# Introduction to Glorantha ![[CB - Glorantha - Players Background.pdf]] --- # MYTHOS & HISTORY ![[CB - 6SiS - Black Stage Vale.png]] _**Every year has its seasons That mirror the ages of the gods I sing to you now of those that bring the days of the Svarthjort To a close…**_ *The Saga of the Svarthjort, Book One, Verses 31 to 32* HIGH IN THE MOUNTAINS of Sartar, a narrow, V-shaped vale stretches between Mounts Quivin and Kagradus. Since the days of Vingkot this has been the _tula_ of the Svarthjort, the Clan of the Black Stag. The following section presents the clan in the classic “cult” format, focused around the Black Stag wyter. ## Since Time Began After the Dawn, the Svarthjort lived a quiet life of relative isolation in the Vale, farming, herding, and trading with related clans in the valleys below. They worshipped Orlanth and Ernalda, and true to their word never wavered from the vow to honor Black Stag and Running Doe as their own ancestors. In these early days there were some skirmishes with local Telmori, urged on by the Seven-Tailed Wolf, who felt the onset of Time was the perfect chance for a proxy war to regain the Vale. The Svarthjort proved their claim to the Vale time and time again by driving the Telmori off, just as their wyter had in the God’s Age. As the Empire of Wyrm’s Friends slowly rose around the clan, their wyter answered divinations concerning the EWF by counseling against the lies and deceptions of dragons. As a result, the Svarthjort stayed free of draconic mysticism, even as many clans around them embraced it. This was the start of the clan’s reputation as staunch traditionalists. For centuries, the clan continued to stay true to the Old Ways, maintaining (mostly) cordial relations with draconicized neighbours. But mounting pressure from these neighbours, and dire warnings of impending doom from divinations, eventually forced the Svarthjort into self-imposed exile. In 1118 ST, after more than a thousand years in the Vale, they burned their homes to the ground, gathered what they had, and went south. A year later, the Great Dragons came in wrath and killed every man, woman, and child in the Pass. ![[CB - 6SiS - Dragonkill.png]] The years in exile were difficult ones. Bound to the Vale, the clan wyter was unable to accompany his human kin south. In his place he sent one of his sons, White Hart, to serve as the Svarthjort wyter in their exile. These years were the beginning of the White Hart shamanic tradition that persists among the clan to this day. Without the protection of the Black Stag and his Vale, however, the clan struggled to survive. Heortland was filled in those days with destitute refugees fleeing the Dragonkill, and the Svarthjort were forced to wander from place to place selling their labour, their swords, and sometimes even themselves to survive. This changed when Jornun Shadechaser challenged Barnor Son of Grudd for the position of clan chieftain. Shadechaser was one of the “Troll-touched,” a Svarthjort clansman born with pitch black hair and eyes and tied to the Darkness Rune. This was the legacy of Ungbar Zak Bak, who died alongside Jarstakos and many of his men and was entombed with them in the Vale. Ever after, a small number of Svarthjort were born Troll-touched, and Jornun was among these. Once he was leader of the clan, Jornun took his people to the court of Ezkankekko, the Only Old One. It is said the Old One recognized Jornun as troll-marked, and his clan as friends of the race. He employed the clan as mercenaries in his armies, and gave the women and children homes. For nearly two centuries the Svarthjort had a new home, and flourished in Ezkankekko’s service. ![[CB - Return to Dragon Pass.webp|right|1000]] The death of the Only Old One at the hands of the Pharaoh in 1318 ST ended this time of refuge. Divinations were performed and the White Hart consulted by shamans. It was time, at long last, for the Svarthjort to return home. It was not an easy homecoming. The clan returned to find the Telmori had taken the Vale in the name of the Seven-Tailed Wolf, who now ruled the Vale at last. The Black Stag and Running Doe were imprisoned, their children hunted and in hiding. Before they could settle in their ancient homeland, the Svarthjort had to retake it. The battles that followed were violent and costly. In 1328 Stag Hill was won by the clan, enabling the chieftain and his ring to perform a heroquest re-enacting the Black Stag’s triumph over the Wolf. This liberated the wyter, and for the first time in centuries a Royal (see below) was born to the local ghost deer population. The tide had turned, and the Telmori were driven out once and for all. This began a new era of peace and prosperity. A century after the return, the Svarthjort were part of the Colymar Tribe and eventually supporters of the Prince of the People, Sartar. They had revived the Old Ways, and once again honoured the Doe and the Stag. It is even said that the Prince had a particular liking for the Vale, and spent an unusual amount of time there. But a baleful new orb hung crimson in the sky, and its spawn, the foul Lunar Empire, came south in invasion. At the Battle of Grizzly Peak the Black Stag followed the Colymar king Kenstrel against Lunar forces and lost their own chieftain, Kentrel Bargarson. It was a sign of the doom to come. A generation later saw a Lunar puppet on the throne in Boldhome, and foul Lunar ways spreading through the lowlands. ![[CB - Sartar and the Feathered Horse Queen.webp|1000]] In the years since the Svarthjort have grown more isolated as they cling to the Old Ways. To Colymar king Kangharl Son of Kagradus, a Lunarized Sartarite, they are something of an embarrassment. He habitually refers to the Colymar as “the twelve clans,” with the Svarthjort small enough and remote enough — in their mountain valley — to be conveniently forgotten. ## Runic Associations The people of the Black Stag have worshipped the Storm Tribe since before the Dawn. Their Runic ties to this pantheon run deep. Thus Air/Storm (![[PK-Rune-Orange-Air.png]]) and Earth (![[PK-Rune-Orange-Earth.png]]) are the two most common Birth Runes; 85% of men are tied to Air and 85% of women to Earth. The exceptions tend to be men who are tied to Earth and women tied to Storm, and a small percentage of “Troll-touched” tied to Darkness (![[PK-Rune-Orange-Darkness.png]]). Svarthjort characters are thus required to select one of these as one of their initial Elemental Runes. The clan wyter, the Black Stag, is itself associated with Air, Beast, and Earth (![[PK-Rune-Orange-Air.png]]![[PK-Rune-Orange-Beast.png]]![[PK-Rune-Orange-Earth.png]]). He is not worshipped alone, but rather receives a portion of sacrifices made to the Storm Tribe and clan ancestors. The shamanic White Hart tradition (see below) has the Runes of Air, Beast, and Spirit (![[PK-Rune-Orange-Air.png]]![[PK-Rune-Orange-Beast.png]]![[PK-Rune-Orange-Spirit.png]]). # NATURE OF THE CLAN ## Reason for Continued Existence At its heart, the clan is a coalition of allied families, bound by shared culture and history. Like any community, it exists to teach, support, and care for its members. It passes on its knowledge and experience from one generation to the next. Just as a clan serves its members, its members serve the clan. Clansmen are generally expected to spend most of their time in service to the community, performing tasks such as farming, herding, maintaining infrastructure, manufacturing necessary items, guarding the borders, etc. In addition to these tasks, all able-bodied men will be expected to serve in the _fyrd_, or clan militia. Women will be expected to cook, sew, care for children, and to treat sickness and injury. In return for all of this, the clan feeds, shelters, and clothes its own. It also trains and educates them. ## Social/Political Power and Position Prior to the Lunar occupation, the clan’s claim to Black Stag Vale was ancient and undisputed, supported by the spirit of the land itself and respected by all neighbours. There were of course tensions with other clans, including the time-honoured sport of cattle-raids, but all acknowledge the Vale was theirs. Despite being one of the smaller clans in the Colymar tribe, the Svarthjort were respected for their adherence to tradition and their loyalty to both the tribal king and the Princes of Sartar. With the arrival of the Lunars, however, political “power” in Sartar amounted largely to keeping your head down and going unnoticed. Fortunately this is something the Svarthjort, in their isolated mountain fastness, do very well. The terms of the occupation, for example, demand a tax of one cattle for every two free adults in the community each year, but Lunar estimates of the Black Stag’s population are at least a third short, the clan being adept at fading into the hills when the census takers come. Likewise, Sartar’s conquerors have forbidden the worship of Orlanth. In the lowlands the temples are closed. The Svarthjort, however, continue to worship as they always have. So long as it goes unnoticed. ## Particular Likes and Dislikes On the whole the Black Stag are a conservative mountain clan devoted to the Storm Tribe, to time-honoured traditions, and to keeping to the Old Ways. They avoided the lure of draconic mysticism under the EWF and resist the lure of Lunar mysticism now. The clan expresses many of the likes and dislikes one might expect of a traditionalist Orlanthi people. To reflect commonly held characteristics, Svarthjort characters should have at least some Passions drawn from; _Devotion (Storm Tribe deity or Earth Goddesses), Loyalty (Svarthjort), Loyalty (Colymar), Love (Family), Hate (Chaos), Hate (Lunars)._ More on this on _Creating Your Character._ # ORGANIZATION ## Inter-Community Organization As mentioned, the Svarthjort are the 13th member of the Colymar tribe, a confederation of clans sworn to a single king. The Colymar are, in turn, one of the 24 tribes of the Sartarite nation. The tribal kings all owe allegiance to the throne in Boldhome. While the Svarthjort keep their clan oaths of fealty, most consider the current occupant of Sartar’s throne, Temertain a Lunar puppet. Since 1602 when Boldhome fell to their forces, however, the Lunar Empire has been the true power in Sartar. Temertain rules at the pleasure of the Governor General of Dragon Pass, currently Fazzur Wideread. ## Intra-Community Organization The Svarthjort are one of the smaller clans, with about 450 members, similar in this respect to the Varmandi and Anmangarn. Their lands are cantered around Black Stag Vale, some 15 kilometers from Boldhome, high in the mountains between Quivin Mount and Kagradus Peak. The Vale runs a length of nearly seven kilometers, stretching from the narrow southern opening where the Svarthjort maintain a fortified palisade, all the way to High Deer Falls at the northern end. It is seldom wider than half a kilometre, and the mountains enclosing it are heavily forested and very steep. A creek known as Deer Run flows south from the Falls, the entire length of the Vale. To the north the Vale is bordered by the forbidden Dragonewt citadel of High Wyrm. The Antorlings and the Enjossi, two fellow clans of the Colymar, border the Svarthjort to the west. The eastern border consists of the wilder and untamed Quivin Mountains in the north and the warlike Sambari to the south. These thrall holders are famed for their ferocity and aggression, and a source of constant trouble for the Svarthjort. The Telmori Wolf-Folk, driven from the Vale, infrequently come down from the Quivins to raid as well. ### The Steads A dozen steads, each belonging to a single extended family, can be found spaced out along the banks of Deer Run. These are the homes of the Carls, or “cattle men,” the middle-class of Orlanthi society. Families will include paternal grandparents, aunts, uncles, and cousins, all living together in longhouses (and in the winter with their cattle). Each nuclear family head (and there are on average 3 to 5 or these per longhouse) will have his own team of oxen and a plow. Each is granted a “hide” from the clan, as much land as he can plow in two seasons. Counting wives, children, and grandparents, each stead will have about 15 to 20 people, and 30 to 40 cattle. They will have twice as many sheep, pigs, geese. While children, of course, know who their parents are, it is traditional to refer to all aunts and all uncles as “mother” and “father” and parental duties are shared by all adults. Once the children are old enough, they are expected to help tend the livestock and the fields. All adult males also serve in the clan militia, or _fyrd_. The head of each stead holds Thane, or “horse man” status, and is considered a community leader. The walls of the longhouse are made of wattle and daub and timber planking, with a grass roof. The floor is typically flagged with slate and beaten earth. Typically, these longhouses are between 15m and 30m long and 5m to 10m wide. The central area of the hall is used for eating and entertaining around a large, central hearth, with a chimney above. It was often raised up from the ground to prevent people from accidentally falling into it. Benches are built into the walls, providing areas to sit, work and sleep. Sheep skins provide cushions for both sitting and sleeping, while woollen blankets keep the inhabitants warm when asleep. The undisputed leader of the longhouse is the eldest matriarch, and it is understood that within its walls the women make the rules, not the men. This is the domain of Ernalda, not Orlanth. The central hearth fire, which is never allowed to go out, is the Lowfire Mahome. She provides light, warmth, and comfort, and is the purifier that cooks the food. “The hearth is the heart,” the Orlanthi say. A house in which the hearth has gone out is a dead place, and must undergo purification rites to be made habitable again. Aside from the longhouse and the hides of land, each stead has a Loom House. In some cases this is annexed to the longhouse, but in most cases is a square, separate structure situated nearby. This is a place for women and girls, where cloth is woven and garments made. Men do not enter. There will also be stables for horses, work sheds, and a large beehive-shaped stone oven used for baking bread. The fire within is also sacred, and a manifestation of Mahome. The names of the steads as are follows. Individuals will be known as “(X) (Son/Daughter of Y) of (Z stead). For example, “Wulvann Son of Skilfil of High Water Stead” or “Frania Daughter of Verani of Riddle Watch Stead.” ![[CB - 6SiS - Black Stag Vale Map - Color.png|right|800]] From south to north, the twelve steads are: 1. **Vale Gate**, named for its proximity to the Palisade at the entrance of the Vale. While all clan militia can be assigned to the Palisade, by tradition the youths and vingans of Vale Gate always have guard duty there. 2. **Twin Stones**, named for a pair of nearly identical standing stones about 15 meters from the stead. Legend says these were a pair of twin brothers who bickered and quarrelled so often they were turned to stone by their furious mother, an Earth priestess. Mothers bring their children here to show them the stones and tell them the story if they argue with their siblings too much. 3. **Bear Fallen**, named for Dordath Bear Fallen, an Odalyan hunter who spent years pursuing an elusive brown bear that terrorized the Vale. When he caught the bear, the legend goes, she assumed human form and he was smitten. He built the stead for her, married her, and thereafter she terrorized only him. Throughout the Vale, “the bear got him” is slang for “he has gotten married.” 4. **Red Rock,** named for the curious reddish stain that covers the sheer cliff face of Kagradus behind the stead. This stain is 100 meters high and 30-40 wide. Legend has it that it was the blood of a giant slain there. Young men and vingans sometimes chip a piece of this stone away and carry the “red rock” for courage. 5. **Cliff Shield**, named for a massive (150m diameter) round depression in the foot of Quivin behind the stead. It looks like a titanic shield was carved and removed from the stone. 6. **Riddle Watch.** It is generally assumed this stead was named as it watches over the Riddle and protects it. If the real reason was ever different, by the Third Age the reason for the name has passed from memory of all save the Earth priestesses. 7. **Hill Base,** named for its position at the foot of Stag Hill. It is one of the largest and wealthiest steads in the Vale, with the most cattle and hides. 8. **River Bend,** named for obvious reasons this is the only other stead that can contend with Hill Base for land, cattle, and wealth. A (mostly) friendly rivalry has existed between the two for centuries. 9. **White Bark,** named for the woods that cover the mountain slopes behind it. While most of the surrounding forests are pine, spruce, maple, and ash, only here is the entire wood white birch. 10. **Twice Blessed,** while there is no specific story how the stead got its name, the soil at Twice Blessed is inexplicably the richest and most bountiful every harvest, leading other steads to grumble how they are “twice blessed” there. 11. **Glass Cave,** named for the Glass Cave just about 250 meters away up the slopes of Kagradus. This small cavern has to be crawled into on hands and feet, but the entry opens into a geode some 10m in diameter. It is said if you bring a lamp and spend the night, any dream you dream in the Glass Cave is a true one. 12. **High Water,** named for its proximity to High Deer. From the stead, the sound of the falls can be heard year round, save Dark Season when the falls occasionally freeze. ![[CB - 6SiS - Black Stag Vale Map - 3D - 1.jpg|600]] ![[CB - 6SiS - Black Stag Vale Map - 3D - 2.jpg|600]] ### The Cottars Between these steads are scattered two dozen cottages, usually in the hills at the base of the mountain peaks. These are the homes of the Cottars, or “sheep men.” They are the lower class of Orlanthi society. Their cottages are usually round, consisting of one room with a thatched roof, and home to one or two nuclear families. Cottars have their own flocks of sheep and often pigs, and tend small gardens around the cottage. Most are huntsmen who supplement their diet with rabbit, boar, or pheasant. It is forbidden for the Svarthjort to hunt deer. Naming conventions for Cottars are the same as for Carls, but they exclude the “stead” portion of the name as sign of lower status. ### The Village The Village lies in the centre of the Vale, spreading out beneath the Hall. It is a cluster of about 14 homes around the Issaries market, the Smithy, and the community meeting hall. The householders living in the Village hold Thane status. Six are members of the Inner Clan Ring (see below), including the Chief Priest and Priestess, the Chief Weaponthane, Lawspeaker, Champion, and Skald. In addition to this is the trader Borkar Son of Gudinn of Riddle Watch, who ensures commerce between the Vale and the capital in Boldhome runs smoothly, and Harvarr Son of Horvik of Cliff Shield, the master red smith. The remaining six are other priests and officials. The Villagers are supported by their families out in the steads, and by the chieftain in the Hall. #### The Chieftain’s Hall Resembling one of the longhouses, but 50m long and 20m wide, the Chieftain’s Hall sits on a low, conical hill overlooking the village. It is protected by a wooden palisade with four simple watchtowers at each of the corners. The Chieftain and his or her family dwell here, as do the housecarls when on duty. The Clan Ring meets to advise the Chieftain here as well. In emergencies, the Hall can be used to house and sleep nearly a full third of the Clan. Like a longhouse, the Hall has a central hearth that is always kept lit. There are feast tables around this, and at the far end of the Hall opposite the entrance a raised dais for the Chieftain and the Ring. Behind this dais are private quarters for the Chieftain’s family. Designed to receive guests, the Hall is more for “show” and less functional than a longhouse, hung with tapestries that tell the long history of the clan from its founding to the present day. Shields hang here that once belonged to the greatest warriors of the clan. Unlike longhouses, cattle are never kept here. Beneath the Hall are cellars, one holding stores of wine, beer, mead, and food and the other for holding prisoners. The hall as a whole is a shrine to Orlanth Rex. #### Borkar's Trading Post Just besides the Red Smith's Forge lies the trading post of Borkar Son of Gudinn. An initiate of the Temple of Issaries in Boldhome, Borkar — like his late father — is a member of the merchant's guild in that city. The Svarthjort are, for the most part, self-sufficient. They manufacture and weave their own cloth, the women make their own pottery, and the red smith forges and maintains the arms and weapons. Still, there are things they cannot make for themselves, and specialty goods only available through trade. Borkar brings what little the clan can export to market twice a year in Boldhome and returns with what supplies the clan needs. His trading post has built up an assortment of such goods over his years and those of his father. The trading post also serves an important internal clan function. It consists of a wide, flat yard of bare earth, with four carved wooden posts marking off the space. Each of these are carved with the bearded likeness of Issaries, the Trading God. The space created by these posts is sacred, and serves both as a shrine to Issaries and a marketplace. Svarthjort clansfolk can come here to exchange goods with each other, and know that such exchanges will be blessed and equitable. Thus cottars from the apple orchards at the north end of the Vale come in Earth Season with bushels of fruit, carls from the Vale's steads can butcher and sell off extra meat, and the red smith can offer bronze farm implements and weapons. Under the watchful eyes of Borkar and his god, they can be assured all trade in the Vale is fair. On one end of the market space is a three-sided wooden structure where Borkar sells his own goods. Across the marketplace is his cottage. Borkar's goods contain many oddities; finely crafted amphorae from the Potter's Guild in Boldhome, armbands and bracelets from the capital's jewelers, even the rare bolt of silk from far distant Kralorela, brought by maritime trade to Nochet in Esrolia and then up to Sartar. #### The Forge of Harvarr, Son of Horvik The Red Smith's Forge stands near the centre of the Village. Enclosed by a palisade wall three meters high, the ground is hard-packed, bare earth. There is a single entrance, flanked by two rough square pillars. These are carved with the Workfire Runes (Fire ![[PK-Rune-Orange-Fire.png]] and Man ![[PK-Rune-Orange-Man.png]]). Across from the forge is the red smith’s cottage, and between the two is a wide garth where the smith’s spouse, Affar, keeps chickens and tends an herb and vegetable garden. Stepping inside the forge, one finds a workspace to their immediate left. A low roof of wood and slate extends from the palisade wall and is supported by wooden columns, but there are no other walls and it is exposed to the open air. Here is the anvil, the grindstone, and the well. The smith’s instruments are kept here wrapped in oiled cloth (the oil is made from boiled sheep’s fat). Across from this open air workspace is a beehive shaped oven. This is the sacred heart of the forge and within this oven Gustbran dwells. There is a low stone altar beside the oven, where offerings are laid. It is customary, in addition to paying the smith his fee, to bring food and drink for him and his family and to leave some of that on the altar for the god of the flame. The entire forge is considered a shrine, and visitors treat it as such, removing their headgear before crossing its threshold and bowing their heads slightly to the Workfire Runes. There is a sense of magic here, the sacred mysteries of drawing weapons, tools, and armor from the bones of dead gods. Only the foolhardy would dare profane it. #### The Chieftain and Ring The Chieftain is a position held by election and mutual consent. The Clan Ring is a council of advisors selected by the Chieftain to advise, usually made up from the most powerful and influential members of the community. Technically there are two Rings; the “Inner Ring” consists of seven positions, in honor of Orlanth and the Lightbringers. The “Outer Ring” consists of the leaders of each stead, as well as the Issaries merchant Borkar Son of Gudinn, and the master redsmith, Harvarr Son of Horvik. The Outer Ring advises the Inner, and the Inner advises the chieftain. As of Sea Season, 1619 ST, the Inner Ring consists of the following members. * ***Chieftain:** Gordangar Son of Kenstrel of Twice Blessed, Rune Lord of Orlanth Rex * **_Chief Weaponthane_**: _Jorgunath Bladesong Formerly of Red Rock, Sword of Humakt_ * ***Chief Priest**: Savan Son of Kenstrel of Twice Blessed, Storm Voice of Orlanth Thunderous * **_Chief Priestess_**: _Morganeth Daughter of Jarlarant of High Water, Priestess of Ernalda_ * **_Lawspeaker_**: _Jodi White Hart of Riddle Watch, Lhankor Mhy Sage_ * **_Champion_**: _Erinina Copperaxe of Bear Fallen, Babeester Gor Rune Lady_ * **_Skald_**: _Keladon Blue Eye, Bonded Eurmali Trickster_ In addition there is an informal “eighth” member of the Ring. He does not usually attended meetings unless they are of the utmost import. He is the Royal. **The Royal:** The Royal is the Son of the Black Stag; a massive 12-branch stag with a mane of milk white hair and antlers the colour of bleached bone. He is the Chieftain of the Beasts, the leader of all animals in the Vale, and considered a member of the Clan Ring. It is uncertain if every Royal is the _same_ Royal, reincarnating as a new fawn when the previous Royal dies, or if magical powers and sentience are somehow transferred to a fawn when need arises. Seldom seen by the humans of the Vale, when encountered he commands all the deference owed the chieftain. The Royal is also the master shaman of the White Hart Tradition, created when the Svarthjort fled from Dragon Pass and the Black Stag sent his spirit-son White Hart to act as Wyter-in-Exile. ![[CB - 6SiS - Royal's Grove.png]] ## Centre of Power, Holy Places Technically, the entire Vale is the centre of the Black Stag’s power, but there are specific centres where it is concentrated. The centre of the human community’s power is the Village and the Chieftain’s Hall. Five other important centres must be mentioned. ### Stag Hill ![[CB - 6SiS - Stag Hill.png]] **Stag Hill** is a mound of earth 20 meters high and 70 meters in diameter. It is capped by a ring of seven standing stones, each marked by a Rune (Air ![[PK-Rune-Orange-Air.png]], Harmony ![[PK-Rune-Orange-Harmony.png]], Disorder ![[PK-Rune-Orange-Disorder.png]], Truth ![[PK-Rune-Orange-Truth.png]], Communication ![[PK-Rune-Orange-Communication.png]], Man ![[PK-Rune-Orange-Man.png]], and Fate ![[PK-Rune-Orange-Fate.png]]) signifying one of the Lightbringers. In Storm Season, lightning strikes against these stones are common, but never harm them. Those who have witnessed such strikes say the stones glow an eerie blue for some time thereafter, as if they capture the lightning. This tumulus contains the ancient graves of Jarstakos Son of Heort and the original war band that founded the Svarthjort, including — it is said — Ungbar Zak Bak, who is the source of the Darkness Rune some in the community are born with. The worship of Orlanth and the Thunder Brothers is conducted from atop the Hill. The barrow can be entered a small square entrance on the east side and has only been opened once before: when the Svarthjort returned from exile after the Dragonkill, a heroquest was performed to reclaim the abandoned valley. This required the sacred weapons and relics of Jarstakos and his company. After the heroquest the items were dutifully returned and the graves resealed. Stag Hill serves as both a Wind Shrine to Orlanth Thunderous and a shrine to Orlanth Adventurous. This sort of “double duty” is not atypical in the rural regions of Sartar. Orlanth Thunderous is the Rainbringer. He fertilizes the Earth and causes it to burst with seed. He is a primal deity, associated with virility, masculine fertility, and the elemental forces of wind and storm. This aspect of Orlanth is the patron of the Farmer, who relies on Orlanth for the harvest. Outside of Sartar’s cities, the cult of Orlanth Thunderous is by far the most widespread. It is led by a priesthood of Storm Voices like Savan. Orlanth Adventurous is the patron of the Warrior. This is the Orlanth who both engaged in the wild young misadventures of his youth and later took up arms to correct his mistakes and defend the things he loved. He is the god not only of weapon thanes but of Orlanthi hoplites, the citizen militia, as well. He is also the god of the warband, those (usually young) warriors who band together for a common cause. Jarstakos Son of Heort is viewed by the clan as a sort of ideal avatar of Orlanth Adventurous, making his burial mound the perfect place to honor the god. This cult is led by the Wind Lords, and in the Vale, by Gordangar the chieftain. Though cattle graze all around the hill, none are ever seen on its slopes, as if they consciously avoid it. Alynxes, on the other hand, are often seen atop the hill lazing amongst the stones. ### The Riddle ![[CB - 6SiS - The RIddle.png]] A perfectly square entrance way is carved into the base of Kagradus, reached by a thickly wooded slope, and dates back before Orlanthi times, possibly back to the Green Age. At the foot of the entrance, steps have been shaped from the living rock, and on either side are twin carvings of Babeester Gor, each three meters high, glaring down at those who would dare enter and holding axes menacingly. The feet of these statues are spattered with gore, for any and all sacrifices to the Earth goddesses offered by the Svarthjort are performed here. Beyond the entrance lies a labyrinth, a maze covered in perpetual blackness. Torches will not burn within. Fires flicker, sputter, and then are extinguished. Sounds are muffled by some force in the very air, and quickly silenced a few meters within. The Svarthjort call it ‘the Riddle,’ but whether the name comes from the way it bores into the mountainside or the enigma of its creation is unclear. The women of the Svarthjort are initiated here, taken immediately after their first menstruation and led inside by the Earth priestesses. No man is allowed inside the Riddle (save for the Nandan, who enters a man but emerges a woman). When a woman of the clan passes away, her body is carried inside the Riddle by initiates of Ty Kora Tek and left inside one of the many tombs that line the stone walls. While every rural hill clan has its Earth Temple, the Riddle is utterly unique. The typical Earth Temple is first and foremost to Ernalda, the wife of Orlanth and the source of feminine fertility, sexuality, and family. Most include smaller shrines to the other goddesses, surrounding Ernalda’s main temple space. Esrola is honoured as the grain, Asrelia as the source of Earth’s riches, Ty Kora Tek as the Queen of the Underworld and Voria as the Maiden, the spirit of innocent youth. Babeester Gor is not worshipped so much as propitiated, always ready to jump forth in vengeance. But the Riddle contains no worship space, no votive image of Ernalda, no separate shrines. All the goddesses are instead revered by gatherings at the mouth of it. It is at the mouth of the Riddle—never within it—that sacrifices are offered and worship conducted. The only times the Riddle is entered is when a girl goes within to die and return a woman, and when a woman departs this world for the Queendom of Ty Kora Tek. On either side of the Riddle are shrines to Barntar and Uralda. That the Riddle predates the Storm Age is certain. Svarthjort lore recounts its discovery by Jarstakos and his warband upon discovering the vale. “This place is not for us,” the Son of Heort is recorded as telling them. “This is the Old Magic, from when goddesses alone ruled the world. Do not defile it.” In the reign of Prince Jarolar (circa 1560 S.T.) a delegation of scholars and priestesses from Esrolia came north to Black Stag Vale to study this holy place. Ancient records at Sacred Ezel apparently spoke of it: "_At Ezel, Asrelia lived with her three daughters: Maran, Esrola, and Ernalda. They shaped the earth. These girls made all the hills, rivers, crags, and fields. The Three Daughters were often together, and they had their favourite places. They went to them many times, so their ancient innocence, purity, and power imbued the spots. These include places like the Stags Battleground, the Broken Grass ground, the Talking Sinkhole…_" In the estimation of the Esrolians, Black Stag Vale was the “Stags Battleground” of this text. As guests of the Svarthjort they remained in the Vale over a year, finally concluding the Riddle did indeed originate in the Green Age and was not the work of mortal hands. The reason the Svarthjort could worship so many Earth goddesses there, they said, was because it channelled a magic “from before the goddesses separated, when their powers were all one.” The Riddle belonged then to Asrelia and Ty Kora Tek as much as it did Ernalda, Voria, or Esrola. ### The Royal's Grove Not inside the Vale, but overlooking it from atop a cliff face rising some 600 meters, is the Royal’s Grove, a circular clearing under a massive, spreading oak. This is the Wytering Oak, and it contains the spirit of the Black Stag. The branches of the tree are encrusted with moss and lichen, and hang heavy with mistletoe. A stag’s skull, bleached white in the sun, hangs on the trunk of the tree. This is the head of the former Royal, and when the current one dies his head will replace it. A ring of one dozen standing stones mark out the boundaries of the Grove. Careful inspection reveals smooth round river rocks planted in the ground at two or three feet apart, forming a line from each standing stone back to the tree. In late Sea Season to late Earth Season, these are partially concealed in high grass. In Dark Season, by snow. It is believed the lines are meant to represent the Web of Arachne Solara. At the northeast edge of the Grove, where it borders the cliff’s edge, a set of precarious steps has been carved into the cliff face. Descending these, one finds a ledge jutting out from the cliff about five meters below the grove. This wide, flat shelf is called the “Spirits’ Dance,” and is marked off by spirit posts carved with Spirit and Air Runes and each capped by a bleached deer skull. The winds are strong here, tugging at the clothes and hair. The shamans of the Svarthjort usually sit upon this ledge when they discorporate, their spirits sent out upon the winds. When a Royal dies, or one of the White Hart shamans, their bodies are left here exposed to the elements until only bones remain. These are then gathered and placed in a _teka,_ buried in the Bone Field. From the Grove the Royal holds court over the beasts of the Vale. Every Wild Day of Fertility Week, the beasts gather in revel here, growling and howling and roaring their hymns and their prayers as they dance through the night. Humans are forbidden to witness this, and those who have tried have been torn to pieces. Those seeking to walk the White Hart shamanic path come here to seek the Royal’s approval and instruction. He is the chief shaman of the Svarthjort. The process of awakening a White Hart shaman’s fetch begins here as well. Thus it is not unusual to find shamanic assistants in the area of the Grove. ### The Bone Field Between Stag's Hill and the slopes of Mount Quivin the Bone Field stretches. Nothing will grow in this field. The earth is black and hard, and in Sea, Fire, and Earth seasons a ground mist clings to it. This is where the male dead of the Svarthjort clan are laid to rest, beside the mound that houses the remains of their mythic founder. At the base of Stag's Hill is the Pyre, a rectangular slab of granite scorched black and always dusted with ashes. An ancient stone cross—the Sword of Humakt—stands behind it. When a clansman dies, his remains lie in state for seven days to see if his soul returns and then on the eighth are burned here upon a bed of Rune-carved logs. What is left—bone fragments and ash—are gathered and interned in urns (_teka_) to be planted in the Bone Field. The Pyre serves as a shrine to Humakt. While tradition holds that all men lie in state for seven days, this is not always the case for the destitute who cannot afford elaborate funeral rites, or criminals found unworthy of them. These men are buried (rather than cremated) at the far side of the field, face down in case their restless spirits try to rise. Sometimes a bronze spike is driven through their skulls or hearts to pin them down to their graves. There is usually one Humakt initiate on duty standing watch here in case something like this should occur. On days sacred to the Sword God, the Humakti of the clan gather here as well. Beside the Pyre is the Sword Ring, a circular patch of earth where duels and sparring are conducted. ### High Deer Falls and the Deer Run The Deer Run is the physical manifestation of Running Doe, the mate of the Black Stag. She emerges at the far northern end of Black Stag Vale, a rushing underground stream that bursts from a high (500m) cliff face and plunges down into a crystal clear pool. Both the pool and the falls are called “High Deer.” The stream that rushes away from the pool, the Deer Run, travels the entire length of the Vale and exits through a gate in the wooden palisade wall. The Deer Run is an important source of fresh water for the Svarthjort, who claim it tastes purer and cleaner than “other” waters. While the Vale gets ample rain, and the Run is not used for irrigation, it is still connected to the fertility of the land. In times of drought, when the stream runs dry, each week inflicts a cumulative -10% on the Harvest Results roll. While the Run is not used for daily bathing or washing, there are a number of sacred traditions surrounding it, most connected to fertility and healing. New-borns throughout the Vale are washed in the Run soon after birth, and its waters are the first any Svarthjort is ever bathed with. The water is also used to wash girls before they enter the Riddle, as is the water used to cleanse women just prior to their elevation to the priestesshood of Ernalda. Women attempting to conceive drink nothing else but water from the Deer Run, and those attempting to catch the eye of a male suitor are known to anoint themselves with drops of Deer Run water in the same manner as perfume. In Sea Season, salmon swim up the Deer Run to spawn in the pool at High Deer. When caught and eaten, these salmon are believed to give men virility and sexual stamina. Finally, those Svarthjort who are grieving the loss of a loved one often travel to the pool at High Deer and pour their grief into a small stone. When tossed into the pool, this is believed to start the process of healing. Running Doe receives no direct worship, as she is intertwined with the Black Stag and the White Hart and receives a portion of worship from them. There is, however, a shrine to the Doe at the base of the High Deer. Each year, a young woman of the clan is selected to tend it. She is always the first girl to undergo the Riddle initiation into adulthood that year. Her duties involve going to the shrine each sunset with offerings of flowers and honey and singing a hymn to the spirit of the waters. ## Holy Days, High Holy Day Most Svarthjort men are initiates of Orlanth Thunderous, revering him as the Rainbringer and fertilizer of the earth. Thus Windsday of Movement Week is a holy day each season, with the men gathering atop Stag Hill and its upper slopes to offer worship and sacrifice. Savan, or one of his two junior priests, leads these rites. Before the ritual begins the hill becomes crowned in cloud and mist to conceal it from the eyes of the profane, though thunder is often heard throughout the Vale and the sky is lit by lightning. Windsday, Movement Week, Storm Season is the High Holy Day, with rituals beginning at sunset the night before and continuing though the next day. The Windsdays of Sacred Time are equally holy. The women are nearly all initiates of Ernalda. Every Clayday women worship around the hearth while the men are away in the fields, and though young children are often underfoot during these ceremonies they do not participate. Minor offerings are made, and prayers for health and fertility given. On Clayday of Fertility Week, however, the women of the clan all gather before the Riddle for seasonal rites, led by Morganeth and her priestesses. These rites are forbidden to the eyes of men and children. On Ernalda’s High Holy Day (Clayday, Fertility Week, Earth Season), Morganeth actually leads a procession of women _into_ the Riddle, and rites of worship and sacrifice are performed in darkness and secrecy. # The Storm Tribe ## Themes The central theme of Glorantha is the relationship between man and god, between the mythical and the mundane. The Orlanthi believe the deeds of ancient gods and heroes define our present world and that these deeds will be repeated, for good and ill, in the future. Men were not created to serve the gods, and instead have entered into ancient oaths and pacts with them for protection and benefit. Another important theme is the conflict between freedom, with its attendant requirement of personal responsibility, and submission to outside forces. The Orlanthi are a proudly independent people but have been conquered by the powerful Lunar Empire. They chafe under the Lunar yoke and have rebelled several times, albeit unsuccessfully. The Sartarites prophesy that a great Rebel King, the “Argrath,” will lead the Orlanthi to shatter the Lunar Empire and begin a new Gods War, called the Hero Wars. At the core of most games set in Sartar will be the hero’s community – most likely his clan. The hero will always have a tension between his desires and the demands of his clan. Orlanthi society expects that the needs of the clan take precedence over the wishes of the individual; all members of the clan are collectively responsible for the deeds of their fellow members. The clan may end up fighting with entities that the heroes wish could be allies, or perhaps forbidding the heroes from picking new fights. The hero may have to repeatedly choose between the demands of his clan and the interests of his friends and companions. Such tension is the making of epic and tragedy alike. A final theme is between change and tradition. The Orlanthi, like many Gloranthan societies, are profoundly traditionalist, cleaving hard to the ways established by their ancestors. New ideas and innovations are viewed with fear and loathing. Yet, Orlanth is a god of Change; he changed the nature Glorantha itself so the world might survive. ## Cultural Traits ### A Culture of Gifts and Loyalty Gifts carry powerful obligations and responsibilities in Orlanthi culture. The receiver of a gift is obligated to reciprocate, if not with a counter-gift of equivalent value, then with deeds and service. Gifts are commonly thought of as debts the receiver must repay. This exchange of gifts for loyalty is central to Orlanthi society and blessed by the god Orlanth. Because gifts always carry obligations in Orlanthi society, the Orlanthi view claims of altruism with extreme suspicion. When a chieftain gives a man a sword or golden ring, the recipient is obliged to serve and support the chief (unless he can give the chieftain a gift of equal value). A successful chief must be generous in giving gifts to his supporters! The same dynamic is present when the clan gives land to its members; in doing so, the clan binds the recipient closer to the clan. The Orlanthi carry over the logic of gift-exchange to concepts like feud and vengeance. Wrongs done to someone, like gifts given to him, make the injured party a debtor who must repay the “gift” in kind. But in the world of feud, unlike the world of gift-exchange, the debts are debts of blood. > [!Info] Wergild Wergild follows a general pattern across all Orlanthi clans, though variations always exist. It is based upon status, wealth, importance, and other measures of social status. Nobles have the highest wergild. A Clan Chieftain, selected by his folk, a Priest or Priestess dedicated to the gods; worth 100 cattle; a Tribal King, whose tribe has a ring and a wyter of its own, worth 200 cattle; and a High King, who rules all peoples and withstands divine scrutiny, worth 2000 cattle. Thanes have the next highest wergild, worth 50 cattle. A Thane who lives in a noble’s household and is sworn to fight for the noble; the Head of any bloodline recognized by the clan; a God-Talker, chosen by the gods; the Lawspeaker, who can recite the clan's law. Freemen, or Carls, are worth 25 cattle. Any one with a stead, a herd of 42 cattle, a full plow and plow team, and hands enough to harvest it, as long as he has weapons as well; a Skald; a Healer. The lowest wergild is given to Cottars, worth 10 cattle. Half-carls, with half a plow and half a team, or a full plow, or a full team; Makers, who build and craft; Cabbagefolk, who scrabble in gardens; Traders, who count money; Stickpickers, who gather fallen wood in the forest; Jugglers and other vulgar poets; and Beggars, every one a thief if your back is turned. Thralls and outlaws have no wergild, although the owner of a thrall may seek compensation for the destruction of property. > [!Info] What is a cow worth? Under Orlanthi law, “cow” is a milk cow that has successfully given birth to at least two calves. Although the laws specify payment in cattle, people commonly accept other things of equivalent value, especially when they know the other party does not have the cows to give. This is never required, however, and a plaintiff may demand actual cows. He might do this because he gains status from owning cows, or simply so he has an excuse to not accept wergild. Certain items are worth more than a single cow, such as a trained ox being worth 1 1/2 cows and a horse being worth 4 cows. The exact ratio of trade goods to cattle varies depending on craftsmanship, materials, and scarcity. The following equivalencies are average for most Sartarite clans: 1 milk cow = 20 bushels of barley = 5 hogs = 7 ewes = 20 silver coins. Tribute paid to a tribe is set when the clan joins. It is usually set in cows, but often includes other things based on the clan’s agreement with its fellows, including sheep, grain, horses, defense, and even magic. ### Cultural Sayings The Orlanthi live in an extremely dangerous world and their culture is extremely violent by our modern standards; the god Orlanth acknowledges this with his first law: “Violence is always an option.” Orlanthi will kill impulsively over insults and slights to honor, to avenge wrongs done to them or their clan, in anger, or for any of a thousand other reasons. Indeed, killing a person who is not of your clan is not a crime under Orlanthi law – it is rather akin to a type of property damage and is in theory compensable by paying wergild to the victim’s kin! And yet, the Great Goddess Ernalda provides the Orlanthi with their second divine law: “There is always another way.” Orlanthi society provides alternatives to violence: community, clan, and tribe. Orlanth asserts the power of the individual; society functions because of Ernalda. ### Land Farm land is gifted by the clan to each free farmer in small field strips about the size a plow team can work in a day or two. A team of four to eight oxen pulls the plow, guided by the plowman (usually a carl) and the ox-driver (often his wife or a son). The fields of a single farmer are typically scattered throughout the clan lands and marked by low walls built from the stony ground. Many clans also have small fruit orchards and vineyards that are worked by individual families. ### Housing Most Orlanthi farms, called steads, consist of sturdy, all-purpose log houses (called a “hall” or “longhouse”) designed to withstand the cold, snowy winters of Dragon Pass. A typical stead includes a couple of long houses, each housing one or more nuclear families and their livestock. Other buildings include sheds for animals, hay, and other storage, workshops and other outbuildings. Furniture is home made. ### Villages and Towns Most Sartarites live on their farms or in small villages with fewer than 500 people. Each village is the center for a local clan or group of clans and has shrines dedicated to the gods of the local clan or tribe. A small weekly market is held in every village. Most of the residents are farmers or herders, but some are local crafters such as thatchers, carpenters, potters, coopers, and redsmiths (workers in bronze). Others are the mercenaries and retainers of the clan’s chief and thanes. Earthworks and other fortifications defend most Sartarite villages. There are a number of towns with 300 to 1000 residents scattered throughout Sartar. Most are tribal centers, where the various clans of the tribe can assemble for trade, worship, and assembly. Towns support a wider specialization of crafters than villages and some towns even have an ironsmith. The typical Sartarite town is defended by a combination of earthworks, stone or wooden walls, gatehouses and towers. ### Food Barley is the staple grain of the Orlanthi, supplemented by wheat and oats. Beer is the staple beverage, sometimes flavored with hops. Many clans grow fruits such as apples, berries, cherries, and grapes. Wine is a drink favored by the wealthy. Lamb is the most common meat, followed by pork. Cattle are used mainly to pull plows but extra animals are avidly eaten. Goats are considered religiously unclean and are never eaten, and rarely even tolerated. Wild game of all types is common. Horse, bear, and bison are considered luxury meats. Poultry include chickens and the smaller Singing Hen. Meat is roasted or boiled. Every man, woman and child has their own knife, and spoons of horn or wood; otherwise, they eat with their fingers. ### Livestock The two most important livestock for the Orlanthi are cattle and sheep. Cattle are draft animals, and to a lesser extent, a source of meat and milk. Sheep are a source of fleece, meat, and milk. Sheep are less valued than cattle, if just as important. Sheep are typically grazed in the hills, while cattle are more typically grazed in the lowlands. Bulls and rams have great religious significance for the Orlanthi: both animals are associated with manifestations of Orlanth. Sheep and cattle are targets for raiders, although a cattle raid is generally more prestigious and lucrative than a sheep raid. The Orlanthi raise other animals as well: horses, pigs, and poultry. Horses are highly valued but not as useful; the rough, rocky terrain of Sartar is treacherous for all but their sure-footed Galana ponies. Pigs are widely raised and are the second most important source of meat. Poultry is commonplace and most families keep a small brood on their stead to supplement their larder. ### Alynxes The Orlanthi make use of a domesticated feline called an “alynx” for tasks that are given elsewhere to dogs – especially herding and hunting. They vary from the size of a housecat to that of a large dog. Sacred to the god Yinkin, alynxes are noted for their silent movement. Domesticated alynxes come in distinct colors and patterns, but wild alynxes are usually dark in color, occasionally with darker spots or stripes. They mate seasonally; both parents tend the young, and separate afterwards. Alynxes are very intelligent animals, with an unbreakable alliance with the people of Orlanth. Although they are easily trained, alynxes always remain somewhat willful, and will do much as they please, regardless of the inconvenience to nearby humans. ### Clothing The common Orlanthi has both everyday, practical clothing and some special clothes for important events. Everyday clothing is usually leather or wool to resist the rugged daily tasks of farming, herding and hunting. Dress clothes are usually made of fine leather and linen decorated with furs and, occasionally, feathers. Linings, exotic cloth or furs, and fancy stitching or brightly dyed cloth indicate wealthier clothing. The Orlanthi normally use thong ties or metal clasps (fibulae) to hold things closed; they do not have buttons. Commonly, men wear trousers and a long tunic. Over this is customarily worn a leather or quiltedwool jerkin and a wool cloak to resist cold and wet. Some powerful Orlanthi holy men go “skyclad” (no clothes) or wearing only blue woad body paint. Women typically wear a long tunic to the ankles with a double apron dress pinned at the shoulders by a pair of brooches. A woman of authority wears the keys of the household on her belt. As with men, a wool cloak is worn to resist cold and wet. Most people wear heavy-soled leather sandals with a long lace that is wound up the wearer's leg. The poor go barefoot and wear no footwear, as do members of certain cults and religious societies. Headgear is common. Among men, a stout broadbrimmed hat or a felt cap is most common. Women commonly wear a fillet, a hood, or more elaborate headdresses. Many priests and godtalkers have distinctive headgear, the most distinctive being a high, conical hat with ram’s horns sewn in, often associated with Orlanth cults. Jewelry is common to men and women, including broaches, fibulae, bracelets, finger rings, necklaces and neck rings. Only women wear ear rings. Only men wear arm rings. ### Weapons and Armor The basic arms of the Orlanthi are a bronze-tipped spear, bronze axe and a shield, to which the wealthy might add a sword, a helmet, and bronze armor. Bows and slings are common missile weapons. Shields are usually wooden with leather facing, round or oval in shape. Rare shields are faced in bronze. Shields are usually brightly painted and decorated. The Orlanthi learned the art of metal-working from the dwarfs (who taught Gustbran). They are skilled red-smiths with a distinctive and highly ornate style. Bronze is commonly used for spear heads, axes, swords, helmets and, more rarely, armor. Spears are extremely common amongst the Orlanthi and nearly every free adult male owns one. The Orlanthi use a wide range of spears, some designed for throwing, others for thrusting. Axe head styles are equally diverse; one and two-handed axes are both common. Orlanthi swords are normally long and leaf-shaped, equally suited for thrusting or cutting. Long slashing swords are popular amongst horsemen. Well-made swords are intricately decorated and often given names. The Orlanthi have an amazingly varied array of helmet styles. Some have cheek pieces, and guards for the nose and neck; others protect nearly the entire head with slits for the eyes and mouth. Orlanthi decorate their helmets with inlays, crests, plumes, and feathers. Some cults use special helmets with ram or bull horns to signify their gods. Metal armor is rare and very valuable. Coats of bronze scales or chain mail are worn by chiefs and thanes, as are cuirasses of bronze plates. Greaves and vambraces protect the limbs. ### Community Only the most lost and forlorn character is alone in Glorantha. To be alone is universally considered the ultimate calamity. People are expected to be a part of society, usually as a member of several different communities within it. In return, an individual can reasonably expect assistance from his communities. This chapter describes the most important communities your character is likely to be a member of and presents guidelines for creating your character’s most important community – his clan. ### The Household For help, people usually go to their family first, usually because someone in the family is close, either emotionally or physically. This kind of advice or help is utterly informal and personal. It has no intrinsic meaning in terms of political or spiritual law. “A family has no secrets.” Whatever happens to one person happens to the entire household. It must be brought to the attention of the household to be addressed. If it is not, the issue is considered to have been a secret and therefore dishonorable. The household head usually makes some decision on the issue at hand. Maybe the entire household agrees; they probably sit around, discuss the issue, and decide whether to support it or not. The household goddesses protect the household. The sacred hearth is the domain of the senior woman of the household. ### Household Members The average Orlanthi household (or “hearth”) contains anywhere from six to forty individuals, residing in a single farmstead. At its center are normally a married couple, their children, grandchildren and other descendents, their dependents and guests. The membership of a household is always changing, for individuals move from hearth to hearth in response to the needs of the agricultural year or simply to follow the wind. Many households have non-bloodline members such as cottars, guests, or fosterlings; some households own thralls (a type of slavery practiced by a few clans). Some important or notable households may have specialist retainers like mercenaries or crafters. ### Organisations and Customs #### The Individual *“No one can make you do anything.”* — Heort's Laws. Orlanthi society recognizes personal identity and individuality. It acknowledges a sense of self, but nurtures it only in a societal setting. The Orlanthi culture recognizes the biological urge of the single, lone rebel but subsumes it under the collective good. The mythology of Orlanth places the god in both the position of lawless outcast and as rule-making centre of the collective. It simultaneously allows each person to do exactly what he wants, and demands that they bow to the general will. The social conflict inherent in this system almost defines the turbulent Orlanthi society and barbarian politics. #### Age *“Respect is owed to the elders, for they are the memory of experience.”* — Heort's Laws Orlanthi are ranked according to their age. Wisdom, one of the basic Orlanthi virtues can be accumulated only by personal experience. People are ranked, according to their experiences, into these classes: children (“not-adults”), adults, parents, and elders. Not-adult status is for children, or people adopted into the clan. It is conferred upon all children born of Orlanthi parents, or is granted to outsiders who are sponsored, and who meet various criteria to remain within the society. A not-adult has few responsibilities and minimal privileges. The basic requirement is for the not-adult to be obedient, and in return, they get protection and sustenance. Not-adult membership is begun while the child is still in utero, and is granted 7 days after birth in a simple ceremony that is an occasion for great joy among participants. Mature foreigners who wish to become members must undergo a First Rite, a period of instruction of at least 6 months, and a Birthday rite that makes them not-adult members of the clan. Children become adults after a formal initiation ceremony, parts of which are the most closely held secrets of the clan. The adulthood initiation rites are offered to not-adults between the ages of 15 and 19, depending upon local custom, the availability of initiators, and other on-going circumstances. On the average, initiations occur every five years. The process includes a preparatory period of guidance and education, a period of time spent with only the initiators, a solemn test of the individual, and a final ceremony which transforms the not-adult into a full member of society. In the old days, failure at a fierce wilderness initiation test resulted in the death of the youths who failed. Among modern Sartarites, with mixed gender rites and desanctified ceremony, failure results only in the expulsion and outlawry of the child. Adulthood confers full privileges and responsibilities. The welcoming of the reborn child is a true “initiation,” for it initiates a person's life as a member of society. Details of this are below. >[!Info] The Ordeal Years Traditionally, new adults in Orlanthi cultures go through a period of cult training or apprenticeship, often called the “Ordeal Years”. The newly initiated young men (which include those women chosen by Vinga) are brought to Orlanth Adventurous and given weapons, a cloak, and a broad hat. This is sometimes done by the clan, more often by the tribe; in some cities, the young men live in the temple or guild house; in other traditional clans, they live in the wilderness. For the next two years, they learn to fight alone and as part of the militia. They raid and hunt, learn to run long distances, how to climb cliffs, and other physical training. Most importantly, they learn the songs and dances of the Orlanthi gods and heroes, how to speak with spirits, and of sex, the bonds of friendship, and the duties of men. Similarly, initiated young women are brought to Ernalda and given a appropriate weapons (linked to the sub-cult, most women receive only a dagger but a Babeester Gor initiate would receive weapon like young men), a dress, a belt, a hooded cloak. This is sometimes done by the clan, more often by the tribe; in some cities, the young women live in the temple or are hosted in steads as "adopted daughters"; in other traditional clans, they live in the wilderness. For the next two years, they learn the place of their cult (and sub-cult) in the society. Most importantly, they learn the songs and dances of the Orlanthi gods and heroes, how to speak with spirits, and of sex, the bonds of friendship, and the duties of women. Now during the Lunar Occupation of places like Boldhome, New Pavis, or the other Sartarite cities, this had to be more circumspect. Young men and women were often sent to relatives in the countryside to learn how to be Orlanthi - for example, many went to Garhound in Pavis County, where they were under the protection of the clan chieftain. In Boldhome, many had kin among the tribes. Ironically, this may have created a stronger and more defined Orlanthi cults identity among the Sartarite communities and one often more loyal or devoted to the Orlanthi cults to their own city. Parents are adults who have born or fathered a child. Marriage age is around 20, but can be at any adult age. Parenthood does not confer any special legal status. Instead, it grants those things that come with being part of a bloodline, and its inherent concerns, responsibilities, and blessings. Anyone who has not become a parent by age 37 may, whenever they desire, undertake the Wanderlore rite, after which they too, are Parents. Elders are anyone over 60 years old. Elders, the repositories of wisdom, are widely respected, sometimes merely for the fact that they have survived in a life which is usually unstable, and often violent. Anyone over 85 is considered very old, and over 100 is ancient. Occasional extraordinary individuals have apparently limitless years of life, but this is rare. #### Legal Status Membership in society is a prerequisite to obtaining its benefits. If someone is “one of us” then they are expected to believe what we believe, and to operate by our laws and customs. The Orlanthi system recognizes different levels of status within the clan, each with its own qualities of life. This status is conferred by the clan upon someone. It is not determined by the personal property that an individual or his family/bloodline has (though such things are influential.) **Nobles** are the highest rank. They are leaders. Several ranks of noble exist. The lowest is that of Clan Chief. Ranked above that is Tribal King. In a normal clan, only two noble families probably exist: the clan chieftain, and the high priestess. **Thanes** are the next rank. They are tribe folk who have leadership roles, secular, military, or sacred, and have undertaken unusual responsibilities. They are the heads of households, the god-talkers who lead sacred functions, leading merchants or craftspeople, bodyguard huscarls for the chief, and members of the clan council. They receive, for their troubles, increased status, and wealth from the clan. An older version of their name means “horse men,” denoting their status. **Carls** are next, the free class of farmers. Carls have the widest range of legal rights and responsibilities. This rank is sometimes called a “Cattle man.” To qualify, a man must have a whole ox-team and a plow, and he receives as much land as he can plow in two seasons, or a “hide.” Carls are also expected to own a minimal set of military equipment, and use it to defend the community whenever the chief says to. **Cottars**, also called “Sheep men,” are the next class. They are the people who live in cottages, and/ or make much of their livelihood from sheep herds and garden plots. (There is a half-carl, but there is no point in going into that here. They must own “a half-team [4-oxen] or a whole plow.” They generally receive 27 acres of plow land that they work with other people's oxen and plow.) **Thralls** are the lowest class of person, mere slaves without any legal status at all. They are considered to be their owner's property, as if an alynx, cow, or horse, but not identified as people. Among the Dragon Pass Orlanthi, the status is recognized, but has long been out of practice, especially to emphasize their love of freedom, and to differentiate themselves from the slave-owning Lunars. Most of the thralls we know about are either debt slaves or criminals, though there is also the occasional recalcitrant war prisoner. Traditionally, the children of Orlanthi slaves are not slaves, and are adopted into the clan that owns the mother. **Outsiders** include all people who do not belong to Orlanthi society. In other words, it is the biggest sense of them that a tribesman can have. Outsiders are classified in different ways, according to how far outside of Orlanthi society they are. **Guests** are from someplace outside of normal society, but are temporarily protected by someone inside. A ceremony, properly witnessed, is necessary for someone to get this status. The sponsor and his kin are responsible for everything the guest does. **Strangers** are people who are from outside of the immediate group (usually clan or tribe) but who are still members of Orlanthi society. They can be trusted to follow normal rules and beliefs. **Outlaws** are those people who have been cast out of society, either because they have behaved without justice or honor, or have chosen to depart. Although sanctioned by the blessing of Orlanth, outlawry is a lonely, dismal, and often fatal way of life. An outlaw has been stripped of his obligatory connections to kin, chief, and tribe. He is utterly free, but has no social system to draw support from. If he is an outlaw, and hunted by enemies, he is usually doomed. **Foreigners** are people who are not Orlanthi, distinguishable by their different language, traditions, religion, or other characteristic. Many people who were Orlanthi peoples in ancient times have become foreigners through the adoption of foreign ways. **Elder Races** is a term that includes all of the intelligent non-humans that are not chaotic. In the Colymar tribal area live dragonewts, and the elusive dryad of Tarndisi's Grove. Nearby live Aldryami (wood people), Mostali (stone people), Uzko (darkness people), and half-beasts such as centaurs and intelligent ducks in nearby Beast Valley. **Chaos** is evil. Chaos is a force that manifests in many different forms, all of which are anti-life and work to harm the Orlanthi and others. Chaos can be things, beings, forces, or actions. No compromise is allowed with any type of chaos. Those forms of chaos which are most similar to Orlanthi beliefs are those which are especially abhorred; for instance, the unbridled violence of Urain is chaotic, but not the controlled violence of Urox. Likewise, Lokmayadism is chaotic, which is the reformation of both society and cult around an individual for his own aggrandizement, but not the “Foundation Ritual” which Orlanth taught, and is used every time a new tribe, clan, or nation is founded. #### The Combat Option *“Violence is always an option.”* The Orlanthi always recognize the right to fight for what they want. But mindless violence for selfish ends is not acceptable. Orlanth has made laws on the just use of violence. The clan nature of the society allows a champion of the clan to do all the fighting for everyone in it. It need not always be the same person in a clan — the best candidate in a fight to the death might not be the right guy to have in a wrestling match. #RQ