The Cult Of Kolat

I. Mythos and History

Kolat descended from the stormy bowels of his father in a shower of rain and lightning. He was named Kolat Stormsson and was the first born of the Storm Gods and was son to the East Storm Lady. He demanded from his father a title of his own, and not merely to have respect for his parentage. Umath told him that Honour was to be won, not given. Kolat thusly struck out on his own path, but as a parting gift was given the Wooden Wind Wheel, a powerful artifact that his father used.

Kolat blew across the world, and in his airy form sneaked into every nook and crany and discovered the Holy Mother of Purity, from whom he learnt many arcane secrets of the World. On of the Greatest was that of Divine Birth, to propagate without another to mate with. Kolat used this gift to populate the world with his own children, the Umbroli and the Kolati. Kolat returned to his father and returned the Wooden Wind Wheel, and showed to him the children he had made his own, and Umath agreed that Kolat was no longer Stormsson, and named him First Spirit-Master.

Kolat tamed the One True Wind, and took his daughter as his bride. From this coupling came the Seven Winds, the North, South, East and West, and the Three Secret Winds, the Higher Wind, the Lower Wind and the No-Wind (the Wind of the Soul). Thenceforth he was the Ruler of the Wind Spirits and could command them with placid ease and taught this secret to all of his brothers.

Kolat's mortal brethren were the Wind Children, born again unto his bride. The Wind Children ruled every peek, every village and every cliff-top. They carried the wind secrets far and wide, and spread his worship everywhere.

In Godtime Kolat fought with his brothers. With Orlanth he quarreled for he slew the Emperor, who protected the Holy Mother of Purity, and she was later slain, and to retain his Honour Kolat took every opportunity to ensure his brother made recompense. This feud ended when Orlanth agreed to give the dead soul of the Holy Mother an entire Storm Castle. He fought with Vadrus for he sought to steal his power. He fought Urox the Bull for he made carnage everywhere, and ruined the cities and wind castles of the wind children. He fought Ragnaglar for when he was struck dumb, he devoured the sylphs that Kolat had given him to use, and thusly offended his brother. Lastly was Humakt, but while Kolat readied for battle when he heard his brother had denied all lineage, he was happy to discover that Humakt freely relinquished all claim to storm, and sent back the sylphs Kolat had given him.

Kolat was trapped in the Underworld by the Bad Man, whom he was unable to defeat for he used evil magic that came from Outside the Cosmos. The Bad Man turned the Storms against him and trapped the airy spirit in the bowels of the Dead. Here he waited until his brother came, and the world was made anew. Released from the binding of chaos, Kolat went forth once more and all was righted.

Kolat's actions within Time were few and far between, his cult is limited mainly to Wind Children and Shamans. All are rare nowadays. He was responsible for the Windless Typhon of the God Learners, and when the Red Moon tore itself asunder from the surface of Glorantha, Umbroli and Kolati clamoured to push it back to it's home on the ground.

The funeral rites are either to burn the body, or for shamans to summon syplhs to rip the body to shreads and carry the remains off.

His runes are Spirit and Storm.

II. Cult Ecology

Kolat is the physical manifestation of Umath, airy and blustery in nature. Kolat is worshipped as Master of All Spirits of Wind, revered by any who would have dealings with his children. He is also worshipped as the god who passed the secrets of the sylphs to his brothers, notably Orlanth the Thunderer.

Kolat's friends include many elemental lords, and gods of knowledge whom he met while searching for the secrets of his own power. His worst enemy is Molanni, the Still Air, whom he detests in all forms. Other enemies include the Red Goddess who is considered to be trying to subvert or still the Seven Winds. Many shamans speak of the new wind that will come forth, the Moon Wind. Certain Lunar aligned Shamans have claimed to even contact and embrace this wind. Details are murky and unsubstantiated at best. The last enemy are the agents of the Bad Man, the Dark Spirit, the Spirit that is not a spirit, the Man-With-No-Face.

Kolat's Holy Days are Goddsday of every Truth Week with a High Holy Day in Storm Season.

III. The Cult In The World

Kolat is a shamanic cult. His major followings are the wind children, and also among the Umbroli and Kolati. There are, nonetheless, the odd shaman of Kolat wandering around in rural areas and small village settlements, or in more feral Orlanthi communities such as Skanthi or Aggar. They are an almost dead breed in Sartar, but gather large worship and respect as wise and holy figures in the lands of Lankst.

Because of this few Kolati Temples exist, only the minor temples that wind children build. However, on the High Holy Day huge gatherings occur on the Spirit Plane, of discorporated Shamans, Kolati, other spirits of air, and if the place is holy enough Kolat himself is said to manifest and break bread with the beings and eat together. Two locations known for such spiritual gatherings are the Hill of 4 Winds near Boldhome, and the Sacred Wind Pit in Lankst where the Holy Mother of Purity was found (although this pit is now physically destroyed, it is still readily apparent on the spirit plane).

Often the cult works closely with the cult of Orlanth Thunderous, and for certain rites a Shaman of Kolat must be sought out.

Shrines teach Command Syplh.

IV. Initiates

All wind children may join this ancestral cult at only the expense of 1 POW. Other canidates may only join by becoming an assistant shaman to a Kolati Spirit Master and then sacrificing 1 POW. Worshippers gain access to a spiritual divine intervention (see below), one-use Rune magic and spirit magic as taught by the cult shaman.

All intiates dedicate 20% of their time in rite and worship, and must attempt to get to a Kolati Wind Child temple for the High Holy Day. Also, all initiates must reclaim any air spirits in the possession of non-air cultists, unless it has been given to them by another air cultist.

V. Spirit Masters (Shamans)

In all cases the potential Spirit Master must fufil the requirements to become a shaman. The Spirit Master they are learning under then takes them to a secluded place where, instead of defeating the Bad Man, they must defeat Molanni's Arm (INT 20, POW 35) and awaken their fetch. Their fetches will often take the form of alynxes, or ravens. A Spirit Master has no chance to gain an allied spirit.

A spirit master must dedicate 90% of their time and income to the cult. The priest gains normal bonuses for being both a shaman and a priest, such as reusuable Rune magic and other such benefits. However, Spirit Masters may only bind air spirits to their fetch, and may only contact Spirits of Air for their magic. All air spirits will treat the shaman with friendship, while Darkness and Fire spirits will be positevly hostile. A Spirit Master may join other cults as an initiate, although truly brilliant initiates may advance to acolytehood if they are great enough. They may, however, only join cults that have the Storm Rune. A spirit master can demand a bed and food from all wind children.

COMMON RUNE MAGIC: Bind (air spirits), Divination, Sanctify, Summon (air spirits), Spirit Block, Worship Kolat.
SPECIAL RUNE MAGIC: Command Sylph, Command Umbroli, Command Kolati, Decrease Wind, Flight, Increase Wind, Wind Form.

Special Kolati Rune Magic

Wind Form
2 points
ritual (ceremony), stackable, special duration, re-usuable
During this ceremony the Spirit Master or intiate annoints themselves with various paints and dusts before stripping naked. They then change into a sylph with random statistics and of a size equal to one cubric metres per spell stacked. The caster still retains the casters INT, POW and all magic use and can converse in a windy, whispering voice but other than this remains as a sylph. The connection with their fetch is not lost.
This spell lasts until the wind changes, when he reforms where he is at that point.

VII. Sub-Cults

Spirit of Reprisal
The Spirit of Reprisal only appears to the shaman as a sylph of ten cubic metres, that then engages the shaman in spirit combat. Except in inflicts all damage directly to a fetchs permanent POW and leaves only when defeated or the fetch is destroyed.
The spirit of reprisal is known as Achrat Windstorm and appears only to Spirit Masters.

Aerlit
This Kolati was a follower of Vadrus in the Godsage, he wooed Warea Triolina and their child was Malkion the Prophet. Through this sub-cult Aeolians (and certain Stygians) can worship Kolat.

VIII. Associated Cults

IX. Notes

Wind Sense
All Spirit Masters can sense the speed, nature and direction of the wind. They also know with around six hours notice when the wind is going to change.

X. Umbroli

Umbroli are large sylphs. These are Elemental Sylphs, which are the normal non-sentient sylphs described in RuneQuest. Above these are the Huge Sylphs, which are from 10 to 15 cubic metres, and are also non-sentient except in cases where they serve as allied spirits to powerful priests of storm cults.

Above those are the Great Sylphs, which range between 10 and 20 cubic metres, and are fully sentient, they have 2d6+6 INT, and usually have collected a full INT of spirit magic. They are all initiates of Kolat, and can join other Storm cults such as Storm Bull or Orlanth, but cannot advance to Spirit Master of Kolat (although they may become priests and lords of other cults). Sometimes they have 2d6+3 points of Rune Magic.

An Ancestral Sylph (of which there are only five) are enromous (25-30 cubic metres) and are fully intelligent (3d6+6 INT), and usually have at least 3d10 points of Rune Magic. If an ancestral sylph dies then a Great Sylph will go on a HeroQuest and ascend to the position of Ancestral Sylph. Many will go on these Quests at the same time, making it a competition of sorts.

XI. Kolati

Kolati are semi-divibe sylphs who have existed from since Before Time. They are often worshipped as gods, and usually provide some form of magical benefit. Sometimes they act as Tribal Wyters, and are extremley dangerous, the newer storm tribes of Pent have been known to be supported by these spirits. They reside partly on the Spirit Plane and partly on the Hero Plane. A Spirit Master who summons up a Kolati invites Death by the, normally very angry, spirit.