Triskaideka
First Post
(Reposted this from the Social Group since I was told few people check there.)
Throwing this out as a potential deity for my in-progress character, Harkoz. Nothing I saw in the current deity lists really struck me as something that would appeal to him. Let me know what you guys think:
Deity Name: The Transcendental Imperium
Archetype: The Ruler
Titles: Ruler of the Eternal Tower, The Majesty Becoming
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Magic, Ambition, Self-Improvement, Creation
Worshipers: Scholars, Casters, Nobility
Cleric Alignment: Lawful Neutral, Lawful Good, Lawful Evil, True Neutral
Cleric Domains: Law, Artifice, Magic, Knowledge, Rune
Associated Oracle Mysteries: Heavens, Lore, Time
Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff
True Neutral and Lawful Neutral clerics may choose to channel positive or negative energy.
The Transcendental Imperium is an obscure and ancient deity. Not widely known beyond scholarly circles, and usually only worshiped by the highly learned, They have none the less have maintained a continuous presence in civilizations wherever magic is strong. It is believed that this deity’s worship survived even the great cataclysms that ruined E’n, and certainly Their pyramid-temples and tower-shrines still dominate some of the high peaks of the land.
The Transcendental Imperium is a deity of transcendence, who encourages all mortals to strive to ‘Become’ and indeed, to ‘Become’ eternally. The theology of the Imperium is one of self-improvement, of constant growth and evolution in a never-ending quest to be more than one once was. Magic, because it is an expression of one’s will upon the universe, is seen as the most apt means of accomplishing this, though it is certainly not the only means. They encourage discipline, order, structure and creation, and promote rulership over one’s self and their environment.
The Imperium is a sexless deity, represented by a crowned tower or pyramid. They are part of no known pantheon- Some scholars speculate They never were, others hypothesize that Their sibling deities’ worship did not survive the ruin of E’n. Their priesthood is diverse, and composed of paladins, clerics, monks, oracles, and especially mystic theurges, who for the most part live in tower-like monasteries in the mountains, where they study, train, research and meditate their way to higher states of existence.
Outside of these monastic communities the Transcendental Imperium has little in the way of organized religion. Their lay worshippers have a private, personal mode of reverence, largely based around the study and practice of the ideals espoused by the deity. They are largely worshipped by artificers, summoners, alchemists, loremasters, and wizards; but sorcerers, bards, and witches have been known to turn to the Imperium as well.
One of the great underlying philosophies of Imperium worship is the Steps of the Eternal Tower. The faithful regard existence as a series of steps in an endless stairwell. Step Null, or Zero, is the void of non-existence, which is anathema to Imperium worshipers, worse than the Hells. The First Step, or First Becoming, is when an Iota of Being comes into existence, with only the barest hint of sentience. This is the rudimentary beginning of a soul. The Iota gravitates to the Material Plane, where it becomes sheathed in flesh. This is the Second Step, the Mortal Step. The Second Step is regarded by the faithful as the most important. Mortals with strong wills and destinies can become extremely powerful extremely quickly during this Step, and if they persevere, might even skip Steps. The Second Step then is best spent in constant training, practice, self-reflection, study, research, and experimentation.
The Third Step begins with death, where one becomes a spirit on the planes of the Moral Path. Here it is hoped that one will be reformed into a higher spiritual being with memories, skills, powers, and personality intact. Most will become Axiomites, while others may become Archons or Devils. But the process begins again, though more slowly. The Fourth Step and beyond deals with divinity, for the Transcendent Imperium encourages apotheosis, though in practice no one has ever heard of a successful case. Beyond divinity the faithful will admit their ignorance, for the Steps of the Eternal Tower are a spiral stair, whose later steps twist out of view, only becoming comprehensible as one climbs.
(Granted, this concept assumes that the universe that E'n exists in is infinite and limitless. If it is finite and bounded, then that kind of puts the kibosh on things.)
Throwing this out as a potential deity for my in-progress character, Harkoz. Nothing I saw in the current deity lists really struck me as something that would appeal to him. Let me know what you guys think:
Deity Name: The Transcendental Imperium
Archetype: The Ruler
Titles: Ruler of the Eternal Tower, The Majesty Becoming
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Magic, Ambition, Self-Improvement, Creation
Worshipers: Scholars, Casters, Nobility
Cleric Alignment: Lawful Neutral, Lawful Good, Lawful Evil, True Neutral
Cleric Domains: Law, Artifice, Magic, Knowledge, Rune
Associated Oracle Mysteries: Heavens, Lore, Time
Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff
True Neutral and Lawful Neutral clerics may choose to channel positive or negative energy.
The Transcendental Imperium is an obscure and ancient deity. Not widely known beyond scholarly circles, and usually only worshiped by the highly learned, They have none the less have maintained a continuous presence in civilizations wherever magic is strong. It is believed that this deity’s worship survived even the great cataclysms that ruined E’n, and certainly Their pyramid-temples and tower-shrines still dominate some of the high peaks of the land.
The Transcendental Imperium is a deity of transcendence, who encourages all mortals to strive to ‘Become’ and indeed, to ‘Become’ eternally. The theology of the Imperium is one of self-improvement, of constant growth and evolution in a never-ending quest to be more than one once was. Magic, because it is an expression of one’s will upon the universe, is seen as the most apt means of accomplishing this, though it is certainly not the only means. They encourage discipline, order, structure and creation, and promote rulership over one’s self and their environment.
The Imperium is a sexless deity, represented by a crowned tower or pyramid. They are part of no known pantheon- Some scholars speculate They never were, others hypothesize that Their sibling deities’ worship did not survive the ruin of E’n. Their priesthood is diverse, and composed of paladins, clerics, monks, oracles, and especially mystic theurges, who for the most part live in tower-like monasteries in the mountains, where they study, train, research and meditate their way to higher states of existence.
Outside of these monastic communities the Transcendental Imperium has little in the way of organized religion. Their lay worshippers have a private, personal mode of reverence, largely based around the study and practice of the ideals espoused by the deity. They are largely worshipped by artificers, summoners, alchemists, loremasters, and wizards; but sorcerers, bards, and witches have been known to turn to the Imperium as well.
One of the great underlying philosophies of Imperium worship is the Steps of the Eternal Tower. The faithful regard existence as a series of steps in an endless stairwell. Step Null, or Zero, is the void of non-existence, which is anathema to Imperium worshipers, worse than the Hells. The First Step, or First Becoming, is when an Iota of Being comes into existence, with only the barest hint of sentience. This is the rudimentary beginning of a soul. The Iota gravitates to the Material Plane, where it becomes sheathed in flesh. This is the Second Step, the Mortal Step. The Second Step is regarded by the faithful as the most important. Mortals with strong wills and destinies can become extremely powerful extremely quickly during this Step, and if they persevere, might even skip Steps. The Second Step then is best spent in constant training, practice, self-reflection, study, research, and experimentation.
The Third Step begins with death, where one becomes a spirit on the planes of the Moral Path. Here it is hoped that one will be reformed into a higher spiritual being with memories, skills, powers, and personality intact. Most will become Axiomites, while others may become Archons or Devils. But the process begins again, though more slowly. The Fourth Step and beyond deals with divinity, for the Transcendent Imperium encourages apotheosis, though in practice no one has ever heard of a successful case. Beyond divinity the faithful will admit their ignorance, for the Steps of the Eternal Tower are a spiral stair, whose later steps twist out of view, only becoming comprehensible as one climbs.
(Granted, this concept assumes that the universe that E'n exists in is infinite and limitless. If it is finite and bounded, then that kind of puts the kibosh on things.)
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