Kyou
I. Mythos and History
Kyou is a child of the Pure Ocean and the Celestial Rain. Kyou was born during the fifth dynasty and explored the virgin lands of Vormain, delighting in the creatures and wildlife she found there. She had explored far west into the Kussharu mountains when the first Chaos war began.
When chaos destroyed the spike, many sea gods leapt into the hole to try to plug it. Most were destroyed. The Homeward Ocean began to succeed and all the waters of the world flowed to him to lend him their powers. Kyou heard the call far west at Lake Kussharu, and immediately tried to return to the sea. She cut a valley to the rock to make her way back to the Ocean. The Bad Emperor, Cold Sun, sent the Chaos Sea to pollute the Koro Valley. Kyou was warned by her sacred geese, and split herself into seven different streams to confuse the Chaos Sea and prevent him from invading and polluting the valley with chaos.
During Time, Kyou has had a small but persistent worship from the clans and tribes of the Koro Valley. During the Indigo Rebellion, Prince Sahpo proved himself to be her husband in a ritual marriage, and was able to confuse and misdirect his enemies in order to establish his Princedom. The Bear Women of the Koro Hills claim sisterhood with Kyou and mutual aid. The cult of Kyou was recognised by the 18th dynasty formally as part of the Imperial line of deities as a result of the cult Hero, Bikky Cloudshirt, heroquesting to prove the goddess' lineage.
II. Cult Ecology
The cult exists to protect the ecology of the Kyou river and the Koro river basin and delta, keeping the region strong and the waterways clear and many, to confuse invaders. Fisher people, boat people, hunters and farmers of the Koro valley alike need the favour of Kyou for their livelihood.
Kyou's priests and Rune Masters are friends to the local tribes and clans that call the Koro valley their home. Their wellbeing is the cult's prime concern. The cult of Kyou does not often concern itself in wider Imperial politics.
Kyou is friendly to the sun cults of the Imperial family, and is hostile to chaos cults, in particular the Cold Sun. She is neutral to storm and warrior gods, but is hostile to the rain dragons and sea antigods.
Kyou's holy days occur on the waterday of every movement week. The cult high holy day is in Sea Season, when Kyou defended the valley from the Chaos Sea. These occur at Kyou's Rock, a great rope and silk swathed rock deep within the wetlands. These holy days are often spectacular, with barges and boats arriving from throughout the wetlands. Clans and villages throughout the valley gift the worshipers food, floral offerings and sacred waters from throughout the valley.
III. The Cult In the World
Kyou is worshipped only in the Koro Valley, but worshippers are accepted by other river and agricultural gods throughout Vormain. Simlarly, other worshipers of other gods related to wetlands, rivers and wetland agriculture are welcome at Kyou's ceremonies.
Kyou has two major temples - Kyou's rock, a great stone sticking out of the swamp, tied with great dyed ropes, and adorned with silks and flowers; and the Barge of Mists, a mobile temple manned by worshipers bringing blessing throughout the valley. Kyou's rock is also the site of a sacred spring and is sometimes known as the Tower of Mists. There are nearly a dozen minor temples scattered throughout the valley, with the westernmost being at Lake Kussharu, and the easternmost being in the village of Shakkotan.
The cult finds itself unwillingly being entangled in political affairs due to the increasing political influence of the Huron clan in the region, and their efforts to eradicate the rebel remnants of the Fields of Purple Orchids clan in the region. In addition, the cult now finds itself entangled with the cult of Tsankth, due to the growing influence of the wealthy pirates in the region.
Each of the minor temples is governed by a priest or acolyte and has jurisdiction over one or many shrines, some of which are secret and some of which are well known. Shrines to Kyou teach Float.
Aside from Kyou's rock, there are two other major holy places for the cult of Kyou. The first is Kyou's gorge, where the goddess cut a path through the rock at the edge of Lake Kussharu to answer the call of the Oceans. The second is the Pool of Moshiri, the daughter of Kyou. It is her home and sacred place.
IV. Initiate Membership
The cult accepts members as initiates who have boating of at least 50%, and tests for plant lore, animal lore, swim, and conceal. Initiates must have lived in the Koro Valley for at least two years .
Initiates must vow to protect the valley wetlands and obey the laws set down by their priest. They must tithe 10% of their wealth each holy day and 10% of their time. There are no restrictions on membership to other cults. Initiates may learn shamanism and sorcery if they wish. The cult provides training in the skills of Boat, Net Attack, River Lore, Swim, Swim Quietly, Taste, and World Lore, for as many hours of training as they spend serving the cult.
Initiates may sacrifice a point of power for a companion goose - this is a normal, obedient and well-trained goose with no special intelligence or skills. They mat sacrifice for one-use divine spells, and obtain normal divine Intervention, although it is limited to calling on aid while in the Koro river valley.
Spirit Magic: Extinguish, Glue, Mobility, River Eye
V. Acolyte Membership
The cult has no special requirements for those wishing to become acolytes.
VI. Mist Priest Membership
Mist Priests interpret and determine the needs of the wetlands and then communicate and act apon them. They speak for the goddess is spiritual matters, delivering her requests and demands, they maintain the river's importance in the valley amongst the clans and kingdom. They are responsible for detecting and preventing pollution of the wetlands and impure usage of her waters. They also serve as mediators and go-betweens for the water-travelling boat people of the wetlands.
A candidate for priest must have been an initiate or acolyte for at least three years, must speak Boatspeech at at least 30% and must have Swim of at least 90%. They must have at least one other skill at 90% from the following list; Boat, Spear Attack, River Lore, Swim quietly, and Taste. They must meet all other standard requirements for a priest, including 100 points total of ritual skills, and 10 points of divine spells.
A Mist Priest must not sleep more than two nights outside of the Koro Valley, unless on Imperial business. They must regularly inspect and patrol the portion of the wetlands for which their temple or shrine is responsible. They must make a pilgrimage at least once a year to Kyou's rock, and once a year to the Pool of Mishiri. They must answer the summons of the high priest and is responsible for safeguarding the hunters and traders in the wetlands. They must attempt to keep non-cult water traffic off the wetlands. A donation of 1 penny a day is regarded as standard for temporary inititiation for travellers, though this may be increased or reduced at the priests discretion.
Mist priests have the usual benefits of priesthood, including support, POW increase rolls, and spirit magic. They gain the ability to breathe underwater for up to 15 minutes, and have access to divine intervention anywhere in Vormain, even outside the Koro river valley.
Common Divine Magic: Divination, Excommunicate, Find Enemy, Sanctify, Soul Sight, Spellteaching, Summon Naiad, Summon Undine, Worship Kyou, Summon Dryad.
Special Divine Magic: Breathe Water, Command Undine, Fire Shield, Float
VII Special Kyou Skills
Boatspeech (Communication 00): This is the cult language for all river and wetland cults throughout Glorantha.
Wetland Lore (Knowledge 00%): This lore represents knowledge of the ecology of the koro river valley. It combined knowledge of Geology, Physical Effects, animals and plants, and gives knowledge not only about the normal attributes of the valley, but also the effects on the ecology of any outside changes.
Swim Quietly (Stealth 05%): If this skill is used successfully, the user can move in water without making any disturbance or noise, even to any fish or waterfowl in or near the water. The swimmer moves at a normal swim rate. this skill may never be higher than a character's Swim skill.
VIII Special Kyou Spirit Spell
River Eyes 1 Point
ranged, temporal, active, reusable
This spell allows the caster to see through water as if looking through air. It effectively eliminates all reflections and diffractions, and renders murky water clear and see-through.
IX Special Kyou Divine Spell
Fire Shield 1 Point
ranged, temporal, non-stackable, one-use
This spell reduces all damage from fire-related attacks on the recipient by one-half (drop fractions) for the duration of the spell, after armour and protective magic is taken into account.
X Subcults
Moshiri
Moshiri is Kyou's daughter. When the Impure Demons flooded the land, she saw many fallen warriors and her heart was moved to pity. She travelled far and learned how to once again purify the land. She is now a symbol of the healing waters of her springs. Moshiri provides the spell of Purify Water to the cult.
Aniu Blackpool
This demon was defeated by Kyou during the chaos wars, and saw the errors of her way. She now serves as the cults spirit of reprisal. She will attack the first time the apostate comes within 10m of a body of water (river, pool, lagoon) within the Koro Valley wetlands. She manifests as a large (7 cubic meter) undine with 72 HP, 50 STR, and move 12 underwater or 3 across land. Her POW is 30 and her INT is 10, but she only attacks physically until her body is destroyed or her foe is dead, or her target moves more than 30m away from a body of water. She attacks initiates only once, but priests and acolytes once per year of service with the cult.
XI Moshiri Subcult Divine Spell
Purify Water 1 point
ceremony ritual, stackable, reusable
This spell calls all particulate matter in a 10 cubic meter volume of water to settle. It will not work on living tissue (such as blood) or on matter dissolved in water (such as salt). This spell can also be used to create cult holy water by casting it on a small volume (1 liter or less) of distilled water or spring water cleansed of all contaminants. such water is used in worship services. It is also useful against vampires, who are harmed by the touch of holy water (1d6 non-regeneratable damage per vial) and cannot cross a line of it poured on the ground.
XXII Associated Cults
Atuy Boatbuilder
Atuy assisted Kyou to return to the ocean, lending her his flatboat and teaching her how to make reed boats so her people could hunt and fish to survive the chaos wars. Since the opening Atuy has now become closely associated with the long dormant pirate god Tskanth, and the foreign cult of Dormal.
Star Eagle
When the Star Eagle first showed himself to Yamoyenukah, first chief of the Star Eagles, he had been hiding since the God times, since Kyou had shown him how to hide and protect himself and his people so that when their time was right he would be strong for them.
XXIII Miscellaneous Notes
Aquatic Races
While the vast majority of worshipers of Kyou are human, there is a small community of newt-people within the valley, who worship Kyou as their protectress, and a small proportion of the fish and bird species of the valley are intelligent, and often join the cult. Jumara the goose and Bluegill the fish are two known examples of this.
Temples
A temple or shrine to Kyou is usually located on an island in the wetlands only accessible by boat, where a spring or freshwater pool exists. Uusually bathing or washing in the spring or pool is a part of the ceremony of the temple.
Geese
Geese are holy animals to Kyou and no initiate or priest may harm or kill a goose. Conversely, even the surliest geese are peaceful and nonviolent in the presence of a priest or initiate of Kyou.
Frog Masks These masks were originally invented during the Maple Leaf rebellion (circa 1200 ST) though the secret of their creation has been lost. These masks, when donned, allow the user to breathe and see underwater as if they were on land for 1 hour. After that the mask must sit in air for an equal amount of time to rejuvenate its powers, after which it can be used again. During the Maple Leaf rebellion it was used to carry secret messages back and forth across the wetlands without detection against the agents of the corrupt 20th dynasty.
