It is important to never forget that the works of Michael Moorcock also contain hefty doses of social satire and political criticism, originally anchored in the postwar British context, but growing ever more global. As many have noted, references to real world figures abound especially in the Hawkmoon books:
Aside from retro-fitting 20th Century nations into his post-"Tragic Millennium" world, Moorcock also name-drops many historical figures of the past in the guise of "the old gods". For example, "Jhone, Jhorg, Phowl and Rhunga" are the dimly-remembered names of members of The Beatles. From the political world, "Chirshil, the Howling God" refers to Winston Churchill, "Aral Vilsn, the Roaring God" refers to British PM Harold Wilson, and "Pawl Bewchard" probably refers to the neo-fascist writer Paul Bouchard. Literary friends are also pseudo-cited: "Bjrin Adass, the Singing God" (Brian Aldiss), "Jeajee Blad, the Groaning God" (J. G. Ballard); "Jh'Im Slas, the Weeping God" (James Sallis).
(Reference HERE)
I think anyone wanting to run or play games nearer to Moorcock’s source fiction should, at times, lean into this. It is a good antidote to the over-seriousness of recent Fantasy, and harkens back to the counterculture roots of UK New Wave fiction.
Herein I’d like to give a few examples of deities or demons made using social satire. There are no stats, as these entities should not be beatable through mechanics or dice rolls, but by wit and roleplaying.
Deity # 1 - Nosnhoj Sirob
Description: A huge, straw-haired ape of a creature in a multihued clown suit, carrying a balloon with a constantly-changing array of words, such as ‘ME’, ‘Integrity’, and ‘Responsibility’
Image HERE
Powers:
Summon Partygate - Nosnhoj can make a shimmering portal through which pours an unending stream of gibbering, chinless demonoids who make execrable noise while debauching on wine and space mead. Any mortals must make a CON save or else contract a fever from them.
Exit Reality - Nosnhoj can seal the area off from other planes, causing it to grow slowly poorer. Objects begin to breakdown, buildings begin to fall apart as long as this stays in effect.
Weakness - Nosnhoj simply HAS to be the center of attention, and if wily PCs can appeal to this vanity, they may cause him to commit an error that could get him exiled to Limbo.
Deity # 2 - D'lanod P’murt
Description: A corpulent entity with a golden haired pompadour atop its head, draped in a mantle of shimmering red, white, and blue.
Powers:
Summon Deplorables - Dainod can open a rift that lets in a throng of subhumans who attack any that oppose him, and desecrate any ideologically opposed holy site.
Art of the Steal - Dianod can take any object it desires from anywhere in the Multiverse and hide in Ogal A Ram, his fetid swamp castle, but only does so for his own inscrutable reasons.
Weakness - Dianod always has to be loved and be convinced that it is the best at or has the best of anything. Also, never thinks of repercussions for its actions, so can be tricked into offending higher powers.
Kanus Ihsir
Description: Kanus is a smart looking man, six-armed man in an embroidered long jacket, with a rictus grin permanently on his face
Image HERE
Avoid Conflict - If any sort of argument or melee breaks out, Kanus simply evaporates and materializes elsewhere.
Gentry Flimflam - Nobles instantly believe anything Kanus tells them, regardless of how spurious or at odds with reality it may be.
Weakness: Kanus can never tell the truth, and so if smart player characters can force him into a conundrum, he may dematerialize for good.
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