All should fear the brutality and sadism of the followers of Gunndred, the god of rustlers and bandits.
Gunndred, known as Sconduino in Tilea, is the god of rustlers, bandits and blackmail in the Old World Pantheon. He stands for taking what you want by force and fear, leaving frightened victims behind you. His cult is currently rather localised, but it does seem to be spreading. He is generally portrayed as a large, brutal man wearing travel clothes, but some worshippers depict him as an extremely fat man dressed in rich clothes and covered with jewellery, with at least half a dozen large thugs standing behind him.[1a]
Unlike Ranald, who concentrates on the luck and skill of the thief, Gunndred emphasizes brutality and intimidation. A follower of Ranald might sneak into a house and steal all the money without waking a soul. A follower of Gunndred would turn up with allies, wake everyone, beat and torture them all, take all the money, and promise to return in six months to take all their money again, while threatening to kill them, slowly, if they tell anyone what happened. He would not expect them to abide by the last threat; indeed, followers of Gunndred want to gain a fearsome reputation, so he would hope they did not. Most followers would kill only one member of the family on the next visit, generally one who was not earning a living.[1a]
Gunndred's largest cult is based in the Border Princes. He is also worshipped by some of the more brutal racketeering groups in the Empire, particularly in the south, and he is popular in northern Tilea, near the Vaults, where he is known as "Sconduino." Tilean worshippers often pursue brutal feuds and vendettas over slights to their "honour;" other worshippers claim they need no excuse for violence, and look down somewhat on the Tileans. Both groups do recognise they serve the same god, however.[1b]
Symbols[]
Gunndred's primary symbol is the lasso, which coincidentally looks a good deal like a noose. He is also symbolised by the cosh, or a set of brass knuckles.[1b]