The Cult Of Saint Lhankor Mhy

by Nicholas Effingham, based upon the description of Lhankor Mhy in River of Cradles with thanks to Michael Raaterova for his Digest Post on Lhankor Mhy

I. Mythos and History

Lhankor Mhy was born in the Kingdom of Logic under the rule of Malkion the Prophet. He was a member of the Zzaburi caste. He was both a Wizard and a scholar, a scribe of many texts. He was known as one of the great Wizards, for his knowledge was virtually complete in the Time of Logic. Yet when Umathil left the lnads of Logic and took his family with him, Lhankor Mhy followed having seen the Sins of the Emperor in his visits to the vestibules of the Celestial Palace where he had studied tomes and grimoires that few had ever seen.

Lhankor Mhy was Knowing Companion and also served as his Magic Companion until Malkion joined Orlanth's Iron Ring when he left the Kingdom of Logic. He served to teach the tribe of Umathil's descendants. When Orlanth summoned his Iron Ring together to slay the Evil Emperor, Lhankor Mhy followed him to advise. When the Emperor used the Arcane Secrets of the Palace, Lhankor Mhy was the only person who knew how to defeat it, having studied them himself. For this, Orlanth would later make him into a Saint, as well as for his other actions.

Lhankor Mhy married a Spirit of Knowledge that had run away from the Celestial Palace minutes before it's destruction, she had wandered far and long until she came into Orlanth's lands. Here she was found by Lhankor Mhy and fell in love. Her name was Mistress of Knowledge, and she was wise beyond anything ever known. Yet in the Darkness one of the Emperor's servants came and slew her, that being was known as Thanatar. Lhankor Mhy was deeply saddened and in this time he started his search for all the shards of lost knowledge.

When Orlanth declared his Lightbringer's Quest, Lhankor Mhy joined him in the chance of finding his lost wife in Hell. Lhankor Mhy met dead Umathil on this Quest, and was given the knowledge of the dead. Lhankor Mhy has ever since become the god of lineage and ancestry. Lhankor Mhy, upon the success of the Lightbringer's Quest, summoned the dead Mistress from Death and married her once more. Ever since, all knowledge of the Creator has been his. Unfortunately, mortals have not been so lucky and must seek it out for their Grey Lord.

Lhankor Mhy was Sainted at the start of time by the Invisible God and has since stood in the host of the gods. The only notable events since the beginning of Time was in the reign of Queen Kristine and King Leoban II from the dates of 1532 to 1558 when the Thanatari incursion began. This horde of Krjalki fiends began to infest the cult and the populace of the country. The worshippers of St. Lhankor Mhy managed to fight them off, and they have not yet returned, but the Bishopric of Knowledge believe that they will return.

Worshippers believe that when they die they will go to the Tower of Ivory and serve some time with their lord before passing onwards into Solace. All worshippers wish for their bodies to be burnt in normal Orlanthi manner.

Lhankor Mhy's Runes are Law and Truth.

II. Cult Ecology

St. Lhankor Mhy's worshippers are all members of the Wizard Caste, his cult being popular among most Otkorioni Wizards. He is a scribe, Wizard and scholar. He is also responsible for cataloguing ancestral lists, lineages and blood lines. His people act as Law Speakers to interpret St. Orlanth's Laws, but not judges which is a state reserved for the Lord Caste. His people provide the same religious service that St. Lhankor Mhy did, and still does, to St. Orlanth. They are also the states defence against Thanatari incursions, and are sometimes even involved in Krarshti problems. He is worshipped by the vast majority of the Wizard Caste who have little or no wish to become functionaries of Orlanth Thunderous and wish to concentrate on their sorcerous studies. The patron god of the Red Circle of Fiesive is St. Lhankor Mhy.

His allies are all of the Lightbringers, and the Invisible God. Hatreds inculde all Krjalki, with Thanatar in particular, being an object of hatred.

Cult holy days are Godsday of Truth Week of every season. Godsday of both Sacred Seasons are High Holy Days, celebrating the start of Time, and the marriage of the Saint and the Mistress of Knowledge.

III. The Cult In The World

Out of the three major Saints of the Wizard Caste, St. Lhankor Mhy is the most popular. His worship of sorcery and knowledge rather than the religious nature of St. Orlanth attracts those who have no wish to dedicate their lives to religion and piety. St. Lhankor Mhy still allows access to Solace, and so is a good substitue for those of a scholastic bent. Therefore, St. Lhankor Mhy's cult composes about a quarter of the power base of Otkorion, and controls virtually all of it's magi. St. Lhankor Mhy also has a position on the Iron Councils formed by Orlanthi.

His cult is rather large, managing Major Temples in both major cities and shrines in a lot of other civilized areas. His cult also has connections with other sects of Knowledge gods such as St. Lhankor Mhy of Galin or Lankoring from East Ralios and Lankst. Each temple has a High Priest with three underlings, the Lord of Scribes, the Lord of Magic and the Lord of Wizards. The first is a loremaster and librarian, the second is responsible for magical research and ancestral deatils, and the third is responsible for the teachings of new Wizard Caste members.

Recent activites include the mission in Tempest Halls to contact all dead spirits of the ancestors of the Stygian Malkioni who inhabit Otkorion, gain information from about the history of Otkorion and about their blood line, and then try and bless them so that they go to Solace rather than remain in the Limbo state they are currently in.

Shrines teach Analyze magic.

IV. Initiate

A canidate for this status must have at least 90% in one of the following; Read/write (any language), any Art (i.e.Intensity) or any Lore. Only initiates of St. Orlanth may join this cult. Those who are members of the Wizard Caste are accepted automatically, whereas those not of the Wizard Caste may enter this cult at initiate level (but no higher) if they pass an additional test which may be abstracted as INTx2. They must also sacrifice 1 point of POW to St. Lhankor Mhy. Initiates are granted a free 50 hours training in cult knowledge skills.

Those who are members of the Wizard Caste may get free access to board and lodgings. Most St. Lhankor Mhy temples will give access to their libraries to all members. All members must dedicate 10% of their time and income to the cult. All St. Lhankor Mhy worshippers are immune to the Thanatari Head Magics. All St. Lhnakor Mhy initiates may take a single gift and geas.

V. Acolytes

Acolytes must suceed in all priestly requirements, plus must donate 50% of their time and income to the cult. They must also donate 1000 Orbs to the cult. In return they gain access to reusable Rune magic, but must use much of it in aid of the cult's funds. Many acolytes work full time, being paid a share of the money that the cult earns in casting their magic. Acolyte is also the position that Thanatari Killers have. An acolyte may select an additional gift and geas. An acolyte has no chance of gaining an allied spirit, and does not gain access to the additional sorcery.

VI. Grey Lords (Priest)

Grey Lords are the priests and sages of the cult. To join you must be a member of the Wizard Caste. They are constantly researching or developing their skills, expending some time in training other members of the cult.

A canidate for Grey Lord must have been in the cult at least five years. They must have at least 50% in ritual skills, 10 points of Rune Magic and 90% in three of the following; upto two lores, upto two Art skills, Read/Write (any language). They must pass a simple ritualistic HeroQuest (the equivalent of the Test of Holiness) wherein they do gain a chance to get an allied spirit. They must spend 50% of their time in teaching and cult duties and 40% in research. They gain complete access to all St. Lhankor Mhy libraries. Adventurers are virtually ruled out of this position, and leaves of absence are rarely granted to Grey Lords. They must pay 90% of whatever income they may earn to the cult.

They must select at least one gift and geas, and may select more if they wish. Any Grey Lord must ensure that all repositries of knowledge be recovered for the cult. They may never marry anyone who is not a member of the Wizard Caste.

Grey Lords must use their skills for outsiders as part of their cult skills. They charge 1 Orb per percentile they have in the skill, and must give 90% of this to the cult. They are given board and lodgings by the cult.

Common Rune Magic: All.
Special Rune Magic: Analyze Magic, Knowledge, Lore Trance, Memory Trance, Mind-read, Shield Mind, Truespeak, Worship Ancestors.

VII. Special Cult Rune Magic

You will find the following spells in River of Cradles p.167, or Gods of Glorantha p52; Analyze Magic, Knowledge, Mind-read, Truespeak.

With thanks to Michael Raaterova for the additional spells.

Lore Trance
2 points
Ritual (ceremony), nonstackable, reusable
This is a ritual for gaining knowledge about anything. The caster must have some connection woth the target queried about to act as a focus for the rite. It is a dangerous ritual, as the caster may ask for forbidden knowledge and attract the attention of the Gift Carriers.

Roll a ceremony each hour. A success lets the character gain the answer to one question or at least a true statement about the target of the magic. A special means two answered questions and a critical means three. Failure means that the trance ends. A fumble means that the character has attracted the attention of the Gift Carriers!! Each hour a character must make a POWx1, if it is under POWx1 then the caster has attracted spiritual enemies the same as a shaman does. Roll randomly for a spirit, it will attack the caster if malign. If cast in the confines of a temple, spiritual allies usually come to their aid.

This trance is performed with much prayer and ceremony to the Creator, and all the Saints.

Memory Trance
1 point
self, temporal, nonstackable, reuable
The caster can retell the memory of any incident he had witnessed with perfect recollection. The caster cannot retell things he did not perceive.

Shield Mind
1 point
ranged, temporal, stackable, reusable
All mind magic cast against a Shielded Mind must overcome the equivalent of a Countermagic 6. Each stacking increases the strength of resistance by another 6 points. This countermagic also applies to Thanatari Sever Spirits. Shielded Minds are also immune to Thanatari Head Rituals (Creat Head, Devour Mind etc..).

VIII. Special St. Lhankor Mhy Sorcery

Destroy Thanatari Heads
ritual ceremony
This spell takes only a single melee round to cast as the Priest chants a spell and then crushes Thanatari Severed Heads underneath their foot. If the ceremony suceeds then a number of head ghosts equal to the Intensity used are immediatley dispelled to the Afterlife with no resistance other than protective magic (countermagic, etc...). If it fails then the mad head ghosts attack.

IX. Sub-cults

Spirit of Reprisal
Spirits are sent against those who break their geases, consort with chaos, or otherwise endanger the cult. Those that are excommunicated from St. Orlanth are also excommunicated from this cult as well. Two types of spirit exist, the Mind Worms which have POW 3d6+6 and cause minor or major insanities if they suceed in spirit combat. The second are for major mistakes and transgressions, and are also the common spirit for breaking cult geases, they are the Brain Flayers which cause the target to lose one point of INT/season until they make recompense to the cult. There is also the Mind Devourer, but this is otherwise unknown and the Saint has not sent it to anyone for years.

Spirits of Reprisal can be summoned and commanded by High Priests for use against the enemy. Only high priests may gain the Summon and Command Rune Spells needed, though.

The Hunters
The Hunters are worshippers of St. Lhankor Mhy who hunt down Thanatari. While they are now quite small, they were essential in the last century, and have a huge reputation. To join their ranks is a great honour. They are made up of Warrior Caste initiates led by Magi Acolytes. To join one must demonstrate a hatred of chaos, and suceed in rolls in three of the following; any weapon attack, any other weapon attack, any weapon parry, dodge and Scan. All initiates must select the gift "Gain Sense Thanatari". All Hunters are given free weapons, armour, food, lodgings and a small wage. They have not been called for in any major way for many years.

St. Valkaro

Thanks to Sandy Petersen for the Saints Notes

X. Associated Cults

St. Chalana
Grants Restore Health (INT).

St. Eurmal
St. Eurmal, in Hell, taught St. Lhankor Mhy how to become a Raven so that he could escape the dreaded Vaskara Beast. He teaches Become Raven.

St. Goldentongue
Grants Creat Market.

St. Orlanth
Grants Know Honour and Detect Wyrd.

XI. Gifts and Geases

Gift	Geas
+20% to any Lore skill	Never Lie
+20% to any Magic skill	Always honour you word
+20% to any Read/Write skill	Remain silent for one day/week (but may still ues magic)
+10% Knowledge bonus	Follow up the chance of gaining any sources of knowledge
+5% Magical Bonus	Remain celibate
+3 Presence	Never lift a weapon except to fight chaos
Don't respond to any Detect/Find/Sense magics	Never tell a secret
Gain Sense Thantari at 15%+perception bonus	Always attack Thanatari
+1 maximum POW	Answer truthfully any question asked
+1 INT	Spend Godsday in meditation and contemplation
Receive Sagehood	Always wear a beard (real or artificial)

XII. Notes

Sagehood
Sagehood is an honourary title given to certain sages. It is given to most Grey Lords, as most Grey Lords take upon themselves the appropiate gift and geas. Other worshippers often gain it aswell for services rendered.

Sagehood officially allows the worshipper to declare themselves Loremasters of the appropiate cult skills they have at over 90%, and also allows those who have the time to use these skills to make money. The cult of St. Lhankor Mhy hunts down those who illegally call themselves Loremasters in an effort to gain money. Very few people trust the knowledge of those who are not official Loremasters.