The Center Cannot Hold: Sects of the Wolf-Mother 1

#Crux post for tonight.  Sects within the Church of the Wolf-Mother.  These are the first few I decided to do writings on.  All of the faiths in Crux are intended to be broad and unaligned.  Each has room for folk of all nine alignments.  The core tenets are the same, with individual sects taking them in their own favorite directions.

Wolf-Mother Sects.

The many different Totems of the Wolf-Mother are her many spirit children.  Each has their own cult

Like any faith, one who worships the Wolf-Mother will often pray and respect multiple totems in their daily lives.  Those dedicated to specific totems in their lives tend to be specialists of some sort, not necessarily priests.  Priests and Druids of the Wolf-Mother honor multiple totems, but very rarely dedicate themselves to a individual totem.  They honor totems and the Wolf-Mother.

and sect that surrounds them.  Here are a few of the notable sects within the Church of the Wolf-Mother.  Each totem has favored offerings.  If these offerings have an effect is unknown.  But they are minor rites each totem appreciates when performed.

Classes like the Streetcooks or Wolf-Riders dedicate themselves to specific totems.  Their classes are formed on metaphysical ideas they share with the totem they worship.

Each of these sects are centered around Totem Spirits.  The Totem Spirits like Catholic Saints: they are significant presences within the Wolf-Mother faith, but not the same as the main divine force of the Church.

The Tailless One: Urnaneapa (Humans)

Aspect: Embrace Humanity's Brilliance
Area of Influence: Human Relations, Beauty, Sexuality
Feastday: Last Och-Moki of Pak'Lupi
Favored Offering: Obeying the command or wishes of a human as eagerly as possible.

Humans are unlike any other animals Ursyklons have encountered before.  The Tailless One offers new lessons to those with an open mind.  The Tailless One as a concept is controversial, at least to humans.  The Tailless One shows a aggressive loyal tie to humans, encouraging his worshippers to obey humans or even pursue romantic relationships with them.  He often manifests as a human, hairless gorilla, giant bonobo or albino chimpanzee.  The Tailless One is the Patron Totem of Human Civilization, Ursyklons who favor human culture over their own and Technology.

Ursyklon Class: The Dolls (Antipaladin variant).
Dolls dedicate themselves to the service of the Tailless One's favored children, humanity.  As such, they dress themselves as human children.  To most Ursyklon, Dolls are strange cultists at the least, dangerous fanatics at the worst.  Dolls trace themselves back to when the Tomasi Empire existed.  Most Ursyklon were treated like animals by the Empire.  Dolls created a tradition that kept the Tomasi pleased, by becoming subservient pets to humans.

Dolls are the origins of words like Halfling for their people.  Dolls possess an obsession for a particular human's affections.  They know how to learn the sexual desires of others.  Dolls possess the means to change these desires in humans, using it to trick and cajol their favorite humans into loving them.  Theirs is a maniac form of love, where they need constant stimuli from their lover, or else they begin to do whatever they can to get their attentions again.

Mad-Eyed One: Urnanegogn (Owl)

Aspect: Wisdom In Madness
Area of Influence: Knowledge, Madness, Secrets
Feastday: 2nd Och-Raeg of Lupi-Tengri
Favored Offering: An hour of mad ranting or rambling in public

Wisdom comes from many places.  Seeking wisdom even in madness always reaps benefits.  Urnanegogn cares for the act of learning, no matter where it takes you.  Mad journeys are a requirement for that.  Even if they take you to places only death knows.  Often she appears as a Owl, but Urnanegogn has appeared as a Raven, Coyote and even a scarab before.  Always journeying to places beyond where she is expected.  She is the Patron Totem of academics, necromancers, morticians and the insane.

The Hungry One: Urnanemoki (Ferret)

Aspect: Always Be Hungry For More
Areas of Influence: Food, Adventure, Hope
Feastday: 3rd Och-Tengri of Lupi-Tengri
Favored Offering: Eating a lavish meal as fast as possible

To have an appetite is to be alive.  Each meal is like the rising sun to the Hungry One: new chances are born with it.  Urnanemoki cares only for the here and now.  Experience life, don't slow down, rush into it.  Often she manifests as a ferret, but also sometimes appears as a weasel, polecat, pig or wolf as well.  Clever enough to get into trouble, the Hungry One often has trouble getting back out again.  She is the Patron Totem of wanderers, students, adventurers, and ferreters (rabbit-hunters).

Wolf-Mother Class: The Streetcooks (Alchemist Variant)
Streetcooks serve the needs of the hunger Urnanemoki teaches.  Recent advents in alchemical and other devices let them cook things in the streets at fast paces.  Some even have learned how to combine spells with fried treats.  Hot meat on sticks that also cure injuries.  Tea that also grants one vision in the dark.  That sort of thing.

Streetcooks and their methods of alchemy aren't academic.  Theirs is a more imprecise kind of science.  They tend to invent recipes and extracts on the fly, so they eschew explosives.  Potions and on the fly alchemy is their forte.  That and cook tasty food.

Far Sighted One: Urnaneanguz (Eagle)

Aspect: Nothing Can Hide From the Truth
Areas of Influence: Honesty, Investigations, Observations
Feastday: Third Och-Kai of Caenalupi
Favored Offering: Dead rodents left atop a high place, or, spend at least an hour watching others who cannot see you.

Urnaneanguz cannot abide a lie.  Honesty is the highest virtue, and to uncover the truth is the highest endeavour according to the Far-Sighted One.  Do not stand for liars or thieves.  Those who promise the truth and fail to uphold it need to be found.  Urnaneanguz often manifests as a Eagle, but is known to appear as a Falcon, Vulture or even as a Dove.  Vigilant, the Far-Sighted One sees things others can't.  He is the Patron Totem of journalists, investigators, hunters and truth-seekers.

The Howling One: Urnanesawol (Wolf)

Aspect: Many Howls, One Voice
Areas of Influence: Teamwork, Cooperation, Family
Feastday: 1st Och-Paku of Uz'Lupi
Favored Offering: Sharing a meal, preferably meat, with a loved one.

Family is important.  It need not share your blood.  But family is still important.  Urnanesawol is second child of the Wolf-Mother, who in turn fathered all the wolves that share her sacred form.  He knows the mother, and teaches how sacred and important family must be.  Urnanesawol often manifests in the form of a black wolf, but will appear as any canine, including shepard dogs, jackals or coyotes.  He is the Patron Totem of Fathers, Mothers, counselors, and charity workers.

Wolf-Mother Class: Wolf-Riders (Paladin Variant)
Wolf-Riders take their name from their obvious mounts.  Even human members of the holy order ride canine mounts, even if theirs are gigantic variations.  The method of Wolf-Riding is based on a magical kinship with the beast.  Normally predators like wolves cannot be mounts- their bodies can't support a rider very well.  Wolf-Riders and their bonded mounts bypass this, the Wolf-Rider becoming a literal extension of their mount in the process.

Wolf-Riders serve the Church directly.  Their task is defense, but from within and without.  Like the Howling One, they do what they can to build families.  They rely on teamwork to give them an edge over their foes.  Like a strong pack, they help their communities be strong so they can handle any crisis.