids) spread across all of Glorantha, eating anything and everything they could find in a massive swarming horde. It took the combined forces of the trolls and their enemies to kill and eat much of this horde, and even today the worshipers of the Locust mother follow and feast upon their totem, in contrast to other members of the tradition.

• Insect Song. This spirit rests within the bones of the troll, when flexed the troll can create a deafening creaking noise, acting as a charm of Communicate Long Distances. This communication is not understandable to those who do not worship the Locust mother. The Taboo of this charm is Never Prevent Music From Playing.
• Leaping Legs. Sleeping within the legs of the troll, when awoken, these spirits act as a charms of jumping and leaping. The Taboo of these charms is Never Sleep in the Same Place Twice.
• Ravenous Jaws. This spirit inhabits the jaw of the troll and provide charms of hunger, eating, chewing and biting. The Taboo of these charms is Never Refuse Food.

Gorakiki-MothThe Moth mother is one of the most favoured of all Gorakiki cults, for their fur is pleasing to the darksense of trolls, and they hate the Burner as much as trolls for driving them into hiding.
When the burner returned to the sky, one of the moth mother's daughters stood unafraid of his light, alone amongst her siblings. While her sisters and brothers fled to the safety of the night, she clad herself with warpaint and became the warrior mother of butterflies.

• Butterflight. These spirits dwell within the troll's back, hiding peacefully until awoken. Then they spread a pair of wings, either a plain white, or covered in bright colours, these wings act as a charm of Winged Flight. The Taboo of this charm is Never Hide from Enemies.
• Featherscales. Acting as a charm of Make Weapon Harmless, these spirits release clouds of feathery scales to gum, up enemy weapons. The Taboo of this charm is Use No Cutting Weapons.
• Feelers. Dwelling within the skull of the troll, when awoken they sprout a pair of large antennae, and become sensitive to movement. These act as a charm of Detect Enemies. The Taboo of this charm is Never Ally With Creatures of Light.

AraneaUnlike most of Gorakiki's spirit societies, Areana is not one of her children. Instead the great spider spirit is Gorakiki's elder sister and the two are often rivals for food and other resources.
Aranea is often seen as a mystical goddess, for during the darkness she met with the great goddess Arachne Solara, and the two bonded over their shared connections. From this gave rise to Arenea's power over the fate of all things.

• Spider Fangs. These Spider spirits inhabit the teeth of the troll, and drip foul liquids. They provide the charm Agonizing Bite. The Taboo of this charm is Feed Any Hungry Spider they meet.
• Many Legs. These spirits dwell within the troll's legs, and when awoken turn the troll's limbs into several horrifying legs like a spider, providing charms of freedom of movement, clinging to walls, and skittering movement. The Taboo of these charms is Never Harm A Spider.
• Webbing. These spirits inhabit bundles of spider silk, providing charms of Throw Entangling Webs. The Taboo of this charm is Never Interfere With Prophecy.

Krolar
Krolar was the younger brother of Gorakiki, born into hell when it was ruled by the evil Burner, and protecting the last remaining darkness there along side his twin. When Chaos emerged, Krolar's twin was devoured, and Krolar left the darkness (for it has gained other protectors) to search for a weapon to slay the Chaos.
Krolar found this with Zorak Zoran, the god of hate, who gave Krolar a spear of death, and armour of lead, and two claws of agony. Krolar confronted the Chaos thing, killed its children and drove it off to hide. Krolar is now worshiped by some trolls as a fearsome patron, who fears neither death nor Chaos.

• Chitin. These spirits live in scars upon the troll's thick hide. When the spirits are awoken they provide the charm of Leaden Skin. The Taboo of this charm is Never Flee Chaos.
• Jabbers. These spirits dwell within the trolls hands, and provide the Grow Claws charm. The Taboo of this charm is Never Harm a Scorpion.
• Scorpion Tail. This spirit dwells within the troll's back, and provides the charm of Grow Deadly Tail. The Taboo of this charm is Never Use Antidote.

Imagoes - Gorakiki Shamans

• Those worshipers of Gorakiki with at least two years of experience, and a Gorakiki Tradition rating of 11W or Higher may undergo a ritual to become an Imago, a shaman of Gorakiki.
• The prospective shaman is led underground, to the secret nests of their spirit society, where they are placed among their totem insects. The insects cover the troll completely, until not an inch of skin can be seen, and send the worshiper to meet Gorakiki herself. If Gorakiki recognizes their kinship (a major plot obstacle), the worshiper is then able to rebirth herself as a fully adult member of Gorakiki's tradition, awakening their fetch, and becoming known as an Imago.

The FetchMembers of the Gorakiki tradition see the Imago's fetch as their true form, a giant insect or other arthropod the size of the shaman. As well as performing all the functions of a fetch (cf. HeroQuest pg. 114) the Imago may become one with it at will, becoming a gigantic insect creature in the surface world.

The Kyger Litor Tradition

Well, it was inevitable. Can't have cults without one for Kyger Litor. The names of Boztakang's charms came from the Unspoken Word's Uz book, and no disrespect is intended by using them.

Mythos and History
Kyger Litor was originally an unknown spirit of the darkness, until Subere, Kyger Litor's mistress shaped her into the form of a troll. Kyger Litor became the first troll, and produced many children, most famously Korasting the mother of many, who gave Kyger Litor many grandchildren as well.
In the darkness of Wonderhome, life was perfect, there were many fungi and animals to feed on, and death was unknown. Into this paradise came the Burner, who came from a world of pain and light to destroy all that was good. Kyger Litor and her children first tried to destroy him, then drive him out, and when this failed they fled.
Many did not survive the journey, and became the first ancestresses. Kyger Litor took their spirits into herself to protect them, and eventually all who could made it to a new world.
This world had no roof, being the surface, and the sky was full of painful lights, and so this land became known as Komor, or Hurtplace.
Here, despite the pain, the trolls thrived, with new foods to eat, and new creatures to dominate. The trolls carved out a new empire.
Eventually the Chaos which lay beneath the deepest underworld found its way to the surface, and began to destroy everything. The trolls fought back, leading the other races against the Chaos things that attempted to destroy the world.
There were glorious victories and terrible defeats, but finally a god known as Orlanth, who had been both ally and enemy to Kyger Litor and her children, found a way to bring forth the hated Burner. He used it to force back the Chaos, and set it in the sky for half the time, although out of fear and respect of the trolls, he let it sink back to the underworld for the other half.
With the Burner now upon the surface world during the day, it was unable to prevent Kyger Litor from reclaiming Wonderhome for her children, providing a place of rest for the ancestresses who had perished since they were driven out. She taught the trolls how to call up these ancestresses up from Wonderhome for aid, along with other spirits, and so created the Kyger Litor Tradition.

Nature of the Cult
Kyger Litor is the great ancestress of all trolls, and is the foundation of trollish identity. All trolls are considered members of the tradition at birth, although they are not initiated until they come of age (usually fourteen years). Despite this, some trolls do not take the initiation rites, seeking other powers and mysteries. Because of their choice, they are viewed as outcasts, lacking a basic trollishness, and are often treated as little more than trollkin.
Non-trolls have been known to join the tradition, most famously Arkat Chaosbane. The initiation rituals are nasty, brutal and long, and upon completion the initiate takes on some trollish features.

Depiction
Statues of Kyger Litor are chewed out from black stone, towering over the statues of other gods. Her form is depicted as that of an archetypal Mistress Race troll, clad in the trappings of power.

Particular Likes and Dislikes
Kyger Litor is the ancestress of all trolls, and most of their spirits are her children or grandchildren. Even those who are not her children pay her homage as ruler of the darkness, and this even includes darkness entities from other races.
Kyger Litor is a foe of all entities of fire and light, gods, spirits and essences, for to the trolls they are servants of the great Burner. This includes the Orlanthi Lightbringers, who the trolls see as bringing the Burner back.
The elves and dwarves are great enemies of the trolls, especially the dwarves who created the poison metal, iron, to burn the trolls. However, Kyger Litor is willing to ally with even her usual foes such as these to destroy Chaos, which is her greatest foe, especially the vile mother of the Broos, Thed.

Cult Organization and Holy Places
Among the trolls there is no separation between religious and temporal power, with the most powerful female member taking the position of rulership in any troll hierarchy. If one exists, then a Mistress Race troll will take this position, otherwise it is a Great Mother of Kyger Litor. Males very rarely gain any significant positions within troll society, however trolls respect power in all its forms, and a male troll of significant strength can achieve renown despite his sex.
Every troll clan possesses a shrine to Kyger Litor, honouring their kin, both living and dead, and decorated with the bones of their ancestress.
The greatest holy places of Kyger Litor are the Castles of Lead, each a massive structure created to celebrate the ancestress of all Trolls. They were built before time began, and only a single one at most exists in each troll land. The secrets of their construction are long since lost.

Holy Days
Troll clans perform great rituals every Freezeday of Harmony Week celebrating their ancestress, and Kyger Litor above all others.
Dark Season is the most sacred time of year for Trolls, and so their great rituals become all the more wild in that season, ending with recreations of Kyger Litor's great victories over the forces of Chaos.

The Kyger Litor Tradition

• To join the Kyger Litor Tradition, you must first have a Darkness Rune. All Trolls have the Darkness Rune, and usually join the Tradition as soon as they come of age.
• Other races, such as Humans, Trollkin or Tusk Riders, may join, but only after convincing a Great Mother (a Kyger Litor shaman) to initiate you into the Tradition.
• For game purposes, any hero with a Darkness Rune can join the Kyger Litor Tradition at the same rating as their Darkness Rune. Simply add Kyger Litor Tradition (Darkness, Man) keyword after the Darkness Rune.
• When joining the Kyger Litor Tradition, you receive a number of charms, as described in the HeroQuest core rules (page 112). Charms of the Kyger Litor Tradition include Block Starlight, Cause Fear, Conceal with Shadows, Suck Heat, Find Trail, Find Prey, Lash Out with Anger, Knows Names, and Shut Them Up.

Spirit Societies:

Korasting
Korasting was Kyger Litor's first child, the mother of many. She is the core spirit society for females in the Kyger Litor Tradition, most female trolls belong to it before joining any other spirit society.
Some rare male trolls join the Korasting spirit society, to better protect their families, but these are few and far between.
Korasting's spirits are those of ancestress, both recent and ancient. Because trolls are long lived and have many children, the spirits are instead treated as family, rather than as figures of legend.

• Brave Sister. This spirit is one of a brave sister who could stare at the Burner without flinching. They grant the charm of Withstand Light. The taboo of this charm is Pray at Dawn.
• Cunning Aunt. The spirit of a wise and beautiful aunt who hears all which is said of her. They grant the charm of Hear Thoughts. The taboo of this charm is Never Speak Ill of Kin.
• Loyal Brother. This spirit is one of kin who died protecting his sisters or mother. They grant the charm of Protect Me. The taboo of this charm is Honour Male Kin.
• Lost Child. This family spirit is the jealous ghost of an troll who would have been born instead of a trollkin. They provide the charm of Birth Darktroll. The taboo of this charm is Abstain from Pregnancy. This taboo is unusual, in that it is expected to be broken after a year, and doing so does not anger the Gray Furies.

Karrg
Karrg is Kyger Litor's Good Son, the first male Troll. He is the core spirit society for males in the Kyger Litor Tradition, most male trolls belong to it before joining any other spirit society.
Although primarily a male society, some rare female trolls have joined to learn Karrg's secrets.
Karrg's spirits are those of war, weapons and protecting, his sons (for he views all society members as his children) act as protectors, guardians, and soldiers for their mothers.

• Stone Biter. These are Death spirits which hate Mostali and other creatures of Earth. They provide charms that relate to biting and chewing. The taboo of this charm is to Eat A Relative Every High Holy Day.
• Tree Chopper. These are Axe spirits which were taken from an Earth goddess to destroy the forests of the Elves. They provide charms to destroy trees and elves. The taboo of this charm is Eat Plants Whenever Offered.
• Mace and Mace. These Death spirits inhabit maces. These are charms to Crush Enemies. The taboo of this charm is to Never Speak With Trollkin.

Great Mothers - Kyger Litor Shamans

• After decades of experience, a worshiper with a Kyger Litor Tradition rating of 11W or higher can become a Great Mother, a shaman of Kyger Litor.
• She is led deep underground to a secret cave by another Great Mother, where Burner waits to destroy her. If the candidate manages to overcome Burner (who acts as a major plot obstacle), they return with their person and darkness runes separate but whole, making them a Great Mother of Kyger Litor.

The Fetch
The Great Mother's fetch is herself, specifically her Ancestral Darkness part, which manifests as her Shadow, which is visible even in pitch blackness, or in pure daylight. The Shadow performs all the functions of a fetch (cf. HeroQuest pg. 114), but may also be sent out to wander the land for the Great Mother, in her place.
If her Shadow is somehow destroyed, the Great Mother dies as well.

Other Kyger Litor Spirit Societies

Boztakang
Boztakang was the third child born in Wonderhome to Korasting, and has fought Chaos even since his birth, where he plugged up a tear in the universe. He is the greatest fighter of Chaos, and destroyed the monstrous god Arrqong, and erased him from creation. Unlike other Spirit Societies, the spirits who follow Boztakang Chaos Fighter do not have taboos, but will only follow those who perform a special rite to attract them. They all inhabit coloured stones, which must be hurled at an enemy to function.

• Razkanto. These spirits inhabit brown stones. The stones are charms to Tear Apart Chaos, which is effective against all but things like Gorp. To attract the spirit for this charm, the spiritist must devour a body which was slain by lightning.
• Boljaanko. These spirits inhabit blue stones. They provide charms to Weaken Chaos Magic. To attract the spirit for this charm, the spiritist must devour the corpse of a wise creature.
• Habkando. These spirits inhabit black stones. They act as charms to Negate Chaos Feature. To bind the spirit for this charm, the spiritist must eat the heart of a dead troll who died fighting Chaos.
• Kavanag. These spirits of the hated fire inhabit yellow stones and provide blinding and burning charms. To bind the fire spirit into the stone, the spiritist must first devour it, so that it must swear to serve her.

Hombobobom
Hombobobom is a daughter of Korasting. She was the first troll to discover music when she made sounds by banging on the shell of a great beetle. Her drumming entertained the other trolls, and when the Burner invaded Wonderhome, Hombobobom beat out new rhythms to keep the trolls fighting, and to demoralize the Burner and his armies of demons.

• Thunder Drum. When Orlanth attacked the trolls and was chased off, he dropped his thunder. Hombobobom bound the thunder into drums, and her followers can use these thunder drum spirits to Call Thunder. The taboo of these spirits is to Never Shelter From a Storm.
• Spirit Drum. These spirits are of past drummers of Hombobobom, when the spiritist drums out a rhythm, they do so in the spirit world as well, providing a charm to Calm Spirit. The taboo of this charm is Never Harm a Spirit.
• Rhythm Drum. These spirits are those present in every gathering of trolls, they are the underlying sound of the harmony of Kyger Litor, and made manifest by the drumming of Hombobobom. They provide charms to aid other trolls in war or peace. The taboo of this charm is Never Argue With Trolls.

Jakaboom
Jakaboom was the fourth child born to Kyger Litor in Wonderhome. She studied under her uncle Dehore, and when Kyger Litor and her children left Wonderhome to go to the surface, she remembered the teachings of her uncle, and was able to bring forth his children the Dehori with chant and song, becoming the first Shaman.

• Foe Curser. These charms are in the form of totem poles carved out of logs, with the skull of an animal. The spirits inhabiting them provide curses to those who approach the Foe Curser. The taboo of this charm is to Fight All Intruders.
• Dehori. Dehori are the most powerful of darkness spirits. They provide almost any kind of charm relating to darkness, although frequent examples include Steal Breath, Terrify Foe, and Destroy Light. The taboo of these charms is to Never Use Non-Darkness Elements.

Jeset
The first child born to Korasting in Wonderhome. He chewed out the first boat from the shell of a gigantic beetle, and used it to sail Adzurana. When the Burner came to Wonderhome, he was able to lead his family out upon a mighty boat across the goddess' body. He now ferries the souls of trolls back to Wonderhome after death.

• Darkweb. These spirits are currents from Adzurana, who provide troll sailors with charms to navigate without seeing land or the hated stars. The taboo of this charm is Never Sail by Day.
• Breathrobber. These spirits are those of drowned trolls, who seek to bring others to Azurana's embrace. They grant the charm of Drown Foe. The taboo of this charm is Drink Only Water.
• Garrottes. These spirits are currents from Adzurana, who seek to take back the unwelcome dead back to her embrace. They grant the charm of Destroy Undead. The taboo of this charm is Bury Dead at Sea.

Vaneekara
Kyger Litor's second daughter, Vaneekara, was always exploring Wonderhome, always testing everything she found. When the Burner invaded Wonderhome, Vaneekara attempted to wrestle him into submission, but was defeated and only survived because Xiola Umbar saved her. On the surface, Vaneekara became an expert in throwing rocks and stones, a patron of slingers and throwers. She once threw a Chaos god out of the universe, erasing him from memory.

• Sky Hater. These spirits hate everything that flies on wings or magic. They grant the Hurt Flyer charm. The taboo of this charm is Never Fly.
• Rock Hurler. These spirits inhabit stones and never stop moving. They provide charms relating to throwing stones, whether by hand or by sling. The taboo of this charm is Never Use Maces.
• Chaos Hurler. These spirits hate all Chaos things, and become agitated when close. They provide charms to Hurl Chaos Thing. The taboo of this charm is Never Talk With Chaos.

Spirits of Reprisal

• Any troll who violates his taboos knows that the Gray Furies now hunt her, and some time, whether in battle or at peace, the Furies will come to attack her as an oathbreaker.
• If the troll appeases the spirit whose taboo she broke, she is no longer marked, and the Furies will end their hunt.