Bel



BEL The Masked God ''“And Bel, god of thieves, is a good god. When I was a thief in Zamora I learned of him. Bel, too, is Shemitish, for he was born in ancient Shumir, long, long ago and went forth laughing, with curled beard and impish wise eyes, to steal the gems of the kings of old times.”—Robert E. Howard, "'The Queen of the Black Coast

Pantheon

 * Zamorian Pantheon
 * Shemite Pantheon

Regions of Worship

 * Zamora
 * Shem
 * Argos (hidden cults)
 * Brythunia

Bel is the patron of Shumir (city-state in Shem). His primary worship centre in Shem, his ziggurat, is in Shumir. For Zamorians Bel is an import god, “stolen” from Shem.

Divine Relationships

 * Ashtoreth (enemy)

Representation
None has ever seen the face of Bel, as befits a god of thieves, though several idols and amulets depict him variously as a stocky dwarf with a grinning face, a six-armed elephant-man, and a lithe, pantherish human wearing a black mask. In Shem he is typically depicted as an eagle carrying a forked bolt of lighting, hinting that he can steal the power of the heavens if he so desires, stealing even the powers of the other gods. He is often shown escorting ghosts from the land of the living to the land of the dead.

Gender representation: unknown, likely male

Symbolism

 * Black Silken Mask

Spheres of Power

 * Chaos
 * Death
 * Trickery
 * Thievery
 * Commerce
 * Boundaries

Bel, god of thieves, appears in some versions of the Shemitish myth-cycle. According to legend, in the time of the Elder Gods, Bel used his dark powers to conjure up an army of undead thieves, with which to plunder the wealth of all nations. In desperation, the people of Shem called on the goddess Ashtoreth for help. In the ensuing battle, the goddess severed Bel's sixth arm. Thereafter, Bel was driven into exile in present-day Zamora. He is sometimes identified with El-Lil, even replacing that god completely in Shumir. Some myths tell of his many female conquests and the vast number of children, both mortal and immortal, he has sired.

Rituals & Beliefs
Bel is worshipped, or at least paid lip service, by all who "earn" their living as thieves, outlaws and beggars. His worship does not involve animal or human sacrifice, neither is it generally conducted as a formal ritual. Most brothels and taverns hold secret shrines to Bel and he is worshipped with high-stakes gambling, frantic orgies, tales and voracious feasts. His temples are little more than gathering places. Bel can sometimes be invoked by the faithful and appears as a flitting black shadow, cloaking a favored being. The Zuagir nomads and the thieves of Asgalun point to bel’s exploits to prove that their nefarious acts are blessed by the gods. Bel can also be worshipped as a god of commerce and as such he is favoured by many Shemites. Because of his association with boundaries, he is often called upon for help with any form of boundary crossing — including the boundary between legal and illegal.

Bel’s worshippers include kidnappers, cutpurses, footpads, beggars and anyone else wanting undeserved gain via shadowed effects. The focus of Bel’s religion is the acquisition of wealth and power, which are seen as lofty and pleasurable goals. If one is skilled, one can and should take what he wants from whom he wants. If one does not want his belongings taken, then he must be craftier than those who want to take them. There is no altruism in this faith. Charity is for fools — and beggars who worship Bel do not believe they are charity cases. The religion teaches that others will prey upon you if permitted, so you should become the predator.

The Priesthood
The priesthood of Bel is independent in each major city or region, to prevent the frequent actions against one thieves' guild or temple from spilling over and affecting others. In areas with a single strong thieves' guild, the temple or shrine to Bel is usually connected to the guild hall via underground tunnels. In large cities with competing guilds, such as Arenjun, the temple is in an underground location and is recognized as neutral ground by all sides. Bel cares not for politics, hostilities between factions are not tolerated.

To maintain their benefits, priests of Bel may never buy or trade for anything. Should they slip, Bel can only be appeased by a sacrifice of stolen goods ten times the value of the item purchased. Priests of Bel speak their own secret language (which they learn upon being initiated into the cult). Bel’s priests tend to offer a sense of community to the disinherited and disillusioned masses. Their teachings also focus on pride in one’s skills. Doing work for others is considered shameful.

Implementation IC & In-Game
No altars can be used due to the special and secretive nature of the cult. Religious offerings can be anything stolen. Only priests of Bel are not allowed to trade — simple believers can do it without problem.

More Information

 * Faith and Fervour (Conan RPG Book)
 * Shem-Gateway to the South (Conan RPG book)
 * Shadizar-City of Wickedness (Conan RPG book)