Re: (TFT) Clerics

[Pasha and or Rick Smith <pnrsmith@istar.ca>]

>Hello TFTers
>
>I was just wondering how the verious Game Masters out there handle 
>Clerics/Priests within your games. My wife wan't to play one in an upcoming 
>game. 
>
>Do you just use spells, or does anyone out there have a list of Cleric

>special abilities they would like to share?



Religions in TFT			By Rick Smith
(Short Version)

The purpose of this article is to give a skeleton outline of how religion can be made to work in TFT with out resorting to D&D style spells for priests.  In particular I do not wish to give clerics "Free" or "God Powered" spells, or make them healing factories.  I wish clerics to be engaging characters and not unbalancing.

Terminology:
Bojum:		Any powerful thing from out there, especially if it is hostile.

Cleric:		Generic term, means an Acolyte, Priest or Theologian of any religion.

Ka:  		A great soul.  A soul of a God, Djinn, or other power.

Spirit: 		A type of soul that some non-humans have.  Powerfully affected by magic, and often powerful users of magic.  Spirits are 'souls' that are strongly dependent on the Mana level.  Some have thought that perhaps they are souls of living mana.

Soul:		The essence of the living being.  The personality or spirit that exists after a person has died.  Note that Demons, Devils, etc. will offer powerful inducements to convince a person to voluntarily give up the 'rights' to their soul after death.  It is known that souls can be destroyed to power 'existential magic'. Since at least some of the weaker gods use existential magic, some theorize that all gods need souls for this purpose.

Wisps: 		Wisps are weak souls that never seem to have been associated with a body.  They are occasionally troublesome.


Theory of Theology:
All human religions believe that humans have souls that are of value to Gods, Demons, Spirits and other powerful Ka.  Some religions believe that the Souls after death go to paradises or hells, while others believe that the souls are recycled, and reincarnated into new bodies.  The fate of nonbelievers varies widely.  Some believe that they should be consigned to torment; others, that they should be helped on their way to their own god.
Virtually all religions (of any race) do not consider the soul to be sure to make it where ever it is going.  Ghosts, and other shades of known people prove that souls can become stuck on this world instead of safely passing on to where ever.  Clerics warn that it is vital, that newly killed people be brought to a priest to have last rites, to help the soul pass on its way.  A variety of rare demonic horrors will prey on the souls of the newly dead, becoming more powerful and more able to affect the real world.
This is the background for TFT Religions.
Talents:
The following talents can be learned to help clerics study their trade. Note that most religions require wizards to pay double for these talents.  A few religions do not, however they normally are specialized in some ways and the wizards will pay a penalty  (see the sample religions at the end of the article).  There are 3 talents specifically for clerics:

IQ 9
ACOLYTE (0.5) This is the basic training needed to become a priest.   You will know the basic tenets of your religion.   Those who are very pious,  will give you a +1 reaction.   If your GM is giving special abilities to priests,  an acolyte may try to use them,  but most of the time this will not work,  (GM should only allow it to work in the most dramatic of time,  and often not even then.)

IQ 11
PRIEST (2) coreq Acolyte. Religious training in what ever religion you support.  You generally get +2 reaction from people who are friendly to your religion, and will help the moral of parties travelling with you. 

Some GMs will give Priests special or magical powers.

IQ 13
THEOLOGIAN (2) coreq Priest. Like Priest only more so. This is the level of ability needed to be a high priest or similar character.   Generally they get +3 reactions with those of their faith.   
If the GM is giving special powers to Priests,  Theologians should get about double. 

Thus a Theologian (who with the proper administration skills could become a high priest for a powerful city) will have spent 5 memory points for his knowledge.  What does he get for these points?

In addition to knowledge about the religion, and pantheon, etc. the cleric can learn special abilities that are called "Holy Rites" or "Rites" for short.  These should not be confused with wizard's rites, they are different.  Rites do not cost a cleric IQ points, they are included in the cost for the various clerical talents.  A priest begins with no rites, a prime goal of this character type is to be 'blessed' and gain or be taught these rites in the service of the god. 
In all of the Holy Rites below, the cleric will be referred to as 'her' and any one else will be 'him'.

Last Rites:  
Costs a Priest 5 fST and 30 seconds of prayer, or a Theologian 2 fST and 15 seconds (double fST cost and quadruple time for unwilling souls).  This also requires a 3vsIQ but if the roll is failed, the cleric can try again with no penalty (except on a critical failure when the soul is trapped here or some other disaster happens).  
This is normally the only Holy Rite that acolytes receive, and any priest worth her salt will have this.  It is the basic priestly rite.
The rite should be done over the body within 2 days of the death, but within one hour is better.  If soul eating demons are near by it should be done at once or the soul may be destroyed.
The purpose of Last Rites is to help the soul escape from this plane and go onward, guiding it to the final destination.  It is strongly believed by most clerics that last rites preforms 3 services:
It gives the soul power to leave this plane.
It speeds the soul on his way, getting to where ever quicker, with less chance to become lost.
It lowers the chance that the soul will be way-laid on the way.

Depending on the religion Last Rites may be used in different ways:  only for members of your own religion,  to help any being on to where it wants to go, to condemn members of other religions to some terrible fate.  When consigning some soul or spirit to some horrible fate (that it is unwilling to go to) Last Rites costs twice as much fST to cast and will take at least 4 times as long to preform.
Note a character can not be revived if his soul has been sent on, so doing this to someone you don't wish to be brought back to life is a valid tactic.
Last Rites are a clerics most important function, and they should go out of the way to give these rites to poor souls where ever they are.

Priest's Blessing:
This costs a Priest 10 seconds of prayer, and 2 fST,  (1 fST for a Theologian), and a 2vsST.  
The Priest's Blessing will help protect the blessed person's soul from dangers.  If the person should die, the soul will stay firmly in the body until last rites can be given, and even if they are not given, the soul when it eventually leaves (in up to 5 days), will have an extra boost of power.
If a evil entity tries to eat a blessed soul, the soul should be able to fight free and try to escape onward.
Occasionally the blessing will give a living figure a 1 die bonus when rolling against possessions.  This will only work on the class of "Spiritual Possessions", it has no effect against magical possessions or psionic possessions.
This rite has an additional effect that is purely psychological: very strong believers in the cleric's religion, will have their moral improved if they feel that they have been blessed by their cleric.  The higher the status and fame of the cleric, the more impersonal the blessing can be for this moral bonus.  (Tho with many people as apposed to an individual normally the blessing is much more involved than a 10 second prayer.)

Supernatural Calm:
This costs a Priest 2 fST (Theologians 1 fST) and continuous praying for the duration of the Supernatural Calm.  There is no roll required for the Supernatural Calm, however other actions are at -3 DX, and actions requiring speaking are precluded.
When unholy or supernaturally terrifying entities are about, often they will try to panic their victims.  When a priest prays for Supernatural Calm, she will help all believers within hearing by 2 extra dice to resist these attempts.  (Normally they roll 2 fewer dice vs IQ or Bravery as appropriate.)
Dead souls can likewise be panicked (which makes them more vulnerable to Possession or being consumed. Supernatural Calm will calm friendly souls and make unintelligent hostile spirits less aggressive.

Do not confuse Supernatural Calm with the steading influence of a cleric (especially a praying cleric) on the moral of a party.  Most parties get +1 Bv against such horrors for even just an acolyte in the party. A full priest actively praying can give most people a +2 Bv (or more if the believer is particularly devote).  Groups with clerics tend to be braver because they know their soul will be well taken care of if worst comes to worst.  The moral of any group without clerics should be shaky.


Sentence Soul:
This normally is only awarded to Theologians of very evil religions.  It costs 5 fST, 10 minutes of prayer, and a 4vsDX.
This rite sentences a soul to remain forever on this plane of existence.  The soul will become a ghost, zombie, ghoul, or some other form of undead unless it can fight free of this rite (and usually it can't with out help).  The soul is vulnerable to Spiritual Diseases and if infected for long enough may go mad, become evil, or twist into some crippled shadow of its original form.
If the undead is given last rites, the soul may someday be saved, if it is not yet too polluted.



Sense Focus:
This Rite is rarely given out to Priests and the cost varies widely for them (the listed price is for a Theologian).
4 fST at least 20 minutes of prayer (3 hours is better) and a 4vsIQ.  The GM will secretly make this roll and the better it is the better the clue that the GM will give to the cleric.  On a critical failure the specter will learn of the cleric and perhaps gain knowledge of a weakness the cleric has.
Many ghosts are anchored to this world by a physical object that has gained psychic influences.  Such an object is called the Ghost's Focus. Ghosts with focus' tend to be more powerful than normal, better able to affect the real world with strange spell like affects.  However inevitably the focus will lose psychic powers and fade away (usually over a period of many years).  Some ghosts learn how to prey on the life forces of living beings and 'recharge' their focus.  These ghosts can grow more powerful as time passes.  Such ghosts are known by many names but are often called Specters.
Specters (and all such ghosts) have a weakness.  If the focus is discovered and physically destroyed, the ghost's power will be broken, and it can be given Last Rites or simply left to fade away.  This can be a holy act (sending on a trapped soul), or simply destroying a deadly threat.
Sense Focus has the cleric pray for a long period of time.  If the GM makes the cleric's (secret) IQ roll the GM should give her a clue as to what the focus is or where it is at.  These clues are usually hard to interpret and may mislead at first.  At least one holy day should pass before this Rite can be attempted again (typically a minor holy day comes once a week with 2 or 3 more extras per month).  If the cleric misses this secret roll the GM should say she detects only meaningless confusion or (on a bad roll) give some sort of false clue.


Channel Lives:
Costs a Priest 8 fST or a Theologian 4 fST, a day of prayer and fasting, and a secret 4vsIQ.  The GM rolls for this information rite.
This is normally only awarded to religions where the souls are reincarnated. It allows the priest to see some sort of vision of the soul's previous incantation, the past lives of this soul. 
The better the roll, the better the information.  Some very holy people have some control of which life they wish to gain info on,  most just get a random life (but usually a fairly recent one).  On a critical failure, a false vision may be seen.


Spiritual Healing:
Cost is 3 fST per hour, for each hours prayer (1 fST / hour for Theologians).  Requires a 3vs Adjusted ST roll each hour or the effort is wasted.  (Thus, often a number of clerics will trade off with each other.)
When a person becomes sick they may become feverish and begin hallucinating.  This is a powerful indication that the weakened soul is being attacked by hostile Spirits, Wisps or Souls.  In these cases the sickness can vary rarely advance into a form of "Spiritual Disease" that can change the victim's personality (normally causing depression, angst, or sullenness).  Spiritual diseases can not be cured by the Cleansing spell.  They can heal naturally, or may become a chronic condition.
Some terrible diseases always carry Spiritual Components.  Lycanthropy and Vampirism can at first be cured by the Cleansing Spell, but after a time, the victim can not be so rescued (they have come to embrace their new state, and their souls have become permanently polluted.)  (Power gamers who think being a vampire is great, would become so polluted very quickly...)
Spiritual Healing tries to burn away the polluted soul and give the victim a chance to forge spiritual 'scar tissue'.   Depending on the disease and extent of damage, this may require many hours (or days) of prayer.  Note that some people, having lived many years in such misery, feel born again after their cure, and become fanatic believers in their religion.
Note that Spiritual Healing has no effect on wounds or normal disease (other than to prevent secondary spiritual infections.)  Of course, many clerics often learn normal physicking skills as well, which they can use while praying.


Sense Spirit:
Costs 1 fST (0 fST for Theologians), 15+ seconds of prayer and a secret 4vsIQ.  One roll allowed per day per time this Rite has been granted (it has been known to be granted to a single cleric a small number of times).
This will try to find a magical spirit, in the area.  It will hint at the location an the fST the spirit controls.  Again the better the roll the better the information, and critical failures will give bad information.
The information should not be specific, it should be hunches, feelings or intuitions.  The information may not come at once, but appear only when the cleric approaches the spirit.



Damning Curse:
This costs Priests 8 fST or Theologians 3 fST,  a prayer of at least 10 seconds in length, and a 5vsDX.  The prayer can be little more than a loud "Damn you to the depths" sort of thing, or it can be a more general damning given during a service and cast on heathens hundreds of kilometers away.  (A nice thing about holy rites, range is normally no limitation.)
This rite paints a glowing target on the damned victims saying to hostile spirits, demons, bojums, wisps, souls, etc. "Here is a victim!" A damning tends to bring hostile psychic interest to the damned target.  However all damnings tend to also call some attention to the person or group who did the damning (mud tends to stick to those that throw it) so this is not something that should be done lightly.
The longer the prayer, the more powerful the curse (that is the theory).
This rite is normally not given out in "nice" religions,

Psychic Barrier:
This is given exclusively to Theologians who have been very, very holy. It costs 1 fST, and lasts for as long as the Theologian is praying.  There is no roll for success.
The priest can protect a small number of people (generally about half his ST in people, but strong believers are easier to protect), from all sorts of psychic attacks.  However the Theologian himself is not protected.
The cleric can do any actions at -3 DX, but actions required speech are not allowed.
Very rarely, and for short durations, there have been Psychic Barriers that protect against psionics or some types of magic.


Call Attention:
Costs 6 fST (4 fST for Theologians) and at least 4 hours of prayers.  No roll is required.
This asks for the God(s) of the religion to look down and see his worshippers.  To help them or judge them as he or she so pleases.  This rite is normally saved for the biggest religious ceremonies of the year.
The gods of course don't always listen, and even when they do most people will never notice.  A holy person might get some good luck a few months down the line, a evil person will be judged and at the end of his life he will be send down for torment, etc.
However,  if ever you have to tell the god something, this is the best way to get his attention.


Soul Siphon:
Costs 3 fST (2 fST for Theologian), constant prayer, and a 4vsST.
This may only be used when the cleric is torturing a helpless victim.  When the physical body is in torment, the soul (normally strongly attached to the body) tries to get free.  This rite will drain off the essence of the soul, and allow the cleric to power strange and powerful magic spells.
If the soul is drained for too long, it will expire, leaving a zombie like body (which also can be used by evil clerics).
Obviously this is a rite only granted in evil religions.

Quest:
Costs 15 fST ( 12 fST for Theologians), 1 hours prayer, and a secret 4vsDX.
This rite comes and goes for no reason,  sometimes for months at a time it just doesn't work.  The cleric can ask a question of the god for herself or on behalf of some other person.  If the GM rolls well the cleric will gain a vision of a task or quest for her, or the person who was looking for the quest to preform.  The better the roll, the clearer the message.  No person can be granted more than one vision at once, they must finish the first one before the next will be given.
No reward is given (in this life at least) for completing such a quest.

Hide From Searchers:
Costs 3 fST (1 fST for Theologian), 20 seconds prayer, and a 3vsIQ.
This will allow the cleric to hide herself and any number of true believers from the searches of hostile spirits, souls, wisps, ka, etc.  The effect normally lasts for an hour or so, but Theologians may have it last for 6 times as long.

Form from Flame:
Only available to Theologians, Costs 25 fST, requires 3 days prayer, and a 4vsST.
This rite is given to a Kobold religion (Kavol-Aminin), that believes souls are forged and destroyed in fire.  The priest must pray before a mighty fire for 3 days, fasting and drinking small amounts of drugged water.  At the end of this time (if the rite is successful) the cleric will fall into a trance (where the god Kavolklotot, may give her instructions), and the 'spark of the flame' (the tiny proto-soul in the center of the blaze) will transform into a new soul to guide the tribe. Rarely a fire elemental has been known to form, but usually a wisp like soul will simply be there to guide the tribe.

Notes on Inventing New Rites.
As can be seen in the examples above, the new rites normally require a fair amount of fatigue ST to affect things that normal people can't see, or affect.  A skeptical nonbeliever would be very hard to convince with these rites that something has happened at all.  Occasionally a rite might be granted that allows the cleric to do something perceptible to normal people (turning undead would seem the proto-typical example), but the general feel your clerics should get should be that they are fighting a secret war that normal people can not see or appreciate.
When a powerful cleric is in a party of adventures, what he accomplishes should be largely undetectable to the other players.  For example:  the party runs into a few less monsters (wandering monsters directed to enemies by invisible wisps).  Because of the parties higher moral for having a cleric, a player makes a secret roll verses panic possession (with out ever knowing the danger, other than a faint sense of dread), the party is calmly instructed in the moral way to behave (helping their chances to be rewarded when they die), and are slightly more immune to psychic parasites.  
In other words the party can be slightly more lucky than normal.

An alternate way of using priest is to get them out of the background and make them draw plenty of psychic fire.  In this case the rites would be granted more liberally, and they could be much more visible and understandable to the other party members.  This sort of thing normally happens when a feud between gods breaks out in to open warfare.

The GM should whenever possible, invent unique rites for the players that are suitable for their religion.  There is no faster way to help distinguish the religions from each other.

I feel that the clerics should have successfully done Last Rites for a number of souls (20 or 30) before any new rites are granted.  (The cleric has to have paid her dues first).  Don't say, "Well you have reached 25 saved souls now,  in a dream, you get this new power!  Pencil ready?".  Instead, do what ever you can to make the onset of the new rite a mystery.  Emphasize the hard work the character is making in her theological studies,  have rites start after some especially selfless or brave action,  lead the character on a dream quest, give vague hints of the new power the god has granted.  Learning the details of the new power should be an adventure in itself (and often the player's clever ideas about what it is that they have can be combined with the real rite to make something really bizarre).

Soul Servants:
One more 'visible' expression of a gods pleasure with a cleric is for a time the cleric may be blessed with a Soul or Spirit Servant.  This is a being that has some powers and will follow the cleric around for a time helping the cleric out.  
To an outside observer, the cleric will seem to gain some strange magical powers for a time and then will lose them.  If asked about it the cleric will shrug, and mention that it is the god's will.  (Telling everyone about this neat new spirit that is helping you out is a good way to lose the spirit early).  
Indeed, many clerics (with out rites to find or talk to souls), may not even know the Soul is about.  For a little while, good things happen.

This soul is not a trapped soul, tiny wisp, ghost or the like, it is a minor Ka, an angel or divine being sent to this plane to help out.  It does not usually have powerful physical talents, but is very powerful in religious matters.  As such it moves around helping out holy people all over this world (or even many worlds).  They normally do not stay long with any one person.  While they are about (as representative to the god) it will seem as if the god is close, and unusually attentive.  Of course, any small sins will be magnified in importance in such times, and the Soul may leave if the cleric's behavior is in anyway improper.  (Tho I wish to emphasis, even perfect behavior will not keep the soul long; consider it a rolling stone.)

On very rare occasions, a weak soul of this type, will become a more long term companion with a very holy person.


Sample Religions:

Quo-Krennor

Dwarvish god of Time.  Also the god of Astrology, the Smith of Souls and the god of Wizard-Alchemists.  The god who is in the sky.

At one time the world was all Earth, Water, Fire and Air.  And gods could shape the earth and create shallow hills and valleys.  And Quo-Krennor, who is in the sky, saw that the ground should be hard and strong. And stopping time, he took his work and separated Clay from Earth, Rock from Clay, Metal from Rock.  And starting time the gods were amazed.  The gods competed against each other, and broke continents apart.  Some worked together to crush huge mountain ranges into existence,  valleys, mountains rivers and glaciers formed.  Land sank and seabeds rose, in the patience of time, to become the highest mountain tops.  Vast caves were created with wonders that Quo-Krennor marveled to see.  Quo-Krennor, looked down on what was wrot, and was pleased.
And he said to the gods, "The work is not complete.  For the work itself should feel awe at what you have wrot."  And the Gods did not understand.
Quo-Krennor, stopped time, and separated Soil from Earth, Plants from Soil, Creatures from Plants.  And in this life, all parts of the world: Earth, Water, Fire, Air were included so that all of creation itself could marvel at the god's work.
And starting Time, the gods were amazed at life.  Some foolish gods tampered with life, with foul results.  For forging life is infinitely harder than working elements.  Quo-Krennor ordered them to undo what they had done.  Some gods tried and undid much of their evil.  However some gods only pretended to undo their work.  So Quo-Krennor crushed them and threw them down, humbled, into hells, where they suffer to this day.
And Quo-Krennor mixed a mighty elixir and poured it over the world, and all manner of souls and spirits, wisps and ka, came out and inhabited the world.  Quo-Krennor felt something was missing and after thinking long, caused rocks to fall to the World from the sky.  In these meteorites came Tessarch and Tessto (Dwarven souls for Kings and followers) which inhabited the dwarven race.  And Quo-Krennor said to them, evil and foulness wanders the forests and the seas.  Dig deep fortresses so you will be safe, and destroy the flaws in creation.  
And so we dig fortresses, finding wonders we make into things of beauty, to marvel at, and thank the gods of their work.  And so we fight evil things, whenever they come within our grasp.  And so we study the sky, for time and revelation.



Notes on the worship of Quo-Krennor.
When a meteor falls to Earth, Tessarch and Tesso leave it and will inhabit the bodies of dwarves that will be born in the near future.  Meteors are holy objects and when brought back are revered.  (Many dwarves quest for them and if they are asked what they are doing they reply, "Looking for rocks.")  Nickel - Iron meteors (called Na-Quoarks) are particularly important.  Each one contains a huge number of souls and the meteorites will be made into the most powerful weapon that dwarven technology is capable of.  The sword is presented to the finder of the Na-Quoark (or occasionally to someone else if the priesthood is corrupt).  The person with the sword will attract hundreds of poorer dwarves or ones looking for adventure, and they will go off to fight evil and find a spot to be home for the new clan. Offspring of the finder will become the King of a new clan of dwarves (into this clan will be born, the souls that came to Earth on the Na-Quoark.)  
The world is considered the forge of souls.  Souls are tested by the trials of the world.  They may be reincarnated and plunged into the fire several times.  But eventually, they will be formed into something greater (to become powerful Ka working for Quo-Krennor, or the gods), or will be discarded as dross from the forge (and become the less powerful spirits or demons.)
Other races are part of creation and thus are to be respected, but are polluted by various amounts from the tamperings of the fallen gods.  Their worship of their own gods is fine, so long as they do not gainsay the pre-eminence of Quo-Krennor.  
Dwarven priest hoods are surprisingly broad minded (more so than a normal dwarf), and think nothing of risking their lives to help a fallen (non-dwarven) being's soul pass on to which ever god they prefer.  Orks an a few other races are considered hopelessly polluted and are destroyed without compunction.
Quo-Krennor is a Wizard-Alchemist, and wizards may become his clerics by spending the same cost for the talents as non-wizards.  However before becoming an acolyte, they must first become Astrologers (to measure time and look for signs in the sky).  Wizards pay full cost for Astrology.
Worship of Quo-Krennor is relatively rare (common only amongst wizard/alchemists and astrologers).  Quo-Krennor is the most distant of the gods, and does not, ever, directly intervene in the affairs of mortals.  (The other dwarven gods are much more likely to notice the dwarves and their actions).  Quo-Krennor NEVER gives out Holy Rites to his clerics, however the other dwarven gods will occasionally award rites to them.  Thus, clerics of Quo-Krennor, often worship him and at least one other deity, (to better get at least some, godly, attention).


Typical Holy Rites of Quo-Krennor:

New Soul:
Spend 10 fST (6 fST for Theologian), 10 minutes prayer, and GM makes a secret 4vsIQ roll.
This will tell if the soul of a new born is a reincarnated one or a new soul put into the forge by Quo-Krennor.  New souls are given special religious training in this their first life (to last them thru the several lifetimes they are in this world).  A new soul is a relatively rare event, and if several are born at the same time it is a sure indication that an important meteor fall (perhaps even a Na-Quoark) has occurred.

Hear Spirits:
Spend 3 fST (2 fST for Theologians), 1 minute of praying, and a 4vsDX roll.  The cleric will get a +2 DX if she is in total darkness.
This allows the cleric (only) to hear any local spirits.  The spirits can not hear her,  (unless they can normally), but if she is in distress they will know the problem.
Even if they do not understand what the cleric's problems are, they will tend to gossip on happenings in the spirit world.

Heal Crushing:
Cost: sacrifice 1 ST attribute, laying of hands and 5 seconds of prayer.  This is only given to the best Theologians.  
This is treated as a Revival spell cast on a figure who has been crushed by a rock fall.  Unlike the Revival spell, this will save mangled and pulverized limbs, skulls, etc.

Consecrate Tunnel:
Cost: depress 3 fST (2 fST for a Theologian) for 3 months per point.  (That is, the cleric gets a -3 fatigue superscript.  She recovers 1 point per 3 months.)  Do elaborate holy carving & prayers (7 days?).  Make a 4vsST.
This makes an area of about 25 square meters 'holy'.  Evil things will tend to avoid it, but in particular Tappers, and other undead, will shun the area.  This change is permanent, but powerful evil things can counter it.

Find Fall:
Usually gained only by theologians.  Spend 8 fST,  a day of praying and fasting, and GM makes a secret 4vsST & a 4vsIQ roll.
Based on how good the rolls are, the cleric will get some hint where a meteorite is.  One roll is granted when a cleric does a particularly good or brave action.  (The cleric gets a dream that she should pray and fast for a day.)



Murmommu
Halfling god of communities.  The god of peace and prosperity.  "The sturdy defender".  The first and final law.

During the psychic wars, Genorli and demon fought, the skies were black and crimson, and living things died and otherness replaced them.  It is said that in those years, of a hundred people, less than one lived to tell of them.
We sent archers to be armed with strange bows, and fight the madness, and then the Giants were routed and madness swept across the world.  Hobbits fled to the wilderness but found no sanctuary, and called upon the Masters to save them, to no avail.
Murmommu, fought Specter and Ghost, and any number of Bojum, and often he was sorely beset.  And tho, near death, and fearful, he did not retire to safety to recover, but stayed near our people.  And still our people called to the Giants, thinking them gods.
Then his clerics said to the people, "The Titans have abandoned us, to live or die until they should return, and if we are to survive we must fight for ourselves."  And thus it has forever been;  'Trust not long in empires, know your own defense.'
And thru horrors that struck 3 in 4 mad, we fought.  Even the mad fought, for there were none to care for them. Even women and sometimes children fought.  And when strange diseases struck, those quarantined would go beyond the perimeter and blunt the attacks until they died.
When the Genorli returned, and swept their protection over us. We remembered Murmommu and our other gods, and such had been our service, that the Titan lords did not object.

Notes on the worship of Murmommu: 
Unlike the other Halfling gods, Murmommu is unmarried, and has no relatives.  However in many ways the stories told of Murmommu suggest that he is "Husband" to the community herself.  The living Hobbits are like children in the family, and if they behave for the good of the community, they are the older, responsible children.  If the living members of the community are behaving against the interests of the community, they are portrayed as spoilt, selfish children.  However, Murmommu's love, tho not blind, is unreserved and he will do what he can to preserve his communities, regardless of how they behave.
Murmommu has been known to judge individuals harshly however.  Psychopathic people are considered inhuman and damned, and the priesthood presented with such a thing is to mobilize the community and destroy it.  Likewise traitors can expect no mercy.
Murmommu's primary concern is the protection of the community.  His clerics are expected to be actively involved in this defence.  Indeed, most are trained as fighters, leaders and the trainer of leaders.
Typical Holy Rites of Murmommu:

Great Soul:
Sacrifice one attribute, and pray for a day, a night and a day without food or water.  The cleric will be exhausted: permanently lose one Endurance superscript, and depress 5 fST for 3 months per point.  (That is, the cleric gets a -5 endurance superscript in addition to the one permanently lost.  She recovers 1 point per 3 months.)  This rite is normally awarded at need to the senior cleric of a community.
This will tell the cleric, (with never a recorded case of error), the greatest soul in the community (called the "Ha-obboe").  This person should be trained, educated, supported and listened to.  The great soul should become the leader of the community (or at least the war-general).
This rite is often used if the priesthood of Murmommu is worried over the current quality of leadership of the community.  Often the current leadership is angered, insulted, and worried about a Ha-obboe, and will fight the promotion of this usurper.  There are times when the entire Murmomu priesthood has gone "underground", and become guerilla fighters to prevent a Ha-obboe from being murdered.  (There are also cases when the current leadership is suddenly confronted with a disaster beyond their abilities, and they peacefully turn over power).
If the community is mixed with several races living together, the Ha-obboe can be of any race.

Great Healing:
Each time this rite is used there is a 50% chance it will be lost permanently, (1 die: rite is lost on a 1, 2 or 3, roll must be visible to the player).  It requires 1 fST, and active physicking while praying.
This ability is normally only given to clerics who also know Master Physicker.  This rite will appear to outside observers as a physicker revival, saving someone from near death.  It does not work on people below -7 ST.  A mortally wounded (or someone who has just died) figure is saved, and sufficient wounds are healed to bring the wounded figure up to 1 ST (if the figure is unconscious, he remains so).
This rite does not work on wounds that are certainly fatal.  Only on those where physicker revival might work may this rite be tried. (If the physicker revival is tried first, and it fails, the Great Healing could then be used but in this case it is automatically lost to the cleric).

Steadying Touch:
3 fST (1 fST for Theologian) and cleric must touch target person and pray constantly.  No actions are possible for the cleric while this praying is occurring.  Cleric must make a 3vsDX roll to start effect working, if the roll fails it may be retried, if the prayer continues, after 20 seconds of praying.
This will make one figure immune to the effects of undead, for as long as the cleric is touching him.  The cleric can touch herself, but note that the cleric can do nothing else while maintaining the touch.  All of the undead's powers will fail to work against the figure with the Steadying Touch except simple physical violence.

The Dread:
Normally Theologians only.  A secret (GM makes) 4vsIQ.  Roll once for a particular danger.  If the danger is missed by the cleric, she will not get another chance, the danger must be discovered by other means.
If a danger is threatening the community, (especially secret plots or enemies), the cleric will come to feel an oppressing Dread, that something is not right.  The Dread will last from several days to a month then fade.  
The GM should roll 4vsIQ about twice a year even if there is no danger, on a failure the cleric is troubled by a False Dread.  If there is a danger and The Dread starts, then the danger is diverted, or solved with out the cleric's knowledge, she will still be troubled by the Dread for the full duration.  For the two reasons above, The Dread is not a sure warning.

The Courage of Sleep:
Cost is 1 fST, a public prayer that lasts at least 3 minutes, and making a 3vsST and a 3vsIQ.
All those who hear this prayer will not be so troubled by fears that they are unable to sleep.  They will be able to go to sleep and will wake normally, and without the grogginess that is normal when waking.

Scout's Prayer:
Cost is 6 fST (4 fST for Theologians), a short blessing type prayer over a scout moving into dangerous territory, and a 3vsST.
The scout will get the following bonuses: One time during the scouting mission, the GM will roll one less die than normal when rolling verses the follower's IQ to notice something;  once during the mission, the enemy must roll 2 dice more than normal to hear or see the scout;  and once during the mission, the scout can be running thru rough terrain, and not have to make a roll to avoid tripping on a obstacle.
Note that since all of these advantages are never visible to the scout, (rolls GM makes or does not ask the scout to make), it will be hard for characters to judge the effectiveness of this rite. 



Tathha-Isth

Reptillite god.  God of Hunting.  The god of patience and fury.

After the creation of the world (the world egg), Tathha-Isth needed prey.  So she laid other eggs, and in time out hatched other gods.  She hunted some of them down and ate them and it was good.

And the other gods laid eggs, and out came small gods, demons, spirits and ghosts. The other gods ate the demons and Tathha-Isth ate the gods.

And the lesser gods laid eggs, or created things in their fashion, and the world came to have animals, lesser races and plants.  And the animals ate the plants, the lesser races ate the animals, the demons ate the lesser races, the gods ate the demons, and Tathha-Isth ate the gods.

And Tathha-Isth looked at the world and seeing that there was interesting prey, laid an egg.  And when the egg hatched, out came the Tothak, the Over Race, that was made in Tathha-Isth's image.  And Tathha-Isth said to the Tothak, "Everything you see is food; eat the bodies and send the souls to me."  And Tothak gave her people and priests rites to send the prey's souls to her that she may share our feasts.

When we eat an animal, it is food for our stomach, but when we eat a lesser race it is food for our god.  Thus it is holy, to eat the lesser races.  When the lesser races call on their gods, remember that their gods are food to Tathha-Isth, and one day their god will be caught and ripped to chunks, and eaten.

When hunting holy food, be patient.  Find a place of hiding, and remain still.  And when the holy food moves into the trap, attack with fury and destroy the wizards first.  Wizards are most holy prey, and blessed will be those that eat their hearts and livers.  < The holy teaching go on for some time on the best way to stalk and kill lesser races. >


Notes on the worship of Tathha-Isth:
Many reptillites take Acolyte talent, and all acolytes of Tathha-Isth have the power to do last rites (Share Feast) for holy prey.  Priest are needed to do last rites for the Tothak (the Reptillite race).  
In areas where Reptillites are outnumbered, they take a more politic attitude to the holy food, but in desserts and the small hot islands they prefer, holy food does not last long.  

Typical Rites of Tathha-Isth:

Share Feast:
Given to all acolytes.  Cost is 1 fST, and 5 seconds of praying.
This version of the last rite, sends prey's food on to Tathha-Isth.  Works best for food the acolytes has hunted down and killed herself, but if she has a bite of someone else's kill, it still should work.

Bring up Hunting Rage:
Cost is 10 fST (5 fST for Theologians), and a public prayer lasting at least 5 minutes.  (Some Reptillites can work themselves into the cold rage themselves, but this gets a whole band into it, as a group.)
This will work the listeners up into the famous 'cold rage' reptillites are known for.  The listeners will be berserk with the following effects:  They will get +3 power, +2 DX, +2 MA, and are not affected by wounds, until they reach -5 ST (at which time they will fall unconscious and will soon die).  When the fight is over, (or anytime they wish to leave the cold rage), they must roll 3vsIQ or they will attack each other.  When the fall unconscious, or make their roll to leave the berserk state, they will take 2 points of fatigue damage.  Unlike normal berserking, they do not have to immediately throw themselves on the enemy.  They may remain perfectly silent and still until their leader orders them to attack.  For each 10 minutes of remaining still, they lose 1 fST.

Bless Hachlings:
6 fST (3 fST for Theologian), a 15 minute prayer over the sacrifice, and a secret 3vsDX.  If the DX roll is missed the sacrifice is wasted.
This rite is preformed over a living member of a lesser race who is then fed (live) to a newly hatched clutch of Tothak.  Each hatchling who eats part of the sacrifice has a blessing cast on them for the rest of their life.  
This blessing means that if they die, and do not get last rites, they have extra power to go on to the next plane of existence.  Also if they are being possessed psychically (not psionicly or magically) they get a 1 die advantage for all saving throws.
The blessing must be done before the hatchlings are 3 months old.
Blessed hatchlings are thought to have an advantage over non-blessed Tothak.  They are thought to be more likely to become clerics, wizards and or leaders of the band.

Purify Food:
1 fST, 5 second prayer, 3vsDX (only one roll allowed per meal). 
Remove any evil psychic influences from that which we are about to eat.
Strengthen Allied Spirit:
Theologians only.  This rite must be made on the most holy day of the month.  It requires 8 fST, 5 hours of prayer, and a 4vsST.  If the roll fails, the rite can be tried again next month.
If the rite is successful, a member of a lesser race must be sacrificed and given special last rites (which are paid for separately, by the Theologian).  The sacrifice, is used to strengthen an allied spirit, soul, ka, elemental, etc..
The effects of the sacrifice on the spirit (or whatever), is up to the GM, however, weak spirits will become significantly more powerful, where as very powerful spirits may not noticeably improve at all.  The GM should choose new abilities (if any) for the spirit that will make it a better hunter.

Hunt Spirit:
For Theologians only.  3 fST, pray and fast for 6 hours, 3vsDX.  If the DX roll fails, the rite can be attempted again the next day.
This frees the cleric's soul to hunt spirits while the body remains in a trance (much like the astral projection spell).
Normally the cleric will try to hunt down a particular spirit that is troubling the tribe.  This rite will help the cleric track the spirit. 

If she can reach it, she can attack it in mental combat.  The winner will eat the loser's soul.  If the cleric loses her soul, her body will become an empty husk, & will soon die.  If she eats the spirit, she will get 1/2 (round down) of the spirits fatigue as a Endurance super script modifier.  Also the GM may award some magical power like one or more of the spirit's powers.
The talent Psychic Combat will help in this battle.  The mental combat is an X:XvsIQ, with the cleric choosing the number of dice to roll (where X must be 4 or more dice).  If she makes the roll and the spirit fails the roll, she wins; if she fails, it wins automatically; and if both make it, it is a draw.  In the case of draws, the battle can continue, but if either side is obviously over matched, it can try to withdraw (assume either side has a 50% chance of withdrawing successfully after each combat round if they wish). 
If the cleric or the spirit get an critical success they automatically win, unless the opponent also got a critical success in that combat round.
If the cleric wishes, she can first drink a hallucinogenic extract (called 'Krackithissm'), fermented from a cactuses' pulp.  This has the effect of making the cleric's IQ move up and down randomly.  When the fight begins, and again after each round of combat, the GM rolls four dice, divides the total by 2 (round down), & then subtracts 6 from it (this value may go negative).  Add the calculated value to the cleric's IQ.  (Thus she could get a +6 to a -4 modifier to her IQ for that round of the fight.)
If a cleric has 'eaten' several spirits, she begins to 'smell' very attractive in the spirit world. Therefore the chance that a powerful Bojum will detect her and attack, increase significantly.  Don't over do this rite!


LLoeth
Druidic goddess of plant spirits.  The mute goddess.  

Notes on Druids:
Druids are from an oral culture and may not take literacy.  In oral traditions, Bards are very important and druid characters are strongly encouraged to take the Bard talent.  Each point of memory spent on Bard allows the bard to learn approximately 100 songs, thus more memory may be spent on this talent, to give a greater grasp of the culture's history.
Everything that is normally put in script will normally be learned by poetry, and teaching on an individual basis.  Teachers are highly respected and even the most important and busy individuals should have one or more youngsters as assistants, to learn by example.
All druids are considered to be magic users in their culture (even if they know no spells).  Druidic wizards may take bard, acolyte, priest, and theologian talents at normal memory cost. 

Druids believe that souls are endlessly reincarnated and there are times when people are asked by druids to pay off debts they incurred to other people during previous lives.
Druids have many classifications for the various types of souls, spirits, elementals and wisps that they encounter in the woods.  In particular they have a general term for the variety of plant spirits they encounter: "Gyure".  Gyure vary widely in power and intelligence, and most have no language (which makes even telepathic communication difficult), but they can be manipulated in to doing weak spell like effects.  Tho these affects are weak in power, they are normally fairly long range.  The druidic "spells" that manipulate Gyure, are found in the supplement on Druids, these "spells" are not the rites of LLoeth given below.
Druids are also often chemists, which use ingredients that are rich in spirit stuff ("Mneaobic").  This allows them to make potions and elixirs that have a variety of strange, existential magic, like effects.  Some plants (like oaks) create mneaobic, while others (such as willow, or mistletoe), will drain mneaobic from the environment, concentrating it further.
Druids belief that souls are endlessly reincarnated makes them seem ruthless to others.  It matters little if a person passes from this mortal form, they will soon return.  Nor do Druids hesitate to uses the souls of others to give further power to plants or "spells" they are manipulating.  The souls (being indestructible) will eventually escape when the plant dies or the spell fails, and after regaining their power, the soul will return to human (or animal) form.  Druids do not believe that demons can destroy souls, but they can steal them for millennia, and abuse them terribly in the process.  Druids normally take a dim view of demons.
Summary of Druidic Magic:
Druids form a class of characters that blur the distinction between magic users and heros.  Heroic characters may, learn spells for only double normal memory cost (2 memory points for most spells).  However they may not learn normal spells.  Their magic is based on different models that make it difficult to directly manipulate magic, but is better at bending the spirit world to their will.  If a druid wishes to learn normal spells, they cost triple normal memory cost, with missile spells costing quadruple.  (The druidic spell list is given in the Druids in TFT supplement.)  In general the druidic spells are spirit related (especially involving the Gyure) or thrown spell like in form, but they work at greater range (calculate range negatives with each Mhex being a -1 DX modifier).  Their spell list does not include missile spells.
Druids have one clear advantage over normal spell casters:  they have a much more subtle understanding of environmental magics and non-magic users may learn them for one memory point.
Generally most druidic spells are lower powered (for a given IQ) than normal magic and have a higher (or much higher) fST cost.  Druids also have classes of spells that they can use to strengthen Gyure. These spells require sacrifices, over a period of many years making wood spirits allies, of unprecedented power.  

Notes on the Worship of LLoeth:
LLoeth is a goddess unusually likely to give out a spirit servant to her clerics.  They (tho not usually powerful) typically remain longer than normal as well.  
In addition to normal spirit servants, LLoeth (or even more often the other druidic gods), occasionally causes an animal to become a follower to a druid.  This happens most often if the druid has Animal Handler, and has been particularly pious.  This animal (in addition to its own abilities), is possessed, ridden, or emblazoned with a spirit, soul, wisp or Gyure.  As such this animal companion can have strange powers and are often thought to be familiars by the ignorant.   (See Familiars in TFT.)


Typical Holy Rites of LLoeth:
Part Plants:
Druid directs party in a prayer, and GM makes a secret 4vsST roll.  Druid must pay 3 fST + 1 fST / person in the party, (1 fST + 1 fST / person for theologians).  If the roll is critically failed, the plants will attack.
When the cleric and her friends are moving thru the woods, the plants with Gyure in them will not slow or hinder the party.  This only works on the 'activated' plants in the area, or those that naturally have developed Gyure.  Most attacks by plants are minor (limbs catching, brambles, etc.)

Find Soul:
Cost is 12 fST (6 fST for Theologians), 36 hours of prayer (short breaks are allowed tho), and GM makes a secret 4vsIQ roll.
When a person know to the druid dies, this rite will indicate what body the soul has been reincarnated into, or if the soul is wandering looking for a new body.  
The soul will try to remain near its own village, and occasionally souls will have to wait for a human baby to be born so it can occupy a body (still born babies or babies that die in the first few days of life are ones where no soul was waiting).  However, on rare occasions a human soul can enter an animal, or a plant.  A human soul in a plant is not a Gyure, it is a soul, and thus the plant has human intelligence and can be communicated with.
If the soul has left the area, this rite will indicate the approximate direction it is in.

Enslave Soul:
This rite will take the soul of a prisoner, and bind it to do some service.  It requires the prisoner to be prepared by torture or mystic drugs, and then sacrificed.  The rite requires 16 fST (8 fST for Theologians), and elaborate magical ritual involving several druids (only one must have this rite tho), and a X:XvsIQ against the victim (modifiers for possession can help or hinder the victim).
If successful, the victim's soul will be trapped, using its power to make a Gyure more dangerous.  The victim's soul is released when the plant eventually dies.

Gyure Senses:
This rite is only learned by Theologians.  It costs 25 fST, several hours of prayer and a 3vsST, 3vsDX & 3vsIQ.  If the rite fails, for each roll that is missed, (with critical misses counting at least double),  at least a year must go by before the rite may be attempted on this Gyure again.
This allows the Gyure to magically sense living things around it in real time.  The Gyure gains 'vision', 'detect magical auras', and can sense the strength of the souls of those who pass.  Gyure with these abilities can be sensed with the "Detect Hidden Watchers" spell.  Gyure with these abilities are more aware of the real world and are easier to communicate with (and being more alert, will have noticed more).

Goddess' Voice:
Requires the one time sacrifice of one attributes' worth of EP to gain.
The Druid gains the advantages of the Voice talent.  Additionally the druid will gain eidetic memory for remembering songs and poems of LLoeth (i.e. once heard they can be forever remembered).
Prepare Holy Grove:
Given only to theologian who have gained the special favor of Lloeth.  Cost is sacrifice of an animal soul, or soul of an enemy, sacrifice one attribute, lower Speed by 6 points (recovers at one point per month), pray for at least 24 hours.  A 4vsST & 3vsIQ must be made or druid loses 3 fST and must pray for 2 more hours and try again.  If the druid breaks of the prayer, the sacrifices are waisted, the rite fails, and it may not be tried again for at least a year.
Cast in a grove with massive healthy trees, the grove becomes sacred to LLoeth and may be used as a temple.  If LLoeth blesses the temple in time the trees may gain unique powers.

Calm 'Fears':
Normally only granted to clerics with the Good Listener talent.  0 fST, cleric must talk with afflicted person at least an hour a day for several days to several weeks, no roll required.
Souls that have been wounded or tormented can gain psychic problems.  These problems can express themselves in a lifetime as cowardice, insomnia, a tendency to berserk at the wrong times, bad temper or rage, or other like tendencies (basically what GURPS would call mental disadvantages).  Calm Fears will heal the psychic problem, after that the afflicted person must (often with great effort), slowly break the habits that reenforce the poor behavior.
This rite makes it easier for the afflicted person to control or conquer their psychological problem.

Enslave Spirit Servant:
For Theologians only.   When the spring equinox falls on the night of the dead of the moon, the cleric may spend 15 fST, after praying and fasting for 72 hours.  A 5vsDX is required.  If the DX roll fails, the rite fails with a DX loss of 1 die points for 3 weeks (and if a 6 is rolled one DX point is permanently lost).
This is exactly like Tathha-Isth's Hunt Spirit, except the druid gets a +1 IQ due to the more elaborate preparations.  Druids have Hallucinogenic mushroom wine that has similar properties to Krackithissm, except the IQ adjustment is rolled at the start of combat and every third combat round. Note that a druid with many enslaved spirits makes a tempting target for Demons and other Bojums.

Hide Behind Gyure:
Cost is 1 fST and a 4vsST.  The druid's soul is hidden "behind" that of a Gyure on the spirit plane.  Thus stalking things, in the spirit world, have a good chance of missing the druid, providing she remains still.


Temilarda

She who speaks to spirits.  Guide of Dream Quests.  Elven goddess of dreams.

Temilarda is the child of Earyinasthwail (God of the MA'at) and Inimith (Goddess of Growth).  

So very soft / was the sleep / of Temilarda child.
And Inimith / looked on her / Sath, "So she sleeps again".
"Earyinasthwail / speak to her / the light is on the mist.
For she should dance / and learn songs / not dream away her life".
"No", judged he / "let her sleep / for in the dreams she speaks,
to spirits wise. / There she learns / and there she fights her fights.
And wonders great / in the lands / she finds, she maps, and then, 
to other's who / in their sleep / need help, their way she leads."
He kissed her then / ' settled down / to wait for her to wake.
In gentle steps / in her sleep / went Temilarda guide.

- Translated from the Tiwin cycle of poems.

Notes on Temilarda:

The most important reference for the GM is H.P. Lovecraft's "The Dream Quest of the Unknown Kadath".  Characters, may explore the dream world gaining information and exploring wonders.  Each character who spends much time going on dream quests, should make a separate character sheet for their dream self (who may be quite different from their mundane self).  
However there are dangers.  If the dream self is killed, the waking self will soon sicken and die.  Some things on the dream world can capture the dream self (until it gets free, the body can not waken).  Other things can poison the dream self making it impossible for the body to fall asleep (which results in sleep deprivation, attribute drops and eventually madness). 

The worshippers of Temilarda have a unique way of communicating with spirits.  They go on a dream quest, find the spirit's dream self, and communicate there.


Very powerful clerics have been known to communicate over vast distances to other clerics of Temilarda (or even more rarely to clerics of Earyinasthwail or Inimith).  However this is never dependable, and if over used can fade away so it is normally reserved for emergencies.

The clerics of Temilarda, as well as going on personal dream quests, can make a potion that will allow a number of people to go on a dream quest together.  The elixir is made from Asthemialline (a plant found on the dream world).  

To make the elixir requires a mini laboratory costing $400, with a weekly upkeep of $5 when it is being used. The elixir has the following formula known only to clerics of Temilarda:

Dream Potion	(5)			$2000?	1 week	E, D, U, T
Requires the bulb of the Asthemialline plant ($ 1750? ) and $ 60 ci (note that all common ingredients are available in the woods, so an elf would not have to spend any money for the ci.)  If an Asthemialline bulb is available, the only cost would likely be the $5 / week for lab maintenance.
This will make a bowl of potion with enough for 5 people to drink (thus the dose number above).  Very large bulbs may allow more doses, smaller bulbs will create smaller doses.
At the fall of night all who wish to go on the dream quest, will sit in a circle while the cleric prays.  She will take a token sip of the potion, but she needs not drink a dose.  The bowl is passed around in the circle many times until it is gone.  Eventually all who have drank (including the cleric) will fall asleep and dream the same dream.  The cleric will act as a guide on the dream quest.


When Game Mastering a dream quest, I like to have strange experimental music when something weird is going on, and alternate it with the classics when they are in a more peaceful part of the dream.
It is important to give the feel of a dream.  The descriptions of some details should be elaborate, the whole 'plot' could completely change at a moments notice, new characters could suddenly start asking and answering questions without any description of their arriving.  Early in the dream things will tend to jump around more, but eventually things will settle down some.  You may describe several competing 'dream storylines' that are appropriate to different characters.  Eventually some bizarre compromise will be worked out and the dream will proceed.


Handling players during a dream quest is tricky.  With out sitting down and spelling things out for the players, let them know the following guidelines.  They are basically passive, watching the dream.  Unless they have the control dream skill, they should not be able to direct the course of the dream.  The cleric of Temilarda will eventually guide the dream and she can have some direct say in what happens, but even she will make suggestions not say what anyone does.
The players should not be asking questions, or giving orders on what they do.  They may occasionally suggest elaborations of GM descriptions, and ask questions on what they do.  They may give suggestions in the form of a question,  e.g. "Do I talk to the gems in the flying snake's eyes?"

If a fight occurs on the dream world, secretly determine the outcome of a psychic fight between the what ever and the players.  If they are defeated, describe the fight in nightmare terms with the players fleeing in slow motion while it captures and paralyzes them.  If they win then the players are free to give more direct suggestions as to what they do (and in the heat of combat perhaps you should allow them to simply say what they are doing).  If the battle is approximately tied, then mix elements of the two above combat forms together.

In dreams, the combat should be baroque and very strange.  Clever ideas should usually work, while the straightforward way of doing things is often less effective.


Clerics of Temilarda often learn the following talent:

IQ 12
CONTROL DREAMS [1+]  For each memory point put into this talent gives the dreamer better control over the dream world.  Players may not simply buy this talent up as high as they wish,  they must do some significant event in the dream world before they are given the opportunity of increasing this talent.  Each time the talent is improved roll one die in front of the cleric.  On a 1, 2 or 3, the talent has reached the maximum for that character.  Show this by underlining the memory cost for the talent.
People with at least one point in Control Dreams instead of just passively watching the dreams can make suggestions as to how the dream should behave.  At 1 memory point, they can just try to keep the story going roughly in some direction.  
People with Control Dreams of 4 or higher, are significant powers in the dream world and any suggestions as to how the dream world is, should be taken very significantly by the GM.  For example some nasty ghoul like thing is approaching.  The character with Control Dreams 3, says "Does the shadow (changing the approaching creature) see the bee bug of light."  The GM thinks this is ok so he says, "The zombie shadow (again changing the description of the critter), is attracted to the bee light like a moth to a flame.  The light goes on like a row of soldiers and...  (and the critter is never mentioned again, having been defeated.)

Typical Rites of Temilarda:

Find Asthemialline:
No costs associated with this rite.  This rite is very common.
Very rarely (by direct divine intervention?), Asthemialline can be found growing in our world.  It will not reproduce, or be cultivated by cuttings, etc. and will die out at the end of the season, but it may have its root dug up, and the potion can be made with it.
This rite allows the plant to be found in the dream world or, if it exists in the waking world, a dream will tell where it is in the real world.  This rite doesn't allow the Asthemialline to be brought back from the dream world.

Send Dream Message:
Sacrifice 1 attribute, and pray for an entire night (thinking the message again and again).
Send a message to anyone the cleric knows anywhere in time and space.  The message will not be a simple string of words, it will be a very long and involved dream.  The dream may be somewhat mysterious but overall it should be possible to figure out what is trying to be communicated (and if the recipient of the dream goes to a cleric of Temilarda , the dream should be correctly interpreted.
When the person wakes, the dream will remain vivid in their mind for several days.  

Make Dream Pouch:
No costs other than time and prayer, this is a common rite.  While the cleric is dreaming she must simultaneously create some sort of container in the dream world and in a "sleep walking" state in the real world.  The pouch might be pottery in the dream lands, and a woven basket in the real world.  The cleric must have the craft talents to make the container.
Items in the dream world that are placed in the pouch, may sometimes be found in the real pouch when the dreamer awakes.  In particular this is the normal way for the cleric to get more Asthemialline.
The GM must be careful that the pouch is not abused.  Players should learn that questions like: "Do I pick up any of the glowing gems on the stream bed, and put them in my pouch?", are simply ignored.  The pouch should be used rarely, (and only on GM initiative), to provide something strange or wondrous.  It should not be overused or it will lose any sense of being special.  If the player complains that they never get to use the pouch, simply have the god revoke the rite and destroy the dream pouch.  Do not allow the players to intimidate you about these pouches.  They are for agreeable dreamers.
Rescue / Resurrect Dream Self:
Sacrifice 1 attribute, and pray for 5 days with out dreaming (momentarily falling asleep does not break this 5 day stretch providing someone wakes you up at once).  When this rite is used, it may not be used again for a full year.
This will free a trapped dream self, or resurrect one that has died within the last month.  This will work on your's or another's dream self.

Build Dream Vessel:
Sacrifice 8 fatigue ST a night (taken off of endurance each morning, regained at the normal rate for lost fatigue) every night for a year and a day.  (You will wake up exhausted from the effort of making the ship.) If you have boat building skills the ship will be better than normal.  If you have ship building skills the ship can be several times better than if you don't have them (but in all cases the ship will be perfectly sea worthy).
This will build a dream ship that will be able to travel thru the skies and seas of the dream world.  Using it you could visit the moons or stars, or far dream lands where terrors and wonders exist.
If for some reason you are unable to work on the ship for a time, for each break in the nightly routine you will lose one day from the time currently accomplished.

Find Dead Dreamers:
Requires a dream quest.
Occasionally when a powerful dreamer dies, his spirit continues to live or visit in the dream world.  A cleric with this rite is adept at "finding the interesting path" and thus being able to track down such spirits.  This way the dead can be questioned, or visited.

Sleeping Prayer:
Requires 2 fST (0 fST for a theologian), 30 seconds of prayer (altho it is traditional for the cleric to talk to the person for some minutes, and a 2 die saving throw verses the cleric's lowest attribute.
This prayer will help those with insomnia, with it they can normally find sleep especially if they are truly tired.  It is traditional for the cleric to talk for several minutes with the sufferer and give them advice on falling asleep and try to help with any problems that trouble them.

Other Attack / Defense / Saving Throw / Healing Rites:
In the dream world, clerics can get rites that give the above advantages with impunity.  The GM needs not worry about the rites being understated and primarily concerned with souls and things beyond mortal ken.  In the dream world, the rites can be straightforward magic like abilities.


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