"The hunter calls to Taal to bring game into his sights. The sailor asks Manann to keep the storm away from his ship. Soldiers plead to Sigmar to keep them alive on the battlefield. This is all just luck, which means that Ranald is the one that ultimately answers these prayers."
A depiction of Ranald, the god of thieves, fortune, freedom and mischief of the Old World Pantheon
Ranald, also called "Smiling Ranald,"[1b] the "God of Tricksters"[9c] and the "Trickster God,"[3c] is the god of luck, fortune, mischief, tricksters, freedom, rogues, and thieves in the Old World Pantheon.[1d][3d][8a] Some scholars claim he is one of the Classical Gods who were introduced to the early Empire of Man by the nations of the south, while some Ranaldian factions vehemently argue that he was once a mortal.[1a] Ranald is the representative of many different aspects of life among the Men of the Old World, both positive and negative. Most commonly he is recognised as the divine patron of thieves and rogues, but aside from them his cult attracts gamblers and merchants, liars and tricksters, and the poor and downtrodden.[1d][1l][3e]
The nature of Ranald is to never be what he seems. Fittingly, his cult is a curious one that, to many, barely seems like a religious cult at all.[8b] It lacks the trappings, the pomp and majesty, even the structure of other Human religious cults. His temples are the gaming halls, the brothels, the taverns, and other dens of iniquity, not the gilt structures of gold and marble.[1d] Prayers to invoke him often take the form of riddling, questioning, and considering conundrums and enigmas.[3g]
Fittingly, Ranald's priests are thieves, tricksters, and gamblers, rather than the educated, effete elite so favoured by other deities. Indeed, Ranald and his priests are unlike any others found among Men -- a fact that is both distressing and delightful.[1d] Ranald may even see fit to reveal the great joke of life to his priests, inspiring irreverent laughter in his own devoted in the face of the unsettling, intimidating, and terrifying.[1l]
The Cult of Ranald is, by general perception, a disorganised rabble of charlatans, thieves, and ne'er-do-wells.[3e] Authority figures loathe the worship of Ranald and do not embrace its clergy as they do those of other cults of the Old World,[9c] despising him as a god of thieves and scoundrels. Even the Empire's middle-class, who try to honour most of the gods equally to insure every aspect of their lives against calamity, dislike him, specifically the law-abiding folk.[6c] He is spoken of by the orthodox leaders of other cults as the wicked trickster god, a patron of "base personages."[9c]
However, Ranald is a far more popular god than one could determine by counting temples in the street.[9c] His cult is more co-ordinated than it appears,[3e] popular throughout the Empire and the Old World among a broad swath of people.[4a] He is popular among the urban poor,[6c] is a hero to the masses, and is beloved by all those whose daily tasks revolve around money.[9c] Those who dislike him still ensure the proper coins are slipped to the right people so that he will turn his eye from their businesses,[6c] and because he so loves to see the mighty fall, powerful merchants who got where they are by prayer to Ranald are sure to donate a great deal of their wealth to his cult.[9c]
Those who feel the unequal socioeconomic system of the Empire has kept them down, those who are addicted to risk, and those who want justice for the poor are all drawn to Ranald's cult.[4a] Anyone who seeks wealth, feels they have been cheated or downtrodden, desires to break a string of bad luck, or simply wishes to hold on to what riches they have already accumulated, prays to Ranald. Common folk do so whenever they need something, as unlike most other Gods, it is believed that if you pray enough to Ranald and really need what you request, he will hear you and you will receive.[9c]
Ranald blends truth and lies as if there were no difference.[3c] His priests are tricksters by nature, and those who call upon him often find themselves obsessed with change.[9a] Furthermore, Ranald may have some influence over the Winds of Magic,[10] and a pact with him can prevent wizards from suffering the Curse of Tzeentch.[9d] And yet, as much as many in authority would like to see his cult dissipated, Ranald is in fact an official god of the Empire,[8b] and his cult permitted representation in the Grand Conclave of major Imperial religions.[1d] It even has Warrior Priests, typically master thieves, nimble rascals and military agents, who act on behalf of the Emperor.[8b]
What sets Ranald apart from darker gods, or even just the likes of Khaine,[1d] is that he is not evil or malicious. He is more a cheerful trickster than outright criminal, said to have a love of deflating pride with clever tricks and ruses,[3e] and ruled largely by his irrepressible sense of humour. His interest in larceny stems from his joy in the discomfiture of the pompous and self-important, rather than from avarice,[11a] and he considers anything that makes the authorities look like fools a job well done.[4a] Theft, cheating, lying, and skullduggery are all acceptable in his eyes,[1d] but he abhors violence of all kinds and prohbits it[9c] except as a last resort in self-defence[11a] and sometimes in cases of dishonor.[8b]
Ranald would never condone violent crime, including torture and especially murder.[1d][11a] A common thug that slits the throat and steals the purse of a wealthy merchant while invoking Ranald’s name is more likely to lose his favour than most. Those who rely on violence and cruelty would not find their best patron in the free spirit that is Ranald,[1d] who opposes mugging and murder as the sorts of crimes that give thieves a bad name.[11a] Most watchmen would prefer a dozen Ranaldians on their beat than a drunken thug or a murderous gangster. Ranald teaches what most already understand: a little bit of crime is always going to happen, so it might as well be his kind of crimes.[8b]
A deity of the common people, the fickle luck god, the quintessential rogue, Ranald is all these things and more.[1d] He is the god of thieves who steal as much for the thrill as for the reward.[4a] He is the trickster happy to pull down the lofty and raise up the low.[9c] He is the champion of freedom[8b] who shelters and supports those who fight for it.[1l] He is the laughing champion of the downtrodden, the bane of the self-important, the night prowler.[4a] He is the god of the weak, the forgotten, and those who need a change in fortune.[9c]
Quick Answers
Who is Ranald often referred to as the god of?
What role does Ranald play in the lives of hunters, sailors, and soldiers?
Why is Ranald also known as the 'Smiling Ranald'?
What is the significance of Ranald in the Cult of Ranald?
How does Ranald's influence manifest in the world of tricksters and mischief-makers?
Mythology[]
Origins[]
"And I said: Can you tell me the tale of Ranald, and how he achieved godhood?
And the child replied: Yes. The Greatest Trick. A well-known tale. Ranaldans claim that, when mortal, Ranald was a bandit; a gentle soul who robbed from the rich and gave to the poor. This so enchanted Shallya that she fell in love, ensnared by the romance of Ranald's deeds.
One night, when distributing supplies to victims of the Fly Lord, Ranald fell dreadfully ill, and was approached by Morr. Shallya could not bear the loss of her love, so she stole Ranald from her father's grasp in the only way she knew how: she let him drink from her holy Chalice, and granted him immortality.
Ranald, now a god, laughed at Shallya's naivety. He admitted to the crying goddess that he had never been sick at all, and that he had manipulated her from the beginning.
And I said: So, the tale is true?
And the child replied: No. It is false. The greatest trick Ranald ever pulled was convincing Humanity that he had ever been one of them."
- —The Testament of Pergunda, "On Righting Wrongs"[1b]
The legends of Ranald's origins are confused. Several place him as a god alongside many others in the early days of the mortal world while believers in the heretical faith of Jemarism hold that Ranald created the other gods as a grand, cosmic joke. In any event, there exist many stories where Ranald, like Sigmar, was originally a mortal before ascending to godhood, albeit through trickery rather than courage.[1k][4a][13a]
According to one, Ranald was once a mortal man, a noble brigand who stole from the rich and gave to the poor. His behaviour caught the eye of Shallya, the goddess of mercy and healing, and she fell in love. However, one day he became afflicted with a disease from the Chaos God Nurgle, one not even she could cure. In the Grey Mountains it is said that she wandered to Athel Loren to learn their lore so as to save him, yet it seemed not even this was enough.[3b][3c][4a]
As her father Morr approached, Shallya was unable to accept this fate and did the one thing left that could wrest her lover from death; she let Ranald drink from her holy chalice, granting the rogue eternal life. Some Bretonnians say the chalice was the Holy Grail of the Lady of the Lake.[3b][3f][4a]
But it was all a trick -- Ranald had faked his illness -- and, laughing, the new god gleefully danced into the heavens, revelling in the ruse that had made him a god.
In another legend, Ranald tricks Shallya into promising to marry him, and her only escape was to grant him immortality. Ranald's followers claim this was a fair bargain, while Shallyans say it was an act of mercy on Shallya's part -- for herself.[4a]
Another legend claims that Ranald managed to gain his immortality from Morr directly by tricking even the dour god of the dead into smiling, thus winning himself a reprieve from death.[4a]
A collection of Tilean and Estalian folktales, A Compendium of the Rustic Notions and Hedge Theology of the Southern Realms of the Old World (The Empress Agnetha University of Nuln Press, 2474 IC) tells the story of how Ranald was a young, mortal ne'er-do-well from the city-state of Luccini. He boasted that he could make the god Morr smile -- and challenged the sullen god of death that, if he succeeded, Morr would not take him through his gate when he died but instead elevate him to godhood.[16a]
Morr accepted the wager because, as the text states, "the god of death always needs cheering up." He summoned Ranald to his gloomy garden of black roses, and in front of an audience of a thousand departed souls, the young mortal told Morr a joke so funny that one side of the god of the dead's mouth lifted just a fraction. Sadly, the joke itself has been lost to time, but Ranald was elevated to godhood, just as Morr had promised.[16a]
To fully understand this myth it is important to know that jokes and humour hold a unique and central place in Luccini's culture and politics, largely due to the city's deeply ingrained preference for rulers with a strong sense of humor. This tradition stems from the belief that a "pleasant prince" is far more tolerable to the populace than a dour or oppressive one. In fact, humour is so vital that any prince of the city who fails to display the characteristic jollity of Luccini's ruling lineage faces assassination with popular support.[17a]
Lord Ulric and the Making of the World[]
"And then the Cataclysm came.
King Taal rose from His Forest, and with Dark Morr muttering dire portents in His ear, He banished all immortals from the world.
But the Cataclysm's architects refused His order.
The Crow, the Hound, the Serpent, and the Vulture were jealous of King Taal, and had tried to use the Great Gates to take what was His.
They had failed.
As the other immortals fled, the Four attacked, bitter and angry with their frustrations.
Many died.
After countless battles, King Taal was eventually surrounded. There were few still by his side. Ulric the Wolf. Noble Margileo. Just Verena. Sotek the Snake. Manann of the Sea. And Gentle Shallya, tear-stained and afraid.
Even Smiling Ranald had fled, and now hid in the Places Between, fearful for the future.
Then, just as the Four and their allies arrived for the Final Battle, Flaming Phoenix, whom all had thought dead, returned from atop His Gleaming Pyramid, and He smote about Him.
Thus the rebels were pushed behind the Great Gates, and were sealed there forever.
But they were restless in their cage, and soon worked to escape."
A tome titled Lord Ulric and the Making of the World, kept in the Temple of Ulric in the city of Middenheim as a religious relic but of which neither the author nor collator is known, contains the following myth which partially pertains to the nature of Ranald.[13a]
There was a time, when the mortal world was young and Men had just come forth onto the earth, that there was no taint of Chaos upon the land. Father Taal and Mother Rhya tended the things of the land, and their son Manann was master of the things of the sea. Morr was king of the darkness, and Verena the queen of the light, and so all was in balance.[13a]
In the high summers, Lord Ulric, brother of Taal and prince of the snow and ice, had no realm to tend to, so he had taken to walking the earth and the sky and the stars to seek adventure. He travelled far beyond the ken of man or god, fought and slew the greater monsters and Dragons and gave names to all the wonders that he found. With him in many of these journeys came his cousin, Prince Ranald the Trickster, and many are the tales told of these two friends and their brave deeds. But all journeys must end, and this is the tale of their last journey together.[13a]
Ulric and Ranald had journeyed far to the north, farther than any god or man had ever gone before, into the frozen wastes, where the air is so cold it freezes like the water and the earth shatters under one's feet like the first film of ice on the lake, and no man nor Dwarf can survive. And here, at the very top of the world, Ulric and Ranald came upon a crack in the sky. Looking through it, they saw a great horror: it led to the Realm of Chaos. There stood all the beasts and Daemons and Gods of Chaos, a great and terrible horde, straining to widen the crack and hungry for conquest of this new world.[13a]
Ulric knew that should this Daemonic army breach the gate, all of this world would be forever destroyed. He called to his brother Ranald to immediately run to tell Father Taal and King Morr of what they had seen, so they might make ready their armies to drive back this horde. Ulric said he would stand at the crack and hold it closed as long as he could. Ranald nodded to his cousin, and ran.[13a]
But the Trickster was a coward, and when he had seen the Chaos hordes he had known only fear. Instead of running to tell his lords and family what had happened, he instead ran and hid. He ran far, far away, to the burning deserts in the south, and buried himself deep under the sand there.[13a]
Ulric waited at the crack, holding it closed with all his might, though on the other side a million Daemons clawed and grabbed at it, desperate to tear it further and gain their entry. Ulric stood and held the gate for a thousand years and one, his muscles ever-straining with the effort, waiting for his cousin to return. But Ranald never came. Enraged at his cousin's cowardice, Ulric swore never to speak to Ranald again, nor ever to suffer a trickster to travel with him, for all that trusted in tricks were nought but cowards, weaklings and deceivers.[13a]
Other Myths[]
Another myth about the god of fortune comes from the pirate island of Sartosa, which claims that a young sailor called on the gods when his ship was wrecked but only Ranald responded, raising the island of Sartosa from the waves in a blast of fire and lava.[5c]
This offended Manann, the god of the sea, and so Ranald told the sailor to pay homage to both gods with treasure and to do so he took up the life of a pirate. Now that sailor is known as Jack O' the Sea, the minor god of pirates.[5c]
In the legend of Ranald and Mother Spider, Ranald hid a stolen crown in a cellar infested with spiders and tricked the Mother Spider into protecting his contraband, thus keeping it safe from discovery.[2a]
A few Imperial scholars argue Ranald created Halflings as a bizarre joke upon the rest of the mortal races.[4c]
Ranald's Companions[]
In certain tales told of Ranald's exploits, the god is accompanied by one or more acquaintances, each a colourful character in their own right. These companions act as foils or accomplices to the trickster god's cunning and a reminder that even a god must band together with others to achieve great things.[16b]
- Vylmar - A drunken noble and carouser. Vylmar was useful to have around but was always tricked by Ranald by the end of the story. Vylmar was a minor god of debauchery who is now largely forgotten.[16b]
- Katya - Katya was a minor Reikland goddess of beauty. In Ranald's tales, Katya is a bawdy sparring partner for the trickster god.[16b]
- Mummit - Mummit is a miserable acrobat and clown who can climb or hide in the tightest places. In one memorable tale, Mummit climbs up to the sky and gets stuck there.[16b]
- Zanni - Zanni is a cunning servant who toils in the halls of the nobility and helps Ranald get the better of them.[16b]
Several other followers come in and out of stories as the teller needs.[16b]
Tilean bands of entertainers draw on the tales of Ranald and his entourage for their performances, using them as stock characters familiar to all audiences. The example of these motley characters sometimes inspires a priest of Ranald to join adventurers during their voyages.[16b]
Notable Ranaldian Aspects[]
"Everyone knows that those high and mighty folk that call Ranald a thief, an agitator, and a liar in person pray to him when the going gets rough."
- —Fat Otto, Stirlander Farmer [1d]
Ranald is known by many names, the most common being the "Trickster God."[3c] Part of Ranald's curious nature stems from the fact that the god has several different aspects.[1d]
Which facet of the inscrutable deity is honoured comes down to the individual,[6b] as most cultists follow their own unique collection of beliefs. More so than the other gods of the Old World Pantheon, cultists of Ranald find camaraderie in those who follow his primary aspects, and they accept the fact that Ranald is known by many names and titles, and that he can appear in any guise.[1d]
Several sub-cults that concentrate on one or another facet of his faith exist.[4a] Every priest of Ranald must somehow marry in their hearts their god's extremes of idealism and pragmatism, the popular notion of a happy-go-lucky figure quick to stick up for the downtrodden and that of the ruthless underworld crime boss exploiting the poor in the name of protection.[6e]
The Dealer[]
The Dealer is the god of trading,[4b] swindling, smuggling, and profiteering.[5b] It is an aspect of Ranald worshipped by thieves, smugglers, and conmen, but many legitimate businessmen also worship him,[1j] whispering appeals to the Dealer at night.[5a]
Burghers and merchants almost always give offerings to Ranald in his aspect as the Dealer, but also do so in order to keep Ranald in his aspect as the Night Prowler away from their businesses.[1e] Worship of the Dealer is popular with the more ruthless traders in Marienburg, the centre of his faith, where sharp trading is considered an art form.[4a][5b]
The Deceiver[]
The Deceiver, also known as the Lord of Deception,[5a] is the patron of tricksters and charlatans,[11a] watching over, or rather inspiring, them and other con artists.[1d] In this aspect Ranald is a trickster who can con or cheat their way out of any situation,[2b] and is worshipped by smooth con artists who move easily through all strata of society, never laying down roots and constantly on the prowl for new targets to fleece through the use of clever thought and silvertongued lies.[1d]
Ranald in this form is something of a force of nature;[1d] he is the personification of the irony of all existence, where the weak rise and the good suffer, but also trickery and illusion -- hence his implied patronage of illusionists and appeal to the Grey Wizards of the Colleges of Magic.[1d][8b][11a]
The Gamester[]
The Gamester is known as the God of Good Fortune,[1l] God of Luck and Good Fortune,[1d] God of Fate and Fortune,[8b] and the Lord of Luck.[4a] Ranald is the divine patron of luck more than anything else;[1d] in fact, his own enigma is what, exactly, is luck?[3g] And it is in the form of the Lord of Luck that he is worshipped by most folk of the Empire, as patron of gambling and gaming.[1d]
Tilean merchants also honour this aspect, which their detractors say exposes them as the thieves they are.[9e] Old Worlders employ a dizzying array of superstitious sayings and gestures to curry favour with the god and ensure they acquire or retain the god's attention.[1d]
Some folk pray to him whenever they take a chance or make a bet,[8b] and the small sect worshipping this aspect of the god includes consummate gamblers, risk-takers, and bet-pushers who spend their days playing games of chance and concocting schemes to gain more money so they can continue their passion. To them, money is not the ends, but the means, to happiness.[1d][4a]
The Night Prowler[]
The Night Prowler, also called The Rogue,[1l] is how most people know the Trickster God, as the God of Thieves, sometimes more specifically the God of Thieves and Liars[1d] or God of Thieves and Tricksters.[11a] This aspect of Ranald is the patron of rogues of all sorts,[4a] and venerated by the criminal elements in the Old World.[1d]
His followers are larcenists who perform crimes just as much for the thrill of carrying out the perfect caper as they do for the loot,[1d] and among the cities and larger towns of the Empire he is the patron of daring thieves, such as cat burglars.[4a] The symbols and sayings of the Night Prowler serve as the foundation for much of the secret Thieves Tongue used by thieves.[1d]
The Protector[]
The Protector, also called The Liberator,[1l] is the divine symbol of freedom from tyranny, liberation from despots, and revolution who undercuts tyrants, undermines oppression,[8b] and protects his worshippers from official interference.[1d][11a] He is the god of "turning a blind eye,"[4b] for whom the law is just another shackle meant, and indeed that he demands, to be broken.[8b] This aspect is embraced by agitators, demagogues, and even a few politicians, and is a rallying force for the democratic movement that persists in the Empire's largest cities.[1d]
His cultists act as guardians for those who cannot defend themselves and are infamous for stealing from the well-to-do to assist the poor, exposing the hypocrisy and excesses of the powerful, and protecting the common citizen from thuggery, senseless persecution, and exploitation. No other aspect of Ranald is as brutally oppressed by the powers-that-be, and most faiths loathe the Protector's adherents due to their frequent efforts to promote freedom and justice regardless of the cost to the rest of society.[1d]
Minor Aspects[]
"This upstart cult is nothing more than a ruse and a sham. They claim to be 'legitimate' businessmen, but honestly, is there such a thing? Maybe Handrich is some big joke by Ranald, designed to test our faith and patience."
- —Helmut Neuber, conman[1j]
The following are minor deities worshipped in the Empire, Marienburg, and Sartosa who many believe are other, less well-known aspects of Ranald.
Chieftain of Cats[]
The Chieftain of Cats is a divine figure presumed to be an antecedent or early form of Ranald that existed before the founding of the Empire. Belthani tribes in what would become the Middenland were known to follow his tricksy ways. He was also credited as a divine progenitor of certain Hedgecraft traditions.[7c]
Gunndred[]
Gunndred is the god of rustlers and blackmail who many believe is an aspect of Ranald, as both appeal to criminals. Unlike Ranald, who concentrates on the luck and skill of the thief, Gunndred emphasises brutality and intimidation. Both cults deny the connection, as followers of Ranald are repulsed by the wanton violence of Gunndred's followers, while Gunndred’s worshippers see the Cult of Ranald as a group of effete sissies. There are many merchants in Tilea and the Border Princes who pray to Ranald for protection from Gunndred.[1j]
Handrich[]
Handrich is the god of legitimate business, commerce, merchants, and prosperity, believed throughout much of the Empire to be an aspect of Ranald and sometimes speculated to simply be Ranald playing the long con. In the city-state of Marienburg the division between the two is very distinct, and Handrich's high priest calls "the Dealer" a mere persona the trickster god uses to con people away from the true artistry of trade, but many outside the city equate them.[1j][5b][7a]
Commoners favour Ranald far more than Handrich, seeing the latter as just one more authority figure out to get their coin. They see the two as the same, except one expects you to shake his hand and thank him for fleecing you. At least Ranald is up front about his greed for gold, while Handrich simply wants to raise prices in order to get it. Many might consider the two gods diametrically opposed, but view them as two sides of the same (possibly fraudulent) coin.[1j][5b][7a]
Jack O' the Sea[]
Jack O' the Sea is the patron deity of pirates and of the pirate island of Sartosa, who has come to be seen as an aspect of Ranald. Originally a mortal, he is the most notorious pirate, and there are no shortage of tales involving him and his exploits.[5c][12b]
Misfortune[]
Misfortune is a figure in Kislevite folklore seemingly tied to Ranald. Despite being ancient allies, Kislev cannot understand the people of the Empire's worship of Ranald, for its people have no time for the idea of venerating thieves. However, visions and dreams in Kislevite myths often feature a dark, death-bringing figure in a cowl (tied to Morr, similarly disdained in Kislev) and his trickster companion.[15a]
Tenets[]
"Grant me quick wits so I need not my quick feet,
Grant me quick feet so I need not my quick arms,
Grant me quick arms so I need not my quick wits,
But, all three would be nice, Ranald."
- —A prayer to Ranald.[6e]
"I'd rather give my tenth coin to Ranald than risk losing the remaining nine."
- —Eckhardt Reinschol, wool merchant from Grafenrich[1d]
Ranald is manipulative, shrewd, and charismatic of temperament.[5b] The kind of tricks that make him smile most hoists the victim by their own petard, using their own greed against them.[5a] He prefers his followers eschew violence in favour of stealth and use finesse over brute strength.[8b] Ranaldians love fair fights and battles of wits, but hold that violence proves a lack of wits and can always be avoided by the right cunning and quick thinking.[6e]
However, Ranaldians are not so naive as to think every problem can be solved as if by a character from one of Ranald's fables. The world of Men is built upon injustice after injustice and Human nature is not always pleasant. They realise that their task is not to bring about a new order in the mortal world; they simply want to even the score a bit. It follows quite closely, therefore, that taking what you can get away with, from those who can afford (or deserve) to lose it, is a holy act that honours Ranald. As a result, the common cultist generally helps how they can without making some conspicuous stand against impossible odds. Helping out in small but frequent ways is a strategy that Ranald approves of, although that is not to say that they should not attempt to strike at greater evils if given the chance.[6e]
The exact nature of Ranald's trials and penances depend on what aspect is followed.[11a] Often he sends favoured and disfavoured cultists alike on a "Pilgrimage of Fingers," a set of tasks proving capability and loyalty.[3e] Of course, everything is better with Ranaldian flair[6e] and nothing is worth doing unless it is done with panache,[4a] so particularly clever, risky, or high-profile missions (like heists) are all the more worthy of Ranald's approval.[6e]
Trials set by Ranald the Deceiver will involve tricking someone, generally a merchant or a government official. It might not be necessary to gain any profit -- the deception itself is the important thing. If someone in authority can be made to look foolish, so much the better, but it is important that the deception should not be penetrated until the aspirant decides to let it drop.[11a]
Trials set by Ranald the Gamester will always involve gambling or taking chances of some kind -- taking on a rigged game in a gambling house and coming out ahead, for example.[11a]
Trials set by Ranald the Night Prowler mainly involve theft, such as recovering precious items, stealing something famous and well-guarded (and maybe even putting it back) without being noticed, or breaking into the headquarters of the town watch and leaving some token there.[3e][11a]
Trials set by Ranald the Protector involve thwarting officialdom and humiliating oppressors of the poor. This can done by framing a brutal, unruly, or even incorruptible official, such as a watch captain, for a ludicrous crime or kidnapping them and spiriting them into a cell in the town jail.[3e][11a]
Ranald does not like to advertise.[1d] It might sound obvious, but it bears saying that not getting caught is important to the Ranaldian way of thinking.[6e] The perfect crime in his eyes is not necessarily the one with the biggest pay-off, but the one where the prize seems impossible to reach and the crime goes completely unnoticed, only to be discovered weeks or months later.[8b][11a] Getting caught not only casts shame upon the cultist but it also offends the god and is sacrilegious in itself. If a cultist of Ranald is caught then they must at least be sure not to have to suffer the consequences.[6e] The most heinous sin in Ranald's eyes is informing the authorities.[11a]
Furthermore, Ranald can be a fickle patron.[1l] Ranald may be said to provide to those truly in need (those who point out that his worshippers are often poor and miserable wretches despite their prayers are usually written off as cynics and sometimes beaten by said wretches)[6d] but it is considered bad form to petition Ranald for aid unless the situation is dire.[8b] He grants his blessing on those that call often enough, but he's more inclined to help those that help themselves.[1d] Ranald's priests know enough not to entreat him too much, for a sudden downturn in fortune can be the price of over-reliance on his attentions,[1l] and never will the Trickster God save one from their own incompetence.[8b]
Ranald's followers may set up elaborate con games to punish those who anger their god. That takes a lot of time and effort, however, so many settle for kidnapping the malefactor and dumping them somewhere far from home without any money or, in some cases, clothes. If they can get back on their wits, Ranald forgives them.[1h]
Favored offerings to Ranald include cards, dice, food and gold, and his favored sacrifices are digits, fingers and toes.[9b][3d][9b] All initiates of the Cult of Ranald are expected to pay a tithe of 10% of all income earned from thieving and gambling to his shrines, with a minimum of 10 crowns per month.[11a] Notably, he prefers his followers give some of their take to charity.[8b] There may be no honour among thieves, but there is amongst Ranaldians.[3e]
Relationships[]
"Ranald's kept my neck in one piece, and kept my pockets full of brass and silver. Ain't none of the other gods can say that."
Ranald and his followers are not exactly well-liked among the more orthodox Imperial cults.[9c] He has basic disagreements with Sigmar, the patron god of civilisation and the Empire, as well as Verena, the goddess of knowledge and justice. Ranald believes in freedom, larceny, risk-taking, and conning the gullible. Sigmar takes a dim view of Ranald's rule-breaking while Verena feels his actions are unjust.[1i]
Ranaldians too have a strong dislike of injustice, but their idea of justice is based on natural law and common sense rather than the formalised and codified version of the Vereneans. They are disdainful of that philosophy because they think it maintains the present order and further entrenches the divide between the poor and the rich, the powerless and the powerful.[6e] The God of Law Solkan and his rigid, inflexible morality is especially unpopular among Ranald's cult, which in fairness is also a sentiment shared by Sigmar and Verena's cults.[7b]
The myth Lord Ulric and the Making of the World alleges that Ranald is Ulric's cousin, disowned by his relative for showing cowardice when he was needed.[13a] Regardless of that tale's truth, the Cult of Ranald is still the only one Ulric takes issue with. The god of war, winter and wolves sees the methods of the Trickster God as underhanded and dishonourable, and his own emphasis on strength, directness, and martial prowess means there is often friction between their followers.[14a][11a]
This enmity between the cults possibly stretches back to the days of the ancient Teutogens in Middenland, when the values of the warrior god of wolves clashed with those who resorted to the tricksy ways of the Chieftain of Cats.[7c] Still, Ulric only occasionally takes issue with Ranald and the friction seldom develops into open hostility, save for where Ranald is already proscribed.[11a]
Handrich and Ranald the Dealer both originated in Marienburg as minor deities of the Empire.[5a] Handrich appeared first, but both were relatively new.[5a] Stories regarding his origin are as conflicting as Ranald's. Some scholars state he made his way to the Old World alongside Myrmidia, while others claim he is the less flamboyant brother of Ranald who eschewed his sibling's dishonest quest for godhood. Rather than conning a deity, he instead presented the gods with an offer they could not refuse -- and, unlike Ranald, Handrich kept his word.[1b][7a]
The two gods were competitors,[5a] their cults engaging in a healthy degree of rivalry.[1j] Originally Handrich was the more popular of the two.[5a] Those that travelled to the far reaches of the Empire strove to show the differences between them and, over time, they were accepted as different deities. The Cult of Handrich was probably the fastest-growing cult throughout the whole Empire as the middle class of the nation slowly expanded with the growth of trade and commerce,[1j] at least until The Wasteland seceded. To some, Handrich's worship had become an affront to the Empire's bruised dignity and during that time he was often paid little more than lip-service. And so worship of Ranald the Dealer filled the void in the Empire outside of Marienburg.[7a]
Followers of Myrmidia, the goddess of war and strategy, are openly hostile to followers of Ranald. There is occasional bad feeling between those illusionists who follow Morr, the god of the dead, and those who follow Ranald.[11a] And according to legend, Ranald had to placate Manann, the god of the sea, after presumptuously influencing the ocean to assist Jack O' the Sea.[5c][12b]
However, their rejection of violence and petty crime has also earned the Cult of Ranald many allies.[8b] While there is occasional friction between the Cults of Ranald and Shallya for his alleged deception of her to gain his divinity,[11a] Shallyans respect Ranaldians for their pacifist ways and devotion to charity.[8b]
Appearance[]
As befits a deity with so many aspects, Ranald's physical depiction varies greatly. His height, weight, and skin colour are all inconsistent. In fact, he is not even always portrayed as male, although that is generally the case in the Empire.[3e]
Yet, most depictions of Ranald have certain attributes in common. He is a charming, dapper, incomparable rogue with a perpetual, wicked smile. Generally he is Human, but he is also depicted as and can take the form of a cat (usually a black cat), or a crow or magpie.[3e][9c][11a]
Ranald's divine servants -- supernatural minions of the gods in the mortal world as Daemons are to the Dark Gods -- are known to take the form of cats. He is known to send these to his faithful in response to their riddling, specifically as an answer to the question "Does anything exist that cannot be seen?". The servitor cat is completely mundane, save for the fact that it cannot be harmed. The summoner controls its movements and uses its senses, while all their own senses are temporarily nullified, leaving them vulnerable.[3g]
Symbology[]
For obvious reasons, priests of Ranald do not wear any distinctive or conventional forms of clothing or holy symbols in many parts of the Old World.[3e][9c][11a] Ranald does have a few universal symbols, however.[8b]
Ranald is represented by the sign of the crossed index and second finger. This motion serves as a quiet show of allegiance, a kind of silent invocation of Ranald, and allegedly brings luck.[9c][11a] Gold coins and large, valuable gems are also symbolically associated with Ranald.[6d]
Followers of Ranald almost always have some form of "X" or cross design marked or worked into their clothing, equipment, or skin somewhere, perhaps in some kind of repeating pattern. A metal pendant with an ornate "X" design is an ubiquitous good luck charm in the Old World. So common is it that its presence does not even invite suspicion, save for where official suppression of the Cult of Ranald has reached the level of a witch-hunt. In any case, the symbol is always cleverly hidden somehow, perhaps worked into another design, and the pendants are believed to be less effective if openly displayed.[3e][9c][11a]
Sources[]
- 1: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Tome of Salvation (RPG)
- 2: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Monuments of the Reikland (RPG)
- 3: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Core Rulebook (RPG)
- 4: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Sigmar's Heirs (RPG)
- 5: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Companion (RPG)
- 6:Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd Edition: Signs of Faith (RPG)
- 7: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Archives of The Empire III (RPG)
- 8: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 3rd Edition: Tome of Blessings (RPG)
- 9: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Core Rulebook (RPG)
- 10: Total War: Warhammer (PC Game)
- 11: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition: Core Rulebook (RPG)
- 11a: pp. 197-204
- 12: The Temple of the Serpent (Novel) by C.L. Werner
- 12b: Ch. 3: "Ship rats"
- 13: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Children of the Horned Rat - A Guide to Skaven (RPG)
- 13a: pp. 24-25
- 14: Warhammer Chronicles 2004 (6th Edition)
- 14a: pp. 2
- 15: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 2nd Edition: Realm of the Ice Queen (RPG)
- 15a: pp. 42
- 16: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 4th Edition: Deft Steps Light Fingers (RPG)
- 17: Warhammer Armies: Dogs of War (5th Edition)
- 17a: pg. 82
- 18: Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay 1st Edition: Marienburg, Sold Down the River (RPG)
- 18a: pg. 141