ARIOCH
A- primary / RI - pure emanation of / O - wholeness / CH - primal chaos
"Arioch, Lord of the Seven Darks, Knight of the Swords, Lord of the Higher Hell, et cetera, one of the most powerful Dukes of Hell. He is the patron of Melniboné and has a personal relationship with Elric, who was the first emperor to summon him to the plane of Earth in a long time. He is sophisticated and highly intelligent, and he usually appears in an amazingly beautiful form, usually with blond hair." http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deities_in_the_Elric_series
ARIOCH is the boss God of Chaos worshipped by Elric of Melnibone, who eventually sought to free himself of the games of Fate played by Gods; to purify his own destiny, to cleanse his karma for himself and for his Arioch worshipping Ancestors who he represents the sum total of.
Elric eventually achieves this by slaying Arioch itself, in the form by which it was present in all dimensions associated with Elric. Arioch is the core root of Elric's power, providing him with magick and powa objects throughout his life, coming to his aid and sending servants of chaos to help him, again and again. In exchange, Elric was often used as a pawn to achieve Arioch's wishes. The bargain of servitude works two ways and are increasingly entwined.
Magick in the Elric saga written by Michael Moorcock, functions around the concept of LAW verses CHAOS symbolized by an 8 pointed star and an arrow, respectively.
The following is taken from 1st edition STORMBRINGER published by Chaosium Inc, written by Ken St Andre and Steve Perrin, fully accredited and shared non-profit in accordance with International Fair Use Policy for educational purposes. ©1987 Chaosium Inc
ARIOCH is the boss God of Chaos worshipped by Elric of Melnibone, who eventually sought to free himself of the games of Fate played by Gods; to purify his own destiny, to cleanse his karma for himself and for his Arioch worshipping Ancestors who he represents the sum total of.
Elric eventually achieves this by slaying Arioch itself, in the form by which it was present in all dimensions associated with Elric. Arioch is the core root of Elric's power, providing him with magick and powa objects throughout his life, coming to his aid and sending servants of chaos to help him, again and again. In exchange, Elric was often used as a pawn to achieve Arioch's wishes. The bargain of servitude works two ways and are increasingly entwined.
Magick in the Elric saga written by Michael Moorcock, functions around the concept of LAW verses CHAOS symbolized by an 8 pointed star and an arrow, respectively.
The following is taken from 1st edition STORMBRINGER published by Chaosium Inc, written by Ken St Andre and Steve Perrin, fully accredited and shared non-profit in accordance with International Fair Use Policy for educational purposes. ©1987 Chaosium Inc
MAGIC
5.1 STRUGGLE BETWEEN LAW AND CHAOS
Michael Moorcock is not a simple man, and he does not write simple stories. The implications behind his theology of Law and Chaos at war with each other are profound, and would bear considerable philosophizing, but this is not the place for it. Unfortunately, in order for this game to work well, I must simplify and abbreviate many of Moorcocks concepts.
The world of the young Kingdoms is a cosmic chessboard. The contending powers are the gods of Law and the gods of Chaos. The gods of Law represent the forces of order, stability, peace, and ultimately entropy. The gods of Chaos represent the forces of unlimited creativity, beauty, power, war, disorder, and anarchy. Neither side is good or evil in itself. Qualities of both are needed to make a liveable world. In the young Kingdoms, the forces of Law and Chaos are controlled by an impersonal third party called the Cosmic Balance. As long as the Balance is nearly even, the world is healthy - a good place in which to live and adventure.
5.2 THE NATURE OF MAGIC
Magic is defined as the opposite of law. Law is predictable, reproducible, and constant. Magic is unpredictable, not reproducible, and random. Law is the essence of the gods of Law, while magic is the essence of the gods of Chaos. In the Young Kingdoms there are some creatures that are primarily Lawful and some that are primarily Chaotic - the latter have the abilit yto work magic.
Man, in the Young Kingdoms, is not an inherently magical race. Men in this game can do no magic by and of themselves. All magic must be performed by magical beings - most of whom exist in other planes of existence. Some of the magical beings are known as demons and elementals. Others are called gods or beast lords. Some beasts that live in the Young Kingdoms such as dragons and clakars are inherently magical.
But, through knowledge and power, men may control certain of the lesser supernatural beings (lesser demons and lesser elements). By entering into bargains (see section 5.12) Bargaining with the Gods), men may have commerce with and sometimes gain service from the greater supernatural beings such as the Lords of Law and Chaos.
Since the world was created from the stuff of Chaos, enough Chaos (which is only a convenient term for endless possibilities) remains in the fabric of reality to allow magic to function, but not without great difficulty. For example, the Lords of Chaos were banished from the plane of the young Kingdoms, probably in the time of Aubec, and it was only when Elric managed to summon Arioch that they regained access to that plane after several hundred years.
5.2.1 THE REQUISITES OF MAGIC
Magic is rare in the Young Kingdoms. Its use is restricted to individuals of high INTelligence and high POWer combined. There are five ranks of sorcery in the Young Kingdoms, and they are described below:
FIRST RANK - ELEMENTAL CONTROL
To be a sorcerer of the first rank, capable of summoning and controlling a lesser elemental (one capable of minor feats) requires the knowledge of certain words of power, chants, or minor sacrifices employing the principles of sympathetic magic.
SECOND RANK - LESSER DEMON CONTROL
Lesser demons are inhabitants of other planes of reality, owing fealty to the Lords of Chaos. It generally requires knowledge of certain formulae, sacrifices, herbs, etc.
THIRD RANK - SUMMONING AND BARGAINING WITH ELEMENTAL RULES
The third plateau of sorcery is the power to summon and bargain with an Elemental Ruler. There are four of them: Stra-asha, lord of the water elementals; Grome, lord of the earth elementals; Lassa, lady of the air elementals; and Kakatal, lord of the fire elementals. They are equal in power to each other, and have vast powers within their own elements. They cannot be bound, only persuaded.
FOURTH RANK - SUMMONING THE BEAST LORDS
The fourth level of sorcery adds to the power to summon a Beast Lord. Beast Lords are archetypal deities representing a broad general class of animal, such as Haaashaastaak, Lord of the lizards, or Fileet, Lady of the Birds. Only four of them are mentioned in all the Elric books, but every type of beast has its own lord. Only Melniboneans, who made treaties of perpetual aid and friendship with the various Beast Lords long before Elric's time, have the ability to summon them. Summoning a Beast Lord requires knowledge of a certain poetic rune which acts as a calling spell - putting the summoner and Beast Lord in communication with each other.
FIFTH RANK - SUMMONING THE LORDS OF LAW AND CHAOS
Greatest of al the supernatural beings that infest the Young Kingdoms are the Chaos Lords and the Lords of Law. They can be summoned but never controlled. Lords of Law always help those who summon them if they are acting in a Lawful cause, but the Lords of Chaos do whatever they please. Short of destroying the world with a wave of their hands, there are no limits on the powers of the Law and Chaos Lords. The Elric books list an extensive pantheon of the Lords of Chaos but only two Law Lords are listed by name. However, the Lords of law seem to have a bit more power, for they and their champions have been slowly pushing the forces of Chaos back in the Young Kingdoms for thousands of years until the time of Elric.
5.2.2 THE EIGHT POINTED STAR
The demons discussed in this chapter are creatures of Chaos. They owe allegiance to the signs and symbols of the Lords of Chaos. The sign of Chaos is eight arrows radiating from a common center, symbolizing that it may move in any direction. Connecting the points of the arrows produces and octagon. Connecting the points of an eight-sided star would do the same, and indeed the central polygon of the star is an octagon. On Earth today we use pentagons to enclose demons. In the Young Kingdoms, an octagon is needed to enclose Chaotic demons.
5.2.3 THE TRIANGLE OF LAW
The first regular polygon that can be produced is the triangle. It is the perfect manifestation of Law, because it abides by laws familiar to every student of geometry. A triangle determines a plane, and a plane is an ordered level of existence in Elrics universe. Thus the triangle, the symbol of stability, opposes the octagon. Together they are the two greatest magical symbols in all the Young Kingdoms.
5.4 SUMMONING LESSER ELEMENTALS
The four elements are Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. Each element is inhabited by billions of its own elemental type of spirit, respectively, sylphs, undines, gnomes, and salamanders. The first and easiest skill a sorcerer learns is to summon one type of elemental, usually the type most in affinity with the wizards own nature.
To summon an elemental, the wizard must first have the proper element at hand. You cannot summon a Fire Elemental from water, nor an Earth Elemental from air.
Summoning an elemental requires an altered state of consciousness that is generally achieved by chanting; thus, it is not an instantaneous thing. To summon any elemental requires uninterrupted concentration \on one's chanting for a period of time that may be as short as two minutes, or as long as twenty. Once summoned, the elemental is required to perform the first command the summoner utters, if it is within the elementals power to do so. Once the command has been performed, the elemental is free again. Elementals, however, may be bound.
5.4.1 BINDING ELEMENTALS
The sorcerer who wishes to build up his/her POWA (in more ways than one) will do it by summoning and binding as many spirits (elementals or lesser demons)) as he/she can. A bound elemental does not require resummoning, but can be instantly commanded to perform its function.
For an elemental to be bound, there must be a material object present to bind it to: a ring, a sword, a wand, a hat, a stone, anything appropriate. It is not advisable, however, to bind elementals to inappropriate objects. (Binding a salamander to your shirt will produce a flaming shirt, and when the shirt is gone, the binding will be destroyed.)
Elementals must be bound before receiving any commands. Otherwise, they will perform the command and disappear again. Binding is accomplished by stating that the intent to do so and to what object the element is bound. If successful, the element is bound and must obey the binder from then on, including returning to its binding object in immaterial form once it has accomplished its task. If the binding fails, the elemental is released, and the sorcerer has his POWA temporarily reduced to 1. The wizard will recover POWA points at the rate of 1 per hour as long as he does not attempt any other magic until his/her full POWA is reached once again.
A bound elemental may be called upon four times in one hour. However, the fourth time will release the elemental.
5.4.1.2 LIMITS TO BINDING ELEMENTALS
For every elemental a sorcerer binds, there is a chance he will irritate the lord of that element. Binding one elemental is no hazard. Summoning elementals to do immediate tasks, without binding them, does not irritate the elemental lords.
5.5 ELEMENTAL EFFECTS
A single elemental may only accomplish minor effects. For example: one sylph could produce a small breeze with a speed of a few miles per- it couldn't produce a hurricane. One undine could materialize about a bucket of water - it couldn't cause a stream to spring up in the middle of a desert. To get major elemental effects, such as a storm or a deluge or an avalanche or a volcanic eruption, requires the summoning of an Elemental Ruler which is the third level of magic.
One elemental also has the power to neutralize one other elemental of the opposite sort. Fire neutralizes (destroys) Air, Earth neutralizes Water, and vice versa.
5.5.1 - 5.5.4 POWERS OF ELEMENTALS
5.6 SUMMONING LESSER DEMONS
The Lesser Demons are the inhabitants of other planes of reality dominated by the Lords of Chaos. Such planes are known as hells. Because they come from Chaotic worlds, these creatures have Chaotic powers that manifest as magic in the world of the Young Kingdoms. There are millions of Chaotic planes, and each has billions of inhabitants; thus, for a sorcerer to achieve any desired magical effect it is simply necessary to summon the correct demon to do the job.
(Likewise there are millions of planes dominated by the forces of Law. Inhabitants of those worlds are known simply as Others in the Young Kingdoms. In these worlds magic is not common, and the inhabitants of lawful planes find themselves with no special powers when summoned to the young Kingdoms. An example of such a Lawful plane is our own Earth. While inhabitants of lawful planes may have advanced scientific knowledges and weapons, their powers, whatever they may be, derive from the application of science according to the natural laws of their home planes. Others are almost never summoned to the world of the Young Kingdoms, and the ability to do so is reserved. Others may consist of aliens, robots, machines, or humans from non-magical universes, and their use is discouraged for campaigns attempting to simulate the Elric saga).
Generally, a sorcerer will need hours of time and much preparation in order to summon a demon. Sometimes, though, wizards may need to summon a demon on-the-spot to aid in some emergency. This may be done in as short a period of time as two minutes, or it may require up to 20 minutes. Any interruption of the summoning process breaks the spell and denies the demon access to the plane of the Young Kingdoms.
There is a general form for the summoning of any demon, and these things or something similar to them must be done whether the summoning is spur-of-the-moment or planned for months in advance. First, the sorcerer must draw an eight-sided star. In the center of the octagon thus created, a fire must be built and in it hellebore (or some other demon-summoning, mind-expanding substance) must be burned. The sorcerer will breathe these fumes in order to achieve the proper altered state of consciousness to enable his/her will to pass beyond the plane of the Young Kingdoms. In each of the eight points of the star the wizard must inscribe the runs for the demons name. If the demons name is not known, but just any demon of a given type is desired, then the sorcerer inscribes eight runes of pwer that describe the desired demon. Finally, the sorcerer must offer an appropriate sacrifice for the demon he/she wishes to summon and throw it into the flames while calling out the incantation of summoning. Needless to say, the wizard who can accomplish all this in under five minutes is a marvel of dexterity and power.
With such a complex procedure required, only wizards who are both fortunate and powerful can succeed in impromptu summonings, and their chances for success are only half normal. If the summoning is successful, the desired demon materializes out of the fire, which is then extinguished. The summoned demon is held prisoner within the octagon, and generally promises to perform one service in exchange for being freed.
Most demons belong to one of six classes which are distinguished by their abilities and attitudes. The six classes are: combat, protection, knowledge, travel, desire, and possession. The individual powers and limitations of these classes are explained later.
Sorcerers are mystically limited by their own natural abilities as to what demons they can summon. Demons usually have the same total attribute points as the summoner, but only their POWA values are apparently random.
A sorcerer may need only a minor demon for a particular job. Such puny demons are naturally safer to bind, though are less useful.
For herculean tasks on the other hand, a sorcerer may wish to risk summoning a much stronger demon than usual. These more powerful demons are not only more difficult to bind, but they are harder to summon in the first place.
5.6.1 CONTROLLING DEMONS
Demons are not always happy to be summoned. Frequently, they are very displeased, and will vent their anger upon the summoner if given the chance. To protect him/herself from an angry demon, the summoner should stand within a triangle (the sign of law) whose three sides have been inscribed with the runes for three of the Lords of Law. This erects an intangible barrier that no Chaotic demon can pass.
Demons, unless bound, must generally be persuaded to perform the function for which they were summoned. The sorcerer's most common promise is to return the demon to its own plane if it will perform the desired service. The sorcerer should also exact a pledge from the demon to do the summoner no harm before releasing it from the octagon to perform its mission. Dealing with demons is always risky business. Players whose souls are being threatened by a demon may attempt to bargain their way out of it. Demons of lower intelligence cannot be bargained with.
5.6.2 BINDING DEMONS
The best way for a sorcerer to control a demon is to bind it into his/her service permanently. The binding object needs to be some material thing with an eight-pointed star either designed into it, or painted on it, or inscribed in it, etc. To bind a demon requires a struggle of Power.
Note that the summoner is not necessarily the master of a bound demon. It has to serve whoever controls the binding object. Control of a binding object may pass to another if the binder wishes it, or is dead. Thus, non-magical player-characters may acquire magical implements with demons bound into them and use them magically even though they have no magical skills or knowledge.
However, the new master of the object must make a successful powa vs powa against the demon or it is freed. If the wizard or new master fails, then the demon has won the powa struggle and the containment ability of the octagon on the object is negated - it may either attack the binder/possessor or returnto its own plane. Demons of Combat will always attack. Demons of Protection, Travel, and Desire will always return to their home planes. A Demon of Possession will attack and try to possess the summoner.
Failure to bind will also cause any other demons already bound by the summoner to attack him in a Powa vs Powa struggle. Any which are successful will also either flee or attack, depending on their natures.
Immediately after any Demon of Possession or other bound demon attacks, the wizard who has failed a binding loses all but 1 point of Powa. This will regenerate at one point per hour, but will cease at one point less than it was previously.
When a sorcerer critically succeeds in binding a demon whose POWA is equal or greater than his own, the sorcerer earns a chance to gain Powa. Great quantities of Powa may be gained in this way but the risks are correspondingly great - you risk your life and/or soul.
5.6.3 LIMITS ON BINDING DEMONS
o one, sorcerer or not, can maintain control over more bound demons than equal to half his charisma. If he givs over a bound demon to someone else, such as a trusted retainer, that demon no longer counts against his limit and he may bind another. The demon does not count against his retainers limit, however. A sorcerer can give one bound demon (such as demon armour) to another bound demon (such as a demon fighter), but both demons still count against his limit since both are ultimately controlled by that sorcerer.
5.7 DEMON ABILITIES AND POWER
It is necessary to remember that we are talking about Lesser Demons in this section and that their powers are not that much greater than a man's. They do not have the ability to create and uncreate things arbitrarily. In order to have a physical effect, they must take a physical form, and in their physical form they can be destroyed. Demons with low intelligence cannot be purveyors of information, demons with low charisma cannot function as succubi or incubi, etc.
Any type of demon may be a shapeshifter - that is, take a form appropriate for the desired function. However, in order to have this ability, the summoner must specify it when summoning the demon. All demons when bound have the ability to take on the form of the binding object and merge with it. They do not add the mass (weight) of the object unless points [energy\ is allocated to that effect. Those without the ability to shapeshift must remain in that form thenceforth.
Vulnerability of Demons - Any Demon, unless it has a ward pact, is vulnerable to normal weapons unless it is in weapon or armour form. Special demons abilities can modify this situation but not negate it. Of course, with demons such as Gateway Openers, one must find the demon before one can hit it.
5.7.1 DEMONS OF COMBAT
Demons of Combat are the only ones that will gladly engage in warfare and fighting on a physical level. They may take whatever form the summoner wishes, whether humanoid, or biped pig, or octopus, or giant cockroach, but must be intelligent in order to shift shapes. Demons of Combat are frequently bound into the forms of weapons. When this occurs, the demon in the weapon can increase the hitting power of the weapon and/or increase the percentage chance to hit with the weapon. Elric's sword Stormbringer is a special case of a Demon of Combat; however, it was not a Lesser Demon, but a Greater, so that its powers were greater than the average magic sword. While in physical form, a Demon of Combat may be destroyed and slain. Injured Demons of Combat cannot regenerate or repair themselves while on the Young Kingdoms plane unless they have the special ability.
The proper sacrifice to summon a Demon of Combat is a human being. No combat demon will answer a summons without the gratification of at least one human soul to devour.
5.7.1.1 DEMON WEAPONS
To functio0n as a magical weapon, a demon must be bound into that weapon's form according to the binding rules in 5.6.3 BINDING DEMONS. Once the demon is bound into a weapon form, it consumes it and replaces it entirely including the binding sigil, and thus is its own bond in such cases.
All demon weapons are considered magical, and only magical weapons may wound or penetrate demon armour.
5.7.1.2 DEMON FIGHTERS
Demons of Combat, when not bound into weapon form, prefer the shape of a living being; generally, the more fantastic and repulsive the better. They generally appear naked and unarmed, and if they wish to fight with weapons, the armaments must be supplied. Demon fighters can also be bound, and may retain their own shape as long as they wear the binding object upon their person. Shapeshifters may take an immaterial form and occupy a ring or some other such binding object if that is the summoners will, but those without the ability to shapeshift have to go around in their physical form, whatever it might be.
When a demon fighter is summoned in the first place, the summoner should take five minutes or so to write out a full description of it; colour, size, protuberances, bad breath, whatever. Some demon fighters will have special abilities.
5.7.2 DEMONS OF PROTECTION
Demons of Protection are much like Demons of Combat except they will never voluntarily start a fight. Their duty is to guard and defend things (or beings) and they will strike only in self-defense, or if a being invades a protected area. Demons of Protection come in three varieties; (1) those that take the form of inanimate objects such as shields, armour, walls, (2) those that take a living physical form and guard against a physical attack, and (3) those that take a spirit form and guard against trespassers. The first class of Protector is called Demon (or Magic) Armour; the second class is called Guardians; the third class is called Spirit Wards.
The proper sacrifice to Demons of Protection is a domestic animal, preferably a dog, cat or rooster. These are animals that guard human homes, and Demons of Protection have an affinity for them. Also, not being as ferocious as Demons of Comabt, they will accept a lesser sacrifice in their summoning.
5.7.2.1 DEMON ARMOUR
The first class of Demons of Protection are those that are bound into one inanimate physical form such as suit of armour or a shield or a wall. The eight-pointed star must be inscribed upon it, or painted or drawn or worked into the object in some way for the demon to be bound into it.
Demon Armour is vulnerable to Demon Weapons. Demon Armour is most commonly found in the form of human armor, but could be made for horses, dragons, or any other living creature if desired. This armor is not limited by the bounds of ordinary armor, but at the summoners desire may take any fantastic form he/she wishes. Demon Armour may be invisible, or may look like a simple robe emblazoned with the signs of Chaos, or maybe a jumble of curves, spires, points, and gargoyle faces worked in gleaming metal. The same can be true for shields, walls, gates, or whatever other form into which the demon is bound. If the demon is given intelligence it may change form among these different kinds of defensive armor.
Demon armor bound into the form of walls, gates, doors, or other boundary markers must be given some intelligence so it may give warning before it acts to stop intruders from passing it. The one controlling the demon must warn any other player attempting to pass the demon that such an attempt may cause his/her death.
Demon walls, once set up, cannot be moved by the summoner or anyone else. Any unauthorized attempt to pass this wall by purel physical means just results in the person bumping into an impassable wall. Magical attacks on the wall with magic weapons succeed in the same manner as against armor.
Demon Armor in the form of doors or gates can be somewhat trickier. Such things are meant to be passed through, but only by the proper beings.
Demon doors can be destroyed, of course. They are subject to attack by demon weapons which can affect them in the same way that demon weapons affect Demon Armor, or they can be destroyed by physical means. When attacking a demon barrier of any sort with merely natural weapons, there is a 50% chance the unmagical object will break while inflicting its hits.
If, despite being warned, an unauthorized being tries to pass through an intact demon door or gate, the intruder and the demon must have a powa vs powa combat. The loser is destroyed immediately; the door stands to gain of the losers powa.
5.7.2.2 GUARDIANS
Demons of Protection may be summoned and bound into a living form, either human, bestial, plantlike, or mythical and left behind as a guardian of a treasure, a place, a being, an object, etc. Their powers and abilities are exactly the same as for demon fighters except that they will not leave their area of guardianship to pick a fight. Summoners should take the time to write out a complete description of such a Guardian demon including its exact orders. Guardians may have any of the special abilities that Demons of Combat may have on the same conditions.
Guardians must warn intruders before attempting to destroy them. If an intruder retreats and quits trying to pass the demons guard, the Guardian must let him/her go.
5.7.2.3 WARD PACTS
When summoning a demon, the summoner may provide a Guardian or any other sort of demon with a wardpact against an one class of things. Wardpacts are charms powered by the lords of Chaos themselves, and as such are proof against anything lesser powers send against them. A wardpact protects the demon from the effects of whatever object it is warded against by destroying the object when it is used against the holder of the wardpact.
5.7.2.4 SPIRIT WARDS
Spirit Wards are demons that are not given a physical form of any kind, and hence cannot be injured by any physical force. They exist in an intangible spirit body with onyl two attributes; intelligence and powa. They are the most effective possible form of Guardian, for they cannot be harmed by anything except the magical power of whatever is sent against them. They are also the hardest to summon and bind, because, to be effective, they must also have a high Powa rating, and demons with high Powa are extremely dangerous to bind.
Spirit Wards have two means of protecting whatever they are guarding. The first relies upon their intelligence. They may attempt to fool the intruder by projecting magical illusions to frighten or mislead any intruder. When created, a Spirit Ward is given a definite area of no more than 100 square meters to guard. Its influence will not extend beyond this area.
5.7.2.5 LAST WORD ABOUT DEMONS OF PROTECTION
Although I have spoken of the Demons of Protection as if the summoner must always bind them in order to get service out of them, that is not true. They may be summoned for a one-time use only, if the summoner so desires. If summoned for an single use, their term of service is not to exceed one day.
5.7.3 DEMONS OF KNOWLEDGE
Demons of Knowledge are not warlike and will not fight under any circumstances. Their sole purpose is to impart knowledge to their sorcerous summoners. Sometimes the knowledge they purvey is spurious, worthless, random, or out-of-date.
All Demons of Knowledge do not know all things. The chance of a given demon knowing the answer to any given question is equal to the summoners intelligence. If the demon does not know the answer and has not been bound, it will lie, in whatever fashion believes will cause the most harm. If the demon has been bound and doesn't know the answer, it will attempt to find out through its occult sources on its home plane. Its chance to succeed is equal to its Powa.
Demons of Knowledge may be bound, either into an inanimate object such as a mirror or ring (or a weapon, though it does not enhance the fighting ability of the weapon in any way), or into a living form as a familiar. If a living form is chosen, the sorcerer must feed it with some of his/her own blood from time to time.
When summoning a Demon of Knowledge it is necessary to sacrifice some piece or form of art, such as a book, a statue, a fine piece of jewelry, etc instead of the blood offering required for demons of Combat and Protection.
5.7.3.1 LIMITS TO DEMONS OF KNOWLEDGE
A sorcerer may never have more than one Demon of knowledge in bondage at any one time. They are very jealous of their positions as councilors. If a sorcerer attempts to bind a second Demon of Knowledge, neither will answer his questions.
A sorcerer may summon another Demon of Knowledge on a one-time basis without permanent harm to his relationship with a bound Demon of Knowledge, although the bound servant might sulk and be evasive for a day or so.
5.7.4 DEMONS OF TRAVEL
Another relatively harmless kind of demon is the Demon of Travel. These beings exist solely to facilitate getting from here to there, wherever there may be. There are three classes of Travel Demons: Gateway Openers, Transporters, and Teleporters. Each serves a somewhat different function.
The summoning procedure is much the same as for other classes of demons, but the preferred sacrifice is some sort of bird, as birds are the greatest travelers in the normal world. However, one's easiest task is to open a doorway to another plane, and the most difficult thing is to be teleported instantly from one location to another.
5.7.4.1 GATES AND GUIDES
It may often happen that the sorcerer will wish to enter some other plane of existence. Access to other planes of existence is gained by summoning a Gateway Opener. Such gateways are opened by demons who remain invisible and undetected so that only the gate is apparent. Gateway Openers cannot be bound by mortal sorcerers.
Other planes of existence may be so bizarre that normal humans would be completely disoriented in them.
5.7.4.3 CREATURES OF LAW FROM OTHER PLANES
Creatures of Chaos from other planbes have been defined as demons, while creatures of Law from other planes have been called Others. Others may not be summoned in the way that demons are summoned, but they can appear in the Young Kingdoms. The way to do it is to have a Gateway Demon open a portal into their Lawful world (there is always enough Chaos, no matter how Law-oriented the world is, in a world-plane to enable a Gateway Demon to open a dimensional gate into it). and then just have these beings come through that portal.
And though Others are defined as creatures of Law, there is no reason why they can't work with Agents of Chaos if they wish to. It is possible to be both Lawful and evil at the same time, or Chaotic and good. Just remember that they rely not on magical effects, but on scientific ones.
5.7.4.4. TRANSPORTERS
The sorcerer may wish to have a demon in physical form to help him/her travel through the Young Kingdoms. This requires summoning a demon, investing it with a given shape, and then binding it into the form of that shape for permanent service. The speed that the demon will be able to achieve once bound into any given shape is directly proportional to the Strength of the demon. Furthermore, if one hopes to be able to transport much, one should give the demon a fairly large Size. In all cases the Size should be as large or larger than the Size of the person being transported.
The demons form and attributes must be specified before the summoning attempt is made. For more than a one-time use, the demon must also be bound in the normal way, though the demon may be bound into its own form by merely attaching the binding object to it.
Transporter Demons may come in any shape desired - horse, bird, boat, skiis, whatever. They will have a top speed of twenty times their Strength in km per hour. Transporter Demons are not tireless. If they fail to get the needed rest, they die and vanish from the Young Kingdoms plane.
Transporter Demons must have a form appropriate to their function. You cannot have a flying demon horse unless you give it wings. A demon fish without legs wouldn't be much good on land. Etc.
Transporter Demons may not pass or bypass demon barriers unless their Powa is higher than thatof the barrier. They will not even try, since they don't want to die. Even then, it requires a Powa struggle to attempt to pass the magical barrier.
Transporter Demons will not fight for their masters. If attacked, they will do whatever they can to protect themselves only.
5.7.4.5 TELEPORTERS
Teleport Demons have the ability to instantaneously appear wherever they wish within the Young Kingdoms. Their abilities seldom work on any other plane except their home plane where they are also teleporters. In their natural form they are invisible and unmaterial, but they may be bound into physical objects. Teleport Demons, once bound, may not shift shapes unless they are first unbound.
Teleport Demons are limited in what they can move. When being teleported, there is always a chance that the teleport demons will not reassemble your atoms in precisely the correct manner. Teleport Demons cannot teleport beyond a demon barrier unless they have a Powa higher than the barrier. However, they will try if commanded to do so, and in trying will kill themselves and lose the traveler in limbo. To return from limo, he/she must be summoned by another wizard as if he/she were a Demon of Combat.
Each time a Teleport Demon is used in the Young Kingdoms, its Constitution decreases. This is not rechargeable unless the Demon is released to return to its own plane.
5.7.5 DEMONS OF DESIRE
The Demons of Desire are the wish granters. They will not provide the summoner with knowledge, will not transport him/her, will not protect him./er, and generally won't fight for him/her. They will, however, materialize physical objects, act as all-purpose servants within their limits, serve as a sex object, or procure one if the demon is not suitable.
To obtain a Demon of Desire requires the sacrifice of a virgin of an intelligent species. Such demons always appear as a highly attractive member of the opposite sex of the species of the summoner. They are typically charismatic.
Demons of Desire procure physical objects for their masters by teleporting to some place where the desired object is available, stealing it, and teleporting back. They will never go farther than they have to in order to fulfill a request.
Sorcerers who command a Demon of Desire are advised to be specific with their wishes. The demon obeys the letter, not the spirit of the wish. If you're in the middle of the desert and starving, and order the demon to bring food, it is likely to pop back with that cactus that wsa ten feet away and say, 'this is edible, master'. A wish to bring meat and wine is really two wishes and will take two points of the demons constitution.
Although not shapeshifters themselves, Demons of Desire have the ability to alter the shape and forms o others. If your character wished to be a bear for some reason, a Demon of Desire could transform him/her into one. Shapeshifting, however, is much more difficult than ordinary wish granting.
Demons of Desire may provide their masters with magical objects such as Demon Armor or demon weapons, but only if their Powa is higher than the Powa rating of the magical object involved. Such a wish however expends 3 Constitution points of the Demon of Desire. If the Demon of Desire is told to procure a magical object with a greater Powa than its own, it will be destroyed.
A Demon of Desire may also be used to heal damage taken by its binder, or anyone else he chooses to heal. For each damage healed by the demon, it loses a Constituion point permanently.
Demons of Desire may be bound, though they do not take the form of the binding object and do not enter into it. Instead, they retain their original physical form while they are in the Young Kingdoms. Whoever owns the binding object, usually a ring, or some other small sigil, is the demon's master and may command it. The demon will generally trail three steps behind its master, but may be ordered to remain in one place and summoned to its masters' presence by expending a wish.
5.7.6 DEMONS OF POSSESSION
Demons of Possession have no body of their own. Instead, they possess the body of whatever is sacrificed to them by entering and controlling it. In the case of human sacrifices, the demon will then have the same exact physical attributes as the sacrificial victim. If not bound immediately to a body, they will wait for the summoner's will for one day, then leave if not given a body.
Demons of Possession are bound in the usual manner. The risk is proportionately greater to the sorcerer because the demons Powa must be high for it to accomplish its purpose.
Demons of Possession may also be summoned into the forms of beasts or monsters. If put into an inanimate object, the demon excessively hard to bind. Mortal sorcerers rarely attempt this.
Whoever controls the demons binding object controls the demon and may order it to do whatever the body it wears is capable of doing. Demons of Possession may also change bodies on command. To take over the body of a free human or beast, the demon must have a higher Powa than its projected victim and overcome the powa of the victim in a Powa vs Powa attack. Attempting to possess an unsuitable host or losing the attack will cause the destruction of the demon.
Trying and failing to bind a Demon of Possession results in a possession attack against the sorcerer. If the attack succeeds, he is definitely a subject to the lords of Chaos, and may be ordered to take certain actions.
Demons of Possession have no pressing desire to remain on this plane of existence. If their physical form is slain without a replacement ready, they will leave for their home. Possessed bodies not slain, but deserted by the demon, become mindless, soulless, automatons and will soon die unless repossessed or given special care.
5.7.6.1 CHARMS AGAINT POSSESSION
Whoever holds the demon's binding object may not be possessed by that demon. It is also possible to make certain herbal charms that will ward off Demons of Possession. Hints on their construction and use is explained in chapter 4 under Plant Lore.
5.8 FREQUENCY OF DEMON ENCOUNTERS
Although I have gone on at great length about the different varieties of Lesser Demons, their powers and restrictions, it should be borne in mind that actual use of demons is likely to be very rare. The number of sorcerers is likely to be very small, and the risk of using demons is fairly high. The world of the young kingdoms is not especially rich in natural menaces other than the ill will of other men.
5.9 SUMMONING ELEMENTAL RULERS
When the sorcerer wants an effect that one or two elementals or a couple of demons cannot accomplish, such as a tidal wave, a volcanic eruption, a hurricane, etc., it is time to summon the appropriate Elemental Ruler. Each Ruler is the supreme commander of all the elementals of its kind.
The Elemental Rulers were seldom seen by mortal sorcerers. (Elric, undoubtably the greatest sorcerer of the age, met only two of them during his life, and one of them, Grome, was hostile to him). The actual summoning process requires putting the sorcerer into a trance of concentration wherein the sorcerer thinks only of the name and essence of the Elemental Lord he is trying to contact.
The Elemental Rulers are too mighty to come at the summons of a mere mortal. What usually happens is that a troop of elementals arrives and carries off the summoner into another plane of existence where the Ruler has its capital. Such capitals are always in the midst of the element that the Ruler controls. The mortal wizard, however, is magically protected from the adverse effects of being immersed in fire, water or earth as the case may be. (No ill effects are generated from being in the midst of air, but the mortal is protected from falling to his/her doom).
Beings of such power cannot be compelled by mortal sorcerers. They must be either bargained with, or persuaded. The mortal is then returned to the mortals lands at whatever place he/she wishes to be. The wizard doesn't have to return to the same location and situation he/she started from, though he/she may if so desired.
One last note on summoning.Elemental Rulers should of course be summoned while the sorcerer is surrounded (literally) by the proper element. When trying to summon Straasha, Lord of the Water Elementals, the wizard should be immersed in water at least to the neck. When trying to summon Kakatal, Lord of Fire Elements, the wizard should be inside a ring of flame.
5.10 THE BEAST LORDS
The Beast Lords are perhaps the strangest things in all of Moorcock's varied mythologies. Although they have names and powers over their subjects on earth, they do not appear to be beings as much as they are archetypes. Meerclaw, Lord of the Cats, is essentially an Idea, an Essence that includes all of Catness within itself. The Beast Lords are bot hdeities and abstractions; perhaps the two things are the same.
In bygone ages Melnibonean sorcerers made pacts of perpetual aid and friendship with many of the Beast Lords. These ancient treaties served Elric well in his struggles with Theleb K'aarna. Only the sorcerers of Melnibone know the ancient summoning runes for the various Beast Lords, and any one of them would know only a few. However, although only Melniboneans will know the chants and runes to summon a Beast Lord, they may teach these cantrips to mortal sorcerers of other races, providing that the pupil has sufficiently high total of Intelligence and Powa.
The Beast Lords seem to exercise generic dominance; that is, there is a Lady of the Birds, a Lord of the Lizards, a God for all Cats, etc. There are no separate deities for lions and tigers - both are cats, they both serve Meerclaw. As the Elric saga does not enumerate all of the Beast Lords, I find it necessary to invent a number of them to fill out the range of possibilities. Beast lords have names based on onamatapoetical principles, and I have kept those that I created sonsistent with these principles.
5.10.1 POWERS OF THE BEAST LORDS
The Beast Lords have the power to make all of their subjects behave as if they were intelligent beings acting with a purpose. Thus they can command a single creature to act in an intelligent manner, or can produce armies of their subjects at will who will then fight against even the most unnatural of menaces. It is up to the summoner to specify what services he expects from the beast Lord and its subjects.
5.10.2 SUMMONING A BEAST LORD
Each Melnibonean wizard with sufficient Intelligence and powa may be able to summon one or more Beast Lords. The Beast Lord will honor it ancient covenant and do its best to aid the summoner. Sorcerers of other races who may have learned the summoning rune will not have as good a chance to succeed, to determine whether the beast Lord will help this person with no ancient pact or treaty to rely on.
Lastly, the runes necessary to summon a Beast Lord are all cast in the form of poetry.
5.10.3 BEAT LORDS
Nnuuurrrr'c'c - Insects
Haaashaastaak - Lizards
Fileet - Birds (Lady of the Birds)
Meerclaw - Cats
Roofdrak - Dogs (including wolves, foxes, jackals)
Jaanumaarh* - Apes (including monkeys, gorillas, etc)
P1p!pp'hhhh'p*† - Fish
Skweeeeeee* - Rodents (especially mice, rabbits, etc)
Uurr-Rzzzrr* - Bears
Hhaabar'mmpa* - Batrachains (frogs, toads, etc)
Shwa-Shwaa* - Spiders
Kehehee* - Turtles
Sssss''sss'ssaan - Snakes*
Vvwyy'hunnh'* - Horses
Muru'ah - Cattle (also deer, antelopes, etc)
* indicates that Ken St Andre rather than Michael Moorcock invented this particular deity
† P! is pronounced by filling your cheek with air, then putting your finger in your mouth and popping it back out to produce a plosive sound.
5.11 THE LORDS OF CHAOS
The supreme gods of the young Kingdoms are the Lords of Law and Chaos. The two groups represent opposites and are antagonistic toward each other. At times the struggle between Law and Chaos seems to be some great game; at other times it is the fiercest imaginable war. In general terms it can be said that the Lords of Law represent and defend all that is good and sane and beautiful. Likewise the lords of Chaos stand for all that is evil, insane, and grotesque. However, it should be clearly understood that these are oversimplifications. The Lords of Chaos have the power to be good and beautiful, if not quite sane, and it seems likely that they were forced into the grotesque forms they assumed in the Elric saga just because the lords of Law had already pre-empted the ordered, rational forms available.
Over and above the Lords of Law and Chaos is an ill-defined supreme 'being' called the Cosmic balance. Whether the Balance be a Force, a Being, or a Concept, it exerts a restraining impulse on the Lords of Law and Chaos. The deal condition would be for Chaos and Law to exactly counterbalance each other. But, in the Young Kingdoms the Balance had been upset. For centuries before the time of Elric, the scale had been slowly tilting toward the forces of Law. With the birth of Elric and Yrkoon, however, the scale reversed and swung wildly in favor of Chaos. I estimate that the time between the fall of Imrryr to the compete destruction of the Young Kingdoms by the forces of Chaos was only a little over seven years. That's a pretty fast swing of the cosmic pendulum.
5.11.1 ABOUT THE LORDS OF LAW
The lords of Law rarely appear in Elric's saga. Only two of them are expressly named in any of Michael Moorcocks novels. To get the second one I had to go into the Corum novels.
There are bound to be more than two of them but, rather than invent an extensive pantheon of deities for the Lords of Law who would exist only in my own imagination, I am going to leave it up to the individuals to call forth the identities of the Law Lords other than Arkyn and Donblas. I have invented one to show what sort of thing can be done. The principle of balance suggests that there must be at least one Lord of law for each Lord of Chaos. As you will see later, the pantheon given for Chaos is quite extensive, so feel free.
The Lords of Law prefer to work through the natural laws of the world. They control such things as gravity, heat flows, evaporation, and all the other physical processes that make he world work. If natural law should be inadequate for working their will, they maintain agents in the young Kingdoms: the greatest is the sorceress Myshella who lives in the castle of Kaneloon in the wilds of Lormyrr.
They may act directly if it is necessary to check the power of a Lord of Chaos.
Though the power of the lords of Law is virtually infinite, they will never extend any more of it than absolutely necessary to accomplish their purpose.
5.11.1.1 LORDS OF LAW
Donblas - Justice
Arkyn - Natural law
Goldar * - Business, money, barter
* the deity was invented by Ken St Andre, not Moorcock.
5.11.1.2 SUMMONIG A LORD OF LAW
The summoner should be standing within an equilateral triangle and have three threes of magical implements, such as three forms of metal, three musical instruments, and three sacrificial beasts. (Any other combination of three threes of things would also work, but they may influence the nature of the deity you summon.)
A Lord of Law who takes earthly form will base his appearance on that of the summoner. The earthly plane of the young Kingdoms is not sufficient to contain all of the transcendental glory of a god, so the summoned being takes on an avatar, using but a tiny fraction of his/her total powers. The deity bases its attributes on those of the summoner, multiplied by ten. When they are summoned, the Lords of Law will come fully equipped with whatever tools and weapons they will need to accomplish their purpose. Such objects may be thought of as manifestations of the gods power, instead of being captive demons bound into various forms.
A Lord of Law can have combat skills also, if it should become necessary or desirable for the avatar to fight. The god of Law has a weapon's skill of 95% and it always gets to strike first. The gods weapon is, of course, super-magical, and contact with it will destroy non-magical weapons in the first clash. When it hits and does damage, the gods weapon may do any multiple of the damage caused between one and ten.
If a Lord of Law is successfully summoned, the Lord of Law will always help a Lawful summoner obtain a Lawful end, and it will always act to combat or restrain a Lord of Chaos or a Chaotic minion that has manifested on the Young Kingdoms plane.
5.11.2 ABOUT THE LORDS OF CHAOS
Whereas the Lords of Law are but seldom seen and only vaguely described, the Lords of Chaos manifest frequently and in great numbers.
The Lords of Chaos prefer to work through magic and demonology. The idea of anything remaining a constant is repulsive to them. They love to take a personal hand in affairs, and they are not at all impartial. Arioch loved Elric, and thought of him as a very clever pet, but this didn't stop him from working against the albino from time to time.
The essence of the Lords of Chaos is unpredictability. When a Lord of Chaos is summoned, it will bring with it whatever subservient demons it desires to act as weapons, armor, transportation, etc., etc. Since the demons are subject to the Lords of Chaos and are effectively bound by the Chaos Lord's will, there is no chance that they will be able to revolt. That gives an opportunity to create some really powerful demon artifacts which could remain in mortal possession long after the Lord of Chaos returned to its Hell.
5.11.2.1 LORDS OF CHAOS
Pyaray - The Tentacled Whisperer of Impossible Secrets, the Chaos Lord who commands the Chaos fleet (dead ships manned by dead warriors)
Arioch - Knight of the Swords, Lord of the Seven Darks, Lord of the Higher Hell
Orunlu - The Keeper (7' tall, wreathed in flame, scaly purple with bulging muscles and reptilian physiognomy)
Chardhros - The Reaper - patron deity of Pan Tang
Balo - Jester of Chaos
Narjhan - Lord of the Beggars
Checkalakh - The Burning God
Xiombarg -0 Queen of the Swords
Mabelrode - King of the Swords, the faceless
Vezhan - Lord of Wings
Hionhurn - The Executioner
Eequor - Mistress of the Unholy Fortress
Darnizhaan - The Dead God
Balan - A Duke of Hell
Maluk - A Duke of Hell
Malchin - A Duke of Hell
Zhorta - A Duke of Hell
Slortar the Old - The Eldest Deity
Urleh - (A vassal of Arioch)
Teer - A Duke of Caos (vassal of Mabelrode, has a human body and the head of a boar)
Doubtless there are many other Lords of Chaos, but in this case we have enough enough ot make us happy.
5.11.2.2 SUMMONING A LORD OF CHAOS
On the evidence of Elric's relations with Arioch it takes "blood and souls" to summon a Lord of Chaos. In the Elric books, the lords of Chaos are painted as arch-demons with the power of gods, so that is how we will play them.
A formal summoning requires several elements. The summoner must stand upon an eight-pointed sign of Chaos and offer up one or more human sacrifices. The chance that the desired lord of Chaos will manifest is equal to the sorcerers Powa rate plus the number of human sacrifices offered.
Lords of Chaos cannot be compelled by mortal sorcerers. The human must offer some sort of bargain to gain the Chaos Lords cooperation (see section 5.12 BARGAINING WITH THE GODS). The summoner should have some sort of offer ready. A promise of eternal service might suffice, or a hecatomb of sacrifices, or the destruction of a Lawful magic artifact, etc. Let your imagination be your guide.
Lords of Chaos may assume whatever form they wish. If they choose to fully materializ eon the earthly plane, their chosen form will be called an avatar. Avatars have attributes that are ten times those of the summoner, with the exception of Size which can be freely chosen. In fact, they are in all respects equal to the Lords of Law when they choose to manifest in corporeal form.
Lords of Chaos may accomplish anything up to the destruction of the world (that remains beyond them because its existence is maintained by the Lords of Law) by fiat. That is, they make a statement, and it is done. The exception to this is when they are actively opposed by another Lord of Chaos, a Lord of Law, or an Elemental Ruler. In such cases, they must physically accomplish their will by slaying or defeating in combat the opposing deity.
Lords of Chaos often use magical implements. These are always bound demons (see section 5.6.3 BINDING DEMONS). Lords of Chaos have the ability to bind demons with tremendous Powa ratings, however, ths creating some truly wesome magical devices. Such demons, as usual, must serve whoever controls the binding object.
A Lord of Chaos may indulge in physical combat if it is in avatar form. It would have a Demon of Combat bound into a weapon form for its weapon, and its skill with that weapon would be 97%. Lords of Chaos, being sporting types, always strike second during a combat round, regardless of their Dexterity. their enchanted weapons shatter non-magical arms and armor on contact, and either slay or wound depending entirely upon the whim of the wielder.
5.11.2.3 INFERNAL SUMMONING
After a Lord of Chaos has been successfully summoned by a mortal sorcerer one time, there will be a psychic bond between the two and it may be possible for the mortal to resummon the Chaos Lord under any condition by just calling upon it. Even if the Chaos Lord refuses to manifest, it will usually speak and tell the sorcerer not to bother it or some such message. (Elric frequently summoned Arioch to im in this mannerm and half the time Arioch refused).
5.11.2.4 ELRIC
As Myshella is the greatest sorceress of the young Kingdoms and is the prime agent of Law, so Elric of Melnibone is the greatest sorcerer and is the prime agent of Chaos. Myshella usually knows what she is doing, and Elric usually doesn't, but the fact remains that Elric's power struggles wi two other wizards, his cousin Yrkoon and Theleb K'aarna, were the chief cause of the growing strength of Chaos in the Young Kingdoms. Although Elric fought the forces of Chaos at the end of his saga,it was because of his love for Zarozinia, his wife, and because the Lords of Chaos and the sorcerers of Pan Tang had offended him so deeply.
The albino is a wlaking jinx and has a way of bringing doom to all those around him.
5.12 BARGAINING WITH THE GODS
When mortals are dealing with gods, there is seldom any way for the mortal to compel the deity, so it becomes =necessary to bargain with them. It is hard to imagine what men could have that gods might desire, but they must have something; otherwise the gods wouldn't bother with them. We are talking now about direct man/woman and deity confrontations, not the sort of divine intervention invoked by worshippers of any particular deity. Only the most powerful of sorcerers can meet the deities face to face and retain his sanity. Such sorcerers have the power to bargain to obtain their desires, giving value for value.
Gods cannot be bribed with physical things - they can have all the gold, luxury, delicious food, or any other sort of thing they want. There are really only two things that men can offer to deities - life force and services. Life force, sometimes called the soul, is a sort of divine food - some gods must have it in order to exist. Service, on the other hand, is not so much a nutrient for deities as a tool for accomplishing their ends.
When offering life force to a god, the mortal may offer his.her own, or that of others. Worship is a form of offering life force. It is the highest and purest form since it transmutes very small quantities of life force into very potent nutrient for the receiving deities. Human sacrifice is the other extreme of the scale. When a being is sacrificed the god must take all the life force at one time in its very crudest form. Much of the life force is lost and wasted. In between are the possibilities of giving a part of a mortals life force.
Service can be even more valuable than life force. Gods need their agents and servants to act for them in the Young Kingdoms in order to gain their ends without constantly expending power to do it themselves. A willing servant makes the best tool; thus when a powerful mortal sorcerer offers to serve a god for a given length of time, it is usually a more powerful argument than a mere human sacrifice or two; especially if, in serving the deity, the sorcerer is compelled to gather life force from others for his/her supernatural patron.
When thinking about service let us not forget that gods have the power to compel mortals to obey them. However, in order to do so the god must waste more power/life force than it can regain from the unwilling service of a single agent. Hence it is better to have servants who serve of their own free will. Such service costs the deity nothing in power/life force, and often gains it much.
Gods can get life force from humans or other living beings in three forms: (1) they can take it directly; (2) they can soak it up like a sponge absorbing water when all the life force is released in one sudden burst in the form of a sacrifice; or (3) they can bask in it, like a sunbather on a beach, in the form of sincere worship. Some gods prefer one form, and some prefer others. Generally speaking the Lords of Chaos prefer sacrifice which doesn't keep them from demanding worship, but will occasionally accept sacrifices. The reduction of an attribute is technically called a Curse, and any form of god may profit from it.
Worship is the most utilitarian of the three forms because it entails additional service by the worshippers. Faithful followers of a given deity will act in such a manner as to increase the prestige and power of that deity on the young Kingdoms plane. From the ranks of the faithful come most of a gods agents in the mortal world.
5.13 NON-MAGICAL SORCEROUS SKILLS
While a wizards primary powers come from the supernatural beings he/she can summon or control, it is wise to provide sorcerous characters with some natural trickery, too, such as can be obtained through human skills like Plant Lore, Poison Lore Music Lore, and Sleight of hand. And every prospective wizard should develop at least moderate skill with some weapon.
Michael Moorcock is not a simple man, and he does not write simple stories. The implications behind his theology of Law and Chaos at war with each other are profound, and would bear considerable philosophizing, but this is not the place for it. Unfortunately, in order for this game to work well, I must simplify and abbreviate many of Moorcocks concepts.
The world of the young Kingdoms is a cosmic chessboard. The contending powers are the gods of Law and the gods of Chaos. The gods of Law represent the forces of order, stability, peace, and ultimately entropy. The gods of Chaos represent the forces of unlimited creativity, beauty, power, war, disorder, and anarchy. Neither side is good or evil in itself. Qualities of both are needed to make a liveable world. In the young Kingdoms, the forces of Law and Chaos are controlled by an impersonal third party called the Cosmic Balance. As long as the Balance is nearly even, the world is healthy - a good place in which to live and adventure.
5.2 THE NATURE OF MAGIC
Magic is defined as the opposite of law. Law is predictable, reproducible, and constant. Magic is unpredictable, not reproducible, and random. Law is the essence of the gods of Law, while magic is the essence of the gods of Chaos. In the Young Kingdoms there are some creatures that are primarily Lawful and some that are primarily Chaotic - the latter have the abilit yto work magic.
Man, in the Young Kingdoms, is not an inherently magical race. Men in this game can do no magic by and of themselves. All magic must be performed by magical beings - most of whom exist in other planes of existence. Some of the magical beings are known as demons and elementals. Others are called gods or beast lords. Some beasts that live in the Young Kingdoms such as dragons and clakars are inherently magical.
But, through knowledge and power, men may control certain of the lesser supernatural beings (lesser demons and lesser elements). By entering into bargains (see section 5.12) Bargaining with the Gods), men may have commerce with and sometimes gain service from the greater supernatural beings such as the Lords of Law and Chaos.
Since the world was created from the stuff of Chaos, enough Chaos (which is only a convenient term for endless possibilities) remains in the fabric of reality to allow magic to function, but not without great difficulty. For example, the Lords of Chaos were banished from the plane of the young Kingdoms, probably in the time of Aubec, and it was only when Elric managed to summon Arioch that they regained access to that plane after several hundred years.
5.2.1 THE REQUISITES OF MAGIC
Magic is rare in the Young Kingdoms. Its use is restricted to individuals of high INTelligence and high POWer combined. There are five ranks of sorcery in the Young Kingdoms, and they are described below:
FIRST RANK - ELEMENTAL CONTROL
To be a sorcerer of the first rank, capable of summoning and controlling a lesser elemental (one capable of minor feats) requires the knowledge of certain words of power, chants, or minor sacrifices employing the principles of sympathetic magic.
SECOND RANK - LESSER DEMON CONTROL
Lesser demons are inhabitants of other planes of reality, owing fealty to the Lords of Chaos. It generally requires knowledge of certain formulae, sacrifices, herbs, etc.
THIRD RANK - SUMMONING AND BARGAINING WITH ELEMENTAL RULES
The third plateau of sorcery is the power to summon and bargain with an Elemental Ruler. There are four of them: Stra-asha, lord of the water elementals; Grome, lord of the earth elementals; Lassa, lady of the air elementals; and Kakatal, lord of the fire elementals. They are equal in power to each other, and have vast powers within their own elements. They cannot be bound, only persuaded.
FOURTH RANK - SUMMONING THE BEAST LORDS
The fourth level of sorcery adds to the power to summon a Beast Lord. Beast Lords are archetypal deities representing a broad general class of animal, such as Haaashaastaak, Lord of the lizards, or Fileet, Lady of the Birds. Only four of them are mentioned in all the Elric books, but every type of beast has its own lord. Only Melniboneans, who made treaties of perpetual aid and friendship with the various Beast Lords long before Elric's time, have the ability to summon them. Summoning a Beast Lord requires knowledge of a certain poetic rune which acts as a calling spell - putting the summoner and Beast Lord in communication with each other.
FIFTH RANK - SUMMONING THE LORDS OF LAW AND CHAOS
Greatest of al the supernatural beings that infest the Young Kingdoms are the Chaos Lords and the Lords of Law. They can be summoned but never controlled. Lords of Law always help those who summon them if they are acting in a Lawful cause, but the Lords of Chaos do whatever they please. Short of destroying the world with a wave of their hands, there are no limits on the powers of the Law and Chaos Lords. The Elric books list an extensive pantheon of the Lords of Chaos but only two Law Lords are listed by name. However, the Lords of law seem to have a bit more power, for they and their champions have been slowly pushing the forces of Chaos back in the Young Kingdoms for thousands of years until the time of Elric.
5.2.2 THE EIGHT POINTED STAR
The demons discussed in this chapter are creatures of Chaos. They owe allegiance to the signs and symbols of the Lords of Chaos. The sign of Chaos is eight arrows radiating from a common center, symbolizing that it may move in any direction. Connecting the points of the arrows produces and octagon. Connecting the points of an eight-sided star would do the same, and indeed the central polygon of the star is an octagon. On Earth today we use pentagons to enclose demons. In the Young Kingdoms, an octagon is needed to enclose Chaotic demons.
5.2.3 THE TRIANGLE OF LAW
The first regular polygon that can be produced is the triangle. It is the perfect manifestation of Law, because it abides by laws familiar to every student of geometry. A triangle determines a plane, and a plane is an ordered level of existence in Elrics universe. Thus the triangle, the symbol of stability, opposes the octagon. Together they are the two greatest magical symbols in all the Young Kingdoms.
5.4 SUMMONING LESSER ELEMENTALS
The four elements are Air, Water, Earth, and Fire. Each element is inhabited by billions of its own elemental type of spirit, respectively, sylphs, undines, gnomes, and salamanders. The first and easiest skill a sorcerer learns is to summon one type of elemental, usually the type most in affinity with the wizards own nature.
To summon an elemental, the wizard must first have the proper element at hand. You cannot summon a Fire Elemental from water, nor an Earth Elemental from air.
Summoning an elemental requires an altered state of consciousness that is generally achieved by chanting; thus, it is not an instantaneous thing. To summon any elemental requires uninterrupted concentration \on one's chanting for a period of time that may be as short as two minutes, or as long as twenty. Once summoned, the elemental is required to perform the first command the summoner utters, if it is within the elementals power to do so. Once the command has been performed, the elemental is free again. Elementals, however, may be bound.
5.4.1 BINDING ELEMENTALS
The sorcerer who wishes to build up his/her POWA (in more ways than one) will do it by summoning and binding as many spirits (elementals or lesser demons)) as he/she can. A bound elemental does not require resummoning, but can be instantly commanded to perform its function.
For an elemental to be bound, there must be a material object present to bind it to: a ring, a sword, a wand, a hat, a stone, anything appropriate. It is not advisable, however, to bind elementals to inappropriate objects. (Binding a salamander to your shirt will produce a flaming shirt, and when the shirt is gone, the binding will be destroyed.)
Elementals must be bound before receiving any commands. Otherwise, they will perform the command and disappear again. Binding is accomplished by stating that the intent to do so and to what object the element is bound. If successful, the element is bound and must obey the binder from then on, including returning to its binding object in immaterial form once it has accomplished its task. If the binding fails, the elemental is released, and the sorcerer has his POWA temporarily reduced to 1. The wizard will recover POWA points at the rate of 1 per hour as long as he does not attempt any other magic until his/her full POWA is reached once again.
A bound elemental may be called upon four times in one hour. However, the fourth time will release the elemental.
5.4.1.2 LIMITS TO BINDING ELEMENTALS
For every elemental a sorcerer binds, there is a chance he will irritate the lord of that element. Binding one elemental is no hazard. Summoning elementals to do immediate tasks, without binding them, does not irritate the elemental lords.
5.5 ELEMENTAL EFFECTS
A single elemental may only accomplish minor effects. For example: one sylph could produce a small breeze with a speed of a few miles per- it couldn't produce a hurricane. One undine could materialize about a bucket of water - it couldn't cause a stream to spring up in the middle of a desert. To get major elemental effects, such as a storm or a deluge or an avalanche or a volcanic eruption, requires the summoning of an Elemental Ruler which is the third level of magic.
One elemental also has the power to neutralize one other elemental of the opposite sort. Fire neutralizes (destroys) Air, Earth neutralizes Water, and vice versa.
5.5.1 - 5.5.4 POWERS OF ELEMENTALS
5.6 SUMMONING LESSER DEMONS
The Lesser Demons are the inhabitants of other planes of reality dominated by the Lords of Chaos. Such planes are known as hells. Because they come from Chaotic worlds, these creatures have Chaotic powers that manifest as magic in the world of the Young Kingdoms. There are millions of Chaotic planes, and each has billions of inhabitants; thus, for a sorcerer to achieve any desired magical effect it is simply necessary to summon the correct demon to do the job.
(Likewise there are millions of planes dominated by the forces of Law. Inhabitants of those worlds are known simply as Others in the Young Kingdoms. In these worlds magic is not common, and the inhabitants of lawful planes find themselves with no special powers when summoned to the young Kingdoms. An example of such a Lawful plane is our own Earth. While inhabitants of lawful planes may have advanced scientific knowledges and weapons, their powers, whatever they may be, derive from the application of science according to the natural laws of their home planes. Others are almost never summoned to the world of the Young Kingdoms, and the ability to do so is reserved. Others may consist of aliens, robots, machines, or humans from non-magical universes, and their use is discouraged for campaigns attempting to simulate the Elric saga).
Generally, a sorcerer will need hours of time and much preparation in order to summon a demon. Sometimes, though, wizards may need to summon a demon on-the-spot to aid in some emergency. This may be done in as short a period of time as two minutes, or it may require up to 20 minutes. Any interruption of the summoning process breaks the spell and denies the demon access to the plane of the Young Kingdoms.
There is a general form for the summoning of any demon, and these things or something similar to them must be done whether the summoning is spur-of-the-moment or planned for months in advance. First, the sorcerer must draw an eight-sided star. In the center of the octagon thus created, a fire must be built and in it hellebore (or some other demon-summoning, mind-expanding substance) must be burned. The sorcerer will breathe these fumes in order to achieve the proper altered state of consciousness to enable his/her will to pass beyond the plane of the Young Kingdoms. In each of the eight points of the star the wizard must inscribe the runs for the demons name. If the demons name is not known, but just any demon of a given type is desired, then the sorcerer inscribes eight runes of pwer that describe the desired demon. Finally, the sorcerer must offer an appropriate sacrifice for the demon he/she wishes to summon and throw it into the flames while calling out the incantation of summoning. Needless to say, the wizard who can accomplish all this in under five minutes is a marvel of dexterity and power.
With such a complex procedure required, only wizards who are both fortunate and powerful can succeed in impromptu summonings, and their chances for success are only half normal. If the summoning is successful, the desired demon materializes out of the fire, which is then extinguished. The summoned demon is held prisoner within the octagon, and generally promises to perform one service in exchange for being freed.
Most demons belong to one of six classes which are distinguished by their abilities and attitudes. The six classes are: combat, protection, knowledge, travel, desire, and possession. The individual powers and limitations of these classes are explained later.
Sorcerers are mystically limited by their own natural abilities as to what demons they can summon. Demons usually have the same total attribute points as the summoner, but only their POWA values are apparently random.
A sorcerer may need only a minor demon for a particular job. Such puny demons are naturally safer to bind, though are less useful.
For herculean tasks on the other hand, a sorcerer may wish to risk summoning a much stronger demon than usual. These more powerful demons are not only more difficult to bind, but they are harder to summon in the first place.
5.6.1 CONTROLLING DEMONS
Demons are not always happy to be summoned. Frequently, they are very displeased, and will vent their anger upon the summoner if given the chance. To protect him/herself from an angry demon, the summoner should stand within a triangle (the sign of law) whose three sides have been inscribed with the runes for three of the Lords of Law. This erects an intangible barrier that no Chaotic demon can pass.
Demons, unless bound, must generally be persuaded to perform the function for which they were summoned. The sorcerer's most common promise is to return the demon to its own plane if it will perform the desired service. The sorcerer should also exact a pledge from the demon to do the summoner no harm before releasing it from the octagon to perform its mission. Dealing with demons is always risky business. Players whose souls are being threatened by a demon may attempt to bargain their way out of it. Demons of lower intelligence cannot be bargained with.
5.6.2 BINDING DEMONS
The best way for a sorcerer to control a demon is to bind it into his/her service permanently. The binding object needs to be some material thing with an eight-pointed star either designed into it, or painted on it, or inscribed in it, etc. To bind a demon requires a struggle of Power.
Note that the summoner is not necessarily the master of a bound demon. It has to serve whoever controls the binding object. Control of a binding object may pass to another if the binder wishes it, or is dead. Thus, non-magical player-characters may acquire magical implements with demons bound into them and use them magically even though they have no magical skills or knowledge.
However, the new master of the object must make a successful powa vs powa against the demon or it is freed. If the wizard or new master fails, then the demon has won the powa struggle and the containment ability of the octagon on the object is negated - it may either attack the binder/possessor or returnto its own plane. Demons of Combat will always attack. Demons of Protection, Travel, and Desire will always return to their home planes. A Demon of Possession will attack and try to possess the summoner.
Failure to bind will also cause any other demons already bound by the summoner to attack him in a Powa vs Powa struggle. Any which are successful will also either flee or attack, depending on their natures.
Immediately after any Demon of Possession or other bound demon attacks, the wizard who has failed a binding loses all but 1 point of Powa. This will regenerate at one point per hour, but will cease at one point less than it was previously.
When a sorcerer critically succeeds in binding a demon whose POWA is equal or greater than his own, the sorcerer earns a chance to gain Powa. Great quantities of Powa may be gained in this way but the risks are correspondingly great - you risk your life and/or soul.
5.6.3 LIMITS ON BINDING DEMONS
o one, sorcerer or not, can maintain control over more bound demons than equal to half his charisma. If he givs over a bound demon to someone else, such as a trusted retainer, that demon no longer counts against his limit and he may bind another. The demon does not count against his retainers limit, however. A sorcerer can give one bound demon (such as demon armour) to another bound demon (such as a demon fighter), but both demons still count against his limit since both are ultimately controlled by that sorcerer.
5.7 DEMON ABILITIES AND POWER
It is necessary to remember that we are talking about Lesser Demons in this section and that their powers are not that much greater than a man's. They do not have the ability to create and uncreate things arbitrarily. In order to have a physical effect, they must take a physical form, and in their physical form they can be destroyed. Demons with low intelligence cannot be purveyors of information, demons with low charisma cannot function as succubi or incubi, etc.
Any type of demon may be a shapeshifter - that is, take a form appropriate for the desired function. However, in order to have this ability, the summoner must specify it when summoning the demon. All demons when bound have the ability to take on the form of the binding object and merge with it. They do not add the mass (weight) of the object unless points [energy\ is allocated to that effect. Those without the ability to shapeshift must remain in that form thenceforth.
Vulnerability of Demons - Any Demon, unless it has a ward pact, is vulnerable to normal weapons unless it is in weapon or armour form. Special demons abilities can modify this situation but not negate it. Of course, with demons such as Gateway Openers, one must find the demon before one can hit it.
5.7.1 DEMONS OF COMBAT
Demons of Combat are the only ones that will gladly engage in warfare and fighting on a physical level. They may take whatever form the summoner wishes, whether humanoid, or biped pig, or octopus, or giant cockroach, but must be intelligent in order to shift shapes. Demons of Combat are frequently bound into the forms of weapons. When this occurs, the demon in the weapon can increase the hitting power of the weapon and/or increase the percentage chance to hit with the weapon. Elric's sword Stormbringer is a special case of a Demon of Combat; however, it was not a Lesser Demon, but a Greater, so that its powers were greater than the average magic sword. While in physical form, a Demon of Combat may be destroyed and slain. Injured Demons of Combat cannot regenerate or repair themselves while on the Young Kingdoms plane unless they have the special ability.
The proper sacrifice to summon a Demon of Combat is a human being. No combat demon will answer a summons without the gratification of at least one human soul to devour.
5.7.1.1 DEMON WEAPONS
To functio0n as a magical weapon, a demon must be bound into that weapon's form according to the binding rules in 5.6.3 BINDING DEMONS. Once the demon is bound into a weapon form, it consumes it and replaces it entirely including the binding sigil, and thus is its own bond in such cases.
All demon weapons are considered magical, and only magical weapons may wound or penetrate demon armour.
5.7.1.2 DEMON FIGHTERS
Demons of Combat, when not bound into weapon form, prefer the shape of a living being; generally, the more fantastic and repulsive the better. They generally appear naked and unarmed, and if they wish to fight with weapons, the armaments must be supplied. Demon fighters can also be bound, and may retain their own shape as long as they wear the binding object upon their person. Shapeshifters may take an immaterial form and occupy a ring or some other such binding object if that is the summoners will, but those without the ability to shapeshift have to go around in their physical form, whatever it might be.
When a demon fighter is summoned in the first place, the summoner should take five minutes or so to write out a full description of it; colour, size, protuberances, bad breath, whatever. Some demon fighters will have special abilities.
5.7.2 DEMONS OF PROTECTION
Demons of Protection are much like Demons of Combat except they will never voluntarily start a fight. Their duty is to guard and defend things (or beings) and they will strike only in self-defense, or if a being invades a protected area. Demons of Protection come in three varieties; (1) those that take the form of inanimate objects such as shields, armour, walls, (2) those that take a living physical form and guard against a physical attack, and (3) those that take a spirit form and guard against trespassers. The first class of Protector is called Demon (or Magic) Armour; the second class is called Guardians; the third class is called Spirit Wards.
The proper sacrifice to Demons of Protection is a domestic animal, preferably a dog, cat or rooster. These are animals that guard human homes, and Demons of Protection have an affinity for them. Also, not being as ferocious as Demons of Comabt, they will accept a lesser sacrifice in their summoning.
5.7.2.1 DEMON ARMOUR
The first class of Demons of Protection are those that are bound into one inanimate physical form such as suit of armour or a shield or a wall. The eight-pointed star must be inscribed upon it, or painted or drawn or worked into the object in some way for the demon to be bound into it.
Demon Armour is vulnerable to Demon Weapons. Demon Armour is most commonly found in the form of human armor, but could be made for horses, dragons, or any other living creature if desired. This armor is not limited by the bounds of ordinary armor, but at the summoners desire may take any fantastic form he/she wishes. Demon Armour may be invisible, or may look like a simple robe emblazoned with the signs of Chaos, or maybe a jumble of curves, spires, points, and gargoyle faces worked in gleaming metal. The same can be true for shields, walls, gates, or whatever other form into which the demon is bound. If the demon is given intelligence it may change form among these different kinds of defensive armor.
Demon armor bound into the form of walls, gates, doors, or other boundary markers must be given some intelligence so it may give warning before it acts to stop intruders from passing it. The one controlling the demon must warn any other player attempting to pass the demon that such an attempt may cause his/her death.
Demon walls, once set up, cannot be moved by the summoner or anyone else. Any unauthorized attempt to pass this wall by purel physical means just results in the person bumping into an impassable wall. Magical attacks on the wall with magic weapons succeed in the same manner as against armor.
Demon Armor in the form of doors or gates can be somewhat trickier. Such things are meant to be passed through, but only by the proper beings.
Demon doors can be destroyed, of course. They are subject to attack by demon weapons which can affect them in the same way that demon weapons affect Demon Armor, or they can be destroyed by physical means. When attacking a demon barrier of any sort with merely natural weapons, there is a 50% chance the unmagical object will break while inflicting its hits.
If, despite being warned, an unauthorized being tries to pass through an intact demon door or gate, the intruder and the demon must have a powa vs powa combat. The loser is destroyed immediately; the door stands to gain of the losers powa.
5.7.2.2 GUARDIANS
Demons of Protection may be summoned and bound into a living form, either human, bestial, plantlike, or mythical and left behind as a guardian of a treasure, a place, a being, an object, etc. Their powers and abilities are exactly the same as for demon fighters except that they will not leave their area of guardianship to pick a fight. Summoners should take the time to write out a complete description of such a Guardian demon including its exact orders. Guardians may have any of the special abilities that Demons of Combat may have on the same conditions.
Guardians must warn intruders before attempting to destroy them. If an intruder retreats and quits trying to pass the demons guard, the Guardian must let him/her go.
5.7.2.3 WARD PACTS
When summoning a demon, the summoner may provide a Guardian or any other sort of demon with a wardpact against an one class of things. Wardpacts are charms powered by the lords of Chaos themselves, and as such are proof against anything lesser powers send against them. A wardpact protects the demon from the effects of whatever object it is warded against by destroying the object when it is used against the holder of the wardpact.
5.7.2.4 SPIRIT WARDS
Spirit Wards are demons that are not given a physical form of any kind, and hence cannot be injured by any physical force. They exist in an intangible spirit body with onyl two attributes; intelligence and powa. They are the most effective possible form of Guardian, for they cannot be harmed by anything except the magical power of whatever is sent against them. They are also the hardest to summon and bind, because, to be effective, they must also have a high Powa rating, and demons with high Powa are extremely dangerous to bind.
Spirit Wards have two means of protecting whatever they are guarding. The first relies upon their intelligence. They may attempt to fool the intruder by projecting magical illusions to frighten or mislead any intruder. When created, a Spirit Ward is given a definite area of no more than 100 square meters to guard. Its influence will not extend beyond this area.
5.7.2.5 LAST WORD ABOUT DEMONS OF PROTECTION
Although I have spoken of the Demons of Protection as if the summoner must always bind them in order to get service out of them, that is not true. They may be summoned for a one-time use only, if the summoner so desires. If summoned for an single use, their term of service is not to exceed one day.
5.7.3 DEMONS OF KNOWLEDGE
Demons of Knowledge are not warlike and will not fight under any circumstances. Their sole purpose is to impart knowledge to their sorcerous summoners. Sometimes the knowledge they purvey is spurious, worthless, random, or out-of-date.
All Demons of Knowledge do not know all things. The chance of a given demon knowing the answer to any given question is equal to the summoners intelligence. If the demon does not know the answer and has not been bound, it will lie, in whatever fashion believes will cause the most harm. If the demon has been bound and doesn't know the answer, it will attempt to find out through its occult sources on its home plane. Its chance to succeed is equal to its Powa.
Demons of Knowledge may be bound, either into an inanimate object such as a mirror or ring (or a weapon, though it does not enhance the fighting ability of the weapon in any way), or into a living form as a familiar. If a living form is chosen, the sorcerer must feed it with some of his/her own blood from time to time.
When summoning a Demon of Knowledge it is necessary to sacrifice some piece or form of art, such as a book, a statue, a fine piece of jewelry, etc instead of the blood offering required for demons of Combat and Protection.
5.7.3.1 LIMITS TO DEMONS OF KNOWLEDGE
A sorcerer may never have more than one Demon of knowledge in bondage at any one time. They are very jealous of their positions as councilors. If a sorcerer attempts to bind a second Demon of Knowledge, neither will answer his questions.
A sorcerer may summon another Demon of Knowledge on a one-time basis without permanent harm to his relationship with a bound Demon of Knowledge, although the bound servant might sulk and be evasive for a day or so.
5.7.4 DEMONS OF TRAVEL
Another relatively harmless kind of demon is the Demon of Travel. These beings exist solely to facilitate getting from here to there, wherever there may be. There are three classes of Travel Demons: Gateway Openers, Transporters, and Teleporters. Each serves a somewhat different function.
The summoning procedure is much the same as for other classes of demons, but the preferred sacrifice is some sort of bird, as birds are the greatest travelers in the normal world. However, one's easiest task is to open a doorway to another plane, and the most difficult thing is to be teleported instantly from one location to another.
5.7.4.1 GATES AND GUIDES
It may often happen that the sorcerer will wish to enter some other plane of existence. Access to other planes of existence is gained by summoning a Gateway Opener. Such gateways are opened by demons who remain invisible and undetected so that only the gate is apparent. Gateway Openers cannot be bound by mortal sorcerers.
Other planes of existence may be so bizarre that normal humans would be completely disoriented in them.
5.7.4.3 CREATURES OF LAW FROM OTHER PLANES
Creatures of Chaos from other planbes have been defined as demons, while creatures of Law from other planes have been called Others. Others may not be summoned in the way that demons are summoned, but they can appear in the Young Kingdoms. The way to do it is to have a Gateway Demon open a portal into their Lawful world (there is always enough Chaos, no matter how Law-oriented the world is, in a world-plane to enable a Gateway Demon to open a dimensional gate into it). and then just have these beings come through that portal.
And though Others are defined as creatures of Law, there is no reason why they can't work with Agents of Chaos if they wish to. It is possible to be both Lawful and evil at the same time, or Chaotic and good. Just remember that they rely not on magical effects, but on scientific ones.
5.7.4.4. TRANSPORTERS
The sorcerer may wish to have a demon in physical form to help him/her travel through the Young Kingdoms. This requires summoning a demon, investing it with a given shape, and then binding it into the form of that shape for permanent service. The speed that the demon will be able to achieve once bound into any given shape is directly proportional to the Strength of the demon. Furthermore, if one hopes to be able to transport much, one should give the demon a fairly large Size. In all cases the Size should be as large or larger than the Size of the person being transported.
The demons form and attributes must be specified before the summoning attempt is made. For more than a one-time use, the demon must also be bound in the normal way, though the demon may be bound into its own form by merely attaching the binding object to it.
Transporter Demons may come in any shape desired - horse, bird, boat, skiis, whatever. They will have a top speed of twenty times their Strength in km per hour. Transporter Demons are not tireless. If they fail to get the needed rest, they die and vanish from the Young Kingdoms plane.
Transporter Demons must have a form appropriate to their function. You cannot have a flying demon horse unless you give it wings. A demon fish without legs wouldn't be much good on land. Etc.
Transporter Demons may not pass or bypass demon barriers unless their Powa is higher than thatof the barrier. They will not even try, since they don't want to die. Even then, it requires a Powa struggle to attempt to pass the magical barrier.
Transporter Demons will not fight for their masters. If attacked, they will do whatever they can to protect themselves only.
5.7.4.5 TELEPORTERS
Teleport Demons have the ability to instantaneously appear wherever they wish within the Young Kingdoms. Their abilities seldom work on any other plane except their home plane where they are also teleporters. In their natural form they are invisible and unmaterial, but they may be bound into physical objects. Teleport Demons, once bound, may not shift shapes unless they are first unbound.
Teleport Demons are limited in what they can move. When being teleported, there is always a chance that the teleport demons will not reassemble your atoms in precisely the correct manner. Teleport Demons cannot teleport beyond a demon barrier unless they have a Powa higher than the barrier. However, they will try if commanded to do so, and in trying will kill themselves and lose the traveler in limbo. To return from limo, he/she must be summoned by another wizard as if he/she were a Demon of Combat.
Each time a Teleport Demon is used in the Young Kingdoms, its Constitution decreases. This is not rechargeable unless the Demon is released to return to its own plane.
5.7.5 DEMONS OF DESIRE
The Demons of Desire are the wish granters. They will not provide the summoner with knowledge, will not transport him/her, will not protect him./er, and generally won't fight for him/her. They will, however, materialize physical objects, act as all-purpose servants within their limits, serve as a sex object, or procure one if the demon is not suitable.
To obtain a Demon of Desire requires the sacrifice of a virgin of an intelligent species. Such demons always appear as a highly attractive member of the opposite sex of the species of the summoner. They are typically charismatic.
Demons of Desire procure physical objects for their masters by teleporting to some place where the desired object is available, stealing it, and teleporting back. They will never go farther than they have to in order to fulfill a request.
Sorcerers who command a Demon of Desire are advised to be specific with their wishes. The demon obeys the letter, not the spirit of the wish. If you're in the middle of the desert and starving, and order the demon to bring food, it is likely to pop back with that cactus that wsa ten feet away and say, 'this is edible, master'. A wish to bring meat and wine is really two wishes and will take two points of the demons constitution.
Although not shapeshifters themselves, Demons of Desire have the ability to alter the shape and forms o others. If your character wished to be a bear for some reason, a Demon of Desire could transform him/her into one. Shapeshifting, however, is much more difficult than ordinary wish granting.
Demons of Desire may provide their masters with magical objects such as Demon Armor or demon weapons, but only if their Powa is higher than the Powa rating of the magical object involved. Such a wish however expends 3 Constitution points of the Demon of Desire. If the Demon of Desire is told to procure a magical object with a greater Powa than its own, it will be destroyed.
A Demon of Desire may also be used to heal damage taken by its binder, or anyone else he chooses to heal. For each damage healed by the demon, it loses a Constituion point permanently.
Demons of Desire may be bound, though they do not take the form of the binding object and do not enter into it. Instead, they retain their original physical form while they are in the Young Kingdoms. Whoever owns the binding object, usually a ring, or some other small sigil, is the demon's master and may command it. The demon will generally trail three steps behind its master, but may be ordered to remain in one place and summoned to its masters' presence by expending a wish.
5.7.6 DEMONS OF POSSESSION
Demons of Possession have no body of their own. Instead, they possess the body of whatever is sacrificed to them by entering and controlling it. In the case of human sacrifices, the demon will then have the same exact physical attributes as the sacrificial victim. If not bound immediately to a body, they will wait for the summoner's will for one day, then leave if not given a body.
Demons of Possession are bound in the usual manner. The risk is proportionately greater to the sorcerer because the demons Powa must be high for it to accomplish its purpose.
Demons of Possession may also be summoned into the forms of beasts or monsters. If put into an inanimate object, the demon excessively hard to bind. Mortal sorcerers rarely attempt this.
Whoever controls the demons binding object controls the demon and may order it to do whatever the body it wears is capable of doing. Demons of Possession may also change bodies on command. To take over the body of a free human or beast, the demon must have a higher Powa than its projected victim and overcome the powa of the victim in a Powa vs Powa attack. Attempting to possess an unsuitable host or losing the attack will cause the destruction of the demon.
Trying and failing to bind a Demon of Possession results in a possession attack against the sorcerer. If the attack succeeds, he is definitely a subject to the lords of Chaos, and may be ordered to take certain actions.
Demons of Possession have no pressing desire to remain on this plane of existence. If their physical form is slain without a replacement ready, they will leave for their home. Possessed bodies not slain, but deserted by the demon, become mindless, soulless, automatons and will soon die unless repossessed or given special care.
5.7.6.1 CHARMS AGAINT POSSESSION
Whoever holds the demon's binding object may not be possessed by that demon. It is also possible to make certain herbal charms that will ward off Demons of Possession. Hints on their construction and use is explained in chapter 4 under Plant Lore.
5.8 FREQUENCY OF DEMON ENCOUNTERS
Although I have gone on at great length about the different varieties of Lesser Demons, their powers and restrictions, it should be borne in mind that actual use of demons is likely to be very rare. The number of sorcerers is likely to be very small, and the risk of using demons is fairly high. The world of the young kingdoms is not especially rich in natural menaces other than the ill will of other men.
5.9 SUMMONING ELEMENTAL RULERS
When the sorcerer wants an effect that one or two elementals or a couple of demons cannot accomplish, such as a tidal wave, a volcanic eruption, a hurricane, etc., it is time to summon the appropriate Elemental Ruler. Each Ruler is the supreme commander of all the elementals of its kind.
The Elemental Rulers were seldom seen by mortal sorcerers. (Elric, undoubtably the greatest sorcerer of the age, met only two of them during his life, and one of them, Grome, was hostile to him). The actual summoning process requires putting the sorcerer into a trance of concentration wherein the sorcerer thinks only of the name and essence of the Elemental Lord he is trying to contact.
The Elemental Rulers are too mighty to come at the summons of a mere mortal. What usually happens is that a troop of elementals arrives and carries off the summoner into another plane of existence where the Ruler has its capital. Such capitals are always in the midst of the element that the Ruler controls. The mortal wizard, however, is magically protected from the adverse effects of being immersed in fire, water or earth as the case may be. (No ill effects are generated from being in the midst of air, but the mortal is protected from falling to his/her doom).
Beings of such power cannot be compelled by mortal sorcerers. They must be either bargained with, or persuaded. The mortal is then returned to the mortals lands at whatever place he/she wishes to be. The wizard doesn't have to return to the same location and situation he/she started from, though he/she may if so desired.
One last note on summoning.Elemental Rulers should of course be summoned while the sorcerer is surrounded (literally) by the proper element. When trying to summon Straasha, Lord of the Water Elementals, the wizard should be immersed in water at least to the neck. When trying to summon Kakatal, Lord of Fire Elements, the wizard should be inside a ring of flame.
5.10 THE BEAST LORDS
The Beast Lords are perhaps the strangest things in all of Moorcock's varied mythologies. Although they have names and powers over their subjects on earth, they do not appear to be beings as much as they are archetypes. Meerclaw, Lord of the Cats, is essentially an Idea, an Essence that includes all of Catness within itself. The Beast Lords are bot hdeities and abstractions; perhaps the two things are the same.
In bygone ages Melnibonean sorcerers made pacts of perpetual aid and friendship with many of the Beast Lords. These ancient treaties served Elric well in his struggles with Theleb K'aarna. Only the sorcerers of Melnibone know the ancient summoning runes for the various Beast Lords, and any one of them would know only a few. However, although only Melniboneans will know the chants and runes to summon a Beast Lord, they may teach these cantrips to mortal sorcerers of other races, providing that the pupil has sufficiently high total of Intelligence and Powa.
The Beast Lords seem to exercise generic dominance; that is, there is a Lady of the Birds, a Lord of the Lizards, a God for all Cats, etc. There are no separate deities for lions and tigers - both are cats, they both serve Meerclaw. As the Elric saga does not enumerate all of the Beast Lords, I find it necessary to invent a number of them to fill out the range of possibilities. Beast lords have names based on onamatapoetical principles, and I have kept those that I created sonsistent with these principles.
5.10.1 POWERS OF THE BEAST LORDS
The Beast Lords have the power to make all of their subjects behave as if they were intelligent beings acting with a purpose. Thus they can command a single creature to act in an intelligent manner, or can produce armies of their subjects at will who will then fight against even the most unnatural of menaces. It is up to the summoner to specify what services he expects from the beast Lord and its subjects.
5.10.2 SUMMONING A BEAST LORD
Each Melnibonean wizard with sufficient Intelligence and powa may be able to summon one or more Beast Lords. The Beast Lord will honor it ancient covenant and do its best to aid the summoner. Sorcerers of other races who may have learned the summoning rune will not have as good a chance to succeed, to determine whether the beast Lord will help this person with no ancient pact or treaty to rely on.
Lastly, the runes necessary to summon a Beast Lord are all cast in the form of poetry.
5.10.3 BEAT LORDS
Nnuuurrrr'c'c - Insects
Haaashaastaak - Lizards
Fileet - Birds (Lady of the Birds)
Meerclaw - Cats
Roofdrak - Dogs (including wolves, foxes, jackals)
Jaanumaarh* - Apes (including monkeys, gorillas, etc)
P1p!pp'hhhh'p*† - Fish
Skweeeeeee* - Rodents (especially mice, rabbits, etc)
Uurr-Rzzzrr* - Bears
Hhaabar'mmpa* - Batrachains (frogs, toads, etc)
Shwa-Shwaa* - Spiders
Kehehee* - Turtles
Sssss''sss'ssaan - Snakes*
Vvwyy'hunnh'* - Horses
Muru'ah - Cattle (also deer, antelopes, etc)
* indicates that Ken St Andre rather than Michael Moorcock invented this particular deity
† P! is pronounced by filling your cheek with air, then putting your finger in your mouth and popping it back out to produce a plosive sound.
5.11 THE LORDS OF CHAOS
The supreme gods of the young Kingdoms are the Lords of Law and Chaos. The two groups represent opposites and are antagonistic toward each other. At times the struggle between Law and Chaos seems to be some great game; at other times it is the fiercest imaginable war. In general terms it can be said that the Lords of Law represent and defend all that is good and sane and beautiful. Likewise the lords of Chaos stand for all that is evil, insane, and grotesque. However, it should be clearly understood that these are oversimplifications. The Lords of Chaos have the power to be good and beautiful, if not quite sane, and it seems likely that they were forced into the grotesque forms they assumed in the Elric saga just because the lords of Law had already pre-empted the ordered, rational forms available.
Over and above the Lords of Law and Chaos is an ill-defined supreme 'being' called the Cosmic balance. Whether the Balance be a Force, a Being, or a Concept, it exerts a restraining impulse on the Lords of Law and Chaos. The deal condition would be for Chaos and Law to exactly counterbalance each other. But, in the Young Kingdoms the Balance had been upset. For centuries before the time of Elric, the scale had been slowly tilting toward the forces of Law. With the birth of Elric and Yrkoon, however, the scale reversed and swung wildly in favor of Chaos. I estimate that the time between the fall of Imrryr to the compete destruction of the Young Kingdoms by the forces of Chaos was only a little over seven years. That's a pretty fast swing of the cosmic pendulum.
5.11.1 ABOUT THE LORDS OF LAW
The lords of Law rarely appear in Elric's saga. Only two of them are expressly named in any of Michael Moorcocks novels. To get the second one I had to go into the Corum novels.
There are bound to be more than two of them but, rather than invent an extensive pantheon of deities for the Lords of Law who would exist only in my own imagination, I am going to leave it up to the individuals to call forth the identities of the Law Lords other than Arkyn and Donblas. I have invented one to show what sort of thing can be done. The principle of balance suggests that there must be at least one Lord of law for each Lord of Chaos. As you will see later, the pantheon given for Chaos is quite extensive, so feel free.
The Lords of Law prefer to work through the natural laws of the world. They control such things as gravity, heat flows, evaporation, and all the other physical processes that make he world work. If natural law should be inadequate for working their will, they maintain agents in the young Kingdoms: the greatest is the sorceress Myshella who lives in the castle of Kaneloon in the wilds of Lormyrr.
They may act directly if it is necessary to check the power of a Lord of Chaos.
Though the power of the lords of Law is virtually infinite, they will never extend any more of it than absolutely necessary to accomplish their purpose.
5.11.1.1 LORDS OF LAW
Donblas - Justice
Arkyn - Natural law
Goldar * - Business, money, barter
* the deity was invented by Ken St Andre, not Moorcock.
5.11.1.2 SUMMONIG A LORD OF LAW
The summoner should be standing within an equilateral triangle and have three threes of magical implements, such as three forms of metal, three musical instruments, and three sacrificial beasts. (Any other combination of three threes of things would also work, but they may influence the nature of the deity you summon.)
A Lord of Law who takes earthly form will base his appearance on that of the summoner. The earthly plane of the young Kingdoms is not sufficient to contain all of the transcendental glory of a god, so the summoned being takes on an avatar, using but a tiny fraction of his/her total powers. The deity bases its attributes on those of the summoner, multiplied by ten. When they are summoned, the Lords of Law will come fully equipped with whatever tools and weapons they will need to accomplish their purpose. Such objects may be thought of as manifestations of the gods power, instead of being captive demons bound into various forms.
A Lord of Law can have combat skills also, if it should become necessary or desirable for the avatar to fight. The god of Law has a weapon's skill of 95% and it always gets to strike first. The gods weapon is, of course, super-magical, and contact with it will destroy non-magical weapons in the first clash. When it hits and does damage, the gods weapon may do any multiple of the damage caused between one and ten.
If a Lord of Law is successfully summoned, the Lord of Law will always help a Lawful summoner obtain a Lawful end, and it will always act to combat or restrain a Lord of Chaos or a Chaotic minion that has manifested on the Young Kingdoms plane.
5.11.2 ABOUT THE LORDS OF CHAOS
Whereas the Lords of Law are but seldom seen and only vaguely described, the Lords of Chaos manifest frequently and in great numbers.
The Lords of Chaos prefer to work through magic and demonology. The idea of anything remaining a constant is repulsive to them. They love to take a personal hand in affairs, and they are not at all impartial. Arioch loved Elric, and thought of him as a very clever pet, but this didn't stop him from working against the albino from time to time.
The essence of the Lords of Chaos is unpredictability. When a Lord of Chaos is summoned, it will bring with it whatever subservient demons it desires to act as weapons, armor, transportation, etc., etc. Since the demons are subject to the Lords of Chaos and are effectively bound by the Chaos Lord's will, there is no chance that they will be able to revolt. That gives an opportunity to create some really powerful demon artifacts which could remain in mortal possession long after the Lord of Chaos returned to its Hell.
5.11.2.1 LORDS OF CHAOS
Pyaray - The Tentacled Whisperer of Impossible Secrets, the Chaos Lord who commands the Chaos fleet (dead ships manned by dead warriors)
Arioch - Knight of the Swords, Lord of the Seven Darks, Lord of the Higher Hell
Orunlu - The Keeper (7' tall, wreathed in flame, scaly purple with bulging muscles and reptilian physiognomy)
Chardhros - The Reaper - patron deity of Pan Tang
Balo - Jester of Chaos
Narjhan - Lord of the Beggars
Checkalakh - The Burning God
Xiombarg -0 Queen of the Swords
Mabelrode - King of the Swords, the faceless
Vezhan - Lord of Wings
Hionhurn - The Executioner
Eequor - Mistress of the Unholy Fortress
Darnizhaan - The Dead God
Balan - A Duke of Hell
Maluk - A Duke of Hell
Malchin - A Duke of Hell
Zhorta - A Duke of Hell
Slortar the Old - The Eldest Deity
Urleh - (A vassal of Arioch)
Teer - A Duke of Caos (vassal of Mabelrode, has a human body and the head of a boar)
Doubtless there are many other Lords of Chaos, but in this case we have enough enough ot make us happy.
5.11.2.2 SUMMONING A LORD OF CHAOS
On the evidence of Elric's relations with Arioch it takes "blood and souls" to summon a Lord of Chaos. In the Elric books, the lords of Chaos are painted as arch-demons with the power of gods, so that is how we will play them.
A formal summoning requires several elements. The summoner must stand upon an eight-pointed sign of Chaos and offer up one or more human sacrifices. The chance that the desired lord of Chaos will manifest is equal to the sorcerers Powa rate plus the number of human sacrifices offered.
Lords of Chaos cannot be compelled by mortal sorcerers. The human must offer some sort of bargain to gain the Chaos Lords cooperation (see section 5.12 BARGAINING WITH THE GODS). The summoner should have some sort of offer ready. A promise of eternal service might suffice, or a hecatomb of sacrifices, or the destruction of a Lawful magic artifact, etc. Let your imagination be your guide.
Lords of Chaos may assume whatever form they wish. If they choose to fully materializ eon the earthly plane, their chosen form will be called an avatar. Avatars have attributes that are ten times those of the summoner, with the exception of Size which can be freely chosen. In fact, they are in all respects equal to the Lords of Law when they choose to manifest in corporeal form.
Lords of Chaos may accomplish anything up to the destruction of the world (that remains beyond them because its existence is maintained by the Lords of Law) by fiat. That is, they make a statement, and it is done. The exception to this is when they are actively opposed by another Lord of Chaos, a Lord of Law, or an Elemental Ruler. In such cases, they must physically accomplish their will by slaying or defeating in combat the opposing deity.
Lords of Chaos often use magical implements. These are always bound demons (see section 5.6.3 BINDING DEMONS). Lords of Chaos have the ability to bind demons with tremendous Powa ratings, however, ths creating some truly wesome magical devices. Such demons, as usual, must serve whoever controls the binding object.
A Lord of Chaos may indulge in physical combat if it is in avatar form. It would have a Demon of Combat bound into a weapon form for its weapon, and its skill with that weapon would be 97%. Lords of Chaos, being sporting types, always strike second during a combat round, regardless of their Dexterity. their enchanted weapons shatter non-magical arms and armor on contact, and either slay or wound depending entirely upon the whim of the wielder.
5.11.2.3 INFERNAL SUMMONING
After a Lord of Chaos has been successfully summoned by a mortal sorcerer one time, there will be a psychic bond between the two and it may be possible for the mortal to resummon the Chaos Lord under any condition by just calling upon it. Even if the Chaos Lord refuses to manifest, it will usually speak and tell the sorcerer not to bother it or some such message. (Elric frequently summoned Arioch to im in this mannerm and half the time Arioch refused).
5.11.2.4 ELRIC
As Myshella is the greatest sorceress of the young Kingdoms and is the prime agent of Law, so Elric of Melnibone is the greatest sorcerer and is the prime agent of Chaos. Myshella usually knows what she is doing, and Elric usually doesn't, but the fact remains that Elric's power struggles wi two other wizards, his cousin Yrkoon and Theleb K'aarna, were the chief cause of the growing strength of Chaos in the Young Kingdoms. Although Elric fought the forces of Chaos at the end of his saga,it was because of his love for Zarozinia, his wife, and because the Lords of Chaos and the sorcerers of Pan Tang had offended him so deeply.
The albino is a wlaking jinx and has a way of bringing doom to all those around him.
5.12 BARGAINING WITH THE GODS
When mortals are dealing with gods, there is seldom any way for the mortal to compel the deity, so it becomes =necessary to bargain with them. It is hard to imagine what men could have that gods might desire, but they must have something; otherwise the gods wouldn't bother with them. We are talking now about direct man/woman and deity confrontations, not the sort of divine intervention invoked by worshippers of any particular deity. Only the most powerful of sorcerers can meet the deities face to face and retain his sanity. Such sorcerers have the power to bargain to obtain their desires, giving value for value.
Gods cannot be bribed with physical things - they can have all the gold, luxury, delicious food, or any other sort of thing they want. There are really only two things that men can offer to deities - life force and services. Life force, sometimes called the soul, is a sort of divine food - some gods must have it in order to exist. Service, on the other hand, is not so much a nutrient for deities as a tool for accomplishing their ends.
When offering life force to a god, the mortal may offer his.her own, or that of others. Worship is a form of offering life force. It is the highest and purest form since it transmutes very small quantities of life force into very potent nutrient for the receiving deities. Human sacrifice is the other extreme of the scale. When a being is sacrificed the god must take all the life force at one time in its very crudest form. Much of the life force is lost and wasted. In between are the possibilities of giving a part of a mortals life force.
Service can be even more valuable than life force. Gods need their agents and servants to act for them in the Young Kingdoms in order to gain their ends without constantly expending power to do it themselves. A willing servant makes the best tool; thus when a powerful mortal sorcerer offers to serve a god for a given length of time, it is usually a more powerful argument than a mere human sacrifice or two; especially if, in serving the deity, the sorcerer is compelled to gather life force from others for his/her supernatural patron.
When thinking about service let us not forget that gods have the power to compel mortals to obey them. However, in order to do so the god must waste more power/life force than it can regain from the unwilling service of a single agent. Hence it is better to have servants who serve of their own free will. Such service costs the deity nothing in power/life force, and often gains it much.
Gods can get life force from humans or other living beings in three forms: (1) they can take it directly; (2) they can soak it up like a sponge absorbing water when all the life force is released in one sudden burst in the form of a sacrifice; or (3) they can bask in it, like a sunbather on a beach, in the form of sincere worship. Some gods prefer one form, and some prefer others. Generally speaking the Lords of Chaos prefer sacrifice which doesn't keep them from demanding worship, but will occasionally accept sacrifices. The reduction of an attribute is technically called a Curse, and any form of god may profit from it.
Worship is the most utilitarian of the three forms because it entails additional service by the worshippers. Faithful followers of a given deity will act in such a manner as to increase the prestige and power of that deity on the young Kingdoms plane. From the ranks of the faithful come most of a gods agents in the mortal world.
5.13 NON-MAGICAL SORCEROUS SKILLS
While a wizards primary powers come from the supernatural beings he/she can summon or control, it is wise to provide sorcerous characters with some natural trickery, too, such as can be obtained through human skills like Plant Lore, Poison Lore Music Lore, and Sleight of hand. And every prospective wizard should develop at least moderate skill with some weapon.
