Gark the Calm

Mythos and History

The other gods grew jealous of Gark because he granted the peace they could not give and the immortality that was there most closely guarded power. They attacked Gark, decimating his followers and driving Gark into the wilderness. But Gark saved most of his followers and led them by secret ways back to the lands of his enemies to continues his great task.

In the Godtime Gark was a servant of the Celestial Court, a minor Harmony deity. He befriended Rashoran and learnt not to fear the Darkness when Yelm was murdered. He met the darkness spirit that had guarded death and witnessed its transformation into Vivamort, learning much.

After Wakboth was twice driven back from the spike, Gark persuaded many of the servants of the Celestial Court and not a few of its defenders that he could take away their fear and protect them from death. He used some of what he learnt from Rashoran and Vivamort and turned them into zombies, without fear and protected from Death.

Kargan Tor, who led the defence of the Celestial Court, came seeking his missing defenders and saw what Gark had done. Vowing vengeance he pursued Gark through the labyrinth of the Spike to one of the many gates. Gark opened the gate and was confronted by the devil himself. Wakboth saw what Gark had done and approved, laughing as he tore Kargan Tor's soul apart, then sent Gark out into the world to continue his work amongst the frightened peoples of the world.

Since then Gark and his priests have travelled across the world promising eternal peace and turning their victims into zombies.

Once Gark tried to recruit from a Castle of Lead but was driven off by Zorak Zoran who stole some of his power.

These are the two main myths associated with Gark the Calm, the first is told in countless variations by all Gark priests (who honestly believe it), the second is taken from a Lankor Mhy document believed to originate from an early God Learner theory.

Gark is associated with the runes of Harmony and Chaos.

Cult Ecology

Holy days are at the discretion of the head priest, but the high holy day is Freeze day, Harmony week, Earth season.

The Cult in the World

Lay Membership

Any injury to the lay members must be healed by use of the Devise skill or the Repair spell.

Initiate Membership

To become initiated a person must seek out the cult and offer their services. They must then succeed in a POWx3 roll to convince the priests of their sincerity.

Very occasionally an initiate is chosen from the new lay members. If one of the new flock makes a critical POWx1 roll and agrees to the practices of the cult, then they will be initiated.

An initiate can issue orders to a lay member within spirit magic range by spending 1MP per zombie, but may not order them to risk physical damage by (for example) fighting.

Spirit magic Befuddle, Glamour, Repair

Priests

Priests must have at least 75% in Orate, Speak Tradetalk, Speak (other) and 50% in Fast Talk and Devise. Priests are encouraged to become illuminated, to enhance their understanding of their position in the world.

Priests of Gark must spend all their time serving the cult by recruiting new lay members and caring for existing lay members.

A priest may issue commands to any lay member within 500m by expending 1MP per 3 zombies. The priest may give any reasonable order, including an order to fight, if justified.

Priests almost always have cast Eternal Peace on themselves

Divine magic Eternal Peace

Special Divine Spells for Gark

Eternal Peace 3 Points

enchant ritual, non-stackable, reusable

This spell binds the spirit of the victim into its body and promises its soul to Gark. Upon death (usually at the completion of the ritual) the victim becomes a Gark zombie as described in the section on lay membership.

The enchantment is normally placed on the chest, but may be on any hit location. Reducing that location to full negative hit points destroys the enchantment and will free the spirit, though if Gark has claimed the soul that cannot be reclaimed.

One point of POW is required for each 6 SIZ of the victim.

Associated Cults

Vivamort

Gark has aided Vivamort all through Time. When Vivamort establishes itself in a new area they are initially helped by one of the wandering Gark shrines.

Until the Vivamortists are strong enough to defend themselves they are protected in daylight by the Gark lay members. In addition the vampires have the choice of each batch of new recruits. The victims so selected are returned to Gark afterwards and are first to become lay members.

In return for these services a Gark shrine can request aid from Vivamort cultists whenever it is strong enough to fulfil the request. Gark also receives those who fail the Vivamort initiation test. In this treatment, Vivamort does not offer a Create Zombie spell but relies on the Gark association.

Notes

They have a hidden cost: once each week (on Wildday, at midnight) they attempt a POW vs POW roll. If succesful the attuned owner loses 1 POW, replaced by a point of false POW and the crystal has a 5% chance of increasing its own POW.

False POW counts as real POW, except for sacrificing for divine magic and for divine intervention. Once all a characters POW is false, that character is doomed. They lose INT at the rate of 1 point a day until halved and gain STR and CON at the rate of 1 a day until they have gained half as much again. The character is a zombie the instant all the real POW is gone, and the crystal is de-attuned.

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