Chronos

Guardian of the Great Pact

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History

Before Time

Chronos was born of the union between Lucifer and Stygia and raised by Selene.

Since Time

He and his cult work to protect and police the great pact called Time.

Life After Death

No cultist is allowed a death divint or a resurrection as after death they are taken out of the flow of time. But each is aware of when Death will occur and can Runelord divint before death occurs.

Runic Associations

The Rune is a combination of Life and Darkness, referred to as Time by cultists, and represents the divine hourglass. It has also been linked with fate.

Nature of the Cult

The cult is dedicated to protecting the Great Compromise of Time from those who would pervert or break it. It is very exclusive and has very few members.

Particular Likes and Dislikes

The cult basically favours all those who live within the Great Pact’s terms and hates those who would break it. It is probably associated to the Lightbringers and Stygia but this cannot be proven as the cult is so small and covert that exceedingly few people are aware of its existence.

Organisation

None.

Centres of Power and Holy Places

There are various places throughout the world that may be thought of as portals to Chronos’ chambers which is the only place outside of the Pact. These portals, referred to as gates by cultists, can be opened only by the correct rituals and procedures, often only at the right time, and are also well hidden and protected. These are regarded as Holy. Whether there are places of power is a matter for debate and conjecture.

Holy days and High Holy Days

There are no true Holy Days, but every Sunrise and Moonrise cultists throw a point of power to these symbols of the passage of Time. There is a POW ×5% chance that this power is reflected. There is a High Holy Day on New Year’s Day when the cult commemorates the Dawn of Time. On this day all cultists throw all but one power point to Chronos supposedly to replenish the beads in the great Timepiece. On this day all cultists are devoid of Power for casting spells but Chronos defends them with his own power from the spells of others.

Lay Membership

All creatures who live within the Great Pact are considered Lay Members. There are no benefits. The only restriction is that they remain within the bounds of time and do not seek to break it.

Initiate Membership

All initiates are selected personally by Chronos and induced to pass through a gate. They are then formally offered the choice of joining Chronos or remaining with their previous cult allegiance. No cult spirit of reprisal is ever incurred as Chronos always clears the switch with the God or Goddess concerned. As Guardian of Time he carries much clout with all the other Gods.

The new initiate must swear to keep his new cult a secret and to never reveal any secrets concerning the Great Pact to anyone unless danger to the Pact may occur otherwise. They must eschew all other cult ties. They must always wear a grey robe with the sign of Chronos on the breast (a black hourglass), and they must only use the cult weapons which they must carry at all times. The cult weapons are the sickle and the scythe. Cultists must never cut their hair or beards and of course must always work to protect the Great Pact.

New initiates are trained for free in sickle and scythe up to 50% plus bonuses and receive the battlemagic Timecheck. Initiates receive no other benefits save that they may approach any Runepriest of Lucifer, Stygia and Selene and demand teaching in Healing, Darkwall, and Shimmer respectively for free. Plus they may buy other spells which are free or ½ price from these cults at half price. The Runepriest must be asked in the name of the Great Compromise. Most Chronos cultists are frequently ex-initiates of one of these cults anyway.

Runelord Membership

When the cultist has attained a POW of 15+, 90%+ in sickle and scythe plus three other suitable skills (referee’s discretion), then he may re-enter a Gate and become a Timelord. He has all the normal benefits of Runelordhood, but only the restrictions that apply to initiates. He will be given an iron bladed sickle and scythe and an item of iron armour into which will be placed his allied spirit.

Runepriest Membership

The requirements for the Runepriesthood are 18+ POW, therefore some cultists will initiate as Runepriests. A Runepriest will be given an hourglass of Ebony, Iron and Crystal into which he will put his allied spirit, even if he is also a Runelord. This serves as his focus for his Runemagic. It gives him a permanent measure of the flow of time and whenever he examines it he will be aware of any interference with the flow of time. It also serves as a mobile altar and any day in which he remains at rest, in prayer to it, he may regain Runemagic and do all the things which are possible to a Runepriest within his Temple.

Runespell Compatibility

Chronos Runepriests have access to the following standard Runemagics: Dismiss Elemental, Divine Intervention, Extension 1, 2 and 3, Multispell 1, and Shield. They may summon Small Salamanders and Small Shades. They also gain access to the following cult special Runespells.

One Point Spells

Accelerate: Range 160m; Duration 15 min; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Causes the recipient to move with blinding speed due to an accelerated metabolic rate. It doubles movement rate and effectively add 6 points to DEX. The recipient may ignore all positive defences in melee combat.

Teleport: Range 160m; Duration instant; Non-Stackable; Reusable
As normal Teleport (c.f. Typhon). It is a one point spell due to the cult’s ability to bend time to its bidding.

Two Point Spells

Smite Pactbreaker: Range 160m; Duration 15 min; Non-Stackable; Reusable
When fighting an opponent who is guilty of trying to break the Great Pact, this spell functions as Strength, Vigour and Coordination. Note: the definition of a pact breaker can include anyone who wilfully bars the cultist in the performance of his duty knowing him for what he is. Thus it is customary for a cultist to demand the transgressor step aside in the name of the Great Compromise before casting this spell.

Timebolt: Range 160m; Duration instant; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Upon a successful POW vs. POW roll, this spell hurls the recipient forward in Time by 15 min. He will cease to exist for that time and therefore all allied and bound spirits in familiars and power storage crystals will depart. Allied spirits will return. If cast upon a willing recipient no POW roll is necessary. Note that this spell can be cast upon the caster’s own person.

Three Point Spells

Timestop: Range unlimited; Duration 15 subjective min; Non-Stackable; Reusable
This is an incredibly powerful spell by which the caster can suspend the flow of the Great Pact for 15 (subjective) minutes. All creation will be frozen in place. The caster is the only thing exempt from the effects. He will be unable to move or harm any object not on his person. Thus if exploring a fortress using this spell, he will be unable to neutralise the guards or open doors (even if they are unlocked). However, the caster can still cause incredible mayhem even with these restrictions.

Subservient Cults

Cult Spirit of Reprisal

Any cultist breaking the cult’s tenets or leaving the cult will be instantly cursed by Chronos. Time will start to work against him, he will always be arriving too early or too late, opponents will be too quick for him, and he will suffer from accelerated ageing, 1 year every season. There is no cure nor any way to obtain deliverance from this curse.

Associate Cults

The following three gods were the father, mother and foster mother of Chronos and so have given him much of their powers.

Lucifer

Chronos’ father gives his son

Heal: Range touch; Duration 1 min; Non-Stackable; Reusable; 1 point
Cures all hit point damage to the recipient. It requires a careful ritual lasting one minute.

Selene

The Moon-goddess raised Chronos as her son and she offers the following spell.

Disguise: Range self; Duration 15 min; Stackable; Reusable; 1 point
Enables the caster to make his face, voice, and build alter to change his appearance. It cannot be used to imitate specific individuals. It can alter sex and apparent size by upto 3 points. Charisma can be altered only towards the racial average by any amount. Each extra point stacked doubles the duration. It does not work on Freezenight.

Stygia

The Troll mother gives her son this spell to protect him in the night.

Create Small Fiend: Range 60m; Duration 15 min; Non-Stackable; Reusable; 1 Point
Transforms a Small Shade into a Fiend. A demonic black figure of SIZ 2d6 and STR 2d6+12, in all respects like a gargoyle save that it cannot fly. Anyone in combat with a fiend must roll POW×5% every round or they cannot attack, only parry and defend. Anyone hit by a fiend for actual damage through armour is attacked as if by a shade. (Damage taken vs. Total hit points.) Fiends never use weapons other than their claws. Small fiends radiate a Chill II aura.

Miscellaneous Notes

Cult Spells

Timecheck: Range self; Type instant, unfocussed; 1 point spell
This allows the user to access the Great Timepiece of Chronos. It confers instant pinpoint knowledge of the Year, Season, Week, Day and time since dawn.

The Time Gates

Portals of stone whereby Time-Rune cultists may gain entrance and access to Chronos’ halls outside time. There are eight such gates:

The Time Gates

Gate Number	Gate Name	Notes
1st	Sungate	is under the Helios temple in Heliopolis; sealed up because of a horrible demon inside. This gate is the gate through which the devil was cast out into the void and it is currently attuned to this place.
2nd	Watergate	underwater
3rd	Windgate	is dedicated to air on a hill south-west of Monbury Abbey. It is guarded by Windchildren and, until observed at close range, looks like any other derelict Typhon Temple but the northward facing Trilithon is in fact the gate and has carvings weathered on the inside.
4th	Moongate	is on Seal Island, protected by illusions to appear part of the rock face. Seal Island is isolated save on Clayday. A clan of Trollkin live on the island led by Ogron the Mean and his zombie Great Troll.
5th	Darkgate
6th	Earthgate	is in the eastern end of Anatolia, set into mountain face, made of Ardjade, in an old Sauroch city from the Godtime. The Backdoor leads to the Gardener.
7th	Chaosgate	Well of Time
8th	Bloodgate	is in Transylvania