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Post by Axe Mental on Oct 19, 2005 3:10:01 GMT -5
Besides the Scarlet Brotherhood (not sure if that qualifies as a cult) were there any cults mentioned in 1E sources (perhaps Gord novels) in and around Greyhawk?
Oh, and has anyone compiled a list of active cults mentioned throughout the modules?
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Post by Scott on Oct 19, 2005 8:15:19 GMT -5
I don't know what you mean by cult. Every god is assumed to have an active following.
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Post by geneweigel on Oct 19, 2005 10:37:30 GMT -5
All the gods have cults but specific cults?
The cult of the reptile god and the cult of elemental evil come to mind. I'm sure there's something else. (Sorry, I don't have time to really think about it but I'll let you if I recall in passing.)
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Post by geneweigel on Oct 19, 2005 11:07:51 GMT -5
Actually the Scarlet Brotherhood is a cult of Tharizdun.
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Post by geneweigel on Oct 19, 2005 11:15:08 GMT -5
I assumed they were lawful in religion before I reread and really scrutinized the novels but thats T$R/WOTc/"sargentfanthink".
That is, the majority alignment of a country in no way represents the major religion.
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Post by geneweigel on Oct 19, 2005 14:26:47 GMT -5
All the gods have cults but specific cults? The cult of the reptile god and the cult of elemental evil come to mind. I'm sure there's something else. (Sorry, I don't have time to really think about it but I'll let you if I recall in passing.) The two above can also be considered cults in the meaning that cults are fake because they had various deception in the worship. (Geez, I keep coming baclk to this...)
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Post by geneweigel on Oct 19, 2005 14:27:21 GMT -5
All the gods have cults but specific cults? The cult of the reptile god and the cult of elemental evil come to mind. I'm sure there's something else. (Sorry, I don't have time to really think about it but I'll let you if I recall in passing.) The two above can also be considered cults in the modern word meaning that cults are fake because they had various deception in the worship. (Geez, I keep coming baclk to this...)
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Falconer
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Post by Falconer on Oct 20, 2005 8:41:20 GMT -5
The Horned Society, I suppose.
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Post by geneweigel on Oct 20, 2005 9:34:28 GMT -5
The Horned Society is the enigma of Greyhawk never mind the Great Stone Face! You're right it is a cult in the crudest sense but how its set up we'll never know...
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Post by Scott on Oct 20, 2005 9:52:41 GMT -5
There's the new state religion of the Great Kingdom, 'Baalzy'. The Elder Elemental God might qualify.
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Falconer
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Post by Falconer on Oct 20, 2005 11:07:37 GMT -5
I suppose the worship of the Elder Elemental God in the Giants/Drow is technically a different cult from the Temple of Elemental Evil, yes, though some of the same powers might be at play. In fact, the 7+ different "factions" of the ToEE can each be considered an individual cult, depending on your definition, although the dominant factions may be directing them all to a common goal.
The novels shed some light on the Horned Society, though it's somewhat at odds with what little is said in the gaming material. Apparently they have factions serving the Nine Hells, Hades, and the Abyss. Of the Nine Hierarchs, three are from each faction. They ultimately take their marching orders from Nerull.
If you accept that the Scarlet Brotherhood is a cult of Tharizdun, then the above should be accepted as well, IMO.
Anyway, I echo Scott in asking Axe what he meant, as a cult just means a religion. Are you specifically looking for sinister, evil, hidden, dark cults of forbidden, forgotten, Lovecraftian THINGS? Otherwise, just take the complete list of gods from WoG, add the complete list of demon lords from MM2, add the nine Arch-devils and the EEG, and you've got a pretty good list to start from, as that about covers it.
By Greyhawk do you mean Greyhawk City specifically? I would guess that at least all seventeen of the common gods would have some kind of worship there. It's mentioned in the novels that there is a small temple of Fharlanghn in Greyhawk itself, and probably a prominent temple of Zilchus as well. Worshippers of St. Cuthbert do a pilgrimage from River Street in Greyhawk to a Shrine of St. Cuthbert By the Lake in the Cairn Hills somewhere west of Tenser's place.
The strongest "cult" per-se would probably have to be Nerull, though. There is a prominent temple of Nerull in Greyhawk (the Lightless Temple it's called), and also in Dyvers, which though known are shunned after nightfall. There's lots of sinister activity there in the novels, though that might just be because Nerull happens to be so central to the action of the novels. There's also a temple to Graz'zt in Dyvers. Regards.
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Post by grodog on Oct 23, 2005 15:59:23 GMT -5
There's the Cult of the Earth Dragon from A1-4; the Cult of the Falcon may well fit the bill, too. Isn't there something in Dwellers of the Forbidden City, too?
The cult of Chaos from B2 could apply, though that's technically not GH, I suppose. There's the Pholtus-like cults (sects?) of the Blinding Light mentioned in C2 and S3.
Return to WPM features cults of Keraptis worshippers; IIRC, Acererak also has such in Return to the ToH. Vecna's cult is prevalent in Vecna Lives and its sequels.
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Post by grodog on Oct 23, 2005 16:03:36 GMT -5
Zavoda's GH index has labels that denote [PHL] = Philosophy/Belief and [ORG] = Organization/Society so if you search for those entries, that should help to form the basis for your digging.
Also, I would think that most quasi-deities have cults that they foster in an attempt to promote into a hero deity.
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Post by Axe Mental on Oct 23, 2005 19:13:54 GMT -5
Yeah, sorry, I was thinking along the lines of Scarlet Brotherhood and cult of elemental evil. I think your right about it being difficult to determine whats a cult and whats a religion (espl. with so many Gods etc.). I always thought of a cult as something more proactive, hidden evil and relatively small (in that you wouldn't admit being in a cult if you were).
The idea was to put together a list of the cults brought up in the series to aid in creating tie in adventures (towns and dungeons). Anyway, I hope that helped.
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Post by geneweigel on Oct 23, 2005 19:14:59 GMT -5
But who wants to sift through all that awkward supposedly Greyhawk shit? Right?
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Post by Axe Mental on Oct 23, 2005 22:58:20 GMT -5
Some Greyhawk fanatics of course. ;D
BTW, is there any info on specifics of the Scarlet Brotherhood. How wide spread were they (just inside the Greyhawk city area, or were they all over the continent?
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Post by Scott on Oct 24, 2005 0:35:40 GMT -5
There probably was a few agents in the City of Greyhawk, at least there are in my campaign, but there stronghold was on the opposite side of the Flanaess. They are rumored to have agents in many nations' courts though.
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Post by dcas on Oct 24, 2005 9:00:34 GMT -5
I think it would be interesting to consider the political machinations of well-placed agents of the Scarlet Brotherhood.
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Post by geneweigel on Oct 24, 2005 17:03:57 GMT -5
I was referring to the 2e stuff suggested.
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Post by axeguest on Oct 26, 2005 21:38:11 GMT -5
Where the Scarlet Brotherhoods set up in Greyhawk ever described? In the God books, why do I remember evil monks being an important element to the group? Man, I have no idea what the hell happenned to my Gord books (scattered between 3 houses).
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