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Humakti House Keywords
These are included separately from St. Humakt's description due to their powerful influence and intricate power structures. The Houses are given full details separately on my webpage, here are their keywords for Hero Wars. You can join a House during character generation (indeed, to be a Dunfali you must) by simply selecting one of your beginning keywords as "Member of [House]" - this is a relationship keyword. You can join a House later in the game by firstly seeking membership and being accepted, and secondly by using Hero Points to purchase the relationship. Additional benefits from the House, such as the Affinity of the Durani Arawac, or the gifts and geases of the Votaries, must be purchased seperately.
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Dunfal
The House of Death, which is what Dunfal means, is an ancient Valantian House. They are a group of crack killers and commandos who are dedicated utterly to the path of St. Humakt. They are nearly the most fanatical Humakti in Ralios, trained from birth in the ways of weapons and Humakt, spending their entire lives in the duty of their liege. One of the Temporal Incarnations of St. Humakt heads the House. It is a House that cannot be joined unless you were a member from childhood.
You must choose to be a Dunfali during character generation. To do this, you sacrifice both your cultural and occupational keywords for the Dunfali keyword.
Dunfali Keyword
Physical Skills: Sword and [other weapon] fighting, Acute Hearing, Running, Gymnastics, Have No Motion.
Mental Skills: Politics of Valantia, Humakti Politics, History of the House of Dunfal, Military Warfare, Stay Awake, Recognise Pious Humakti, Beseech Spirit of St. Humakt, Doctrine of the Henotheistic Church (at -5 starting skill), Read/Write Swordspeech.
Relationships: To the House of Dunfal (at +3 to starting skill), to the Temporal Incarnations of Death and to the Henotheistic Church (at -5 to starting skill).
Personality: Honour.
Magic: All Dunfali are Devotees of St. Humakt. They are also initiates of St. Orlanth Four-Weapons and are members of the Warrior Caste, a circumstance forced upon them by the Church which they accept grudingly. Dunfali have additional magic described below.
Living Standard: Provided for wholly by the House, have Prosperous wealth for buying military goods, weapons and armour, and Minimal for everything else.
Equipment: Composite Armour, Three Shields, Two Swords, Greatsword, Three Daggers, Two Sets of Their Secondary Weapon, Three Different Sets of Dunfali Uniforms.
The Dunfali House have access to spirits, said to be sent from St. Humakt's Lodge itself. These spirits use the rules for animism (see Hero Wars p. 202-16) but this does not mean that Dunfali are animists, or an extension of the animist tradition. Dunfali begin with three "fetishes" - in actuality their main ceremonial sword is the receptacle for all the spirits. Dunfali use Beseech Spirit of St. Humakt to trap the spirits, and must travel to the Dunfali Lodge to enact this. They may not, under any other circumstances, attempt to trap spirits outside of their "tradition".
Sword Spirits (typical spirits include Sword Fighting spirits, Strike to the Otherworld, Sword Keening, Unbreakable Sword).
Honour Spirits (passion spirits).
Truth Spirits (passion spirits).
The Dunfali have access to secret feats and HeroQuest rituals others do not know of.
A popular household. It's members are reknowned Undead Killers, initiated into special secrets to learn how to slay such evil abominations. The Durani Arawac are the main military force involved in containing the Salantia, and also make lightning raids into the Poldark against the Zorak Zorani Undead. All it's members are expected to respond to any demand by the House to work for them.
The Member of Durani Arawac keyword can be used to enhance actions taken against undead. Teaches the Affinity of Destroy Undead (Curse Vampire, Protect from Undead, Enchant Weapon to Destroy Undead, Kill Undead, Empower Divine Aid against Undead).
This House exist solely to send its members on a difficult and ardious HeroQuest called the Dunmara HeroQuest. The lower members work for the benefit of the higher members so that they can go on the HeroQuest, with everyone hoping that one day they will be powerful enough themselves to do the Dunmara. The House can be quite selective.
Must take the relationship of Dependent (House) 1W1. One day, this ceases to be the case, and the character begins to benefit from those under him in the House and he can enact the Dunmara HeroQuest. Aswell as normal dependent problems, whenever the character gets a magical item a simple contest must be made between the relationship and either the rating of item or a skill used to persuade the House not to take it off the Hero. If they succeed, they may keep it, if they fail then it is given to one of the higher members of the Dunmara House.
A House of St. Humakt that are privy to certain secret rituals to sever a Humakti's loyalties and dedicate them to the service of one particular liege. Membership is quite high in the north of Otkorion.
The Gildune does not quite work like other houses, it is instead joined as a subcult is joined. Upon membership, the character selects one relationship. All other relationships vanish. For each Relationship, for every two points above 10 the remaining relationship gains 1 point. A character is still a member even though they do not have a relationship to the House unless it was the single relationship chosen.
St. Talesse is a very fanatical St. Humakti. She not only believed in all of the principles of St. Humakt but forced them on others. Her House members are considered to be rabidly fanatical, and they are known enemies of all other cults! With the coming of Henotheism their fanaticism has lowered slightly, but this does not say much.
All members must be devotees, and even then their fanaticism must be tested. Teaches the Affinity of Votary. Each member selects a cult to be their enemy cult, and can then use the Votary affinity to use against that enemy cult. Feats include Kill [enemy cult member], Curse [enemy cult member], empower weapon to kill [enemy cult members], enchant weapon to kill [enemy cult members].
Also teach additional gifts and geases, which can be selected at any time at the cost of two Hero Points:
Gift: Gain ability to ignore target number loss in the cult Secret if they fail.
Geas: Dedicate life to killing all non-Humakti.
Gift: +10 to one sword fighting skill.
Geas: Never aid non-Humakti.
Gift: Empower weapon so that the wielder gains +20 in it's use.
Geas: Die in one week.
One of the larger Houses of St. Humakt. They are known supporters of Humakti Independence away from the Church of Henotheism. Joining this large body of Humakti means support from all quarters as many individuals of importance are members of this house, including the Death Blade, Leader of the Church Militant and Temporal Incarnation of St. Humakt!
Members can use their relationship to influence their political and social position, When buying horses, weapons etc... it can be used as an enhancement to Wealth.
Another one of the large and more powerful Houses of St. Humakt, and a main opponent of the Ruam Clis. Joining the Cearnlinthor has basically the same benefits as the Ruam Clis, political and social aid.
Members can use their relationship to influence their political and social position, When buying horses, weapons etc... it can be used as an enhancement to Wealth.
A small, but influential, House of St. Humakt. Their Swords know how to create magical swords of Darkness and Cold. The House supports the Chuch of Henotheism, which unfortunately lead to powerful hostility from Valantian Houses of Humakt causing the Wapensal to lose influence in that area.
Teaches the feat of Enchant Drakthmar Blade. Drakthmar blades have four extra ranks than normal, except against Dehori Demons, Shades and other creatures made of darkness, when they have four less. Drakthmar blades have an enchantment resistance of +35.
The Order was a House contructed by, designed to aid, the Church of Henotheism, much to the consternation of Humakti, and Houses like the Ruam Clis. The Order has become very popular among pre-Henotheists. Joining it is seen as a sign of excellence, and with more and more Swords joining its ranks, the Church gains more and more power over the cult of St. Humakt.
Only members who have two combat related skills with at least one mastery in each may join. Can use their relationship as an enhancement when dealing with pro-Henotheists and other supporters of the Church, including members of one's own temple. Can even use their House relationship to enhance their relationship to the Church, as being a member of the Order is a very honoured position.