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Message: <blockquote data-quote="I'm A Banana" data-source="post: 263545" data-attributes="member: 2067"> CALLARDURAN SMOOTHHANDS, THE LORD OF DEEPEARTH Reclusive God of the SvirfneblinAlignment: Neutralorshipers: Svirfneblin, Miners, GnomesDomains: Earth, Good, Healing, ProtectionFavored Weapon: BattleaxeHome Plane/Domain: The Outlands/Secret CavesDivine Rank: Intermediate Deity (14)Classes: Illusionist, FighterPortfolio: Protection, Mining, Trickery, IllusionSalient Abilities: (17) Alter Reality, Area Divine Shield, Avatar, Divine Shield, Banestrike (aberrations), Banestrike (elves), Banestrike (monstrous humanoids), Call Creatures (svirfneblin), Control Creatures (svirfneblin), Divine Earth Mastery, Divine Fast Healing, Divine Inspiration, Divine Spellcasting, Extra Domain (good), Extra Sense Enhancement (smell), Gift of Life, RejuvenationSpecial Possessions: "Guardian," defending, holy battleaxeAlternate Domains: CommunitySymbol: A circle made out of interlocking gold lines in a star patternDESCRIPTIONFrom Defenders of the Faith:"The patron deity of the deep gnomes, or svirfneblin, is neutral. He is also known as the Deep Brother, the Master of Stone, and the Deep Gnome. The svirfneblin revere him as a god of protection, earth, and mining. He is on good terms with Garl Glittergold, while he hates Lolth, Blibdoolpoolp, and Ilsensine (the goddess of the illithids)."In his natural form, Callarduran is a handsome, brown-skinned svirfneblin with an overlong nose and wearing a gold ring with a star pattern engraved into it. He is dressed in chainmail, and carries a large battleaxe at his side.Originally, Callarduran Smoothhands was a gnomish god of mining and caves. When the svirfneblin splintered from the main race, they adopted him as their defender and protector.DOGMACallarduran preaches the protection and furthering of the svirfneblin people. He honors friendship with the surface gnomes, but also takes responsibilities much more seriously. The illusion and trickery, for him, are necessities for survival, and taking up the axe against foes is something that must be done, lest they loose their lives to the powerful forces beneath the earth.Defense of the svirfneblin, utilizing the riches of the earth, and persevering in the face of great evil, are all virtues that Smoothhands values quite highly amongst those who follow him.CLERGY AND TEMPLESThe priests of Callarduran struggle to defend svirfneblin against the other forces of the Underdark. The priests work hand-in-hand with explorers and military to guard both towns and outposts.Temples dedicated to Callarduran are often deep beneath the earth, with perfectly smooth walls and often adorned with a star motif – a rather contradictory image, considering most svirfneblin have probably never seen a star in their lives.RITES AND RITUALSThe svirfneblin rituals around Callarduran usually involve a great smooth sphere of rock at the center of their temples. Priests form a ring around it and, dance, sometimes in clusters of five arranged to look like a ring of five-pointed stars from above. Throughout the dance, they cast visual images of the legends of Callarduran on the walls of the cavern, so that is is much like a theatre presentation made of illusion. Many, many gnomes, especially young ones, show up to these shows, which often involve specacular displays of light manipulation and some minor shadow-powers. All the while, they humm in a deep, reverberating tone that, reflected off the smooth walls, reaches a great buzzing echo throughout the entire temple that can be often heard for miles around. The tone and rythm of the music change with the scenes being displayed so that there is a play, of sorts, show upon the walls.More private rituals include the summoning of earth elementals, usually done with a rub on a specially smoothed sphere of rock. Sometimes, xorn are also treated in this manner, and though they are never sacrificed, they are sometimes summoned as "messengers to the Earth" and given prayers to take to Callarduran. Humming is often used as a verbal component to these summonings, as a call to Callarduran from the material plane.MYTHOGRAPHYMining is dangerous work, especially in a world where your tunnels are filled with the monstrosities of the underground present in D&D. Gnomes seem ill-suited for lives of exploration and hardship that are necessities for many underground races. Their comical irreverence must, by necessity, loose some of its mirth.Herein lie the origins of the svirfneblin. They are gnomes who have dug too far to retain the fun and carefree attitude of their surface cousins. They have been exposed to the hardships of life, and have found that illusion and trickery are what keep them alive.They are gnomes that have been forced to grow up. In all likelihood, they originated as a tribe of gnomes particularly interested in mining and uncovering the gems they love so much, and have grown to find that there is more to life than gems. To get what they desire, they’ve had to buckle down and become more serious about the world in general, and their world in particular.Callarduran Smoothhands is, thusly, like the other gods of subraces, originally a god of a specific focus adopted by a race as their protector. As the svirfneblin grew to become an independent species of gnome, so too did Callarduran grow to become an independent god.Fortunately, unlike many of similar deep races that then become corrupted by the hardship of the underground (like the drow) the svirfneblin have remained at least ambivalent towards their surface cousins. Thus, Callarduran didn’t become an enemy of the rest of the gnomish gods, but merely a friend in a low place. Different, yes, but still loving of his friends.Another unique aspect of the svirfneblin worship is their use of elementals and xorn as messengers to their deity. For xorn, at least, the connection may seem tenuous, but the xorn could also be a glimpse into why Callarduran uses the star in his symbol. Xorn, by their radial symmetry, very much resemble the five-pointed stars (with it being made of three-pointed shapes) in symbolism.LEGENDSSvirfneblin legends hold that Callarduran is known as “Smoothhands” due to his polishing of a great stone at the center of the world, from which earth elementals spring to help out his people. Thus, many Svirfneblin enjoy summoning earth elementals with their granted powers.He is said to be an avid hummer of many tunes, and his humming of a lovely song about earth and stone so entranced a passing xorn that he began following the gnome-god around, aiding him in his travels. Xorn are considered sacred to svirfneblin, and many will leave token gems and metals for xorn, and perhaps even have some “tame” xorn guarding their site. The humming, heard through rock, is also said to be a sign from Callarduran, often leading poor gnomes to gems. Other signs of the god’s presence include smoothed stone or stone rings with star patterns on them.Callarduran undoubtedly loathes many of the Underdark races, but he is said to have a special vengeance for the drow, who are the race’s main competitors. One story tells how he once masqueraded as Lolth herself in order to stop them from attacking a Svirfneblin settlement.ETC.PrC’s:    · The Serious Trickster: They use illusions not just for fun, but to gain an edge in combat.Plot Hooks· Unhappy Servitude: The PC's hear rumors of drow beneath the surface who aren't as belligerent and savage as usual, and who actually have quite a friendly relationship with the gnomish folk in the forrest surrounding the main entrance to their lands. Contact allows them to discover that the drow are actually the slaves of a group of svirfneblin who, imitating a legend, have convinced the drow that Lolth has, in fact, chosen them as the destined of the underdark, and only by paying the svirfneblin servitude and honor can a drow hope to be smiled upon by Lolth in the afterlife. This would be no more than a bizarre quirk of culture if it were not for one drow who resents the servitude and has doubts about the arrangement. He has been making contact with a drow society nothing like the one he is enslaved to, where the drow rule themselves and have power and prestige. He wants to form a rebellion from the svirfneblin -- a violent, bloody one that will result in them being the slaves to the dominance of the drow.· Gems of the Night Sky: The PC's emerge from a dank underground tunnel into what seems to be an open field of stone. A breeze blows, and, high in the sky, stars can be seen. As they pass through the stone field, they notice several large, transparent gems, looking almost like huge glass stones, littering the ground like boulders, and a community of fearful svirfneblin. The truth is that those huge gems have been falling out of the sky, and the svirfnebling see them as stars. Their fall is seen as a sign of Callarduran's displeasure, and a noteworthy priest in the area has convinced the community that if they can repent of a grave sin against Callarduran by killing one who defies him -- a local svirfneblin cleric of an air god. The defiler must be eliminated, or the stars will fall until there are none left. The PC's, meanwhile, may be able to discover the true cause of the falling stars (a mining in the caverns high above) and stop it without having anybody unnessecarily killed.*_________*Alright, you've got your friendly god. Next week, we tip the scales in favor of something that's quite literally dripping with evil...</blockquote>

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