The Talking God, the Adopted Cousin, the Fair Deal - these are the names of Issaries and Lokarnos, the two who became one. Issaries was an outsider, an older god born from ancient ones whose names are barely remembered. He became a true god, one of the First Herd, by inventing something from nothing: the Mule, Lokarnos, who became the second half of his soul. He is the stranger-made-friend, and he is the lord of travel, wit, negotiation and trade. He knows the words of others and he shows the path to those in need.
Issaries is an ancient god. His cult names his parents as the primordial deities Larnstay and Haranilay, whom no others in Pent truly remember. They say he named the Runes, giving them the meanings which define all things. They say he taught all other gods to speak and understand others. He created language, and when mortals made too many languages to understand each other, he made Tradetalk, so even outsiders and foreigners could speak together.
Issaries came to Pent late, however. He found Kargzant and West King Wind feuding with each other. Unable to ignore this, Issaries came between them and taught them to speak to each other, to understand other points of view. He swore to be cousin to both, to move between them and help them find the true paths that would guide their rides. To prove himself to them, he created a second body, making the mule from nothing by breeding a horse and ass together. From this union was born Lokarnos, the Wheel-Puller, the First Mule, who is both Horse and Not Horse. Thus was he accepted as a true Pentan deity.
The most difficult journey, of course, was when Issaries led the Lightbringers into Hell. He helped to negotiate with many forces that would stop the quest to find Yu-Kargzant, including bargaining a way past the Underworld’s Ferryman, deep underground. Thus, Issaries is one of the guides of the dead. His sons maintain the trading halls and villages as Issaries oversees the web of obligation, trade and story that connects Pent, each tribe a thread in a great tapestry.
The cult of Issaries in Pent is not significantly different than that of other places, for Issaries is present in all communication. The cult works to allow cooperation and exchange of ideas between tribes and peoples as well as to manage and create trade networks. They claim to have prevented the First Herd from tearing itself apart in conflict between Kargzant and West King Wind, allowing the forces of Fire and Storm to coexist. Certainly, they have often been key to managing large tribal alliances.
Issaries’ Rider aspect is shown as a handsome young man in well-made clothing, with a short brown beard. One eye is gold, one eye is blue, and he always has both the Fire and Storm runes somewhere on his outfit. He wears gold and silver rings in most depictions, and he is as often shown sitting upon a cart as he is riding his Mount aspect. This aspect is Lokarnos, who is always shown as a mule. He is neither horse nor ass, but something that is in between them and is both. Lokarnos has a golden wheel mark upon his forehead and is always laden with beautiful goods and decorations. He often pulls Issaries’ cart.
Issaries is the master and origin of the Communication Rune, which is often referred to by his name. He wields it with more skill than any other, even his children. He is also very closely associated with the Motion Rune.
COMMUNICATION: Issaries is the owner of the Communication Rune and has the broadest possible use of its powers. Among other things, initiates of Issaries have been known to use the Communication Rune to bless markets, compose poetry, make neutral ground, convince people, give speeches, be understood regardless of language, speak to the dead, speak to the gods, make good impressions, bless deals, get fair prices for trade, or negotiate with others. Initiates strong in the Communication Rune tend to be empathetic, friendly, and eloquent.
MOTION: Issaries has wide command of the Motion rune because his domain includes travel and exploration. However, his focus is almost entirely on physical movement, and particularly movement related to travel. Initiates have been known to use the Motion Rune to, among other deeds, find safe or fast paths, detect ambushes, escape trouble, find hidden paths, or ride mules. Initiates strong in the Motion Rune tend to be decisive, curious, and prone to wanderlust.
Issaries is in conflict with the Runes of Chaos, Disorder and Stasis.
The Cult of the Talking Mule emulates their god by maintaining general neutrality whenever possible, and Issaries is particularly notable for avoiding conflicts with the other gods. He is well trusted by all, and has a particular sort of friendship and rivalry with the god Hurfor, for the two both collect knowledge and stories…but Issaries prefers to trade that knowledge freely, where Hurfor conceals it from the unworthy.
Issaries despises Chaos above all else, and can make no peace with the gods of Chaos, though he is happy to trade with even the forces of Cold and Darkness, given the chance.
Issaries has few temples in Pent, all of them located at major trade centers for the tribes. Typically they have only a skeleton crew staffing them when tribes are not using these areas, often associated with a local Lozarl monastery or small Half-Man village. The Issaries priests of visiting tribes are expected to contribute their time to these temples when they visit. However, every tribe’s Issaries cult has the capability of making temporary temples to establish neutral trade grounds and negotiation centers. Each tribe maintains their own cult, with their own unique traditions and requirements, but rank within them is generally respected between tribes, barring political concerns. The priests who remain in permanent temples are expected to be neutral towards all tribes, though local politics can always change this. Almost all priests make a living as merchants and traders in addition to their cult duties.
The priests of Issaries oversee essentially every major market and trade festival of Pent, and every permanent settlement has at least a shrine to Issaries. Every tribe carries portable shrines, and the priests of Issaries manage the markets and trade of goods produced by the tribe’s crafters. Even the Half-Men villages often have multiple priests. The priests and their lesser followers ensure that market rules are followed and fair trading occurs, as well as overseeing mercantile disputes. Success in trade and diplomacy is associated with rank in most tribal cults, and the priests of Issaries are almost always possessed of great personal wealth.
The most sacred place to Issaries in Pent is the permanent market at the Hill of Friendship, the only full Issaries monastery in Pent. It was here that Issaries brokered peace between Kargzant and West King Wind, becoming cousin to both, and it was here, they claim, that Lokarnos, the First Mule, was born. The places where major trade festivals are held are all sites at which Issaries brokered peace or trade at some point, but they are only sacred while a priest is present.
Initiates must have the Communication Rune at 1W or higher. They also must swear a sacred oath to deal fairly with others and never cheat anyone, either fellow initiates or outsiders. All initiates are able to speak Tradetalk through the magic of the Communication Rune, and also are granted the sacred knowledge of tallies and ledgers even if they are otherwise illiterate.
Market days are traditionally held on the holy day of Issaries, the Wild Day of Mobility Week in each season. However, the only greater holiday the cult has is the Secret Way Day, on the Wild Day of Luck Week during Sacred Time. This day celebrates the adoption of Issaries into the First Herd and the secret deals he has made, which are not discussed outside the cult.
Issaries is often invoked at sacrifices which require aid from both Solar and Storm deities, for he can bridge the often contentious relationship between these gods, and he is as often invoked at sacrifices as the gods and spirits of the sacrificial flame, for he facilitates communication between man and god. He favors goods from outside the tribe above all else, even above ghee and animal fat, and no trading party would ever set off before sacrificing to Issaries for protection and skilled speech.
Issaries’ subcults are primarily those of his children and grandchildren, whom he set to teach the people the more specialized tasks of trade and negotiation. He has few hero cults, though some tribes do honor heroic negotiators who saved them from destruction with worship as subcults.
Harz Half-Man (COMMUNICATION): Harz, the eldest child of Issaries, was not of the First Herd. He refused to manifest his Mount, for he honored all people, even half-men, with the ways of simple trade. He is one of the few Half-Man gods that the Pentan tribes honor, for he married a daughter of Kargzant despite not riding. To prove his worth, for he had neither arts nor skills, he traveled among the Half-Men whom he was friends with and bargained with them for spare grain and vegetables. Then he traded some of this for pots, which he used to pay his friends and still profit. Thus he showed Kargzant that sweet words can make something from nothing and earned marriage to his wife, the beautiful Green Spring Maiden, who calls forth wildflowers, berries and other plants with her warm light. Followers of Harz can use the Communication Rune to, among other things, barter at a profit, increase the amount a harvest can feed, make peace and alliances between Half-Men and riders, negotiate on behalf of Half-Men, or convince Half-Men to accept them.
Garruzey Market Maker (COMMUNICATION): Garruzey Market-Maker is the second child of Issaries, and her subcult manages most of the permanent temples in Pent, as well as the monastery at the Hill of Friendship. She is the Friend to Outsiders, and she learned from Lokarnos the making of golden coins, a way of trading value when one did not have goods. She taught Tradetalk to the Pentan tribes, that they might deal with outsiders even if they did not have a priest, and she raised the permanent markets that the tribes can all use freely. However, she also swear a foolish oath, for she fell in love with Kargzant’s sister, Nazengalorna, who had sworn never to marry. Nazengalorna wished to let her down gently and so told Garruzey that she would be willing to marry the Market Maker if she could raise the dead god Genert of the southern wastes. Garruzey did not understand the impossibility of this and swore to do so, and so now, whenever one of her followers finds the body of a hyena, they must carry it to the southern wastes to help rebuild the lost god or convince a follower of Nerruz to swear to do so for them. Followers of Garruzey may use their Communication Rune to, among other things, bless markets, curse cheats, enforce the laws of the market, enforce neutrality in sacred places, find people who have what they want to buy, or judge the value of goods.
Nerruz Goldentongue (COMMUNICATION): Nerruz is the youngest child of Issaries, who took most after his father. His is the most widely worshipped subcult of Issaries in Pent, for every tribe as need of eloquent speakers and traveling traders, whom Nerruz is patron to. He is married to Therelma, the Language Woman, and so he knows even the languages of foreigners. He seeks out knowledge and stories as much as wealth, and he is prone to getting into trouble and adventure. Followers of Nerruz may use their Communication Rune to, among other things, make friendly greeting to outsiders, know what goods will be worth more where they are, convince outsiders to share stories, tell stories that grab attention, speak foreign languages, or plot caravan routes.
Thurley Message-Speaker (COMMUNICATION): Thurley Message-Speaker is the daughter of Nerruz Goldentongue and his wife, Therelma. She is not a merchant, but rather the Divine Messenger, the bearer of news, tidings and messages for the gods. She is honest, forthright and fast in her work, no matter who she must deal with - even the most hated enemies. Every Pentan is taught that messengers are sacred and may not be harmed if they do not draw weapons, and Thurley was the first of these, who bore the words of the Divine Khans. Follwers of Thurley may use their Communication Rune to, among other things, protect themselves from harm if they bear no ill intentions, to remember and recite messages perfectly, to find those whom they have messages for, or to be understood clearly regardless of language.
Devotees to Issaries must have the Communication or Motion rune at 11W and give up all other magic, as is normal for devotees.
Equal Exchange (COMMUNICATION): Issaries is able to trade anything at all for anything his trade partner agrees is of equal value. He may trade magic, knowledge, goods, services - anything. The trade can be temporary and does not necessarily have to be with Issaries himself - it is said that once, Issaries saw two beings arguing over which had the best and strongest abilities, and he negotiated a trade between them, bringing peace and harmony by allowing them to understand each other. They gifted him generously for his wisdom.
Silver Tongue (COMMUNICATION): Issaries is able to communicate with anyone or anything that will listen. When he speaks this way, he is persuasive and convincing, and he can keep talking forever if he chooses. However, Issaries cannot lie, cheat or steal by words - his speech must be honest in nature, even if it means only to delay and confuse. If he is in a state of purity, those Issaries speaks to cannot even think of harming him while he speaks. However, Issaries must always speak with genuine goodwill, and may not consider harm to his conversation partners, even if he is not in a state of purity.
Path Seeker (COMMUNICATION): During the Great Darkness, Issaries created the Great Passage, which found the right path into the Underworld and allowed safe passage against ambush and enemy. The Safe Passage always revealed to him the true Hidden Way to where he wanted to go. However, once he set forth on the Great Passage, he could not turn back or leave the journey until he arrived. Issaries learned how to call on his purity to make Lokarnos as fast and strong as a pure horse for this journey, and while he is in a state of purity, any mule bearing Issaries’ goods is as fast and as strong as a stallion.
Issaries handles most of his reprisals personally, specifically by placing a curse on any of his followers who cheat or steal from members of their own tribe or community. This curses them with naked and obvious greed, worse the more heinous their crimes are, and makes it clear to anyone coming to them that they are only out for themselves, regardless of circumstance. The curse renders these duplicitous traders even more likely to act in a way that shows them to be unworthy and also prevents them from using their Issaries magic while they do. Each time they give in to their greed or further cheat their fellows, the curse grows stronger, and atonement can only come at the hands of a ranking Issaries priest.
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