During the Troll Occupation (1237-1539), many of the human inhabitants of the Big Rubble turned to some very unpleasant spirits and gods in order to survive.
Black Fang
The best known is, of course, Black Fang. As we all know from the RQ rules, the Black Fang cult was founded around 1450, when a human shaman met Black Fang in the Spirit World. Black Fang was a legendary bandit from around 1350 who had raided everyone inside the Rubble, irrespective of race or cult. Black Fang’s spirit serves an unamed god.
There are some 300 or so worshipers of Black Fang, organized as a large extended family, with initiates being “adopted” into the family. That makes Black Fang the second largest human cult in the Rubble – despite being a secret organization!
Black Fang aided human survival through Invisibility, Shattering, and Shield. I’ve heard rumors of the cult having access to Vision as well. Even powerful troll warleaders fear the cult’s ability to secretly kill its target.
Cacodemon
No one knows where the ogres of the Big Rubble originated. Some scholars theorize that they were originally humans who turned to cannibalism during the Troll Occupation or even before. The cruelest thing is that these ogres survived the Troll Occupation by feeding on the human survivors. Some fear that ogres live among humans in the ruins, eating their prey in secret.
Vivamort
In the Second Age there were those arrogant few who were vain enough and fearful enough to want to maintain their present consciousness forever. It is known that there are several vampires in the Big Rubble – these must have been once ordinary humans of Old Pavis or its environs. Places like Blind King’s Castle and Griffin Gate are commonly associated with vampires. Even the trolls fear the Rune masters of Vivamort.
Other Chaos
I’ve heard stories of humans that devoted themselves to such evil beings as Gbaji, Thanatar, Krarsht, and even Thed. The Devil’s Playground has long been rumored as a place where it is possible to make contact with Chaos. During the Lunar Occupation, there were constant rumors of Lunar priests being in contact with evil cults. Given the existence of the Crimson Bat cult, such rumors should not be rejected out of hand, even if most Lunars would have nothing to do with such evil.
Other strange cults include the 300 or so members of Mani’s Clan. Mani preserved the clan through the worst of the Troll Occupation, and the clan reveres him and his customs above all else.
Another strange one was the settlement of Iffinbix which lasted until about 1400. It centered about a god of that name, connected to the earth but with some sort of sorcery as well. Yojarl Thirdeye was the name of their leading hero, who showed how to eat the Agipith root which lets worshipers across the threshold of their temples without harm. When their temples are found even now, the root must be eaten to ensure safety. These temples are easily recognised by their four-sided, sloped, slate roofs.
To the Sartarite settlers of New Pavis, the Black Fang cult must be something terrifying like the Nizami Order of Assassins in the Levant. Black Fang coexisted with the Pavis cult in Old Pavis for a century before Dorasar built his city. Although the cults are not associated or even friendly with each other, they certainly were aware of each other, and no doubt there must be many lay members of Pavis who are secretly initiates of Black Fang.
This might help explain why even 75 years after the foundation of New Pavis, those of Old Pavisite heritage are often viewed as secretive and clannish lot.
Certainly during the later period of the Lunar Occupation (1622-1624), it is believable that the Lunar Governor was at least in contact with some of these cults. It was widely rumored that the Lunar “investigator,” Gimgim the Grim, was a member of Black Fang. It is widely believed that one of the Lunar priestesses in the direct service of the Lunar Governor routined contracted with Black Fang to kill those who might threaten the Lunar Governor (Lunar, Sartarite, and even Sun Domer).
Lanbril, on the other hand, I think was established along with the City of Thieves in 1490. His cult was all about smuggling, thieving, and the like. The City of Thieves was permitted both as a favour to Sartar and because it offered a trade outlet between the nomad peoples and Adari in the far north. This place was supported by the riverboat people, who had long before spread their influence all along the river, and also was a convenient neutral ground for the tribes.
This trading city continued to grow, and eventually housed a fairly large human population. The brooding walls of the ancient troll-haunted city continued to sit in closed silence, ignored and feared, until the year 1539.