Esmeralda Cult_______________________

Description:  Greater Entity; Halfling Pantheon; ruling Halfling deity.  Esmeralda is the patron of the hearth and home and the mother to most of the Halfling deities.  In Halfling lore, it is Esmeralda who gave the gift of cookery to Halflings.  Normally, Esmeralda is depicted as a plump and matronly Halfling with a perpetual smile and wearing a flour-covered apron.

Where Worshipped:  Esmeralda is worshipped by Halflings throughout the Old World.  She is particularly venerated by those Halflings who are employed by Humans as cooks.  Unlike other cults, members (including priests) of the cult of Esmeralda may include the worship of any number of her children.  These are Gangee (protector of the pantry), Findol (warden of the fields), Landrani (mistress of wine and beer), Praseeda (lady of herbs and spices), and Samortha (guardian of children, families, and desserts).

Alignments:  Neutral and Good preferred.  Law, Evil, and Chaos unthinkable and prohibited.

Friends and Enemies:  Friendly with all other Halfling cults and the cult of the Earth Mother.  Good relations with the cults of the Young Gods and Elder Races.  Revulsion towards the Dark Children, Humanoid Daemonic, and Chaos cults.

Cult Symbols and Dress:  Initiates, Priests, Ratcatchers, and Scouts identify themselves with the following symbols: a triangle over a horizontal line (representing the home), flame rising from a hearth, soup ladle, stylized pie, frothy mug, and spice leaves.  In addition to regular clothing, Priests wear ceremonial aprons embroidered with the symbols of Esmeralda and whichever of her children they worship.  Token is a copper medallion with the triangle over a horizontal line symbol inscribed.  Cult token may also be one of the other symbols.  Ratcatchers and Scouts wear clothing embroidered with the symbols of Esmeralda and her child which most represents their career (Gangee for Ratcatchers and Findol for Scouts).

Cult Careers Available:  Initiate, Priest, Ratcatchers (Protectors of the Pantry), Scouts (Wardens of the Field)

Distinguishing Principles and Doctrines:  Always provide food to the hungry.  Cooking utensils have only one use, to prepare meals and desserts, and may not be put to any other use.  Ale must be enjoyed to its fullest, watered down is not acceptable.  A minimum of three square meals must be eaten each day.  Always relax after a meal, strenuous activity is not conducive to proper digestion.  Cooking a meal requires one's undivided attention.

Afterworld:  After death, a spirit interests a large hall and kitchen bustling with multitudes of Halflings.  There, the spirit can locate the spirits of long deceased family members and have a sort of family reunion.  The atmosphere is one of on-going feasting, story-telling, and gift exchanging.  Family trees and relations are always popular topics of discussion.  A virtual Halfling paradise.

Temples and Shrines:  Typical for Halfling cults, the cult of Esmeralda has no shrine, temples, nor organizational structure as such.  Instead, Esmeralda is venerated in any kitchen where a Halfling works.  Commonly, a small statuette of her is kept in a prominent place in the kitchen, such as a mantle-shelf.  This placement enables Esmeralda to "see" the running of the kitchen and ensuring that dishes do not spoil.

Saints and Heroes:   Typical for Halfling cults, the saints and heroes of Esmeralda are usually ordinary Halflings reaching extraordinary (for Halflings) achievements.  Examples include providing a scrumptious feast on short notice with little foodstuffs available, protecting a field of crops from catastrophes ranging from hungry insect swarms to rampaging Goblins, and caring for an entire family bedridden by severe illness.  As a whole, Halflings are hardly adventurous.

Cult Requirements:  Requirements for Laymen Status:  Automatic for children of cultists and open to all adult Halflings.
Requirements for Initiate Status:  Granting of Blessed Sacraments prayer is seen a sign of a Calling.  Must be sponsored by a Priest.
Requirements for Priest Status:  A visitation of Esmeralda in a dream calling the Initiate to serve.

Trials:  Trials set by Esmeralda are usually of a mild nature compared to other cults as Halflings, as a race, do not like to discomfort themselves.  Such trials may include leading Human soldiers to lairs of Goblins and the like in familiar woodland areas, officiating at Pie Week festivities and being the last to eat, and hosting a family reunion (including second, third, fourth, and fifth cousins).

Blessings:  A one-time-use bonus or automatic success on cook, heal wounds, herb lore, or silent move-rural skills.

Penances:  Skipping a meal (to a Halfling, fasting), cleaning the kitchens (and not sampling offered treats or food) of twenty Halfling homes, cleaning up and washing all dishes, pots, and pans immediately following a Halfling party.

Holy Days:  The main festival to Esmeralda is Pie Week (1 - 8 Erntezeit on the Imperial calendar) in which the fruit harvest is celebrated.  The week is spent making (and eating) pies, puddings, cakes, and jams.  So absorbed are Halflings in the festivities that it is nearly impossible to get them to do anything else during this festival.

Gifts:  
Rank 1:  Granting of the Blessed Sacraments prayer twice per day at no MP cost.  Automatic success with silent move-rural skill once per day.
Rank 2:  Granting of the Leap of Faith prayer twice per day at no MP cost.  Automatic success with cook skill twice per day.
Rank 3:  Granting of the Faith Provides prayer twice per day at no MP cost.  Automatic success with concealment-rural skill once per day.
Rank 4:  Granting of the Sanctify Food prayer once per day at no MP cost.  Automatic success with shadowing skill once per day.
Ratcatcher:  Granting of the Light the Path prayer once per day.  May use bind wounds skill once per day with a +20 modifier.
Scout:  Granting of the Vigilance prayer once per day.  May use shadowing skill once per day with a +20 modifier.

Cult Prayer Lists

Initiate
Required:  Bless Token, Blessed Sacraments, Gift of Tongues, Heal Cultist, Heal Petitioner, Light the Path, Seek Shrine
Honors:  Detect Magic, Exalted Shield, Know Follower, Obscure the Path, Shadeward, Vigilance

Rank 1
Required:  Bless Shrine, Cure Poison, Follow Tracks, Heal Animal, Leap of Faith, Learn God's Will, Mindlink, Sacred Circle, Sense Land, Spread the Word
Honors:  Bless Weapon, Dispel Sorcery, Identify Divine Instrument, Mask Sight, Open, Remove Minor Curse, Sacred Warding, Sanctuary, Scourge Enemy, Summon Divine Counselor, Voice of God
Rank 2
Required:  Bless Thy Servant, Faith Provides, Hand of God, Make Thy Servant Whole, Treat Illness
Honors:  Artful Dodger, Distraction, Great Warding, Know Enemies, Nullify Prayer, Sense Hidden Danger, Summon Guardian
Rank 3
Required:  Contact Soul of the Faithful, Cure Insanity, Heal Injury, Heal the Faithful, Light of Day/Darkness of Night
Honors:  Banish Ensorcelment, Blind Enemy, Know Alignment, Nullify Lesser Instrument, Self-Defense, Summon Divine Servant
Rank 4
Required:  Consecrate Altar, Divine Vision, Entanglement, Preach the Word
Honors:  Banish Profane Enchantment, Barrier, Bless Hero, Drawing Down the Moon, Nullify Greater Instrument, Remove Great Curse, Summon Divine Avatar

Numina Forms
Counselor:  Spirit of a departed priest or deceased relative.
Guardian:  Halfling cults do not provide for the summoning of divine guardians.  Spirit guardians take the form of ghostly deceased priests or relatives.
Servant:  Spirit of a departed high rank priest.
Avatar:  Lesser aspect of Esmeralda in the form of a matronly Halfling.

Special Careers

Ratcatcher:  Protectors of the Pantry
   The Protectors of the Pantry are Halflings who follow the cults of Esmeralda and her son Gangee.  The sacred task of protecting the Halfling pantries from the predations of vermin, especially rats, have fallen to them.  The Protectors of the Pantry are adept at hunting down and killing vermin and do so with (for a Halfling) a fanatical zeal.  In other respects, Protectors of the Pantry are normal Halflings and far more sociable and cleaner than their Human Ratcatcher counterparts.
   For career advance scheme, career exits, and trappings see the Ratcatcher basic career, WFRP, pg. 36.  Moreover, Protectors of the Pantry are subject to hatred versus rats and rat-like creatures (including Skaven).
Scout:  Wardens of the Field
   The Wardens of the Field are Halflings who follow the cults of Esmeralda and her son Findol.  Similar to the Protectors of the Pantry, the Wardens have a sacred task: the protection of the agricultural fields of Halflings from vermin ranging from ravenous insects to marauding bands of Goblins and Snotlings (anything bigger often requires the hiring of Humans or Dwarves).  Wardens of the Field are excellent woodsmen and scouts.  They are the closest thing to a warrior class for Halflings.  In fact, during times of community danger, small groups of Wardens join together to form a formidable force of bowmen and slingers.
   For career advance scheme, career exits, and trappings see the Scout advance career, WFRP, pg. 104.  In place of Ride-Horse skill, the Wardens of the Field substitute Marksmanship skill.

Favored Cult Skills
Layman:  Bind Wounds, Herb Lore*, Silent Move-Rural
Initiate:  Cook* (doubles skill), Identify Plant*, Specialist Weapon-Sling
Rank 1:  Concealment-Rural, Heal Wounds
Rank 2:  Acute Hearing, Orientation
Rank 3:  Dowsing, Shadowing
Rank 4:  Luck

Sub-Cults and Honorary Orders:  In addition to the worship of Esmeralda, cultists may worship any number of her five children: Gangee, Findol, Landrani, Praseeda, and Samortha.  Every detail that applies to the cult of Esmeralda apply to these subcults with few exceptions.  An example of such may be that a prayer honored by Esmeralda is required by one of the subcults (e.g. Vigilance for followers of Findol).

Cult Prayers

Sanctify Food
Prayer Rank: Fourth
Magic Points: 14
Range: BMP yards
Duration: Immediate
Area of Effect: Food and drink within BMP yards
Resistance: None
   This prayer grants the invoking priest the ability to neutralize any poison, toxins, and deleriants added to any food and drink within the area of effect.  Additionally, this prayer reverses any spoilage and resulting (natural) toxins from the effected food and drink.  So healthy does the food and drink become that anyone wounded will recover D3 wounds simply by consuming such food and drink.  Should the consumer be suffering from the effects of disease, poison, etc., they will be able to take another Toughness test with a +30 modifier to overcome their affliction.
   Note: the benefits of the prayer occur immediately upon consumption of the food and drink.  Any failed test cannot be retaken until another prayer is invoked.