Hanuman

One "civilized" animal cult is that of Hanuman the ape-god, worshipped in Zamboula. Hanuman's priests are feared rather than loved, although worship of the ape god is still supreme in Zamboula (much to the chagrin of the rival priests of Set and Erlik).

Hanuman's temple sits alone in the midst of a broad, marble-paved square in Zamboula, surrounded by a marble wall. The great bronze doors of the temple have stood open for centuries. In the day, men and women come timidly into the shrine and place offerings to their ape god on his black altar. However, at night, the citizens shun the temple of Hanuman as hares shun the lair of a serpent.

Hanuman's worship is thought to have originated from Vendhya. The dark ape god is probably worshipped in Kosala or other remote corners of the East as well.

Hanuman isn't known to manifest, but his idol is regularly appeased with human sacrifice. Although the statue of the ape god is carved from black marble, those who touch it quickly recoil from it, for the stone has the cold and sleek feel of a reptile.

Hanuman has few, but powerful priests, who practice human sacrifice. One unusual ritual of the cult is the Dance of the Cobras, in which a young girl is made to dance between four live cobras, dodging their venomous fangs until, inevitably, she tires and falls to her death.

The current high priest of Hanuman in Zamboula is Totrasmek, who is reputedly a mongrel—probably part Hyborian, part Shemite. He plays a very active part in the politics of Zamboula, having spun his slimy webs of power throughout the city for years.