Gahaj Demonhunter

Trapper of Demons, Hunter of Horrors, Corrector of Wrong-Life

Author’s Notes: this is far from Gloranthan canon! But I always liked the idea, in an animist-rich society like
that of uz, of special heroes who made a profession of hunting down the physical manifestations of the
Other Side, just as shamans fight the spiritual manifestations. In Hero Wars / Hero Quest, where the rules
seem very high powered to me, this kind of a small cult seems very appropriate to me.

Mythology of Gahaj
Gahaj was one of the daughters of Subere, created from essence that Subere drew from herself.
She was an assistant and an aide, and Subere set her to various tasks. It was Gahaj that
enumerated the Fifty Horrors of Yord, and that set the
Line of Terror that defined the Su-Hells. Nature of the Cult
Gahaj’s cult is, properly, a theist
When horrors and demons burst forth from the depths herocult lying within the Subere
of Subere, she sent many of her slaves and spirits to animist practice. However, worship
recover or defeat them, and Gahaj was one such. She of Gahaj is both distinct and linked to
pursued many terrible demons that we are lucky to that of Subere, much in the way that
know nothing about. In these adventures she gave birth Karrg is both linked and distinct from
to many children; some she created with demon Kyger Litor.
essence, some she created with spirit essence and
some were created with uz essence. These latter As such, Gahaj warrants her own
founded various troll ancestry lineages, some of which write-up. At the same time, it should
survive today in Komor. The descendants of these are be recognized that her cult would
often powerful shamans. almost never exist apart from that of
the Subere cult. Only where the
Subere was never forced out of the Su-Hells, for latter is strong does Gahaj’s cult
Komosha’s light could never penetrate that far, and exist at all; in places like the Castle
Komosha could never brave the terrors within. But of Lead in Dagori Inkarth, the Blue
during the Exodus and Age of Conquest Gahaj often Moon Plateau, or the Black Ice City
roamed the surface and the underworld, hunting of Betakang’s Land.
demons, horrors, monsters and other secrets of
Subere. She did not fight in the Wars of Conquest, for the nature of elf, human or even chaos was
of no worry for her. But she did in many cases hunt down sorcerers, shamans or priests that
tampered with Things that should not be. It was Gahaj that accordingly hunted down the two
Lesser Deaths that no mortal creature can remember, the demons of the Pastel Legion, and other
eldritch entities the world is a better place without.

Subere was a powerful advocate of the compromise, recognizing that through it she could
preserve her secrets; she used the Compromise to fix the
“There are things better left nature of the Su-Hells. Despite this, denizens from the Su-
unknown in the world. You are hells are sometimes aided to enter into Otherworlds; and
investigating one of them. You monsters from the Void Beyond are sometimes able to
will cease before the end of the pierce through to this universe. Gahaj’s followers seek
week.” down and destroy such monsters, helping to ensure that
— Ultimatum of Chana Redtusk to Subere’s secrets remain safe, and that the folk are not
the Deepblue Wizard’s Association endangered by rouge horrors and demons that escape the
of Ralios before the Nightmare War control of shamans, that enter Komor through weakening in
in the Second Age the fabric of reality, and so on.
Manifestations
Gahaj is the patron of those who would hunt Otherworld prey. This is not an occupation for
normal, sane uz, and she rarely is felt to manifest herself in normal uz society. Gahaj is
sometimes called upon by uz when an Otherworld entity terrorizes their family or clan, but this is
a very rare and unusual event.

Statues and Images

Gahaj is rarely depicted except in Subere holy
places. Even there, she takes a bewildering variety
of forms; many of her myths describe how she
wrested powers and secrets from her prey, and
assumed them for herself. She is always depicted
as standing over the prone body of a fallen foe.
She is sometimes depicted with weapons,
sometimes making magical gestures.
“Fourteen years Kanag did search then,
Searching for Two Stone Fear Slaughter.
Tracked it she did through vast desert
Past the Bloodforest to the east.
Two years spent she hiding from broo-kin
To find tracks the horror left
— Part of the Hunt for Kanag,
an epic uz song-chant.

Shamans of Subere sometimes create charms or amulets depicting Gahaj, calling upon her to
help contain or constrain the creatures they summon.

Otherworld Home and Life After Death

Gahaj makes her home in the fearsome Su-Hells, that most uz greatly fear. Her worshippers
know they will join her there, to be transformed into servants of Subere. This is a fate no normal
uz would desire, and most uz refuse to contemplate it. Worshippers of Gahaj, on the other hand,
know that they are uz who shaped in part by Subere’s lineage, and the Su-Hells will merely
transform their nature, not warp it.

Nature of the Cult

The cult provides a means for the shamans of Subere to hunt down dangerous spirits, demons
and other Otherworld denizens that escape into this world. This is an important consideration for
the shamans of Subere, who regularly summon the creatures of the Mother of Monsters. It also
on occasion provides a force of warriors to enforce the dictates of the Subere shaman hierarchy,
provides bodyguards, and the like.

Attitude and Relationships

Gahaj’s cult is closely aligned to that of Subere, and to various shamanic practices within the
larger Subere practice. In local areas, there are often links between Gahaj and various shamanic
practices of the uz.

Gahaj is neutral or indifferent to almost all other deities and spirits, even that of traditional uz foes
such as chaos, aldyrami or Mostali. Individual worshippers are sometimes slightly hostile to non-
troll shamanic practices, sorcery and heroquesters, since these sometimes unleash horrors from
the Other Side. Individual worshippers are also sometimes on excellent terms with the chaos-
hunters of the Bozkatang cult.

Mode of Worship and Sacrifices

Gahaj is closely linked to Subere, and she receives collateral worshippers by members of the
animist practice. She also receives part of the proprietary worship that most uz offer to Subere, to
keep the children of the Mother of Monsters away from sane uz.

Devotees and disciples of Gahaj worship her through contemplation and deed. They outwardly
resemble mystics in some ways, and their worship is often confused as such. Some uz and
human scholars have claimed that among some uz Gahaj is worshipped in a mystic fashion,
either under the influence of human mystic traditions, as misapplied worship or as some form of
“weird and creepy Subere magic.”

Worshippers sacrifice blood and treasure to Gahaj; this is usually their own blood, which is let
each night along with a grumbling prayer to Gahaj and Subere. The blood of Otherworld entities
is preferred, the more powerful the better. Treasure is usually either that given to the hunter by
grateful uz, obtained from Otherworld creatures hunted down, or is made from the body of that
Otherworld creature. Proper sacrifices take place with the aid of a Subere shaman, who helps
transport the sacrifice to the Su-Hells.

Worship ceremonies are almost always solitary and quiet affairs undertaken by an individual
demonhunter, with Subere followers (if present) providing support and collateral worship. Worship
ceremonies usually consist of long chants, detailing the deeds of Gahaj and the various horrors
that the Otherworld monster the worshipper is currently tracking has inflicted upon the world.

Most intriguingly, worshippers also perform a form of meditation, chanting the 16,777,216
Otherworld entities known to Subere. A worshipper who completes the entire list within her
lifetime is said to gain heroic powers.

Holy nights
Gahaj’s holy nights fall on the same nights as that of Subere’s. Gahaj’s cult does not award
particular importance to individual nights.

However, the cult also assigns specific “holy nights” to different Otherworld entities. A
demonhunter will use this night to dedicate herself against her current foe, to enact specific
rituals and sacrifices, and seek divine guidance.

When Force is Not Enough

Demonhunters have an enviable reputation for combat prowess, but most demonhunters (or
at least, the ones who survive for long) realize that physical combat is not sufficient. Many
Otherworld entities are too powerful or too cunning to be defeated and dispatched back to the
Otherworld with physical force. In such cases, a demonhunter must find another way.

A true demonhunter thus fills her repertoire with clever tricks, cunning stratagems, and
knowledge of the Otherworld. Many entities have a weakness that can be exploited. Vanity
can be played upon; pride can be turned against the possessor; hunger or need can be a
lever.

There are many tales of demonhunters who were able to outthink or outwit powerful demons.
Garnoj Onetusk gambled with the Hellion King, and forced it to return to the Void. Uttog Throd
was able to trick Gorglagog into consuming so many human villages that the demon could no
longer move, and dispatched it. Magaora the Black Screamer and Nijaili the Burning Fallen
were tricked by Wahkar the Clever into fighting with each other; and then she killed both when
they lay wounded. Many of these stories are told to young uz, as examples of uz cleverness
and the stupidity of non-uz.

Of course, uz being uz, there are also tales of demons that consumed one tricksy
demonhunter after another, until a powerful enough demonhunter wandered by and ripped the
demon’s guts out. As Cragspider said when she unleashed the Pillar of Fire on Gordzho the
Demon Dinosaur, “Brute Force is often as effective as clever planning.”
Organization
The Gahaj cult possesses no formal organization. Instead it is organized around that of Subere.
Any Subere practitioner or shaman can contact Gahaj in the Su-Hells, and thus act to devote a
worshipper to Gahaj. Generally, a shaman of Subere decides when there is a need for a Gahaj
worshipper, and will select, train and help devote one. Similarly, shamans and practitioners of
Subere request or order worshippers of Gahaj
“Gentlemen, as I see it, you have two
to hunt down Otherworld entities.
options. You can help me stop this thing.
Or I can kill you all, and use your bodies as
In rare cases, small gangs of Gahaj
bait for it. Don’t act shocked — it will kill
worshippers work together to track or pursue a
you anyway, and I’ll get aid out of you one
difficult foe, but generally followers of Gahaj
way or another.”
work in a solitary fashion. They generally can
— Demonhunter Chakalag Damnthing,
call upon the resources and support of local
speaking to the Sartarite village of
worshippers of Subere, and often those of
Brightfields, 1618
Jakaboom as well. In the former case, it is a
theological right; in the latter case, it is in the practical interest of the Jakaboom shaman.

Demonhunters who convince local uz leaders of the danger posed by a rogue Otherworld entity
can often obtain the use of warriors, gain blessings or feats, obtain spirits and renew fetishes, and
the like. Many hunters in the course of their adventures obtain magical devices and weapons,
followers and exotic training, some of it from grateful uz they have helped. They do not have a
specified right in uz society to do such, but need and power always speak volumes in uz society.

Membership Requirements
Gahaj’s cult is open to any uz willing to take the cult’s Pledge to Subere. This oath constrains the
worshipper to absolute obedience to a shaman of Subere for as long as the worshipper is an
devotee or disciple. Friendly races of the darkness are sometimes also accepted, but humans,
aldryami, beast people and the like never are. (Non-uz who prove they are truly uz are exempt
from this prohibition, of course).
The Curse of Failure
There is no real “lay” worship of Gahaj; she Demonhunters who die without killing their
receives some collateral worship by Subere intended target are, myth tells us, cursed;
followers, but none from the worship of the they will be forced to wait in the Otherworld
Kyger Litor pantheon. Most worship would be for their victim until it is returned there, and
proprietary in fashion, prayers that Subere must hunt it again in there until they
and Gahaj keep demonic monstrosities far overcome it. Thus their souls cannot know
away (and hopefully that Subere and Gahaj peace until their stated prey is returned to
stay far away, too). the Otherworld, making horrors that have
killed demonhunters a particular priority of
There is also no “initiate” worship of Gahaj; members of the cult.
all worshippers are either devotees or
disciples. Most potential devotees or disciples are spiritists or practitioners of Subere before
joining the Gahaj cult; they may retain their fetishes and charms and may gain news ones from
Subere shamans and practitioners, but if they were practitioners they may no longer summon
spirits or create fetishes. They may not gain magic from other sources; they pay the cost for any
Subere animist or Gahaj theist magic as if they had concentrated their magic.

Devotees and disciples may leave the cult at any time, with the permission of a Subere shaman
(not practitioner). This is rarely granted unless the demonhunter is old and no longer effective at
the hunt. Retired demonhunters are usually given places of respect and admiration by their fellow
uz. They lose access to the cult’s affinities and feats.
Devotees
An devotee must be sponsored by a Subere shaman, and must demonstrate strength, agility and
cunning. The most likely to be accepted as devotees are close relatives of a Subere shaman.
Daughters are usually held to be stronger and more able to resist the lures of demons and other
horrors, and are over-represented in the cult.
Often, potential devotees are chosen in childhood Exotic Weapons
and given rigorous training and discipline. Demonhunters often use strange weapons,
sometimes even unique ones.
Entry Requirements: Must be devoted by a shaman Demonhunter characters should represent
of Subere. Shamans will usually chose uz this by embracing exotic and interesting
with superior physical and mental weapons. An experienced demonhunter
characteristics, sometimes fostering these often possesses several different weapons
through training. in the 10w-5w2 range. A Narrator should
Physical Abilities: Close Combat (Mace and encourage this by devising interesting and
Shield), one or more Close Combat ([Other exotic weapons – oriental weapons from
Weapon]), Fast, Nimble, Tough Teshnos and Kralorela, weapons devised
Mental Abilities: Know Otherworld Entity, Spot from demon teeth or bone, weapons that
Weakness, Otherworld Entity Fighting exist in both this world and the Otherworld,
Tactics etc. This helps to emphasize their alien
Personality: Scary, Frightening, Stoic character and exotic feel.
Affinities and Feats:
Otherworld Hunter (Track Otherworld Entity, Smell Foe, Sense Attack, Spot Weakness)
Otherworld Killer(Stunning Blow, Whirling Parry, Resist Demonic Power, Cause Fear)

Gahaj devotees tend to be rather frightening by uz standards, and are widely feared by normal uz
– even more so than the bezerkers of Zorak Zoran. This is, in part, because Gahaj devotees are
feared to know many of the secrets of Subere, such as seeing into the soul of those they
encounter. A few do indeed obtain elements of training as practitioners or shamans of Subere,
which adds to their general infamy.

Demonhunters (Disciples)
Disciples of Gahaj are known as Demonhunters; there are no devotees to her. Disciples are rare,
but of immense power and infamous reputation. They are solitary stalkers and slayers of
Otherworld Accidents. As such, they possess considerable autonomy, and some have known to
spend decades stalking a single (albeit very powerful) Otherworld entity.

Entry Requirements: Must be accepted by a Subere shaman, who must recognize the need for a
disciple. Generally, a candidate will have been a devotee for several years, with many
hunts to their credit. Usually a candidate has several cult skills in the 10w-5w2 range.
Physical Abilities: Disciples are encouraged to learn a variety of Close Combat fighting styles.
Mental Abilities: Sacrifice to Gahaj
Secret: Strike Spirit (This spirit allows a Demonhunter to affect a creature that would not
normally be affected by material or mundane weapons. The Hunter can use the secret to
augment their weapon attack).

Subcults and Herocults

Gahaj has no subcults or herocults.

Divine Retribution
Gahaj does not take vengeance on failed worshippers, but relies on Subere to send her Horrors
to punish offenders against her from within cult ranks.