When the Darkness fell on the world, the Star Captains descended with Kargzant to aid the people. Hurfor is the greatest of them, so great that Kargzant adopted him as his own brother, giving him the title Kargzant as well. Hurfor is the master of the law, for he taught the Pentans the correct way to live when there was doubt and showed them how to interpret the true way of Yu-Kargzant. He taught them the secret knowledge that has allowed them to maintain their culture since before the Dawn, which has allowed them to meld together different peoples into a greater whole. Without the Cult of Judges, Pent would tear itself apart.
Hurfor was one of the weakest Star Captains when he descended into the world, his light barely visible in the sky. He walked among the people and learned of their troubles, seeing the many threads that had not yet combined to become the Pentan herd. Because his light was dim, he could not stand against the monsters that plagued the people directly. Instead, he gathered secrets and knowledge, to ensure that he could apply his dim light in the best ways.
As Hurfor gathered secrets, his light began to grow. He followed Kargzant’s travels, advising him on the best paths. He met with West King Wind and taught him the ways of Yu-Kargzant, showing him the harm he had caused and how he might try to fix some of it. He met with Issaries and befriended him, trading secrets that were safe to give for the knowledge that Issaries found. They often fought, however, over what was safe to spread.
Hurfor created the Secret Word, to record the true knowledge. As West King Wind and Kargzant brought the disparate tribes together, Hurfor went among them and recorded the Law, but to keep it safe from the growing threat of Chaos, he taught the people to hide it. The Law is known, but the Secret Word was not, and could not be taught to outsiders. Hurfor’s growing light spread among the people, and they understood that without the Law, they would not survive. The Law had to be safeguarded.
That is when Hurfor made the first Judges. These would be the keepers of the Secret Word, who knew the way of writing and of concealing secrets. They would help the people understand the Law, for they would know it, but would keep it safe from lies, from distortion, and from Chaos. The Judges became shards of light, and Hurfor’s light grew bright indeed.
Kargzant came to Hurfor, attracted by his light, and swore to be his brother forever. West King Wind came to Hurfor, asking him to be Judge not only over the gods of light and fire but over the gods of storm, as well. This is when he became Hurfor the Kargzant, the Light Which Grows and Spreads, the Light Which Conceals.
When the Darkness was at its worst, Hurfor went to West King Wind and advised him that nothing could be solved if the original crime was not redressed. West King Wind, who had learned the importance of the Law, agreed and decided to go into the Underworld, to find Yu-Kargzant and make things right. He would need great secrets to accomplish this, and he asked Hurfor to join him. Hurfor agreed, and without the knowledge he brought, the Lightbringers would never have succeeded. Equally, without the concealment of that knowledge that Hurfor keeps secret, Chaos might have stopped them.
The Dawn came because Hurfor, the First Judge, knew what to reveal and what to keep hidden. Now, all Pent acknowledges him for this, keeping the Law and protecting the Secret Word.
Hurfor’s Cult of Judges is one of the vital institutions of Pentan society, ensuring that while the tribes are each distinct, with their own traditions and knowledge, they all obey a shared law - the Law of Yu-Kargzant, which governs all tribes. They are the keepers of the Secret Word, the written language of the Pentans, as well. This language is forbidden to even show to non-Pentans, and documents written in it are kept as holy secrets, concealed from outsiders in most situations. Because of the intense secrecy around it, few non-Pentans even know that Pent has a written language.
The Cult of Judges fulfills two major functions. They are the keepers, interpreters and masters of the Law of Yu-Kargzant, overseeing trials and advising their tribe on the Law, though it is left to the Khan to actually enforce law in a tribe. Most members of the cult focus on this role, and it is the primary role the cult serves within tribes themselves.
However, the Cult of Judges are also devoted to maintaining secrets which must not be learned. They collect and hide knowledge, and the Geche secret-keepers of the cult primarily work out of monasteries, typically within those of other gods but with five Hurfor monasteries hidden in the mountains. The location of Hurfor’s own Five Monasteries are sacred secrets of the cult, and each cannot be visited by non-members of the cult without the express permission of the monastery’s abbot - and then only if they are kept from learning how to get there on their own.
Outsiders often compare the Cult of Judges to the cults of Buserian or Lhankor Mhy, but there are a number of key differences. Firstly, the cult of Hurfor does not freely share its knowledge by any means, especially with outsiders to Pent. The cult maintains strict purity requirements and oaths that must be sworn before it will reveal anything that is not part of the public Law of Yu-Kargzant, and it has always rejected overtures to share its lore outside of Pent. It has also rejected the practice of sorcery entirely, no matter how useful it has been shown to be, for sorcery is held to be an impure practice of outsiders which should not be practiced by proper Pentans.
Hurfor’s Rider Aspect is always depicted as a man in simple, undecorated gray clothing. He has a beard and carries a bag which is tightly tied shut. His eyes are pure white. Hurfor’s Mount Aspect is a gray horse with a white Truth Rune on the forehead, with white eyes, mane and tail.
Hurfor is the greatest source of the Truth Rune in Pent and also strongly associated with the Law Rune.
TRUTH: Hurfor has exceptionally broad access to the Truth Rune’s power, and it is this rune which represents his knowledge most. An extremely incomplete list of abilities initiates have been known to use the Truth Rune for includes knowing obscure facts, discovering information, seeing past events, knowing truth from lies, interpreting written languages, writing, revealing hidden truths, reading omens, memorization of facts or details, knowing history, reciting precedent, knowing the Law of Yu-Kargzant, and convincing people of truths. Those strong in the Truth Rune tend to be honest, blunt, and erudite.
LAW: Hurfor’s use of the Law Rune reflects the cosmic truths he has discovered, but unlike most Law Rune use, it does not allow his followers to learn sorcery or use grimoires. This power is forbidden to Hurfor’s worshippers. Instead, followers of Hurfor may use their Law Rune to fight sorcery, to destroy sorcerous works, to conceal things from sorcery, to reverse sorcerous effects or to otherwise weaken sorcerers. Those strong in the Law Rune tend to be canny, protective, and mistrustful.
Hurfor opposes the runes of Chaos and Illusion.
Hurfor is the God of Judges, the adopted brother of Kargzant and the Knowing Friend of West King Wind. He is one of the Lightbringers, and Hurfor’s cult maintains good relations with all of the Lightbringer cults in Pent as well as that of Kargzant. He has a special rivalry with Issaries over the power of the Word and its nature.
Hurfor has little patience for most warrior gods, particularly North War Wind and South Rage Wind, who fight all the time and care not for what is lost in the process. He is the jailor and overseer of the East Sting Wind, and while they do not like each other at all, they work together often in East Sting Wind’s aspect as the Most Wild Wind.
Hurfor’s greatest enemies in Pent, however, are the godless Undying Men of Orathorn. These immortal sorcerers are ancient foes of Hurfor and have traditionally kept themselves sealed within the Castle Orathorn to remain safe from the Cult of Judges, whose membership is more than willing to urge their khans to fight sorcery wherever they can.
Hurfor’s cult is one of the most organized in Pent, but is structured along two tiers. The lower tier consists of the majority of the cult, the Judges and the lay Scribes that serve them in the various Pentan tribes. Each tribe maintains its own cult of Hurfor, and rank within a tribal cult does not carry over to other tribes. Each tribe has their own High Judge that commands the local cult, with the other priestly Judges below them and the Scribes studying under them as well. Judges are permitted to have conflict with each other, and the various tribal cults operate mostly independently.
All, however, honor the upper tier of Hurfor’s worship: the Virtuous Ones or Geshe, also known as the secret keepers. These are the members of the cult that choose to leave their tribes to serve Hurfor directly in his secret monasteries. All Geshe outrank all Judges, but are sworn to oaths of secrecy and cut off from their old tribes. A Judge or Scribe must obey the orders of the Geshe in all matters regarding keeping secrets and protecting sacred truths, though the Geshe are forbidden from becoming involved in tribal politics. (This does not always stop them.) The leaders of the cult are the Geshe Masters, the abbots that lead the Hurfor monasteries. They are all considered to be of equal rank, so cannot overrule each other except by gathering together for voting. This has not happened in centuries, and competing interpretations of law, scripture and the secrets of Hurfor are rife between monasteries.
The priests of Hurfor that most Pentans see are the Judges. Beneath them are the lay members of the cult, known as Scribes, who are taught to read and write but not permitted further secrets of Hurfor unless they join the priesthood. Scribes serve under a Judge for five years to learn the law in practice before spending another three years serving under a Geshe monk at a non-Hurfor monastery. If they are considered worthy, they are then sent for a final two years of training at a Hurfor monastery before being named a full Judge. Scribes that undergo this process swear oaths of secrecy, honesty and purity at each stage, which get ever stricter. The most senior Judge in a tribe is the High Judge, whose rulings can overrule those of other Judges in the tribe and who may give orders to the rest of the Judges of the tribe, but not those of other tribes.
For a Judge to become a Geshe, they must swear a further oath of secrecy and also forswear membership in any tribe. They then retire to a non-Hurfor monastery, where they serve under one of the local Geshe for three years to prove their worthiness and purity. If they prove able in scholarship in this period, they are permitted to take the title Geshe; otherwise, they will forever remain a Judge in the monastery. New Geshe then head to a Hurfor monastery for three more years of study and training, and thereafter may choose a monastery to join permanently.
The public holy places of the Cult of Judges are those places where Hurfor performed his deeds of wisdom and defense. In particular, there is a spot in the northern area of the Endless Green Grasslands known as the Advisor Stone. A large standing stone marks the spot where Kargzant and Hurfor became brothers, and it is one of the holiest places of which the Cult of Judges will openly speak. Control of these public holy sites is often hotly contested by Pentan tribes, for they are known for being places of calm and safety.
The most holy places, however, are the secret monasteries of Hurfor. There are only five of these sacred places, each hidden in a mountain. The cult keeps their locations a secret from all who are not members, but one lies in the mountains west of Hellcrack, another in the Celestial Eagle Hills, a third near Yaoman Pass in the east, a fourth in the mountains to the east of Kargano Bor, and the final in the Sky King Mountains. None is near a peak, and each is concealed by powerful magic.
Initiates of the Cult of Judges must have the Truth rune at 1W or higher, as all initiates approach Hurfor through this rune initially. Initiates are taken on as Scribes, and are taught to read and write once they swear an oath to never reveal this knowledge to non-members of the cult or to even show the Secret Word to non-Pentans.
Initiates are required to serve the Judges of their tribe, even if they do not plan to themselves become Judges. Scribes both record knowledge for the Judges and carry out their orders, and must obey the High Judge of their tribe without question. Scribes skilled in combat are also expected to serve as bodyguards for their tribe’s Judges. They also must answer any questions of history from their tribe, provided the requests do not require them to share any knowledge that has been deemed secret by their High Judge.
All initiates of the Cult of Judges must wear a beard in emulation of Hurfor and the Truth Rune. Those who cannot grow a beard for any reason are permitted to tattoo one on their faces or wear a false one when in public. There is debate over what the appropriate color is, and each Hurfor monastery favors a different color, which has descended down to the tribal cults as well: gold, silver-white, brown, blue, and gray are the acceptable colors, and even those with natural beards dye them to match their tradition’s color. Beards are often highly decorated, false or real, with extensions and jewelry woven into them being common.
The Truth Week of each season is considered a holy period suitable for testing and various divinatory rituals, though these are little celebrated outside the cult, save for the final day of this week each season. This is considered the holiest day of the season, with large sacrifices to strengthen Hurfor and keep his light growing. It is traditional that this is the day in a season on which a legal case should be ended, with sentence pronounced if necessary.
Hurfor favors the sacrifice of sheep and cattle above other things, for sheepskin is the primary material of parchment and beef is Hurfor’s favorite meal. Beef is a sacred meal within the cult, reserved for Judges and Geche to eat during sacrifices, while Scribes are only permitted to partake of mutton. Hurfor also receives sacrifcies of books, scrolls, maps and other written documents, even those not written in the Secret Word. While sacrificed documents are held to go to the Tent of Hurfor in the Gods Realm, there is significant debate in the cult about preservation of original documents in the monasteries and whether it is acceptable to sacrifice originals or only copies, and particularly if it is appropriate to preserve documents deemed dangerous secrets or if they should all be sent to Hurfor by sacrifice.
There are relatively few subcults of Hurfor, but almost all of them are widespread through the influence of the Five Monasteries. Some tribes also maintain localized hero subcults as well, but these are much less widely known.
Adviser of Khans (TRUTH): The Adviser of Khans subcult focuses on Hurfor’s role in advising both Kargzant and West King Wind. They are largely centered around the Celestial Eagle Monastery, and they believe the duty of the cult is to keep the tribes of Pent on the path of wisdom and truth. They believe in a more flexible interpretation of the Law of Yu-Kargzant, reflecting a growing light of truth within the Law over time. Members may use their Truth Rune to find legal backing for new ideas, to find flaws in plans, to convince those they follow of their ideas, or to reveal unnoticed truths.
Buseryan the Scribe (TRUTH): The Buseryan subcult worships Hurfor’s husband, Buseryan the Scribe, as his co-equal and supporter. Buseryan loved knowledge above all else, and for this reason loved Hurfor. He followed Hurfor, recording all the knowledge that he discovered and ensuring it would not be lost, even if it was forbidden. Hurfor charged his husband with the task of organizing, categorizing and keeping safe the knowledge the pair learned, and the Buseryan subcult believes the recording and keeping safe of knowledge is the greatest duty of the Cult of Judges, even above the keeping of the law. They are centered on the Sky King Monastery, and they are the strongest voice in arguing against destruction of forbidden knowledge and preservation of original documents, even of the forbidden. Members may use their Truth Rune to record information, to protect documents from destruction, to teach people, to convince people to tell them secrets, or to make intuitive deductions based on what they know.
Keeper of Secrets (LAW): The Keeper of Secrets subcult worships Hurfor’s grim son, the Keeper of Secrets, whose name is forbidden to speak. The Keeper of Secrets was chosen by Hurfor to guard the Lake of the Blue Logic Man, where Hurfor sealed that ancient monster after breaking his sorcery, and he represents the defeat of godless sorcery and the sealing of forbidden secrets. The subcult is the greatest advocate of battle against sorcerers as the cult’s greatest duty and is centered around the Hellcrack Monastery. Members may use their Law Rune to prevent people from speaking on forbidden topics, to seal away forbidden knowledge, to detect sorcerous magic, or to prevent sorcerers from using their magic.
Seeker of Truth (TRUTH): The Seeker of Truth is one of the names of Hurfor’s Mount Aspect, for he contained the god’s wanderlust and desire to discover. The Seeker of Truth subcult worships Seeker of Truth as the aspect of the god who embodies discovery, new learning, and research. They believe the greatest duty of the Cult of Judges is to continue to discover new things, explore and document the land, and increase the light of Hurfor’s brightness thereby. They are centered on the Yaoman Pass Monastery and argue for expeditions of exploration and expansion, pushing the tribes to aim for outward conquest so they can recover information from distant lands. Members may use their Truth Rune to discover hidden secrets, make maps, ride horses over rough terrain, scout terrain, or perfectly draw images of what they see.
The Growing Star (LIGHT): The Growing Star subcult is the smallest of the five major subcults, centered around the Kargano Bor Monastery and focusing on Hurfor’s role as a warrior and star captain. They seek to protect the rest of the cult, devoting themselves to emulation of Hurfor’s light, which began weak but grew very strong over time. To join the subcult, initiates must either have a Fire or Light Rune or must acquire the Light Rune through a Heroquest. If they have the Fire Rune, it is replaced by the Light Rune. Initiates may use the Light Rune to ride horses, defend scholars, fight an extended battle, glow with an inner light, reveal hidden things, or act with increasing strength over an extended period. Members of this subcult do not become impure through contact with human blood.
To become a devotee of Hurfor, you must have a Truth Rune rated at 11W or higher; this is the only rune through which Hurfor can be approached, though Law Rune Feats and even Light Rune Feats exist as well, once someone is a devotee. As normal, you must renounce all other magic and can belong to only a single subcult. Devotees are permitted only to marry other members of the Cult of Judges and are forbidden to destroy any written knowledge that is not specifically ordered to be destroyed by the cult. (Sacrifice to Hurfor does not count as destruction.)
The Secret of Enemies (TRUTH): Hurfor knows everything that can be known, or will when his light reaches it. He may not always remember it clearly, but he does know it - past, present or future. Once, West King Wind asked Hurfor how he might defeat his enemies. Hurfor could only answer after he put himself in a state of purity and entered total seclusion, hiding in the darkness of his yurt for a full night without speaking to or seeing any other. When he emerged, he remembered a secret truth about West King Wind’s enemy which allowed West King Wind to transform himself into that enemy’s weakness.
Speaker of the Law (LAW): Hurfor understands the true Law, the Law of Yu-Kargzant that binds all things. This is not merely the laws of men, but also the cosmic laws which bind gods and spirits. When he is in a state of purity, Hurfor may speak the Cosmic Law of Yu-Kargzant. Whatever he states as law is true - and binding. Spirits, gods and men must obey this law. It cannot be broken save by creatures of Chaos, once it is stated, but stating the Cosmic Law ends Hurfor’s state of purity.
When the Lightbringers went to honor Yu-Kargzant, they confronted a terrible demon, the Eater of Thought. Hurfor could not reason with it nor outwit it, but he realized that the demon truly consumed thought and knowledge. He rendered himself impure and allowed the demon to enter him, for it could not consume all of his thought - it would never end. The demon exploded inside Hurfor, its core burning away in Hurfor’s light. Hurfor caught the fragments to serve him. These demon-fragments are known now as the Thought Worms.
Thought Worms are sent against those who belong to the Cult of Judges but lie to fellow members or create false secrets to give to the rest of the cult. Hurfor always knows when this happens, and the Thought Worms always and unerringly seek out these criminals and no others. They attempt to enter their victims and slowly consume their thoughts and memories, destroying their knowledge bit by bit until the victim either dies or undertakes a quest of repentance set to him at one of Hurfor’s monasteries. Even if the victim does repent, however, the demon merely leaves, and no lost knowledge is returned.