((RP Literature Rough Draft)) On Gods and Demons of the Order - by Magister Templi Frater Marinus

Hyboria's gods and demons are many, but by the will of Set Teitan the ones listed in this grimoire are deemed the most important to the Order. These gods and demons are not to be mocked, and will show you no mercy should you invoke their wrath. The Eleven, as they are called by the Order, are ancient and evil deities who can give their servants power and protection, as well as many other things.


I. Bel

Bel, the Masked God. God of chaos, of deceit, thievery, and trickery. God of the thieves. His symbol is the mask that hides the faces of his devoted. Bel's brood are the thieves, outlaws, bandits, and spies of the Order, those that have reason to hide their faces. In order to gain Bel's favor, one must never buy or trade anything, for he cloaks only those that steal from others. Should a follower fail to uphold these values, Bel may be appeased by sacrifice of stolen goods tens times the value of the purchased item.

Invocation: The faithful may invoke Bel by remaining true to his ideals of stealing, trickery, and chaos. Mass hysteria is the strongest invocation, for in the chaos Bel cloaks his faithful followers.


II. Dagon

Dagon, demon of the seas. Demon of protection, water, and weather. Dagon's realm is water, and all should respect his dark, cold depths. Dagon, demon of storms, his gaze can be either a curse or a blessing, for his rains grow crops, but his lightning and wind destroys cities. Little can be done to invoke the wrath of Dagon, but hold the sea in respect regardless, for at any moment Dagon can overturn a ship with a giant wave. Followers should respect Dagon's realm, and he will protect you from the sea and the weather.

Invocation: In remote places of the world, the devoted of Dagon have erected monuments at which they are able to summon Dagon (A foolish thing, for Dagon needs the sea, and would be quite angry if he was summoned away from it). In order to summon Dagon, one must gather a collection of ancient relics from the sea, place them on the altars at these unholy sites, and shout "Zazas Zazas, Nogadanada, Zazas" backwards and Dagon will rise before you.


III. Damballah

Damballah, mighty Set. God of sacrifice, evil, and serpents. His symbol is the coiled cobra, ready to strike. Damballah, ancient and arcane name of the mighty King of Snakes. His altars run red with human sacrifice, which is what he desires most. Damballah appears as a giant black snake rising from pillars of smoke to devour the sacrifice before him.

Invocation: One should not invoke Damballah unless they possess a human to sacrifice, or else mighty Damballah will devour the invoker. To summon Damballah, one must first have a willing (or unwilling) sacrifice, then shout the words "Xeper, Xeper-I-Set" and he will come to consume his sacrifice (or servant).


IV. Gwahlur

Fearsome Gwahlur, the King of Darkness. Supreme creature of darkness, death, and prophecy. His symbols are the nine sacred gems, known as the Teeth of Gwahlur. His realm is darkness, that which consumes all light. Gwahlur revels in destruction and death, and so he is to be feared and respected. He can be appeased by means of sacrificing nine gems of any type, and he will give the worshiper the cover of darkness.

Invocation: Gwahlur should not be summoned, for from the darkness he will leap and devour the summoner. Gwahlur instead gives the gift of prophecy through his oracles. These oracles are said to have spent time with Gwahlur, and have spoken to him to receive his gift of "seeing" prophecies.


V. Hanuman

Hanuman, Lord of the Black Throne. Ape-god of illusion, blood sacrifice, and knowledge. His symbol is the black simian hand. Hanuman is not known to manifest, but his idol can be appeased with blood-letting of any form. Those devoted to Hanuman will receive knowledge through study and research.

Invocation: Hanuman can not be invoked, but study will surely brings his gaze to you.


VI. Harakht

Harakht, Hawk God of Stygia, Lord of Eclipses. His realms are knowledge of the cosmos and war. He is the great falcon-headed sun god of Stygia, solar deity and patron god of weaponsmiths, for war appeases him. His symbol is the bird of prey, hawk or falcon. The rare solar eclipse is a symbol of Harakht's eye, that he is watching over you. Those who worship Harakht receive leadership, intelligence, and alertness.

Invocation: War, simply, is how one invokes Harakht's gaze. He may be appeased by human sacrifice, though this is seen as less important than sacrifices of weapons.


VII. Jhebbal Sag

Jhebbal Sag, Lord of Beasts. God of all beasts. His realms are chaos and strength. His symbol is the mystic rune which summons animals of all kinds. Jhebbal Sag can manifest as any creature, but may also send one of his servants in his place (Jullah, Jhil, etc.). Jhebbal rewards his worshipers with animalistic strength in battle. He is appeased by sacrifices of meat, and when placed at his altars beasts from all around will come to feast. Jhebbal Sag may also be appeased by bringing women to his sacred groves at night (when Jhebbal Sag hunts) and having them perform sex rituals. You will know if Jhebbal Sag is appeased, for you will see his yellow eyes glowing from the bushes or in the trees.

Invocation: Jhebbal Sag can not be invoked, for he walks where he pleases. He can most commonly be seen in the jungles and rain-forests at night.


VIII. Kali

Maha Kali, Dark Mother of the Abyss. Her realms are of death and life, fertility, healing, and war. Her symbol is the naked woman. Maha Kali is appeased by sex, self-torture, healing, and any manner of murder. She appears as a woman with dark blue skin with four arms and long black hair. Her followers are often surrounded by naked women (or they are the women themselves). Her female followers receive the gift of dance and seduction.

Invocation: Sex draws her attention, but in order to receive her blessing of fertility, one must memorize and chant her poem during sex. "Jai Maha Kali, Jai Ma Kalika. Jai Maha Kali, Jai Ma Kalika. Kali Mata, namo nama. Kali Mata, namo nama. Jai Kalika! Jai Kali! Maha Kali, come to me."


IX. Nebethet

Nebethet, the Ivory Goddess. Queen of Darkness, Mistress of the Night. Goddess of ivory, luck, and prophecy. Her symbol is the skull. She appears as a voluptuous, white-skinned woman with exposed breasts and a silken skirt, with a skull for a head. Nebethet is the bringer of both darkness and light, as well as wealth and luck. Her followers have shaven heads and wear purple robes. Her oracles often wear white robes and bleach their hair white as a sign of devotion to the white-skinned goddess.

Invocation: Nebethet can not be invoked, as she comes on her own. When moonlight falls on her idol, Nebethet will possess a female follower and speak prophecy through them, if there is a bad omen to tell.


X. Yog

Yog, Lord of Empty Abodes. Demon of bats, blood, and cannibalism. His symbol is bone. Worshipers of Yog may only eat meat, and never eat plants. To do so would invoke the wrath of the bat demon. Followers are required to eat human flesh at least once a month or they will be considered unpure. For obeying Yog, he promises the follower strength in battle and victory over their adversaries.

Invocation: At each full moon the followers must dig a pit, fill it with oils, and then light it aflame with a torch. Once that is done, the followers must eat the flesh of a living captive, which is said to make the followers immune to weapons. This ritual is known as moon-eating, and will assure one's victory in battle.


XI. Zath

Zath, Omm, the Spider-God of Yezud. God of spiders, darkness, and poison. His symbol is the spider in all forms. Zath's brood are assassins and spies, as his gifts are very helpful to those professions. His followers wear garments of silk (presumably spider silk), and show devotion by letting a spider bite them. If Zath favors the follower, they will not die from the venom. Followers of Zath do not fornicate or drink alcohol, and the male followers swear to protect the virgin women that dance for Zath on his holy days.

Invocation: There is no need to invoke Zath unless you wish to sacrifice yourself. One can do so by destroying a spider's web with fire.