GODS OF THE TORKANI

The Torkani are Orlanthi, and as such, follow the typical Orlanthi gods for the most part. However, every Orlanthi tribe or cultural group has its own pecularities of worship, and the Torkani are more different than most. The most obvious difference is the replacement of  Issaries with his darker counterpart, Argan Argar. While Issaries appears in many of the myths recounted by Torkani skalds, he has few if any direct worshippers in the tribe. The cults are listed more or less in order of importance. The figures for the number of worshippers are approximate only.

CONTENTS

Cult Distribution Table
Ruling Deities
     Argan Argar
     Ernalda
     Orlanth
Major Deities
     Odayla
     Humakt
     Vinga
     Lhankor Mhy
     Xiola Umbar
     Asrelia
Other Deities
     Donandar
     Eurmal
     Gustbran
     Minlister
     The Seven Mothers
     Ty Kora Tek
     Valind
     Xentha
     Zorak Zoran
     Others

Cult Distribution Table

	Agrarian		Forester		Vandradi
	Men	Women	Men	Women	Men	Women
Argan Argar only	01-55	01-05	01-55	01-05	01-23	01-05
Ernalda only		06-74		06-69		06-62
Orlanth	56-76		56-71		24-43
Vinga		75-79		70-74		63-67
Odayla	77-86	80-81	72-86	75-81	44-58	68-74
Humakt	87-91	82	87-91	82	59-61	75
Yinkin	92-93	83-84	92-93	83-84	62-63	76-77
Lhankor Mhy	94		94		64
Xiola Umbar		85		85		78
Asrelia	95	86-95	95	86-95	65	79-88
Valind					66-95	89-95
Other *	96-00	96-00	96-00	96-00	96-00	96-00

* 'other' includes female followers of Lhankor Mhy and male followers of Xiola Umbar as well as followers of the minor deities listed below.

ARGAN ARGAR
Temples: one in each clan
Initiates & Devotees: 1,800

Argan Argar is the special god of the Torkani tribe, rarely worshipped by other Sartarites. All adult men within the tribe are at least worshippers, and most are initiates or devotees. Women are also permitted to join the cult, although this is less common. As the god of surface darkness, he is primarily a troll deity, who acted as leader for their race during their early years on the surface world. He is messenger and translator for the troll pantheon, and also the god of troll merchants and interpreters. He is also said to have taught the trollkin how to use spears. He is especially worshipped by craftsmen and merchants, who regularly trade with the trolls of Dagori Inkarth. In this role, he replaces Issaries, the Orlanthi god of trade and communication worshipped by the other Sartarite tribes.

Most nobles also worship him, for they must make treaties with trolls to safeguard their lands. Initiation into this cult is a prerequisite for becoming a chieftain or Queen. Amongst the common people, he is seen as an ally who can help protect against the warlike Alda-Churi tribes, and who keeps the tribesmen safe through the winter. While relatively few are full devotees of this deity, all Torkani worship him and participate in his seasonal holy rites.

In addition to these functions, as ruling deity, he also takes on many of the aspects other tribes associated with Orlanth.

ERNALDA
Temples: one in each clan
Initiates & Devotees: 1,800 (excluding Voria)

Ernalda is the god of women, and also the fertility/earth goddess. As Ernalda Allmother she defines the feminine aspects of society and provides magic for the most common female professions. As Ernalda the Healer, she heals wounds both physical and mental, and supports the menfolk in their endeavours. As Ernalda the Mother, she brings fertility to the fields and livestock, and is often considered more important than the masculine farmer cults associated with Orlanth. Finally, as Ernalda the Queen she provides the basis for rulership among the clans and provides the feminine counterpart to Argan Argar.

Voria, the spring virgin, is a sub-cult of Ernalda among the Torkani. All girls are initiated into this sub-cult on their fifth birthday, and are considered to have left when they undergo the full initiation into the cult of Ernalda at eighteen. Voria provides no magic.

ORLANTH
Temples: Four, plus four shrines
Initiates & Devotees: 370

Although Orlanth's cult is not universal among the Torkani, as it is amongst other Heortlings, it remains very popular. As Orlanth Thunderous, he sends the storms and winds, although this task can fall to Valind in the depths of winter. As Orlanth Adventurous, he is the god of common warriors, most of whom make their living by farming and fight (supposedly) only in defence of their clan or family. As Orlanth Allfather he teaches men how to provide food for their community.

Vinga is the adventuress, the sub-cult which female warriors join. Queens who are already initiates of Vinga need not undergo the Orlanth initiation rite when they are crowned. Vinga is becoming more popular among the Torkani than she has been in the past, especially in the hard-pressed Erlending clan.

ODAYLA
Temples: Four, plus two shrines
Initiates: 350

Odayla is the hunter god, and as such is most popular among the forester clans. The principal animals hunted by the Torkani are deer, of which a number of different types live in the Daytime and Lizard woods. Wild goats, pigs and rabbits are also hunted or caught with some regularity.

Yinkin the cat god is considered a sub-cult of Odayla by the Torkani. While non-Odaylans certainly look after some of the shadow-cats he sends, the greatest number are employed by hunters, for whom they make excellent companions. Magically awakened shadow cats are often granted as allied spirits to priests and lords of Orlanth.

HUMAKT
Temple: Siganti
Initiates: 120

Humakt is the god of death, and patron of warriors. Members of his cult are generally not permitted to be members of any other, and also break their usual family ties to dedicate themselves wholly to the clan. The majority of Humakti serve as housecarls to the clan chieftain. Most Humakti are male, but women may also join the cult.

VINGA
Temples: One, plus shrines in Orlanthi temples
Initiates: 100

Vinga is the woman warrior, and the female counterpart to Orlanth. Most Vingans concentrate on defensive combat, the more aggresive female warriors following Humakt. Vinga also provides women with access to the Orlanth subcults, especially those belonging to the Thunderous and Adventurous aspects of the diety.

LHANKOR MHY
Temple: Siganti
Initiates: 25

Lhankor Mhy is the god of knowledge, worshipped by the skalds of the tribe. These honoured people memorise the myths, histories and laws of the tribe and recite them when required. Book learning is relatively unusual among the Torkani, although in it is no longer particularly frowned upon by most of their skalds, as it once was.

XIOLA UMBAR
Temple: Godori
Initiates: 25

Unlike other Orlanthi, the Torkani worship the healing goddess Xiola Umbar rather than Chalana Arroy. As a result, Torkani healers are not generally pacifists (although this is not, in fact, unknown) although they will generally fight only in self-defence or in defence of those in their care. On the other hand, they are not obliged to help all those in need, only those considered worthy of such help. Torkani healers wear dark robes with a white chasuble (long sleeveless outer garment) to denote their position. Outside their lands this lacks the universal acknowledgement that the white robes of Chalana Arroy do.

Priestesses of Xiola Umbar generally fill the role of Chalana Arroy in any mythic re-enactments that may be required as part of the holy ceremonies of other Orlanthi gods worshipped by the tribe. In the Lightbringer myths (those specifically about the return of the sun), however, Chalana Arroy is represented by a priestess of Ernalda.

ASRELIA
Temple: Ostoki
Initiates: 220

Asrelia is the crone who hides wealth away from enemies and who created the deep caverns and caves in the rock. She is both a deity of Earth and of Darkness, and has a small shrine in each Ernaldan temple, except that of the Ostoki tribe who maintain a full temple to her (albeit a small one). Although the cult is theoretically open to all, it consists mainly of older women, whose advice is highly regarded by the clan chieftains. Asrelia cultists are often called upon to take the role of Issaries in the Lightbringer myths, although Argan Argari have this task in other myths.

MINOR DEITIES

The following deities lack any temples in Torkani lands, although some have small shrines. They are listed alphabetically.

DONANDAR
Initiates: 20

This is the god of lowly entertainers; jugglers, actors and singers who do not fulfil the vital role that the skalds do. The nearest temple is in Jonstown.

EURMAL
Shrine: Ostoki
Tricksters: 10

Trickster is crazy. Trickster breaks rules. Trickster is beyond the punishment or protection of the law. Nobody likes Trickster. But they need Trickster for the Lightbringer rituals. Even Torkani who say they like dark! Trickster thinks this is very funny. Trickster would like to eat all the food in your house RIGHT NOW! He isn't going to say please.

The Ostoki shrine is to Trickster Gluttonous and teaches the Swallow spell.

GUSTBRAN
Initiates: 10

Gustbran is the god of the redsmiths who work bronze into tools and weapons. Because of the importance of this profession, his cult has rather more influence than its numbers would suggest. The nearest shrine is in Jonstown.

MINLISTER
Initiates: 15

This is the god who first taught men how to brew alcohol. The Torkani are acknowledged as being highly skilled in this particular craft, although they have no full-time professional brewers such as exist in some towns and cities. The commonest drink among the Torkani is ale, but it is their extra-strong mead which is most in demand elsewhere. Cider and perry are also produced in smaller quantities, but are not rated as highly.

THE SEVEN MOTHERS
Shrine: at Stonegate
Initiates: varies

Strictly speaking, worshippers of the Seven Mothers are not considered to be Torkani by the mainstream of the tribe. The majority of such are in fact Lunar missionaries or legal and military representatives sent to keep order. The exact number of such people present in Torkani lands at any time is highly variable, depending on the number of troops stationed there, for example. The Empire's greatest missionary success has been amongst the treacherous Alda-Churi tribes, and they have not concentrated much on converting the Torkani to their tradition-breaking ways. None the less, a small number of people have crossed over, and are considered by most to have abandoned their tribe and clan.

VALIND
Shrine: Vandradi
Initiates: 60

Valind is the god of winter, who sends the worst and coldest of the weather to plague the people. Most Torkani regard him as an ambiguous figure, providing little help but certainly not evil, either. His only worshippers are found among the Vandradi clan of the Indigo Mountains, who regularly beseech his protection. A high proportion of Vandradi men follow Valind as well as Orlanth and consider him to be a god who helps them survive in adverse conditions when weaker folk are forced to cower at home. Because Valind is seen as a god of masculine stamina, only a small number of women join his cult.

XENTHA
Shrine: Borkarth
Initiates: 25

This is the mother of Argan Argar, who ruled over the surface world before the dawn of history. As the mysterious Goddess of the Night, she grants relatively few magical powers and her initiates are almost always also initiates of Argan Argar. None the less, she does have a symbolic seat on the tribal ring.

ZORAK ZORAN
Initiates: 15

This psychotic god of violence and hatred fills a similar niche to Storm Bull in other Orlanthi tribes. Like Humakti, followers of  Zorak Zoran leave the cult of Orlanth on initiation. His worshippers are unpopular among right-thinking people, and act as freelance weaponthanes. Because such a career does not bring in much in the way of a steady income, they often travel widely throughout Sartar and Prax looking for people willing to hire them for their undoubted combat prowess. This is generally thought to be a good thing, because it means they are not at home embarrassing their relatives.

OTHER DEITIES
Initiates: 20+ (total)

A few other deities are worshipped by unusual Torkani, although such people are at best viewed with suspicion. These include Orlanthi gods such as Issaries, Chalana Arroy, Storm Bull and Heler and darkness related gods such as Inora and Subere. Evil deities such as Malia may find a few secretive worshippers, and some Torkani follow the ancient shamanic path of Kolat, albeit with a few darkness-oriented twists.