Glorantha: Staves from the Storm Priest 
Staves from the Storm Priest 
The Barbarian Priest Speaks
originally published in Gods of Glorantha
This document is Copyright © 1998 Issaries, Inc. It may be freely linked to, and 
one copy may be printed for personal use, but any other reproduction by 
photographic, electronic, or other methods of retrieval, is prohibited.
Table of Contents
  Where did the world come from? 
  Can you tell me the truth about...? 
  Gods of the Wind 
Where did the world come from?
Dead the word 'til Umath the Free,
Broke the sun's curse and moved the world.
Umathsons and stalwart liegemen set the world in its present ways.
Now all feel the world's winds at their backs.
Where did I come from?
Humans are wind-born, freest of free.
Orlanth Breath-giver gives you first lungful.
Follow the winds, like Orlanth before you.
Yours is the path-choice, make it and live.
Why do we die?
Stale the world was, unchanging and solid.
No one could die, so no one could live.
Orlanth and Humakt, brothers in bravery.
Brought Death to the world and gave life an edge.
Slew they the monsters who undying plagued us.
First of them unchange, who binds us to sloth.
Now there is Death, who prompts us to live life,
Slayer of foes who brings respite to friends.
What happens after we die?
Death is a comrade, a tool for our needs.
Orlanth found it, and fought it in turn,
Defeated Death fully, and brought the Sun out,
Fulfilled is Quest, the Lightbringers' glory.
Death is the boatman, guide to last journey,
Carries you safe to the gods' brazen hall.
There presides Orlanth, his table for heroes,
Tell him your stories, take your right place.
Why am I here?
Life is for living, feel to your fullest.
Challenge the challengers, carve out your place.
Faithful to friends, relentless to foes
Loving to kith, fulfilling your wyrd.
How do I do magic?
Great among gifters, storm gods gave magic,
Taught runes to priests, first among followers.
Priests teach wind spells, wise men learn them.
Magic lets all men work with the world.
I have heard of other powers. Can you tell me the truth about ...
...Aldrya?
Great among goddesses, Aldrya gave forests.
Bulwark of old world, preserver of trees,
She holds her counsel, favors not good or evil,
Friend or foe at the change of a season.
...Chaos?
Foulest of slime, curse of existence,
Twisted the god gifts, bred many foul monsters.
Only the Lightbringers, conquerors of Chaos,
Could right the wronged world, restore the Law.
...Kyger Litor?
Mother of the trolls saw the world born.
Crawler in darkness, eater of dead.
Hungry and cruel, like the dark days of winter,
Lurking at gates, waits for men to grow slothful.
...Lunar Goddess?
Lover of Chaos, mocks the gods' blessings,
Tangles the wind in her secret shackles.
Gives blasphemous secrets to lure the unwary,
Destroy her now or the world is enslaved.
...Magasta?
Mover of Seas, changing forever.
Unlike other old gods, this god can change.
Orlanth fought him five times, and conquered,
Freed him again to rule his deep realm,
...Monotheists?
Barren-souled truthseekers, boast of great magic,
Work tawdry wonders in Malkion's name.
Woe to the atheists, they die without gods,
Spirits sink slowly, fall empty to hell.
...Mostal?
Deep in the earth, stone god sits rocklike,
Frozen like elder, wracked with age.
No winds for Mostal, no challenges met,
Pity the dwarf god, pity his people.
...Pamalt?
Ruler of plainsfolk, southland's green glory,
Wise is Pamalt, though he knows honor not.
No call to glory rings in his ear,
No hero's path calls him, his thoughts are too small.
...Spirits?
Great were the gods who fought Orlanth's gifts,
Many were broken or made to be small.
Now the survivors are spirits for bushmen,
Shamans coerce their small magic spells.
Notice and praise those spirits sundered,
Some can be helpful, perform useful deeds.
Do not give them worship, keep from them your soulforce,
That is for King Orlanth, their conqueror and liege.
...Yelm?
Yelm ruled a world that was stale and changeless.
Orlanth, his enemy, released freedom for all.
Yelm met Death, he fled down the dark path,
Only Orlanth and Lightbringers walk that path alive.
Orlanth the liberator, freed his foe Yelm,
Brought him to life into a slave's station.
Yelm follows his path, unable to break it,
But Orlanth is free to follow the winds.
Gods of the Wind
Chalana Arroy, the healer
Her touch heals all, Lightbringers' white lady,
No hurt can withstand her soft ministrations,
She healed our chieftain when pain made him mad.
She healed the world, made life come again.
Daga, drought and famine
Traitress sister Molanni, Umath's daughter,
Bore deadly Daga, sparer of none.
Orlanth confronted him, fought his grim nephew,
Beat down the foe, drove out the enemy.
Daga is sealed, trapped in the Jar.
But vile enemies conspire, open the jar,
Daga swims out, to face Orlanth once more.
Death to the friends of pain and despair.
The Earth Goddesses
Three are the bounteous goddesses of earth,
Three the number of their dark sisters.
All are our allies, friends of the storm,
Orlanth claims all earth as his kin.

The giving goddesses; grandmother, mother, and daughter.
Asrelia the crone, keeper of good things.
Ernalda the mother, bride to great Orlanth.
Voria, spring's daughter, herald of youth.

The grasping goddesses; sisters to the kindly ones.
Ty Kora Tek, hag-lurker in darkness.
Maran Gor, violent sister to kindly Ernalda.
Babeester Gor, vengeful guardian, jealous of the earth's rights.
Ernalda, earth mother
Mother of all, wise spouse to King Orlanth,
All hail and protect fair mistress of earth,
Every man must revere the arts of all women,
Mother and lover, her needs are our wants.
Eurmal
No jape nor trick too hard for the Trickster,
Stole fire from Yelm to warm all mankind,
Was both boon and trouble to his traveling companions,
Stands loyally by Orlanth his lord.
Gagarth, the wild hunter
Gagarth the foul wind, hot and fetid,
The Hunt seeking lost and lonely spirits,
Drives the devout off their path to eternity,
No one is safe if Gagarth learns their name.
Heler, god of rain
Orlanth took Heler from Magasta's dull lair,
Used him as weapon in wars against Daga,
Heler the staunch, his name is a by-word,
Sheep to him sacred, Daga his foe.
Humakt, god of death and war
Orlanth's fell brother, noble Death-Finder,
Humakt is guardian, protector from foes.
Humakt brought Death to ennoble and free us
Gave us struggle to make our lives full.
Inora, the white princess
When mountains extend their cold to the lowlands,
Inora, white princess, dances amongst us.
Issaries, god of trade and communication
Issaries found the way of the dead,
Broke Darkness of Silence which covered the world.
Issaries chose trails, was scout for the Lightbringers,
Now merchants and heralds worship his name.
Kolat, father of winds
Kolat's great progeny, Seven Winds of Glorantha,
Four names are known, North, East, South, and West.
Three names are secret, Upper, Lower, and None.
Honor them all, their life is your breath.
Lhankor Mhy, god of knowledge
Finder of riddles, he knows the world's secrets,
Rescued all wisdom from ignorance's gloom.
Helped save the world during the Gods War,
Now lawspeakers and elders call for his praise.
Mastakos, charioteer of Orlanth
Mastakos Mover, the God with No Home,
Vigorous god, drives immortal storm chariot.
He alone handles Orlanth's mighty steeds.
Servant of Storm God, mover of men.
Orlanth, King of the Gods, Storm God
Orlanth Adventurous makes change in the world,
Rescued us all from stagnation and death.
Orlanth Thunderous brings life-giving rains,
Blesses the plowsman, blesses his herds.
Orlanth Lightbringer led the Seven,
Rescued all life, all earth lauds his name.
Orlanth Rex, King of the Gods,
Rules in the Heaven and takes tribute from all.
Umath, father of the storm gods
He was born with great noise, deafening, disabling,
Like thunder in a cavern,
Like living in a horn.
His visage rolled over the earth with anger,
Rumbled across the sky with greed,
Filled the space with his gray brows and thunders.
Umath's five sons ruled the world after him.
But he made the place for his sons and us to live.
Urox the Storm Bull, berserker god, chaos-killer
Untamed beast, god of savage passion,
His mad berserk fury can even beat chaos.
So doth wild Storm Bull lead the war against Chaos.
He holds the vile Devil under mountains of stone.
Valind, god of winter
Savage Valind, god of winter,
Sweeps the earth with ice from the north.
Ally to Orlanth, sometimes wayward and willful,
Each year takes the earth in his grip.


See also:
Pantheons of Glorantha: The Orlanth Pantheon
A Personal View of Orlanthi Culture


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