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[Let's Read] Dragonlance Campaign Setting
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<blockquote data-quote="Libertad" data-source="post: 6238144" data-attributes="member: 6750502"><p style="text-align: center"><img src="http://i.imgur.com/gIxoxRI.jpg?1" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"></p> <p style="text-align: center"><strong>Dragonlance Campaign Setting Chapter Four: Deities of Krynn</strong></p><p></p><p></p><p>There anything existed, there was only the High God and Chaos. The High God strove to bring order to Chaos, who in turn strove to undo the High God's creations. The High God brought three creations from the ether: Paladine, Gilean, and Takhisis, who in turn made other gods who aligned with them based upon their varying philosophies. A great triangle of Good, Evil, and Neutrality were the pillars upon which the world would be forged. Reorx struck his hammer against Chaos, the sparks from the blow creating the stars, and from their light came the first souls. The deities (except for the High God and Chaos) quarreled over these souls and what to do with them: Paladine and the Gods of Good sought to guide them on a proper course and eventually share dominion with them over the universe. Takhisis and the Gods of Evil sought to have dominion over the spirits. Gilean and the Gods of Neutrality valued free will, maintaining that it should be up to the souls who'd they'd follow.</p><p></p><p></p><p>Eventually the gods and their souls battled in what came to be referred to by mortals as the All-Saints War. Chaos delighted in this turmoil from afar, while the High God watched with worry and knew that if any were to fall all their work in the universe would be undone.</p><p></p><p></p><p>The High God called for a compromise to end the war, and bestow one gift upon the souls. The Gods of Good gave souls life and physical forms so that they could alter their reality and be more like the deities, the Gods of Neutrality free will, and the Gods of Evil hunger, thirst, and other limitations to satisfy their needs (so that they'd be more desperate to turn to them and thus be subjugated). The gods created the world of Krynn as a place for the physical beings to dwell.</p><p></p><p></p><p>And through it all, Chaos lurks at the edges of creation, still seeking to undo reality and all the deities' work.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/nyihpIU.png" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p>Cosmology-wise, Dragonlance has the Transitive and Inner Planes of normal 3rd Edition, with three Outer Planes home to the three groups of deities. None of the Outer Planes can be reached via mortal magic, and portals to the Abyss on Krynn are incredibly rare artifacts. The most common means of entering the outer planes is via the Gate of Souls, a portal for spirits which flows in a constant cycle of life and death on Krynn, through the Ethereal Sea. This phenomenon is referred to as the River of Souls. Additionally, the Ethereal Plane is but a smaller part of the greater place, the Ethereal Sea, which stretches beyond even the Gods' imaginings.</p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><strong>The Gods</strong></p><p></p><p></p><p>Technically there are 21 Gods, 7 for each of the moral alignments. The High God is a distant entity whose plans are unknown even to the deities, while Chaos is a primordial element who doesn't grant prayers. It does have otherworldly minions infused with a bit of it's power during the Chaos War, and in Bestiary of Krynn there is a <strong>Scourge of Chaos</strong> Prestige Class focused around this.</p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><em>The Gods of Good</em></p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/K6NaJDi.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Paladine</strong> is the Lawful Good god of metallic dragons, good, law, light, and protection. He leads the other deities of Good by example, and his power is rivaled among the gods only by Gilean and Takhisis. All dragons, even the chromatic ones, are his children. His clerics helped fight against Takhisis' forces many times throughout history, and they acted as spiritual guides for the people. The believe that a just government is necessary for society, and historically acted as judges, barristers, and advisers. Paladine's favored weapon is the longsword, and his domains are Good, Law, Protection, and Sun. Clerics must be of any Good alignment to receive spells (an exception to the one-step rule). As of the Age of Mortals he is now mortal and can no longer grant spells.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/buRCJBy.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Branchala</strong> is the Chaotic Good god of music, poetry, bards, and art of all kinds. He brings joy to the world and its creatures through these concepts, and his clerics are charged with encouraging the written and spoken word to the peoples of Krynn. They are loosely-organized with few permanent ties, but are known for hosting and organizing holidays and celebrations, and are beloved in kender and elven communities. His favored weapon is the rapier, and his domains are Chaos, Good, Luck, and Trickery.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/Z7ud3lT.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Habbakuk</strong> is the Neutral Good god of animals, water, passion, and rebirth. He is commonly known as the Fisher King, and looks over all of nature as his charges. Phoenixes are associated with him, and he's heavily associated with the sea and popular among coastal and fishing communities. His priesthood is evenly split between clerics and druids, and neither have a formalized hierarchy. Once during their lifetime, clerics must wander the land with nothing but a walking stick and the clothes on their back to better understand the ways of nature. The god's favored weapon is the scimitar, and his domains are Animal, Good, and Water.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/Lj8Mdmi.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Kiri-Jolith</strong> is the Lawful Good god of honor, obedience, justice, and righteous warfare. He is popular among the knights of Solamnia, especially the Knights of the Sword of which he is patron, and his priesthood trains daily so that they can protect others from the depredations of evil, and actively seek out tyrants and wicked folk in positions of power to fight them. His favored weapon is the longsword, and his domains are Good, Strength, and War.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/PYTxTdA.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Majere</strong> is a Lawful Good god of discipline and loyalty. Of all the deities he has the best understanding of the High God's plans and acts as a sort of wise fatherly mentor to the other Gods of Good. His priesthood is small, but some of Krynn's greatest teachers and theologians come from his ranks, and their works have even influenced other good-aligned religious orders. Clerics live in isolated monasteries and follow a strict regimen of self-discipline and vows of poverty, obedience, and chastity so that they can better focus on enlightenment and the contemplation of Good. Many martial artists number among Majere's faithful, to better harness their self-discipline or for increased spiritual awareness. Majere's favored weapon is the unarmed strike, and his domains are Good, Law, and Meditation.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/EZ8ivW9.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Mishakal</strong> is the Neutral Good goddess of healing, compassion, fertility, and community. She is very popular throughout Ansalon, as her clerics actively part in bettering their local communities and tending to the old, the injured, the sick, and other people unable to care for themselves. They're part not to withhold divine healing from everyone, even those of evil alignment, although their churches accept tithes in exchange for service for those who can afford it. The priesthood is more centralized and widespread than the other Gods of Good (with the exception of Paladine), and is led by the Chosen Prophet who is served by a council of priests representing various regions of Ansalon. They hate Morgion and his faithful, who seek to spread disease and decay. Her favored weapon is the quarterstaff, and her domains are Community, Good, Healing, and Protection.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/nH1211r.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Solinari</strong> is the Lawful Good god of magic and patron of the Wizards of the White Robes. His primary ambition is to spread magic throughout the world and bring more worthy mages to his Order. He teaches his wizards that magic is a gift to be shared with the world and worked for the benefit of all. They seek out lost libraries and magical items to expand their knowledge of magic, and promote good works. Solinari has no clerics, domains, or favored weapon, and he works closely with his siblings Lunitari and Nuitari to protect and foster magic on Krynn.</p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><strong>The Gods of Neutrality</strong></p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/xdMu3zI.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Chislev</strong> is the Neutral goddess of nature incarnate. Every animal and plant on Krynn reveres her, and according to legend the four seasons are manifestations of her moods. The priesthood is mainly comprised of druids who oversee and protect plots of land in the wilderness, and a few clerics live in small farming communities. Both do their best efforts to prevent people from despoiling the land through mundane or magical means, and many of them are doing their best to counter the changes wrought by the Dragon Overlords' magic. She has a good relationship with Habbakuk and hates Zeboim as the two fought during the All-Saints War. Her favored weapon is the shortspear, and her domains are Air, Animal, Earth, and Plant.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/e8P9MAF.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Gilean</strong> is the leader of the Gods of Neutrality and represents knowledge, free will, and the Balance. He is the keeper of the Tobril, the book gifted to him by the High God which contains his plans for creation. He is dispassionate, interfering only when the laws of Creation are being challenged. His priesthood usually acts as librarians, scribes, and historians. They're dedicated to the spread of information and knowledge, and as such oppose attempts to restrict education and burn books. His favored weapon is the quarterstaff, and his domains are Knowledge, Liberation, and Protection.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/uDpS96t.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Lunitari</strong> is the Neutral goddess of magic and the Wizards of the Red Robes. Her primary ambition is to further the cause of magic in the world and maintain the delicate balance between good and evil. Her followers, the Red Robes, are more numerous than either the White or Red Robes, and are primarily concerned with knowledge and promotion of magic for the sake of it. She's also the daughter of Gilean and has a mischievous streak, using illusions to amuse and entertain herself and others.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/8q8P4P6.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Reorx</strong> is the Neutral god of creation, engineering and technological innovation, and patron of the dwarves and gnomes. He has a strong following among the dwarves, and his priesthood has a significant influence among their communities. Within a dwarven thane, the Starmaster (head of the local church) has almost as much power as the thane (dwarven noble), and they have a say in most important aspects of dwarven life. They also produce some of the best weapons in the dwarven realms. The gnome branch of the faith isn't as influential among their respective race, but they still honor him as the greatest of gods. All clerics must create an object to honor Reorx during their lifetime, and as such usually takes years to complete. His favored weapon's the warhammer, and his domains are Earth, Fire, and Forge.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/EkVAA3w.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Shinare's</strong> the Lawful Neutral (that's a first!) goddess of commerce, industry, and wealth. Her followers are mercenaries, merchants, and traders. Her clerics are hard-working and industrious, and often use their business acumen for community growth. They must also pay their taxes and tithes on time, and taught not to pursue shady and selfish business practices which can lead to widespread suffering (that's Hiddukel's domain). As they're responsible for bringing prosperity to many communities, she is a respected and admired deity throughout most of Ansalon. She and her priests work closely with Reorx, due to the links between artisans and merchants, and she has a fond relationship with Sirrion. Her favored weapon is the light mace, and her domains are Law, Luck, and Travel.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/STGiw2P.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Sirrion</strong> is the Chaotic Neutral god of creativity, passion, and fire. He sculpts the fires of the soul into many forms and grants divine inspiration to artists and other creative sorts. His domain over fire is that of an element of cleansing, renewal, and transformation. Fire can destroy impurities, change objects from one state to another, and destroy old and dying trees to make way for new ones in nature. He doesn't much care for worshipers, only actively recruiting when his friendly rival and lover Shinare appears to be gaining the upper hand. His priesthood also helps combat out of control fires, and often act as matchmakers for those in love. His favored weapon is the heavy flail, and his domains are Chaos, Fire, and Passion.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/a64sJOR.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Zivilyn</strong> is the Neutral god of wisdom, foresight, and prophecy. His symbol is the World Tree and is the bearer of all insight in the universe. His branches reach into every time and place, and is the wisest and most calm of the gods. His priesthood is a hierarchal one, with older members in more prominent positions, and serve as counselors, mediators, philosophers, and diplomats, and in communities with no priests of Paladine as judges and advisers. He is married to Chislev, and works closely with Gilean as knowledge and wisdom are complementary forces. He doesn't really count any gods as his enemies, but he's not fond of Sargonnas' and Zeboim's emotional natures. His faithful have something of a rivalry with the church of Majere; Majere seeks understanding through understanding the will of the High God, while Zivilyn promotes people to look within themselves. His favored weapon is the quarterstaff (man, this is a really common weapon), and his domains are Insight, Knowledge, and Meditation.</p><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: center"><strong>The Gods of Evil</strong></p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/YArjo1J.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Takhisis</strong> is the (former) head of the Gods of Darkness and the embodiment of Evil, she is a Lawful Evil deity of hate, darkness, tyranny, and the chromatic dragons. Throughout her existence she sought to be the greatest and most powerful entity in the universe, and her followers carried out many ambitious plots on her behalf to achieve world domination of Krynn as its one and only deity. Many of her followers are nonhumans, especially among the ogres, goblins, and draconians during the War of the Lance. The chromatic dragons are her most favored, promising them a favored spot beside her the day she rules Krynn. In the Age of Mortals she was instrumental in stealing away the world and gaining followers as the One God, but she was killed by the elf Silvanoshei when she was cursed with mortality by the other deities for her crime. Her favored weapon is the heavy mace, and her domains are Destruction, Evil, Law, and Trickery; clerics must be of any evil alignment to worship her.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/mmKf00g.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Chemosh</strong> is the Neutral Evil god of death, the undead, and murder. He was the first god to side with Takhisis in the All-Saints War, and he animates corpses and imprisons souls as his undead slaves by promising mortals with eternal "life." His priesthood works in secret and believes that there is no existence after death; Chemosh teaches that the other Gods are liars, that no souls exist in the afterlife and that he's the only god who can grant people everlasting existence. His church has no centralized hierarchy, and they're not fond of arcane necromancers (who either serve Nuitari as Black Robes, or are not giving Chemosh his proper respect). His favored weapon is the sickle, and his domains are Death, Evil, and Trickery.</p><p></p><p></p><p>In Dragonlance canon he's been rather active as a God of Evil (Takhisis hogged the spotlight most of the time): he is a major behind the scenes player in the Key of Destiny adventure path, and in the alternate where Raistlin becomes a God he collaborates with the mage to destroy the rest of the pantheon and absorb their divine essence for himself.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/7L6ceNa.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Hiddukel</strong> is the Chaotic Evil god of deception, ill-gotten wealth, and the patron deity of dishonest merchants and thieves. He constantly seeks bargains, promising people their heart's desire in exchange for servitude. Very few people willingly become a cleric of Hiddukel, usually tricked into it. Hiddukel encourages his unwitting followers to pursue material wealth and prestige by any means necessary, and he has no church as each cleric is pretty much on their own. He is an enemy of Shinare, who favors fair and honest deals with benefit the community, and as such Hiddukel encourages his faithful to destroy her temples and kill her priests.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/7hhIpVn.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Morgion</strong> is the Neutral Evil god of decay, disease, and suffering. Even the other gods of Evil refuse to associate with him, and he keeps to himself in the Abyss in his Bronze Tower, where he plots and schemes in secret. He uses pestilence and plagues to spread fear among Ansalon, and virtually nobody worships hims of their own free will. His most common means of gaining clerics is visiting people ravaged by disease; he offers a deal, to grant immunity to the disease in exchange for servitude. Those who accept find themselves "cured," but for the rest of their days are required to do Morgion's work and spread more disease among communities, thus gaining more opportunities of recruitment for the deity. They must keep their affiliation secret, for they are welcomed nowhere. His favored weapon is the heavy flail, and his domains are Destruction, Evil, and Pestilence.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/MT3XSY6.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Nuitari</strong> is the Lawful Evil god of magic and the Wizards of the Black Robes. He gains followers by promising them more power than Solinari or Lunitari can give, and that magic is to be secret and coveted from the unworthy, and to use it for personal benefit. His moon is invisible, a black hole in the night sky, to all but the Wizards who follow him. The Black Robes claim that their moon's radiance is the brightest of them all.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/EKvECGy.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Sargonnas</strong> is the Lawful Evil god of vengeance, conquest, strength, and rage. He is a militant deity who demands strict obedience from those who follow him, and is worshiped among the Minotaurs (who call him Sargas and believe him to be an entirely separate deity). Among them, he is viewed as one who rewards the strong with power, while nonminotaurs often look to him as a deity of vengeance. His clerics are often sought out by individuals who feel wronged, and many turn to the god in times of hardship and war. His favored weapon is the greataxe, and his domains are Evil, Fire, Law, and War. I don't know where the Fire part comes in; I always figure that Strength is a more appropriate domain.</p><p></p><p></p><p><img src="http://i.imgur.com/LUxQtEg.jpg" alt="" class="fr-fic fr-dii fr-draggable " style="" /></p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Zeboim</strong> is the Chaotic Evil goddess of wrath, the sea, and storms. She is feared by the civilizations of the sea and appeased by sailors hoping to stay her anger. Her priests alternatively extort sailors and shipowners into paying tithes in exchange for good weather, and serving on ships to assist passengers in paying proper respects to the goddess. She is hostile to the other two nature goddesses, and divine spellcasters who worship her often conduct elaborate ceremonies where they sacrifice material possessions to the depths of the ocean to the glory of the Sea Queen. Her favored weapon is the trident, and her domains are Chaos, Evil, Storm, and Water.</p><p></p><p></p><p>And that's it for the true Gods of Krynn!</p><p></p><p></p><p><em>Thoughts so far:</em> I feel that the deities overall are a mixed bag. There are many innovating and interesting ones, but there's a sort of samey-ness to a lot of them. More than a few use the same favored weapons (quarterstaff being the biggest offender), and some of their portfolios feel like they overlap too much (such as Chemosh and Morgion, Paladine and Kiri-Jolith). On a more positive note, I like how they implemented Chemosh's teachings and the inability to travel to the afterlife with the Outer Planes to make undeath a more appealing state. It's the kind of thing you can see really desperate people reaching for. I also enjoy Sirron the most: his manifestation of fire as a multi-faceted element of renewal and transformation.</p><p></p><p></p><p><strong>Next time, Chapter 5: Geography, where we finally cover the places and nations of Ansalon!</strong></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Libertad, post: 6238144, member: 6750502"] [CENTER][IMG]http://i.imgur.com/gIxoxRI.jpg?1[/IMG] [B]Dragonlance Campaign Setting Chapter Four: Deities of Krynn[/B][/CENTER] There anything existed, there was only the High God and Chaos. The High God strove to bring order to Chaos, who in turn strove to undo the High God's creations. The High God brought three creations from the ether: Paladine, Gilean, and Takhisis, who in turn made other gods who aligned with them based upon their varying philosophies. A great triangle of Good, Evil, and Neutrality were the pillars upon which the world would be forged. Reorx struck his hammer against Chaos, the sparks from the blow creating the stars, and from their light came the first souls. The deities (except for the High God and Chaos) quarreled over these souls and what to do with them: Paladine and the Gods of Good sought to guide them on a proper course and eventually share dominion with them over the universe. Takhisis and the Gods of Evil sought to have dominion over the spirits. Gilean and the Gods of Neutrality valued free will, maintaining that it should be up to the souls who'd they'd follow. Eventually the gods and their souls battled in what came to be referred to by mortals as the All-Saints War. Chaos delighted in this turmoil from afar, while the High God watched with worry and knew that if any were to fall all their work in the universe would be undone. The High God called for a compromise to end the war, and bestow one gift upon the souls. The Gods of Good gave souls life and physical forms so that they could alter their reality and be more like the deities, the Gods of Neutrality free will, and the Gods of Evil hunger, thirst, and other limitations to satisfy their needs (so that they'd be more desperate to turn to them and thus be subjugated). The gods created the world of Krynn as a place for the physical beings to dwell. And through it all, Chaos lurks at the edges of creation, still seeking to undo reality and all the deities' work. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/nyihpIU.png[/IMG] Cosmology-wise, Dragonlance has the Transitive and Inner Planes of normal 3rd Edition, with three Outer Planes home to the three groups of deities. None of the Outer Planes can be reached via mortal magic, and portals to the Abyss on Krynn are incredibly rare artifacts. The most common means of entering the outer planes is via the Gate of Souls, a portal for spirits which flows in a constant cycle of life and death on Krynn, through the Ethereal Sea. This phenomenon is referred to as the River of Souls. Additionally, the Ethereal Plane is but a smaller part of the greater place, the Ethereal Sea, which stretches beyond even the Gods' imaginings. [CENTER][B]The Gods[/B][/CENTER] Technically there are 21 Gods, 7 for each of the moral alignments. The High God is a distant entity whose plans are unknown even to the deities, while Chaos is a primordial element who doesn't grant prayers. It does have otherworldly minions infused with a bit of it's power during the Chaos War, and in Bestiary of Krynn there is a [B]Scourge of Chaos[/B] Prestige Class focused around this. [CENTER][I]The Gods of Good[/I][/CENTER] [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/K6NaJDi.jpg[/IMG] [B]Paladine[/B] is the Lawful Good god of metallic dragons, good, law, light, and protection. He leads the other deities of Good by example, and his power is rivaled among the gods only by Gilean and Takhisis. All dragons, even the chromatic ones, are his children. His clerics helped fight against Takhisis' forces many times throughout history, and they acted as spiritual guides for the people. The believe that a just government is necessary for society, and historically acted as judges, barristers, and advisers. Paladine's favored weapon is the longsword, and his domains are Good, Law, Protection, and Sun. Clerics must be of any Good alignment to receive spells (an exception to the one-step rule). As of the Age of Mortals he is now mortal and can no longer grant spells. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/buRCJBy.jpg[/IMG] [B]Branchala[/B] is the Chaotic Good god of music, poetry, bards, and art of all kinds. He brings joy to the world and its creatures through these concepts, and his clerics are charged with encouraging the written and spoken word to the peoples of Krynn. They are loosely-organized with few permanent ties, but are known for hosting and organizing holidays and celebrations, and are beloved in kender and elven communities. His favored weapon is the rapier, and his domains are Chaos, Good, Luck, and Trickery. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/Z7ud3lT.jpg[/IMG] [B]Habbakuk[/B] is the Neutral Good god of animals, water, passion, and rebirth. He is commonly known as the Fisher King, and looks over all of nature as his charges. Phoenixes are associated with him, and he's heavily associated with the sea and popular among coastal and fishing communities. His priesthood is evenly split between clerics and druids, and neither have a formalized hierarchy. Once during their lifetime, clerics must wander the land with nothing but a walking stick and the clothes on their back to better understand the ways of nature. The god's favored weapon is the scimitar, and his domains are Animal, Good, and Water. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/Lj8Mdmi.jpg[/IMG] [B]Kiri-Jolith[/B] is the Lawful Good god of honor, obedience, justice, and righteous warfare. He is popular among the knights of Solamnia, especially the Knights of the Sword of which he is patron, and his priesthood trains daily so that they can protect others from the depredations of evil, and actively seek out tyrants and wicked folk in positions of power to fight them. His favored weapon is the longsword, and his domains are Good, Strength, and War. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/PYTxTdA.jpg[/IMG] [B]Majere[/B] is a Lawful Good god of discipline and loyalty. Of all the deities he has the best understanding of the High God's plans and acts as a sort of wise fatherly mentor to the other Gods of Good. His priesthood is small, but some of Krynn's greatest teachers and theologians come from his ranks, and their works have even influenced other good-aligned religious orders. Clerics live in isolated monasteries and follow a strict regimen of self-discipline and vows of poverty, obedience, and chastity so that they can better focus on enlightenment and the contemplation of Good. Many martial artists number among Majere's faithful, to better harness their self-discipline or for increased spiritual awareness. Majere's favored weapon is the unarmed strike, and his domains are Good, Law, and Meditation. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/EZ8ivW9.jpg[/IMG] [B]Mishakal[/B] is the Neutral Good goddess of healing, compassion, fertility, and community. She is very popular throughout Ansalon, as her clerics actively part in bettering their local communities and tending to the old, the injured, the sick, and other people unable to care for themselves. They're part not to withhold divine healing from everyone, even those of evil alignment, although their churches accept tithes in exchange for service for those who can afford it. The priesthood is more centralized and widespread than the other Gods of Good (with the exception of Paladine), and is led by the Chosen Prophet who is served by a council of priests representing various regions of Ansalon. They hate Morgion and his faithful, who seek to spread disease and decay. Her favored weapon is the quarterstaff, and her domains are Community, Good, Healing, and Protection. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/nH1211r.jpg[/IMG] [B]Solinari[/B] is the Lawful Good god of magic and patron of the Wizards of the White Robes. His primary ambition is to spread magic throughout the world and bring more worthy mages to his Order. He teaches his wizards that magic is a gift to be shared with the world and worked for the benefit of all. They seek out lost libraries and magical items to expand their knowledge of magic, and promote good works. Solinari has no clerics, domains, or favored weapon, and he works closely with his siblings Lunitari and Nuitari to protect and foster magic on Krynn. [CENTER][B]The Gods of Neutrality[/B][/CENTER] [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/xdMu3zI.jpg[/IMG] [B]Chislev[/B] is the Neutral goddess of nature incarnate. Every animal and plant on Krynn reveres her, and according to legend the four seasons are manifestations of her moods. The priesthood is mainly comprised of druids who oversee and protect plots of land in the wilderness, and a few clerics live in small farming communities. Both do their best efforts to prevent people from despoiling the land through mundane or magical means, and many of them are doing their best to counter the changes wrought by the Dragon Overlords' magic. She has a good relationship with Habbakuk and hates Zeboim as the two fought during the All-Saints War. Her favored weapon is the shortspear, and her domains are Air, Animal, Earth, and Plant. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/e8P9MAF.jpg[/IMG] [B]Gilean[/B] is the leader of the Gods of Neutrality and represents knowledge, free will, and the Balance. He is the keeper of the Tobril, the book gifted to him by the High God which contains his plans for creation. He is dispassionate, interfering only when the laws of Creation are being challenged. His priesthood usually acts as librarians, scribes, and historians. They're dedicated to the spread of information and knowledge, and as such oppose attempts to restrict education and burn books. His favored weapon is the quarterstaff, and his domains are Knowledge, Liberation, and Protection. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/uDpS96t.jpg[/IMG] [B]Lunitari[/B] is the Neutral goddess of magic and the Wizards of the Red Robes. Her primary ambition is to further the cause of magic in the world and maintain the delicate balance between good and evil. Her followers, the Red Robes, are more numerous than either the White or Red Robes, and are primarily concerned with knowledge and promotion of magic for the sake of it. She's also the daughter of Gilean and has a mischievous streak, using illusions to amuse and entertain herself and others. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/8q8P4P6.jpg[/IMG] [B]Reorx[/B] is the Neutral god of creation, engineering and technological innovation, and patron of the dwarves and gnomes. He has a strong following among the dwarves, and his priesthood has a significant influence among their communities. Within a dwarven thane, the Starmaster (head of the local church) has almost as much power as the thane (dwarven noble), and they have a say in most important aspects of dwarven life. They also produce some of the best weapons in the dwarven realms. The gnome branch of the faith isn't as influential among their respective race, but they still honor him as the greatest of gods. All clerics must create an object to honor Reorx during their lifetime, and as such usually takes years to complete. His favored weapon's the warhammer, and his domains are Earth, Fire, and Forge. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/EkVAA3w.jpg[/IMG] [B]Shinare's[/B] the Lawful Neutral (that's a first!) goddess of commerce, industry, and wealth. Her followers are mercenaries, merchants, and traders. Her clerics are hard-working and industrious, and often use their business acumen for community growth. They must also pay their taxes and tithes on time, and taught not to pursue shady and selfish business practices which can lead to widespread suffering (that's Hiddukel's domain). As they're responsible for bringing prosperity to many communities, she is a respected and admired deity throughout most of Ansalon. She and her priests work closely with Reorx, due to the links between artisans and merchants, and she has a fond relationship with Sirrion. Her favored weapon is the light mace, and her domains are Law, Luck, and Travel. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/STGiw2P.jpg[/IMG] [B]Sirrion[/B] is the Chaotic Neutral god of creativity, passion, and fire. He sculpts the fires of the soul into many forms and grants divine inspiration to artists and other creative sorts. His domain over fire is that of an element of cleansing, renewal, and transformation. Fire can destroy impurities, change objects from one state to another, and destroy old and dying trees to make way for new ones in nature. He doesn't much care for worshipers, only actively recruiting when his friendly rival and lover Shinare appears to be gaining the upper hand. His priesthood also helps combat out of control fires, and often act as matchmakers for those in love. His favored weapon is the heavy flail, and his domains are Chaos, Fire, and Passion. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/a64sJOR.jpg[/IMG] [B]Zivilyn[/B] is the Neutral god of wisdom, foresight, and prophecy. His symbol is the World Tree and is the bearer of all insight in the universe. His branches reach into every time and place, and is the wisest and most calm of the gods. His priesthood is a hierarchal one, with older members in more prominent positions, and serve as counselors, mediators, philosophers, and diplomats, and in communities with no priests of Paladine as judges and advisers. He is married to Chislev, and works closely with Gilean as knowledge and wisdom are complementary forces. He doesn't really count any gods as his enemies, but he's not fond of Sargonnas' and Zeboim's emotional natures. His faithful have something of a rivalry with the church of Majere; Majere seeks understanding through understanding the will of the High God, while Zivilyn promotes people to look within themselves. His favored weapon is the quarterstaff (man, this is a really common weapon), and his domains are Insight, Knowledge, and Meditation. [CENTER][B]The Gods of Evil[/B][/CENTER] [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/YArjo1J.jpg[/IMG] [B]Takhisis[/B] is the (former) head of the Gods of Darkness and the embodiment of Evil, she is a Lawful Evil deity of hate, darkness, tyranny, and the chromatic dragons. Throughout her existence she sought to be the greatest and most powerful entity in the universe, and her followers carried out many ambitious plots on her behalf to achieve world domination of Krynn as its one and only deity. Many of her followers are nonhumans, especially among the ogres, goblins, and draconians during the War of the Lance. The chromatic dragons are her most favored, promising them a favored spot beside her the day she rules Krynn. In the Age of Mortals she was instrumental in stealing away the world and gaining followers as the One God, but she was killed by the elf Silvanoshei when she was cursed with mortality by the other deities for her crime. Her favored weapon is the heavy mace, and her domains are Destruction, Evil, Law, and Trickery; clerics must be of any evil alignment to worship her. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/mmKf00g.jpg[/IMG] [B]Chemosh[/B] is the Neutral Evil god of death, the undead, and murder. He was the first god to side with Takhisis in the All-Saints War, and he animates corpses and imprisons souls as his undead slaves by promising mortals with eternal "life." His priesthood works in secret and believes that there is no existence after death; Chemosh teaches that the other Gods are liars, that no souls exist in the afterlife and that he's the only god who can grant people everlasting existence. His church has no centralized hierarchy, and they're not fond of arcane necromancers (who either serve Nuitari as Black Robes, or are not giving Chemosh his proper respect). His favored weapon is the sickle, and his domains are Death, Evil, and Trickery. In Dragonlance canon he's been rather active as a God of Evil (Takhisis hogged the spotlight most of the time): he is a major behind the scenes player in the Key of Destiny adventure path, and in the alternate where Raistlin becomes a God he collaborates with the mage to destroy the rest of the pantheon and absorb their divine essence for himself. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/7L6ceNa.jpg[/IMG] [B]Hiddukel[/B] is the Chaotic Evil god of deception, ill-gotten wealth, and the patron deity of dishonest merchants and thieves. He constantly seeks bargains, promising people their heart's desire in exchange for servitude. Very few people willingly become a cleric of Hiddukel, usually tricked into it. Hiddukel encourages his unwitting followers to pursue material wealth and prestige by any means necessary, and he has no church as each cleric is pretty much on their own. He is an enemy of Shinare, who favors fair and honest deals with benefit the community, and as such Hiddukel encourages his faithful to destroy her temples and kill her priests. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/7hhIpVn.jpg[/IMG] [B]Morgion[/B] is the Neutral Evil god of decay, disease, and suffering. Even the other gods of Evil refuse to associate with him, and he keeps to himself in the Abyss in his Bronze Tower, where he plots and schemes in secret. He uses pestilence and plagues to spread fear among Ansalon, and virtually nobody worships hims of their own free will. His most common means of gaining clerics is visiting people ravaged by disease; he offers a deal, to grant immunity to the disease in exchange for servitude. Those who accept find themselves "cured," but for the rest of their days are required to do Morgion's work and spread more disease among communities, thus gaining more opportunities of recruitment for the deity. They must keep their affiliation secret, for they are welcomed nowhere. His favored weapon is the heavy flail, and his domains are Destruction, Evil, and Pestilence. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/MT3XSY6.jpg[/IMG] [B]Nuitari[/B] is the Lawful Evil god of magic and the Wizards of the Black Robes. He gains followers by promising them more power than Solinari or Lunitari can give, and that magic is to be secret and coveted from the unworthy, and to use it for personal benefit. His moon is invisible, a black hole in the night sky, to all but the Wizards who follow him. The Black Robes claim that their moon's radiance is the brightest of them all. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/EKvECGy.jpg[/IMG] [B]Sargonnas[/B] is the Lawful Evil god of vengeance, conquest, strength, and rage. He is a militant deity who demands strict obedience from those who follow him, and is worshiped among the Minotaurs (who call him Sargas and believe him to be an entirely separate deity). Among them, he is viewed as one who rewards the strong with power, while nonminotaurs often look to him as a deity of vengeance. His clerics are often sought out by individuals who feel wronged, and many turn to the god in times of hardship and war. His favored weapon is the greataxe, and his domains are Evil, Fire, Law, and War. I don't know where the Fire part comes in; I always figure that Strength is a more appropriate domain. [IMG]http://i.imgur.com/LUxQtEg.jpg[/IMG] [B]Zeboim[/B] is the Chaotic Evil goddess of wrath, the sea, and storms. She is feared by the civilizations of the sea and appeased by sailors hoping to stay her anger. Her priests alternatively extort sailors and shipowners into paying tithes in exchange for good weather, and serving on ships to assist passengers in paying proper respects to the goddess. She is hostile to the other two nature goddesses, and divine spellcasters who worship her often conduct elaborate ceremonies where they sacrifice material possessions to the depths of the ocean to the glory of the Sea Queen. Her favored weapon is the trident, and her domains are Chaos, Evil, Storm, and Water. And that's it for the true Gods of Krynn! [I]Thoughts so far:[/I] I feel that the deities overall are a mixed bag. There are many innovating and interesting ones, but there's a sort of samey-ness to a lot of them. More than a few use the same favored weapons (quarterstaff being the biggest offender), and some of their portfolios feel like they overlap too much (such as Chemosh and Morgion, Paladine and Kiri-Jolith). On a more positive note, I like how they implemented Chemosh's teachings and the inability to travel to the afterlife with the Outer Planes to make undeath a more appealing state. It's the kind of thing you can see really desperate people reaching for. I also enjoy Sirron the most: his manifestation of fire as a multi-faceted element of renewal and transformation. [B]Next time, Chapter 5: Geography, where we finally cover the places and nations of Ansalon![/B] [/QUOTE]
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