Monday, February 3, 2020

D100+ Idolatrous Cults & The Idols They Adulate




Press the button to get a cult and the idol they worship.

You can find the generator automator here: http://paperelemental.blogspot.com/p/list-to-html-generator.html

7 comments:

  1. It is possible to build the entire cult just from this one description.
    Very useful, thank you.

    ReplyDelete
  2. The only thing: sometimes it looks like some parts of the first line are getting cut. I.e. I am getting entries like "This cult’s idol resembles a monkey with bats hanging from its limbs, made of corroded glaucous wood. The cult believes their idol [...]" but sometimes also entries such as "This cult’s idol is a brass statue of a stag-headed bull . The cult believes [...]" as if material part sometimes is cut off. I don't think it happens to bull-shape idol specifically, as I saw also 'child' both with and without following material.

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. I'm pretty sure it randomly generates whether or not there is a material. Sometimes there is, sometimes there isn't. The extra "space" after the idol entry is most likely just a typing error.

      Delete
    2. Yes as EHI says there shouldn't be a space there but I can't be assed to fix it here's the whole shebang:

      This cult’s idol [idolform]. The cult believes their idol [idolbelief]. In return for [idolgiven], it is credited with [idolblessing].

      {idolform}
      is [amaterial] statue of [head1]-headed [idolcreature] 
      resembles [body] with [idolfeature], made of [typematerial]

      {amaterial}
      an iron
      a brass
      a bronze
      a silver
      a golden
      a stone
      a wooden
      a pewter
      a glass
      a copper

      {typematerial}
      [feel] [colour] [mat]

      {body}
      a wizened geriatric
      a heavily-muscled warrior
      a bloated corpse
      a skeletal ascetic
      a pregnant matron
      a child
      an elephant
      a whale
      a horse
      a corpulent, robed {woman|man|androgyne}
      a hawk
      a leopard
      a fox
      an owl
      a monkey
      a man-fish hybrid
      an octopus
      a scorpion
      a spider
      an imperious {king|queen}

      {idolfeature}
      a skull for a face
      a flat, featureless face
      a thousand eyes
      great feathered wings
      curling ram’s horns
      towering antlers
      a long tongue lolling out between curling tusks
      a burning crown
      a hole through its chest
      its flesh unraveling in ribbons
      {an infant|a serpent|a sword|a trumpet} emerging from its open mouth
      sigils drawn all over it
      bats hanging from its limbs
      spilled and dangling guts
      a necklace of hands
      grossly exaggerated genitals
      extensive scarring
      its limbs terminating in roots and branches
      a gem-bedecked spear
      half its body inverted

      Delete
    3. The whole shebang part 2:


      {feel}
      greasy
      rough
      smooth
      hollow
      corroded
      fractured
      feverishly hot
      clammy
      lumpy
      sharp-ridged

      {colour}
      dark
      crimson
      amber
      glaucous
      violet
      iridescent
      grey
      bluish
      jaundiced
      pale

      {mat}
      stone
      wood
      bone
      metal
      crystal

      {head1}
      a three
      a lion
      a two
      a boar
      a stag
      a tiger
      a wolf
      a sphere
      a crocodile
      a mantis
      a turtle
      a shark
      a frog
      a swan
      a coyote
      a raven
      a gazelle
      an eagle
      an eel
      a heron
      a cube
      a pyramid
      a gourd
      a star

      {idolcreature}
      serpent
      centipede
      crone
      obese {woman|man|androgyne}
      youth
      bull
      athlete
      gaunt {woman|man|androgyne}
      brawny {woman|man|androgyne}
      bear
      ape
      goat
      corpse
      hunchback
      warrior
      beauty
      infant
      dwarf
      dancer
      giant

      {idolbelief}
      to be the recipient organ of the cult’s deity in the living world, akin to a mouth and eye in one
      to be their deity’s mortal shell, left behind when its spirit ascended to a higher existence
      to be their deity’s actual body, left quiescent most of the time as it dreams of deep mysteries
      to be the cult’s founder, transformed by direct contact with their deity to act as its immortal representative
      to be the child of their transcendent deity, emanated down into the material world
      to be the closest representation of their deity that a human mind can comprehend
      to be merely a polite convenience built to aid in addressing their deity
      to be the chrysalis of their deity as it prepares for metamorphosis into a more potent form
      to be the portal through which their deity enters the mortal world from its own realm
      to be the central nexus of their deity’s power
      serves as the home of their deity when it visits the cult
      to be the worldly shadow cast by the heavenly body of their deity

      {idolgiven}
      sacrifices of [idolsacrifice], and offerings of [idoloffering]
      sacrifices of [idolsacrifice], and demonstrations of [idoldemo]
      sacrifices of [idolsacrifice], and performances of [idolper]
      sacrifices of [idolsacrifice], and giving it [idolgive]
      sacrifices of [idolsacrifice], and observances of [idolobv]
      offerings of [idoloffering], and sacrifices of [idolsacrifice]
      offerings of [idoloffering], and demonstrations of [idoldemo]
      offerings of [idoloffering], and performances of [idolper]
      offerings of [idoloffering], and giving it [idolgive]
      offerings of [idoloffering], and observances of [idolobv]
      demonstrations of [idoldemo], and offerings of [idoloffering]
      demonstrations of [idoldemo], and sacrifices of [idolsacrifice]
      demonstrations of [idoldemo], and giving it [idolgive]
      demonstrations of [idoldemo], and performances of [idolper]
      demonstrations of [idoldemo], and observances of [idolobv]
      performances of [idolper], and offerings of [idoloffering]
      performances of [idolper], and sacrifices of [idolsacrifice]
      performances of [idolper], and demonstrations of [idoldemo]
      performances of [idolper], and giving it [idolgive]
      performances of [idolper], and observances of [idolobv]
      observances of [idolobv], and offerings of [idoloffering]
      observances of [idolobv], and sacrifices of [idolsacrifice]
      observances of [idolobv], and demonstrations of [idoldemo]
      observances of [idolobv], and performances of [idolper]
      observances of [idolobv], and giving it [idolgive]
      giving it [idolgive], and offerings of [idoloffering]
      giving it [idolgive], and sacrifices of [idolsacrifice]
      giving it [idolgive], and demonstrations of [idoldemo]
      giving it [idolgive], and performances of [idolper]
      giving it [idolgive], and observances of [idolobv]

      {idolgive}
      oblations meant for other deities
      confessions of guilt and shame
      fine jewelry
      a temple to rival any palace
      the eternal service of the cult's firstborn
      honours before all others

      Delete
    4. The whole shebang part 3:

      {idolsacrifice}
      human {blood|hearts|brains|viscera|skin} [sacrificemethod]
      animal {blood|hearts|brains|viscera|skin} [sacrificemethod]
      {maidens’ hair|mothers’ hair|crones’ hair|mens’ beards} [sacrificemethod]
      corpses’ nails [sacrificemethod]
      stillborn infants [sacrificemethod]
      broken teeth [sacrificemethod]
      regurgitated delicacies [sacrificemethod]

      {sacrificemethod}
      burned in a brazier
      tossed to the bottom of a lake
      buried beneath the earth
      left to the elements on top of a pillar
      hung among the boughs of a tree
      fed to {sacred beasts|deformed children|the idol itself}

      {idoloffering}
      honey
      bread
      beer
      wine
      {roasted|raw} meat
      fruit
      eggs
      sweets
      nuts
      butter
      salt
      spices

      {idoldemo}
      pain
      love
      obeisance
      submission
      terror
      awe

      {idolper}
      hallowed dances
      worshipful songs
      ritual combat
      mythic re-enactments
      geronticide
      orgiastic rites

      {idolobv}
      purity prescriptions
      auspicious astrological occasions
      esoteric hierarchies
      naming taboos
      feast days
      dietary restrictions

      Delete
    5. The whole shebang part 4, witness & despair:

      {idolblessing}
      protecting the cult from [idolprotect], as well as granting the cult [idolgrant]
      protecting the cult from [idolprotect], as well as blessing the cult with [idolbless]
      protecting the cult from [idolprotect], as well as inflicting [idolinflict] on the cult’s enemies
      protecting the cult from [idolprotect], as well as guiding the cultists [idolguide]
      protecting the cult from [idolprotect], as well as revealing to the cultists [idolreveal]
      granting the cult [idolgrant], as well as protecting the cult from [idolprotect]
      granting the cult [idolgrant], as well as blessing the cult with [idolbless]
      granting the cult [idolgrant], as well as inflicting [idolinflict] on the cult’s enemies
      granting the cult [idolgrant], as well as guiding the cultists [idolguide]
      granting the cult [idolgrant], as well as revealing to the cultists [idolreveal]
      blessing the cult with [idolbless], as well as granting the cult [idolgrant]
      blessing the cult with [idolbless], as well as protecting the cult from [idolprotect]
      blessing the cult with [idolbless], as well as inflicting [idolinflict] on the cult’s enemies
      blessing the cult with [idolbless], as well as guiding the cultists [idolguide]
      blessing the cult with [idolbless], as well as revealing to the cultists [idolreveal]
      inflicting [idolinflict] on the cult’s enemies, as well as granting the cult [idolgrant]
      inflicting [idolinflict] on the cult’s enemies, as well as protecting the cult from [idolprotect]
      inflicting [idolinflict] on the cult’s enemies, as well as blessing the cult with [idolbless]
      inflicting [idolinflict] on the cult’s enemies, as well as revealing to the cultists [idolreveal]
      inflicting [idolinflict] on the cult’s enemies, as well as guiding the cultists [idolguide]
      guiding the cultists [idolguide], as well as granting the cult [idolgrant]
      guiding the cultists [idolguide], as well as protecting the cult from [idolprotect]
      guiding the cultists [idolguide], as well as blessing the cult with [idolbless]
      guiding the cultists [idolguide], as well as inflicting [idolinflict] on the cult’s enemies
      guiding the cultists [idolguide], as well as revealing to the cultists [idolreveal]
      revealing to the cultists [idolreveal], as well as granting the cult [idolgrant]
      revealing to the cultists [idolreveal], as well as protecting the cult from [idolprotect]
      revealing to the cultists [idolreveal], as well as blessing the cult with [idolbless]
      revealing to the cultists [idolreveal], as well as inflicting [idolinflict] on the cult’s enemies
      revealing to the cultists [idolreveal], as well as guiding the cultists [idolguide]

      {idolreveal}
      the vital sciences
      the highest arts
      the nature of life and death
      the truth of divinity
      how to cleanse oneself of contamination
      the impermanence of material existence

      {idolguide}
      to a pleasant afterlife
      through crises
      wisely through politics and business
      to treasure and hidden knowledge
      to plentiful hunting grounds
      away from cosmic wrongdoing

      {idolprotect}
      sickness
      the ravages of age
      earthquakes
      floods
      wild animals
      violence

      {idolgrant}
      bounteous fields and fertile livestock
      harmony within their community
      good fortune
      wealth
      clairvoyant visions
      ferocity in battle

      {idolbless}
      magical secrets
      bodily regeneration
      the power to change into animal form
      powers of illusion
      supernatural {strength|insight|fortitude|evasiveness|persuasiveness}
      prophecy

      {idolinflict}
      evil spirits
      terrible storms
      impotence and sterility
      verminous swarms
      plagues
      nightmares

      Delete