ETC.)
5. RESPECT AND DEFEND SACRED GROUND, SHRINES, AND TEMPLES 6. HONOR THE CONDITIONS OF ANY TERRIBLE OATH SWORN
Devotions
Devotions are regular, daily religious observances required by one’s cult. All cult members must make an offering of 1 MP per day in personal devotions. When possible, devotions must be made on sacred ground under the guidance of a cult cleric. If not possible, one's god must be satisfied with the circumstances, or one may be called to account on regular Judgment Day (holy days). An occasional lapse may require a small penance. A serious lapse may result in loss of benefits until a penance is served.
Devotions of non-cultists may be heard, but confer no benefits. Non-cultists who enjoy the hospitality of a shrine or temple are expected to show respect to their benefactor;
failure to do so earns the contempt and distrust of earthly laymen, initiates and priests, and may dispose the god against you.
GM Guidelines: A good practice is to tell players that you assume their characters are performing their devotions and making their offerings of 1 MP per cult membership unless the player states otherwise. You will further assume that the characters have appropriately reduced MP scores unless their MP have been restored through meditation ceremony, or through some other means.
Divine Judgment, Holy Days, Blessings, and Penances
On specified cult holy days each cultist must go to a temple, shrine, or other cult sacred ground and ask for divine judgment. Details vary from cult to cult, but in essence the cultist privately and personally asks his divine patron to review the cultist's recent thoughts and actions and judge whether the cultist has been a worthy follower.
Normally a cultist who has earnestly tried to observe the doctrines and devotions of the cult, and whose dedication to the cult is sincere, will satisfy his god's scrutiny and will feel refreshed in spirit and strengthened in his faith.
A character who has been especially virtuous and devoted to the cult may receive a small blessing in token of the god's favor. (In game terms, the blessing is in the form of a one-use 10-point bonus on the use of any cult-favored skill.) A cultist who has served his divine patron exceptionally faithfully or who has endured severe trials testing his faith and devotion may occasionally receive a more generous blessing. (In game terms, at the GM's discretion, the form of the more generous blessing may be in the one-time use of a prayer, or a one -time automatic success with a cult-favored skill, or a present of a modest lesser divine instrument.)
A cultist who has failed in the regular observance of his devotions, or who has failed to honor the basic cult doctrines or strictures, or who has disgraced or offended his divine patron in some way, receives a rebuke from his divine patron. Observance of a cult's strictures is a way of proving your trust in your deity; in return, the god rewards your trust by offering you the benefits of his support and protection. An offending cultist is told of the nature of his fault ("You have been lax in your daily devotions." "You have offended against the Word of Ranald in the wanton use of violence in your roguish pursuits.") and warned to amend his ways or face banishment from the cult. If the cultist's faults are serious, or his transgressions habitual (i.e., he has received Judgment Day rebukes in the past), he may also receive a penance (see below). A cultist who has been given a penance by his god is denied the benefits of his cult until the penance is
completed.
Observance of Judgment Day is mandatory. Lay members who are not able to make it to sacred ground on a holy day may still ask their god for judgment, but may or may not be heard by their god. Petitioners for Judgment not on sacred ground are expected to wait around on their knees all day hoping for their god to hear their request for judgment. (See Staging Gods, Etc., "The Eyes and Ears of the Gods," page ??). Lay members who are imprisoned, indisposed by injury or disease, or otherwise restricted may receive a visit from a cult cleric who provides the same benefit as the presence of sacred ground.
All cultists, lay members and clerics alike, who fail to receive judgment on Judgment Day lose all benefits of cult membership until they receive judgment. Clerics, for example, lose the power to invoke prayer and perform cult ceremonies. To regain cult
benefits and cult member status, the cultist must seek Judgment as soon as possible at a cult shrine or temple, or with the aid of a cult priest. Cultists who miss a Judgment Day observance almost always receive a rebuke and penance, regardless of circumstances, though the penance may be light if the cultist has a compelling explanation for his tardiness.
GM Notes: Judgment Day blessings and rebukes are always a private affair -- a few words alone with your god. The GM and player step aside and handle the player-character's Judgment in private; other players are not entitled to know of the god's judgment unless the player-character chooses to reveal it.
Many cults do not have regular Judgment Days as such. For example, a Chaos god demands Judgment of its followers whenever the Chaos god feels like it -- twice an hour, or once a century -- whenever and as often as it likes. It may also be more extravagant and horrible in the blessings and penances it bestows on its followers.
Regular observance of Judgment Days is most appropriate in extended campaigns with elaborate role-playing detail. For many campaigns, unless a character has been
exceptionally pious or exceptionally sinful, the GM may assume that all player characters have been judged to be acceptable but not remarkable cult members, and that they have received neither a blessing nor a penance. Of course, if a player asks specifically for his god's Judgment, go ahead and give it to him, but confer no blessing or penance unless the character really deserves it.
Losing Cult Member Benefits
Failure to observe cult doctrines and practices may result in temporary loss of cult benefits.
The following misdeeds automatically result in temporary loss of cult benefits:
• Omission of Daily Devotions: The cultist receives no cult be nefits until regular daily devotions are once again observed.
• Failure to seek Judgment on the Appointed Cult Holy Day: The cultist receives no cult benefits until he appears to receive Judgment on sacred ground or in the presence of a cult cleric.
The following are examples of misdeeds that may result in temporary loss of cult benefits at the discretion of the divine patron (i.e., at the GM's discretion). Other
misdeeds that may result in denial of cult benefits may be listed in the Cult Descriptions, or determined at the GM's discretion. If the divine patron chooses to withhold cult benefits from the cultist, the cultist is immediately informed by a private rebuke, and told the circumstances of the loss of benefits, and the conditions for regaining the benefits.
• Refusal of a request for service from a cult cleric. The god may deny the cultist the benefits of the cult until the cultist has accepted his responsibility to the cult or made amends in some other way. If the cultist has some compelling reason for refusing the requested service, the god may absolve the cultist of responsibility and grant the cultist continuing cult benefits.
• Failure to adhere to the Purpose and Conditions of a Terrible Oath.
• Flagrant and intentional disregard for an important doctrine of the cult. The god may deny the cultist the benefits of the cult until a penance has been made (see below).
• Flagrant and intentional disrespect for cult sacred ground or for a cult cleric. The god may deny the cultist the be nefits of the cult until a penance has been made (see below).
Penances
A cultist assigned a penance by his god loses all cult benefits until his penance is completed. Penances vary according to the cult and the circumstances and severity of the transgr ession.
Light Penances: Minor transgressions by otherwise dedicated cultists usually receive light penances. For example:
• Make a special offering of 1GC to the cult.
• Spend one full day in devotions at a shrine or temple.
• Humble yourself to cleaning the steps to the temple at the direction of your priest.
Stern Penances: More serious offenses, or minor offenses repeated by already-rebuked cultists, may result in a stern penance. For example:
• Make a special offering of 50GC to the cult.
• Place yourself at the disposal of the shrine's priest for one month, during which you shall feed and care for the poor and attend to their needs.
• Deny yourself the pleasures of ale or strong spirits for one month as a sign of your resolve to mend your ways.
• Make a pilgrimage to the Shrine of Sigmar in Middenheim and make an offering of 100GC there in Sigmar's name.
Heavy Penances: Repeated serious offenses against cult doctrines and practices may result in the levying of a heavy penance. Such heavy penances are signs that the god has wearied of the cultist's misdeeds, and is doubtful of the cultist's suitability to serve the cult. For example:
• Go forth into the Great Forest, seek out Archdruid Matham, and serve at his bidding for one full turn of the seasons.
• Yield up thy robes, pens, books, and scholarship. Go into the streets of Altdorf and live as a beggar from the fall to the winter solstice, and learn more of your fellow man than you have learned from your books.
• Go forth into the wilderness among the heathen orcs for the summer campaign season.
Refuse no challenge. Refuse no opportunity to test your strength at arms and your honor in combat. Come back with your shield or on it.
Minor and stern penances may be common in a long campaign, but heavy penances should be exceptional, and may best serve as inspirations for scenarios that intertwine the details of the penance with the conflicts and objectives of other characters in a regular party of adventurers.
Terrible O aths
Cultists of grave purpose and profound commitment may swear a Terrible Oath upon the name of their god or upon the name of a god of similar cult alignment. The Terrible Oath must be sworn before god upon ground sacred to the god in question in orde r that the cultist gain the personal attention of the divine patron. Terrible Oaths are personal in nature, and vary in form according to circumstances, but they generally contain at least these three elements: a statement of Purpose, a statement of Conditions, and an
Invocation to the god to bind the cultist to the purpose and conditions stated. For example, consider the following Terrible Oath sworn in the Temple of Morr:
"I swear before Morr that I shall seek out the necromancer that hath befouled the dignity of my father's grave. That necromancer shall I drag before your terrible justice, O Morr, or shall I endeavor to slay with my own hands, if it be thy will. Until that day I shall not rest nor swerve from my single purpose. O Morr, and all the young Gods, hide from me your shining countenance if I should weaken or fail in my resolve. I so swear, O Morr, this Terrible Oath of vengeance and justice, in thy name and keeping. So be it."
The Purpose stated is the bringing to justice or slaying of the necromancer. The Conditions stated are that the cultist will constantly pursue this purpose and let no other task distract him. The Invocation is to the god Morr.
A cultist who swears a Terrible Oath shall loose his cult benefits if the god judges that the cultist has not adhered to the solemn Purpose and Conditions of his oath. The god is the sole judge of the cultist's actions and intentions; a Terrible Oath is a personal matter between a cultist and his divine patron.
A Terrible Oath must lend great dignity and importance to the doctrines of the god before whom the oath is sworn. An oath of trivial significance or doubtful sincerity is an affront to a god; typically such a feeble oath is rejected by the god, and accompanied by a rebuke in the form of a Stern Penance. On the other hand, a Terrible Oath which touches upon the most profound interests and desires of a god may earn the cultist that god's personal attention. The close scrutiny of a god whose power and judgment are
incomprehensible of mortals is a mixed blessing, and may have consequences beyond the cultist's imagining. (For advice to GM on handling Terrible Oaths, see Staging Gods, Their Servants, and Divine Magics, "The Personal Attention of a God," page ??.)
Renouncing a Cult
One may renounce membership in the former cult. Such a character of course immediately loses all benefits of that cult, and he may never join that cult again; in addition, a minor or great curse is usually placed on such a character.
This renunciation of a former cult may not be made public by the character or the cult;
it may be kept secret while the character pretends to honor the doctrines and practices of the former cult. Thus do secret Chaos cultist conceal their outlawed worship from the eyes of the world. It may seem odd that a Young God like Ulric would permit a former worshipper newly dedicated to Slaanesh to enter his shrine and pretend to be a good temple-goer without publicly revealing the foul blasphemer's imposture, but the gods usually leave the burden of a cult's day-to-day affairs on earth in the hands of mortal cult members.