Cult of Telmor

originally published in Heroes #4 and Dorastor: Land of Doom

This document is Copyright © 1999 Chaosium, Inc. It may be freely linked to, and one copy may be printed for personal use, but any other reproduction by photographic, electronic, or other methods of retrieval, is prohibited.

Table of Contents

• Mythos and History
• Other Notes

Mythos and History

Hykim and Mikyh are the founders of the Animal Tribes. They had many children, the last of whom was the Mother of Mammals. She in turn had many children, including Fralar, god of carnivores. His greatest child was Telmor, Father of Wolves. His people are known as Telmori, and also as Wolfrunners.

There are few tales told of Telmor from the Godtime. Both the Telmori and the dog-people of Balazar recall an encounter between their deities. The results of this fight are unclear, but the two peoples have an undying hatred of each other, even though they have had no contact for centuries. The cat people of Dragon Pass have a story of how their god defeated Telmor and scattered his tribe, though Yinkin lost his tail in the process. The Telmori in turn have their own story (similar to one told by the Balazarings) of how their deity chased the First Cat, and eventually caught (and ate) it.

Telmor is typically portrayed as a stylized wolf, or less frequently as a human with a wolf's head in the tattoos which are the pictorial art of the wolf people.

Members are reborn into the cult as Telmori hsunchen again, perhaps as man, perhaps as wolf. Dead Telmori are exposed to the elements in their favored hunting grounds. Wolves never feast on Telmori remains, but guard them from scavengers.

Telmor's primary runes are Beast and Motion. The rune of Chaos is also associated with the worship of those Telmori tribes whose ancestors followed Nysalor/Gbaji.

Other Notes

Werewolves

Contrary to popular belief, every Telmori is not a werewolf. The Cursed Ones, descendants of those who served Nysalor, have lost control over their bestial nature and involuntarily become werewolves from dusk to dawn of Wildday. Such members may also change voluntarily into wolves through Telmor's divine magics. The Pure Ones, descendants of Telmori who refused Nysalor's creed, are not werewolves, and do not involuntarily turn into wolves on Wilddays, though they may assume wolf form through divine spells.

Days of the Week

The phases of the Red Moon follow a weekly cycle, but the face which is seen is different in different parts of Glorantha. Because Wildday (when all werewolves must transform) is the Full Moon day in Dragon Pass and southern Peloria, werewolves and the Telmori have become associated with the Lunar cycle in the mind of the common man, especially among enemies of the Moon. This is a misconception, although perhaps not a coincidence.

See also:

A Personal View of Hsunchen Culture
The Hsunchen Religions

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