 HeroQuest
Issaries, Inc. except for the text and image of the Mudshark'Teal Fanatics which is Copyright © 2005 Stewart Stansfield |
The
Mudshark’teal Fanatics of Arkat
|
|
Note! This is a fan contribution. The information may be contradicted by official material. |
In the wetlands of the New Fens the durulz dwell in the shadow of the vile Ramalian realm. What can defend them against the depredations of this Deceiver-spawned kingdom? Surely not the vice-ridden Guilders of Handra? No! Deep in the marshy wastes lies their only hope, a mysterious monastery of religious warriors, defenders and assassins, pure in their essence, indefatigable in their quest against Chaos: the Mudshark’teal Fanatics of Arkat!
The slayers of the Mudshark’teal (the ‘ represents a phlegm-inducing glottism) are fearless foes, heedless of death (or indeed collateral damage). They were founded by the first Sacred Master of the Thrice-Bladed Black Sword of Saint Arkat, Nan Duk Dong, who on a meditative trance found Arkat’s node on the Saint Plane, discovering his Truth and Purity of Essence. His meditations were brought on by the crushed petals of the black orchid, which he would later choose as the sacred flower of the Order. Such petals are poisonous in any great amount, but when freshly broken they emit a heady perfume, much favored also by the ladies of Handra.
Over the years many have followed in the path of Nan Duk Dong and his monastic Arkati fundamentalism, to become holy warriors in the battle against the Deceiver, spurning mortal pleasures for Purity of Essence. Now they live a Spartan religious life, drinking purest water (fragranced with orchid petals) and eating the bowls of worm-noodles that are the stable monastic diet. Fanatics strive to bring themselves to the peak of Essential excellence, meditating for weeks at a time and bathing in the freezing waters of dawn. In ritually exercising body and essence they physically invoke the sacred runes of Truth, Essence, Strength and Law.
| Common Names: | The Black Hooded Slayers, the Brother-Slayers of Thrice-Bladed Saint Arkat the Fanatic, the Mad Monks of Nan Duk Dong. |
| Form: |
Fanatical milito-religious unit of Chaos-hating commandos. |
| Homeland: | Handra and the New Fens. |
| Cultural Context: | Ideologically
pure durulz warrior-monks following the commands of the black-robed
Masters of the Order of Saint Arkat the Fanatic, safeguarding the
morals of the New Fens from vice and the Ramalian heresy. |
| Ideology: | “Dieeeee,
Gbajiiiiiiiiiiii! Dieeeeeeee!” |
| Look and Feel: |
Secretive order of fundamentalist
Arkati warriors and assassins, fanatically dedicated to their goal of
destroying the scions of Gbaji. They know no fear. |
| Purpose: | To protect the New Fens from the
Gbajispawn of Ramalia, propagating insurgency raids into the enemy’s
territory and defeating his machinations at home; to guard the hidden
masters of the Monastery of Nan Duk Dong; to keep the durulz of the New
Fens clear of vice and impropriety, the sins that are the tools of
Gbaji. |
| Headquarters: | The sacred black-walled Monastery of
Nan Duk Dong, sited deep in the misty marshes of the New Fens. |
| Reactions: | The Mudshark’teal are feared by all,
even the durulz of the New Fens. They are naturally hated by the
Ramalians, but their attempts to secure the morals of the New Fens
durulz also bring them into frequent conflict with corrupt Fensmen and
the criminal elements of Handra. They have a grudging respect of the
Water Forest People, and the two occasionally work together to battle
the Sorc’s foul New Fens broo. In protecting the bachelor newtlings
from the slaving trips of the Fensmen, they gain their respect. Many
bachelor newtlings who have escaped Fensmen procured ‘indentured
servitude’ look to the Order as liberating heroes; and though they
cannot become brethren, they serve as willing servants and guides,
attempting to follow the path of Thrice-Bladed Arkat in their own
curious way, fashioning three-bladed weapons out of wood, bone and
twine. Some Brother-Slayers soon pick up an annoying—but oh so
eager—bachelor newtling sidekick. |
Resources
| Leader: | The Sacred Master of the Thrice-Petalled Black Orchid of Saint Arkat, a venerable grey-feathered durulz of ineffable wisdom, imperturbable manner and inscrutable epithets. He is the most senior of the three Sacred Masters. |
| Renowned Members: |
Brother-Slayer Jwarkwan No-Feathers is perhaps the most deadly and fanatical assassin of the Order, rumoured to be the favourite to succeed the current Sacred Master of the Thrice-Bladed Black Sword of Arkat. He lived a life of Handran brigandry before he sought penance in the embrace of Saint Arkat, and presents a hideous appearance, having been plucked and part-roasted by a rival Handran gang. |
| Membership: | The Order of Arkat Thrice-Bladed numbers three Masters, who supervise an ecclesiastical community of liturgists (the Brother-Chanters) and paramilitary orderlies (the Brother-Slayers—the Mudshark’teal fanatics). At any given time there are typically a dozen or so Brother-Chanters and three-dozen Brother-Slayers. They are aided by a motley collection of only slightly less fanatical lay brethren. |
| Other Resources: |
The Order possesses moderately cordial relations with the monotheist Slontan communities of the New Fens, whom it seeks to indoctrinate into the veneration of Arkat. |
Organization
The three Sacred Masters (of the Thrice-Petalled Black Orchid, of the Thrice-Bladed Black Sword, and of the Thrice-Spoked Black Beam) dwell in the Hall of Crushed Flowers, deep in the heart of the Monastery of Nan Duk Dong. Dressed in their voluminous black robes, they sit before the massive Tri-Petalled Bronze Gong of the Order, marked with the rune of Saint Arkat.
The still waters of the fens surround their stone dais, blanketed by an armada of black-petalled water lilies, each the home to a gently flickering candle, burning unceasingly. A single causeway passes through the water, its stone span covered with black orchid petals, which crush gently underfoot, releasing their potent fragrance. Flanking the chamber are the black-hooded Brother-Slayers, their three-bladed swords glittering in the candlelight. They await the commands of the Sacred Masters, ready to kill the agents of the Deceiver.
Elsewhere in the monastery dwell the Brother-Chanters, who lead the daily services, spread the teachings of Saint Arkat, consecrate the talismans of the Brother-Slayers and copy the sacred scriptures of the Order. The lay brethren are happy in their work, tending the grounds of the monastery while wearing garlands of black orchids, warbling songs of brother- and sisterhood and the defeat of the Deceiver. In special classrooms they learn the ways of Arkat by rote, taught by Brother-Chanters reading from the Little Black Book of Nan Duk Dong.
The Order of Thrice-Bladed Saint Arkat the Fanatic is spreading its ideological gospel to the durulz of the New Fens. Many small settlements and nests—even Handra itself—now carry secret cells of fundamentalist worshippers. In outlying fens these have surmounted the old systems of governance, subjecting the inhabitants to Arkati law. Arkati cells might be led by a lay-member, or even a Brother-Chanter, and seek to steel the populace against the Deceiver with their strict moral code. Autocritation sessions and communal chanting of the victories of Saint Arkat serve to indoctrinate the populace and monitor the incursions of the Deceiver. Some cells are rumoured to have infiltrated Ramalia itself.
These cells also help conceal, supply and provide
intelligence for the Mudshark’teal fanatics, as they wage their Lawful
war against Ramalia and indolent vice. When not guarding the Monastery
of Nan Duk Dong the Brother-Slayers operate individually or as part of
small commandos, deftly avoiding the Ramalian sweeps and the patrolling
skiffs of the Handran Fensmen.
Membership Keyword
| Membership Requirements: | Candidates must be lay brethren of Arkat Thrice-Bladed, of sound religious principles and with a fanatical hatred of the disciples of Gbaji. They must then pass the three tests of the ancient Masters, one of which is always the assassination of a follower of Gbaji. |
| Skills taught: |
Ambush Tactics, Camouflage Self, Catch Three-Bladed Sword of Arkat, Climb, Infiltrate Community, Piercing Ululatory Warble, Silent Approach, Three-Bladed Sword of Arkat Fighting, Throw Three-Bladed Sword of Arkat, Two Weapon Fighting. |
| Typical Personality Traits: | Callous, Fanatical, Focused, Imperturbable, Murder Addicted. |
| Magic: |
Members are orderlies of Thrice-Bladed Saint Arkat the Fanatic, and have access to his formularies. |
The Great Brass gong (Guardian)
Master Nan Duk Dong knew well enough the dangers that the agents of the Deceiver posed to the true peoples of Maniria, and forged a great hu-metal gong, fashioned in the form of Arkat’s blessed orchid. The gong would warn of the coming of the Gbaji’s followers, many of its ponderous tones sounding beneath the hearing of non-fanatics but clear to the hearts of Arkati all the same. The gong is currently kept within the innermost chamber of the Monastery of Nan Duk Dong, safeguarded by the Brother-Slayers of the Order. It stands behind the Sacred Masters on their black stone dais, ready to be sounded in times of peril, or to send warnings of its own accord to the acolytes of Saint Arkat.| Method: | Emanation. |
| Form: |
A massive refined brass gong some ten yards across, in the form of a three-petalled orchid, upon which the rune of Saint Arkat is inscribed. |
| Communication: | Group contact. The deep tones of the gong transcend the limits of distance, telling of danger or blessing followers with the strength of Saint Arkat. All fanatics who hear or feel its emanations feel a warm glow of purity and a reaffirmation of their faith. |
| Guardian Requirements: |
Follow the rules of Saint Arkat at all times, lest one threaten the purity of the Order and bring its destruction. Beware, for the sounds of the gong explode the eyes and shatter the eardrums of the unfaithful! |
| Functions: |
Awareness—Warn
of the Approach of the Deceiver. Blessing—Fanatical Faith. Defence—Deafening and Unsteadying Reverberation. |
The Three-Bladed Swords of ArkatThe three-bladed swords of Arkat are the favored weapons of the Brother-Slayers of the Order. Each blade is wickedly barbed, and the weapon is also weighted for throwing, returning to its owner like a boomerang if it does not embed itself in its target. Each provides a basic equipment bonus of +4, be it in ranged or close combat. Their curious shape makes them difficult to handle for the initiated, and each carries a –15 improvisational penalty! Even trained users must factor in its natural ability of Unwieldy 3W when using the weapon in difficult circumstances (to be applied at the Narrator’s discretion—i.e. usually always). A sword will whirl through the air back to its owner (over especially long distances or in difficult terrain a simple contest using the Return to Thrower ability may be necessary), requiring him to successfully catch it (or duck out of the way), using a contest of the fanatic’s Catch Three-Bladed Sword of Arkat versus the sword’s Unwieldy. A defeat in this contest is not encouraged, and many Mudshark’teal have been slain by their own weapons. Typical Three-Bladed Sword of Arkat |
Thrice-Bladed Saint Arkat the Fanatic
The Dark and Holy Prophet, Prosecutor of Gbaji’s
Destruction
Thrice-Bladed Saint Arkat the Fanatic represents a little-known metamorphosis in the passage of his life, when Arkat was a durulz. It was in this form, still true to the teachings of the One God, that Arkat spread Truth to those oppressed by the lies of the Deceiver, fomenting strength and purity in the hearts of all races when outright conflict would have brought destruction. Thus he led the holy insurgency against the Gbajian Empire that would be the moral foundation of its ultimate destruction. Some Chaos hating durulz still follow his path, seeking the Purity of Essence he espoused, especially when facing oppression, impurity and Deceit of such magnitude that they cannot easily be vanquished.
| Entry Requirements: | Arkati. Also, as Saint Arkat the Fanatic was a durulz, so must his followers be. |
| Abilities: |
Autocritate, Flagellate Self,
Know Saint Arkat, Know Self, Rule of Saint Arkat, Unarmed Arkati
Combat. |
| Relationships: | Member of Order of Saint Arkat. |
| Virtues: |
Hate Chaos, Pious. |
| Scripture: |
The
Little Black Book of Nan Duk Dong
Common Blessings—Indoctrinate Congregation, Joyous Strength of the Black Orchid, Purity of Essence, You Will Be Happy in Work. Special Blessings—Bless Black Orchid, Bless Slaying, Bless Spartan Meal, Bless Three-Bladed Sword of Arkat, Raise Holy Wroth, Resist Vice, Resist Wiles of the Deceiver, Seek Out Apostate, Scour Away Lies of the Deceiver. Curses—Castigate Unbelievers, Curse Apostate, Curse Deceiver, Curse Those that Collaborate with the Deceiver, Curse Vice-Peddler. |
| Formularies: |
The Three Blades of Wisdom (Blade of Pursuit Indefatigable, Blade of Penetration Indefensible, Blade of Protection Impenetrable) How We Won the War Against Gbaji (Feel No Hunger, Incite Holy Arkati Wave Attack, Melt into Fens, Rally Deceived, Righteous Insurgency, See in the Dark, Sense Taint of the Deceiver, Shielded by the Land, Strengthen Heart) |
| Talismans: |
Orderlies (Brother-Slayers) always use their sacred three-bladed Arkati swords as talismans of their spells. |
| Other Side: |
Thrice-Bladed Arkat promises his fanatics Solace upon death, which they know will feature the bliss of tasty grub noodles and eternal destruction of the scions of the Deceiver. |
| Disadvantages: |
The life of the fanatic of Arkat is strict and perilous. Brother-Slayers are expected to obey the orders of the Sacred Masters, even if they mean certain death, and many perish in their missions to bring destruction to the followers of the Deceiver. Apostation or weakness is punishable only by execution at the hands of their former comrades. |
