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Chaosium Digest Volume 08 Number 01
Chaosium Digest Volume 8, Number 1
Date: Monday, October 10, 1994
Number: 2 of 3
Contents:
The Cult of Maluk, Part Two (Pascal Poizat) ELRIC!
--------------------
From: poizat <poizat@ensinfo.univ-nantes.fr>
Subject: The Cult of Maluk, Part Two
System: Elric!
THE CULT OF MALUK
[continued from V7.12]
d) Priests
All over the world
0-20 per University
$: 20-40 per day given by the Knowledge Keeper
5 more per day from the treasurer
5 more per day if he teaches a student
Must give 50% of the bronzes they got outside University to
the University treasurer
rights: see novices + 2-4 personal guards (see Elric! p111) paid by the
University, 2-4 grimoires per year, a mule and travel expenses paid by
the University (up to 1000 bronzes. for more, they must go before the
Knowledge Keeper and defende their case).
The job of the priest is to increase Maluk's power by finding all kind
of information and secrets. There are two kinds of priests: those who
travel the world to obtain information for the University and those
who stay at the University to teach the Students and serve in the
secret police. Each year, the Knowledge Keeper decides who goes
where. Bad priests are often sent to obtain knowledge in Lawful
countries.
It's an honour to be the "mouth" of a student. Only the best priests
are in charge of this work. Even if it's dangerous (if the student
fumbles in the ceremony of "Revelation"), the priests always accept.
Some priests sew their mouth and pull out one of their eyes to look
like Maluk. This increases Chaos allegiance by 1 and Maluk allegiance
by 10. But, this reduces every combat skill by 50% and search and
track by 40%.
If the priest doesn't know some of these spells, he can learn them if
he is allowed to stay in the University for 3 months per spell:
- all the spells of Maluk
- Buzard Eyes
- Demon's Ear
- Demon's Eye
- Liken Shape
- Rat Vision
These spells are called "priest spells". To learn them, a priest is
given full access to the room of the hidden secrets of the University.
The Knowledge Keeper must be with him, so, in fact, only great priests
are given the right to learn spells. In the room of hidden secrets,
one can also learn about demons, but only great priest (University
Knowledge higher than 80% or POW higher than 19) usually do. Note
that in the Maluk Cult, the use of demons is not restricted since it
is seen as a way to get more knowledge (on demons: their names, etc)
for the University.
Maluk Priest - Secret Finder, age 30-...
He decided to sew his mouth to get closer of Maluk.
He also got rid of one of his eyes.
Law: 5 Balance: 5 Chaos: 40
|
|-Maluk: 71
STR 10 CON 12 SIZ 10 INT 18
POW 19 DEX 15 APP 7 HP 11
Damage bonus: none MP: 18
Weapons:
Brawl 55%, 1D3
Dagger 70%, 1D4+2
Armor:
Soft Leather, 1D6-1
(only when he travels through the Young Kingdoms)
Spells:
all the spells of Maluk
Buzard Eyes (1)
Liken Shape (4)
Rat Vision (1)
Skills:
Insight 50%, Listen 55%, Young Kingdoms 55%, Oratory 45%,
Fast Talk 45%, Being impressed by the Knowledge Keeper 65%,
Finding a book in a library in less than 1 minute 70%, Scribe
50%, 5 languages (other than his own) 50%, (Memory or University
Knowledge 65%),
plus all the skills he had before he "decided" to worship Maluk
e) Knowledge Keeper
Only in cities
One per University
$: 50% of the money given to the University by novices and priests
rights: see priests + 10D8 personal guards, 1D8 personal captains of
the guard, a horse, a ship if the university is near the sea or a
river. Decides the research policies of the University and is
president of several juries and the chief of the city secret police.
There is only one Knowledge Keeper per University. The first
Knowledge Keeper of each University was the priest who funded it. One
is Knowledge Keeper until he dies.
There are two ways to become Knowledge Keeper.
First, you can go and see the Great Librarian in order to ask him the
right to fund a new University. You must already have some money and
knowledge (e.g. books you wrote) to put in this University. Your
request passes before a Great Jury of all the Knowledge Keepers. The
president of this jury is -of course- the Great Librarian. This
meeting is called "Birth of the Keeper".
To pass this "test" a priest must: have 80% or more in University
Knowledge, have 100 or more in Maluk allegiance, have writen 1D8 books
or grimoires, know how to summon 8 different demons, know all the
priests spells + chain of being + wisdom of slortar and have at least
40,000 bronzes. Note that your Knowledge Keeper must first allow you
to go and see the Great Librarian.
Then if your succeed, you will be given by each of the other Knowledge
Keepers: Students (5), Novices (2), Priests (2), Books (8D8) and Money
(1D8 * 10,000 bronzes)
Note that this way is quite difficult since Knowledge Keepers are
jealous people and they don't really want you to have a greater
University than theirs. In the vote, the Great Librarian has 8 voices
and each Knowledge Keeper 1 voice. The Great Librarian contacts Maluk
himself in order to determine his eight voices.
Second, if the Knowledge Keeper of your University dies (it can be
quite a while since they usually use magic to live longer), the 3
greatest priests of the University will become pretenders. To be
great, a priest must have 80% or more in University Knowledge, have
100 or more in Maluk allegiance, have writen 1D6 books or grimoires,
know how to summon 6 different demons, know all the priests spells +
chain of being and have at least 20,000 bronzes.
Then, all the priests vote, and the winner becomes the new Knowledge
Keeper of the University. This is called "Raise of the Keeper".
Once per year, on Maluk's day, all the Knowledge Keepers meet the
Great Librarian in order to listen to his research orders. The custom
says that everyone should give a gift to the Great Librarian:
Nanorions, Melnibonean Great Wheels, famous grimoires, new spells,
etc. Each one tries to please the Great Librarian in order to become
his favorite. Beware! If the Great Librarian feels insulted by a
Knowledge Keeper gift, the Keeper could become priest again.
Maluk Knowledge Keeper, age 60-...
He decided to sew his mouth to get closer of Maluk.
He also got rid of one of his eyes.
Law: 5 Balance: 15 Chaos: 80
|
|-Maluk: 171
STR 12 CON 14 SIZ 10 INT 20
POW 22 DEX 13 APP 12 HP 12
Damage bonus: none MP: 22
Weapons:
Brawl 55%, 1D3
Dagger 120%, 1D4+2
Armor:
Soft Leather, 1D6-1
+ lesser demon (INT 2, POW 15)
ability: demon armor, adds 2D10
Spells:
all the spells of Maluk
Buzard Eyes (1)
Chain of being (4)
Demon's Ear (1)
Demon's Eye (1)
Liken Shape (4)
Rat Vision (1)
Skills:
Insight 60%, Listen 45%, Young Kingdoms 45%, Oratory 55%,
Fast Talk 55%, Being impressed by the Knowledge Keeper 45%,
Finding a book in a library in less than 1 minute 75%,
Scribe 60%, 5 languages (other than his own) 60%, (Memory or
University Knowledge 95%),
plus all the skills he had before he "decided" to worship Maluk
f) Great Librarian
Only in the Great Library
- choose where (a chaotic country) and mail the Digest
ONLY ONE IN THE YOUNG KINGDOMS
$: 50% of all Universities cash
60% of the Great Library cash
rights: over any Knowledge Keeper in any University, President of all
the juries (in Maluk cult). Decides, with the help of Maluk, the
orders to give on Maluk's day. Receives wonderful gifts on Maluk's
day. Owns a seat in all Maluk churches in the Young Kingdoms. The
only ones above him are Maluk and the Theocrat.
The Great Librarian is elected by Maluk himself. To become the Great
Librarian, one must: be a Knowledge Keeper for more than 8 years and 8
days and have more than 200 Maluk allegiance points. In fact, the
Great Librarian is the more important champion of Maluk in the Young
Kingdom plane. See rules in Elric! p36. When someone becomes the
Great Librarian, it's for a long, long time. It's only when Maluk get
rid of him that he is replaced.
The Great Librarian has a full access to any library and to the rooms
of the hidden secrets. He is the only one who can go to the bright
room in the Great Library.
II) INCREASING MALUK ALLEGIANCE
becoming a novice (entering high cult) 5 points
working for a secret police 5 points
finding secret or important information 5 points
discovering a spell or a demon 10 points
writing a book or grimoire 5 points
sewing mouth 5 points
pulling an eye out 10 points (forbidden until priest)
meeting a Knowledge Keeper 5 points
meeting the Great Librarian 10 points
burning a book or grimoire -5 points
letting a book or grimoire burn -5 points
III) PLACES
a) The Great Library
The Great Library was the first of the Universities of the Silent
Watcher. It is also the place where the Great Librarian lives and
works. He never leaves.
This huge black building is in a secret place known only by the high
cultists (e.g. novices and above). All the building is covered with
the symbols of Maluk. There is only one entrance, guarded by Sentinel
demons and Bal'boosts. No one has ever managed to enter without being
a high cultist, but only a few have tried.
Inside, there are:
* thousands of books (of all planes), including the entire methods to
cast the spells and summon the demons of Elric! and the Digest (except
those spells or summonings noted in the Digest to be unique).
* more than 800 rooms (must use the skill "find a book ..."+40% to
find A book)
* summoning rooms
* the room of the spirits, where the books containing the memories
stolen by the "Knowledge of Maluk" spell lie.
* the room of the hidden secrets, containing some dangerous books but
not enough to be in the bright room. Access is granted to priests and
above.
* the living quarters of the Great Librarian, including his own
summoning room and the bright room, the place where the more powerful
books of the library are. The gifts given on Maluk's days are also
kept here. These rooms are protected by two Sentinel demons.
* more than 500 guards and some demons
The students of the Great Library are only the children of the best
families. There are also a few children kidnapped or bought, but only
if they are of a higher than normal intelligence.
b) Universities of the Silent Watcher
Universities of the Silent Watcher are small copies of the Great
Library. They are more or less depots. If books are really
interesting, they are sent to the Great Library. In fact, they are
more Universities than libraries, even if they contain hundreds of
books. There usually are 50-100 guards and some demons in each
University. The room of the hidden secrets of the Universities often
contains things (books, stones, etc) analyzed by the great priests or
the Knowledge Keeper of the University.
c) Usual layout of Library/Universities
_______________________________________________________
| E | * * |
|--|---------| |
| |__F______| * ________ * | *
- - | | -
a ______G_ * _d L M _ b
| __| | |________| |
| H | | J|----| * * | *
| I c K | * * |
|------|--|-------|-------------------------------------|
a: cultists door - sentinel demon
b: main entrance - sentinel demon
c: bright room door (only in Great Library) - sentinel demon
d: lectures door - sentinel demon
E: students cells
F: novice rooms (2 per room)
G: cult room - room of the ceremonies
H: priests rooms
I: room of the hidden secrets
J: room of the Knowledge Keeper/Great Librarian
K: bright room (only in Great Library)
L: library labyrinth - books and so on
M: summoning rooms
*: Maluk statues
III) SPELLS
Stolen Knowledge of Maluk is in V6.11 of the Digest. I'll do some
more later.
IV) OTHER NOTES
All through this article, I've been talking of "University Knowledge"
(UK). This is really important since it is mandatory to have more
than x% in this skill to become a priest (x=60) or a Knowledge Keeper
(x=80). At the beginning, give your character between 5 and 15% of
UK. Being a student can make it increase up to 30-40%. To make it
increase more, just use it.
e.g.: Mr. Foo and his team are in a big city. They want to know more
about an old legend. Mr. Foo is a Cultist (of Maluk) and decides to
seach in the University of the city. First he uses his "Find a book
in a library in less than 1 minute" skill to find a book related to
that legend. This University is not the one he is related to, so the
Knowledge Keeper only gave him 1 minute to search in the library. If
he succeeds, he will be able to use his "University Knowledge" to
remember what some term of the book means, where a city is, etc.
University Knowledge can also be used in another way: some points can
be given to other skills -> heal, potions, young kingdoms, etc.
Knowledge skills (as seen in Elric! or in the Digest) are very related
to University Knowledge. The Game Master may allow they players to
increase University Knowledge by 25% when they increase other
Knowledge skills.
e.g.: Mr. Foo increases his potion skill by 8%. He can also increase
University Knowledge by 2%.
I hope other Digest members will write on other cults (or on the Maluk
Cult). Some will perhaps write to give a better description of a
University or of the Great Library itself. Note that I haven't given
the characteristics of the Great Librarian. Just do it! (Try to make
a less powerful Theocrat, but with high Knowledge skills and a
University Knowledge skill of 120%).
Pascal Poizat
poizat@ensinfo.univ-nantes.fr
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