Lord_Raven88
First Post
Greetings I'm recruiting for 5 players in a game based in the world of Mystara (the original D&D game setting), specifically starting in the frontier town of Thershold which is part of the Grand Duchy of Karameikos.
I will be converting and running original D&D adventures, starting with the mini-campaign called 'In Search of Adventure' which has 10 adventures in it.
If you're interested in playing in such a game then submit a character using the following guidelines.
Campaign Setting: Mystara (Generic 3.5 D&D)
Posting Rate: 2 to 3 times a week.
Number of Players: 5 only.
Race: Any, but must be able to operate within 'civilised' society.
Classes & PrC's: Any, let me know what PrC's you are aiming for.
Level: 1
XP:0
Ability Scores: 30 point buy.
HP:Max at 1st level, then average HP's at even levels and average +1 HP's at odd levels.
Gold: Maximum for class.
Books: Any, but be sure to include a reference and page number to the source material. Also please fully detail out all special abilities.
I'll be picking 5 submissions only, these will be based partially on filling a necessary niche within the party as well as how interesting the character concept actually is.
House Rules
Here are some helpful links regarding Mystara, a map of the Known World as well as a map of The grand Duchy of Karameikos. I will also be using selected material from Vaults of Pandius
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[sblock=Grand Duchy of Karameikos]
This heavily forested region used to be known as Trilateral, a nation that was really a loose confederation of independent baronies.
Thirty years ago, Stefan Karameikos, an ambitious nobleman of the nearby Empire of Thyatis, traded his ancestral lands to the Thyatian emperor for Thyatian recognition of Karameikos' right to independent rule of Traladara. Stefan invaded Traladara, quickly conquering the nations largest sea port, Marilenev, and settling garrisons in all the regions larger communities.
He named the nation after himself. It became the Grand Duchy of Karameikos, Marilenev he renamed Specularum ( a much more Thyatian name). The Grand Duchy was recognised by Thyatis as an independent nation.
Stefan set up his own allies and cronies as regional rulers, allowing the original Traladaran rulers to retain their baronies only if they swore allegiance to him.
Karameikos is dark and forested with hundreds of square miles populated only by animals, loggers and by none humans such as elves and goblins. The Traladaran forest are an ancient home to vampires, werewolves and other dark creatures of legend.
[sblock=The Baron's Laws]
Karameikos derives it's laws from Thyatian models, dividing crimes into different classes. The judge ruling over the case has a choice of punishments, according to the class of the law involved.
Class 1: Unarmed assualts (inluding fist and verbal), Theft, Fraud, or Tax Evasion of 10gp value or less.
Class 2: Lesser Armed Assualt (use of impromtu weapons, such as brawling), Theft, Fraud, or Tax Evasion of 11gp to 100gp value.
Class 3: Flight (escape from authorities), Slander and False Accusation, Theft, Fraud, or Tax Evasion of 101gp to 1000gp value.
Class 4: Greater Armed Assualt (use of deadily weapons or magic), Endangerment (exposing another to danger through words or action, including inciting a mob to riot), Accidental Murder, Theft, Fraud, or Tax Evasion of 1001 to 10000gp value.
Class 5: Spontaneous Attempted Murder, Theft, Fraud, or Tax Evasion of 10001gp or greater value.
Class 6: Deliberate Attempted Murder, Spontaneous (successful) Murder, Mutiny in peacetime
Class 7: Deliberate Murder, Treason, Mutiny in Wartime.
[/sblock]
[sblock=Money]
Platnium Pieces are called Emperor's (minted in Thyatis), Gold Pieces are called Royal's, Silver Pieces are called Crona's, and Copper Pieces are called Kopec's
[/sblock]
[sblock=Towns and Cities]
Specularum(pop 70000)
The capital of the Grand Duchy of Karameikos and the ruling seat of it's duke, Stefan I, Specularum is the only true metropolis of any size or prestige in the nation, a bustling place with it's rough edges still showing. Most of the buildings are of wood or brick, as well as carved stone in the wealthier areas. The main roads are paved cobblestones, but many smaller streets and narrow alleys are only packed earth. It is a noisy, crowded, busy medieval town
Kelvin(pop 20000)
A smaller city located up the Highreach River from Specularum, Kelvin is nearly as bustling as the capital. A huge central castle, lavishly apportioned and furnished dominates the area.
Fort Doom(pop 10000)
Fort Doom, a dark brooding castle and the westernmost community of Karameikos, overlooks the Traladaran village of Halag.
Highforge(pop 7500)
A nonhuman community of gnomes and dwarves in the Wufwolde Hills, Highforge swears fealty to the Baron of Karameikos, but for the most part follows it's own course and customs. It is noted for it's extensive mining operations.
Vorloi(pop 7500)
The southern most of Karameikan communities, Vorloi overlooks the Sea of Dread from a Cliffside perch, it's safe harbour allowing some merchant traffic with Minrothad and Ierendi.
Dmitrov(pop 6500)
A sleepy town on the southern coast of Karameikos. Dmitrov has a hard working (if unimaginative) population. "As dull as Dmitrov on a feast day" is a cutting remark in the Karameikan court.
Threshold(pop 5000)
A large, open bright town in northern Karameikos, Threshold is favoured by merchants, fisherman and adventurers.
Luln(pop 5000)
A large town hunkered down behind high walls, it's proximity to Fort Doom and the Black Eagle Barony has stresses it's economy to it's limits.
Penhaligon(pop 3750)
Situated halfway between Kelvin and border with Darokin along the Baron's Road, this walled community serves as a way station for traffic along this road. It thrives despite a continued humanoid threat from the hills.
Rifllian(pop 2000)
Primarily an elven settlement, this town serves as a trading post between humans and the Callarii Elves. Its buildings are mostly wood with intricate carvings in the elven fashion.
Sulescu(pop 950)
Sulescu is an ancient village on the southern coast, ruled by the same family for over 300 years
Marilenev(pop 900)
Castle Marilenev dominates this small farming village, a decaying monstrosity and the seat of the Marilenev family.
Vandeviscny(pop 900)
Located along the forest and wilds of the southern coast, Vandeviscny a community of farmers and woodcutters very isolated from the rest of the world.
Rugalov(pop 650)
A new village at the mouth of the river of the same name, Rugalov is home to fisherman and bargeman who ferry traffic and goods across the tidal flow.
Verge(pop 500)
Situated at the foot of the Black Peak Mountains. It has been plagued by goblins and gnoll attacks over the past 20 years, and twice it has been burned to the ground.
[/sblock]
[sblock=Threshold(Detailed Overview)]
Ruler Patriarch Sherlane, the Baron Halaran. The patriarch is a church father in the Church of Karameikos
Population 5000
Laws: The Dukes Laws are enforced, with the following additions.
Despite it's population, Threshold is not a tightly-packed, dirty, squalid town (with the exception of Fogor Isle). Threshold is spread over a large area, filled with nice homes usually surrounded by vegetable gardens and livestock pens.
Unlike Specularum (the capital) Thresholds streets are wide and open, as there is a decree that no two residences shall be constructed within 50 feet of each other. Thus much of the stench and filth that builds up in more typical cities, is absent from Threshold.
Fisherman's Village
A small (population 1000) fishing village fronts lake Windrush and provides most of the fish in Threshold's markets. Fisherman's Village consist of a collection of wooden structures, some built out over the docks. A number of small boats and barges are kept for further travel up river.
Weir and Dam
The baron ordered the dam built to keep boats from travelling up river from Threshold. Threshold fisherman use the weir (a small screen attached to the dam) to catch fish, they drag it aside whenever logs come downriver from the logging camp north of Lake Windrush.
Fogor Isle
The Island was largely built up before the Baron's decree about close housing was passed. It is therefore, like any other cities tenement district - close-set, squalid buildings, narrow streets, and numerous opportunities for crime. Many businesses flourish here some legal but many not. The city guard does not venture across the bridges onto Fogor's Isle after dark.
~ The Black Jug Tavern
A favourite adventurers hang-out in the town, the Black Jug turns a blind eye to weapons and magic violations, provided they don't attract the attention of the city watch.
~ The Crossed Swords
This former adventurers hang-out on Fogor's Isle was closed years ago after a virulent disease killed it's staff and many of it's patrons. It's doors and windows are boarded over.
The Mainland
The Mainland or the "Main" is the newer part of Threshold, and as such, it's residents obey the Baron's decrees. The main itself is divided by the Old Town Wall, which now has been riddled by so many gates and openings that it serves more as a point of interest than a reasonable defence. The Old Town Wall area harbours most of the legitimate businesses, while personal dwellings and estates lie between it and the new wall
~ Town Hall
Situated in the centre of town, this large building serves many purposes. Here, officials hold town meetings, secure confiscated weapons, issue public declarations, conduct trials, and hold entertainments.
~ Threshold Temple, Church of Karameikos
This tall cathedral, topped by sky-arching spires in the Thyatian style, is the patriarch domain. He oversees a contingent of 20 lesser priests and sees to the spiritual needs of his flock. There are no Temples of Traladara in Threshold, but a number of small shrines are maintained by lone priest.
~ Cardia's Carpet Service
Cardia is a retired adventurers who has put one of her treasures to good use - a flying carpet. The carpet service regularly makes runs to Specularum and other towns in Karameikos.
~ The Hook and Hatchet
Pressed flat up against the Old Town Wall is the tavern called the Hook and Hatchet, known throughout threshold as the favourite watering hole of the town guard.
Loggers Camp
An encampment of loggers operates in the nearby woods, about 1000 loggers live here. This camp has it's own wood mill replacing the Old Mill
Old Mill
The Old Mill was destroyed by fire 25 years ago, but the blackened ruins still sit on the north end of Fogor's Isle
Ruins
The ruins of some ancient town lie on the west shore of the lake, north of Threshold. Stone walls still stand in places, and pieces of rubble dot the landscape.
Tarnskeep
This is Baron Halarans castle, a small sturdy fortress with a single curtain wall, four towers and a large manor house.
[/sblock]
[sblock=Traladaran Culture: A Brief Overview]
by Jennifer Guerra
HISTORY
Traladara has been a land torn by constant invasion, occupation, and war for over 2,000 years. Traladara was once the land of the Traldar, tribal peoples who also settled in the lands that would become known as Darokin. Traldar culture flourished around BC 1200. Traldar culture and society at its peak was most comparable to that of the modern-day people of Minaea, or of the collapsed Milenian civilisation of the southern continent.
But the invasion around BC 1000 of the beast-men (probably gnolls) brought an end to the golden age of the Traldar. King Halav, leader of the settlement at Lavv (modern-day Kelvin), led the Traldar to victory over the invaders, though he perished in the battle. Very few of the Traldar survived; those who did reverted back to a simple agrarian lifestyle in order to survive. Communication between communities became infrequent, although the epic of King Halav continued to give the people a sense of unity. Meanwhile, limited contact with newly-arrived Callarii and Vyalia elves lead to the establishment of trade with a very few villages.
The Traldar (now called Traladarans) began a slow climb back to civilisation, although efforts were hampered by constant humanoid invasions and plagues of vampirism and lycanthropy. Marilenev (now Specularum), the major city of Traladara, was a thriving trade village of 5000.
But then Thyatian forces entered Traladara in AC 900 and quickly conquered the undefended territory. Since then, Traladara (called Karameikos since AC 970) has suffered at the hands of a small Thyatian minority, which dominates politics, trade, and the upper echelons of the military.
RELIGION
The Traladaran people, for the most part, follow the teachings of the Church of Traladara, which exhorts followers to live a good life and to do no harm to others. Clerics provide advice based on the examples provided in "The Song of King Halav." The Church of Traladara honours the Immortal Halav, as well as his companions Petra and Zirchev. Traladaran clerics also perform marriages and officiate at other ceremonies, preach the church philosophies, and promote good will. They may also fight in order to save lives or to defeat evil. Roughly 70 percent of the population of Traladara belong to the Church; most are of the common people, although members of the important Traladaran families in Specularum follow the Church philosophies as a matter of protest against Thyatian rule. The current Patriarch of the Church of Traladara is Aleksyev Nikelnevich (also known as "Father Niki").
Many Traladarans (5 to 10 percent of the total population) belong to the Thyatian-dominated Church of Karameikos, while small minorities follow the Eternal Truth of Al-Kalim, the teachings of the elven Immortals, other faiths, or none at all. The Traladaran people are very open-minded and tolerant, and will permit people of nearly any religious creed (excepting evil faiths) to live among them. But Traladarans are also highly-resistant to conversion of any kind, and resent people who question their personal beliefs.
CULTURE AND ATTITUDES
Traladara is noted for its rich folk and liturgical music, stone carving, and architecture. Traladaran architecture displays a remarkable originality in design, seen especially in Traladaran churches and shrines. These churches are often small and simple, with external sculptures and reliefs.
Traladarans are a warm and generous people known for their hospitality; a guest of a Traladaran host, rich or poor, will never leave hungry! (Traditional foods are detailed below). Besides eating, Traladarans enjoy a number of cultural pastimes, such as the greased pole contest, where contestants try to climb a twenty-foot tall smooth wooden pole soaked in fish oil and slathered with lard (the first to make it to the red flag at the top wins a prize, usually a cake). Another pastime is the pancake race, where up to eight contestants try to cross a distance to the finish line while flipping a pancake on a large wooden "spatula." Pummelling and wrestling remain popular sports as well.
One of the more interesting things about Traladarans is their attitude toward romance. Romance is deeply entrenched in the Traladaran culture, and plays a very important role. Traladaran romance is an old-fashioned concept (many of these concepts went out of fashion in other parts of the world a century ago), essentially preserving the concept of courtly love, wherein the woman is elevated as an object of adoration, and in which the man serves her virtue without expecting favours in return. Lukacs Renyo, a popular writer born in Specularum, wrote of this concept. Renyo writes that the ideal of Traladaran romance is about the male proffering love, not receiving it. Traladaran men kiss the hands of their ladies; they enter a tavern or restaurant before the lady so that she should not be exposed to any unseemly behaviour which might be taking place within; they walk on the outside of the street (on the lady's left) so as to be able to draw their swords in defence of her honour. Consequently, Traladara can be a very romantic place for a lady to be!
But there is also an unfortunate side to this romantic attitude. While Traladara has a wonderful reputation for romance, it also has a reputation as being the "gloomiest" nation in the Known World (aside from Boldavia in Glantri, which is populated by Traladaran emigrants). Indeed, Traladara sadly has one of the highest suicide rates in the Known World. Many experts believe that this has something to do with the Thyatian occupation. Sage Bela Kopul, an expert in such matters of the mind and the heart, says that many Traladarans see suicide as a brave attempt to restore their dignity which has been stolen in some personal way by the conquest (even a century later). Kopul has written that in the years immediately following the invasion of AC 900, there were as many as 4500 reported suicides in Traladara.
Indeed, this attitude of hopelessness and desperation manifests itself in many aspects of Traladaran culture, especially in song. One popular song shows both the romantic spirit and the despair of the Traladaran people:
"Little white flowers won't wait for you,
Not where the black coach of sorrow has taken you;
Immortals have no thought of returning you--
Would they be angry if I thought of joining you?"
CUSTOMS AND SAYINGS
Traladarans have many important customs. Perhaps most important among them is the Shearing. The Shearing is the time in which a Traladaran youth, approaching adulthood, leaves home and sets out on his or her own (for many young Traladaran women also take part in this custom). At a dinner celebration attended by all the family and friends, the parents dress their child in travelling gear; the bottom of the cloak is sheared and left ragged, symbolising that he or she is an impoverished traveller. From that time, the sheared youth is considered a friend of the family, but not part of it. He (for example) must go out into the world and survive until he has proved himself worthy to be asked back into the family, at which time he is considered a full adult.
The Shearing takes place, of course, only once in any Traladaran's lifetime; however, many Traladaran customs are an everyday tradition. Manners and etiquette are an example. Traladaran manners are similar in some ways to typical manners anywhere else. But there are still many differences, particularly in the host-guest relationship: in Traladaran homes, the host defers to the guest (rather than the other way around). This results in some interesting situations, among them a host offering a guest his bed in which to sleep if there is none other available.
Traladarans not only have interesting customs, but also interesting sayings. A few common examples follow:
"Better poor and honest than rich and corrupt." (Also heard as ". . .than Thyatian.")
"If a man returns evil for good, then from his house evil shall not depart."
"Better a dish of herbs where love is than a fatted cow and hatred with it."
"A simpleton believes everything, but the shrewd man measures his steps."
FOOD AND DRINK
Traladaran hospitality extends to the table where one should be prepared for a feast that lasts several hours (if the host has the means). The typical Traladaran commoner's diet is heavy on vegetables and dark breads, with some meats (mostly birds and pork) and (near the coast) fish. In the countryside, grain-based dishes, such as porridge and oatmeal or potato cakes, are common. Among the meza (appetisers) are items such as spicy dried meats called basturma, stuffed vegetables and fruits called dolma, tasty meatballs, and home-cured olives (especially near the coast). Other popular dishes are plaki, a vegetable or fish stew containing tomatoes, onions, and olive oil; fluffy pastries, bourek, filled with meat and cheese or spinach; kasha, a sauté of onions, mushrooms, and simmered wheat kernels; paprikas burgoyna (potatoes paprika); cabbage stew; and spicy sausages called sudjuk. Traladarans often sip raki, an anise-flavoured drink. Beer, cider, and wine are, of course, always popular.
FOLK TRADITIONS
Although most Traladarans belong to a formal religious organisation (mostly the Church of Traladara), some older customs have persisted. For example, in ancient times, Traladarans considered trees to be sacred plants with the power to grant special favours and requests. By tying strips of cloth to a tree, one could ask for help or heal sick relatives and friends. Some Traladarans continue this practice today. To the never-ending chagrin of many, the Traladaran people have retained many other old superstitions. These range from belief in lucky numbers and tea leaf readings to always approaching a shop from the front (to bring the owner prosperity).
Of course, like everyone else, Traladarans rely heavily on magical healing. When a healer cannot be had, however, home remedies prevail. Medical beliefs among Traladarans fall into two general categories: religious and folk medicine. Religious Traladarans often believe that illness is caused by the Immortals, and so rely mainly on incantations and prayers for relief. Others rely on folk healing. For example, for the healing of wounds, the victim is instructed to clean the wound with wine or another strong spirit, then hold the wound closed with both hands and chant three times, "In the name of Halav Red-Hair. The wound is red, the cut deep, the flesh be sore, but there will be no more blood or pain." Then the wound is bound in a poultice and a clean cloth.
SUBCULTURES
Although the Traladaran people are all one people, there are many subcultures among them. The most populous Traladaran subculture are the mixed-blood Traladarans--those of both Traladaran and Thyatian parentage. Other subcultures are not as highly visible, but are nonetheless there. Many other Traladarans of mixed blood exist, including those of Ylari, Hin, Elven, and Darokinian descent.
The Darine are full-blooded Traladarans, although they live by an ancient code of living that most Traladarans have left behind in these late days. The Darine are a travelling people, and a visit from one of their vardo (wagon) caravans means certain entertainment, with dancing, magic tricks, and fortune-telling. The Darine have bad reputations among the Thyatians of the cities as thieves and tricksters, but the Traladarans of the countryside know them to be an honest, albeit mysterious, people.
[/sblock]
[sblock=The Church of Karameikos]
By John Biles
* Symbol: A twelve-pointed star
* Colours: Blue and Yellow
* Sacred Days:
* The first day of each month; each month is sacred to a particular Immortal.
Domains:
* Good, Healing, Law, Protection
The Church of Karameikos was an effort to blend Traladaran religion with Thyatian; the result is not always entirely self-consistent, especially as they desired to appeal to all the races of Karameikos. Each immortal represents one of the twelve virtues. The twelve immortals of the Church of Karameikos are:
* Cleverness--Korotiku the Trickster
* Compassion--Chardastes the Healer
* Courage--Halav Red-Hair
* Craftsmanship--Kagyar the Artisan
* Defence of the Weak--Petra the Holy Defender
* Discipline--Djaea, Averter of Catastrophes
* Justice--Tarastia the Just
* Love--Valerias, Patron of Lovers and Girder-on of Weapons
* Patience--Khoronus, Father of Time
* Peacefulness--Koryis, Patron of Peace and Prosperity
* Respect for Nature--Zirchev
* Scholarship--Ixion the Adventurous Scholar
Cleverness--Korotiku the Trickster (Heaven of Winds)
Ruler of the Heaven of Winds, Korotiku is the trickster whose pranks bring wisdom and laughter to all who meet him. He encourages his followers to puncture the pretensions of those who have become lost in their own self-importance and to bring comfort to those in pain through humour. Korotiku was one of the ancient Traladaran patrons, although the Thyatians also worshipped him, especially the Pearl Islanders.
Compassion--Chardastes the Healer (Heaven of Waters)
In the wake of the great war against the beast-men 2000 years ago, Chardastes travelled between the villages of Traladara, healing all those who had suffered at their hands. He even healed beast-men he encountered along the way, which proved his downfall, for a band of them tried to carry him off to keep as a healer. He offered no resistance, but refused to offer obeisance to their foul gods, so they slew him in a fit of rage. The Immortals then took him up and made him one of their number. Chardastes is the steward of the Heaven of Waters, tending to the needs of its inhabitants with quiet cheer. He encourages his followers to offer compassion and forgiveness to all, especially to their enemies.
Courage--Halav Red-Hair (Heaven of Winds)
Halav was the leader of Traladara in the great war against the beast-men, and it was he who slew their hideous leader in battle, he who brought the arts of metal forging to men. He now leads the griffon-riding Hosts of the Heaven of Winds in their wars against the Fiends of the Pit. He is husband to Petra the Defender. He encourages his followers to be steadfast and brave.
Craftsmanship--Kagyar the Artisan (Heaven of Stone)
Kagyar it was who forged the Dwarves from rock, Kagyar it was who raised the mountains which shield Karameikos from invasion, Kagyar it was who taught Halav to forge metal, and Kagyar it is who watches over the Dwarves and Gnomes of Traladara. His blessing shines upon all those who build things which will stand the test of time. Kagyar is the steward of the Heaven of Stone, ensuring that it will endure through the ages. He encourages his followers to be craftsmen in stone and metal, to build things which will endure forever.
Defence of the Weak--Petra the Holy Defender (Heaven of Waters)
Wife to Halav and Queen of Traladara in the time of the beast-men, it was she who invented the arts of pottery and weaving, she who insured that none would starve by beginning the storage of food against the famine the beast-men brought, she who called down the gods to do battle against the demons who aided the beastmen, and she who found Halav's fallen body and preserved it from desecration. To her is given the guardianship of the Heaven of Waters. She encourages her followers to protect the weak and innocent from assault and injustice, and to prudently prepare for hard times to come.
Discipline--Djaea, Averter of Catastrophes (Heaven of Stone)
Djaea rules the Heaven of Stone, the world as it was intended to be before the plotting of the Fiends of the Pit marred the world. She it was who laid out the plans the Immortals used to forge it, and she who was first to see the plots of Entropy. Her struggle against them is patient and endless. She it was who warned Halav and Petra and Zirchev of the coming of the Beast Men, and she it was who still cries for fallen Blackmoor, which failed to heed her warnings. She and Khoronus were wed in the dawn of the world. She encourages her followers to be steadfast and true, to resist the temptations offered by the Fiends, to never abandon a project from boredom or exhaustion, but instead to persevere to the end.
Justice--Tarastia the Just (Heaven of Fire)
Her worship in Traladara is recent; Traladarans always looked to Halav and Djaea for justice. The Thyatians say she is one of their own, the legendary empress Valentia the Justiciar, who united the Thyatian Empire in its early years by fairly offering equal citizenship to all its subjects, making one people of all the nations. Duke Stefan has followed her example in his efforts to make one people of Traladar and Thyatians. She leads the hosts of the Heaven of Fire in their wars with the Fiends of the Pit. She encourages her followers to treat others fairly, and to be just in all their dealings.
Love--Valerias, Patron of Lovers and Girder-on of Weapons (Heaven of Stone)
Valerias is another Thyatian goddess. She is the lover of Ixion--their relationship is legendarily passionate and tempestuous. Like him, she is ancient beyond reckoning. She is the especial patron of star-crossed lovers who must battle against the odds, and has been known to bring weapons to those who must fight for their love. She guards the Heaven of Stone with her Sacred Band. Her followers are encouraged to love with all their hearts and to open their hearts to others.
Patience--Khoronus, Father of Time (Heaven of Waters)
Husband to Djaea, Khoronus rules the Heaven of Waters, sailing his great ship down the rivers of time. He brings patient, purposeful change, change brought about through careful planning and deep thought. Unwilling to act until he thinks things all the way through, he sometimes drives the other Immortals insane by being a little too patient, but when he acts, he is as decisive as anyone. He teaches his followers to both patiently accept what changes are beyond their control, and how to intelligently guide the course of history so far as it is within their power.
Peacefulness--Koryis, Patron of Peace and Prosperity (Heaven of Winds)
Koryis is revered by the Ochaleans of Thyatis, and with the integration of Traladara into first Thyatis and now Karameikos, his worship has spread west. Koryis advocates trade as a way of building networks between people that channel their energies into peaceful competition instead of war. He is the steward of the Heaven of Winds, encouraging its mercurial inhabitants to live in fruitful peace with one another. He teaches his followers how to find the mutual interests they share with others, and how to then cooperate with them in order to benefit both.
Respect for Nature--Zirchev (Heaven of Fire)
Zirchev the Hunter aided Halav and Petra in the war against the Beastmen, learning the arts of the hunt, of scouting, and of ambush. His studies taught him the secrets of nature, and he learned to use its power by flowing with its rhythms, instead of against them. He is the steward of the Heaven of Fire; under his care the Fire Forests have flourished. He teaches his followers to respect the wild places and the animals they hunt.
Scholarship--Ixion the Adventurous Scholar (Heaven of Fire)
The King of the Heaven of Fire, Ixion is like fire: he both warms and burns those who come close to him. He advocates the life which balances action and contemplation, doing and being, war and wisdom. He strives ever to learn more, and to do things with his knowledge. He encourages his followers to study the world in order to change it.
The Fiends:
There are five great fiends who plot the destruction of all the works of the Twelve Immortal Guardians. Each is served by many lesser fiends. They are lead by Thanatos, He who is Death, the End of All Things. He seeks to destroy all four of the Four Heavens, while the other four Great Fiends each target a single Heaven.
Death: Thanatos
At the End of All Things, the very bottom of the Pit, sits Thanatos, as all things tumble down into his maw. He is patient, for he believes that in the end, he will devour everything in an apocalypse from which there will be no rebirth. He is too foolish to understand that death is merely the prelude to new beginnings. Death has no especial foes, for he intends to devour everything in the end.
Destruction: Orcus (The Enemy of the Heaven of Stone)
Orcus is destruction made flesh, the active principle which smashes big rocks into smaller rocks and turns all to dust in the end. It is by his plots that the world was marred, and he hopes to one day destroy the Heaven of Stone, so that even the memory of the world in its first bloom of perfection will be lost. His greatest enemy is Djaea, Queen of the Heaven of Stone.
Malice: Loki (Enemy of the Heaven of Winds)
Loki is malice, and jealousy, and spite and all the emotions which inspire people to hurt others and pull them down. He is the trickster whose pranks bring pain and suffering to others, who bullies and mistreats the weak and leads the proud to destruction. He is the rubber of salt in wounds, the joker who kills, the fire which burns all it touches. His greatest enemy is Korotiku, King of the Heaven of Winds.
Despair: Hel (Enemy of the Heaven of Fire)
Hel is the greyness of despair, the one who whispers in your ear that it is best to give up, to surrender, to accept that there is nothing you can do about a bad situation. Why fight? Why struggle? Why not just give in and accept you cannot change the world for good or ill and spare yourself the pain of your inevitable failure? That is the message she brings. Her greatest enemy is Ixion, King of the Heaven of Fire.
Selfishness: Talitha (Enemy of the Heaven of Waters)
Talitha teaches that one should always put one's self above all others, that everyone else exists only to serve you and your pleasures. Greed and self-indulgence are the highest virtues in her sight. She struggles with Khoronus, the King of the Heaven of Waters.
The Four Heavens and the Pit:
There are four Heavens, each home to three of the Immortals who watch over it. Those who die purified of their sins ascend to dwell with the immortal whose virtue they best manifested in life.
The first is the Heaven of Stone, ruled by Djaea, the world as it was before the Fiends of the Pit marred it in the War of the Gods at the dawn of Time itself. The roads are made of silver so that no fell werewolf may walk them, and the sun never ceases to shine, driving away the vampire and all his foul kin.
The second is the Heaven of Air, a great kingdom of clouds and wind, ruled by Korotiku. It is an ever changing land, constantly reshaped as the clouds drift about at the direction of those who rule them and dwell upon them. All the creatures of the sky find havens here, and noble cloud and storm giants build their flying citadels.
The third is the Heaven of Water, a great ocean dotted with islands green with life. Fishermen dwell upon the islands and gather their harvest from the sea, while beneath its surface dwell a million glorious civilisations. Khoronus rules there from his floating citadel where he keeps the Great Book, in which all that ever happened is written down.
The fourth is the Heaven of Fire, where all is made of light and fire, a world we can hardly imagine. It is home to Ixion the Sun King, who makes his dwelling place upon the back of a gold dragon the size of a continent. Here, all people become magicians of puissant power, and fire burns without consuming.
Each of these Heavens cast a shadow, the so called 'Elemental Planes', where dwell many strange and wondrous creatures, and they float in a great ocean known as the Astral Plane, through which runs the Silver Road that leads from the Mortal World to that of the Immortals.
As their light shines upon our world, our world casts a shadow across the Astral Plane, a shadow known as The Pit, home to the Fiends, Immortals who have been swallowed by their own darkness and strive to mar all that the Immortal Guardians create. The Pit has five great layers to it, four of which parody the Four Heavens, and the fifth of which lies below the other four, the End of All Things, home to Thanatos, He Who Is Death.
The Hell of Rubble is ruled by Orcus the Destroyer, a great void full of broken chunks of all that is solid, constantly being broken into tinier bits. The Fiends of Destruction, who live only to smash all else that is, dwell here, gradually destroying their own home.
The Hell of Ash is ruled by Two-Faced Hel, the Lady of Despair and Misery. It is a grey and dismal hall built from the fingernails of the dead, which stands in a great bleak plane of ash. There is no fire, no light, no hope here, only dismal grey twilight and an eternity of existence without purpose or meaning. The Fiends of Despair dwell here, moaning and bewailing their fate.
The Hell of Sand is ruled by Talitha the Vain, who dwells within a great palace made entirely from stolen goods, surrounded by a bleak and lifeless desert of endless sand under a constantly present hot summer sun. Every wall is mirrored so that she and her Fiends of Selfishness and Vanity can gaze upon themselves, admire their own beauty, and count themselves lucky to not be among the hapless evil souls condemned to toil endlessly in the desert.
The Hell of Fire is a great charnel house ruled by Loki the Jealous, who dwells in a great hall built of the charred and forged souls of the damned. All those consumed by their own jealousy, hatred, and envy of others fall into the Hell of Fire where they are turned into tools and money and food for the Fiends of Malice, who fatten upon them. Sometimes Loki invites the newly damned to compete with him for the right to join his fiends. The games are rigged so that no one but him can win; Loki greatly enjoys the joke. The losers become dinner for the winner.
The End of All Things is a great conical void whose walls are made of solid nothingness, a funnel down which all things slide into the waiting maw of Thanatos himself, who sits at the bottom, letting all things come to him as he believes they inevitably must.
Philosophy and Theology:
The Church of Karameikos' most fundamental practice is that of taking responsibility for one's ill deeds and doing penance for them. Anyone can be redeemed if they are willing to accept their own guilt and pay for it. The state of your soul at death is determined by how many of your sins you have done penance for. The problem with this is that some abuse it as a blank check to do evil things and pay for it later.
The Church's ideal is the marriage of discipline and creativity of thought and deed, but in practice, the disciplinary aspect tends to predominate. This often leads to clashes with the various Traladaran faiths and with anyone else who deviates from the cultural norms of the Thyatian elite who currently dominate the Church. It also leads some to be willing to crusade against other faiths or lands to spread the faith.
Marriage is very sacred to the Church because mortal marriages are symbolic of the union of discipline (law) and creativity (chaos) which forms part of its philosophy. It is to be noted that many of its patron immortals are either married or in extremely long-term relationships. Divorce is highly frowned on, and adultery and pre-marital sex are seen as grave sins.
The state of one's soul at death determines one's fate in the everlasting life. Those who die without repenting their ill deeds sink into one of the hells, as appropriate for their greatest sin. Those who die with their soul sufficiently cleansed by repentance and penance rise to the heaven which most closely reflects their greatest virtue. The most holy of those join the ranks of the Champions who serve the Immortals.
The Church of Karameikos condemns the various divination practices of the populace of Karameikos because they believe such methods are subject to manipulation by the Fiends, and are in fact a major tool by which the Fiends tempt and destroy humanity. They also believe that they don't work and are foolish superstitions.
Holy Books:
Most of the holy texts of the Church of Karameikos are either Thyatian or Karameikan in origin, and have been gathered together by Patriarch Jowett into what is called 'The Book of Twelve Stars'. It consists of:
* The Vision of the First Dawn (An account of the creation of the universe as seen by Patriarch Jowett in a vision)
* The Marring of the World (An account written from a vision by the seventh century AC Thyatian visionary Epithelius of Retebius. It deals with the rise of Entropy and the fall of the world from its first perfection.)
* Korotiku Steals the Secret of Death (Pearl Islander story about how Korotiku stole the secret of death from Thanatos, thus enabling himself to become immortal and those held prison in Thanatos' cave to escape)
* The Works of Kagyar (This is a spiritual history of the Dwarves and of the deeds of Kagyar over the centuries. Some now forgotten dwarven mystic wrote this at least a thousand years ago. It contains an extensive description of the Heaven of Stone)
* The Path of Light (an ancient text of Tarastia worshippers which lays out the twelve virtues and how to follow them. As might be expected, it especially exalts the virtue of Justice.)
* The Five Curses of the Fiends (This dark and gloomy book was also written by Patriarch Jowett after a vision, and describes the Five Hells and the Five Fiends in disturbing detail and the curse which each of them has put upon all the sentient races.)
* The Fall of Blackmoor (This is a lament by Djaea for the fall of Blackmoor and for the destruction the Rain of Colourless Fire brought upon the world. It is a traditional Traladaran text.)
* The Song of Halav (Traditional Traladaran epic poem about the Traladar-Beastman war of 1000 BC. Halav, Petra, and Zirchev figure prominently)
* Zirchev's Testament (Traditional Traladaran text which sets out Zirchev's warning to the Traladarans to respect the powers that dwell within the forests of their lands, said to have been dictated before he went forth to war on the Beastmen and passed on by his children. Traladaran tradition holds that it was the failure to hold to these commands which enabled the Five Fiends to twist some of the forests dwellers into the lycanthropes which plague Karameikos)
* The Life of Chardastes (This is an account of the life and death of Chardastes written by one of his followers. It is Traladaran in origin)
* Love Songs (This book has three chapters, each of which is a love poem from one of the Immortals to another. The first is 'The Song of Petra', which is a traditional Traladaran love poem written by Petra to Halav on the eve of the battle with the Beastmen. She clearly fears she will never see him again, and pours out her heart to him. The second is 'The Passion of Valerias', written by Valerias to Ixion. It is a strange combination of pornography and spiritual ecstasy. The third is 'The Pledge of Khoronus', in which he pledges his love to Djaea. It shows the love of an old and stable couple in whom the flame of love burns lower but more steadily.)
* The Analects of Koryis (This is a strange and enigmatic book which consists of 144 sayings, each of which is a four line poem. The book is divided into twelve sections of twelve sayings each, with each section being a different kind of poetry and focusing on a different topic. While of Thyatian origin, it has circulated in Traladara for several centuries, being used as a divination system. The Church of Karameikos frowns on its use for divination, regarding it as a depository of spiritual wisdom)
* The Prophecy of Hope (This was proclaimed by a priest of Ixion in ancient Traladara after the destruction of the Beastmen. It contains twelve prophecies of future Traladaran triumphs, culminating in the utter overthrow of evil and the restoration of the world to its original beauty.)
Selected Quotes from the Book of Twelve Stars:
"Eyes cannot see, words cannot tell
the glory of the world in the first spring,
in the days when all was new,
in the days before the world was marred,
and yet, I must try."
--The Vision of the First Dawn
"Order protects and sustains
Chaos creates and changes
Entropy corrupts and destroys.
Once all were one,
But then the world was marred,
And strife entered in its wake.
Death seems everywhere triumphant.
For every soul he waits
At the End of All Things.
But he has forgotten the circle,
misreads the seasons,
ignores nature's every sign.
After fall comes winter,
but after winter is spring.
The world's springtime will come again."
--The Marring of the World
"Those who cannot take a joke are the ones who most desperately need one to be given to them."
--Korotiku Steals the Secret of Death
"It is not easy to forgive, to love one's enemies. But none of the good things in life come easily. Hate and destruction are the road that leads into the Maw of Thanatos. I will walk the harder road that leads into the light."
--The Life and Death of Chardastes
"Halav shoved himself up the spear,
and hacked off the Beast King's head.
For 'tis better to die a hero's death
than to live a coward's life."
--The Song of Halav
"Fires consume their fuel and die,
songs fade and stories are forgotten,
wood burns and flesh rots away,
but stone and metal endure.
And so I command my children
to build their homes and tools
on a solid foundation
for stone and metal endure."
--The Works of Kagyar
"Fight not for your own glory, my love.
;Fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.":
--The Song of Petra
"Before you can bring order to the world,
you must bring order to yourself.
Blackmoor never learned this lesson;
do not walk their road."
--The Lamentations of Djaea
"Let not the judge forget that one day he too will be judged."
--The Path of Light
"Forge me with your hammer. Mould my clay into something beautiful and harden me with the fires of love. You are copper; I am tin. Let us become bronze."
--The Passion of Valerias
"In the winters of our love, remember the past and know that spring always comes again. Winter is but a rest that makes the spring all the sweeter. Be like the willow which bends in the wind and returns to stand upright when the wind passes, for it always does."
--The Pledge of Khoronus
"Everyone is someone else's stranger.
When you look upon a man you know not
and tell yourself he is odd and dangerous,
you ensure he will come to think the same of you."
--The Analects of Koryis
"Did you make the forest? Did you set the plants to grow and the animals to their grazing and hunting? Can you make more land, set a sun in the sky and rain to fall? If so, then you may say the forest is yours, but you know that is not so."
--The Testament of Zirchev
"Without knowledge, action is aimless. Without action, knowledge is pointless. Do not choose merely to know, or merely to do. Use your wisdom, or you will lose it."
--The Book of Hope.
Organisation:
The Church of Karameikos is a fairly well ordered hierarchy. Its head is the high patriarch, currently Olliver Jowett, who serves for life once elected by the patriarchs and matriarchs of the church. Each patriarch oversees the church in a region of the country radiating out from the city in which his temple sits, appointing priests to all the temples within his district. One patriarch serves as the head of the Order of the Griffon, the Church's military arm. Every year, the patriarchs assemble for two weeks (or longer) to deliberate matters facing the church in the Great Synod. Most patriarchs also periodically invite their subordinate priests to elect twelve delegates to meet with them yearly as a synod for their district, although this is not required.
All Patriarchs and Matriarchs are at least ninth level.
The Patriarchs and Matriarchs of the Church are: High Patriarch: Olliver Jowett. He doubles as Patriarch of Specularum, watching over the church in the southern seaboard. Patriarch of Threshold: Sherlane Halaran. Northern Karameikos is his responsibility. Commander of the Order of the Griffon: Alfric Oderbry. He supervises the Order of the Griffon. Patriarch of Kelvin: Baron Desmond Kelvin II (He is also a member of the Order of the Griffon, but was chosen for the Patriarchate on the death of his uncle, the former Patriarch). Central Karameikos is under his supervision. Matriarch of Luln: Natasha Markova. All of Western Karameikos is effectively under her supervision. Matriarch of Rugalov (based out of Rugalov keep): Anastasia Romanova . Eastern Karameikos is under her supervision, though at the present she's largely stuck playing chaplain to the Rugalov garrison and squabbling with Oderbry over who has jurisdiction over several Order of the Griffon fortified monasteries in the Dymrak.
The Order of the Griffon is the military wing of the Church, led by Patriarch Alfric Oderbry. They provide bodyguards for the Patriarchs, guards for the major temples, and provide the manpower which the Patriarchs call on in times of war to fulfil their duties to the Duke as landholders. The Order is a mix of Paladins, Fighters, Clerics, and Warriors. It has two branches: the Soldiers of the Griffon, who are a mixture of low level Warriors and Fighters who serve the church, providing temple guards, garrisons for the fortified churches of the wilderness, and military forces to meet the feudal military duties of the Church. The Knights of the Griffon are a mixture of Paladins and Clerics who perform holy quests, bodyguard the Patriarchs, and command the Soldiers of the Griffon in garrison duties and peacetime. All are at least fifth level.
The order mans a dozen or so fortified monasteries/manors built in wilderness zones, whose revenues help to fund the order and whose dangers keep it in fighting trim.
[/sblock]
[sblock=The Church of Traladara]
by Jeremy Morris
The Church of Traladara is an ancient religion stretching back thousands of years to ancient Traladara, long before the crowning of the first Emperor of Thyatis. The Church centres around the teachings of three primary Immortals - Halav the Patron of Warfare and Weaponsmiths, Petra the Patron of Defence and Cities, and Zirchev the Patron of Forests and Hunters.
In addition to these three Immortal patrons, the Church also acknowledges the existence of a fourth Immortal. This Immortal is known by a number of names, including the Adversary and the Beast-King, but in the Concordance he is given the name Flaghr. Flaghr was the Beast-Man king that King Halav fought in his final battle. According to the epic Song of Halav, Flaghr and Halav struck killing blows against each other simultaneously. The Church teaches that Halav and Flaghr continue their epic struggle, Flaghr trying to destroy Traladara, Halav trying to save it. The Feast of Halav commemorates this struggle every year.
The primary document of Church teaching is the Song of Halav, an epic legend passed down through the centuries to modern day. The Song of Halav tells of the struggle of King Halav and the Traladaran people against an invading force of beast-men. The Song is a long work, and one that has moral and ethical teachings embedded throughout. Part of the traditional duty of the priests of the Church is to extract the teachings of the Immortals from the Song, and to pass this knowledge on to their faithful.
These teachings from the Song have been codified into a work called the Concordance. The Concordance is organised into a number of chapters, opening with the Song of Halav, and followed by the traditional teachings. The Concordance also contains a complete history of the Traladaran people, kept up to date by the priests of the Church.
The Traladaran faith is neither very restrictive nor very demanding of its faithful. The only taboo of the faith is that the faithful must do no harm to others. Every moral tenant of the faith can really be boiled down to this simple belief. Compared to the regimen of the Karameikan Church and the fervour of the Ylari followers of al-Kalim, the Traladaran faith is very simple and relaxed.
Outside of ethics and morals, the Church teaches that simple, non-magical divinations can be used by the faithful to determine the will of the Immortals. The priests themselves teach fortune-telling through reading tea-leaves or cards to those faithful who are interested. Many priests are schooled in astrology and the daily ceremonies of the church usually incorporate some kind of non-magical divining to determine what the Immortals want on a given day.
The daily life of a Traladaran priest varies. The majority of the priests run the churches and temples of the Church. These priests spend their days performing daily ceremonies, ritual divinations, and leading their congregations in prayer. In addition, these priests are expected to act as "faith guides," advising their faithful on matters of scripture and Immortal will, as well as assisting them with their problems. The majority of these priests have also traditionally acted as teachers for the faithful, teaching the history of the Church as well as basic astrology and mathematics to those faithful who have an interest. Most "parish priests" are not followers of a particular Immortal, instead following the philosophy of the Church and honouring all of the Immortals equally. Some priests, however, feel the need to join a "holy order." Traladaran "holy orders" are similar to the orders of other religions. In general, each holy order of the Church of Traladara venerates one particular Immortal above all others, and each member of the order focuses on one particular aspect of the Traladaran faith.
The Order of the Sword, are a militant order dedicated to the protection of the Church above all else. The patron of the Order is Halav, and they are sometimes known as Halavites or Swords. Swords dedicate most of their time to perfecting the art of war and defence, and unlike the rest of the Church are not prohibited from the use of swords and edged weaponry. In exchange for this military training, Halavites have less training in the use of spells of faith, causing them to rely on their swords even more. The Order of the Sword is based out of the Temple of Halav in Specularum.
The Order of the Shield is an order dedicated to the protection of the believers. The Order has Petra as its patron, and they are known variously as Shields or Defenders of the Faith. Defenders are renown for both their healing abilities and their fighting prowess, although they are restricted to certain weapons by their patron. In addition, a Defender only has access to her superior fighting ability when actually defending someone. If the Defender is the aggressor in a conflict, Petra takes her favour away and the Defender must rely on her own (usually ample) abilities. The Defenders call the Shrine of the Shield in Vorloi their home.
The Order of the Wolf is an order dedicated to the celebration of life. Zirchev is the patron of this order, and his followers are known as Huntsmen or Wolves. Huntsmen are best known for their wilderness skills and their amazing tracking abilities, but are hindered when forced to stay within a city. The Huntsmen have no temple, but say that the Dymrak Forest is sacred and spend much of their time driving evil from the Forest.
Neither the traditional priests nor the members of the holy orders are required to be celibate. In fact, the Church encourages its priests to marry. Often the children of priests will continue on with their parent's occupation and become priests themselves. In addition, the Church allows both men and women to become priests, and entire families of priests have been known to run churches in some villages.
Like the rest of the Church, the hierarchy of the priesthood is very loosely structured. A young man or woman who wishes to join the Church begins as an Initiate. The Initiate is "apprenticed," for lack of a better word, to a more senior priest for a period of two years. Over this two year span, the senior priest is expected to teach the Initiate everything he can about the beliefs and history of the Church. In return, the Initiate assists with the daily duties of the Church, including performing the daily rituals and services, enacting the daily divinations, keeping the Church clean, etc.
After two years, the Initiate is officially named a Priest, and the new priest is expected to choose his future direction. Most priests choose to continue on as a priest in the church in which they were taught, although a few choose to travel to other areas and establish new churches, or travel to another church for a permanent home. Some choose to join the holy orders, and dedicate themselves to one particular aspect of the faith.
Within the local church, the most senior and respected priest is considered to be the leader, and all other priests are considered equals. The most senior and respected priest of a given area is considered to be a Patriarch. This title is partly based on geography, partly on scholarship, and partly on age. While the word of a Patriarch is not technically law within the Church, these and women are usually so well respected and so learned in the teachings of the Church that their opinions are often listened to by both the priests and the faithful.
The size of a Patriarch's area of influence varies from Patriarch to Patriarch. In general, each major city has a Patriarch, so the more populous south has more Patriarchs in a smaller area than the more sparsely populated northlands. Since the reign of King Stefan began, the most powerful Patriarch has been the Patriarch of Specularum, Father Aleksyev Nikelnevich. I'm not sure if this is due to the wide amount of respect he has across the nation, or if it is due to his proximity to the King. Although the King is not a follower of the Church of Traladara, he does like to understand the minds of his subjects. I suspect that he considers Father Nikelnevich an expert on Traladaran faith (which he is) and as such uses him as a resource for how his Traladaran subjects think and feel about various issues. This places Father Nikelnevich in a very powerful position.
(It is interesting to note that in the Traladaran hierarchy, priests and the faithful refer to each other as "Brother" and "Sister," so "Sister Misha" could be either a priest or a believer. The Patriarchs of the Church are usually referred to as "Father" or "Mother" by both the faithful and the priests. In the Church of Karameikos, every priest is referred to as "Father" or "Mother" and the Patriarchs are simply referred to as Patriarch, whether they are male or female.)
The Church of Traladara has a number of holy days or feast days. The most important to the Church is the Feast of Halav, a celebration that begins on the twenty-eighth of Klarmont and continues for a total of three days. The first day is the day of Preparation, a day when the priests of the Church prepare for the final battle of the King. The priests perform traditional divinations and rites to ensure that Halav will find success against his foe.
The second day of the Feast of Halav is the day of Triumph, a day celebrating the victory of King Halav over the Beast King Flaghr. This day is commemorated by more Church services, but also by parades, parties, and re-enactments of the battle. The Thyatian settlers adopted this day as a holiday, and it is officially recognised as "Beast Day" by the Karameikan government.
The final day of the Feast is the day of Mourning. This is the day when the priests perform traditional funeral rites for their dead King Halav, and perform traditional warding rites against the Beast-King Flaghr. Every faithful member of the Church is expected to participate in these rites, though it is not considered a sin to not attend.
The Feast of Petra is celebrated on the last full moon before the spring equinox. This Feast Day is traditionally the day that new defence constructions are started in the cities. All of the faithful are expected to come together to repair walls, make weapons, and generally prepare for any assaults on their city. Today, the Feast is still celebrated and the faithful still assist in preparations, but it has become more of a time for repairing and rebuilding the cities. New roads are constructed and old roads are repaired. At the end of the day, the city celebrates with a night-long party under the full moon, revelling under the guardianship of Petra.
The Midsummer Feast is the Feast of Zirchev, occurring every year on the day of the summer solstice. This Feast is a celebration of life and nature, and a time of remembrance of the natural world. Priests hold outdoor ceremonies away from the cities and towns, and the faithful usually celebrate with outdoor parties and revelry. In addition, hunting is prohibited of the faithful for this one day, and the faithful are expected to plant new trees and make sure that the forests and outdoor areas are in good condition.
The Church of Traladara remains a powerful faith within Karameikos despite the invasion of the Thyatians and the influx of new leaders and new settlers. In fact, the invasion may have done good things for the Church. A number of refugees fleeing from the invasion forces fled north to Darokin years ago. These refugees settled in south eastern Darokin, most in the villages of Armstead and Reedle, and when they did they brought their faith with them. Both villages have strong churches within them, each large enough to have its own Patriarch. The faith has begun to spread throughout the Republic, apparently because the merchants love both the relaxed nature of the faith and the number of festive holy days, which are always good for business.
In addition to Darokin, I've also seen missionary churches to the faith in Ierendi and (surprisingly) in the Five Shires. Supposedly, the Church has spread to the Shires by way of Hin converts living within Karameikos. These Hin priests have set up a church in Wereskalot and are working hard to convince their fellows that the philosophy of the Church is the way to spend their lives. I wonder if they are having any success at all.
The Church does have its own share of worries, however. Although the King is lenient of the religion of the natives of his nation, some fear that the leadership of the Church of Karameikos has an eye on eliminating the Church of Traladara from Karameikos. I've heard talk of Patriarchs of the Karameikan Church petitioning the King to make the Traladara Church illegal. I know that the Karameikan High Patriarch Olliver Jowett has no such designs, nor do I think that King Stefan would do such a thing. But Jowett is getting older, and will not be in charge of the Church forever. When that happens, many are predicting a schism of epic proportions. The Church of Traladara could survive or fail on the heels of such a schism.
Enough of these worries about things that may not happen. I grow weary now after this day of festivities, and I should get some sleep. Perhaps I will attend the ceremonies tomorrow, to mourn the death of King Halav. I haven't been to a Day of Mourning in over a decade, so perhaps it is time for me to attend one again. If nothing else, I may be able to make a few more observations for my research.
On another note, while I'm here in Karameikos again, I should try to do some research on the other faiths of the nation. I can't believe I've travelled as much as I have in this world and have not even bothered to chronicle the beliefs of my own homeland.
[/sblock][/sblock]
[sblock=Immortals]
by Nicholas C. Bambakidis
The following Immortals represent the most well known and powerful of those worshipped on Mystara, including both the outer and hollow worlds. Together, the list includes probably 90% of them, omitting the least powerful gods and their smaller cults. The list is alphabetical, grouped by the sphere represented. Obviously, many of the Immortals listed are worshiped on other crystal spheres (planets) on the Prime (some on a great many other planets!), and some under alternate names or even profiles.
Note that Immortals who align themselves with a particular Sphere are not otherwise necessarily related to each other in Planar Home or alignment. (Some information has been copied from Deities and Demigods by Rich Redman, Skip Williams, and James Wyatt. No attempt is being made to claim these sections as original work.)
"Finally one will note that several of the deities are related to mythological gods of historical pantheons, such as the ancient Greeks or Egyptians on our Earth. In Mystara, various civilisations have arisen through periods of time resembling these cultures and embracing their theologies in whole or in part. Most obviously demonstrated are the Milenians (whose empire predated the Thyatian empire by about 2000 years before it fell) and the Nithians (a culture quite similar to Egyptian). Both cultures have been preserved in part, in the Hollow World of Mystara through the deal-making and machinations of the immortals involved. Obviously, these Immortals attract themselves to certain cultures they find repeated on various worlds where they set up their group theology, if you will. Nevertheless, there are differences, as for instance the all powerful Zeus was unable to rest enough power away from Ixion to become much more than a puppet. In fact, it seems that the Immortals which have focused much of their attention on this particular crystal sphere called Mystara have in the intervening centuries become incredibly more powerful that their competitors who focus on other, more minor worlds (Toril, pthaaa! A backwater that gets WWWAY too much attention" Ka the Preserver) Whether it has to do with its unique collections of artifacts from the Blackmoor era, the fact that unequalled numbers of mortals have arisen to power-hood here or rumoured interference with enigmatic beings known as "Old Ones", none can say for sure. But it would serve a body to pay attention to this particular backwater for future use...(Paragon on the Path. Godsman Apollonius, CH XII v2).
[Sblock=Sphere of Matter]The Sphere of Matter is closely related to the element of earth. Its purpose is to withstand destruction and decay. This sphere stands for sturdiness and stability. Matter is the building block of all things. Rich in variety, Matter is easily mutable to any form. Matter is opposed to Time's efforts to cause change and provides Thought with existing order.
Atruaghin
(Protector of the Clans; Father of the New Way)
Greater Deity
Symbol - Tomahawk
Home Plane - Celestia
Alignment LG
Clerics LG, NG
Portfolio - Truth, good, crafts, animals, peace
Domains - Good, Animal, Healing
Weapon - Tomahawk
Atruaghin is worshipped on the outer world by the nomadic people of the Atruaghin Clans, and in the hollow world as the leader of those in the evil Azcan empire who follow the New Way (a philosophy reflecting his profile). His greatest enemy is Atzanteotl.
Djaea
(Mother Preserver)
Greater Deity
Symbol - Large white stone with a serpent curled around it.
Home Plane - Elysium
Alignment - NG
Clerics LG, NG
Portfolio - Good, protection, knowledge, life
Domains - Good, Magic, Protection
Weapon - War hammer
Originally worshipped by the ancient Neathar peoples, worship of the Mother Preserver is centred around the ideals in her portfolio. Many worshippers warn of potential means of catastrophic destruction of continents or of the world and seek to research means to avoid them. They also research much about how the multiverse works and what sustains and nourishes entire planets. Many worshipers are wizards and sorcerers, as well. Djaea is married to Khoronus, the Greater Deity of Time.
Faunus
(Pan, Inuus, Lupercus)
Lesser Deity
Symbol - A drinking horn with ram's horns
Home Plane - Beastlands
Alignment CN
Clerics CE, CG, CN
Portfolio - Nature, passion, shepherds, mountains
Domains - Animal, Chaos, Plant
Weapon - Unarmed strike
The wild god of nature, Faunus appears as a tall satyr. He is the son of Hermes and a Dryad. He is a carefree soul, prancing though the high mountains, tending sheep, playing his pipes, singing and dancing. His only creed is freedom.
The Great One
(Ruler of all Dragonkind)
Greater Deity
Symbol - A three-headed dragon
Alignment N
Clerics NG, N, NE
Home Plane - Outlands
Portfolio - All dragons, air, protection
Domains - Air, Luck, Protection
A glossy grey hue, the three headed Great One oversees the draconic pantheon which includes Pearl (Chaotic dragons), Opal (Neutral dragons), Diamond (Lawful dragons), Bahamut (Good dragons), and Tiamat (Evil dragons). The home planes of these Lesser deities are located on the Abyss, the Outlands, Arcadia, Celestia, and Baator, respectively.
Ka the Preserver
Greater Deity
Symbol - Feathered, winged, amber coloured serpent
Alignment NG
Clerics NG, LN, CN
Home Plane - Beastlands
Portfolio - Preservation, protection, knowledge, serpents.
Domains - Protection, Animal, Knowledge, Creation
In the form of a sentient dinosaur, Ka was one of the co-founders of the Hollow World and represents cultures and races otherwise lost and an insatiable thirst for knowledge and self-enlightenment. He is widely worshiped by scribes and librarians. He is a fierce enemy of all things (and beings) entropic.
Kagyar
Moradin, The Soul Forger, Dwarf father, The All-Father, The Creator
Greater Deity
Symbol - Warhammer
Alignment LG
Clerics LG, LN, NG
Home Plane - Celestia
Portfolio - Dwarves, creation, smithing, engineering, war
Domains - Earth, Good, Law, Protection
Weapon - Warhammer
The principal deity and defender, creator of the dwarven race. He tolerates no taint of evil among the dwarves; it was he who drove the derro and duergar out of the dwarven community. It is Moradin's influence that leads the dwarves toward excellence in craftwork and staunch defence of what is theirs.
Terra
(Gaia, Yamuga, Mother Earth)
Greater Deity
Symbol - A circle of stones with any sort of plant or creature (often a flower) growing from it.
Alignment LN
Clerics LN, LG, LE
Portfolio - Life, death, justice, earth
Domains - Earth, Healing, Law, Repose, Creation
Home Plane - Elemental Earth (the only Immortal on an Inner Plane)
According to Milenian mythology, Terra was the first immortal who, along with Uranus (the sky) gave birth to the Titans and a number of other monsters including the Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires (hundred-handed giants). The Titans rose up against their jealous and tyrannical father, and Cronus vanquished Uranus and seized his throne. He later gave birth to Hades, Poseidon (Proteus), Hera, Demeter, Hestia, and Zeus. After he devoured his first five children, his wife Rhea hid Zeus who eventually returned to kill his father and free his siblings from Cronus's belly, imprisoning him on Carceri. In any event, Terra herself enjoys a tremendous following on multiple worlds and among many primitive peoples. More advanced worshipers appreciate her emphasis on different aspects of life (or death) and the creation of new species and their relation to earth and matter. She is also worshiped by many earthy races (xorn, elementals).
Valerius
(Aphrodite, Goddess of Love)
Valerius was killed by Alphaks during his failed bid for full resurrection. [/sblock]
[sblock=Sphere of Time]The Sphere of Time is closely related to the element of water. Its purpose is to promote change in all things while remaining unchanging itself and to maintain the flow of time. Time is everywhere, ebbing and flowing, recycling the lessons of the past to remind the present. It is a creative, shaping force causing change through aging and rebirth. Time is opposed to Matter's efforts to withstand change, consumes Energy over time, and teaches Thought the lessons of history.
Calitha Starbrow
(Tallivai)
Lesser Deity
Symbol - A giant pearl lying in mother-of-pearl
Alignment NG
Clerics NG, N
Portfolio - Sea elves, life, sea
Domain - Water, Animal, Good
Home Plane - Elysium
Weapon - Trident
Calitha is worshiped primarily by the sea elves of Minrothad. As opposed to Protius who she considers a wild thing who does not appear to concern himself with the careful preservation of the seas and sea-life.
Khoronus
(Father Time)
Greater Deity
Symbol - Hourglass
Alignment NG
Clerics NG, N
Portfolio - Time, peace, logic, wisdom
Domain - Time, Magic, Travel, Water
Home Plane - Elysium
Weapon - Scythe
Khoronus is an ancient being, the most powerful Immortal in the Sphere of Time. His priests are considered great lecturers and thinkers who insist on considering all options before committing themselves to action. They often act as wise advisers to rulers regarding the lessons of history.
Ordana
(Forest Mother, Thendara, Ehlonna)
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - Oak Leaf, Rearing Unicorn
Alignment NG
Clerics CG, LG, NG
Portfolio - Forests, woodlands, flora and fauna, fertility
Domains - Animal, Good, Plant, Sun
Home Plane - Beastlands
Weapon - Longsword
Ordana is believed to have created the elvish race, and serves and the friend and protector of her beloved forests. Most elves outside of the wood elves of Minrothad revere Ilsundal and Mealiden Starwatcher now, though many other creatures and beings of the forest revere her. She is a favoured deity of rangers, druids, hunters, and farmers as well as groups of gnomes and halflings, as well as treants, dryads, pixies and other faerie folk.
Petra
(Athena)
Greater Deity
Symbol - An owl embossed on a circular shield
Alignment LG
Clerics LG, LN, NG
Portfolio - Wisdom, crafts, civilisation, war
Domains - Artifice, Community, Good, Knowledge, Law, War
Home Plane - Arborea
Weapon - Shortspear
Petra was originally worshiped by the Traladaran people in what is now Karameikos. Their mythology originally believed that she was in life a great female war hero which defended their lands from gnollish invasion along with the heroes Halav and Zirchev. The later Milenian peoples worshiped her as Athena, Goddess of wisdom and war, and claimed that she was born full grown and armoured from Zeus's head when it was split open by Hephaestus. Most of her current worshipers are paladins, fighters, monks, judges, and constables in Karameikos as well as the remnants of the Milenian culture in the Hollow World.
Proteus
(The Old Man of the Sea, Manwara, The Spuming Nooga, Poseidon)
Greater Deity
Symbol - Trident
Alignment CN
Clerics CE, CG, CN
Portfolio - Sea, rivers, earthquakes
Domains - Chaos, Earth, Water
Home Plane - Arborea
Weapon - Trident
Proteus appears as a large male human with long, flowing black hair and beard dressed only in seaweed and dripping with water. He is worshiped as Manwara by mermen, and in Vestland is revered as The Spuming Nooga. The Milenians still worship him as Poseidon. Like other chaotic neutral deities, he requires little from his followers beyond sacrifices (a bull thrown into the sea every month). He is worshiped by sailors, fishers, and coastal dwellers throughout the Known and Hollow Worlds (though he often does not listen to prayers!).
Vanya
(Nike)
Lesser Deity
Symbol - A vertical lance with two horizontal short swords, one above the other, crossed over it.
Alignment LN
Clerics LE, LG, LN
Portfolio - Victory, conquest
Domains - Law, War, Strength
Home Plane - Arcadia
Weapon - Longsword
Vanya is the goddess of unbridled war and conquest, the personification of victory. If a problem or situation can't be described in terms of conflict, with definite conditions for declaring victory, Nike considers it beneath her notice. She appears as a tall, winged woman, and at one time her cult was quite large throughout the massive Thyatian Empire and especially amongst its militant Heldannic Knights. Of late, it has lost significant influence and can only be considered as a minor cult.[/sblock]
[sblock=Sphere of Energy]The Sphere of Energy is closely related to the element of fire. Its purpose is to create more energy and activity. Energy is dynamic and highly active. It seeks to alter and transform things, consuming Matter, speeding up Time, and exciting Thought to release more energy. Highly temperamental, Energy is also very creative, channelling magical energies to bring new things into being. Energy is opposed to Thought's efforts to control it and seeks to transform Matter at the highest possible level despite the ravages of Time.
Alphatia
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - A glowing shield with paints dabbed on it like an artist's palette
Alignment LG
Clerics LG, NG
Portfolio - Peace, magic, art, artisans, arcane knowledge
Domains - Knowledge, Magic, Sun, Healing
Home Plane - Celestia
Weapon - Mace
Alphatia appears as a copper-skinned Alphatian woman, young and beautiful but wearing poor quality clothes and no jewellery or shoes. The patron goddess of the now-sunken Alphatian Empire (relocated to the Hollow World), she represents magical knowledge, artistic knowledge and peaceful study. Many of his priests are cleric/wizards or cleric/sorcerers, and they actively create magic items. They often oppose imperialistic war policies as counterproductive. Her followers are spread throughout the outer world despite the loss of the Empire there, mostly in Bellissaria, Norwold, and the Isle of Dawn; her philosophies have not spread much beyond those boundaries.
Benekander
(Rheddrian)
Lesser Deity
Symbol - A dog and some strange sigils around it
Alignment - LN
Clerics LN, LG
Portfolio - Energy, engineering, travel
Domains - Knowledge, Healing, Travel
Home Plane - Mechanus
Benekander was originally an engineer on an ancient spacecraft from a technologically advanced planet which crashed on Mystara when Blackmoor was a still a backwards place. He awoke years later when someone tried to sabotage his life capsule; his own modifications to the capsule had saved him while the rest of the crew had perished. He discovered that human intruders from this world were looting precious parts and devices from the engineering compartments, and as a result of their meddling before he could intervene the ship exploded. Heroically working to the last second to prevent or contain the explosion, he was caught up in a maelstrom of energy when the disaster occurred. Although his body was totally disintegrated, somehow Rheddrian's consciousness survived and as the Beagle's reactor was transformed (by the Old Ones) into the Radiance he became an Immortal. Since that time the Radiance has been transformed again, engaging in a symbiotic relationship with Entropy and slowly transforming the landscape in Glantri below which it is buried. Benekander's followers busy themselves travelling throughout the Known world campaigning against Entropy's forces and using their unique knowledge of engineering principles to their benefit. The following is quite strong in the southern parts of Glantri crossing into Sind and Darokin. Rheddrian himself appears as a 7' tall human with black hair and moustache and beard with blue eyes and green skin.
Eiryndul
(Olidammara)
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - A laughing mask with grinning white teeth (like a Cheshire cat)
Alignment - CN
Clerics CE, CG, CN
Portfolio - Rogues, music, elves, revelry, tricks, humour, forests
Domains - Chaos, Luck, Trickery, Animal
Home Plane - Ysgard
Weapon - Shortsword
Eiryndul is an elven Immortal, although few elves outside of the Shiye of Alphatia and the clans in Norwold actively worship him. He is a patron of forest races, and is also revered for his aspects reflecting his love of pranks and music. Eiryndul's temples are few, but many people are willing to raise a glass in his honour. He teaches that life is meant to be happy and entertaining, and that the best jokes need a target to hang them on. The only think better than making wine is drinking it. Many rogues pay tribute to him under the name Olidammara.
Ilsundal
(The Wise One, Corellon Larethian)
Greater Deity
Symbol - A silhouette of the oaken Tree of Life
Alignment CG
Clerics CG, CN, NG
Portfolio - Elves, magic, arts and crafts, music
Domains - Chaos, Good, Protection
Home Plane - Arborea
Weapon - Longsword
Ilsundal was one of the first generation of elves, born in the land of Evergrun in the ancient past. Evergrun was overrun by ice and destroyed in the cataclysmic aftermath of the Great Rain of Fire (the catastrophe that obliterated Blackmoor and shifted the planet's axis). Ilsundal led many elves away from the southern continent to a new homeland and back to their traditions of natural magic. After reaching and settling a new land, the Sylvan Realm, he undertook the path to Immortality during which he created the first Tree of Life (the living artifacts which help sustain the elves). After becoming Immortal, Ilsundal has concerned himself with all aspects of elven welfare (at least as far as the surface elves are concerned), and is worshiped by elves on many other worlds (as Corellon Larethian on Oerth). Ilsundal appears as an aged, wise-eyed elf, usually dressed in a sky blue cloak.
Ixion
(Otzitiotl; Solarios; The Sun-Prince; Tubak; Pelor)
Greater Deity
Symbol - A flaming wheel
Alignment - NG
Clerics CG, LG, NG
Portfolio - Sun, light, strength, healing
Domains - Good, Healing, Strength, Sun, Fire
Home Plane - Elysium
Weapon - Mace
Ixion, the god of the sun, appears as a member of whatever race he is addressing with golden hair, flaming eyes, and golden skin. He is revered throughout the Prime material plane under many names, but nevertheless his common elements of worship include a desire for peace but harshness in war; denying aid to the forces of Entropy and darkness; and the belief that the energy of life originates from the sun. This light brings strength to the weak and health to the injured, while destroying darkness and evil. He is the most commonly worshiped deity among ordinary humans, and his priests are well received wherever they go. Ixion's clerics favour yellow garb; they are usually kind people with backbones of steel.
Mealiden Starwatcher
(The Red Arrow)
Lesser Deity
Symbol - A rainbow with one star above it and one star below.
Alignment CG
Clerics CG, CN, NG
Portfolio - Elves, war, music
Domains - Chaos, Good, War, Protection
Home Plane - Arborea
Weapon - Longbow
Mealiden appears as an androgynous elven warrior armed with a longsword and longbow. He represents the more martial aspects of elven rule, and serves as a close ally to Ilsundal. It is because of Mealiden's battle prowess that Gruumsh is called "One Eye".
Rafiel
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - A book-cover with a star in its centre, representing wisdom and celestial learning.
Alignment LN
Clerics LN, LG
Portfolio - Shadow elves, engineering, knowledge, wisdom
Domains - Magic, Law, Knowledge, Fire
Home Plane - Mechanus
As patron deity of the shadow elves, Rafiel exhorts his followers to maintain a fierce independence bordering on xenophobia. His priests are excellent scholars and researchers, and under his guidance a powerful artifact was created in the City of the Stars which serves as a symbiotic conduit for the Sphere of Energy on Mystara (much as the Radiance once did) after the Radiance was altered to serve Entropy. As the Shadow Elves have moved out into the Outer world and begun a partial integration with elves in Alfheim, Rafiel's priests have been instrumental in serving as able negotiators. They have a fierce hatred for the Schattenalfen, who have been corrupted through the worship of Atzanteotl.
Rathanos
Greater Deity
Symbol - A burning brand
Alignment CN
Clerics CE, CG, CN
Portfolio - Magic, fire, energy
Domains - Knowledge, Magic, Fire
Home Plane - Limbo
Weapon - Flaming Club
Rathanos was once a powerful wizard of the outer-world Oltec culture in the ancient past. He was fascinated with the elemental plane of fire and fire magics, and since became an Immortal under the patronage of Ixion. His followers are a chaotic lot, who see beauty in the randomness of the multiverse. They consist of a great many wizards, sorcerers, illusionists, philosophers, and sages, and are respected for their knowledge and magical prowess. Their advice is valued, though their nature makes them somewhat unpredictable. Rathanos is worshipped throughout the Known World, but mostly on the Isle of Dawn and secretly in Glantri (as well as by many sentient creatures of fiery origin and on countless other worlds). He appears as a manlike being made all of fire.
Razud
(Boccob, The Uncaring, Lord of All Magics, Archmage of the Deities)
Greater Deity
Symbol - Eye balanced on a pedestal inside a pentagon
Alignment N
Clerics CN, LN, N, NE, NG
Portfolio - Magic, arcane knowledge, foresight, balance
Domains - Knowledge, Magic, Trickery
Home Plane - Outlands
Weapon - Quarterstaff
The deity of magic, Razud is widely revered in Alphatia as his followers proclaim magic the most important force in the world - more vital than good, evil, law, or chaos. Most of his clerics observe strict neutrality, and his priests like to help the self-sufficient; Razud looks most kindly on those who seek guidance from him but are brave and resolute enough to forge out on their own if he offers none. Razud appears as a young man, perhaps 16, of a golden-skinned green eyed human race clad in loose purple garments with shimmering golden runes that move and change.
Tarastia
(Patroness of Justice and Revenge)
Greater Deity
Symbol - Black headsman's axe
Alignment LN
Clerics LG, LN
Portfolio - Justice, revenge, war, punishment
Domains - War, Law, Destruction, Protection
Home Plane - Arcadia
Weapon - Battleaxe
Tarastia is a patron of those who value laws and judgements. Her followers have described a strict code of Laws which have been adopted by many of the more "civilised" kingdoms and empires in the Known World which emphasise punishments which reflect the severity of the crimes committed. Strict adherence to the cult's following does not restrict vengeance to the authorities, however, so long as retribution is justly deserved and appropriate. The religion has been widely popular on the outer planes amongst former members of the Mercykiller faction. She appears as a dusky-skinned, strong-jawed, unsmiling woman in black plate armour, carrying a headsman's axe; and is popular amongst fighters and paladins particularly.
Thor
(God of Thunder, Guardian of Asgard)
Greater Deity
Symbol - Warhammer
Alignment CG
Clerics CG, NG, CN
Portfolio - Storms, thunder, war
Domains - Chaos, Good, Protection, Strength, War, Weather
Home Plane - Ysgard
Weapon - Warhammer
Usually portrayed as a powerfully built man with a red beard and eyes filled with lightning. Thor is (according to mythology) the son of Odin and a female giant named Jord. Where Odin is complex and crafty, Thor is straightforward and physical - this makes him popular with the common man. His nemesis is Jormungandr the World Serpent, whom he is destined to face at Ragnarok. Though married to Sif, Thor had two sons with a giant named Jarnsaxa. Those sons, Modi and Magni, are prophesied to survive Ragnarok. According to the cult, nothing challenges people like combat and so it is popular among soldiers throughout the Northern Reaches, Kyria, Norwold, and the Antalian Wastes of the Hollow World. The cult also teaches that violent storms are a necessity, since they sweep aside weak structures and wash away detritus. Thor's clergy are most likely to be seen wearing armour and carrying warhammers. Like Odin's temples, the interiors of Thor's temples are raucous places where mead, beer, and ale flow freely, hot food is plentiful, and physical challenges are constant entertainment. Parishioners greet visitors to Thor's temples by challenging them to a drinking contest, a foot race, or a wrestling match.[/sblock]
[sblock=Sphere of Thought]The Sphere of Thought is closely related to the element of air. Its purpose is to understand all of existence and to make all other Spheres its tools. Thought is the very essence of self-consciousness. It is realisation, philosophy, and understanding. Thought seeks to analyse and understand everything in order to manipulate the other powers of the multiverse. Thought opposes the chaotic excesses of Energy and attempts to gain control of Time to create form and order in Matter.
Asterius
(The Master Thief, Messenger of the Gods, Hermes)
Intermediate God
Symbol - The moon with wings entwining it
Alignment CG
Clerics CG, CN, NG
Portfolio - Travel, trade, theft, gambling, running
Domains - Air, Good, Luck, Travel, Trickery
Home Plane - Arborea
Weapon - Dagger
Asterius is the deity of travellers, merchants, thieves, gamblers, athletes, and elegant speakers. He appears as a middle-aged black-haired, corpulent man in ancient robes; in Milenian mythology he was pictured wearing a winged helm and sandals and carrying a caduceus. Asterius favours fair play, and while he values the wit and daring required to accomplish a difficult theft, he frowns upon those who would steal from anyone who cannot afford the loss. He urges his followers to be dependable and prompt, but he despises tediousness and smiles when something unexpected upsets the predictable. Asterius abhors idleness. If one cannot do anything useful, Asterius says, the proper thing to do is travel and have new experiences. His clerics seldom sit still. They are found in a wide variety of occupations, serving as diplomats, judges, translators, moneychangers, surveyors, and explorers. Wayside shrines to Asterius are common, but temples dedicated to Asterius are fairly rare.
Diulanna
(Artemis, Patroness of Will)
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - A spear thrust clear through a boulder
Alignment - NG
Clerics NG, LG, CG
Portfolio - Willpower, hunting, wild beasts, childbirth, dance
Domains - Animal, Good, Plant, Sun
Home Plane - Arborea
Weapon - Shortspear
Diulanna is a patroness of the tribes of the Hinterlands, and as this aspect of her worship is called the Patroness of Will because she favours those willing to take on impossible odds because they believe in what they are doing. She also serves as the goddess of hunting and wild beasts, appearing as a young woman in tunic, loincloth, and headband of lion-skin. In Milenian mythology she was worshiped as Artemis, twin sister of Apollo and daughter of Zeus and the titan Leto. Her teachings emphasise the value and sacred worth of the wilderness and its inhabitants. She is worshiped by rangers, druids, elves, halflings, and hunters. All of her clerics are women, and they must remain chaste and unmarried. They tend to either retire from civilisation and tend to woodlands, or return to the world to lead great campaigns against terrible odds. Diulanna usually has shrines in sacred groves or alongside pure streams.
Frey
Greater Deity
Symbol - Ice-blue greatsword
Alignment NG
Clerics CG, LG, NG
Portfolio - Agriculture, fertility, harvest, sun
Domains - Air, Good, Plant, Sun
Home Plane - Ysgard
Weapon - Greatsword
Son of Njord and husband to the female giant Gerd, Frey is the chief god of agriculture. Of all the patron-Immortals of the Northern Reaches, Frey and Freya have become the most popular Immortals among the common folk. Part of the reason for this is their sensible attitude to warfare (avoid it when possible; fight intelligently when you must). Another contributing factor might be that they are also patrons of love and friendship. Weapons are banned outright in Frey's temples, and bloodshed in places sacred to him is taboo. Despite this peaceful portfolio, Frey is fated to fight Surtur at Ragnarok with his bare hands, having given his dwarf-forged magic sword to his shieldman Skirnir.
Freya
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - Falcon
Alignment - NG
Clerics CG, LG, NG
Portfolio - Fertility, Love, magic, vanity
Domains - Air, Charm, Good, Magic
Home Plane - Ysgard
Weapon - longsword
Freya is the deity of erotic and sensual love, adept at the practice of magic. Frey is the daughter of Njord and the twin sister of Frey. She delights in romantic poetry and is considered the most magnanimous of the goddesses. Her cult is exuberant, passionate, and culturally diverse. Her clerics revere her role as a warrior deity. They actively practice the arts of war, including the arcane arts. Many of the clergy are sorcerers or wizards in addition to being priests.
Halav
(Red-Hair; Patron of Warfare; The Invincible; Heironeus)
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - Fist holding a lightning bolt; A sword laid on an anvil
Alignment LG
Clerics LG, NG, LN
Portfolio - Valor, chivalry, justice, honour, war, daring
Domains - War, Good, Law
Home Plane - Celestia
Weapon - Longsword
Halav is worshiped under various aspects, but all of them emphasise valour and the need to overcome evil. He appears as a tall coppery skinned man in armour appropriate to the culture worshipping him - he is most popular among the ethnic Traldar of Karameikos, and his cult has spread throughout Darokin and Thyatis as well. The church as a whole is very militant, always championing a cause or embarking on a crusade against evil or injustice. "Glory is the reward for defeating evil, while virtue is the reward for upholding the tenets of Halav" say the clerics. In life, Halav was a great hero of the Traldar people, a Bronze age people living in what is now Karameikos. Around BC 1000, a massive gnollish invasion moved into Traldar territories; Halav took the chieftainship of his village from a less resolute king and organized a massive defence against the gnolls. With the help of his confidants Petra and Zirchev, he kept the Traldar from being obliterated. In the make-or-break battle of the war, Halav led his forces against the gnoll-king's encampment, killing that humanoid leader. Halav was also killed in the fight, but his ally Petra raised him back to life. Later, Halav became Immortal under the sponsorship of Odin in the Sphere of Thought. Temples to Halav always have a slightly militaristic look to them. In unsettled areas, they double as fortresses. Even in settled or urban areas they usually contain open, grassy courtyards where soldiers can train.
Korotiku
(The Spider; The Trickster)
Greater Deity
Symbol - A black spider silhouette
Alignment CG
Clerics CG, CN, NG
Portfolio - Humour, wit, illusion, trickery
Domains - Good, Trickery, Protection
Home Plane - Bytopia
Weapon - Dagger
Patron of cleverness and trickery, Korotiku is an ancient and powerful immortal most greatly revered in the Pearl Islands and Tangor where he is often called The Spider. Clever fighters and rogues revere him, and often his black clad clerics take several levels in one or both of these other classes. Priests utilise tricks and pranks to make people think about everything as much as possible; his mythology abounds in pranks and mischief perpetrated against other Immortals. His followers are close allies of Asterius and Eiryndul and fervent enemies of Loki (who represents mischief done for destructive and harmful purposes).
Koryis
(Patron of Peace; Patron of Prosperity)
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - A hand held palm forward, fingers up, representing a hand-sign of peaceful intent
Alignment LG
Clerics LG, LN
Portfolio - Peace, prosperity, love, protection
Domains - Good, Law, Healing, Community, Protection
Home Plane - Arcadia
Weapon - Mace
Koryis in life was an Alphatian wizard, born when the Alphatian lived on their far-away world before it was destroyed by war. He was an adventurer called "the Negotiator" because he preferred discussion to combat. Since attaining Immortality, Koryis has become known as the patron of peace and prosperity, something which has endeared him to commoners throughout Alphatia and its colonies in Norwold spreading quickly down through Ochalea and the rest of the Known World. Since Alphatia sank, Ochalea and the Kingdom of Norwold have become bastions of his faith. Popular among merchants, many paladins and healers are amongst his faithful. Weapons and fighting are anathema in his temples and holy places, and peaceful negotiation is stressed as the solution to any problem. Koryis appears as a pale-skinned Alphatian man, hollow-cheeked and gaunt, wearing simple robes, bearing an expression of long-suffering determination.
Noumena
(The Puzzler; Re-Horakhty)
Greater Deity
Symbol - A game-board
Alignment - NG
Clerics NG, LG, N
Portfolio - Puzzles, knowledge, rulers, supreme
Domain - Trickery, Knowledge, Nobility, Sun
Home Plain - Elysium
Weapon - Khopesh
Noumena is greatly revered as the supreme being in the Nithian pantheon, a culture that now flourishes in the Hollow World though remnants remain in Thothia on the Isle of Dawn. He is the patron of puzzles and games, as well as of the ruling class and nobility. The kings who serve Re-Horakhty give the Pharaonic pantheon its name, since they are called pharaohs. In Nithian mythology, Noumena inhabits earthly pharaohs commonly, thus acting simultaneously as ruler of heaven and earth and testing those who deem themselves worthy of his favour using his puzzles. His priests are kings and advisers to kings, and wear white robes. His male clerics - the large majority - shave their heads. Noumena usually shares a temple with his parents, Osiris and Isis. These grand temples are found wherever the Pharaonic deities are worshiped. Many clerics serve all three deities.
Roth
(The Empyrean; Lord of the Skies)
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - A griffon, one claw extended forward
Alignment NG
Clerics LG, CG, NG
Portfolio - Air, skies, mountains, willpower
Domains - Air, Good, Strength
Home Plane - Ysgard
Weapon - War Hammer
Patron of the skies, mountains, and willpower, Roth's followers are largely concentrated in the Northern Reaches. He is primarily worshiped by humans and dwarves; the god himself appears as a tall, well-built human with white hair and beard, and eyes of solid sapphire. In this form he is dressed in a cloak and tunic of cerulean blue, and wields a silver hammer. He also manifests himself as a griffon and as a cloud giant. Roth's highest level priests reside in Kyria, and the government of that nation consists largely of his followers. It is Roth's desire that all nations under the skies of the Northern Reaches unite to form one glorious empire in which to establish the perfect, modern society, tempering the strength and courage of the people of this region with sensibility and progressive thought. His priests try to use their wisdom to help this goal come to fruition. Priests usually wield a warhammer, and wear robes, tunics, and cloaks of deep cerulean blue. The Cerulean Knights of Kyria were named by High-King Ryvorn Wulfsson in honour of Roth; however these knights are not obligated to be followers of Roth. The Griffon Order, led by Noth Hubrin, is a military unit in Kyria which does consist of clerics and paladins of Roth.
Odin
(Wotan, Viuden, All-Father, Father of the Slain, God of the Hanged, God of Prisoners, God of Cargoes, The High One, The Inflamer, Swift Tricker, Father of Victory, The Blind One, Shifty Eyed, One with a Magic Staff, Destroyer, Terror)
Greater Deity
Symbols - Silhouettes of two ravens facing one another, with the head of a man between them and they whisper into his ears; A watching blue eye.
Alignment NG
Clerics CG, LG, NG
Portfolio - Knowledge, magic, supreme, war
Domains - Air, Knowledge, Magic, Travel, Trickery, War
Home Plane - Ysgard
Weapon - Shortspear
Before the gods arose, the great gaping void of Ginnungagap lay between fiery hot Muspelheim in the south and frozen Niflheim in the north. In the midst of Niflheim ran Hvergelmir, a spring from which flowed eleven rivers collectively known as Elivagar. As these rivers flowed away from their source, the poisonous lees they deposited hardened to ice. Vapour rising from the lees froze into rime, layer after layer, until it spread across Ginnungagap. The rime met the hot gusts from Muspelheim and melted, and from the moisture sprang the frost giant Ymir. While he slept, the sweat from his body formed the first of his frost giant offspring. Further melting of the ice created a cow called Audhumla. Four rivers of milk flowed from her udder, sustaining Ymir and his offspring. For her own sustenance she licked the salty rime stones and over three days uncovered a strong, handsome man named Buri. From the descendants of Buri and the giants came Odin, Vili, and Ve, the first of the Aesir gods. They killed Ymir, and his blood drowned all the frost giants except Bergelmir, from whom came a new race of frost giants. Odin and his brothers carried Ymir's body out of Ginnungagap and made the earth from his flesh and the rocks from his bones. Stones and gravel came from the dead giant's teeth and shattered bones, and the blood filled Ginnungagap, becoming lakes and the sea. Odin and his brothers formed the sky from Ymir's skull. Four dwarves named Nordri, Sudri, Austri, and Vestri held up the skull. Ymir's hair became flora, and his brains became clouds. Sparks from Muspelheim became stars. The earth was a great circle surrounded by ocean. Giants lived on the coast while humans lived inland, in a fortification made from Ymir's eyelashes. Odin gave humans breath and life, Vili gave them consciousness and movement, and Ve gave them form, speech, hearing, and sight. The first man was Ask (ash tree) and the first woman was Embla (elm or vine).
The creation myth above is told by the peoples of the Northern Reaches and Kyria, nearly all of whom to some degree worship Odin. He is the most powerful Immortal known in the Sphere of Thought. In the Hinterlands he is called Viuden; in the Hollow World, Wotan. Odin has one eye that blazes like the sun, having lost his other eye in payment for a drink from the well of Mimir. He once stole the mead of poetry, and some myths say he grants poetic ability and inspiration to mortals. Odin hung himself on Yggdrasil for nine days, pierced by his own spear, until by virtue of his suffering he was able to reach down and seize magical runes that were the source of wisdom and magical lore. His suffering so impressed the son of the giant Bolthor that he taught Odin nine previously unknown to any man or woman.
Wearing a dark, wide brimmed hat that casts a shadow over his face, Odin travels as a mortal wanderer. As a god of magic, war, and wisdom, he visits Mystara to distribute knowledge and victory in battle. His many titles hint at his various roles.
The cult of Odin tells followers to use their intelligence to appreciate and enjoy their existence, to seek wisdom but not to be made cold and distant by knowledge. He teaches kings to rule wisely but also encourages them to enjoy life while they can. Followers of Odin constantly seek new knowledge as an advantage over their foes. Paradoxically the cult promotes self-reliance by relating tales of Odin turning against favoured kings and generals in the midst of battle. Clerics generally wear dark, wide brimmed hats, cloaks decorated with or made entirely of raven's feathers, and patches over their (intact) left eyes. They permit no one to lift or touch these patches.[/sblock]
[sblock=Sphere of Entropy]The Sphere of Entropy is not related to any element. Entropy is the weakening of the fabric of the multiverse: rot, weathering, disintegration. It seeks to bring all things to a stop, causing oblivion. Its purpose is the ultimate destruction of the multiverse. The four other Spheres of Power oppose Entropy but cannot destroy it, since to do so would unbalance reality and bring about their own destruction as well. At the same time, Entropy itself can not exist without the presence of the other Powers, so it seeks first to subjugate before bringing about oblivion. Entropy seeks to destroy Matter, dissipate Energy, stagnate Time, and stifle Thought. Currently, due to the influence of the Radiance, Entropy is becoming increasingly powerful on Mystara.
Alphaks the Dark
Alphaks was an intermediate deity from the Abyss, who in life was an Emperor of Alphatia in ancient times. He was killed decades ago by the combined efforts of several powerful mortals and (unbeknownst to them) the intervention of Kiaransalee (a deity worshipped by dark elves from another world, who coveted Alphak's realms on the Abyss). An attempt by this deity to return to life was also recently thwarted, and the dead God's body floats on the Astral Plane.
Atzanteotl
Greater Deity
Symbol - The silhouette of a feathered serpent
Alignment LE
Clerics LE, NE, LN
Portfolio - Shadow elves, corruption, destruction, tyranny, discord
Domains - Destruction, War, Law, Evil
Home Plane - Acheron
Weapon - Flail
Some 3,700 years ago, Atzanteotl was an elven clan-lord named Atziann living in the Glantri area. When some of his fellow elves found and accidentally triggered a dangerous Blackmoor device left in the Broken Lands, the resulting cataclysm drove the surviving elves in the area underground. Atziann and his clan travelled the labyrinth of clan-members perished. These experiences made him very dark, fatalistic, and bitter. After years of wandering lost below the earth, Atziann emerged once again into sunlight...but it was the wrong sun. He found an exit into the Hollow World, in the lands of the Azcan Empire. With his magical abilities, he was able to conceal himself from their eyes and hide among the Azcans until he learned their language and culture. He gained quite an appreciation for the lethal, uncompromising Azca and their culture before continuing his wanderings. Eventually, he became an Immortal under the sponsorship of Thanatos. Under the name of Atzanteotl he began to turn the minds of shadow-elf and Azcan clerics to his own twisted evils. Certain Shadow Elves, especially the Schattenalfen clan, began construction of a city, Aengmor, built along Azcan lines and dedicated to the glory of Atzanteotl. The Azca, both those in the Hollow World and those on the outer world, increasingly turned away from the following of Ixion and Ka the Preserver and to that of Atzanteotl; they introduced human sacrifices into their way of life. Since those days, he has driven his Schattenalfen further underground and reoccupied their city Aengmor with orcs. He has inspired all Shadow Elves with a hatred and envy of Alfheim for their own homeland. His religion is one of utter evil under the rigours of law requiring human sacrifice and utilising serpent imagery, and many humanoids worship him as well. On other worlds he is also known as Hextor. Atzanteotl appears either as a handsome but sinister elf dressed in black, or a jet-black feathered serpent with the face of an elf.
Hel
(Goddess of Death and the Underworld)
Greater Deity
Symbol - Her face; also uses symbol of a dark stone with human skulls on the corners of the back.
Alignment - NE
Clerics - CE, LE, NE
Portfolio - Death, underworld
Domains - Death, Destruction
Home Plane - Grey Waste
Weapon - Longsword
Hel is patron of Death, and her following teaches no real dogma to the living. Members of her cult feel that society unjustly imprisoned, exiled, or ignored them, and often seek revenge for real or imagined slights. A great many of her priests are also necromantic wizards with many undead minions. Hel is the most powerful Immortal in the Sphere of Entropy, now that Thanatos has been deposed. She appears clad in jet black clothing; one half of her face is that of a beautiful woman, while the other half is blank and featureless. She is usually seated on a dark throne.
Loki
(Bozdogan, God of Mischief, Strife, and Fire; The Sly One; The Trickster; The Shape Changer; The Sky Traveller)
Greater Deity
Symbol - A beautiful drinking-goblet containing a bubbling, broiling, nasty looking liquid; Flame
Alignment CE
Clerics CE, CN, NE
Portfolio - Thieves, trickery, murder
Domains - Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Trickery
Home Plane - Pandemonium
Weapon - Dagger
Loki is an ambiguous figure in Asgardian mythology. A handsome and clever young man, he often accompanies the gods on their journeys. Many tales of Thor mention Loki as his companion. Some myths state he was the child of the giants Farbauti and Laufey, some place him at the creation with Odin, while others state that in mortal life he was a fire wizard of one of the Antalian tribes (which eventually became the peoples of the Northern Reaches). The followers of his cult delight in trickery and pranks, ranging from harmless to malicious. He is the patron of thieves, trouble-makers, con men, and politicians everywhere. Darker forms of the cult teach assassination, murder, mayhem, and all forms of worldly chaos, though these cultists are believed to consist of a minority of his following.
Nyx
(Wee Jas, Night, The Witch Goddess, The Ruby Sorceress, The Stern Lady, Death's Guardian)
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - A solar eclipse; A Red skull wreathed in flame
Alignment LN
Clerics LE, LG, LN
Portfolio - Darkness, death, magic, vanity, law, undead
Domains - Death, Law, Magic, Darkness
Home Plane - Acheron
Weapon - Dagger
Nyx, deity of darkness, death, and magic, is most often portrayed as a stunning woman with pale skin, beautiful and exotic features, long black hair, and black eyes wearing some piece of jewellery with a skull motif. Nyx is a creature of darkness and night, and her followers would like darkness to encompass all the world. Many of her highest level priests are in fact undead, but unlike most Entropic immortals Nyx is not particularly evil. She simply wants to change the multiverse to a condition where most other Immortals find abhorrent. She promises that understanding, personal power, security, order, and control over fate come with the study of magic. She admonishes her followers to respect those who came before, because they left their knowledge and died to make room for them. Her priesthood has a strict hierarchy. Clerics are known for their discipline and obedience to their superiors. They arbitrate disputes, give advice on magic, investigate magical curiosities, create magic items, and administer funerals and wear black robes at all times. Temples to Nyx are few and far between, but she counts many powerful wizards (especially necromancers) among her worshipers. Most of her temples are located in or near graveyards or catacombs, and they always contain crypts where powerful wizards are buried. They also contain extensive libraries of arcane lore and large collections of items that once belonged to great wizards from past eras.
Orcus
(The Goat; Master of the Dead; The Black Prince)
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - A goat's head with ram's horns
Alignment CE
Clerics CE, CN, NE
Portfolio - Death, evil, humanoids, destruction, chaos
Domains - Death, Evil, Chaos, Destruction
Home Plane - The Abyss
Weapon - Whip
Orcus appears as a 15' tall goat-headed humanoid with two great, curling ram's horns. His arms and torso are manlike, while he has the legs of a goat. Orcus and his followers live to destroy - people, places, or things. He has no other interest beyond mass destruction; he wants to see the end of everything that exists. Far from being raving madmen, his priests are coldly cruel and cynical. Legions of demons are held under his sway on the Abyss, and his powerful clergy often have them at their disposal. He is most popular amongst the most cruel of humans including many blackguards, and most of his followers are humanoid (particularly amongst the goblinoids). Followers and paladins of Djaea often carry on holy crusades against the forces of Orcus. Orcus himself wields the hideous Wand of Orcus, a powerful artifact resembling a rod of obsidian topped with a human skull said to be able to kill with a mere touch.
Thanatos
(Tha-to; The Grim Reaper; Nerull; King of All Gloom; Hater of Life; Reaper of Flesh)
Greater Deity
Symbol - The scythe
Alignment NE
Clerics NE, LE, CE
Portfolio - Death, darkness, murder, underworld
Domains - Death, Evil, Trickery
Home Plane - Carceri
Weapon - Scythe
The deity of death, Thanatos is widely known and widely feared. His gaunt form resembles a mummified, nearly skeletal corpse with rusty red skin, thick blackish-green hair, a cowled cloak of rusty black, and eyes, teeth, and nails like poisonous verdigris. His black staff, Lifecutter, forms a scythe like blade of red force that slays anyone it touches. He is the patron of those who seek the greatest evil for their own enjoyment or gain. Every living thing is an affront to the Reaper, and every death brings a spark of joy his long-dead heart. Clerics of Thanatos are secretive and solitary, since few sane people tolerate their presence. Except in the most evil lands, he has no organized churches. His priests wear rust-red garb when not in disguise. They commit murders as offerings to their deity. Some take up the wandering life and put on innocent faces as they move from town to town, murdering a few people and then moving on. In the recent past, Thanatos has lost much of his power as a result of his imprisonment on his home plane of Carceri; this is believed to be the result of punishment for some egregious violations of Immortal law which he has committed, but the exact circumstances are unknown.[/sblock]
[sblock=Some other Immortals worshiped on Mystara: ]
Balder: Intermediate Deity, Sphere of Thought; AL NG; Home Plane Ysgard. Son of Odin and Frigga, renowned for his beauty, Balder is the patron of Beauty, Light, Music, and Poetry. He teaches that while creating beautiful objects the artist is brought closer to the Immortals. Balder is greatly revered by bards and gnomes.
Bemarris: Intermediate Deity, Sphere of Matter; AL CE; Home Plane Acheron. God of strife and personification of the savage side of war. He teaches that the world is a cruel and terrible place where only the strong have a right to happiness. His followers answer every insult, lie when necessary, and covet what is not theirs. Worshiped as Ares in Milenia.
Brissard: Intermediate Deity, Sphere of Entropy; AL NE; Home Plane Gehenna. A smooth-talking, high Charisma negotiator for the Entropics; his followers act as agents of charismatic duplicity and lie, cheat, and steal their way to power at all costs.
Demogorgon: Intermediate Deity, Sphere of Entropy; AL CE; Home Plane Abyss. One of the most powerful immortal fiends and a rival of Orcus and Ranivorus. His manifestation form is an 18' tall reptilian humanoid body with two apelike heads, tentacles instead of arms, and a forked tail.
Garl Glittergold: Greater Deity, Sphere of Matter; AL NG; Home Plane Bytopia. A protégé of Kagyar, Garl created gnomes in emulation of his patron's dwarves. He promotes a doctrine of practicality tempered with humour. He also emphasised brains over brawn, and he teaches that befuddling or embarrassing a foe can be just as complete a victory as slaying or capturing that foe.
Gruumsh: Greater Deity, Sphere of Entropy; AL CE; Home Plane Acheron. Deity of the orcs, Gruumsh's left eye was put out by Mealiden in ages past. He demands that his followers be strong, that they cull the weak form their numbers, and that they take all the territory Gruumsh thinks is rightfully theirs (which is almost everything). He dislikes everything not orcish, especially elves and dwarves.
Kurtulmak: Intermediate Deity, Sphere of Energy, AL LE; Home Plane Baator. Deity of the kobolds, Kurtulmak teaches that fair fights are for fools or for the unlucky. He also teaches that revenge is sweet, even if it takes years to enact.
Ranivorus: Intermediate Deity, Sphere of Entropy, AL CE; Home Plane Abyss. In life, a destructive gnoll warrior; sponsored by Thanatos, he became the Immortal patron of his race. Probably the cleverest of the evil humanoid patrons, he was the chief agent responsible for corrupting the Nithians. Also known as Yeehoghu, he is a bitter enemy of Halav.
Surtur: Intermediate Deity, Sphere of Energy; AL LE; Home Plane Ysgard. Lord of the Fire Giants, Surtur stands ever alert in Muspelheim brandishing his sword that shines brighter than the sun. He is prophesied to burn the world down at Ragnarok to make room for the new one, and to destroy even Bifrost under the weight of him and his subjects.
Thrym: Intermediate Deity, Sphere of Time; AL CE; Home Plane Ysgard. Lord of the Frost Giants in Jotunheim, Thrym traces his lineage back to Ymir, the first giant and the creature from whom Odin, Va, and Vili made the world. Thrym once tried to win Freya as his bride by holding Thor's hammer hostage. Unfortunately for him, the gods disguised Thor as the bride and Loki as the bridesmaid. When Thrym ordered the hammer brought in to hallow the wedding, Thor snatched it up and laid waste to every giant present, including Thrym. His cults teach that the world will end in the Fimbul Winter, and that cold will triumph after Surtur's fire burns the world.
Yondalla: Greater Deity, Sphere of Thought; AL LG; Home Plane Celestia. The deity of halflings, Yondalla appears as a female halfling with a proud bearing. She espouses harmony within the halfling race and stalwart defence against its enemies. She also teaches that opportunities are there to be seized, which leads most halflings to be both adaptable and somewhat opportunistic.
There are many other deities with minor followings throughout Mystara as well. Many of them are patrons of specific races (eg Ilsensine for the Illithids, or Blipdoolpoop for the Kuo-toa) but are too numerous to discuss in detail.
[/sblock][/sblock]
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Submissions
I will be converting and running original D&D adventures, starting with the mini-campaign called 'In Search of Adventure' which has 10 adventures in it.
If you're interested in playing in such a game then submit a character using the following guidelines.
Campaign Setting: Mystara (Generic 3.5 D&D)
Posting Rate: 2 to 3 times a week.
Number of Players: 5 only.
Race: Any, but must be able to operate within 'civilised' society.
Classes & PrC's: Any, let me know what PrC's you are aiming for.
Level: 1
XP:0
Ability Scores: 30 point buy.
HP:Max at 1st level, then average HP's at even levels and average +1 HP's at odd levels.
Gold: Maximum for class.
Books: Any, but be sure to include a reference and page number to the source material. Also please fully detail out all special abilities.
I'll be picking 5 submissions only, these will be based partially on filling a necessary niche within the party as well as how interesting the character concept actually is.
House Rules
- Simplified Alignments: Your alignment choices are Lawful, Neutral & Chaotic. These relate to your views on law and order and aren't indicative of your moral compass.
- Gods: There are no gods in Mystara instead the people worship individual Immortals (mortals who've gain immortality) Churches or sometimes both.
- XP: In classic D&D you gained XP from finding and accumulating treasure, I will be following in this tradition. Also I want to run a fast paced game, so don't be surprised if you're gaining levels at the rate of 1 every couple of adventures.
Here are some helpful links regarding Mystara, a map of the Known World as well as a map of The grand Duchy of Karameikos. I will also be using selected material from Vaults of Pandius
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[sblock=Grand Duchy of Karameikos]
This heavily forested region used to be known as Trilateral, a nation that was really a loose confederation of independent baronies.
Thirty years ago, Stefan Karameikos, an ambitious nobleman of the nearby Empire of Thyatis, traded his ancestral lands to the Thyatian emperor for Thyatian recognition of Karameikos' right to independent rule of Traladara. Stefan invaded Traladara, quickly conquering the nations largest sea port, Marilenev, and settling garrisons in all the regions larger communities.
He named the nation after himself. It became the Grand Duchy of Karameikos, Marilenev he renamed Specularum ( a much more Thyatian name). The Grand Duchy was recognised by Thyatis as an independent nation.
Stefan set up his own allies and cronies as regional rulers, allowing the original Traladaran rulers to retain their baronies only if they swore allegiance to him.
Karameikos is dark and forested with hundreds of square miles populated only by animals, loggers and by none humans such as elves and goblins. The Traladaran forest are an ancient home to vampires, werewolves and other dark creatures of legend.
[sblock=The Baron's Laws]
Karameikos derives it's laws from Thyatian models, dividing crimes into different classes. The judge ruling over the case has a choice of punishments, according to the class of the law involved.
Class 1: Unarmed assualts (inluding fist and verbal), Theft, Fraud, or Tax Evasion of 10gp value or less.
Class 2: Lesser Armed Assualt (use of impromtu weapons, such as brawling), Theft, Fraud, or Tax Evasion of 11gp to 100gp value.
Class 3: Flight (escape from authorities), Slander and False Accusation, Theft, Fraud, or Tax Evasion of 101gp to 1000gp value.
Class 4: Greater Armed Assualt (use of deadily weapons or magic), Endangerment (exposing another to danger through words or action, including inciting a mob to riot), Accidental Murder, Theft, Fraud, or Tax Evasion of 1001 to 10000gp value.
Class 5: Spontaneous Attempted Murder, Theft, Fraud, or Tax Evasion of 10001gp or greater value.
Class 6: Deliberate Attempted Murder, Spontaneous (successful) Murder, Mutiny in peacetime
Class 7: Deliberate Murder, Treason, Mutiny in Wartime.
[/sblock]
[sblock=Money]
Platnium Pieces are called Emperor's (minted in Thyatis), Gold Pieces are called Royal's, Silver Pieces are called Crona's, and Copper Pieces are called Kopec's
[/sblock]
[sblock=Towns and Cities]
Specularum(pop 70000)
The capital of the Grand Duchy of Karameikos and the ruling seat of it's duke, Stefan I, Specularum is the only true metropolis of any size or prestige in the nation, a bustling place with it's rough edges still showing. Most of the buildings are of wood or brick, as well as carved stone in the wealthier areas. The main roads are paved cobblestones, but many smaller streets and narrow alleys are only packed earth. It is a noisy, crowded, busy medieval town
Kelvin(pop 20000)
A smaller city located up the Highreach River from Specularum, Kelvin is nearly as bustling as the capital. A huge central castle, lavishly apportioned and furnished dominates the area.
Fort Doom(pop 10000)
Fort Doom, a dark brooding castle and the westernmost community of Karameikos, overlooks the Traladaran village of Halag.
Highforge(pop 7500)
A nonhuman community of gnomes and dwarves in the Wufwolde Hills, Highforge swears fealty to the Baron of Karameikos, but for the most part follows it's own course and customs. It is noted for it's extensive mining operations.
Vorloi(pop 7500)
The southern most of Karameikan communities, Vorloi overlooks the Sea of Dread from a Cliffside perch, it's safe harbour allowing some merchant traffic with Minrothad and Ierendi.
Dmitrov(pop 6500)
A sleepy town on the southern coast of Karameikos. Dmitrov has a hard working (if unimaginative) population. "As dull as Dmitrov on a feast day" is a cutting remark in the Karameikan court.
Threshold(pop 5000)
A large, open bright town in northern Karameikos, Threshold is favoured by merchants, fisherman and adventurers.
Luln(pop 5000)
A large town hunkered down behind high walls, it's proximity to Fort Doom and the Black Eagle Barony has stresses it's economy to it's limits.
Penhaligon(pop 3750)
Situated halfway between Kelvin and border with Darokin along the Baron's Road, this walled community serves as a way station for traffic along this road. It thrives despite a continued humanoid threat from the hills.
Rifllian(pop 2000)
Primarily an elven settlement, this town serves as a trading post between humans and the Callarii Elves. Its buildings are mostly wood with intricate carvings in the elven fashion.
Sulescu(pop 950)
Sulescu is an ancient village on the southern coast, ruled by the same family for over 300 years
Marilenev(pop 900)
Castle Marilenev dominates this small farming village, a decaying monstrosity and the seat of the Marilenev family.
Vandeviscny(pop 900)
Located along the forest and wilds of the southern coast, Vandeviscny a community of farmers and woodcutters very isolated from the rest of the world.
Rugalov(pop 650)
A new village at the mouth of the river of the same name, Rugalov is home to fisherman and bargeman who ferry traffic and goods across the tidal flow.
Verge(pop 500)
Situated at the foot of the Black Peak Mountains. It has been plagued by goblins and gnoll attacks over the past 20 years, and twice it has been burned to the ground.
[/sblock]
[sblock=Threshold(Detailed Overview)]
Ruler Patriarch Sherlane, the Baron Halaran. The patriarch is a church father in the Church of Karameikos
Population 5000
Laws: The Dukes Laws are enforced, with the following additions.
- Within the town no Wizard magic may be cast. It is a class 1 crime for spells that inflict no damage.
- Only daggers swords and staves may be carried within town limits without special permission.
- Though wearing armour isn't against the law, town guards repeatedly question those in armour about their business.
Despite it's population, Threshold is not a tightly-packed, dirty, squalid town (with the exception of Fogor Isle). Threshold is spread over a large area, filled with nice homes usually surrounded by vegetable gardens and livestock pens.
Unlike Specularum (the capital) Thresholds streets are wide and open, as there is a decree that no two residences shall be constructed within 50 feet of each other. Thus much of the stench and filth that builds up in more typical cities, is absent from Threshold.
Fisherman's Village
A small (population 1000) fishing village fronts lake Windrush and provides most of the fish in Threshold's markets. Fisherman's Village consist of a collection of wooden structures, some built out over the docks. A number of small boats and barges are kept for further travel up river.
Weir and Dam
The baron ordered the dam built to keep boats from travelling up river from Threshold. Threshold fisherman use the weir (a small screen attached to the dam) to catch fish, they drag it aside whenever logs come downriver from the logging camp north of Lake Windrush.
Fogor Isle
The Island was largely built up before the Baron's decree about close housing was passed. It is therefore, like any other cities tenement district - close-set, squalid buildings, narrow streets, and numerous opportunities for crime. Many businesses flourish here some legal but many not. The city guard does not venture across the bridges onto Fogor's Isle after dark.
~ The Black Jug Tavern
A favourite adventurers hang-out in the town, the Black Jug turns a blind eye to weapons and magic violations, provided they don't attract the attention of the city watch.
~ The Crossed Swords
This former adventurers hang-out on Fogor's Isle was closed years ago after a virulent disease killed it's staff and many of it's patrons. It's doors and windows are boarded over.
The Mainland
The Mainland or the "Main" is the newer part of Threshold, and as such, it's residents obey the Baron's decrees. The main itself is divided by the Old Town Wall, which now has been riddled by so many gates and openings that it serves more as a point of interest than a reasonable defence. The Old Town Wall area harbours most of the legitimate businesses, while personal dwellings and estates lie between it and the new wall
~ Town Hall
Situated in the centre of town, this large building serves many purposes. Here, officials hold town meetings, secure confiscated weapons, issue public declarations, conduct trials, and hold entertainments.
~ Threshold Temple, Church of Karameikos
This tall cathedral, topped by sky-arching spires in the Thyatian style, is the patriarch domain. He oversees a contingent of 20 lesser priests and sees to the spiritual needs of his flock. There are no Temples of Traladara in Threshold, but a number of small shrines are maintained by lone priest.
~ Cardia's Carpet Service
Cardia is a retired adventurers who has put one of her treasures to good use - a flying carpet. The carpet service regularly makes runs to Specularum and other towns in Karameikos.
~ The Hook and Hatchet
Pressed flat up against the Old Town Wall is the tavern called the Hook and Hatchet, known throughout threshold as the favourite watering hole of the town guard.
Loggers Camp
An encampment of loggers operates in the nearby woods, about 1000 loggers live here. This camp has it's own wood mill replacing the Old Mill
Old Mill
The Old Mill was destroyed by fire 25 years ago, but the blackened ruins still sit on the north end of Fogor's Isle
Ruins
The ruins of some ancient town lie on the west shore of the lake, north of Threshold. Stone walls still stand in places, and pieces of rubble dot the landscape.
Tarnskeep
This is Baron Halarans castle, a small sturdy fortress with a single curtain wall, four towers and a large manor house.
[/sblock]
[sblock=Traladaran Culture: A Brief Overview]
by Jennifer Guerra
HISTORY
Traladara has been a land torn by constant invasion, occupation, and war for over 2,000 years. Traladara was once the land of the Traldar, tribal peoples who also settled in the lands that would become known as Darokin. Traldar culture flourished around BC 1200. Traldar culture and society at its peak was most comparable to that of the modern-day people of Minaea, or of the collapsed Milenian civilisation of the southern continent.
But the invasion around BC 1000 of the beast-men (probably gnolls) brought an end to the golden age of the Traldar. King Halav, leader of the settlement at Lavv (modern-day Kelvin), led the Traldar to victory over the invaders, though he perished in the battle. Very few of the Traldar survived; those who did reverted back to a simple agrarian lifestyle in order to survive. Communication between communities became infrequent, although the epic of King Halav continued to give the people a sense of unity. Meanwhile, limited contact with newly-arrived Callarii and Vyalia elves lead to the establishment of trade with a very few villages.
The Traldar (now called Traladarans) began a slow climb back to civilisation, although efforts were hampered by constant humanoid invasions and plagues of vampirism and lycanthropy. Marilenev (now Specularum), the major city of Traladara, was a thriving trade village of 5000.
But then Thyatian forces entered Traladara in AC 900 and quickly conquered the undefended territory. Since then, Traladara (called Karameikos since AC 970) has suffered at the hands of a small Thyatian minority, which dominates politics, trade, and the upper echelons of the military.
RELIGION
The Traladaran people, for the most part, follow the teachings of the Church of Traladara, which exhorts followers to live a good life and to do no harm to others. Clerics provide advice based on the examples provided in "The Song of King Halav." The Church of Traladara honours the Immortal Halav, as well as his companions Petra and Zirchev. Traladaran clerics also perform marriages and officiate at other ceremonies, preach the church philosophies, and promote good will. They may also fight in order to save lives or to defeat evil. Roughly 70 percent of the population of Traladara belong to the Church; most are of the common people, although members of the important Traladaran families in Specularum follow the Church philosophies as a matter of protest against Thyatian rule. The current Patriarch of the Church of Traladara is Aleksyev Nikelnevich (also known as "Father Niki").
Many Traladarans (5 to 10 percent of the total population) belong to the Thyatian-dominated Church of Karameikos, while small minorities follow the Eternal Truth of Al-Kalim, the teachings of the elven Immortals, other faiths, or none at all. The Traladaran people are very open-minded and tolerant, and will permit people of nearly any religious creed (excepting evil faiths) to live among them. But Traladarans are also highly-resistant to conversion of any kind, and resent people who question their personal beliefs.
CULTURE AND ATTITUDES
Traladara is noted for its rich folk and liturgical music, stone carving, and architecture. Traladaran architecture displays a remarkable originality in design, seen especially in Traladaran churches and shrines. These churches are often small and simple, with external sculptures and reliefs.
Traladarans are a warm and generous people known for their hospitality; a guest of a Traladaran host, rich or poor, will never leave hungry! (Traditional foods are detailed below). Besides eating, Traladarans enjoy a number of cultural pastimes, such as the greased pole contest, where contestants try to climb a twenty-foot tall smooth wooden pole soaked in fish oil and slathered with lard (the first to make it to the red flag at the top wins a prize, usually a cake). Another pastime is the pancake race, where up to eight contestants try to cross a distance to the finish line while flipping a pancake on a large wooden "spatula." Pummelling and wrestling remain popular sports as well.
One of the more interesting things about Traladarans is their attitude toward romance. Romance is deeply entrenched in the Traladaran culture, and plays a very important role. Traladaran romance is an old-fashioned concept (many of these concepts went out of fashion in other parts of the world a century ago), essentially preserving the concept of courtly love, wherein the woman is elevated as an object of adoration, and in which the man serves her virtue without expecting favours in return. Lukacs Renyo, a popular writer born in Specularum, wrote of this concept. Renyo writes that the ideal of Traladaran romance is about the male proffering love, not receiving it. Traladaran men kiss the hands of their ladies; they enter a tavern or restaurant before the lady so that she should not be exposed to any unseemly behaviour which might be taking place within; they walk on the outside of the street (on the lady's left) so as to be able to draw their swords in defence of her honour. Consequently, Traladara can be a very romantic place for a lady to be!
But there is also an unfortunate side to this romantic attitude. While Traladara has a wonderful reputation for romance, it also has a reputation as being the "gloomiest" nation in the Known World (aside from Boldavia in Glantri, which is populated by Traladaran emigrants). Indeed, Traladara sadly has one of the highest suicide rates in the Known World. Many experts believe that this has something to do with the Thyatian occupation. Sage Bela Kopul, an expert in such matters of the mind and the heart, says that many Traladarans see suicide as a brave attempt to restore their dignity which has been stolen in some personal way by the conquest (even a century later). Kopul has written that in the years immediately following the invasion of AC 900, there were as many as 4500 reported suicides in Traladara.
Indeed, this attitude of hopelessness and desperation manifests itself in many aspects of Traladaran culture, especially in song. One popular song shows both the romantic spirit and the despair of the Traladaran people:
"Little white flowers won't wait for you,
Not where the black coach of sorrow has taken you;
Immortals have no thought of returning you--
Would they be angry if I thought of joining you?"
CUSTOMS AND SAYINGS
Traladarans have many important customs. Perhaps most important among them is the Shearing. The Shearing is the time in which a Traladaran youth, approaching adulthood, leaves home and sets out on his or her own (for many young Traladaran women also take part in this custom). At a dinner celebration attended by all the family and friends, the parents dress their child in travelling gear; the bottom of the cloak is sheared and left ragged, symbolising that he or she is an impoverished traveller. From that time, the sheared youth is considered a friend of the family, but not part of it. He (for example) must go out into the world and survive until he has proved himself worthy to be asked back into the family, at which time he is considered a full adult.
The Shearing takes place, of course, only once in any Traladaran's lifetime; however, many Traladaran customs are an everyday tradition. Manners and etiquette are an example. Traladaran manners are similar in some ways to typical manners anywhere else. But there are still many differences, particularly in the host-guest relationship: in Traladaran homes, the host defers to the guest (rather than the other way around). This results in some interesting situations, among them a host offering a guest his bed in which to sleep if there is none other available.
Traladarans not only have interesting customs, but also interesting sayings. A few common examples follow:
"Better poor and honest than rich and corrupt." (Also heard as ". . .than Thyatian.")
"If a man returns evil for good, then from his house evil shall not depart."
"Better a dish of herbs where love is than a fatted cow and hatred with it."
"A simpleton believes everything, but the shrewd man measures his steps."
FOOD AND DRINK
Traladaran hospitality extends to the table where one should be prepared for a feast that lasts several hours (if the host has the means). The typical Traladaran commoner's diet is heavy on vegetables and dark breads, with some meats (mostly birds and pork) and (near the coast) fish. In the countryside, grain-based dishes, such as porridge and oatmeal or potato cakes, are common. Among the meza (appetisers) are items such as spicy dried meats called basturma, stuffed vegetables and fruits called dolma, tasty meatballs, and home-cured olives (especially near the coast). Other popular dishes are plaki, a vegetable or fish stew containing tomatoes, onions, and olive oil; fluffy pastries, bourek, filled with meat and cheese or spinach; kasha, a sauté of onions, mushrooms, and simmered wheat kernels; paprikas burgoyna (potatoes paprika); cabbage stew; and spicy sausages called sudjuk. Traladarans often sip raki, an anise-flavoured drink. Beer, cider, and wine are, of course, always popular.
FOLK TRADITIONS
Although most Traladarans belong to a formal religious organisation (mostly the Church of Traladara), some older customs have persisted. For example, in ancient times, Traladarans considered trees to be sacred plants with the power to grant special favours and requests. By tying strips of cloth to a tree, one could ask for help or heal sick relatives and friends. Some Traladarans continue this practice today. To the never-ending chagrin of many, the Traladaran people have retained many other old superstitions. These range from belief in lucky numbers and tea leaf readings to always approaching a shop from the front (to bring the owner prosperity).
Of course, like everyone else, Traladarans rely heavily on magical healing. When a healer cannot be had, however, home remedies prevail. Medical beliefs among Traladarans fall into two general categories: religious and folk medicine. Religious Traladarans often believe that illness is caused by the Immortals, and so rely mainly on incantations and prayers for relief. Others rely on folk healing. For example, for the healing of wounds, the victim is instructed to clean the wound with wine or another strong spirit, then hold the wound closed with both hands and chant three times, "In the name of Halav Red-Hair. The wound is red, the cut deep, the flesh be sore, but there will be no more blood or pain." Then the wound is bound in a poultice and a clean cloth.
SUBCULTURES
Although the Traladaran people are all one people, there are many subcultures among them. The most populous Traladaran subculture are the mixed-blood Traladarans--those of both Traladaran and Thyatian parentage. Other subcultures are not as highly visible, but are nonetheless there. Many other Traladarans of mixed blood exist, including those of Ylari, Hin, Elven, and Darokinian descent.
The Darine are full-blooded Traladarans, although they live by an ancient code of living that most Traladarans have left behind in these late days. The Darine are a travelling people, and a visit from one of their vardo (wagon) caravans means certain entertainment, with dancing, magic tricks, and fortune-telling. The Darine have bad reputations among the Thyatians of the cities as thieves and tricksters, but the Traladarans of the countryside know them to be an honest, albeit mysterious, people.
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[sblock=The Church of Karameikos]
By John Biles
* Symbol: A twelve-pointed star
* Colours: Blue and Yellow
* Sacred Days:
* The first day of each month; each month is sacred to a particular Immortal.
Domains:
* Good, Healing, Law, Protection
The Church of Karameikos was an effort to blend Traladaran religion with Thyatian; the result is not always entirely self-consistent, especially as they desired to appeal to all the races of Karameikos. Each immortal represents one of the twelve virtues. The twelve immortals of the Church of Karameikos are:
* Cleverness--Korotiku the Trickster
* Compassion--Chardastes the Healer
* Courage--Halav Red-Hair
* Craftsmanship--Kagyar the Artisan
* Defence of the Weak--Petra the Holy Defender
* Discipline--Djaea, Averter of Catastrophes
* Justice--Tarastia the Just
* Love--Valerias, Patron of Lovers and Girder-on of Weapons
* Patience--Khoronus, Father of Time
* Peacefulness--Koryis, Patron of Peace and Prosperity
* Respect for Nature--Zirchev
* Scholarship--Ixion the Adventurous Scholar
Cleverness--Korotiku the Trickster (Heaven of Winds)
Ruler of the Heaven of Winds, Korotiku is the trickster whose pranks bring wisdom and laughter to all who meet him. He encourages his followers to puncture the pretensions of those who have become lost in their own self-importance and to bring comfort to those in pain through humour. Korotiku was one of the ancient Traladaran patrons, although the Thyatians also worshipped him, especially the Pearl Islanders.
Compassion--Chardastes the Healer (Heaven of Waters)
In the wake of the great war against the beast-men 2000 years ago, Chardastes travelled between the villages of Traladara, healing all those who had suffered at their hands. He even healed beast-men he encountered along the way, which proved his downfall, for a band of them tried to carry him off to keep as a healer. He offered no resistance, but refused to offer obeisance to their foul gods, so they slew him in a fit of rage. The Immortals then took him up and made him one of their number. Chardastes is the steward of the Heaven of Waters, tending to the needs of its inhabitants with quiet cheer. He encourages his followers to offer compassion and forgiveness to all, especially to their enemies.
Courage--Halav Red-Hair (Heaven of Winds)
Halav was the leader of Traladara in the great war against the beast-men, and it was he who slew their hideous leader in battle, he who brought the arts of metal forging to men. He now leads the griffon-riding Hosts of the Heaven of Winds in their wars against the Fiends of the Pit. He is husband to Petra the Defender. He encourages his followers to be steadfast and brave.
Craftsmanship--Kagyar the Artisan (Heaven of Stone)
Kagyar it was who forged the Dwarves from rock, Kagyar it was who raised the mountains which shield Karameikos from invasion, Kagyar it was who taught Halav to forge metal, and Kagyar it is who watches over the Dwarves and Gnomes of Traladara. His blessing shines upon all those who build things which will stand the test of time. Kagyar is the steward of the Heaven of Stone, ensuring that it will endure through the ages. He encourages his followers to be craftsmen in stone and metal, to build things which will endure forever.
Defence of the Weak--Petra the Holy Defender (Heaven of Waters)
Wife to Halav and Queen of Traladara in the time of the beast-men, it was she who invented the arts of pottery and weaving, she who insured that none would starve by beginning the storage of food against the famine the beast-men brought, she who called down the gods to do battle against the demons who aided the beastmen, and she who found Halav's fallen body and preserved it from desecration. To her is given the guardianship of the Heaven of Waters. She encourages her followers to protect the weak and innocent from assault and injustice, and to prudently prepare for hard times to come.
Discipline--Djaea, Averter of Catastrophes (Heaven of Stone)
Djaea rules the Heaven of Stone, the world as it was intended to be before the plotting of the Fiends of the Pit marred the world. She it was who laid out the plans the Immortals used to forge it, and she who was first to see the plots of Entropy. Her struggle against them is patient and endless. She it was who warned Halav and Petra and Zirchev of the coming of the Beast Men, and she it was who still cries for fallen Blackmoor, which failed to heed her warnings. She and Khoronus were wed in the dawn of the world. She encourages her followers to be steadfast and true, to resist the temptations offered by the Fiends, to never abandon a project from boredom or exhaustion, but instead to persevere to the end.
Justice--Tarastia the Just (Heaven of Fire)
Her worship in Traladara is recent; Traladarans always looked to Halav and Djaea for justice. The Thyatians say she is one of their own, the legendary empress Valentia the Justiciar, who united the Thyatian Empire in its early years by fairly offering equal citizenship to all its subjects, making one people of all the nations. Duke Stefan has followed her example in his efforts to make one people of Traladar and Thyatians. She leads the hosts of the Heaven of Fire in their wars with the Fiends of the Pit. She encourages her followers to treat others fairly, and to be just in all their dealings.
Love--Valerias, Patron of Lovers and Girder-on of Weapons (Heaven of Stone)
Valerias is another Thyatian goddess. She is the lover of Ixion--their relationship is legendarily passionate and tempestuous. Like him, she is ancient beyond reckoning. She is the especial patron of star-crossed lovers who must battle against the odds, and has been known to bring weapons to those who must fight for their love. She guards the Heaven of Stone with her Sacred Band. Her followers are encouraged to love with all their hearts and to open their hearts to others.
Patience--Khoronus, Father of Time (Heaven of Waters)
Husband to Djaea, Khoronus rules the Heaven of Waters, sailing his great ship down the rivers of time. He brings patient, purposeful change, change brought about through careful planning and deep thought. Unwilling to act until he thinks things all the way through, he sometimes drives the other Immortals insane by being a little too patient, but when he acts, he is as decisive as anyone. He teaches his followers to both patiently accept what changes are beyond their control, and how to intelligently guide the course of history so far as it is within their power.
Peacefulness--Koryis, Patron of Peace and Prosperity (Heaven of Winds)
Koryis is revered by the Ochaleans of Thyatis, and with the integration of Traladara into first Thyatis and now Karameikos, his worship has spread west. Koryis advocates trade as a way of building networks between people that channel their energies into peaceful competition instead of war. He is the steward of the Heaven of Winds, encouraging its mercurial inhabitants to live in fruitful peace with one another. He teaches his followers how to find the mutual interests they share with others, and how to then cooperate with them in order to benefit both.
Respect for Nature--Zirchev (Heaven of Fire)
Zirchev the Hunter aided Halav and Petra in the war against the Beastmen, learning the arts of the hunt, of scouting, and of ambush. His studies taught him the secrets of nature, and he learned to use its power by flowing with its rhythms, instead of against them. He is the steward of the Heaven of Fire; under his care the Fire Forests have flourished. He teaches his followers to respect the wild places and the animals they hunt.
Scholarship--Ixion the Adventurous Scholar (Heaven of Fire)
The King of the Heaven of Fire, Ixion is like fire: he both warms and burns those who come close to him. He advocates the life which balances action and contemplation, doing and being, war and wisdom. He strives ever to learn more, and to do things with his knowledge. He encourages his followers to study the world in order to change it.
The Fiends:
There are five great fiends who plot the destruction of all the works of the Twelve Immortal Guardians. Each is served by many lesser fiends. They are lead by Thanatos, He who is Death, the End of All Things. He seeks to destroy all four of the Four Heavens, while the other four Great Fiends each target a single Heaven.
Death: Thanatos
At the End of All Things, the very bottom of the Pit, sits Thanatos, as all things tumble down into his maw. He is patient, for he believes that in the end, he will devour everything in an apocalypse from which there will be no rebirth. He is too foolish to understand that death is merely the prelude to new beginnings. Death has no especial foes, for he intends to devour everything in the end.
Destruction: Orcus (The Enemy of the Heaven of Stone)
Orcus is destruction made flesh, the active principle which smashes big rocks into smaller rocks and turns all to dust in the end. It is by his plots that the world was marred, and he hopes to one day destroy the Heaven of Stone, so that even the memory of the world in its first bloom of perfection will be lost. His greatest enemy is Djaea, Queen of the Heaven of Stone.
Malice: Loki (Enemy of the Heaven of Winds)
Loki is malice, and jealousy, and spite and all the emotions which inspire people to hurt others and pull them down. He is the trickster whose pranks bring pain and suffering to others, who bullies and mistreats the weak and leads the proud to destruction. He is the rubber of salt in wounds, the joker who kills, the fire which burns all it touches. His greatest enemy is Korotiku, King of the Heaven of Winds.
Despair: Hel (Enemy of the Heaven of Fire)
Hel is the greyness of despair, the one who whispers in your ear that it is best to give up, to surrender, to accept that there is nothing you can do about a bad situation. Why fight? Why struggle? Why not just give in and accept you cannot change the world for good or ill and spare yourself the pain of your inevitable failure? That is the message she brings. Her greatest enemy is Ixion, King of the Heaven of Fire.
Selfishness: Talitha (Enemy of the Heaven of Waters)
Talitha teaches that one should always put one's self above all others, that everyone else exists only to serve you and your pleasures. Greed and self-indulgence are the highest virtues in her sight. She struggles with Khoronus, the King of the Heaven of Waters.
The Four Heavens and the Pit:
There are four Heavens, each home to three of the Immortals who watch over it. Those who die purified of their sins ascend to dwell with the immortal whose virtue they best manifested in life.
The first is the Heaven of Stone, ruled by Djaea, the world as it was before the Fiends of the Pit marred it in the War of the Gods at the dawn of Time itself. The roads are made of silver so that no fell werewolf may walk them, and the sun never ceases to shine, driving away the vampire and all his foul kin.
The second is the Heaven of Air, a great kingdom of clouds and wind, ruled by Korotiku. It is an ever changing land, constantly reshaped as the clouds drift about at the direction of those who rule them and dwell upon them. All the creatures of the sky find havens here, and noble cloud and storm giants build their flying citadels.
The third is the Heaven of Water, a great ocean dotted with islands green with life. Fishermen dwell upon the islands and gather their harvest from the sea, while beneath its surface dwell a million glorious civilisations. Khoronus rules there from his floating citadel where he keeps the Great Book, in which all that ever happened is written down.
The fourth is the Heaven of Fire, where all is made of light and fire, a world we can hardly imagine. It is home to Ixion the Sun King, who makes his dwelling place upon the back of a gold dragon the size of a continent. Here, all people become magicians of puissant power, and fire burns without consuming.
Each of these Heavens cast a shadow, the so called 'Elemental Planes', where dwell many strange and wondrous creatures, and they float in a great ocean known as the Astral Plane, through which runs the Silver Road that leads from the Mortal World to that of the Immortals.
As their light shines upon our world, our world casts a shadow across the Astral Plane, a shadow known as The Pit, home to the Fiends, Immortals who have been swallowed by their own darkness and strive to mar all that the Immortal Guardians create. The Pit has five great layers to it, four of which parody the Four Heavens, and the fifth of which lies below the other four, the End of All Things, home to Thanatos, He Who Is Death.
The Hell of Rubble is ruled by Orcus the Destroyer, a great void full of broken chunks of all that is solid, constantly being broken into tinier bits. The Fiends of Destruction, who live only to smash all else that is, dwell here, gradually destroying their own home.
The Hell of Ash is ruled by Two-Faced Hel, the Lady of Despair and Misery. It is a grey and dismal hall built from the fingernails of the dead, which stands in a great bleak plane of ash. There is no fire, no light, no hope here, only dismal grey twilight and an eternity of existence without purpose or meaning. The Fiends of Despair dwell here, moaning and bewailing their fate.
The Hell of Sand is ruled by Talitha the Vain, who dwells within a great palace made entirely from stolen goods, surrounded by a bleak and lifeless desert of endless sand under a constantly present hot summer sun. Every wall is mirrored so that she and her Fiends of Selfishness and Vanity can gaze upon themselves, admire their own beauty, and count themselves lucky to not be among the hapless evil souls condemned to toil endlessly in the desert.
The Hell of Fire is a great charnel house ruled by Loki the Jealous, who dwells in a great hall built of the charred and forged souls of the damned. All those consumed by their own jealousy, hatred, and envy of others fall into the Hell of Fire where they are turned into tools and money and food for the Fiends of Malice, who fatten upon them. Sometimes Loki invites the newly damned to compete with him for the right to join his fiends. The games are rigged so that no one but him can win; Loki greatly enjoys the joke. The losers become dinner for the winner.
The End of All Things is a great conical void whose walls are made of solid nothingness, a funnel down which all things slide into the waiting maw of Thanatos himself, who sits at the bottom, letting all things come to him as he believes they inevitably must.
Philosophy and Theology:
The Church of Karameikos' most fundamental practice is that of taking responsibility for one's ill deeds and doing penance for them. Anyone can be redeemed if they are willing to accept their own guilt and pay for it. The state of your soul at death is determined by how many of your sins you have done penance for. The problem with this is that some abuse it as a blank check to do evil things and pay for it later.
The Church's ideal is the marriage of discipline and creativity of thought and deed, but in practice, the disciplinary aspect tends to predominate. This often leads to clashes with the various Traladaran faiths and with anyone else who deviates from the cultural norms of the Thyatian elite who currently dominate the Church. It also leads some to be willing to crusade against other faiths or lands to spread the faith.
Marriage is very sacred to the Church because mortal marriages are symbolic of the union of discipline (law) and creativity (chaos) which forms part of its philosophy. It is to be noted that many of its patron immortals are either married or in extremely long-term relationships. Divorce is highly frowned on, and adultery and pre-marital sex are seen as grave sins.
The state of one's soul at death determines one's fate in the everlasting life. Those who die without repenting their ill deeds sink into one of the hells, as appropriate for their greatest sin. Those who die with their soul sufficiently cleansed by repentance and penance rise to the heaven which most closely reflects their greatest virtue. The most holy of those join the ranks of the Champions who serve the Immortals.
The Church of Karameikos condemns the various divination practices of the populace of Karameikos because they believe such methods are subject to manipulation by the Fiends, and are in fact a major tool by which the Fiends tempt and destroy humanity. They also believe that they don't work and are foolish superstitions.
Holy Books:
Most of the holy texts of the Church of Karameikos are either Thyatian or Karameikan in origin, and have been gathered together by Patriarch Jowett into what is called 'The Book of Twelve Stars'. It consists of:
* The Vision of the First Dawn (An account of the creation of the universe as seen by Patriarch Jowett in a vision)
* The Marring of the World (An account written from a vision by the seventh century AC Thyatian visionary Epithelius of Retebius. It deals with the rise of Entropy and the fall of the world from its first perfection.)
* Korotiku Steals the Secret of Death (Pearl Islander story about how Korotiku stole the secret of death from Thanatos, thus enabling himself to become immortal and those held prison in Thanatos' cave to escape)
* The Works of Kagyar (This is a spiritual history of the Dwarves and of the deeds of Kagyar over the centuries. Some now forgotten dwarven mystic wrote this at least a thousand years ago. It contains an extensive description of the Heaven of Stone)
* The Path of Light (an ancient text of Tarastia worshippers which lays out the twelve virtues and how to follow them. As might be expected, it especially exalts the virtue of Justice.)
* The Five Curses of the Fiends (This dark and gloomy book was also written by Patriarch Jowett after a vision, and describes the Five Hells and the Five Fiends in disturbing detail and the curse which each of them has put upon all the sentient races.)
* The Fall of Blackmoor (This is a lament by Djaea for the fall of Blackmoor and for the destruction the Rain of Colourless Fire brought upon the world. It is a traditional Traladaran text.)
* The Song of Halav (Traditional Traladaran epic poem about the Traladar-Beastman war of 1000 BC. Halav, Petra, and Zirchev figure prominently)
* Zirchev's Testament (Traditional Traladaran text which sets out Zirchev's warning to the Traladarans to respect the powers that dwell within the forests of their lands, said to have been dictated before he went forth to war on the Beastmen and passed on by his children. Traladaran tradition holds that it was the failure to hold to these commands which enabled the Five Fiends to twist some of the forests dwellers into the lycanthropes which plague Karameikos)
* The Life of Chardastes (This is an account of the life and death of Chardastes written by one of his followers. It is Traladaran in origin)
* Love Songs (This book has three chapters, each of which is a love poem from one of the Immortals to another. The first is 'The Song of Petra', which is a traditional Traladaran love poem written by Petra to Halav on the eve of the battle with the Beastmen. She clearly fears she will never see him again, and pours out her heart to him. The second is 'The Passion of Valerias', written by Valerias to Ixion. It is a strange combination of pornography and spiritual ecstasy. The third is 'The Pledge of Khoronus', in which he pledges his love to Djaea. It shows the love of an old and stable couple in whom the flame of love burns lower but more steadily.)
* The Analects of Koryis (This is a strange and enigmatic book which consists of 144 sayings, each of which is a four line poem. The book is divided into twelve sections of twelve sayings each, with each section being a different kind of poetry and focusing on a different topic. While of Thyatian origin, it has circulated in Traladara for several centuries, being used as a divination system. The Church of Karameikos frowns on its use for divination, regarding it as a depository of spiritual wisdom)
* The Prophecy of Hope (This was proclaimed by a priest of Ixion in ancient Traladara after the destruction of the Beastmen. It contains twelve prophecies of future Traladaran triumphs, culminating in the utter overthrow of evil and the restoration of the world to its original beauty.)
Selected Quotes from the Book of Twelve Stars:
"Eyes cannot see, words cannot tell
the glory of the world in the first spring,
in the days when all was new,
in the days before the world was marred,
and yet, I must try."
--The Vision of the First Dawn
"Order protects and sustains
Chaos creates and changes
Entropy corrupts and destroys.
Once all were one,
But then the world was marred,
And strife entered in its wake.
Death seems everywhere triumphant.
For every soul he waits
At the End of All Things.
But he has forgotten the circle,
misreads the seasons,
ignores nature's every sign.
After fall comes winter,
but after winter is spring.
The world's springtime will come again."
--The Marring of the World
"Those who cannot take a joke are the ones who most desperately need one to be given to them."
--Korotiku Steals the Secret of Death
"It is not easy to forgive, to love one's enemies. But none of the good things in life come easily. Hate and destruction are the road that leads into the Maw of Thanatos. I will walk the harder road that leads into the light."
--The Life and Death of Chardastes
"Halav shoved himself up the spear,
and hacked off the Beast King's head.
For 'tis better to die a hero's death
than to live a coward's life."
--The Song of Halav
"Fires consume their fuel and die,
songs fade and stories are forgotten,
wood burns and flesh rots away,
but stone and metal endure.
And so I command my children
to build their homes and tools
on a solid foundation
for stone and metal endure."
--The Works of Kagyar
"Fight not for your own glory, my love.
;Fight for those who cannot fight for themselves.":
--The Song of Petra
"Before you can bring order to the world,
you must bring order to yourself.
Blackmoor never learned this lesson;
do not walk their road."
--The Lamentations of Djaea
"Let not the judge forget that one day he too will be judged."
--The Path of Light
"Forge me with your hammer. Mould my clay into something beautiful and harden me with the fires of love. You are copper; I am tin. Let us become bronze."
--The Passion of Valerias
"In the winters of our love, remember the past and know that spring always comes again. Winter is but a rest that makes the spring all the sweeter. Be like the willow which bends in the wind and returns to stand upright when the wind passes, for it always does."
--The Pledge of Khoronus
"Everyone is someone else's stranger.
When you look upon a man you know not
and tell yourself he is odd and dangerous,
you ensure he will come to think the same of you."
--The Analects of Koryis
"Did you make the forest? Did you set the plants to grow and the animals to their grazing and hunting? Can you make more land, set a sun in the sky and rain to fall? If so, then you may say the forest is yours, but you know that is not so."
--The Testament of Zirchev
"Without knowledge, action is aimless. Without action, knowledge is pointless. Do not choose merely to know, or merely to do. Use your wisdom, or you will lose it."
--The Book of Hope.
Organisation:
The Church of Karameikos is a fairly well ordered hierarchy. Its head is the high patriarch, currently Olliver Jowett, who serves for life once elected by the patriarchs and matriarchs of the church. Each patriarch oversees the church in a region of the country radiating out from the city in which his temple sits, appointing priests to all the temples within his district. One patriarch serves as the head of the Order of the Griffon, the Church's military arm. Every year, the patriarchs assemble for two weeks (or longer) to deliberate matters facing the church in the Great Synod. Most patriarchs also periodically invite their subordinate priests to elect twelve delegates to meet with them yearly as a synod for their district, although this is not required.
All Patriarchs and Matriarchs are at least ninth level.
The Patriarchs and Matriarchs of the Church are: High Patriarch: Olliver Jowett. He doubles as Patriarch of Specularum, watching over the church in the southern seaboard. Patriarch of Threshold: Sherlane Halaran. Northern Karameikos is his responsibility. Commander of the Order of the Griffon: Alfric Oderbry. He supervises the Order of the Griffon. Patriarch of Kelvin: Baron Desmond Kelvin II (He is also a member of the Order of the Griffon, but was chosen for the Patriarchate on the death of his uncle, the former Patriarch). Central Karameikos is under his supervision. Matriarch of Luln: Natasha Markova. All of Western Karameikos is effectively under her supervision. Matriarch of Rugalov (based out of Rugalov keep): Anastasia Romanova . Eastern Karameikos is under her supervision, though at the present she's largely stuck playing chaplain to the Rugalov garrison and squabbling with Oderbry over who has jurisdiction over several Order of the Griffon fortified monasteries in the Dymrak.
The Order of the Griffon is the military wing of the Church, led by Patriarch Alfric Oderbry. They provide bodyguards for the Patriarchs, guards for the major temples, and provide the manpower which the Patriarchs call on in times of war to fulfil their duties to the Duke as landholders. The Order is a mix of Paladins, Fighters, Clerics, and Warriors. It has two branches: the Soldiers of the Griffon, who are a mixture of low level Warriors and Fighters who serve the church, providing temple guards, garrisons for the fortified churches of the wilderness, and military forces to meet the feudal military duties of the Church. The Knights of the Griffon are a mixture of Paladins and Clerics who perform holy quests, bodyguard the Patriarchs, and command the Soldiers of the Griffon in garrison duties and peacetime. All are at least fifth level.
The order mans a dozen or so fortified monasteries/manors built in wilderness zones, whose revenues help to fund the order and whose dangers keep it in fighting trim.
[/sblock]
[sblock=The Church of Traladara]
by Jeremy Morris
The Church of Traladara is an ancient religion stretching back thousands of years to ancient Traladara, long before the crowning of the first Emperor of Thyatis. The Church centres around the teachings of three primary Immortals - Halav the Patron of Warfare and Weaponsmiths, Petra the Patron of Defence and Cities, and Zirchev the Patron of Forests and Hunters.
In addition to these three Immortal patrons, the Church also acknowledges the existence of a fourth Immortal. This Immortal is known by a number of names, including the Adversary and the Beast-King, but in the Concordance he is given the name Flaghr. Flaghr was the Beast-Man king that King Halav fought in his final battle. According to the epic Song of Halav, Flaghr and Halav struck killing blows against each other simultaneously. The Church teaches that Halav and Flaghr continue their epic struggle, Flaghr trying to destroy Traladara, Halav trying to save it. The Feast of Halav commemorates this struggle every year.
The primary document of Church teaching is the Song of Halav, an epic legend passed down through the centuries to modern day. The Song of Halav tells of the struggle of King Halav and the Traladaran people against an invading force of beast-men. The Song is a long work, and one that has moral and ethical teachings embedded throughout. Part of the traditional duty of the priests of the Church is to extract the teachings of the Immortals from the Song, and to pass this knowledge on to their faithful.
These teachings from the Song have been codified into a work called the Concordance. The Concordance is organised into a number of chapters, opening with the Song of Halav, and followed by the traditional teachings. The Concordance also contains a complete history of the Traladaran people, kept up to date by the priests of the Church.
The Traladaran faith is neither very restrictive nor very demanding of its faithful. The only taboo of the faith is that the faithful must do no harm to others. Every moral tenant of the faith can really be boiled down to this simple belief. Compared to the regimen of the Karameikan Church and the fervour of the Ylari followers of al-Kalim, the Traladaran faith is very simple and relaxed.
Outside of ethics and morals, the Church teaches that simple, non-magical divinations can be used by the faithful to determine the will of the Immortals. The priests themselves teach fortune-telling through reading tea-leaves or cards to those faithful who are interested. Many priests are schooled in astrology and the daily ceremonies of the church usually incorporate some kind of non-magical divining to determine what the Immortals want on a given day.
The daily life of a Traladaran priest varies. The majority of the priests run the churches and temples of the Church. These priests spend their days performing daily ceremonies, ritual divinations, and leading their congregations in prayer. In addition, these priests are expected to act as "faith guides," advising their faithful on matters of scripture and Immortal will, as well as assisting them with their problems. The majority of these priests have also traditionally acted as teachers for the faithful, teaching the history of the Church as well as basic astrology and mathematics to those faithful who have an interest. Most "parish priests" are not followers of a particular Immortal, instead following the philosophy of the Church and honouring all of the Immortals equally. Some priests, however, feel the need to join a "holy order." Traladaran "holy orders" are similar to the orders of other religions. In general, each holy order of the Church of Traladara venerates one particular Immortal above all others, and each member of the order focuses on one particular aspect of the Traladaran faith.
The Order of the Sword, are a militant order dedicated to the protection of the Church above all else. The patron of the Order is Halav, and they are sometimes known as Halavites or Swords. Swords dedicate most of their time to perfecting the art of war and defence, and unlike the rest of the Church are not prohibited from the use of swords and edged weaponry. In exchange for this military training, Halavites have less training in the use of spells of faith, causing them to rely on their swords even more. The Order of the Sword is based out of the Temple of Halav in Specularum.
The Order of the Shield is an order dedicated to the protection of the believers. The Order has Petra as its patron, and they are known variously as Shields or Defenders of the Faith. Defenders are renown for both their healing abilities and their fighting prowess, although they are restricted to certain weapons by their patron. In addition, a Defender only has access to her superior fighting ability when actually defending someone. If the Defender is the aggressor in a conflict, Petra takes her favour away and the Defender must rely on her own (usually ample) abilities. The Defenders call the Shrine of the Shield in Vorloi their home.
The Order of the Wolf is an order dedicated to the celebration of life. Zirchev is the patron of this order, and his followers are known as Huntsmen or Wolves. Huntsmen are best known for their wilderness skills and their amazing tracking abilities, but are hindered when forced to stay within a city. The Huntsmen have no temple, but say that the Dymrak Forest is sacred and spend much of their time driving evil from the Forest.
Neither the traditional priests nor the members of the holy orders are required to be celibate. In fact, the Church encourages its priests to marry. Often the children of priests will continue on with their parent's occupation and become priests themselves. In addition, the Church allows both men and women to become priests, and entire families of priests have been known to run churches in some villages.
Like the rest of the Church, the hierarchy of the priesthood is very loosely structured. A young man or woman who wishes to join the Church begins as an Initiate. The Initiate is "apprenticed," for lack of a better word, to a more senior priest for a period of two years. Over this two year span, the senior priest is expected to teach the Initiate everything he can about the beliefs and history of the Church. In return, the Initiate assists with the daily duties of the Church, including performing the daily rituals and services, enacting the daily divinations, keeping the Church clean, etc.
After two years, the Initiate is officially named a Priest, and the new priest is expected to choose his future direction. Most priests choose to continue on as a priest in the church in which they were taught, although a few choose to travel to other areas and establish new churches, or travel to another church for a permanent home. Some choose to join the holy orders, and dedicate themselves to one particular aspect of the faith.
Within the local church, the most senior and respected priest is considered to be the leader, and all other priests are considered equals. The most senior and respected priest of a given area is considered to be a Patriarch. This title is partly based on geography, partly on scholarship, and partly on age. While the word of a Patriarch is not technically law within the Church, these and women are usually so well respected and so learned in the teachings of the Church that their opinions are often listened to by both the priests and the faithful.
The size of a Patriarch's area of influence varies from Patriarch to Patriarch. In general, each major city has a Patriarch, so the more populous south has more Patriarchs in a smaller area than the more sparsely populated northlands. Since the reign of King Stefan began, the most powerful Patriarch has been the Patriarch of Specularum, Father Aleksyev Nikelnevich. I'm not sure if this is due to the wide amount of respect he has across the nation, or if it is due to his proximity to the King. Although the King is not a follower of the Church of Traladara, he does like to understand the minds of his subjects. I suspect that he considers Father Nikelnevich an expert on Traladaran faith (which he is) and as such uses him as a resource for how his Traladaran subjects think and feel about various issues. This places Father Nikelnevich in a very powerful position.
(It is interesting to note that in the Traladaran hierarchy, priests and the faithful refer to each other as "Brother" and "Sister," so "Sister Misha" could be either a priest or a believer. The Patriarchs of the Church are usually referred to as "Father" or "Mother" by both the faithful and the priests. In the Church of Karameikos, every priest is referred to as "Father" or "Mother" and the Patriarchs are simply referred to as Patriarch, whether they are male or female.)
The Church of Traladara has a number of holy days or feast days. The most important to the Church is the Feast of Halav, a celebration that begins on the twenty-eighth of Klarmont and continues for a total of three days. The first day is the day of Preparation, a day when the priests of the Church prepare for the final battle of the King. The priests perform traditional divinations and rites to ensure that Halav will find success against his foe.
The second day of the Feast of Halav is the day of Triumph, a day celebrating the victory of King Halav over the Beast King Flaghr. This day is commemorated by more Church services, but also by parades, parties, and re-enactments of the battle. The Thyatian settlers adopted this day as a holiday, and it is officially recognised as "Beast Day" by the Karameikan government.
The final day of the Feast is the day of Mourning. This is the day when the priests perform traditional funeral rites for their dead King Halav, and perform traditional warding rites against the Beast-King Flaghr. Every faithful member of the Church is expected to participate in these rites, though it is not considered a sin to not attend.
The Feast of Petra is celebrated on the last full moon before the spring equinox. This Feast Day is traditionally the day that new defence constructions are started in the cities. All of the faithful are expected to come together to repair walls, make weapons, and generally prepare for any assaults on their city. Today, the Feast is still celebrated and the faithful still assist in preparations, but it has become more of a time for repairing and rebuilding the cities. New roads are constructed and old roads are repaired. At the end of the day, the city celebrates with a night-long party under the full moon, revelling under the guardianship of Petra.
The Midsummer Feast is the Feast of Zirchev, occurring every year on the day of the summer solstice. This Feast is a celebration of life and nature, and a time of remembrance of the natural world. Priests hold outdoor ceremonies away from the cities and towns, and the faithful usually celebrate with outdoor parties and revelry. In addition, hunting is prohibited of the faithful for this one day, and the faithful are expected to plant new trees and make sure that the forests and outdoor areas are in good condition.
The Church of Traladara remains a powerful faith within Karameikos despite the invasion of the Thyatians and the influx of new leaders and new settlers. In fact, the invasion may have done good things for the Church. A number of refugees fleeing from the invasion forces fled north to Darokin years ago. These refugees settled in south eastern Darokin, most in the villages of Armstead and Reedle, and when they did they brought their faith with them. Both villages have strong churches within them, each large enough to have its own Patriarch. The faith has begun to spread throughout the Republic, apparently because the merchants love both the relaxed nature of the faith and the number of festive holy days, which are always good for business.
In addition to Darokin, I've also seen missionary churches to the faith in Ierendi and (surprisingly) in the Five Shires. Supposedly, the Church has spread to the Shires by way of Hin converts living within Karameikos. These Hin priests have set up a church in Wereskalot and are working hard to convince their fellows that the philosophy of the Church is the way to spend their lives. I wonder if they are having any success at all.
The Church does have its own share of worries, however. Although the King is lenient of the religion of the natives of his nation, some fear that the leadership of the Church of Karameikos has an eye on eliminating the Church of Traladara from Karameikos. I've heard talk of Patriarchs of the Karameikan Church petitioning the King to make the Traladara Church illegal. I know that the Karameikan High Patriarch Olliver Jowett has no such designs, nor do I think that King Stefan would do such a thing. But Jowett is getting older, and will not be in charge of the Church forever. When that happens, many are predicting a schism of epic proportions. The Church of Traladara could survive or fail on the heels of such a schism.
Enough of these worries about things that may not happen. I grow weary now after this day of festivities, and I should get some sleep. Perhaps I will attend the ceremonies tomorrow, to mourn the death of King Halav. I haven't been to a Day of Mourning in over a decade, so perhaps it is time for me to attend one again. If nothing else, I may be able to make a few more observations for my research.
On another note, while I'm here in Karameikos again, I should try to do some research on the other faiths of the nation. I can't believe I've travelled as much as I have in this world and have not even bothered to chronicle the beliefs of my own homeland.
[/sblock][/sblock]
[sblock=Immortals]
by Nicholas C. Bambakidis
The following Immortals represent the most well known and powerful of those worshipped on Mystara, including both the outer and hollow worlds. Together, the list includes probably 90% of them, omitting the least powerful gods and their smaller cults. The list is alphabetical, grouped by the sphere represented. Obviously, many of the Immortals listed are worshiped on other crystal spheres (planets) on the Prime (some on a great many other planets!), and some under alternate names or even profiles.
Note that Immortals who align themselves with a particular Sphere are not otherwise necessarily related to each other in Planar Home or alignment. (Some information has been copied from Deities and Demigods by Rich Redman, Skip Williams, and James Wyatt. No attempt is being made to claim these sections as original work.)
"Finally one will note that several of the deities are related to mythological gods of historical pantheons, such as the ancient Greeks or Egyptians on our Earth. In Mystara, various civilisations have arisen through periods of time resembling these cultures and embracing their theologies in whole or in part. Most obviously demonstrated are the Milenians (whose empire predated the Thyatian empire by about 2000 years before it fell) and the Nithians (a culture quite similar to Egyptian). Both cultures have been preserved in part, in the Hollow World of Mystara through the deal-making and machinations of the immortals involved. Obviously, these Immortals attract themselves to certain cultures they find repeated on various worlds where they set up their group theology, if you will. Nevertheless, there are differences, as for instance the all powerful Zeus was unable to rest enough power away from Ixion to become much more than a puppet. In fact, it seems that the Immortals which have focused much of their attention on this particular crystal sphere called Mystara have in the intervening centuries become incredibly more powerful that their competitors who focus on other, more minor worlds (Toril, pthaaa! A backwater that gets WWWAY too much attention" Ka the Preserver) Whether it has to do with its unique collections of artifacts from the Blackmoor era, the fact that unequalled numbers of mortals have arisen to power-hood here or rumoured interference with enigmatic beings known as "Old Ones", none can say for sure. But it would serve a body to pay attention to this particular backwater for future use...(Paragon on the Path. Godsman Apollonius, CH XII v2).
[Sblock=Sphere of Matter]The Sphere of Matter is closely related to the element of earth. Its purpose is to withstand destruction and decay. This sphere stands for sturdiness and stability. Matter is the building block of all things. Rich in variety, Matter is easily mutable to any form. Matter is opposed to Time's efforts to cause change and provides Thought with existing order.
Atruaghin
(Protector of the Clans; Father of the New Way)
Greater Deity
Symbol - Tomahawk
Home Plane - Celestia
Alignment LG
Clerics LG, NG
Portfolio - Truth, good, crafts, animals, peace
Domains - Good, Animal, Healing
Weapon - Tomahawk
Atruaghin is worshipped on the outer world by the nomadic people of the Atruaghin Clans, and in the hollow world as the leader of those in the evil Azcan empire who follow the New Way (a philosophy reflecting his profile). His greatest enemy is Atzanteotl.
Djaea
(Mother Preserver)
Greater Deity
Symbol - Large white stone with a serpent curled around it.
Home Plane - Elysium
Alignment - NG
Clerics LG, NG
Portfolio - Good, protection, knowledge, life
Domains - Good, Magic, Protection
Weapon - War hammer
Originally worshipped by the ancient Neathar peoples, worship of the Mother Preserver is centred around the ideals in her portfolio. Many worshippers warn of potential means of catastrophic destruction of continents or of the world and seek to research means to avoid them. They also research much about how the multiverse works and what sustains and nourishes entire planets. Many worshipers are wizards and sorcerers, as well. Djaea is married to Khoronus, the Greater Deity of Time.
Faunus
(Pan, Inuus, Lupercus)
Lesser Deity
Symbol - A drinking horn with ram's horns
Home Plane - Beastlands
Alignment CN
Clerics CE, CG, CN
Portfolio - Nature, passion, shepherds, mountains
Domains - Animal, Chaos, Plant
Weapon - Unarmed strike
The wild god of nature, Faunus appears as a tall satyr. He is the son of Hermes and a Dryad. He is a carefree soul, prancing though the high mountains, tending sheep, playing his pipes, singing and dancing. His only creed is freedom.
The Great One
(Ruler of all Dragonkind)
Greater Deity
Symbol - A three-headed dragon
Alignment N
Clerics NG, N, NE
Home Plane - Outlands
Portfolio - All dragons, air, protection
Domains - Air, Luck, Protection
A glossy grey hue, the three headed Great One oversees the draconic pantheon which includes Pearl (Chaotic dragons), Opal (Neutral dragons), Diamond (Lawful dragons), Bahamut (Good dragons), and Tiamat (Evil dragons). The home planes of these Lesser deities are located on the Abyss, the Outlands, Arcadia, Celestia, and Baator, respectively.
Ka the Preserver
Greater Deity
Symbol - Feathered, winged, amber coloured serpent
Alignment NG
Clerics NG, LN, CN
Home Plane - Beastlands
Portfolio - Preservation, protection, knowledge, serpents.
Domains - Protection, Animal, Knowledge, Creation
In the form of a sentient dinosaur, Ka was one of the co-founders of the Hollow World and represents cultures and races otherwise lost and an insatiable thirst for knowledge and self-enlightenment. He is widely worshiped by scribes and librarians. He is a fierce enemy of all things (and beings) entropic.
Kagyar
Moradin, The Soul Forger, Dwarf father, The All-Father, The Creator
Greater Deity
Symbol - Warhammer
Alignment LG
Clerics LG, LN, NG
Home Plane - Celestia
Portfolio - Dwarves, creation, smithing, engineering, war
Domains - Earth, Good, Law, Protection
Weapon - Warhammer
The principal deity and defender, creator of the dwarven race. He tolerates no taint of evil among the dwarves; it was he who drove the derro and duergar out of the dwarven community. It is Moradin's influence that leads the dwarves toward excellence in craftwork and staunch defence of what is theirs.
Terra
(Gaia, Yamuga, Mother Earth)
Greater Deity
Symbol - A circle of stones with any sort of plant or creature (often a flower) growing from it.
Alignment LN
Clerics LN, LG, LE
Portfolio - Life, death, justice, earth
Domains - Earth, Healing, Law, Repose, Creation
Home Plane - Elemental Earth (the only Immortal on an Inner Plane)
According to Milenian mythology, Terra was the first immortal who, along with Uranus (the sky) gave birth to the Titans and a number of other monsters including the Cyclopes and Hecatoncheires (hundred-handed giants). The Titans rose up against their jealous and tyrannical father, and Cronus vanquished Uranus and seized his throne. He later gave birth to Hades, Poseidon (Proteus), Hera, Demeter, Hestia, and Zeus. After he devoured his first five children, his wife Rhea hid Zeus who eventually returned to kill his father and free his siblings from Cronus's belly, imprisoning him on Carceri. In any event, Terra herself enjoys a tremendous following on multiple worlds and among many primitive peoples. More advanced worshipers appreciate her emphasis on different aspects of life (or death) and the creation of new species and their relation to earth and matter. She is also worshiped by many earthy races (xorn, elementals).
Valerius
(Aphrodite, Goddess of Love)
Valerius was killed by Alphaks during his failed bid for full resurrection. [/sblock]
[sblock=Sphere of Time]The Sphere of Time is closely related to the element of water. Its purpose is to promote change in all things while remaining unchanging itself and to maintain the flow of time. Time is everywhere, ebbing and flowing, recycling the lessons of the past to remind the present. It is a creative, shaping force causing change through aging and rebirth. Time is opposed to Matter's efforts to withstand change, consumes Energy over time, and teaches Thought the lessons of history.
Calitha Starbrow
(Tallivai)
Lesser Deity
Symbol - A giant pearl lying in mother-of-pearl
Alignment NG
Clerics NG, N
Portfolio - Sea elves, life, sea
Domain - Water, Animal, Good
Home Plane - Elysium
Weapon - Trident
Calitha is worshiped primarily by the sea elves of Minrothad. As opposed to Protius who she considers a wild thing who does not appear to concern himself with the careful preservation of the seas and sea-life.
Khoronus
(Father Time)
Greater Deity
Symbol - Hourglass
Alignment NG
Clerics NG, N
Portfolio - Time, peace, logic, wisdom
Domain - Time, Magic, Travel, Water
Home Plane - Elysium
Weapon - Scythe
Khoronus is an ancient being, the most powerful Immortal in the Sphere of Time. His priests are considered great lecturers and thinkers who insist on considering all options before committing themselves to action. They often act as wise advisers to rulers regarding the lessons of history.
Ordana
(Forest Mother, Thendara, Ehlonna)
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - Oak Leaf, Rearing Unicorn
Alignment NG
Clerics CG, LG, NG
Portfolio - Forests, woodlands, flora and fauna, fertility
Domains - Animal, Good, Plant, Sun
Home Plane - Beastlands
Weapon - Longsword
Ordana is believed to have created the elvish race, and serves and the friend and protector of her beloved forests. Most elves outside of the wood elves of Minrothad revere Ilsundal and Mealiden Starwatcher now, though many other creatures and beings of the forest revere her. She is a favoured deity of rangers, druids, hunters, and farmers as well as groups of gnomes and halflings, as well as treants, dryads, pixies and other faerie folk.
Petra
(Athena)
Greater Deity
Symbol - An owl embossed on a circular shield
Alignment LG
Clerics LG, LN, NG
Portfolio - Wisdom, crafts, civilisation, war
Domains - Artifice, Community, Good, Knowledge, Law, War
Home Plane - Arborea
Weapon - Shortspear
Petra was originally worshiped by the Traladaran people in what is now Karameikos. Their mythology originally believed that she was in life a great female war hero which defended their lands from gnollish invasion along with the heroes Halav and Zirchev. The later Milenian peoples worshiped her as Athena, Goddess of wisdom and war, and claimed that she was born full grown and armoured from Zeus's head when it was split open by Hephaestus. Most of her current worshipers are paladins, fighters, monks, judges, and constables in Karameikos as well as the remnants of the Milenian culture in the Hollow World.
Proteus
(The Old Man of the Sea, Manwara, The Spuming Nooga, Poseidon)
Greater Deity
Symbol - Trident
Alignment CN
Clerics CE, CG, CN
Portfolio - Sea, rivers, earthquakes
Domains - Chaos, Earth, Water
Home Plane - Arborea
Weapon - Trident
Proteus appears as a large male human with long, flowing black hair and beard dressed only in seaweed and dripping with water. He is worshiped as Manwara by mermen, and in Vestland is revered as The Spuming Nooga. The Milenians still worship him as Poseidon. Like other chaotic neutral deities, he requires little from his followers beyond sacrifices (a bull thrown into the sea every month). He is worshiped by sailors, fishers, and coastal dwellers throughout the Known and Hollow Worlds (though he often does not listen to prayers!).
Vanya
(Nike)
Lesser Deity
Symbol - A vertical lance with two horizontal short swords, one above the other, crossed over it.
Alignment LN
Clerics LE, LG, LN
Portfolio - Victory, conquest
Domains - Law, War, Strength
Home Plane - Arcadia
Weapon - Longsword
Vanya is the goddess of unbridled war and conquest, the personification of victory. If a problem or situation can't be described in terms of conflict, with definite conditions for declaring victory, Nike considers it beneath her notice. She appears as a tall, winged woman, and at one time her cult was quite large throughout the massive Thyatian Empire and especially amongst its militant Heldannic Knights. Of late, it has lost significant influence and can only be considered as a minor cult.[/sblock]
[sblock=Sphere of Energy]The Sphere of Energy is closely related to the element of fire. Its purpose is to create more energy and activity. Energy is dynamic and highly active. It seeks to alter and transform things, consuming Matter, speeding up Time, and exciting Thought to release more energy. Highly temperamental, Energy is also very creative, channelling magical energies to bring new things into being. Energy is opposed to Thought's efforts to control it and seeks to transform Matter at the highest possible level despite the ravages of Time.
Alphatia
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - A glowing shield with paints dabbed on it like an artist's palette
Alignment LG
Clerics LG, NG
Portfolio - Peace, magic, art, artisans, arcane knowledge
Domains - Knowledge, Magic, Sun, Healing
Home Plane - Celestia
Weapon - Mace
Alphatia appears as a copper-skinned Alphatian woman, young and beautiful but wearing poor quality clothes and no jewellery or shoes. The patron goddess of the now-sunken Alphatian Empire (relocated to the Hollow World), she represents magical knowledge, artistic knowledge and peaceful study. Many of his priests are cleric/wizards or cleric/sorcerers, and they actively create magic items. They often oppose imperialistic war policies as counterproductive. Her followers are spread throughout the outer world despite the loss of the Empire there, mostly in Bellissaria, Norwold, and the Isle of Dawn; her philosophies have not spread much beyond those boundaries.
Benekander
(Rheddrian)
Lesser Deity
Symbol - A dog and some strange sigils around it
Alignment - LN
Clerics LN, LG
Portfolio - Energy, engineering, travel
Domains - Knowledge, Healing, Travel
Home Plane - Mechanus
Benekander was originally an engineer on an ancient spacecraft from a technologically advanced planet which crashed on Mystara when Blackmoor was a still a backwards place. He awoke years later when someone tried to sabotage his life capsule; his own modifications to the capsule had saved him while the rest of the crew had perished. He discovered that human intruders from this world were looting precious parts and devices from the engineering compartments, and as a result of their meddling before he could intervene the ship exploded. Heroically working to the last second to prevent or contain the explosion, he was caught up in a maelstrom of energy when the disaster occurred. Although his body was totally disintegrated, somehow Rheddrian's consciousness survived and as the Beagle's reactor was transformed (by the Old Ones) into the Radiance he became an Immortal. Since that time the Radiance has been transformed again, engaging in a symbiotic relationship with Entropy and slowly transforming the landscape in Glantri below which it is buried. Benekander's followers busy themselves travelling throughout the Known world campaigning against Entropy's forces and using their unique knowledge of engineering principles to their benefit. The following is quite strong in the southern parts of Glantri crossing into Sind and Darokin. Rheddrian himself appears as a 7' tall human with black hair and moustache and beard with blue eyes and green skin.
Eiryndul
(Olidammara)
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - A laughing mask with grinning white teeth (like a Cheshire cat)
Alignment - CN
Clerics CE, CG, CN
Portfolio - Rogues, music, elves, revelry, tricks, humour, forests
Domains - Chaos, Luck, Trickery, Animal
Home Plane - Ysgard
Weapon - Shortsword
Eiryndul is an elven Immortal, although few elves outside of the Shiye of Alphatia and the clans in Norwold actively worship him. He is a patron of forest races, and is also revered for his aspects reflecting his love of pranks and music. Eiryndul's temples are few, but many people are willing to raise a glass in his honour. He teaches that life is meant to be happy and entertaining, and that the best jokes need a target to hang them on. The only think better than making wine is drinking it. Many rogues pay tribute to him under the name Olidammara.
Ilsundal
(The Wise One, Corellon Larethian)
Greater Deity
Symbol - A silhouette of the oaken Tree of Life
Alignment CG
Clerics CG, CN, NG
Portfolio - Elves, magic, arts and crafts, music
Domains - Chaos, Good, Protection
Home Plane - Arborea
Weapon - Longsword
Ilsundal was one of the first generation of elves, born in the land of Evergrun in the ancient past. Evergrun was overrun by ice and destroyed in the cataclysmic aftermath of the Great Rain of Fire (the catastrophe that obliterated Blackmoor and shifted the planet's axis). Ilsundal led many elves away from the southern continent to a new homeland and back to their traditions of natural magic. After reaching and settling a new land, the Sylvan Realm, he undertook the path to Immortality during which he created the first Tree of Life (the living artifacts which help sustain the elves). After becoming Immortal, Ilsundal has concerned himself with all aspects of elven welfare (at least as far as the surface elves are concerned), and is worshiped by elves on many other worlds (as Corellon Larethian on Oerth). Ilsundal appears as an aged, wise-eyed elf, usually dressed in a sky blue cloak.
Ixion
(Otzitiotl; Solarios; The Sun-Prince; Tubak; Pelor)
Greater Deity
Symbol - A flaming wheel
Alignment - NG
Clerics CG, LG, NG
Portfolio - Sun, light, strength, healing
Domains - Good, Healing, Strength, Sun, Fire
Home Plane - Elysium
Weapon - Mace
Ixion, the god of the sun, appears as a member of whatever race he is addressing with golden hair, flaming eyes, and golden skin. He is revered throughout the Prime material plane under many names, but nevertheless his common elements of worship include a desire for peace but harshness in war; denying aid to the forces of Entropy and darkness; and the belief that the energy of life originates from the sun. This light brings strength to the weak and health to the injured, while destroying darkness and evil. He is the most commonly worshiped deity among ordinary humans, and his priests are well received wherever they go. Ixion's clerics favour yellow garb; they are usually kind people with backbones of steel.
Mealiden Starwatcher
(The Red Arrow)
Lesser Deity
Symbol - A rainbow with one star above it and one star below.
Alignment CG
Clerics CG, CN, NG
Portfolio - Elves, war, music
Domains - Chaos, Good, War, Protection
Home Plane - Arborea
Weapon - Longbow
Mealiden appears as an androgynous elven warrior armed with a longsword and longbow. He represents the more martial aspects of elven rule, and serves as a close ally to Ilsundal. It is because of Mealiden's battle prowess that Gruumsh is called "One Eye".
Rafiel
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - A book-cover with a star in its centre, representing wisdom and celestial learning.
Alignment LN
Clerics LN, LG
Portfolio - Shadow elves, engineering, knowledge, wisdom
Domains - Magic, Law, Knowledge, Fire
Home Plane - Mechanus
As patron deity of the shadow elves, Rafiel exhorts his followers to maintain a fierce independence bordering on xenophobia. His priests are excellent scholars and researchers, and under his guidance a powerful artifact was created in the City of the Stars which serves as a symbiotic conduit for the Sphere of Energy on Mystara (much as the Radiance once did) after the Radiance was altered to serve Entropy. As the Shadow Elves have moved out into the Outer world and begun a partial integration with elves in Alfheim, Rafiel's priests have been instrumental in serving as able negotiators. They have a fierce hatred for the Schattenalfen, who have been corrupted through the worship of Atzanteotl.
Rathanos
Greater Deity
Symbol - A burning brand
Alignment CN
Clerics CE, CG, CN
Portfolio - Magic, fire, energy
Domains - Knowledge, Magic, Fire
Home Plane - Limbo
Weapon - Flaming Club
Rathanos was once a powerful wizard of the outer-world Oltec culture in the ancient past. He was fascinated with the elemental plane of fire and fire magics, and since became an Immortal under the patronage of Ixion. His followers are a chaotic lot, who see beauty in the randomness of the multiverse. They consist of a great many wizards, sorcerers, illusionists, philosophers, and sages, and are respected for their knowledge and magical prowess. Their advice is valued, though their nature makes them somewhat unpredictable. Rathanos is worshipped throughout the Known World, but mostly on the Isle of Dawn and secretly in Glantri (as well as by many sentient creatures of fiery origin and on countless other worlds). He appears as a manlike being made all of fire.
Razud
(Boccob, The Uncaring, Lord of All Magics, Archmage of the Deities)
Greater Deity
Symbol - Eye balanced on a pedestal inside a pentagon
Alignment N
Clerics CN, LN, N, NE, NG
Portfolio - Magic, arcane knowledge, foresight, balance
Domains - Knowledge, Magic, Trickery
Home Plane - Outlands
Weapon - Quarterstaff
The deity of magic, Razud is widely revered in Alphatia as his followers proclaim magic the most important force in the world - more vital than good, evil, law, or chaos. Most of his clerics observe strict neutrality, and his priests like to help the self-sufficient; Razud looks most kindly on those who seek guidance from him but are brave and resolute enough to forge out on their own if he offers none. Razud appears as a young man, perhaps 16, of a golden-skinned green eyed human race clad in loose purple garments with shimmering golden runes that move and change.
Tarastia
(Patroness of Justice and Revenge)
Greater Deity
Symbol - Black headsman's axe
Alignment LN
Clerics LG, LN
Portfolio - Justice, revenge, war, punishment
Domains - War, Law, Destruction, Protection
Home Plane - Arcadia
Weapon - Battleaxe
Tarastia is a patron of those who value laws and judgements. Her followers have described a strict code of Laws which have been adopted by many of the more "civilised" kingdoms and empires in the Known World which emphasise punishments which reflect the severity of the crimes committed. Strict adherence to the cult's following does not restrict vengeance to the authorities, however, so long as retribution is justly deserved and appropriate. The religion has been widely popular on the outer planes amongst former members of the Mercykiller faction. She appears as a dusky-skinned, strong-jawed, unsmiling woman in black plate armour, carrying a headsman's axe; and is popular amongst fighters and paladins particularly.
Thor
(God of Thunder, Guardian of Asgard)
Greater Deity
Symbol - Warhammer
Alignment CG
Clerics CG, NG, CN
Portfolio - Storms, thunder, war
Domains - Chaos, Good, Protection, Strength, War, Weather
Home Plane - Ysgard
Weapon - Warhammer
Usually portrayed as a powerfully built man with a red beard and eyes filled with lightning. Thor is (according to mythology) the son of Odin and a female giant named Jord. Where Odin is complex and crafty, Thor is straightforward and physical - this makes him popular with the common man. His nemesis is Jormungandr the World Serpent, whom he is destined to face at Ragnarok. Though married to Sif, Thor had two sons with a giant named Jarnsaxa. Those sons, Modi and Magni, are prophesied to survive Ragnarok. According to the cult, nothing challenges people like combat and so it is popular among soldiers throughout the Northern Reaches, Kyria, Norwold, and the Antalian Wastes of the Hollow World. The cult also teaches that violent storms are a necessity, since they sweep aside weak structures and wash away detritus. Thor's clergy are most likely to be seen wearing armour and carrying warhammers. Like Odin's temples, the interiors of Thor's temples are raucous places where mead, beer, and ale flow freely, hot food is plentiful, and physical challenges are constant entertainment. Parishioners greet visitors to Thor's temples by challenging them to a drinking contest, a foot race, or a wrestling match.[/sblock]
[sblock=Sphere of Thought]The Sphere of Thought is closely related to the element of air. Its purpose is to understand all of existence and to make all other Spheres its tools. Thought is the very essence of self-consciousness. It is realisation, philosophy, and understanding. Thought seeks to analyse and understand everything in order to manipulate the other powers of the multiverse. Thought opposes the chaotic excesses of Energy and attempts to gain control of Time to create form and order in Matter.
Asterius
(The Master Thief, Messenger of the Gods, Hermes)
Intermediate God
Symbol - The moon with wings entwining it
Alignment CG
Clerics CG, CN, NG
Portfolio - Travel, trade, theft, gambling, running
Domains - Air, Good, Luck, Travel, Trickery
Home Plane - Arborea
Weapon - Dagger
Asterius is the deity of travellers, merchants, thieves, gamblers, athletes, and elegant speakers. He appears as a middle-aged black-haired, corpulent man in ancient robes; in Milenian mythology he was pictured wearing a winged helm and sandals and carrying a caduceus. Asterius favours fair play, and while he values the wit and daring required to accomplish a difficult theft, he frowns upon those who would steal from anyone who cannot afford the loss. He urges his followers to be dependable and prompt, but he despises tediousness and smiles when something unexpected upsets the predictable. Asterius abhors idleness. If one cannot do anything useful, Asterius says, the proper thing to do is travel and have new experiences. His clerics seldom sit still. They are found in a wide variety of occupations, serving as diplomats, judges, translators, moneychangers, surveyors, and explorers. Wayside shrines to Asterius are common, but temples dedicated to Asterius are fairly rare.
Diulanna
(Artemis, Patroness of Will)
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - A spear thrust clear through a boulder
Alignment - NG
Clerics NG, LG, CG
Portfolio - Willpower, hunting, wild beasts, childbirth, dance
Domains - Animal, Good, Plant, Sun
Home Plane - Arborea
Weapon - Shortspear
Diulanna is a patroness of the tribes of the Hinterlands, and as this aspect of her worship is called the Patroness of Will because she favours those willing to take on impossible odds because they believe in what they are doing. She also serves as the goddess of hunting and wild beasts, appearing as a young woman in tunic, loincloth, and headband of lion-skin. In Milenian mythology she was worshiped as Artemis, twin sister of Apollo and daughter of Zeus and the titan Leto. Her teachings emphasise the value and sacred worth of the wilderness and its inhabitants. She is worshiped by rangers, druids, elves, halflings, and hunters. All of her clerics are women, and they must remain chaste and unmarried. They tend to either retire from civilisation and tend to woodlands, or return to the world to lead great campaigns against terrible odds. Diulanna usually has shrines in sacred groves or alongside pure streams.
Frey
Greater Deity
Symbol - Ice-blue greatsword
Alignment NG
Clerics CG, LG, NG
Portfolio - Agriculture, fertility, harvest, sun
Domains - Air, Good, Plant, Sun
Home Plane - Ysgard
Weapon - Greatsword
Son of Njord and husband to the female giant Gerd, Frey is the chief god of agriculture. Of all the patron-Immortals of the Northern Reaches, Frey and Freya have become the most popular Immortals among the common folk. Part of the reason for this is their sensible attitude to warfare (avoid it when possible; fight intelligently when you must). Another contributing factor might be that they are also patrons of love and friendship. Weapons are banned outright in Frey's temples, and bloodshed in places sacred to him is taboo. Despite this peaceful portfolio, Frey is fated to fight Surtur at Ragnarok with his bare hands, having given his dwarf-forged magic sword to his shieldman Skirnir.
Freya
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - Falcon
Alignment - NG
Clerics CG, LG, NG
Portfolio - Fertility, Love, magic, vanity
Domains - Air, Charm, Good, Magic
Home Plane - Ysgard
Weapon - longsword
Freya is the deity of erotic and sensual love, adept at the practice of magic. Frey is the daughter of Njord and the twin sister of Frey. She delights in romantic poetry and is considered the most magnanimous of the goddesses. Her cult is exuberant, passionate, and culturally diverse. Her clerics revere her role as a warrior deity. They actively practice the arts of war, including the arcane arts. Many of the clergy are sorcerers or wizards in addition to being priests.
Halav
(Red-Hair; Patron of Warfare; The Invincible; Heironeus)
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - Fist holding a lightning bolt; A sword laid on an anvil
Alignment LG
Clerics LG, NG, LN
Portfolio - Valor, chivalry, justice, honour, war, daring
Domains - War, Good, Law
Home Plane - Celestia
Weapon - Longsword
Halav is worshiped under various aspects, but all of them emphasise valour and the need to overcome evil. He appears as a tall coppery skinned man in armour appropriate to the culture worshipping him - he is most popular among the ethnic Traldar of Karameikos, and his cult has spread throughout Darokin and Thyatis as well. The church as a whole is very militant, always championing a cause or embarking on a crusade against evil or injustice. "Glory is the reward for defeating evil, while virtue is the reward for upholding the tenets of Halav" say the clerics. In life, Halav was a great hero of the Traldar people, a Bronze age people living in what is now Karameikos. Around BC 1000, a massive gnollish invasion moved into Traldar territories; Halav took the chieftainship of his village from a less resolute king and organized a massive defence against the gnolls. With the help of his confidants Petra and Zirchev, he kept the Traldar from being obliterated. In the make-or-break battle of the war, Halav led his forces against the gnoll-king's encampment, killing that humanoid leader. Halav was also killed in the fight, but his ally Petra raised him back to life. Later, Halav became Immortal under the sponsorship of Odin in the Sphere of Thought. Temples to Halav always have a slightly militaristic look to them. In unsettled areas, they double as fortresses. Even in settled or urban areas they usually contain open, grassy courtyards where soldiers can train.
Korotiku
(The Spider; The Trickster)
Greater Deity
Symbol - A black spider silhouette
Alignment CG
Clerics CG, CN, NG
Portfolio - Humour, wit, illusion, trickery
Domains - Good, Trickery, Protection
Home Plane - Bytopia
Weapon - Dagger
Patron of cleverness and trickery, Korotiku is an ancient and powerful immortal most greatly revered in the Pearl Islands and Tangor where he is often called The Spider. Clever fighters and rogues revere him, and often his black clad clerics take several levels in one or both of these other classes. Priests utilise tricks and pranks to make people think about everything as much as possible; his mythology abounds in pranks and mischief perpetrated against other Immortals. His followers are close allies of Asterius and Eiryndul and fervent enemies of Loki (who represents mischief done for destructive and harmful purposes).
Koryis
(Patron of Peace; Patron of Prosperity)
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - A hand held palm forward, fingers up, representing a hand-sign of peaceful intent
Alignment LG
Clerics LG, LN
Portfolio - Peace, prosperity, love, protection
Domains - Good, Law, Healing, Community, Protection
Home Plane - Arcadia
Weapon - Mace
Koryis in life was an Alphatian wizard, born when the Alphatian lived on their far-away world before it was destroyed by war. He was an adventurer called "the Negotiator" because he preferred discussion to combat. Since attaining Immortality, Koryis has become known as the patron of peace and prosperity, something which has endeared him to commoners throughout Alphatia and its colonies in Norwold spreading quickly down through Ochalea and the rest of the Known World. Since Alphatia sank, Ochalea and the Kingdom of Norwold have become bastions of his faith. Popular among merchants, many paladins and healers are amongst his faithful. Weapons and fighting are anathema in his temples and holy places, and peaceful negotiation is stressed as the solution to any problem. Koryis appears as a pale-skinned Alphatian man, hollow-cheeked and gaunt, wearing simple robes, bearing an expression of long-suffering determination.
Noumena
(The Puzzler; Re-Horakhty)
Greater Deity
Symbol - A game-board
Alignment - NG
Clerics NG, LG, N
Portfolio - Puzzles, knowledge, rulers, supreme
Domain - Trickery, Knowledge, Nobility, Sun
Home Plain - Elysium
Weapon - Khopesh
Noumena is greatly revered as the supreme being in the Nithian pantheon, a culture that now flourishes in the Hollow World though remnants remain in Thothia on the Isle of Dawn. He is the patron of puzzles and games, as well as of the ruling class and nobility. The kings who serve Re-Horakhty give the Pharaonic pantheon its name, since they are called pharaohs. In Nithian mythology, Noumena inhabits earthly pharaohs commonly, thus acting simultaneously as ruler of heaven and earth and testing those who deem themselves worthy of his favour using his puzzles. His priests are kings and advisers to kings, and wear white robes. His male clerics - the large majority - shave their heads. Noumena usually shares a temple with his parents, Osiris and Isis. These grand temples are found wherever the Pharaonic deities are worshiped. Many clerics serve all three deities.
Roth
(The Empyrean; Lord of the Skies)
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - A griffon, one claw extended forward
Alignment NG
Clerics LG, CG, NG
Portfolio - Air, skies, mountains, willpower
Domains - Air, Good, Strength
Home Plane - Ysgard
Weapon - War Hammer
Patron of the skies, mountains, and willpower, Roth's followers are largely concentrated in the Northern Reaches. He is primarily worshiped by humans and dwarves; the god himself appears as a tall, well-built human with white hair and beard, and eyes of solid sapphire. In this form he is dressed in a cloak and tunic of cerulean blue, and wields a silver hammer. He also manifests himself as a griffon and as a cloud giant. Roth's highest level priests reside in Kyria, and the government of that nation consists largely of his followers. It is Roth's desire that all nations under the skies of the Northern Reaches unite to form one glorious empire in which to establish the perfect, modern society, tempering the strength and courage of the people of this region with sensibility and progressive thought. His priests try to use their wisdom to help this goal come to fruition. Priests usually wield a warhammer, and wear robes, tunics, and cloaks of deep cerulean blue. The Cerulean Knights of Kyria were named by High-King Ryvorn Wulfsson in honour of Roth; however these knights are not obligated to be followers of Roth. The Griffon Order, led by Noth Hubrin, is a military unit in Kyria which does consist of clerics and paladins of Roth.
Odin
(Wotan, Viuden, All-Father, Father of the Slain, God of the Hanged, God of Prisoners, God of Cargoes, The High One, The Inflamer, Swift Tricker, Father of Victory, The Blind One, Shifty Eyed, One with a Magic Staff, Destroyer, Terror)
Greater Deity
Symbols - Silhouettes of two ravens facing one another, with the head of a man between them and they whisper into his ears; A watching blue eye.
Alignment NG
Clerics CG, LG, NG
Portfolio - Knowledge, magic, supreme, war
Domains - Air, Knowledge, Magic, Travel, Trickery, War
Home Plane - Ysgard
Weapon - Shortspear
Before the gods arose, the great gaping void of Ginnungagap lay between fiery hot Muspelheim in the south and frozen Niflheim in the north. In the midst of Niflheim ran Hvergelmir, a spring from which flowed eleven rivers collectively known as Elivagar. As these rivers flowed away from their source, the poisonous lees they deposited hardened to ice. Vapour rising from the lees froze into rime, layer after layer, until it spread across Ginnungagap. The rime met the hot gusts from Muspelheim and melted, and from the moisture sprang the frost giant Ymir. While he slept, the sweat from his body formed the first of his frost giant offspring. Further melting of the ice created a cow called Audhumla. Four rivers of milk flowed from her udder, sustaining Ymir and his offspring. For her own sustenance she licked the salty rime stones and over three days uncovered a strong, handsome man named Buri. From the descendants of Buri and the giants came Odin, Vili, and Ve, the first of the Aesir gods. They killed Ymir, and his blood drowned all the frost giants except Bergelmir, from whom came a new race of frost giants. Odin and his brothers carried Ymir's body out of Ginnungagap and made the earth from his flesh and the rocks from his bones. Stones and gravel came from the dead giant's teeth and shattered bones, and the blood filled Ginnungagap, becoming lakes and the sea. Odin and his brothers formed the sky from Ymir's skull. Four dwarves named Nordri, Sudri, Austri, and Vestri held up the skull. Ymir's hair became flora, and his brains became clouds. Sparks from Muspelheim became stars. The earth was a great circle surrounded by ocean. Giants lived on the coast while humans lived inland, in a fortification made from Ymir's eyelashes. Odin gave humans breath and life, Vili gave them consciousness and movement, and Ve gave them form, speech, hearing, and sight. The first man was Ask (ash tree) and the first woman was Embla (elm or vine).
The creation myth above is told by the peoples of the Northern Reaches and Kyria, nearly all of whom to some degree worship Odin. He is the most powerful Immortal known in the Sphere of Thought. In the Hinterlands he is called Viuden; in the Hollow World, Wotan. Odin has one eye that blazes like the sun, having lost his other eye in payment for a drink from the well of Mimir. He once stole the mead of poetry, and some myths say he grants poetic ability and inspiration to mortals. Odin hung himself on Yggdrasil for nine days, pierced by his own spear, until by virtue of his suffering he was able to reach down and seize magical runes that were the source of wisdom and magical lore. His suffering so impressed the son of the giant Bolthor that he taught Odin nine previously unknown to any man or woman.
Wearing a dark, wide brimmed hat that casts a shadow over his face, Odin travels as a mortal wanderer. As a god of magic, war, and wisdom, he visits Mystara to distribute knowledge and victory in battle. His many titles hint at his various roles.
The cult of Odin tells followers to use their intelligence to appreciate and enjoy their existence, to seek wisdom but not to be made cold and distant by knowledge. He teaches kings to rule wisely but also encourages them to enjoy life while they can. Followers of Odin constantly seek new knowledge as an advantage over their foes. Paradoxically the cult promotes self-reliance by relating tales of Odin turning against favoured kings and generals in the midst of battle. Clerics generally wear dark, wide brimmed hats, cloaks decorated with or made entirely of raven's feathers, and patches over their (intact) left eyes. They permit no one to lift or touch these patches.[/sblock]
[sblock=Sphere of Entropy]The Sphere of Entropy is not related to any element. Entropy is the weakening of the fabric of the multiverse: rot, weathering, disintegration. It seeks to bring all things to a stop, causing oblivion. Its purpose is the ultimate destruction of the multiverse. The four other Spheres of Power oppose Entropy but cannot destroy it, since to do so would unbalance reality and bring about their own destruction as well. At the same time, Entropy itself can not exist without the presence of the other Powers, so it seeks first to subjugate before bringing about oblivion. Entropy seeks to destroy Matter, dissipate Energy, stagnate Time, and stifle Thought. Currently, due to the influence of the Radiance, Entropy is becoming increasingly powerful on Mystara.
Alphaks the Dark
Alphaks was an intermediate deity from the Abyss, who in life was an Emperor of Alphatia in ancient times. He was killed decades ago by the combined efforts of several powerful mortals and (unbeknownst to them) the intervention of Kiaransalee (a deity worshipped by dark elves from another world, who coveted Alphak's realms on the Abyss). An attempt by this deity to return to life was also recently thwarted, and the dead God's body floats on the Astral Plane.
Atzanteotl
Greater Deity
Symbol - The silhouette of a feathered serpent
Alignment LE
Clerics LE, NE, LN
Portfolio - Shadow elves, corruption, destruction, tyranny, discord
Domains - Destruction, War, Law, Evil
Home Plane - Acheron
Weapon - Flail
Some 3,700 years ago, Atzanteotl was an elven clan-lord named Atziann living in the Glantri area. When some of his fellow elves found and accidentally triggered a dangerous Blackmoor device left in the Broken Lands, the resulting cataclysm drove the surviving elves in the area underground. Atziann and his clan travelled the labyrinth of clan-members perished. These experiences made him very dark, fatalistic, and bitter. After years of wandering lost below the earth, Atziann emerged once again into sunlight...but it was the wrong sun. He found an exit into the Hollow World, in the lands of the Azcan Empire. With his magical abilities, he was able to conceal himself from their eyes and hide among the Azcans until he learned their language and culture. He gained quite an appreciation for the lethal, uncompromising Azca and their culture before continuing his wanderings. Eventually, he became an Immortal under the sponsorship of Thanatos. Under the name of Atzanteotl he began to turn the minds of shadow-elf and Azcan clerics to his own twisted evils. Certain Shadow Elves, especially the Schattenalfen clan, began construction of a city, Aengmor, built along Azcan lines and dedicated to the glory of Atzanteotl. The Azca, both those in the Hollow World and those on the outer world, increasingly turned away from the following of Ixion and Ka the Preserver and to that of Atzanteotl; they introduced human sacrifices into their way of life. Since those days, he has driven his Schattenalfen further underground and reoccupied their city Aengmor with orcs. He has inspired all Shadow Elves with a hatred and envy of Alfheim for their own homeland. His religion is one of utter evil under the rigours of law requiring human sacrifice and utilising serpent imagery, and many humanoids worship him as well. On other worlds he is also known as Hextor. Atzanteotl appears either as a handsome but sinister elf dressed in black, or a jet-black feathered serpent with the face of an elf.
Hel
(Goddess of Death and the Underworld)
Greater Deity
Symbol - Her face; also uses symbol of a dark stone with human skulls on the corners of the back.
Alignment - NE
Clerics - CE, LE, NE
Portfolio - Death, underworld
Domains - Death, Destruction
Home Plane - Grey Waste
Weapon - Longsword
Hel is patron of Death, and her following teaches no real dogma to the living. Members of her cult feel that society unjustly imprisoned, exiled, or ignored them, and often seek revenge for real or imagined slights. A great many of her priests are also necromantic wizards with many undead minions. Hel is the most powerful Immortal in the Sphere of Entropy, now that Thanatos has been deposed. She appears clad in jet black clothing; one half of her face is that of a beautiful woman, while the other half is blank and featureless. She is usually seated on a dark throne.
Loki
(Bozdogan, God of Mischief, Strife, and Fire; The Sly One; The Trickster; The Shape Changer; The Sky Traveller)
Greater Deity
Symbol - A beautiful drinking-goblet containing a bubbling, broiling, nasty looking liquid; Flame
Alignment CE
Clerics CE, CN, NE
Portfolio - Thieves, trickery, murder
Domains - Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Trickery
Home Plane - Pandemonium
Weapon - Dagger
Loki is an ambiguous figure in Asgardian mythology. A handsome and clever young man, he often accompanies the gods on their journeys. Many tales of Thor mention Loki as his companion. Some myths state he was the child of the giants Farbauti and Laufey, some place him at the creation with Odin, while others state that in mortal life he was a fire wizard of one of the Antalian tribes (which eventually became the peoples of the Northern Reaches). The followers of his cult delight in trickery and pranks, ranging from harmless to malicious. He is the patron of thieves, trouble-makers, con men, and politicians everywhere. Darker forms of the cult teach assassination, murder, mayhem, and all forms of worldly chaos, though these cultists are believed to consist of a minority of his following.
Nyx
(Wee Jas, Night, The Witch Goddess, The Ruby Sorceress, The Stern Lady, Death's Guardian)
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - A solar eclipse; A Red skull wreathed in flame
Alignment LN
Clerics LE, LG, LN
Portfolio - Darkness, death, magic, vanity, law, undead
Domains - Death, Law, Magic, Darkness
Home Plane - Acheron
Weapon - Dagger
Nyx, deity of darkness, death, and magic, is most often portrayed as a stunning woman with pale skin, beautiful and exotic features, long black hair, and black eyes wearing some piece of jewellery with a skull motif. Nyx is a creature of darkness and night, and her followers would like darkness to encompass all the world. Many of her highest level priests are in fact undead, but unlike most Entropic immortals Nyx is not particularly evil. She simply wants to change the multiverse to a condition where most other Immortals find abhorrent. She promises that understanding, personal power, security, order, and control over fate come with the study of magic. She admonishes her followers to respect those who came before, because they left their knowledge and died to make room for them. Her priesthood has a strict hierarchy. Clerics are known for their discipline and obedience to their superiors. They arbitrate disputes, give advice on magic, investigate magical curiosities, create magic items, and administer funerals and wear black robes at all times. Temples to Nyx are few and far between, but she counts many powerful wizards (especially necromancers) among her worshipers. Most of her temples are located in or near graveyards or catacombs, and they always contain crypts where powerful wizards are buried. They also contain extensive libraries of arcane lore and large collections of items that once belonged to great wizards from past eras.
Orcus
(The Goat; Master of the Dead; The Black Prince)
Intermediate Deity
Symbol - A goat's head with ram's horns
Alignment CE
Clerics CE, CN, NE
Portfolio - Death, evil, humanoids, destruction, chaos
Domains - Death, Evil, Chaos, Destruction
Home Plane - The Abyss
Weapon - Whip
Orcus appears as a 15' tall goat-headed humanoid with two great, curling ram's horns. His arms and torso are manlike, while he has the legs of a goat. Orcus and his followers live to destroy - people, places, or things. He has no other interest beyond mass destruction; he wants to see the end of everything that exists. Far from being raving madmen, his priests are coldly cruel and cynical. Legions of demons are held under his sway on the Abyss, and his powerful clergy often have them at their disposal. He is most popular amongst the most cruel of humans including many blackguards, and most of his followers are humanoid (particularly amongst the goblinoids). Followers and paladins of Djaea often carry on holy crusades against the forces of Orcus. Orcus himself wields the hideous Wand of Orcus, a powerful artifact resembling a rod of obsidian topped with a human skull said to be able to kill with a mere touch.
Thanatos
(Tha-to; The Grim Reaper; Nerull; King of All Gloom; Hater of Life; Reaper of Flesh)
Greater Deity
Symbol - The scythe
Alignment NE
Clerics NE, LE, CE
Portfolio - Death, darkness, murder, underworld
Domains - Death, Evil, Trickery
Home Plane - Carceri
Weapon - Scythe
The deity of death, Thanatos is widely known and widely feared. His gaunt form resembles a mummified, nearly skeletal corpse with rusty red skin, thick blackish-green hair, a cowled cloak of rusty black, and eyes, teeth, and nails like poisonous verdigris. His black staff, Lifecutter, forms a scythe like blade of red force that slays anyone it touches. He is the patron of those who seek the greatest evil for their own enjoyment or gain. Every living thing is an affront to the Reaper, and every death brings a spark of joy his long-dead heart. Clerics of Thanatos are secretive and solitary, since few sane people tolerate their presence. Except in the most evil lands, he has no organized churches. His priests wear rust-red garb when not in disguise. They commit murders as offerings to their deity. Some take up the wandering life and put on innocent faces as they move from town to town, murdering a few people and then moving on. In the recent past, Thanatos has lost much of his power as a result of his imprisonment on his home plane of Carceri; this is believed to be the result of punishment for some egregious violations of Immortal law which he has committed, but the exact circumstances are unknown.[/sblock]
[sblock=Some other Immortals worshiped on Mystara: ]
Balder: Intermediate Deity, Sphere of Thought; AL NG; Home Plane Ysgard. Son of Odin and Frigga, renowned for his beauty, Balder is the patron of Beauty, Light, Music, and Poetry. He teaches that while creating beautiful objects the artist is brought closer to the Immortals. Balder is greatly revered by bards and gnomes.
Bemarris: Intermediate Deity, Sphere of Matter; AL CE; Home Plane Acheron. God of strife and personification of the savage side of war. He teaches that the world is a cruel and terrible place where only the strong have a right to happiness. His followers answer every insult, lie when necessary, and covet what is not theirs. Worshiped as Ares in Milenia.
Brissard: Intermediate Deity, Sphere of Entropy; AL NE; Home Plane Gehenna. A smooth-talking, high Charisma negotiator for the Entropics; his followers act as agents of charismatic duplicity and lie, cheat, and steal their way to power at all costs.
Demogorgon: Intermediate Deity, Sphere of Entropy; AL CE; Home Plane Abyss. One of the most powerful immortal fiends and a rival of Orcus and Ranivorus. His manifestation form is an 18' tall reptilian humanoid body with two apelike heads, tentacles instead of arms, and a forked tail.
Garl Glittergold: Greater Deity, Sphere of Matter; AL NG; Home Plane Bytopia. A protégé of Kagyar, Garl created gnomes in emulation of his patron's dwarves. He promotes a doctrine of practicality tempered with humour. He also emphasised brains over brawn, and he teaches that befuddling or embarrassing a foe can be just as complete a victory as slaying or capturing that foe.
Gruumsh: Greater Deity, Sphere of Entropy; AL CE; Home Plane Acheron. Deity of the orcs, Gruumsh's left eye was put out by Mealiden in ages past. He demands that his followers be strong, that they cull the weak form their numbers, and that they take all the territory Gruumsh thinks is rightfully theirs (which is almost everything). He dislikes everything not orcish, especially elves and dwarves.
Kurtulmak: Intermediate Deity, Sphere of Energy, AL LE; Home Plane Baator. Deity of the kobolds, Kurtulmak teaches that fair fights are for fools or for the unlucky. He also teaches that revenge is sweet, even if it takes years to enact.
Ranivorus: Intermediate Deity, Sphere of Entropy, AL CE; Home Plane Abyss. In life, a destructive gnoll warrior; sponsored by Thanatos, he became the Immortal patron of his race. Probably the cleverest of the evil humanoid patrons, he was the chief agent responsible for corrupting the Nithians. Also known as Yeehoghu, he is a bitter enemy of Halav.
Surtur: Intermediate Deity, Sphere of Energy; AL LE; Home Plane Ysgard. Lord of the Fire Giants, Surtur stands ever alert in Muspelheim brandishing his sword that shines brighter than the sun. He is prophesied to burn the world down at Ragnarok to make room for the new one, and to destroy even Bifrost under the weight of him and his subjects.
Thrym: Intermediate Deity, Sphere of Time; AL CE; Home Plane Ysgard. Lord of the Frost Giants in Jotunheim, Thrym traces his lineage back to Ymir, the first giant and the creature from whom Odin, Va, and Vili made the world. Thrym once tried to win Freya as his bride by holding Thor's hammer hostage. Unfortunately for him, the gods disguised Thor as the bride and Loki as the bridesmaid. When Thrym ordered the hammer brought in to hallow the wedding, Thor snatched it up and laid waste to every giant present, including Thrym. His cults teach that the world will end in the Fimbul Winter, and that cold will triumph after Surtur's fire burns the world.
Yondalla: Greater Deity, Sphere of Thought; AL LG; Home Plane Celestia. The deity of halflings, Yondalla appears as a female halfling with a proud bearing. She espouses harmony within the halfling race and stalwart defence against its enemies. She also teaches that opportunities are there to be seized, which leads most halflings to be both adaptable and somewhat opportunistic.
There are many other deities with minor followings throughout Mystara as well. Many of them are patrons of specific races (eg Ilsensine for the Illithids, or Blipdoolpoop for the Kuo-toa) but are too numerous to discuss in detail.
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Submissions
- Bulboos Quickhands - Halfling Ranger (Strahd Von Zarovich)
- Sundim - Human Rogue (Gyojin)
- Korin Crownshield - Dwarven Cleric (okuth0r)
- Olaf the Red - Human Dread Necromancer (Rolzup)
- Ingwë Melwasúl - Male Elvin Druid (ethandrew)
- Unnamed -Dwarven Barbarian (Jemal)
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