

..The Covert Society..

File typed by Gator - TC96


  This tome is dedicated to Althur, Fire of the Abyss, Seer of Mysteries, Saint of the Unholy, Darkest of the Fallen Ones; Golthur, Lamp of the Heavens, Carrier of Strength, Kepper of Souls; Adron, First of the Heroes, Player of Games and Divine Chariotee
r. You who gaze on, call forth these Prayers: the oldest of the gods wait to hear and ensnare you.

The calling of a Priest is a dangerous one, always paid for by the sould of the Priest. The dealings with gods are fraught with treachery for they are jealous masters, vengeful of powerful or gloriuos mortals, and impatient with insignificant humans. Thei
r promises are two-edged. The gods gave Prayers to the mortals to bind them in the gods' service; in return for the gods' divine assistance, the Priest must barter with his soul. If a Priest should invoke a god carlessly or incorrectly, the god will punis
h the Priest by draining that Priest's energy or stealing the Priest's soul. Thus the Prayers must be used with caution.

The Sect of Priests, working with meticulous care, have purchased and discovered many Prayers; few are simple, the strongest are awesome in their avens, Carrier of Strength, Kepper of Souls; Adron, First of the Heroes,      this work are the surest Prayer
s: most do not require overmuch of the caster. They have been secured by the blood of many Priests; they are for you to use for the glory of your calling.

The meanings hidden in these Prayers are for you to decipher. A Priest cannot be told the correct meaning of a Prayer: such gnostic experience will come only through the Priest's own dedication. The Prayers in this codex have been translated, with one exc
eption, from the original Hurnash. Although such translation can never match the nuances of the originals, the Prayers retain their strength.

Your skill allows you to serve four of the divine suzerains. You are bound to the gods: Ufthu, God of War; Drutho, God of the Underworld; Golthur, God of the Physical Self; and Fshofth, God of the Spiritual Self.

Before you can disturb any of the gods, you must possess an anointed ring to focus your power. Each of these rings was forged in the darkness of the Temple furnaces and dedicated to single god. The power of the rings comes from the purity of the metal: Ir
on, Copper, Silver, Gold and PLatinum. Greater than all of these are the Crystal rings; forged by the gods to bind the most powerful of Priests. Each of the four jealous lords demands a separate ring. You will start with two rings from the basest metals; 
as you grow in power and in devotion you will bw awarded greater rings. These rings will be awarded to you in the four Temples of the Sect of Priests within the Mountain City. Each Temple is used to worship one of the proud gods. Within each Temple is a h
umble Shrine; at this Shrine you willbe judged, and if worthy, granted a purer ring to the god ruling the Temple. There are also Altars throughout Mountain City, places where the power of the gods is stronger. These Altars serve all the gods; within these
 your Prayers will be heard more favorably, and you may offer supplication to any of the gods.

It is possible for a Priest with the basest ring to recite the greatest Prayers, but be warned: the gods are waiting for thr time when your ambition overreaches your power. You should use your power wisely, and within your station. To help you, Prayers fo
r each god are arranged in order from those the most inept acolyte could easily invoke, to those with which only the most experienced adept should dare disturb the gods.

Each Prayer will demand a toll from you. This toll varies according to the god and the Prayer. Every Prayer will deplete your energies; the strongest Prayers would leave a weak Priest broken. Remember this drain, and do not allow your strength to fall too
 far. It will return, but only slowly.

This, your manual, shall be your guide to communion. Tread carefully within the garden of the gods.




                         Prayers to Ufthu, God of War



Ufthu, God of War, Tongue of Iron, Qanak Dasoro, Priest of the Scarlet Assassins, Dragon Lord, Master of the Abyss, is the most powerful of the gods. Proud is his strength, unpredictable in his weakness. Ufthu is a wary god, careful in his dealings with m
ortals, but his greatest weakness is vanity. Take this warning, but know that Ufthu, Silent Huntsman, will heed the calls of one who serves him truly. These Prayers are yours.



RALKOR             Divine Arrow

Ufthu, O Bow of the Stars,
Hear this low voice,
Send down your bolt,
Against the one eho stands against you.


KARNH              Hammer of Shattering

Ufthu, Sword of the Night, Hammer,
Defend you lowly subject,
Smite those who stand near your servant,
And damn them to the darkness.


DROM               Strength of the Sword Arm

Ufthu, Soldier of Misfortune,
Hear your humble Priest,
Send your strength to those on earth,
Who bear steel against the dark foes.


IDRIS              Peaceful Bones

Ufthu, Supreme Lord of Corruption,
Through this ring I call your divine essence,
Take back these lifeless bodies that assail us,
That struggle against death's mortal coil.


THOL               Mist of Confusion

Ufthu, Jewel of the Desert,
I call on your breath to come from the ether,
To slow your enemy,
To steal from them their skills.


                   Prayers to Drutho, God of the Underworld



Drutho, God of the Underworld, Goddess of Stealth, Seducer of the Earth Spirits, Queen of Corruption, Ethereal Hermaphrodite, Demon Lover, Lord of the Portals, the youngest of the gods, hides far from the light of the older gods. Within the lowermost cave
rns of Lithane, Temple of Darkness, Drutho's Priests toil to supplicate their god. The work of these shaven Priests has made Drutho grant these Prayers to all who recognize his/her dominion in the dark kingdoms.



UMESH              Knowledge Without Wisdom

Drutho, O Worm of the Deep,
Call forth the meaning of these words;
Pass your darkest light over their script,
That they will yield their meaning to me.


HOYAMOQ            The Temple Passage

Drutho, Gol Draqur, moraseth kanu,
Open this way for your servents;
Having discovered the portal you had hidden,
We now must pass through.


TAPU               Sacred Passage

Drutho, Dark One, hear this Prayer.
Weave your magic around our passage,
That we may walk past traps,
That we may pass danger in safety.


BYNDU              Drawing Together

Ah, Drutho, grant me the power;
Make fast the beckoning sign,
To draw forth opponents unto my presence,
And bind them beside me, to stay as I will.


MORPETH            Quiet Walking

Drutho, Mistress of Stealth,
Bind our feet with soft silken cloth,
Silence our voices and muffle our steps,
That we may walk without calling our death.


BELAMOQ            Translucent Passage

Drutho, Lord of the Portals, this way resists
Our most urgent attempts.
Take its outline, hinge and bolt,
And dissolve its stubborn form into ether.


              Prayers to Golthur, God of the Physical Self



Golthur, Oldest of the Gods, Rulemaster, Keeper of Souls, Lamp of the Heavens, Carrier of Strength, Maker of the Many Little Candles, is a treacherous master. Golthur, the Spider of Time, lies in wait for those whose souls he can steal. Golthur, the Trapp
er, has given his Priests these Prayers; you who pray to him, tend your words, that your dark husbandry will not call forth your corruption. Walk the words well, for if you fall he will ensnare you and draw your soul through your nostrils. That is his due
 for heeding your command.



SIRDHE             Patterns of Healing

Golthur of the Labyrinth, we ask your indulgence,
We who are weakened call you,
Send your strength to our wearied limbs,
And we will fight for your glory.


HOLNAK             Priestly Strength

Golthur, Silent Lord, I ask your kindness;
Look upon your servant protected by the doyaqur,
Send your power to course through these arms,
That I might serve you better in your designs.


ELIS               Walking Into Light

Golthur, you must hear the voice calling from this circle,
To the lowlands, where one needs your help;
Take the failing body you see before you,
And create new and whole its life force.


TELIS              Caressing Hands

Golthur, Lamp of the Heavens, here at an Altar,
We come to ask you to give us our strength,
To give us our health and wholeness,
We who would supplicate you.

BEYONG             Virginal Sanctity

Golthur, Ancient One, hear your Priest,
Take from our bodies the poison of your experience,
Take from our souls the plague of your knowledge,
That we may walk in the innocence of health again.


              Prayers to Fshofth, God of the Spiritual Self



Fshofth, Invisible Mage, Cold Walker, Thief of the Red Cities, Holder of Mysteries, Guardian of the Spirits, Chief of the Eagles, is a strange god. The wild dictates of his worship seem hardly those of a god, and are understood by few. Of all of his Praye
rs these are those that seem to have some chance of being answered by this Master. The untranslatable Prayer of Lairain is included: the Priest who can harness this Prayer would be powerful indeed. None of the Priests of Fshofth have managed to gain its d
eep secrets.


NULAMIR             The Quiet House

Fshofth, On the shore of the lost lake,
There is a house. Though the spell makers talk,
It is quiet still. For though chanting sounds,
It will little disturb the air where they dwell.


TULAR               Gaunt Dreams

Fshofth, at an Altar there is a glade,
Green leaves and colored monkeys,
Fruit drop from the vines, and lie
Rotting on the ground.


RULASAIR            Gaunt Needs

Fshofth, there is no sound on the rocks,
No wind among the grasses;
The liraya has made its kill,
The pups shall feast tonight.


EMANUI              Growing Health

Fshofth, within the smallest quivering cell,
After the cold kiss, there is less life strength,
But growing within the beating heart,
I feel that quickness return.


KUURAOTH            The Walking Vision

Fshofth, hark at the kauri branch, a bird dips:
Takes honey from the silvered flowers, and stops,
Troubled by a dark image, far in the forest.
Your glass will shatter the foundations of the dream.


LAIRIAN             The Untranslatable Prayer

Umhir deln Fshofth, Du saq mishallfen,
Ersan su stramanlisa du saq verhallfen,
Itor ka skirian, thror qastura taras,
Wur qanar wur stilor wur kas.



                           Transfer Station / Ymodem


I wish....for single drive Prince of Persia and a happy new year! Merry Xmas!


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