Humakt
The Warrior God of Death and Truth
History
Before Time
Humakt was given Death by Azrael and slew him at his request. He went on to fight against the Undead in the Chaos Wars and is also reputed to have entered Hell with the Lightbringers.
Since Time
Humakt has maintained his status as a god of Honour and Mercenaries, particularly among the officer corps and elite units. They are often found on both sides and are favoured for positions of responsibility because of their skill and veracity.
Life After Death
Humakt reserves a special part of Hell for his followers to practice their skills for the Last Battle. They are never resurrected and do not use Death Divints. There is no set treatment for the body after death save that they are treated with respect under local customs and not turned into undead or for unclean practices. Members sing victory songs over any grave and commemorate the dead with a feast. It is usual to bury a cultist with his weapons and armour so that he is equipped for the afterlife.
Runic Associations
Humakti are dedicated to Death and Truth, and cultists are known for their fearlessness, sword skill, veracity and hatred of undead.
Nature of Cult
Humakt's cult serves as a vehicle for the training and recruitment of elite soldiers, officers and bodyguards. Temples are very much barracks and training halls, but without the brutality usually associated with mercenaries as Humakti's are known for their delicacy and manners.
Socio-Political Position and Power
The cult's influence depends upon the level of warfare in the area. In places where war is endemic and political intrigue and assassination is common there is a high premium on trustworthy bodyguards. Certainly they are always sought to lead expeditions against undead, whether Vampires or Trolls.
Particular Likes and Dislikes
Humakt dislikes all cults dealing with Undead, particularly those which maintain the spirit in the body. Thus Zorak Zoran is disliked, but Christos Farlae, Thanatar and Wraithe are hated. Ma Fear and Thanatar are also hated for their stealthy and hateful ways of Death. Humakt maintains good relations with all the Light Cults except Lucifer. The Lord of Justice being particularly favoured. Azrael is regarded as a brother and source of Humakt's Death Powers. The Dragonewts are favoured for their runes and common hatred of Vampires. Moonbeak is regarded with suspicion due to their God's origin as a renegade Humakti Hero. Most other cults are treated with strict neutrality.
Organisation
The Temples are autonomous, membership fluctuating with the fortunes of war; temples whose membership falls low and lose their Runepriests become shrines, but never lose their consecrated qualities unless deliberately desecrated.
Within a Temple there is a military structure with the Runelords ranking above the Runepriests. The High Priest is invariably also a Runelord.
Centres of Power and Holy Places
There is no real centre of power. All battlefields where cultists have fought and died are sacred, as are certain Holy Swords. Such places and objects are counted as Temples and are revered as places of worship.
Holy Days and High Holy Days
The High Holy Day commemorates the slaying of Azrael on Windsday, Death Week, Storm Season. The other Holy Days being Waterday, Death Week, Sea Season; Fireday, Death Week, Fire Season; Clayday Death Week, Earth Season; and Freezeday, Death Week, Dark Season.
Lay Membership
Membership is open to all races and individuals who swear to maintain discipline and keep the Code of Humakt. Chaos finds this difficult and so very few Broos, Ogres and Scorpion-men join. Trolls are also unsuited to Fair-Play and Honour. Lay Members must give up a point of POW and 10% of their current cash each Holy Day. Humakt Temples are frequently used as recruiting offices for mercenaries. Provided the temple is wealthy enough, a member can claim free room and board.
Lay Members can claim healing from their wounds, (usually in the form of First Aid and R&R), They can buy half price training in Riding, Spot Hidden, Spot Ambush and any Straight Edged Sword, (not Longsword or Scimitar). Mace and Maul are forbidden, and all other skills and weapons are at normal cost.
All Battlemagic is available at full cost, save for Bludgeon (which is forbidden), and Bladesharp (which is half price).
The Code of Humakt
The Code of Humakt states that, cultists must :-
- fight each other fairly,
- honour the fallen, and
- maintain strict Truth and confidence with each other.
NOTE: Combat between cultists must always be to first blood, never to death, and the loser must surrender a prize.
Initiate Membership
| 2d6 | Gift | Geases |
|---|---|---|
| 2 | Immunity to Poison of all Types | 3 |
| 3 | +1 on non-raisable characteristic per 3 geases | 3 |
| 4 | Free reusable runespell "Turn Undead" | 2 |
| 5 | +2 points of battlemagic spell "Parry" | 2 |
| 6 | +10% Attack and Parry with any one Sword | 1 |
| 7 | +10% Sense Assassin | 1 |
| 8 | +10% on any non-weapon cult skill1 | 1 |
| 9 | +3 HP on favorite sword, or +15% Defense2 | 2 |
| 10 | +1 on raisable characteristic per geas | 1 |
| 11 | Mastery of any one sword | 3 |
| 12 | Mastery of any non-weapon cult skill1 | 3 |
- Notes:
- Riding, Spot Hidden, Armouring, Sword Making, First Aid, Treat Poison, Oratory and Undead Lore. Not Sense Assassin.
- May only take the defense bonus once and the HP bonus once per sword.
A prospective initiate must have a sponsor who is a battle comrade and must pass a test of (CHA×5 + Best Sword Skill) ⁄ 2%. If the sponsor is Runelevel then his CHA may be substituted in the test. Initiates must take one and up to three gifts and the concomitant geases. The gifts are usually one of those shown.
Initiates must sacrifice three points of POW on a Holy Day and also tithe 10% of their available cash. They gain training as Lay Members save that all Swords are taught for free and all cult skills at half price, save Sense Assassin which cannot be trained. The cult teaches free Bladesharp IV plus half price Coordination, Detect Enemies, Detect Undead, Glamour, Parry, Protection and Repair. Humakti Parry can be used on weapons as well as shields, but is not stackable with Bladesharp, hence many Humakti use specialist parrying swords. Bludgeon is forbidden and will be forgotten if known.
The cult will always try and arrange rescue, (or rarely ransom), for captured cultists. Initiates also receive free room and board if the temple can afford this.
No cultist can be raised as a skeleton or zombie; if resurrected, they will attempt to slay those responsible before seeking death in a hopeless fight.
| 1d100 | Geas | 1d100 | Geas |
|---|---|---|---|
| 01 | Favoured by Humakt, no geas | 44-45 | Never refuse a challenge to a duel |
| 02-03 | Eat no cooked meat | 46-47 | Never speak on one random day of week |
| 04-05 | Eat no meat on Windsday | 48 | Never speak in random week of season |
| 06 | Eat no meat in Death Week | 49-50 | Never speak to non-Truth cultists |
| 07-08 | Eat no cooked vegetables | 51 | Never speak to non-Humakti |
| 09 | Eat no vegetables | 52-56 | Never lie to a member of a friendly cult |
| 10-11 | Never eat from a dish | 57-58 | Never lie to anyone |
| 12-16 | Drink no intoxicating beverage | 59-63 | Double POW sacrifice on Holy Days |
| 17-18 | Distrust all Dwarves | 64-65 | Triple POW sacrifice on Holy Days |
| 19-20 | Distrust all Elves | 66-70 | Never use non-cult weapons |
| 21-22 | Distrust all Trolls | 71-75 | Never use a large shield |
| 23-27 | Distrust all persons not in cult friendly to Humakt | 76-77 | Never use medium or large shield |
| 28-29 | Distrust all persons not in cult associated to Humakt | 78 | Never use any shield |
| 30 | Distrust all non-Humakti | 79-83 | Never wear metal armour in a random location |
| 31-32 | Always challenge any non-Humakti Swordsman to a duel1 | 84-85 | Never wear any armour in a random location |
| 33-34 | Always challenge any non-Humakti Truth cultist to a duel | 86-90 | Always display cult runes openly |
| 35 | Always challenge any Humakti of equal rank to a duel2 | 91-95 | Ride no animal |
| 36-37 | Attack all Undead on sight | 96-98 | Roll twice |
| 38 | Destroy all Undead on sight | 99-00 | Roll thrice |
| 39-43 | Never participate in an ambush |
Notes:
- Swordsman meaning a wielder of a Humakti Sword, not Longsword or Scimitar.
- It is only necessary to challenge any fellow cultist once per rank achieved, and this does not affect seniority and lines of command.
Runelord Membership
Runelords within the cult are always referred to as Captains, (unless of higher rank). An applicant must have been an initiate for at least two years, have 15+ POW and 90% of five cult skills, which can include Sense Assassin and at least 3 Sword skills. He must also pass the examiner's test of (POW+CHA) ⁄ 2 × 5%.
The new Runelord must swear to personify Honour and Fair Play in his every deed. Uphold the meek and protect the innocent and oppressed. He must never turn his back on a fair fight in a good cause and never ever break a sworn vow. He must take one more random gift and geas(es) and must devote one season per year to training initiates and other cult business.
He gains all the normal benefits of Runelordhood including a full set of Iron armour if he rolls POW as a percentage, otherwise he gains one item of Iron plus a sword into which he binds his ally spirit.
Runepriesthood
The Humakti Runepriests are subservient to the Runelords though accorded every respect due to a priest in any cult. There is a saying within the cult, the Lord of Humakt is the Blade of the Sword, the Priest the Hilt.
Any Runelord may become a Priest by attaining 18+ POW, initiates must have the POW, have been initiated for at least two years and must convince the examiners (INT+DEX+CHA)⁄3×5%, money is not a factor but for every 25% of Read/Write Mannic, there is a 5% bonus to the test. Runepriests in Humakt are not as restricted as in most cults and tend to follow the wars in an adventurous fashion. They must spend one season per year in spell teaching etc. DEX skills are limited to DEX×5% but can be trained to this limit and DEX, STR and CON can be trained unlike most other Priesthoods. The Priest must take one gift of his choice and the attendant geas(es). He will be given one item of Iron armour into which he will place his ally spirit. He will also get an Iron sword of his choice if he rolls POW as a percentage.
Runespell Compatibility
Runepriests have access to all the Standard Runemagics, but no Elemental Spells, plus the following Cult Runespells.
Cult Special Runespells
One Point Spells
Detect Truth Range: 5m; Duration: 15 mins; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Allows the caster to tell if anyone is telling the truth. The person questioned will appear to glow brightly to any Truth cultist if he honestly
believes his own answer to be truthful.
Free Ghost Range: 160m; Duration: Instant; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Frees a Ghost from binding upon a successful POW vs. POW roll and returns it to Azrael's Hall of the Dead.
Truesword Range: Touch; Duration: 15 mins; Stackable to 2 pts; Reusable
When cast upon a sword, 1 point causes doubling of damage done up to the maximum of the weapon, (e.g. a Broadsword does a maximum of 9 damage), 2
points doubles the damage with no limit. Does not affect bonuses due to magic or STR.
| 1D100 | Result |
|---|---|
| 01-05 | Undead subverted for 10 melee rounds, then disintegrates. |
| 06-15 | Undead is destroyed, released, etc. |
| 16-30 | Undead Harmonised for 15 minutes, unable to move. |
| 31-50 | Undead flees until 160m away, fights anyone who bars exit except at ×2 ability. |
| 51-00 | Undead Befuddled as B/M spell for 15 minutes. |
Turn Undead Range: 160m; Duration: Instant; Stackable; Reusable
This spell will affect one undead creature per point stacked provided that the caster makes a successful POW vs. POW roll. If the undead is within
the control range of the caster, then the caster's POW must be overcome instead, if greater. Undead affected include Vampires, Skeletons, Zombies,
Wights and Lyches, but not Ghouls as these are not technically undead. The affect of this spell is variable, roll 1D100 to determine the effect.
Two Point Spells
Morale Range: 160m; Duration: 1 Battle or 1 Day; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Cast upon a regiment by a Chaplain before a battle, causes every member to fight as if Fanaticised, but without the deleterious effects upon Defence
and Parry. Those affected will follow the Priest into battle anywhere. Established with a day-long ritual at the time of sacrifice with the Priest and
regiment. There are important strictures against trivial casting of this spell in non-battle situations.
Oath Range: 160m; Duration: Permanent; Non-Stackable; Non-Reusable
Binds any number of participants to an Oath; for every person in excess of two, there must be a point of Divine Intervention stacked. At the time of
casting, all participants sacrifice an equal, agreed amount of POW. The more prestigious the Oath, the more POW is used. If any one person
subsequently breaks the Oath, then he is immediately struck by a Sever Spirit spell cast with a POW equal to all the POW placed in the spell.
Three Point Spells
Smite Unliving Range: 40m; Duration: Instant; Non-Stackable; Reusable
Upon casting, all unintelligent Undead within spell range are attacked POW vs. POW as if by Turn Undead. Intelligent Undead are not affected.
Subservient Cults
Spirit of Reprisal - Bladebreaker
Transgressors are attacked by a direct extension of Humakt who will shatter any sword wielded by them. Those that leave the cult or break the Code of Humakt suffer this penalty. Occasionally, really major offenders have been struck by a Divine Sever Spirit.
Shrine Guardians
Humakt sends the spirit of a long departed warrior to defend the Temple Altar and Trophy Hall. Only Humakti initiates may remove Humakti Temples and Relics without interference from such a Shrine Guardian. These Spirits are not ghosts, and are not bound to a location. They may solicit earthly help by appealing to living Humakti.
Associate Cults
Azrael
Originally taught Humakt the Great-Truth of Death and gave him the first Sword. The two have always been inseparable. Azrael offers the Swordsman his most powerful spell.
Sever Spirit Range: 160m; Duration: Instant; Non-Stackable; Non-Reusable; 3 pt
Upon a successful POW vs. POW roll, acts like a sword to slice the cord that ties body to soul. No resurrection is possible. If the POW roll is
unsuccessful then it does 1D6+1 to CON.
Helios
Humakt assisted in restoring the Sun-God to his rightful place and ending the Great-Darkness. In gratitude, Helios gives Humakt the following spell to speed light in dark places.
Sunbright Range: 160m; Duration: 15 mins; Non-Stackable; Reusable; 1 pt
Causes a 60m radius of light around the recipient, giving the effect of full sunlight, affecting Trollkin and Cave Trolls. It automatically demoralises
Shades, Vampires and Ghouls etc. It also confers the equivalent of +10% defense.
Jack
The Shadow Thief is recognised as a Lightbringer by Humakt and in return for help in the underworld he offers Humakt the following spell.
Trapjam Range: 160m; Duration: Instant; Non-Stackable; Reusable; 1 pt
When cast upon any mechanical trap specified by the cater, causes it to become jammed requiring it to be reset to be effective.
NOTE: The caster has to either have successfully Spotted Traps or used a Detect Traps spell for this to work.
Mithras
The Soldier and the Swordsman have much in common and frequently campaign together. Mithras offers his ally the following spell.
Mass Cremation Range: 160m; Duration: 15 mins; Non-Stackable; Reusable; 2 pts
Can be cast upon any number of stacked bodies causing them to burn to unrecognisable ashes over the duration of the spell. Used to Cremate the residue
of battle to prevent cultists and their foes being raised as Undead.
Mordrake
The Dragonewts have close ties with Humakt and also share his hatred of the Vampires. In return for aid given in the Vampire Wars, Mordrake offers training in Great Bow to any Humakti Initiate who travels to Drakenberg and staisfies the requirements.
Rhadamanthus
The Lawgiver shares Humakt's ideals of Truth and offers the following spell to help him find it.
General Knowledge Range: Touch; Duration: 15 mins; Non-Stackable; Reusable; 2 pts
Allows the caster to "read" the past history and general purpose of one item touched or help.
Miscellaneous Notes
Distinguishing Marks
Marks of the Initiate and Runelevels of humakt are the well polished swords they bear. Rich members of the cult usually have an ornamental sword for display as well as a "working" sword. Given the choice, any member will keep the working sword and sell the ornamental blade. Poorer members will have only the basic sword. Humakti commonly tie up most of their wealth in ornamentation for the "show" sword, often with easily pried-off gems in the hilt for use as ready cash.
The Humakti Duel
The nature of the Code of Humakt is such that arguments, discussions, or any sort of disagreement are settled by a, (hopefully), non-fatal duel. The rules of these are simple and few.
- The duel applies only to Humakti verses Humakti. Thus all involved parties would know that honour and trust will be foremost.
- The combatants fight to first blood, not to the death. After one participant is wounded, the duel is over.
- Any Rune or Battlemagic is allowed except Sever Spirit. The use of allied spirits is certainly allowed. Duellists may agree to a non-magical duel.
- The loser must pay some reward to the victor, as agreed beforehand.