The Cult of the Lionheaded Spider or Coram Agh Tera[1] is one of the religions of the Continent. The cult makes bloody sacrifices for its cruel god and the priestesses are known for their powerful curses.
Some scholars stipulate that the Dauk and Wozgor religions contributed to the creation of the cult, as many of their beliefs are still instilled into it.[2]
Wiedźmin: Gra Wyobraźni
The worshippers of Coram Agh Tera consider him to be the Great Weaver, who weaves the human fate into a great web. The web is constantly being expanded and corrected. Sometimes some threads are broken, which results in someone's sudden death. When one commits suicide, his thread is broken and he is devoured by Coram. Therefore, he is worshipped as the god of sudden and unpredictable death. His temples are typically full of human bones and skulls and lit by green fire.
Most worshippers are people who lived through some tragedy (like the death of a beloved) or people with constant contact with death, who love to inflict pain and suffering, like executioners, soldiers or bandits. They are all drawn by the cult's vision of the world, where death is a constant, and even wanted, part of the reality. The priests are required to keep Coram's web clean by "breaking the threads" of some people.
The cult was founded in 1161[N 1] by a merchant named Ambrosio in Loredo, Geso, with eight other worshippers. Soon more people joined the cult, mostly members of the local nobility, for whom the new religion was something mysterious and exotic. When the word of the Coram Agh Tera worshippers reached the royal officials and the priests of Kreve, an investigation was started, during which many of the worshippers were tortured. It turned out that nearly all of the town council and leaders of most guilds worshipped the foul Lionheaded god. Ambrosio and all the captured cult members were burned at the stake.
However, many of Ambrosio's followers managed to flee and spread the cult to all of the Northern Kingdoms. This time they built their temples outside of towns, in forests, swamps or mountain valleys. There is little contact between the temples and no organized hierarchy exists. Because of their religion being banned in most of the kingdoms, the priests wear no special robes outside of their rituals. They are not, however, as persecuted as they used to be, and in some places they are even allowed to preach openly.
The Witcher
In the game, the name is spelled "Coram Agh Ter", without the final "a".
Glossary Entry
- Cult of the Lionhead Spider
- "Coram Agh Ter, called the Lionhead Spider, is a cruel deity who expects bloody sacrifices from his worshippers. The Cult of the Lionhead Spider is banned and there are but a few places in the world where its adherents can openly declare their faith. Temeria strives to eradicate belief in the Lionhead Spider, and the cultists are tried as murderers."
Mentions
- near the end of Act I, Abigail may be revealed as a follower, cursing Geralt in the name of the Lionhead Spider, Black Legba, if he leaves her to be lynched by the Reverend and townsfolk of the Outskirts.
- The cult has a lair in the Vizima Sewers. It is mentioned in a letter which is found along with a key on a dead knight's corpse is those same sewers.
Sources
Notes
- In The Last Wish, a Coram Agh Tera priestess at a temple in Mirt (in Gelibol) laid the curse on Nivellen after he raped her.
Footnotes
- ↑ Wiedźmin: Gra Wyobraźni provides two dates for the event: the main handbook has 611 and The Sword of Destiny expansion has 1611. It is most likely that both are the typos and the correct year is 1161, as Geso wasn't populated by Nordlings nor Kreve worshippers in 611 yet and 1611 is an obvious mistake as the game is set in the 13th century and doesn't refere to future events.
References
- ↑ While correct in Polish, this wasn't translated right to the English books (which still calls it "Tera"). It should have been "Ter".
- ↑ The World of the Witcher