Editing Ranald (section)

==Aspects of Ranald==
Part of Ranald’s curious nature stems from the fact that this God has a several different aspects. To most, he is known as the Night Prowler, God of Thieves and patron of thieves and rogues. Venerated by the criminal elements in the Old World, his symbols and sayings serve as the foundation for much of the secret language used by thieves.

Ranald is also the Deceiver, watching over, or rather inspiring, charlatans and tricksters. In this way, Ranald is something of a force of nature, the personification of irony but also illusion—hence Ranald’s appeal to Grey Wizards. As well, Ranald is the patron of gaming, gambling, and more than anything, luck. It is in this form that Ranald is upheld by the Empire folk and to curry favour with the God, Old Worlders employ a dizzying array of superstitious sayings and gestures to ensure they retain or acquire the God’s attention.

Of all the forms Ranald assumes, though, none is more brutally oppressed than his role as the Protector. The symbol of freedom from tyranny, liberation from despots, and the symbol of revolution, this aspect of Ranald is embraced by agitators, demagogues, and even a few politicians. In fact, Ranald in this role is a rallying force for the democratic movement that persists in the Empire’s largest cities.

The Cult of Ranald views the rest of the world as the ebb and flow of fortune, from good to bad and back again. Because there is no “typical” cultist of Ranald, there’s little in the way to describe the workings of the cult itself. Most trust only their own wits and abilities, taking what they can and praying to Ranald to keep them one step away from danger. Cultists laugh at limitations and boundaries placed upon them, and often break laws and enter into forbidden areas just for the sake of doing so, slipping back into the shadows and teeming, anonymous masses before getting caught. The Cult of Ranald is viewed with suspicion by both the other cults and the ruling classes, even though he is still paid lip service by them all. Other cults afford the priests of this cult little respect, though this typically suits the followers of Ranald just fine, as they care little about the air of pomp put on by most other groups. Indeed, one of the tenants of the cult is to shine the light of hypocrisy on those with inflated egos or heightened status. Because of this, priests of Ranald stay out of sight, performing their works in back alleys, secret meeting places, and other dens of low character.

Although the cult has a deserved reputation as being filled with gamblers, thieves, and con artists, just as many priests are simple hedonists who grab life by the reins. Those that partake in illegal endeavours always give a healthy portion of their winnings back to the cult or, in some cases, to those in need. The cult abhors violence, seeing it as a “failure.” Their best “crimes” are those that go undiscovered until months after they have done the deed. Those who rely on violence and cruelty find a better patron in Khaine, or other, darker Gods, than the free spirit that is Ranald. Cultists of Ranald often have personalities that mimic the four main aspects of Ranald. Those who follow the Night Prowler are thieves and larcenists, who perform crimes just as much for the thrill of performing the perfect caper as they do for the loot.

Those who follow Ranald the Deceiver are smooth con artists, who move easily through all strata of society, never laying down roots and constantly on the prowl for new targets to fleece through the use of clever thought and silvertongued lies. Cultists of Ranald the Gamester are consummate gamblers and risk takers, spending their days playing games of chance and concocting schemes to gain more money so they can continue their passion. To them, money is not the ends, but the means, to happiness. Lastly, there are the cultists who believe in Ranald the Protector and take up the mantle as the guardian for those who cannot defend themselves. They are infamous for stealing from the well-to-do in order to assist the poor, exposing the hypocrisy and excesses of the powerful, and standing up for the rights of the common citizen from thuggery, senseless persecution, and exploitation. Most other cults consider members of this “sect” the worst of the lot, as they often attempt to disrupt the status quo in the name of freedom and justice, regardless of the cost to the rest of society.

However, by their very nature, cultists of Ranald are highly individualistic, and it can be difficult to describe what makes a person become one in the first place. Most are experts at disguise and deception, keeping their true nature hidden from the rest of the world. The Cult of Ranald is ruthlessly persecuted in other parts of the Old World. Bretonnia in particular is notorious for its heavy-handed punishments for finding cultists merely travelling through their land