The Cult Of Jakaleel

I. Mythos and History

Jakaleel the Witch was born in Dara Happa, near the Jord Mountains, some fifty years before the Zero Wane. She disdained the suffocating society of Dara Happa, knowing that the Truth lay in the things that her gods of Light were afraid of.
After reading many of the barbaric Orlanthi myths, she postulated that, since Aether was the great-great-grandson of Nakala, the Darkness contained what she searched for, and would also explain why her people made geneocidal attempts on the creatures of Darkness. She studied long and hard, becoming a Shaman-Hero, and member of many Darkness cults, nptably Zorak Zoran and Subere. She eventually learnt what her gods were afraid of -- the power Darkness could wield!!
One HeroQuest lead her through Shadow's Bottomless Shadow where she found herself in Hell alongside Zorak Zoran. She entreated him to tell her his secrets of his defeat of Yelmalio the Sun God. She shared her secrets with him in return for Zorak Zoran's powers, she was known to wield the very fury of Hell Roar herself.
Jakaleel became famed throughout Dara Happan secret societies as a great, fearsome and knowlegable mage -- and was one of the first to join the new Lightbringer's upon their ressurection of the Red Goddess, especially since she was in possesion of a magical Spindle, one of the Goddesses own bones! She was also seen at the head of the Arms of Darkness , legions of trolls, tusk riders, Dehori and even more vile things. She ascended with the other Seven Mothers to the Moon and now lives in the Red Lead Moon palace with her 666 worshippers. In the depths of her dungeons, which stretch to the middle of the Moon, are nefarious secrets, including the dreaded Black Moon!
Her Runes are Darkness, Magic and Lunar.

II. Cult Ecology

Jakaleel is the goddess of Darkness and Magic within the Empire, she is both frightening and intriguing. Her followers understand that what scares you most is more than likely where you will find the most rewarding. They spend their time researching the darkest, most dangerous secrets for the Empire.
Her cult is not the maul-wielding berserkers of Zorak Zoran, something she is often mistaken for, but instead resembles a conglomerate and powerful shaman cult. She is worshipped mainly by scholars, powerful magic users and seekers of secrets.
Cult holy days are Wilday of Illusion Week, to coincide with all other Seven Mothers holy days, and she has a High Holy Day in Dark Season.

III. The Cult In The World

The cult obviously centers in the Lunar Empire, primarily the trollish worshipper sof Yolp Mountains and Blue Moon Plateau. Temples are also known to exist in the city of 10,000 Magicians -- where a selection of her library exists -- Glamour -- where the Great Temple of Hell exists -- and Torang.
The Soldiery of the Red Moon worship Jakaleel for her power and magic, and some units are composed entirely of her worshipprs, led by a Rune Lord and accompanied by undead and deadly, screaming spirits -- these units are a frightening sight indeed upon the battlefield.
Shrines teach Reflection.

IV. Initiates

Members must suceed in tests in four of the following; any weapon attack, any weapon parry, World Lore, Ceremony and Summon.
If successful the worshipper donates 1 POW to Jakaleel and are accepted into the cult. A canidate must sacrifice 10% of time and income to the cult, and are obligated to disclose any new secrets or pieces of arcane information they learn. In return they receive training in all lore skills and magic skills at half cost.

Spirit Magic: Bludgeon, Countermagic, Darkwall, Demoralize, Dispel Magic, Dullblade, Extinguish, Mindspeech, Second Sight, Spirit Screen, Visibility.

V. Rune Lords

In her capacity as the fearsome Darkness Queen, she commands the dreaded Rune Lords of Jakaleel. These beings are her magical incarnations upon the Mundane World, and are dangerous in the extreme. A canidate must have at least 90% in any attack and parry and at least three of the following; scan, orate, any other weapon attack, ceremony, summon and World Lore. They must also suceed in a Test of Holiness, represented as a POWx3, with an extra 3 percentiles for every point of Divine Magic possessed. They also receive enchanted lead arms and armour, and if they suceed in POWx3 receive an allied spirit. This spirit is an awakened Shade of 4 cubic metres, it is bound into a weapon and otherwise acts in all ways as an allied apirit.
The Rune Lords command large units of Jakaleel worshippers and undead in the Red Army, and must annually attend the worship ceremonies in Glmaour, unless a pressing war campaign makes this unfeasible. All Rune Lords are responsible to the Red Emperor, who carries The Arm of the Moon, a magical maul made by Jakaleel herself. Rune Lords are also trained as assassins and are capable of covert information gathering missions and such like, they receive 150 hours free training in sleight, hide and sneak.
They have access to 1d10 Divine Intervention, but still have only one-use access to Rune Magic. They cannot be shamans or sorcerors.

VI. Rune Priests

A canidate for priesthood must have at least 90% in ceremony, summon and world lore and must pass a successful Test of Holiness (represented as a POWx3 plus 3 percentiles per point of divine magic they possess). In the case of more than one canidate being short listed, the one who is initiated in more spirit cults is chosen -- Jakaleel favours Darkness spirit cults, but also includes Tyram, Vakalta and Ikadz.
A Jakaleel priest must vow to shun contact with the mortal world, and in doing so remove distractions from their work. In doing this a priest must never step outside of Lunarian consecrated grounds in daylight hours, and therefore must have sanctified caravans for travel. However, this gives them a closer connection and respect for their god, and therefore a greater connection to Darkness. During the hours of darkness a Jakaleel priest resists magical effects with effectively five more MP's than normal. A priest receives a normal allied spirit if they suceed in a POWx3. This spirit is normally bound into either a staff or a spindle.
A priest must dedicate 90% of their time and income to the cult. They act as scholars advisors and holy women/men. A priest gains re-usuable access to divine magic and may also be a sorceror or shaman. This is in fact encouraged, but the priest may not be connected to another cult (i.e. they cannot become a shaman of Kyger Litor or Gorakiki).

Common Divine Magic: All.
Special Divine Magic: Attack Soul, Command Shade, Command Ghost, Create Ghost, Create Skeleton, Create Zombie, Enchant Lead, Fear, Reflection, Seal Wound, Truemaul, Whispers.

VII. Special Jakaleel Rune Magic

Whispers
1 point
range 15m, temporal, stackable, re-usuable
This spell allows the caster to commune with the shadows and hear to what they have seen. It allows a caster to project their senses as if they were there, but can only project their senses to places where Darkness lies. Therefore a caster may be able to "see" through the shadow of a chair leg or other such thing. This spell is exceedingly useful.
It cannot be used in daylight hours. Every additional point increases the range by 15m.

Reflection
See description on p.67 of GoG.

Notes: All Jakaleel spells are effected by Cyclical magic, as shown on p. 67 of GoG. Most Jakaleel spells can be found in Troll Gods.

VIII. Sub-cults

Spirit of Reprisal
Initiates who turn against the cult are hunted down and killed, no spirit is sent against them. A Rune Level worshipper who reneges upon the cult is stricken by a curse. This curse means that if the apostate ever steps into daylight they are burnt at the rate of one hit point/round of contact.

Benderretti
This was a Darkness spirit defeated and imprisoned by Jakaleel upon a Quest on the Spirit Plane. It guards the Heart of the Only Old One, and through him worshippers can access some of his power. This sub-cult accepts only trolls or Argan Argari. It teaches Darkwalk.
The cult is currently applying political pressure for the Red Emperor to give the go ahead on a plan to ressurect the Only Old One to take over the dead Pharoah, and then marry him into the Lunar Pantheon via Jakaleel.

IX. Associated Cults

Annila
The Blue Moon grants Absorption. Her shrines are mostly foundin connection with Jakaleel around Blue Moon Plateau.

Black Moon
This horrifying, and only hinted at, being is protected and controlled as part of Jakaleel's duties. It grants no magic, but instead aids in Divinations cast on a Black Moon day outside the Empire. If it is called upon the spell becomes one-use, but the divination takes affect as if cast within the Empire's Glowline. This option may only be used by Priests.

Red Goddess
Worshippers of Jakaleel may become Examiners as per normal rules.

Seven Mothers
Her brethren grant Command Lune and Mindblast.