ZHANG KO-LAO – The Oriental God of Artisans and Blacksmiths

Status:  Younger God

Level:  5000

Avatar:  Barint

Zhang Ko-Lao is modelled closely on the western lord Moradin.

Zhang spends his time in the great celestial Armoury. He is a grotesque oriental dwarf with one leg, a deformity self-inflicted in a terrible smithing accident when his anvil fell and crushed it.

He has been slung out of Bifrost twice in his history. The first time was just after his accident in the smithy of Moradin when Zhang returned home with his leg missing and a metal ‘knock up job created by Moradin his mother Shen Lui took offence and threw him out of the heaven. Zhang tumbled down Yggdrasil and fell into the ocean, where he would have drowned had the Merfolk not saved him.

For nine years the Merfolk raised him secretly in a cave and taught him more in the ways of metal work (his greatest love). The discarded child took revenge on Shen Lui. He fashioned a magic pair of shoes as a gift for his mother. When she accepted and put them on it drained her of all her power and made her mortal, she was trapped by their power until Zhang released her.

The Second ejection occurred when Zhang interfered in a quarrel between his parents. Eshu became so angry that he threw his son out of Bifrost, and he fell onto the island of Doresil nearly breaking it in half. He then took to travelling Eä until he came upon the oriental races. It was here that he felt finally at home, and he taught them the ways of superior sword smithing. For this he was granted the hand of the most beautiful wife and lands for his own Aph Ro’dyte, by the great shogun.

However his limp and sooty face made him a figure of fun in the shogun’s court and his wife’s unfaithfulness only added to his problems.

It is said that on the seventh day of the seventh month of the seventh year of oriental recognising Moradin came unto Zhang and offered him a place in Bifrost. Reluctantly Zhang agreed and they climbed Yggdrasil together

Now a days Zhang shuns the company of the other gods and prefers his home in the centre of Bifrost where he has fashioned a giant forge. He has many workers he has bred over the years all who have one eye, who aid him in his task of smithing weapons which he hides across Ea.

His greatest marvel to date is a golden throne for Feng Po fashioned from lightning bolts.

SYMBOL

The great anvil that crushed Zhang Ko-Lao

WORSHIP

Most artisans worship Zhang Ko-Lao and his religious base is wide spread. His rituals are mainly involved around the procedures required to make a standard item, such as a prayer that would advise how to forge a sword.

TEMPLES

Zhang has a few temples but his religious base is generally in small shrines located at the backs of workshops.

HOLY DAYS

Zhang’s holy day is ‘Ko-Lao Anila’ a festival on the 23rd day of Aumonath, which coincides with the period of greatest drought and the highest risk of fire in the Eastern lands.

FRIENDS AND ENEMIES

The cult is neutral to all gods but will oppose any god/priest of an outwardly evil nature.

CULT REQUIREMENTS

A Priest must advance one level or learn a new skill in an artisan career before learning the next level of Theology. One skill must be learnt before becoming a priest.

STRICTURES

• Never Sell / Give away a flawed or faulty object.
• Never turn down the opportunity to fix or make an object (may still charge).
• Never let an owned weapon, tool, object d’art fall into disrepair.
• Before learning the next level of Theology a priest must advance one level or learn a new skill in an artisan career.
• The priest must never learn the art of Rune Mastery

CREATING SÄ CARDS

Zhang Ko-Lao allows his priests to enchant their Sä cards at the apex of the Sun (midday) and the Apex of the moon (midnight).

SPECIAL RULES

After every level of Perform Miracle the priest must learn the next level of Armoury. However when determining the amount of armoury projects he may work on at any time me may use his armoury level + 2 and his perform miracle level together, thus…

Unfortunately Priest of Zhang Ko-Lao are forbidden to use the Rune Mastery skills as Zhang Ko-Lao believes this will distract from his true teachings. Instead any of his miracles marked with an asterix can be cast into a weapon and will remain until dormant until utalised. (Sä points are lost until miracle is used, Priest can dispel these Sä points at any time by touching the enchanted weapon.)