Warrior-Priests of the Sword
Not just the blade must be guided and honed, but its wielder too.
- Spells: Treat them as clerics, except that they know and can cast just 1 spell from their divinity's list per day for each level that they could normally cast. For example, a 5th level warrior-priest of the sword could cast one 1st, one 2nd, and one 3rd level spell from his list each day. This arrangement should be enough.
- Arms: Their allowed weapon is of course the sword, though other weapons may do if needed.
- Restrictions: Sword warrior-priests are no longer able to use their divinity's usual turn ability or mysteries.
- Turn: They can drive off those who are associated with 1 rival sword warrior cult cause for every odd level they have (1st, 3rd, 5th, etc.) Sword warrior-priests can also turn those who act in ways like what those cults espouse, even if they aren't actual members. Such choices often reflect the divinity they follow. For example, a 3rd level executioner (black sword) warrior-priest of Odin might be able to turn those vile xenocrats (a yellow sword cult) and equalitarians (a red sword cult), as well as all the fools who hew to their ways. At 5th level, he may opt to be able to turn those who espouse growth (a green sword cult), finding them irritating enough to furthermore chastise with divine certainty.
- Mysteries: In addition, sword warrior-priests can use sword cult abilities just like a standard warrior in the cult can: Smite, Rally, and Parry. Though they still fight as clerics, these become their new mysteries. The causes that sword warrior-priests can smite are identical to the causes they can turn.
- Tests: They at times (50%) experience sword tests instead of those of their divinity. Recheck every time one occurs. Devotion to both is necessarily fitting.
Sword Cultist Knights
As described in Orders of the Medieval Age (Part II - link, see bottom half of page), knights are noble (or at least they should be). Conveniently enough, they notably wield swords. To combine the abilities of both, sword cultist knights must act honorably (if they are chivalric), but can substitute the espousing of their sword cult color cause for requirements of the medieval knight's heraldic color. Still, such heraldry can become causes of their own- per Referee- and are listed again as a reference. In any case, the sword cultist knight rolls for sword side-effects and possibly sword tests when using his sword cultist abilities, unlike standard medieval knights who don't use those abilities at all.
Heraldry / Armor Color
Knight Champion - per another type of heraldry, determined at random before each battle or selected when facing a foe that has a knightly ability
Aquamarine Knight - when fighting in sight of freshwater or the sea
Green Knight - when at a certain type of land (pick one: meadows, forests, or hills)
Blue Knight - when attacking from above, whether a static vantage point or mounted
Red Knight - when fighting aggressively, having no holds barred
Grey Knight - when seeking knowledge, being intelligent
White Knight - when espousing purity, seeking to remove the impure
Black Knight - when bringing doom, fear upon one's enemies
For example, a red knight blood zealot sword cultist can Smite those he can smell the blood of, Rally in the name of shedding blood, Parry, as well as improve 2 of his stats per odd level like a knight- all as long as he's being honorable... at least what would be considered honorable for him. He need not necessarily be fighting aggressively and without rules, though a different red knight sword cultist might have a cause that champions those very things.
More Exotic Causes
Beyond the ones described in Parts I & II, less well-known sword cults exist. While cultists can follow any cause, some notable examples follow, no matter how strange.
An Aquamarine Sword Cause
Mariners: Sailors, fishers, seamen, and pirates all have their place, and need ones who would fight for them. Though uncommon inland, cutlasses, broadswords, and other mariner blades are often set against those who would be set against those who live and die by the sea. Ironically, such foes are usually rival aquamarine sword cults, whether familiar or foreign folk, let alone those who serve the diabolical aquatic beings rumored to be found far beneath the waves. Whoever their foes are, they will have to walk the plank- or better yet, be run through with a hanger!
A Copper Sword Cause
Individual Loyalty: Devotion to one man can be compelling. Unlike guardians (a yellow sword cult) who focus solely on standing sentinel or despotics (a bronze sword cult) who enjoy consistently crushing dissent in the name of a strongman, individual loyalists spread the word of the one they idolize, and challenge any who would defy him. Whatever he declares, his word is law (even if it changes, which it usually does), and they happily support all actions he takes, seeing them in the best possible light. Such a stance allows them to need not select specific causes to be able to Smite. Nevertheless, with the one they idolize being prone to about-facing, there's only a base 75% chance that his sword cultists will be able to use their Smite or even Rally ability on his behalf each time when attempted, for the qualities of the cause may have been altered. Are they still trusting the plan?
Individual Loyalty: Devotion to one man can be compelling. Unlike guardians (a yellow sword cult) who focus solely on standing sentinel or despotics (a bronze sword cult) who enjoy consistently crushing dissent in the name of a strongman, individual loyalists spread the word of the one they idolize, and challenge any who would defy him. Whatever he declares, his word is law (even if it changes, which it usually does), and they happily support all actions he takes, seeing them in the best possible light. Such a stance allows them to need not select specific causes to be able to Smite. Nevertheless, with the one they idolize being prone to about-facing, there's only a base 75% chance that his sword cultists will be able to use their Smite or even Rally ability on his behalf each time when attempted, for the qualities of the cause may have been altered. Are they still trusting the plan?
A Pinkish Sword Cause
Pleasure: Not all swords are meant to harm. The idea can be shown in the joys of fertility: beautiful to see in the right situations, disturbing in others. Most other warriors would scoff at this being a cult of its own, though without such activity, where would new warriors come from? Consequently, these sword cultists cannot Smite, but can access the Fertile ability of a green axe cult as part of their daily uses instead (link). They can still use Parry as need be. They otherwise work with the 'body sword' to make their points, hopefully resulting in (non-painful) moaning by their women, and may then Rally to even greater heights...
A Grey Sword Cause
Slaver-Gentlemen: Not all who would enslave are cruel oppressors. There are those who are genteel and noble too. Often decentralized, one's personal honor is the currency amongst these types rather than rigid organization. And though their own folk are often kind, and they themselves chivalrous, hospitable gentlemen, the ones they enslave certainly might not be, and it's only a matter of time before they get loose, thereby posing a danger to all folk in the area. A number of other sword cults challenge the slaver-gentlemen thus, especially the public lords (see below), usually for the wrong reasons of course.
A Rainbow Sword Cause
Rainbow: Silly, if they weren't so perverse and insistent on making others be the same, their insane views of men and women and the proper roles of both are inverted, seemingly only to spread chaos and despair, despicably harming children as well. They thus lack the manliness to Smite, though their ability to Rally and Parry remains disturbingly available. Few tolerate them, especially traditionalists (a brown sword cult), though the xenocrats (a yellow sword cult) and many demented others do see their value in destroying the societies in which they operate- almost as destructive as the effect of gynarchists (though the latter refuse to associate with swords in any way, wear pink, and the worst of them support invaders or even mothers who murder their own children).
Rainbow: Silly, if they weren't so perverse and insistent on making others be the same, their insane views of men and women and the proper roles of both are inverted, seemingly only to spread chaos and despair, despicably harming children as well. They thus lack the manliness to Smite, though their ability to Rally and Parry remains disturbingly available. Few tolerate them, especially traditionalists (a brown sword cult), though the xenocrats (a yellow sword cult) and many demented others do see their value in destroying the societies in which they operate- almost as destructive as the effect of gynarchists (though the latter refuse to associate with swords in any way, wear pink, and the worst of them support invaders or even mothers who murder their own children).
A Reddish Sword Cause
Public Lords: More dumb than corrupt, they happily bring in and empower those who would destroy the ones who support them. When not allying with the yellow sword cult of xenocrats or the more insane approaches of the green sword cult of growth, they champion their own sacred text that they claim all just have to read once and will automatically join them. With the symbol of an oliphant, their most deranged members even worship orcs, having them fight on their behalf, though the latter are innately wicked and dunderheaded, turning on their human allies at the earliest opportunity. At least the orcs aren't naive enough to empower those who would destroy them, nor think that the existence of some sacred text alone will somehow be their salvation.
Sword Cult Divinities
Many are the causes that can be associated with gods, goddesses, and other beings, often serving as templars when skilled with the sword.
- Apollo - gold (perfection), his followers strive for the ideal.
- Ares - despotism (bronze), stratocracy (red), and blood fanaticism (red)- fitting for a god of war.
- Athena - demokratia (blue), guardians (yellow), and enlightenment (silver), she can bring out the best in all.
- Baldr - peacemaking (white), the dream still alive.
- Dyeus Phater - traditionalism (brown) and order (blue)- what better way to support patriarchy?
- Freya & Freyr - pleasure (pinkish), valkyries (silver), growth- if natural (green), the Vanir can love and can fight as need be.
- Gwydion - magocracy (purple), he might not support their sole rule, but such magic-users see him as a symbol of it.
- Hades - execution (black) and plutocracy (gold), sending many to Hades's realm, amassing wealth, not always with the same smiting.
- Heimdall - guardians (yellow), Bifrost might be a rainbow, and Heimdall white, his sword cultists tend to wield blades of yellow in defense of their charge.
- Hel - morbidity (green) and corruption (black), such swords (and their cultists) can look like they suffer from a famine themselves, wielded by draugr!
- Hephaestus - building (bronze), a hefty functional weapon, reflecting how these sword cultists enjoy its forging.
- Loki - upstarts (yellow) and syndicalism (silver), the one attacked by them might be too confused (and his cultists laughing too hard) to recall exactly which colors they are.
- Lugh (the Fragarach) - enlightenment (silver) and noble aristocracy (purple), Tuatha de Danann are the bright, summer fey, and his mortal cultists emulate them thus.
- Manannan - mariners (aquamarine) and utopians, representing otherworlds (gold), shifting beyond the sea.
- Mars - stratocracy (red)- simple and direct is his cause, and thereby theirs, essentially martial.
- Mielikki - the forest (green), which must be protected as need be.
- Meness - the valkyries, representing otherworlds (silver), the moon casts all in a different light.
- the Morrighan - noble aristocracy (purple), blood fanaticism (red), her cultists serve both the queen and her taste for bloodshed
- Nemesis - dark avengement (black), vengeance (gray), she is followed by all who would set the wrongs against them right.
- Odin - execution (black), valkyries (silver), and nation (blue), the Allfather can bring to Valhalla.
- Poseidon - mariners (aquamarine), fitting for a sea god.
- Tyr - order (blue) and swords against sorcery (bronze), for he is not fond of witches.
- Velnias - execution (black), death brings final release.
- Vesta - purity (white), hygienic and moral fits her followers well.
- Vidarr - dark avengement (black), done in preparation for Ragnarok.
- Zeus - order (blue) and noble aristocracy (purple), his cultists wield in the name of his divine hierarchy.
- Wolf and other Beast Spirits - bestialism (brown), for those without fangs, horns, or claws, weapons will do.
- Monstrous Beings, Hostile Jotnar, and Gigantes - despotism (bronze), crushing who oppose them (or so they think)!
- Geedeepee - plutocracy (gold), growth (green), things are best when the bull runs higher, forever, as that line goes up, or at least so they insist.
- Ragana, Louhi - xenocracy (yellow), corruption (black)- they support the greatest of crimes: betraying one's people.
- Uncle Steel Dwarf - equalitarianism (red), demanding everything be equal, or else.
If One's Sword is Long Enough, One Might Avoid Having to Touch the Torn Viscera of One's Foul Foe
Sword cult scenarios
With so many causes, sword cults are bound to enter into conflict with each other. Roll once or multiple times for each to see who's encountered. Other causes can be added as needed, depending on how much intrigue a Referee wants his party to face.
I. In Defense of the Realm (roll d6)
Two sides work to save this once-pleasant human land from those who work to destroy it.
Two sides work to save this once-pleasant human land from those who work to destroy it.
[1] Nationalists (blue): Advocating for the perpetuation and thriving of their people.
[2] Traditionalists (brown): Striving to preserve the old ways.
[3] Executioners (black): Planning deeds to kill off the invader and traitor threat.
---
[4] Demokratiasts (blue): Hoping to seize power by replacing the electorate.
[5] Growth (green): More activity in the area means more wealth to go around (even if the actual productive people and the society that allows for prosperity are thereby eliminated), right? Some of the more deluded public lords (reddish) happily assist them.
[2] Traditionalists (brown): Striving to preserve the old ways.
[3] Executioners (black): Planning deeds to kill off the invader and traitor threat.
---
[4] Demokratiasts (blue): Hoping to seize power by replacing the electorate.
[5] Growth (green): More activity in the area means more wealth to go around (even if the actual productive people and the society that allows for prosperity are thereby eliminated), right? Some of the more deluded public lords (reddish) happily assist them.
[6] Xenocrats (yellow): Spitefully helping orcs and goblins to invade the land in order to harm, displace, and eradicate humans. Far too many are actually human themselves, spitting on both their ancestors and descendants (or lack thereof) as a result.
II. For Whom the Treasure? (roll d8)
An influx of coin has come to the town's attention, naturally leading to heated arguments over who should get it. It might even be the party's latest find that they consider eligible for 'taxation'. Roll d8.
An influx of coin has come to the town's attention, naturally leading to heated arguments over who should get it. It might even be the party's latest find that they consider eligible for 'taxation'. Roll d8.
[1] Plutocrats (gold): They have the most treasure already, so they insist they know just what to do with it.
[2] Nobles (purple): It is theirs by right, others are simply too lowly for it.
[3] Public Lords (reddish): The wealth is best used to encourage new permanent visitor serfs to come (who aren't human, of course, and hate not only the public lords, but the ones the public lords are supposed to protect). They insist that their plan is foolproof.
[4] Individual Loyalty (copper): It should go to their leader, for (in his own words) he's the GREATEST OF ALL TIME!!!
[5] The Builders (bronze): There are many structures that need repairing in town, not to mention all the new ones to make. Who can fix them (and any foolish cults who vote against doing so)? Their leader a bronze hammer cultist, Robert the Builder, believes he can.
[6] (it's already been taken- suspicion turns to the Syndicate- silver)
[7] The Fabulous (rainbow): The wealth must be spent on huge (and perverse) art projects throughout the town.
[8] Equalitarians (red): It should be redistributed amongst the people, along with the removed heads of the plutocrats, nobles, public lords, and individual loyalists.
[2] Nobles (purple): It is theirs by right, others are simply too lowly for it.
[3] Public Lords (reddish): The wealth is best used to encourage new permanent visitor serfs to come (who aren't human, of course, and hate not only the public lords, but the ones the public lords are supposed to protect). They insist that their plan is foolproof.
[4] Individual Loyalty (copper): It should go to their leader, for (in his own words) he's the GREATEST OF ALL TIME!!!
[5] The Builders (bronze): There are many structures that need repairing in town, not to mention all the new ones to make. Who can fix them (and any foolish cults who vote against doing so)? Their leader a bronze hammer cultist, Robert the Builder, believes he can.
[6] (it's already been taken- suspicion turns to the Syndicate- silver)
[7] The Fabulous (rainbow): The wealth must be spent on huge (and perverse) art projects throughout the town.
[8] Equalitarians (red): It should be redistributed amongst the people, along with the removed heads of the plutocrats, nobles, public lords, and individual loyalists.
III. Something Has Struck (roll d6)
A great object has crashed into the area, apparently some fallen piece of a shooting star. The crater and mass of stone that remains has become a nexus of intense debate, and likely bloodshed, whether an agreement on what to do with it is reached or not. Roll d6.
[1] Purity (white): Whatever it is, it might be dangerous and certainly needs to be avoided!
[2] Utopianism (gold): A falling star is of course a sign that their way is the only true way.
[3] Enlightenment (silver): We must study the stone in order to understand it better before doing anything else.
[4] Magocracy (purple): It must be taken as samples to work greater magic!
[5] Valkyries (silver): Who knows what sent it to us? We might...
[6] Morbidity (green): Fingers crossed that it is a piece of a broken, potent undead lord, and will bring a great pestilence.
[2] Utopianism (gold): A falling star is of course a sign that their way is the only true way.
[3] Enlightenment (silver): We must study the stone in order to understand it better before doing anything else.
[4] Magocracy (purple): It must be taken as samples to work greater magic!
[5] Valkyries (silver): Who knows what sent it to us? We might...
[6] Morbidity (green): Fingers crossed that it is a piece of a broken, potent undead lord, and will bring a great pestilence.
IV. Strange Creatures (roll d8)
Four odd, short, portly humanoids have pranced into the area, possibly via teleporting. One might think they were the fabled Walking Moppets, except for their childlike faces, bizarre head ornamentation, one-piece colored garb, and large, soulless eyes. Making only foolish sounds, most avoid them, that is, except for a number of sword cults. Dubbed "Tele-Portlies", the colors these strange creatures wear trigger different reactions from the cultists. Roll d6.
Four odd, short, portly humanoids have pranced into the area, possibly via teleporting. One might think they were the fabled Walking Moppets, except for their childlike faces, bizarre head ornamentation, one-piece colored garb, and large, soulless eyes. Making only foolish sounds, most avoid them, that is, except for a number of sword cults. Dubbed "Tele-Portlies", the colors these strange creatures wear trigger different reactions from the cultists. Roll d6.
[1] Stratocrats (red): They should be challenged to a fight and trained for war if they survive, the red one especially.
[2] Blood Fanatics (red): What do their innards look like? Let's find out- we're happy to touch their torn viscera, quite happy indeed...
[3] Guardians (yellow): They should be watched closely to see if they pose any threat to the one we protect. You can't trust those eyes!
[2] Blood Fanatics (red): What do their innards look like? Let's find out- we're happy to touch their torn viscera, quite happy indeed...
[3] Guardians (yellow): They should be watched closely to see if they pose any threat to the one we protect. You can't trust those eyes!
[4] Upstarts (yellow): Perhaps they can be used to usurp those who oppress us? The yellow one would make a fine symbol of our freedom.
[5] Order (blue): Their ridiculousness could be a ruse and they might be spies from some other cult. They will keep a close eye on each of them: whether yellow, green, purple, or red, to see if their inane babblings violate any regulations as they crawl about. If so, then they'll bring them in for a rigorous questioning.
[6] Corruption (black): They're obviously evil, which is obviously good!
[7] Slaver-Gentleman (grey): They're a little weak, but might do well working around the manse.
[6] Corruption (black): They're obviously evil, which is obviously good!
[7] Slaver-Gentleman (grey): They're a little weak, but might do well working around the manse.
[8] Bestials (brown): They look delicious, and likely can't run very fast...
Little do the cultists know, the Tele-Portlies can merge together if attacked, turning into some bizarre amalgamated automaton after 1d3 rounds of dramatic, self-descriptive merging. In this large form, they can wield their own greatsword, and are known as Teltron, Defender of the Unitards. Those who realize it will likely want such an amazing weapon for themselves- who wouldn't?
'Teltron'
Align: C, MV: 50' (fly), AC 1 (surprisingly tough, very pliable), HD: 8, Atk: 1, Dmg: 2d6 (sword, +2 to hit and damage any who are associated with a particular color, or are some sort of automaton-beast), SV: F8, Mor: 5
Next week: our mini-series on warrior cults concludes with the hammer
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