Religion for Forbidden Lands
As the Gods Demand
One of the players in my Forbidden Lands game is interested in the religion of the setting, and is playing an Aslene Rider. Riders are nominally all worshippers of Horn, the horse god of the volcano that brought the Aslenes into the world, but there's not much in the books about the god, and no mechanical stuff to back that up. So, I decided to use As the Gods Demand,1 an excellent supplement for level-less religious powers to give some oomph to worship in the Forbidden Lands. Below is my current write-up, which I think needs some more marinating in the creativity vats before it's ready.
Horn, Stallion of Fire
The Flame Riders
The followers of Horn are denoted by their long, braided hair, and foremost by the intricate symbols painted on the hide of their horses. Devout Riders dress only in horsehide, made from the steeds they have ridden and ritually sacrificed. There is little hierarchy among the followers of Horn, but they do often retreat to their mountain temple to meditate.
Initiation
To officially join, a Flame Rider must teach you the sacred runes to be painted on your mount. These must be carefully adorned upon the horse, which takes at least 6 hours. If it rains and the horse is ridden, they must be painted on again as soon as possible. In good weather, it only takes about an hour each morning to touch up the symbols. Once done, the horse must be ridden (min. 1 QD/day) for a month. The horse must then be sacrificed, burning the carcass except for the skin. The skin must be tanned, and turned into a piece of clothing that you now must always wear.
Daily Invocations
- Braid your horse’s mane, and your own hair
- Always wear your sacrificial garment
- Never walk when you could ride
- Assist any Riders or horses you find in need. Some must be put down
Initial Miracles
Horn's First Flame
With a prayer, you produce flame from your hand that will start a fire, no matter the conditions. If applicable, record the value of the items you sacrifice in the fire
Steed of the Flaming Steppe
You spend 3 hours brushing and praying with a horse. When the prayer is complete, you must burn a sacred rune of Horn into the hide of the mount. The rune brings Horn’s sacred fire to the heart of the steed, increasing its movement rate by one hex/QD. If ridden for more than 2 QD, the horse immediately takes 3 points of Strength damage. If Broken in this way, the horse has a heart attack and dies. Each additional Favor spent increases the movement rate by one additional hex/QD. If more than one Favor is spent in this way, the horse takes 1 point of Strength damage per QD, in addition to the 3 points of damage if ridden for more than 2 QD.
Gaining Favor
- Make a new garment, as per the Initiation
- Kill someone who has needlessly harmed a horse
- Save a life using your mount
- Sacrifice 100sp worth of goods in fire for Horn