Friday, April 6, 2012

Gods of Ardis - Krohll

Famously, T&T has no gods and no specific rules for dealing with them. But I like having them in my game, so I'm adding them. Ardis is simply crawling with gods, godlets, god-kings and death-lords. I'll elaborate on them as time goes along - starting with:


Krohll. He built the forge that burns in the foundations of Ardis, and whose smokes and fires can be seen in volcanoes. That was his first work. For his second work, he made the breastplate of the sun-god, and all of the gods admired it. Drunk on ambrosia, he rashly vowed that he would make a treasure for each of the gods, each unique. The assembled gods mercifully tried to let him off the hook, knowing the task to be impossible, there being an infinity of deities. But Krohll raged at them, saying, "Am I a coward, that I should forswear myself thus? What I have spoken, so shall I do!" And forthwith, Krohll forged for himself a chain, his third work, and bound himself to his forge in the deep, and began his labors, which continue to this day: not without complaint, for Krohll is a wroth god, and his cursing makes the ground shake, especially when he hits his thumb.

Krohll figured that though he had to make the treasures himself, he didn't have to do it without help: so he made the dwarves to be his servants. They dug his ores, coal for his forge, for so long that they eventually came out into the sunlight. They multiplied, so the labor became lighter, but Krohll's faithful -virtually all dwarves- are never quite certain that they are not about to be set to hard labor again. Dwarves call on him, but do not really expect aid: they're supposed to help him, not the other way around. In the face of misfortune, a dwarf is apt to shrug and say, "Krohll is busy." Oaths invoking Krohll are SERIOUS business: There is nothing more likely to bring Krohll's wrath than breaking or neglecting an oath.

Virtues: Strength, endurance, steadfastness, oath-keeping, and technological cunning all fall within Krohll's sphere of influence.

Sacrifices: Treasure, basically: very worshipful dwarves make a votive hoard dedicated to Krohll; dwarvish craftsmen will dedicate a masterpiece to Krohll which they then keep in, or on, a shrine to the god in their workplace. After quenching a blade, As a token of this, a dwarf will throw a coin down a well, or flip a coin over his left shoulder. Picking up s"Krohll's penny" is widely considered to be bad luck.

Game play ideas: An adherent of Krohll seeking the god's aid must perform a ceremony rather like a potlatch, wherein no less than a tenth part of his wealth is expended, either in coin or metal goods. These should be buried in stony ground, marked with one of the god's symbols: a hammer or anvil, or a chain. Oaths taken in Krohll's name must be kept: saving rolls will be missed, consistently, if the character is not doing something to fulfill his oath. It is best that such oaths be specific.

"By Krohll's chain! I will drink more beer this night than any man at this table, or I will dance naked upon it before you!"
"But Helrig! You already do that... both of them! ALWAYS."
"Never swear to ANYTHING by Krohll that you don't know you can do for certain." 

No comments:

Post a Comment