Paulis Longvale: the Bat Man

	Reaching Moon Megacorp's Life of Moonson Paulis Longvale Author, Senator and Famous Wit	Age: 30 Career: Senate Religion: Irrippi Ontor Culture: Bilini Disposition: Witty, studious, reclusive
Return to Home Page Gloranthan Folk Tales Gloranthan Songbook Moonie Madness Life of Moonson Carmanian Sources Malkioni Scriptures	You are descended from one of the royal lines of the kingdom of the Bilini. Your family genuinely converted to the Lunar Way on White Shirt Day (when the bulk of the population of Talastar feigned conversion). Thereafter, your father Peterin Longvale married Marissa, a wealthy Lunar priestess, and your branch of the family greatly increased its wealth and prestige. Few would now mistake you for a barbarian from the backward land of Talastar. On your eighth birthday, a petty thief murdered your parents on the streets of Glamour. Thereafter, Senator Geilbonus (Marissa's older brother) ensured that you received the best possible upbringing. He sent you for a summer's seasoning on the frontier before you assumed a bureaucratic position in the Heartlands, but this stretched into several adventure-filled years as you rode the turmoil of a typical buffer kingdom, both as an educated young man of the Empire and as a blood cousin of a powerful family of the little kingdom. At that time you were an initiate of Irrippi Ontor, and you kept to the ways of your faith even as you developed a cosmopolitan respect for the gods of your cousins, taking notes and setting down impressions. You deposited these notes in your cult's archives on returning to the Empire, so that others might profit from your observations. Though you can still appear to be a bright, humorous young man, experience has made you cold and sardonic. You inherited your parents' great wealth and a position in the Senate. With the assistance of uncle Geilbonus, you were recently appointed Master of Circuses, responsible for organising the public entertainments of Glamour. You hide your torment in public, playing the part of a millionaire playboy and enjoying the lavish luxuries of the Capital. But at night, terrible dreams (inspired by your experiences in Dorastor?) wrack your sleep. You are a man of letters, and have mastered the archaic Pelorian dialect adopted by the classic writers of your art. Your earliest work, an ironic treatise on the Advantages of Barbarism and Ignorance, won critical acclaim; you are now expected to maintain your reputation for incisive wit and cutting sarcasm. Fod-Ariam, the Crimson Sage, has asked you to create a narrative from your rough early notes. You were at first unwilling to do this, fearing you might misrepresent your barbarian relatives to the literati of the Empire. But you have decided to recover your notes and attempt the work, as the best way of laying your ghosts to rest and ending the nightmares for good.	Background The Kingdom of the Bilini Your ancestors were chieftains and kings in the royal line of the Bilini, a particularly fierce barbarian tribe in the land of Talastar. Living beneath Thunder Mountain on the threshold of Dorastor, the Bilini have for centuries stood as a bulwark against the worst incursions of chaos. Ten years ago, the evil forces of Ralzakark the Broo-King of Dorastor were defeated for a time, in the conflict known as Hahlgrim's War. Hahlgrim was a heroic cousin of yours, who died by treachery during the campaign. The King of the Bilini is your former comrade Oddi the Keen, who now brings peace and plenty to the land. The Cult of Irrippi Ontor You are a devotee of Irrippi Ontor, Lunar God of Learning. Irrippi Ontor was one of the Seven Mothers, and his cult embraces the scholars, teachers and literati of the Empire. "Knowledge is Power," said Irrippi Ontor, and his worshippers also include many magicians and sorcerers from the Lunar College of Magic. The followers of Irrippi Ontor are learned men, known to one another as Red Sages. They are the undisputed masters of all branches of knowledge: tutors, professors, researchers and authors. The High Priest of the Cult of Irrippi Ontor is Fod-Ariam, the Crimson Sage of Glamour. The Imperial Senate You have followed a career in the Imperial Senate. Young men of good family study to pass the exams which will win them appointment to junior secretarial posts. Success brings promotion, at first to roving assignments, then to more settled positions in local government and the judiciary, and finally to the Imperial Senate as one of Moonson's trusted advisors. It is in the chamber of the Senate that the fate of the Empire is determined. You hold the office of Master of Circuses. This is an annual appointment, giving you the responsibility of overseeing all the Chariot Races and Gladitorial Contests that are held in Glamour. The office is a great opportunity to win popularity and acclaim from the people of Glamour, but failure can be harshly punished: a politician booed by the masses for slipshod organisation may never be forgiven. Your wise old uncle, Senator Geilbonus, is the Speaker of the Imperial Senate.
	The Bat Man Chief Feeder of the Crimson Bat	Career: Caped Crusader Religion: Crimson Bat Disposition: Cold, sardonic, vengeful
	Everything written on the previous page is true. But few know that millionaire playboy Paulis Longvale has a secret identity: you are the Chief Feeder of the Crimson Bat, known to the criminals of Glamour as the dreaded Bat Man, avenger of the night! You still recall the first time you saw your charge. You were young and foolish, riding out with your cousins, when you saw it. First the bright red glow, filling the night sky with its throbbing radiance. Then, the great red shape, as long and as high as a city wall. Your heart leapt as you praised your good luck: this was the fabulous Crimson Bat, upon whose legendary back the Red Goddess herself had returned from the spirit world to reclaim her earthly empire! You were profoundly moved. The nightmares that torment you are inspired by the murder of your parents, and not by your experiences in Dorastor. You vowed to avenge this cowardly deed, but as Paulis Longvale you would be unable to have the effect you desired. Criminals, you decided, are a cowardly, superstitious lot: you chose to strike terror into their hearts. A few years ago there was a fortuitous vacancy at the top of the Cult of the Crimson Bat: following a setback in Dragon Pass, the former Chief Feeder and all of his priests had been sacrificed to bring the demon back into the service of the Empire. Few volunteered to take on the thankless task, but you were ready to answer the call, your years in Dorastor proving that you were no lover of chaos. Before your arrival, the mortal cultists of the Bat were an arrogant lot, who paid little heed to others except as Bat food. You changed this with a new ruling: from now on, the favoured diet of the Bat would be not barbarians or slaves, but criminals, culled not from the frontier but from the teeming cities of the Lunar Heartlands. Now, wearing a bat-like cape and mask, you prowl the city's rooftops and back alleys after dark, rounding up criminals to be consumed by the Bat. You have become a masked avenger of the night, the dreaded Bat Man, who stalks the crime-ridden streets of Glamour by moonlight, hauling criminals off the street to serve the Empire in the only way they are able: as Bat Fodder! The Bat is still weak from its recent return, and is not yet recovered enough to be deployed in war. It rests in the Bat Cave on the Red Moon, devouring criminals to regain its strength. The enemies of the Empire must not learn that the Bat is unfit for duty!	Background The Crimson Bat The Crimson Bat is an awesome chaos demon bound to the service of the Red Goddess. It was once a natural animal, but was horribly mutated by the flood of chaos which infected the world in the Great Darkness, becoming one of the myriad horrors which made up the legions of chaos. It survived the last destructive battles of the Gods War and haunted the Hero Plane thereafter, a nightmare of chaotic might and terror. In the Third Age, the Red Goddess left her people to visit the elder gods, forging her place among their pantheons to earn her apotheosis. While she was on this heroquest, powerful enemy lords took the opportunity to strike. Their armies converged on her capital. At the climax of the siege, the Goddess returned, riding the Crimson Bat. The battle, a Lunar triumph, was ever after known as the First Battle of Chaos. Since then, the Bat has been the symbol of Lunar chaos, hated by the Empire's foes, and distrusted even by many of the Lunar faithful. The Bat is an evil. Not even the most loyal Lunar citizens claim otherwise. However, through its evil, it brings great good to the Lunar Empire and thus justifies its existence. The Cult of the Crimson Bat The Cult of the Crimson Bat was formed by the Red Goddess to care for and to feed the Bat. In binding the demon, she gained some control over the beast's hunger: now, even in peacetime, it must devour many people and animals every week to sate its appetite. Both civil and military authorities usually co-operate fully with the cult, at least overtly, providing sick or stray animals, unwanted slaves, criminals, rebels or barbarians. The priests of the Crimson Bat are important officers in the Lunar College of Magic, and they ride the holy steed of the Goddess. They are the masters of the Bat, riding it in battle and controlling its actions in accordance with the wishes of the Lunar Empire. The identity of the High Priest of the Cult of the Crimson Bat, known as the Chief Feeder of the Bat, is a State Secret: the theory is that if the identity of the person who directs the Empire's ultimate deterrent were known, he or his family could become targets for attempts at extortion, corruption or assassination. You are the Chief Feeder of the Crimson Bat. You obey the orders of the Director of the Field School of the Lunar College of Magic, Didius Copernicus. He is the only person who should know that you are the Chief Feeder of the Crimson Bat, and is the only one who can authorise you to unleash its awesome Chaotic power against the enemies of the Empire.
	Objectives Personal Avenge your parents' murder by terrorising the criminal underworld of Glamour. Ensure nobody learns that millionaire playboy Paulis Longvale is the costumed crime-fighter known as the Bat Man. Give generous donations to support orphanages throughout the Lunar Empire. Obtain your notes from the Irrippi Ontor archives and write your Reminiscences to exorcise the ghosts of the past. Career Stalk the night of Glamour in your terrifying costume, rounding up criminals and sending them to their deaths as Bat Fodder. Keep the Crimson Bat in the Bat Cave on the Red Moon until it has recovered enough strength to fly into battle against the enemies of the Empire. It is currently too weak to be used in war. Oversee the organisation of two major public events, the Chariot Race and Gladiatorial Contest, that are scheduled to take place during the New Year Ceremonies. You need 10 influence from the Military Budget to pay for the Bat. You must pay this to the CPS Director before Windsday. Put in your claim to Didius Copernicus before the Presidium decides on the Budget. Religious Feed the Crimson Bat on the days of the Dying and Black Moons. Have Moonson declare next year to be a Black Moon Year - the Empire must be on guard against the enemy within. Summon the Bat back from the otherworld if its physical form is destroyed. This will result in your total and irreversible annihilation, but you must perform this ritual at Moonson's command.	Who You Know Personal Acquaintances Jar-eel the Razoress: a beautiful and intelligent woman who you managed to have a long conversation with at a recent State Banquet. Unfortunately, her friend Beatpot Aelwrin kept muscling in, and you were forced to politely withdraw. Queen Penelori, Satrap of Oraya: you have met this charming woman at parties in Glamour. Geilbonus: your uncle has now risen to become Speaker of the Imperial Senate. He oversaw your education, ensuring you received nothing but the best, and has also done his best to assist you in your Senatorial career. Through your Career Didius Copernicus: the Dean of the Lunar College of Magic recruited you to be the new Chief Feeder of the Crimson Bat. He is, however, unaware that you are also the Bat Man; exactly how the Bat is fed has always been an operational matter, to be determined by the High Priest alone. Miriros Conradin: this Colonel of the Black Army has vowed to stop the Bat Man from carrying out his vigilante actions, stating that it is for the police forces of the Empire to stamp out criminal activity in the city. Sor-eel the Short, Senator, Ex-Governor of Prax: he was removed from his governorship in disgrace many years ago - unfairly he insists and you tend to believe him. He recently placed a very good motion in the senate deploring the petty crime in the city and asking for sterner measures to combat it. However, his attacks on Mikos Thiokonos, the Imperial Chamberlain, are ill-advised and puzzling. Through your Religion Fod-Ariam: the Crimson Sage is High Priest of the Cult of Irrippi Ontor, an extremely learned man who recently asked you to compose a formal book of Reminiscences based on your early notes. The foolish old man failed to remember that your notes are held in his library! Rubinius [NPC]: this youthful priest of the Crimson Bat is your reliable teenaged sidekick. Though young and at times prey to religious enthusiasm (he sees anything to do with his duties as Holy!), he has displayed great skill at Bat Mastery and often accompanies your nightly crime-fighting expeditions. He knows your secret identity, and you would trust him with your life. Through your Culture King Rascius of Aggar: Your book Advantages of Barbarism and Ignorance was rather scathing of this greedy and slothful barbarian king. You hear that he was not best pleased with his depiction!
	Other Knowledge The Crimson Bat is extremely important to the Lunar Empire as a weapon of war. Not least among its abilities is its psychological effect on foes - more than one potential rebellion has been quelled by the Bat's mere presence. Everyone knows than anyone or anything eaten by the Bat is utterly lost, body and soul. Death in the Bat's maw means annihilation, not just death. This is a major reason for the terror inspired by the Bat. The Seven Year Plan is the mechanism by which the major food and raw material requirements of the Empire are centrally planned and provided for. At the beginning of each seven year period every sultanate and province agrees to quotas of important foodstuffs and other raw materials and goods which they must achieve over a seven year period. A seven year plan has just ended and each of the sultanates and provinces will be audited this a sacred time on their results. Success is usually the route to promotion and Imperial favour, while failure is a sure road to political humiliation.	Secrets Reclusive author Paulis Longvale, author of the ironic book Advantages of Barbarism and Ignorance, is himself a barbarian, coming from the land of Talastar. Paulis Longvale is the Bat Man Paulis Longvale's parents were foully murdered by a street criminal. The Bat Man does feed his victims to the Crimson Bat.
	Reaching Moon Megacorp's Life of Moonson was written by Nick Brooke, Chris Gidlow,David Hall and Kevin Jacklin, with Rick Meints and MOB. The lead author for Paulis Longvale was Nick Brooke. Glorantha, HeroQuest, Hero Wars, and Issaries are trademarks of Issaries, Inc. The contents of this page are copyright by Nick Brooke , 2001; any material derived from Greg Stafford's world of Glorantha is also copyright by Greg Stafford. Glorantha is the creation of Greg Stafford, and is used with his permission.