The Zola Fel cult in New Pavis is fairly small, perhaps only 200 or 300 initiates. Nonetheless, their importance in providing food and river transport makes their cult very significant in the life of the city. Fishermen and boatmen alike need this cult.
Anyone who wishes to ride in the craft of cult initiates and Rune masters needs to become a lay member of Zolar Fel. It is a common custom for an individual wishing to travel by water to join the cult by paying what amounts to a 1L tax to the local priest.
Zola Fel is a rather unusual cult. Most of the members seen by others are human, but the majority of the members are actually water-dwellers. Over the general river length, about 25% of the members are land-dwellers, mainly human fishermen, boatmen, and a few traders; 20% are amphibious races mainly consisting of newtlings, with a few ducks; and 55% are full water-dwellers, composed of a few imported triolini, some of the river elves from the Puzzle Canal, and the intelligent fish of the river.
The river’s intelligent fish do not come from a single species. Rather, every species of fish in the river has a small proportion (less than one in a thousand) of intelligent members. Almost all of these special intelligent fish become initiates of Zola Fel. These special fish also have their POW up to 3D6, from the usual fishy maximum of 2 or 3.
They do not oppose the controlled harvesting of others of their species, as long as no intelligent fish are slain; some, in fact, help fishermen in their endeavours in return for various objects unattainable underwater.
Zola Fel is not interested in the doings of most land dwellers. His priests, when they come on land, are friendly advisers to the boatmen and potential advisers (friendly or not, depending upon the advice. Zola Fel is a subtle cult, and not averse to treachery) to Pavis.
Like most water deities Zola Fel disdains the quenchable fire and sky gods. He also dislikes the storm gods, for they can bring freezing cold and blocking ice. Zola Fel has special hate for Waha, for in the Great Dark, Waha degraded and polluted his sister, forcing her to wash away the remains of the Devil.
In New Pavis, nearly all initiates and priests are human, and most reside in Riverside. This is the most crowded area of the city, More than a quarter of all the households in the city are crammed into this neighborhood. Although most of the people in Riverside are not actually members of the Zola Fel cult, the cult has an outsized influence here, and the wily Ingilli family dominate the cult (and the neighborhood). It is thought that many residents are actually members of the Lanbril or even Black Fang. There are certainly more beggars and thieves here than anywhere within the walls (although not nearly so many as Badside).
