Converting nonhuman deities “Complete Divine” style

[Alzrius]

I'm kinda curious about Zrunta... never heard of him (or her?) until this thread.

That's because he was only in White Dwarf Magazine #41 and nowhere else. He's the CN lesser deity of mountain giants, and has a home in Limbo. He espouses a creed of freedom and making your own way, but if some races get enslaved, its their own fault; if someone enslaves a mountain giant though, he tends to get upset over it.

Btw, BOZ, don't forget Ulutiu - I think he's in Monstrous Mythology, and I'm pretty sure he's in Giantcraft.

 

[BOZ]

The answer to that is simple; worrying about 9 at once is enough. I’m only human (unlike the nonhuman deities!)…

Now, the more complex answers:

Vaprak, I feel, is interesting and independent enough to work on separately. He is sometimes lumped in with the giant gods, but he is so on the fringe that he is not really one of them.

As to the White Dwarf gods, I think I mentioned this before, but I want to handle them later after the more “official” ones. I have my reasons.

As for Ulutiu, he is a FR god and not in Monster Mythology. Is he not covered well in Faiths and Pantheons? And I’m pretty sure IIRC he is a human god anyway.

 

[Filby]

Yep, Ulutiu's a human god, and he was detailed in Powers & Pantheons. He is intimately mixed up in the mythology of Faerunian giants, however, having had an affair with Annam's spouse, which led to Annam's hermitage and his own state of slumber.

Also: Thanks for the info on Zrunta, Alzrius.

 

[Alzrius]

As for Ulutiu, he is a FR god and not in Monster Mythology. Is he not covered well in Faiths and Pantheons? And I’m pretty sure IIRC he is a human god anyway.

Whoops, you're right on virtually all counts there. My bad.

The reason I thought he was a giant deity was because all of his divine dealings are with other deities of that pantheon. One minor point of interest though is that he had a relationship with a deceased female giant deity named Othea.

 

[Filby]

Yep, that's Annam's spouse, I think.

 

[BOZ]

ok, scanned the rest of that info today. first off, here is the rest of the pantheon-info from MonMyth and Giantcraft.

Monster Mythology

Introduction

The pantheon of the giantish gods is more loosely defined than many others. Certain races, notably gnolls, flinds, ogres and minotaurs, have significant minorities who revere giantish gods, while a minority of evil giants have turned to the worship of deities who have risen from the ranks of the tanar'ri as Lords. Despite this diversity, there is a consistent core pantheon, and Annam is accepted by all giantish races as a great creator god.

However, Annam's role in creating the giants (and the worlds) is very differently interpreted by different races and in different worlds. In some myths, Annam is the Creator of Worlds, the true Prime Power, and the other gods merely establish their races on the worlds he makes. Frequently, such myths tell of a pre-history in which giants were the first and only sentient race in the multiverse. Some versions tell of a fall of the giants (a fall from grace is sometimes mentioned by the good giant races). In other myths, -Annam works with human and demihuman gods to create worlds together, but usually he keeps his creations separate and aloof. In subtle mythologies, Annam is the Creator-By-Thought; Annam is a "sleeping god" whose dreams form the substance of reality and the enabling principle which permits creation by other deities. This view is often held by storm giant shaman-priests much given to deep philosophical reflections.

In all cases, though, Annam is a god who is no longer particularly active on the Prime Material. There are many myths of his withdrawal from active involvement with his creation, ranging from the tragic (despair at the schism between his sons) to the comic (Annam is a polymorphous, libidinous god and he flees the Prime Material to escape the wrath and nagging of his many wives and concubines). Particularly with the good giants and the firbolgs, there is a definite element of playfulness in their beliefs and myths.

Annam has a variety of offspring, of whom the two most potent are a pair always represented as brother and sister-not so much in biology, for a variety of females are credited as their mothers, but in terms of sibling behavior, friendly rivalry and good companionship between them. The male god is the mighty Stronmaus, god of sun and skies, a laughing and joyful god much loved by good cloud giants and storm giants. Stronmaus is almost always seen as the first-born son of Annam, who has much of his father's power, but is a more good-natured and sunny personality. His sister, Hiatea, has a powerful mythological background. Annam always valued sons over daughters, and if he was able to divine that one of his consorts was bearing his child, he would use magic to ensure that its gender was male. But the giantess who bore Hiatea concealed her pregnancy from Annam and had her child raised by firbolgs so Annam would not learn of her existence, fearing his wrath.

Hiatea is thus born and raised into giantish society, but has to prove herself through a series of daring feats, culminating in an epic battle with a great monster which she overcomes so that she can bring a trophy to her father, who accepts her valor and worth (possibly caught off-guard by first learning of her exist

existence when she turns up with the monster's head(s)). Sometimes this monster is a fifty-headed Lernaean Hydra, sometimes it is a massive tarrasque of singular size and strength, but it's always a truly terrifying opponent. On learning that he has a sister, Stronmaus is overjoyed and celebrates her existence with mighty storms that flood the worlds and wash away great evils.

However, Annam also has a group of three "second generation sons" (in terms of their antiquity). Two of these are Surtr and Thrym, both detailed in Legends and Lore, and they become the evil leaders of the fire and frost giants. The third son is Skoraeus Stonebones, god of the stone giants, whose response to his brothers' evil is to hide himself below the world and protect his own people, ignoring the evils without and repulsing any attempt at invading his home. Skoraeus is thus a "withdrawn god", although his reasons for this are more introverted and self-absorbed than those which motivate Annam's withdrawal from the worlds.

The third pairing of offspring are known by the other giants as "the runts" - Grolantor, the evil-tempered god of the hill giants, and Karontor, the misshapen god of the fomorians and verbeeg. Grolantor is always disowned by his brothers on account of his stupidity and relative weakness, and the race of hill giants is often seen as having originated in Grolantor's collecting and interbreeding the runts of many earlier giantish broods. Grolantor himself pollutes this degenerate racial stock in some myths by producing offspring with a series of earth-bound monsters (including serpents and medusa-like hags) and Cegilune, the hag-goddess (see "Gods of the Dark Folk") - His mating with a monstrous serpent which had heads at either end of her coiled body is often considered to have given rise to the race of ettins. In this behavior, Grolantor is a degenerated version of his father, who consorts with many female giants in pre-history to produce his various sons and daughters.

Grolantor is usually represented (by other giantish races) as evil second and stupid first, although he possesses a certain cunning. Karontor, however, is seen as evil first and anything else second. In fomorian/verbeeg myths, he has a constant form, but other non-evil giants often have myths in which he is a fair and radiant god who grows jealous of Stronmaus, and his bitter envy begins to twist his form into the hideous shape he now possesses. This twisting is often associated with a descent into an Underworld where Karontor learns dark magical secrets from a race of ancient subterranean hags. He uses this magic to twist and warp some of the fairest of the giants on his return to the surface world, and they become the ancestors of the fomorians (and the verbeeg to a lesser extent, although his magic twists their nature only).

One of two singletons is the evil, avaricious god Memnor, who has made the most significant inroads as far as turning giants to evil is concerned, for he is the patron of evil cloud giants. His mythic history and place in the pantheon are shady. In some myths, he is actually the brother of Annam and is weakened by him in an epic battle, which banishes Memnor to Gehenna (and frequently Annam has to retire from the Prime Material plane to heal his own wounds from this terrible confrontation). In others, he is born from the head or guts of a vast, barely sentient world-devouring monster that is destroyed by Annam (rarely, by Stronmaus). Certainly he is always regarded as an ancient god and perhaps the most dangerous in his evil. The other singleton is Iallanis, the goddess of romance, love, and beauty, who often stands in the shadows of Hiatea. Certainly her birth is said in myth to follow Annam's acceptance of his eldest daughter and consequent willingness to allow female offspring subsequently. Iallanis has taken over some of Annam's role as a fertility god, and her cult is usually small but growing in many worlds.

Giantish Priests, Shamans, and Witch Doctors

Fire and frost giants are both stated in the Monstrous Compendium to have witch-doctors. These do exist, but they are extremely rare. Why these races, unrelated to the goblinoids who have witch-doctors far more often, should have such spellcasting ability is most uncertain. There are no myths which explain why Thrym and Surtr are able to bring the skills of wizardry to their races, for example.

On a general rules note, level limits for certain giantish priests given here exceed those in the Monstrous Compendium. The level limits given here supersede those in the earlier publication. This rules revision should not be difficult for any DM; player characters are unlikely to bump into cloud and storm giant priests on a daily basis, and individuals who are of higher spellcasting level than those in the Monstrous Compendium may simply live in different groups or lands (or worlds!) from those PCs have encountered.

The cloud and storm giant priesthoods of Stronmaus require special mention here. Cloud giants have an organized priesthood which is hierarchical; this is a "traditional" priesthood. Storm giants present an altogether different picture. Hopefully, it won't confuse matters to call the practitioners of clerical magic here "shaman-priests." In rules terms, they are a priesthood in that they have restrictions and exacting requirements and also granted powers (as priests do). However, in role-playing terms, these storm giants are much closer to shamans; they are solitary, have no hierarchy or organized church, and they treat each other as equals irrespective of whatever their spellcasting level may be. They also believe themselves to be born with a gift which has to be actualized through inner journeys and stern deprivations and sufferings in the form of initiations. There is also an element of also childish playfulness among these shamanpriests, especially with their animal companions and in their telling of mythic tales, which fits paradoxically with their very advanced and subtle philosophies. So, the unique term "shaman-priest" is the best one to use with these exceptional individuals. In the case of rare "wrong race" priests of Stronmaus, these will follow standard rules based on the cloud giant priesthood. Only storm giants can become "shaman-priests."


and, Giantcraft. keep in mind a lot of this is FR stuff, so we will only be taking it with a grain of salt. stuff from MonMyth or Planescape will overrule it, but if it doesn't contradict with the previously established stuff, it's good to use.

Giantcraft

What makes the religion of the Jotunbrud particularly interesting is its unusual multi-faceted nature. Although all of the giant breeds worship the same few gods, each has its own unique idea of what each god represents. Thus, there is often as much difference of opinion between the faithful of a single sect as between the devotees of two rival sects. In fact, in the past, entire wars have been fought among rival worshipers of a single divine being.

The one thing that all giants agree upon is that Annam stands over all other gods in the Ordning (when capitalized in this fashion, Ordning refers to the entire pantheon of giant deities, itself an ordning of the sort described in "The Nature of Giantkind"). Almost as widely accepted is the belief that taller giants are inherently more holy and powerful than smaller giants. According to the general ethos of the Jotunbrud, Annam made sure his sons towered above the other races of Faerun in order to insure that they would always stand closer to their Father's heavenly throne than any of their rivals. In fact, Hartkiller's relatively small stature is almost certainly one of the reasons why the various giant tribes found it impossible to accept him as their king.

Although each giant tribe confines the bulk of its active worship to one or two patron deities, most giants revere all the various giant gods. Giants routinely enter shrines dedicated to their tribe's patron deity and offer prayers to another member of the Ordning. Such conduct is perfectly acceptable-any giant temple can be used as a place of worship for any legitimate giant god. In fact, all giant priests are educated together and receive almost no indoctrination that extends beyond general beliefs and customs pertaining to the whole of the Ordning. When it comes to specific festivals and practices linked to a patron deity, giant priests are called upon to invent their own, using their general

training as a rigid guideline.

Sitting atop the entire hierarchy of giant priests and shamans is the stormazin, the Great Priest of Annam. The stormazin is always a male priest of the highest level. His duties include tending to Annam's grand temple (currently located in the Ice Spire Mountains), traveling to each of the giant steadings to participate in important rituals and ceremonies, resolving disputes between priests, maintaining and revising the code of conduct for the clergy, and training new priests. Although the stormazin has no official sanction to establish policy that falls outside the religious arena, he is always a highly respected figure within giant society. Most chieftains tend to accept his advice, particularly since he traditionally offers it so sparingly.

Stormazins hold the title for life. When the stormazin dies, the high priests of all the giant tribes gather to elect one of themselves to the office.

The current stormazin of the Jotunbrud is an aging cloud giant named Xephras.

Xephras
(ZEF-fru.s)
Stormazin of the Jotunbrud
NG cloud giant P13
Ice Spires

Xephras is an unusually short cloud giant with flowing white hair and a long white beard. Several hundred years old, he is now quite sickly and walks with a pronounced stoop in his back. For these reasons, Xephras is unable to visit the various giant steadings scattered throughout the Spires nearly so often as he feels he should. He is currently looking for a worthy successor so he can step down, though so far no appropriate candidates have emerged.

Unlike most of the other giants of the Ice Spires, Xephras doesn't trust in the teachings of the Twilight Spirit. Although he has no clues to the Spirit's identity, he does not believe that the Spirit is a true representative of Annam's will.

Xephras and his two disciples (both stone giants) reside in a marble temple located northeast of Hartsvale and constructed during the last years of the war against dragonkind.

Priests and Shamans

In general terms, giant priests are limited to the 12th level of advancement (the one exception to this rule, the Jotunbrud stormazin, is always a 13th-level priest). Giant priests never gain additional Hit Dice through level advancement and always use the Creature Table (Table 39 in the DUNGEON MASTER Guide) for calculating their THAC0s. Priests are trained by the stormazin himself. There are rarely more than two of them living among any given tribe.

Giant shamans are lesser clergymen who assist and serve the priests. They are limited to the 7th level of advancement and can select their spells from only two of the spheres listed for the patron deity of the priest they serve. Shamans are typically recruited and trained by their priests.

In the Realms, there are no witch doctors worshiping members of the Ordning. Giant witch doctors can sometimes be found within the brethren of a few unusual cults, however.

Note that all giant priests and shamans can use any weapon but never wear armor.

Ordning Family Tree

Virtually all the gods worshiped by the giants are related to Annam. Together, the members of the Ordning compose one large family tree. On the chart below, marriages or unions are depicted by horizontal lines; offspring are connected to their parents by vertical lines. Note that this diagram is not all inclusive. Over the years, several other beings have claimed Annam as a direct ancestor, and at least some of these claims are certainly genuine.

 

[BOZ]

with that out of the way, we can start on the individual gods. using information provided below, i have started on Annam, who will be our first victim:

Annam
Greater God (Neutral)
Annam is the all-knowing progenitor of all the giants and their gods. He has a dual nature; on the one hand spending most of his time on learning and meditation, and on the other hand being very brash and lustful. He does not involve himself much in the affairs of the mortal world, and does not often communicate with giants. Annam appears as a white-haired giant of staggering size, wearing a midnight blue robe.
Portfolio: Giants, magic, knowledge, fertility, philosophy
Domains: Knowledge, Magic, Plant, Sun
Cleric Training:
Quests:
Prayers:
Temples:
Rites:
Heralds and Allies:
Relics:

here is the specific Annam info from MonMyth, minus the physical stats for the god/avatar (which is useless to what we are doing here):

Annam (Greater God)

Annam is The Prime, the Great Creator, the fertile progenitor of worlds. He fathers other gods, creates worlds, and provides the tools for others to create upon his substrates, and he is even said to be the creator of the elements themselves. Far across all times, planes, and worlds, Annam's greatness unfolds itself. His merest passing thoughts have given birth to worlds and the god is seen as being without peer.

Annam has a conflicted nature which proves to be his undoing. On the one hand, he is an all-knowing god of learning, philosophy, and deep meditations; Annam is omniscient, but he chooses not to know certain things, in his wisdom. But, against this vastly cerebral nature, one must set Annam's instinctual, even lustful nature. He is not a god for whom contemplations hold endless attraction. Annam is fertile and vigorous, and he makes a considerable number of mistakes when governed by his instincts. Thus, his son Stronmaus makes him proud and contented, but his other sons have been distinctly less of a blessing to him. Their endless schisms and bickering weary Annam and bring him depression and loneliness since he has no mate who is his equal. Hiatea, makes him realize that his exclusive preference for male offspring was a mistake and that he realized his mistake too late. Perhaps the coming of evil to his creation was related to his fathering too many sons, among whom envy and jealousy were bound to give rise to evil, hatreds, and warped nature and bodies.

Annam has largely retreated from events in the Prime Material, grown weary of having to watch over countless worlds and conflicts. The god seeks solace in a demiplane of Concordant Opposition, which no other being, not even Stronmaus, can even locate, let alone enter without Annam's permission (which he very rarely gives). There, Annam sits in an endless mansion with a great crystal tower wherein mobile models of all stars and planets whirl in perfect, silent motion, simulating the movements of the multiverse. No other living being has a home here. Perhaps above all, great Annam feels a sadness that he has no wife after all his conquests and consorts.

Role-playing notes: Annam will very rarely send an avatar to the Prime Material. If he does, it is because of some epoch-shaking event that will affect the course of history for an entire world, or at least a continent. In different worlds, Annam's avatars have observed the Rain of Colorless Fire, the Storms of Undeath, the passing of Netheril, and the Zephyrs of Unbecoming. If Annam had a role in them, he does not speak of it, and sages are left to devote their lives to documenting just a little of what has happened when the avatar has walked in their world.

And, of course, Annam does not grant omens, save, once in a lifetime, to his priest-kings. Such a priest, on attaining 10th level, may once in his life call for a precognitive vision from Annam after a period of ritual meditation not less than one month in duration. In these visions, the broad course of future history of the priest's race (or community, warband, etc.) is revealed to him.

Statistics: AL n; WAL n, ng, ln; AoC magic, knowledge, fertility, philosophy; SY two hands, wrists together, with fingers facing downwards.

Duties of the Priesthood

Priests of Annam are extremely rare and many game worlds may not have any. They can only be cloud, storm, or stone giants, and they must be truly exceptional, having the blood of ancient/elder giants in them (DM's decision). They are rulers and kings, possessed of and driven to greatness and magical prowess through acquisition of powerful magical items.

Requirements: AB Wis 17 Cha 16; AL n, ng, ln; WP any; AR any; SP all, astral, charm, combat, creation, divination, elemental (all), guardian, healing, necromantic*, plant, protection, summoning, sun, thought, time, weather*; PW 1) stoneskin; 3) Cha raised to 18; 5) may use wizard spells from any two non-opposing schools, except necromancy and illusion /phantasm, as clerical spell of same level; 10) earthquake; TU turn at - 4 levels; LL by race; HD d10; Shamans no.


and the info from Giantcraft - keeping in mind what i said before about its "canon-itude":

Annam (Greater God)

Annam All-Father (ON-urn) sits atop the Ordning. Rumored to be the son of a conjunction of Chaos and Law, he is the progenitor of the Ordning and all the giant breeds. All that giants are and will become is owed to his influence. All that giants do is in his service.

Annam has a dual nature. On the one hand he is wise, learned, and philosophical. On the other, he is lustful, instinctive, and unpredictable. Equally notorious are his insight and jealousy, wit and impatience-he is proud of what his sons have accomplished but still yearns for the day they will accomplish even more. He foresees the future but cannot prepare for it.

Like most of the giant gods, Annam is seen in a different light by each of his worshipers. Hill giants imagine him as an enormous glutton and master of the grandest pantry in the multiverse. Stone giants envision him as an unparalleled artist. Frost giants see him as a glorious reveler and warrior.

Role-playing Notes: Annam personifies his sons' defining traits to an almost unbelievable extreme. He is remarkably selfish, sees all others as hopelessly inferior to himself, and remains wholly uninterested in the passage of time. (He has been known to take a thousand years to ponder the simplest of queries.) Once he has made up his mind, he will never change his opinion, even in the face of new evidence or further developments.

Statistics: AL N; WAL any; AoC magic, knowledge, fertility, philosophy; SY crossed hands, held palms together with fingers facing downward.

Annam's Disappearance

Several thousand years ago, Annam promised Othea that he would leave Toril and his Ysgardian palace until his sons restored the glory of Ostoria. So far, he has honored this agreement. As a consequence, he cannot grant spells to his priests, he is usually unavailable for commune, and he cannot normally manifest omens.

So great is Annam's power, however, that he is sometimes capable of reaching out to his flock from his distant realm of exile (believed to be located among the tranquil landscapes of the Outlands). All giant priests (not only those dedicated to Annam) who attain at least the 10th level of experience will receive a single precognitive vision from the All-Father at some point in their lives. Normally, this vision comes during a holy festival and reveals a coming truth of great importance to the giants as a whole. Priests who experience the vision have no doubt as to where it came from and why it is significant.

Gudheim

Gudheim is Annam's vast crystal palace located on the plane of Ysgard. At its center is a splendid orrery, a model of the planes, stars, and planets that endlessly spins in silent perfection. The model was crafted by the sons of Masud, the first fire giant, to honor the All-Father at the outset of the war against dragonkind.

Although Annam has not set foot in Gudheim since he made his pact with Othea, the palace is still occupied by his celestial children, the remaining members of the Ordning. Although it certainly lost something of its luster with the All-Father's departure, the mighty crystal palace is still a sight of almost unimaginable beauty and majesty. Giant priests believe that just before their deaths, particularly pious clergymen are invited to visit Gudheim for one evening to share a repast with the Ordning.

Surrounding Gudheim is Jotunheim, the home of the giant heroes. According to ancient legends, the spirits of all giants who die in battle are carried off to Jotunheim by Muspel and Muznir, a pair of Annam's servants who often take the shape of enormous owls. There, they are allowed to pursue their chosen virtues and defend the Ordning for all eternity.

Duties of the Priesthood

Since he disappeared from Gudheim, few giants are directly devoted to the worship of Annam, though all giants revere him. One notable exception is the stormazin, who acts as a spiritual father to the priests dedicated to all other giant deities.

Requirements: AB Wis 14 Cha 14; AL any; SP any; TU yes; PW 3) Cha automatically raised to 18; 10) precognitive vision (see "Annam's Disappearance," above).

Aims, Credo, Ethos: The giants are destined to rule Faerun; Honor the Ordning and your ordning; Never raise your hand against a brother giant-there must be peace between breeds to see Annam's prophecies to their fruition; Ostoria is the only hope for Toril.

Do not fear time; it is the bane of your enemies. Do not underestimate other peoples, but do not allow them to distract you from your destiny

Rituals: Annam is directly honored in three ceremonies still practiced by the giants.

The first day of the first month of each year sees the Grand Feast of the All-Father. During this celebration, all giants temporarily abrogate their other responsibilities to partake of vast quantities of food and to celebrate the eventual return of Ostorian glory. Although the ceremony differs somewhat from breed to breed (based largely upon each breed's view of Annam), most tribes demonstrate their unity by dispatching ambassadors to attend each other's celebrations. Typically, the stormazin honors a favored chieftain by attending the feast held at that chieftain's steading.

Once every two years, the stormazin holds a special ceremony in Annam's honor to invest new clergymen. This ceremony is typically held in one of the larger tribes' dedicated temples and attended by the chieftains of all the various tribes. A tribe whose temple is so selected by the stormazin is greatly honored.

Once per month, the stormazin holds a special prayer vigil to honor the All-Father and ask his guidance. Particularly troubled members of the Jotunbrud often visit the stormazin's shrine in order to attend this ceremony

Customs, Rules, Taboos: Any priest or shaman of Annam who strikes another giant (willingly or unwillingly) must forfeit his position and undergo divestiture. Anyone who speaks Ulutiu's name at a ceremony honoring Annam must die.

The Twilight Spirit

Twilight's Vale is a barren valley located on the northern fringe of the Ice Spires. Because it was used as a meeting place by Annam's sons in the time of ancient Ostoria, the Jotunbrud have long considered the Vale sacred ground. To this day, the giants of the Spires actively defend its valley against interlopers and trespassers.

Centuries ago, giants all over the steadings began to hear a mysterious voice that even today occasionally directs them to assemble in the Vale. There, they receive counsel from a giant cloaked in shadow the giants came to call the Twilight Spirit. The Spirit claims to be a prophet of the true will of Annam. With the aid of the Jotunbrud it has attracted into its service, the Spirit aims to see the prophecy of the giant king and the return of Ostoria fulfilled. To accomplish these aims, the Spirit sometimes hatches elaborate schemes meant to establish the groundwork for Ostoria's return. Several years ago (during the War of the Twins), for instance, the Spirit directed a group of giants to engage a tribe of ogres to help King Camden defeat his brother Dunstan. In exchange for their help, Camden promised the ogres his firstborn daughter, a boon that the Spirit has directed his servants to deliver to him. Exactly what the Spirit wants with Camden's daughter is still something of a mystery.

Although not all the Jotunbrud are willing to accept the Twilight Spirit at its word (in fact, the current stormazin is a vocal opponent of the Spirit and its teachings), the Spirit's presence has unquestionably invigorated the giants of the Spires with a new sense of purpose. For the first time in eons, the Jotunbrud believe the rebirth of Ostoria is within their grasp.

Legacy Omens

Ever since Hartkiller died, the giant communities located near the Ice Spires have been plagued by inexplicable coincidences and strange phenomena. Ghostly apparitions, messages written by no one, items appearing and disappearing, and bizarre weather patterns have all been reported in and around the steadings.

Most giants see these strange occurrences as omens foreshadowing the coming of the giant king that was prophesied in Hartkiller's wake. According to the lore that has grown up around the phenomena, each new omen signifies another of the king's failed attempts to enter the physical world. The fact that these attempts are beginning to manifest themselves in reality signify that the king is nearing freedom. One day soon, say the faithful, he (or she) will emerge to fulfill the age-old prophecies.

Of course, not everyone is in complete agreement as to the cause of the manifestations. A few of the more paranoid giants insist that the "omens" are not linked with Hartkiller's legacy in any way. Instead, these renegades believe that the apparitions and odd occurrences are "scouting attacks" undertaken by an army of undead who hope to destroy the steadings. Some have even tried to link this threat with the fabled verbeeg uprising rumored to soon rock the Spires. So ridiculous are some of the latest arguments offered by the renegades that a few of the more prominent giants are beginning to suspect them of implementing some sort of plot. Exactly what the renegades might hope to gain by their antics remains a mystery.

In recent years, the strange omens have become particularly common near Twilight Vale. Visitors to the Vale are frequently plagued by strange apparitions and mysterious voices. Although some of these voices undoubtedly issue forth from the Twilight Spirit himself, others are of more questionable origin. More than one giant has been driven to madness in the Vale's unforgiving valley.

Duties of the Priesthood

Devotees of the Twilight Spirit aren't exact analogs for the priests of the AD&D game. They hold no organized services, maintain no temples, and don't fall under any organized hierarchy. Instead, they are wandering prophets who move throughout the steadings spreading the teachings of the Spirit and enlisting the aid of the Jotunbrud in carrying out the Spirit's schemes. In fact, some of the Spirit's devotees are also priests of another deity.

The Twilight Spirit is capable of bestowing spells upon its followers, but only spells of the first three levels. Devotees of the Spirit who are already priests of other deities receive these spells in addition to those granted by their patron. Clerics of the Twilight Spirit cannot advance further than 6th level (unless they are also priests of another deity).

Note that most servants of the Twilight Spirit chose their paths after being summoned to the Vale to hear the voice of the Spirit for themselves.

Requirements: AB any; AL any giant; SP charm, combat, divination, healing; TU yes; PW 3) Cha automatically raised to 18; 6) able to cast a charm giant one time per day (same as charm person, but affects only true giants and is only usable to enlist the giant's aid in one of the Spirit s schemes).

Aims, Credo, Ethos: The prophesied king shall come soon and restore the glory of ancient Ostoria; all true giants must unite if they are to inherit their father’s kingdom.

 

[BOZ]

I know I posted quite a bit above. A lot of it is probably more information than we need – but better to have extra than not enough.

I found a brief blurb on Annam’s realm from the PS Campaign Setting, in the book Sigil and Beyond, p 18:

“It’s a laugh to say this realm’s well known, since no sod can ever seem to find it. Most bloods figure it’s really a demiplane somehow attached to the Outlands. By report, it’s the home of the giant deity, Annam. Most tale tellers say it’s a completely barren mountain with a single crystal tower at the top. That’s where Annam sits, surrounded by a thousand-piece orrery of the multiverse that spins in perfect time, all around him. The way they tell it, he’s a lonely, sad god, but that may just be dressing for the sake of the story.”

This passage is short, but definitely reinforces the nature of the god as revealed in other sources. If anyone has the small boxed set “The Players’ Primer to the Outlands” could you check to see if Annam is mentioned in there?

With that bit out of the way, let’s get back on track. Here is what I have figured out so far for Annam. The reposted description is based on a summary of things I had read about him from the sources posted so far.

Annam
Greater God (Neutral)
Annam is the all-knowing progenitor of all the giants and their gods. He has a dual nature; on the one hand spending most of his time on learning and meditation, and on the other hand being very brash and lustful. He does not involve himself much in the affairs of the mortal world, and does not often communicate with giants. Annam appears as a white-haired giant of staggering size, wearing a midnight blue robe.
Portfolio: Giants, magic, knowledge, fertility, philosophy
Domains: Knowledge, Magic, Plant, Sun
Cleric Training:
Quests:
Prayers:
Temples:
Rites:
Heralds and Allies:
Relics:

The remaining headings are described on pages 107-108 of The Complete Divine (TCD for short), which I will summarize below:

Cleric Training: How a deity acquires and teaches new followers

Quests: The kind of missions a deity sends its followers on

Prayers: A religion’s way of communicating with its deity, with examples

Temples: Places of worship, of course

Rites: Rituals, ceremonies, etc.

Heralds and Allies: Heralds are creatures the deity usually sends to intervene in mortal affairs. Allies are creatures the deity sends in response to the three planar ally spells.

Relics: Holy magic items (usually wondrous items) and artifacts tied to a deity’s worship – many examples are given in Chapter 4 of TCD.

These headings will be filled in based on information we have and speculations thereon, and will follow the examples already given in TCD.

I’ll pull out these passages from MonMyth to illustrate Annam’s relationship with his followers:

“And, of course, Annam does not grant omens, save, once in a lifetime, to his priest-kings. Such a priest, on attaining 10th level, may once in his life call for a precognitive vision from Annam after a period of ritual meditation not less than one month in duration. In these visions, the broad course of future history of the priest's race (or community, warband, etc.) is revealed to him.”

“Priests of Annam are extremely rare and many game worlds may not have any. They can only be cloud, storm, or stone giants, and they must be truly exceptional, having the blood of ancient/elder giants in them (DM's decision). They are rulers and kings, possessed of and driven to greatness and magical prowess through acquisition of powerful magical items.”

That allows me to fill these in a bit:

Cleric Training: Giants are not often invited to join the clergy of Annam. All of Annam’s clerics must be truly exceptional cloud, storm, and stone giants that have the blood of kings in their lineage. These rulers and kings are driven to greatness and magical prowess.
Quests: Annam does not often call upon his followers to engage in quests, though he does expect his priest-kings to call upon him once in a lifetime for a vision. Upon attaining 10th level, such a priest enters a month-long ritual meditation, after which the destiny of the priest’s community is revealed to him in a precognitive vision.

Several passages relating to him in Giantcraft fill in some of the gaps; I’ll get to that soon unless one or more of you would care to start on that.

 

[Filby]

As it happens, A Player's Primer to the Outlands does have a blurb on the Hidden Realm... but I'm afraid it's not very useful:

The Hidden Realm

In a Nutshell: Not found on any map, the Hidden Realm of the giant god Annam is said to be cloaked by magic, or maybe even sit in some parallel demiplane with a gate to the Outlands. Wherever it is, Annam sits in a crystal tower at the top of a huge mountain, watching over the clockwork of the multiverse.

Traveller's Advisory: How does a body give tips for traveling in a land that ain't there? One group of sages claims the Hidden Realm doesn't even exist, while another bunch says it's really the master control room of the planes (which shows what sages know).

 

[BOZ]

Thanks Filby, that saves me a little bit of trouble. Don’t see much there that hasn’t been in other places…

Well, with that settled, anyone have further input? I’ll get around to it sooner or later, but I’d like to see what you can provide.