Hyalor is the greatest of the ancestors of the Pentans, for Hyalor discovered the true nature of humanity. Gamari is the greatest child of Galana, for she discovered the true nature of horses. Separate, each was lost, but together, they defined what it truly means to be of Pent: two bodies bearing a single soul, rider and horse. Hyalor is the ancestral hero of Pent, the man who defined their way of life, and Gamari was his horse, who suffered terribly under the hands of the enemies of Pent until she finally found her proper place, together with Hyalor. Their cult is not the largest, but every tribe contains followers of Hyalor and Gamari. They are never worshipped separately, for they are one soul with two names.
Once, before the First Herd came together, the People were not yet the People. They were disparate, separated, unaware of their true nature. In the lands of Dara Happa, the sons of the Wandering Sun, foolish and fickle Yamsur, lived in peace and harmony. These were Hyalor and Samnal, the brothers who would eventually become some of the first Pentans. They were not Riders, had only one body. This was the way of Dara Happa, for they were City People and did not understand the true nature of the world.
They did not at first know they were missing anything, though they did feel strangely alone. It was only when Yu-Kargzant’s grief slew him that they realized there was something missing, for Yu-Kargzant’s light had been enough before. They began to search for something to fill their souls. Samnal made many wrong choices then, for he refused to think beyond the ways of the City People. Hyalor watched him and, each time, helped Samnal escape the troubles he got himself into by being too stubborn. Each time, he could not see what would actually end their search.
Once, before the First Herd came together, Gamari sought wholeness. She was the daughter of Galana, blessed with the nature of sky and movement and glory. Unlike her mother, however, she had only one body - she was not Rider and Horse, she was only Horse. She was afraid, for this made her weaker than her mother, and she hide herself behind a mask of monstrous teeth and gauntlets of claws.
Gamari sought out companions, for she was lonely. Horse is not meant to be alone. Yamsur found her first on his travels, and he named her Hippogriff, for he did not understand her. He was her friend, but not more than this. His flighty and foolish nature often got Gamari into trouble. Yamsur angered his neighbor, the South Rage Wind, and got into a fight. Yamsur chose to fight gloriously against lesser foes, leaving Gamari to suffer the brunt of his fury. South Rage Wind tore away her great helmet and smashed it to punish Gamari for Yamsur’s deeds.
Gamari forgave Yamsur, for he was her only friend. Again, Yamsur did foolish things. He antagonized Gor Gorma, who set her nightmare beasts upon the pair. Yamsur did not take them seriously until they stole and destroyed Gamari’s gauntlets. He saw her true face and her true form, and he took pity on her, bringing them to his homeland.
While the two of them traveled, they met with the Enemy of Light, Zorak Zoran. Gamari supported Yamsur in fighting him, but Yamsur leapt from her back in his haste. When he was about to be struck, he flickered away, and Zorak Zoran tore off Gamari’s wings. He would have eaten her, but Yamsur’s sons appeared, for this was their home. Samnal and Hyalor drove the Enemy of Light away and met Gamari, wounded and without her defenses. They felt a great pull to her, but Samnal foolishly thought he could unite with Gamari without changing himself for her. Samnal saw a slave, a simple beast no different from a cow or sheep.
Samnal tricked Gamari by asking her to help his kin, to pull their wagons and carts. This was fine - Gamari enjoyed this, for she liked to help people. But then, he bound her with chains to pull his chariot in battle. Fighting without her armor, alone and bound, while Samnal ignored her pain? This was too much. Gamari suffered terribly under his cruel commands, until Hyalor saved her.
Hyalor told Samnal: “This is wrong. This is no mere animal.” He turned to Gamari. “Father named you Hippogriff, but that is not your name.” He removed her chains, and their souls shone forth. Their soul shone forth, uniting as one.
Gamari and Hyalor spoke with one voice: “Hippogriff was never the right name. This is Gamari, the Horse, and Hyalor, the Rider. And this will change everything.”
This, the cult teaches, is why true Pentans ride. Horses may pull carts, for they love to help, but the chariot is an evil thing, a false tool that many of the people who would become Pentan had to unlearn. Samnal refused to acknowledge this for a long time, for he hated change, even good change. Hyalor and Gamari rode together for a long time, and when Hyalor eventually died, he was raised up to become a god, and they ride together still.
The Cult of Hyalor and Gamari, also known as the Cult of the Rider, is one of the most important cults in daily life in Pent, even if it is not especially large. The Cult of the Rider are keepers of the Pentan tradition and culture, and they do much of the work of teaching children how to ride, identifying which horse and which rider are bound by soul, and often serving as the backbone of tribal leadership. The cult does not contend with Kargzant and West King Wind for leadership, but members often end up as the most trusted lieutenants and commanders under their khan.
Further, the cult serves as one of the main sources of ancestor worship for the Pentans, who rely on Hyalor’s mortal nature to allow him to serve as intermediary with the souls of their ancestors, who ride with the gods. The cult is often called on to identify potential reincarnations, as well. Even the Pure Horse Tribes rely heavily on the Cult of the Rider, and among the Kargzant and Four Winds Tribes, it is even more important.
Hyalor is depicted as a brown-skinned man with chestnut hair and beard. He is dressed in older fashion than is current, always, and he is often depicted in funereal garb, reflecting his role as the link to the ancestors. He is generally depicted wielding one of the traditional weapons of Kargzant, Yu-Kargzant or West King Wind depending on what tribe the art is from. Gamari is always golden horse with red markings where her wings once were, and often is accompanied by foals. They are almost never depicted apart from each other.
BEAST: Hyalor and Gamari embody the Beast Rune specifically through the lines of horses. Within this arena, their command over it is broad, but they have no power of any other animal. Initiates have been known to use the Beast Rune to, among other things, ride horses, fight from horseback, allow their horses to fight with them, raise and tame horses, breed horses, heal horses, command horses, communicate with horses, control their horse from a distance, be as strong or fast as a horse, allow their horse to run on any surface, or determine what the correct horse for someone’s soul is. Those strong in the Beast Rune tend to be eager, active, and skittish.
MOTION: Gamari, the First Horse, is one of the fastest beings in existence, and of course is a symbol of travel. Hyalor changed the old ways of the people who would become Pent, showing them a new path that would define them more than any of the many lands they came from. Together, they have very broad power over the Motion Rune. Initiates have been known to use it to, among other deeds, ride horses, travel without rider or horse getting tired, run or ride very fast, do trick riding, reveal the mistakes in someone’s actions, perform adoption rites to turn Half-Men into Pentans, show new aspects of a problem, destroy chariots, or call their horse to them from any distance. Those strong in the Motion Rune tend to be innovative, reckless, and decisive.
MASTERY: In revealing the true existence of Pent, Hyalor became the example for all Pentans to follow, the ideal hero whose life is to be emulated. He led the Pentans to worship the First Herd, and while each tribe tells slightly different versions of which gods he approached first and how they aided him, all acknowledge his importance. An incomplete list of things initiates have used the Mastery Rune for includes leading by example, rallying tribemates, advising khans, teaching others the right way to do things, taking part in traditional Pentan competitions such as races or wrestling competitions, leading or commanding riders in battle, convincing others to follow the law of Yu-Kargzant, or fixing problems caused by Tricksters. Those strong in the Mastery Rune tend to be charismatic, authoritative, and arrogant.
Hyalor and Gamari oppose the runes of Stasis, Darkness and Chaos.
There is much debate within Pent which tribe is most closely descended from Hyalor, and even more about whether Kargzant or West King Wind was the first to aid Hyalor. He is generally held to have been aided by both, however. Gamari and Hyalor are particularly close to Galana Horsequeen, who is Gamari’s mother, and they aided in devising the tests of the khan.
Hyalor was a strong supporter of Hurfor in spreading the laws of Yu-Kargzant, and was the first to recognize the power of Golden Bow and Basko, the shamans of the gods who terrified the people. It is unclear if Hyalor was himself a shaman, but certainly he is held to have strong ties to the ancestors, and his ability to contact them has kept him close to the shamans. Gamari maintains strong ties with Oria’s daughter, the Herd Mother Eyritha, who is wife to South Rage Wind. She has forgiven South Rage Wind and Gor Gorma for destroying her armor, for it was necessary to find Hyalor, but it remains a sore spot between the Rider Cult and the cults of those gods.
Hyalor remains close to his brother, Samnal the Foolish, and this is one of the major reasons Pentan society accepts Tricksters if they have a Rider Cult priest or a khan that will vouch for them. (The other is, of course, West King Wind’s control over the Whirlwind Fool.) Samnal is often cruel and vindictive, but Hyalor tirelessly shows him the right way when he inevitably makes a bad decision.
The greatest enemy of Hyalor and Gamari is Zorak Zoran, the Enemy of Light, who seeks at all times to devour Gamari and her kin. While other gods of Cold, Darkness and Chaos are problems, none are so personal as the hatred the pair bear for Zorak Zoran, who tore away Gamari’s wings and ate them.
Each tribe maintains its own independent Rider Cult, with its own specific traditions and requirements to become a priest. Worshipers from different tribes can easily worship at each others’ shrines, barring political reasons that might prevent them, and there are occasional disputes over the control of holy sites between tribes.
The requirements to become a priest of Hyalor and Gamari vary by tribe and local tradition, but universally require riding skill. Sometimes a priest is required to forego marriage as Hyalor did, while in other tribes, priests are required to be able to lift and carry a foal on their shoulders. Priests are trained in the rites that call on the ancestors, and rank is generally correlated with age and skill with horses. It is not required that priests be warriors, but most are at least passingly familiar with battle to better advise their khan or his lieutenants if required.
The holy places of Hyalor and Gamari are those which mark the great deeds of Pentan ancestors or those which mark the major milestones in the lives of the two gods. The most notable of these include the solemn Dark Place, where Zorak Zoran tore off Gamari’s wings. This is a very dangerous valley in the northeast which is often under the control of trolls, but there is great prestige in being able to drive out the trolls and make pilgrimage to honor Gamari. There is also the Brothers’ Track, a plain in the western part of Pent where Hyalor and Samnal raced, establishing the traditions of horse racing (and also how not to do it, as Samnal made every mistake). Holy sites of the ancestors include the Celestial Eagle Hills and other areas associated with both the peoples who would become Pentan and great deeds of specific ancestors.
Initiates must possess at least one of the Beast, Motion or Mastery runes at 1W. Initiates are required to give some of their time to teach the youths of the tribe how to ride and care for their horses, and must respond to the summons of the khan to serve in the tribal militia if required. Most initiates train as warriors for this, but it is not strictly required in all tribes, and some instead serve as messengers and scouts rather than fighters.
The most important and holy day of Hyalor and Gamari is the day on which they met, which tradition places on the third Windsday of Fire Season. Beyond this, however, each tribe maintains its own schedule of holy days dictated by ancestral tradition and the calculations of the Rider Cult. The greater holy days generally reflect the important deeds of Hyalor and Gamari, but each tribe has different traditions about when these deeds occurred. Lesser holy days are ancestral, and based on the traditions of the tribe and their ancestors.
Hyalor and Gamari are offered sacrifices of horseflesh, first cut hay of the year, clarified butter and honey above all others. Other meats are acceptable but primarily used for ancestral sacrifice, to be carried to the ancestors by Hyalor and Gamari. Sacrifices of leather, gold, and bronze are also common when asking for aid and advice.
Most subcults of Hyalor and Gamari are intensely local, venerating ancestral heroes and the traditions they created for a specific tribe. Most of these exist only within a small handful of tribes that descend from that hero and focus on emulating their deeds and abilities. A few subcults are more general and widespread, however.
Kertun the Shieldbearer (MASTERY): Kertun the Shieldbearer was Hyalor’s most loyal follower, who stood with him no matter what strange things he requested nor what difficult tasks he undertook. He was Hyalor’s most trusted advisor and the caretaker of Samnal’s children, ensuring they did not take after their father. The worship of Kertun the Shieldbearer venerates him as the perfect lieutenant, the leader’s adjutant, who never fails when supporting his khan and who unerringly supports the best khan. Members of the subcult can use their Mastery Rune to enact and relay the orders of their khan, to show their khan where a plan can be improved, to quell dissent against a worthy khan, or to bless those who train under them.
Osara Herd Guardian (BEAST): Osara Herd Guardian was Samnal and Hyalor’s sister, an archer of great skill who quickly followed Hyalor in the unity with the horse. She was Gamari’s closest friend outside of Hyalor and the protector of Gamari’s many children. Osara led the Burning of the Chariots and helped match the first children of Gamari to the men and women who shared their souls. Followers of Osara can use their Beast Rune to fight in protection of horses, to perform horseback archery, or to awaken horses’ spirits.
Messenger of the Ancestors (MAN): Hyalor is the link between the Pentans and their ancestors, conveying prayers to the ancestors as they ride in the company of the gods. He is the maker of the new tradition, defining what it means to be Pentan rather than what people were before. He is the quintessential True Man for Pent, the first to discover what it truly meant to be a person. This is embodied for the Messenger of the Ancestors subcult, who keep the traditions of Pent and the secrets of the ancestors. They are vital in the adulthood initiation rites of the Pentan tribes. They teach the secrets of the Man Rune, and followers may use it to teach children, call on ancestral power for divination, summon ancestral spirits, determine what a person’s past lives were, and propitiate angry ancestors.
Devotees must have one of the Beast, Mastery or Motion runes at 11W or higher, and must give up all magic except that of Hyalor and Gamari. Devotees are sworn to serve their tribe and may not become khans, but instead are given the right to serve as one of the judges of trials for the khan alongside the Cult of Galana.
Follow Me (MASTERY): Hyalor led by example. His way was not fine words, but instead careful study and then showing the path by blazing it. Hyalor’s followers came to him with a problem they could not solve, for they knew he could. Hyalor would watch for a time, to see what had been tried. When he was in a state of purity, this took mere moments, for his thoughts flowed brighter and cleaner, but even when he was impure, he only needed to see someone fail once to know how better to do it. Then, he would devise a better solution. To enact it, he would go first, and any who followed after him could do as he did, imitating his actions. He showed them the new path and they followed him to a solution. In battle, he would defeat the foes who had stymied them. In peace, he would find a compromise or a path forward. However, his followers were never able to match him unless he gave of himself, ending his state of purity to prevent them from becoming strained. If he did not, many would be wounded or tired trying to match him after.
One Soul (BEAST): Gamari recognized Hyalor instantly as the other half of her soul. When they touched for the first time, they became linked forever, revealing the true nature of people. Their closeness was such that they were as one being. When Hyalor entered a state of purity and Gamari was washed and adorned with the silk and fine gems of her mother’s house, they could truly become one. Hyalor and Gamari merged, becoming one being: the body of a horse and the mind of a man. They were as one being, majestic and shining, able to command any horse that saw them as the true heir to Galana Horsequeen. Only two things could end their merging: their own will, or being pulled out of it by the touch of human blood, which called forth Hyalor’s form from Gamari’s.
Hyalor is the messenger of the ancestors, and in that role, he commands their wrath. Those who disrespect their tribal ancestors are plagued by the Gamites, the creatures born of the feathers that once adorned Gamari’s wings. These are biting horseflies who torment their victims constantly, biting at any flesh they can find and leaving itchy welts until the ancestors are mollified by sacrifice.
Not all ancestors are respected. The Samnings are the children of Samnal, and many are as foolish as their father. These ancestral spirits are called on by Gamari as atonement for her treatment under Samnal, and they now look for Pentans who disrespect the horse equally. Any who chains a horse to a chariot or who rides a beast that is not a horse can be cursed by a Samning, who whispers bad ideas into their ear as they sleep. Those cursed by the Samnings are struck by bad luck and make wrong choices, a curse which is often hard to notice. Lifting it requires atonement and sacrifice to the ancestors, but few struck by the Samnings’ curse even realize they need to atone.