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=Overview of the Great Gods=
=Overview of the Great Gods=
The Celegian Pantheon begins with The OverGod.  Even though he is poorly understood by mortals and not the most conventionally mighty in terms of mortal affairs, the Celegian Pantheon in many ways stands upon the sturdy foundation that is Termanant.
Despite His low profile in the Prime Material Plane and His unassuming Church, Termanant is suspected to be far older than the other Nine Great Gods and may even be more powerful. In keeping with His reclusive nature, He does not reveal anything of His True Glory if that is the case. Termanant is often called "the Overgod", even though that title appears nowhere in the catechisms, doctrines, dogmas, or teachings of His religion. His Clerics and worshipers know him as The Measurer.
Termanant is unique in that He will accept worship from anybody or anything, and indeed, it is said that The Measurer receives worship from every aware thing that does not ascribe to the other Gods. The truth is unknown, and likely unknowable, but if this notion holds some kernel of truth, then it would explain His strength. In even the most devout of polity's, there are many people indeed who only give lip service to the Pantheon, and thus, lend their worship (albeit unknowingly) to The Measurer.
Aside from the haughty and indifferent Termanant, the Celegian Pantheon consists of nine gods, often called 'The Great Gods'.  Each of the Great Gods is associated with one of the nine Engaged Alignments.  In this way, no matter what alignment the players choose, there is always a well-developed deity associated with that alignment for them to worship.  The Nine Great Gods of the Celegian Pantheon are detailed below.
Note that there are no game mechanics associated with these write ups: Matters of alignment and in-game religion are left to each GM to determine. Note further that there is a Holy Symbol (or symbols), associated weapon, one or more Domains, and campaign notes about the religion associated with each listed Deity. 
If the GM wishes to have game mechanics associated with the deities, this information should provide plenty of starting points.  Every GM is allowed and encouraged to be creative, but any powers that are assigned to the various Gods should be fairly minor, to avoid impacting game balance.
Some examples of such powers could be:
*Clerics of the God gain proficiency with the God's preferred weapon, as long as they are openly wearing the God's holy symbol.  No Symbol, no proficiency. If the God has more than one preferred weapon, the Cleric must choose which one they become proficient with.
*Clerics of Lurain gain the ability to add a splash effect to any spell they cast with the word 'Cure' in the name. Any creature can only be healed once with a single casting of the spell, and any forced movement granted is only granted to direct spell targets, not creatures healed by a curative splash.
*Clerics of Lyreth gain a +2 Divine bonus to Stealth Skill Checks if they have fulfilled their God's duty and performed a prank in that day. No prank, no bonus.
If desired, the GM can come up with similar powers granted by each deity, or not.


The Celegian Pantheon consists of nine gods. One additional god, Termanant, is far older than the other nine and may be more powerful, but he does not reveal anything of himself if that is the case. Termanant is often called "the Overgod" and is unique in that he will accept worship from anybody or anything, and indeed, it is said that the receives worship from every aware thing that does not ascribe to the other Gods. The truth is unknown, and likely unknowable, but if this notion holds some kernel of truth, then it would explain his strength. In even the most devout of polity's, there are many people indeed who only give lip service to the Pantheon, and thus, lend their worship (albeit unknowingly) to The Measurer.


==Detached Gods==
==Detached Gods==
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Termanant is the Measurer, He who stands apart. As such, His priests, the Vivimorts, are essentially and eternally alone. The place of Termanant is betweeen life and death, both at the beginning and end.  
Termanant is the Measurer, He who stands apart. As such, His priests, the Vivimorts, are essentially and eternally alone. The place of Termanant is betweeen life and death, both at the beginning and end.  


The services of the Vivimorts are in high demand, and a Vivimort is supposed to be present at every birth and should attend at every death. Termanants temples are called Vaults, and are always constructed in a style calculated to disturb or reassure, depending upon the sect of the Church. Termanant stands aloof from the Celegian Pantheon and is the eternal God.  
The services of the Vivimorts are in high demand, and a Vivimort is supposed to be present at every birth and should attend at every death. Termanant's temples are called Vaults, and are always constructed in a style calculated to disturb or reassure, depending upon the sect of the Church. Termanant stands aloof from the Celegian Pantheon and is the Eternal God.  


In society, Termanant is widely sought, as the Keeper of the Gates. Dead relatives can be restored by the Vivimorts, as long as the price can be met. When the Church of Termanant is strong, there will be a Vault in every sizable town, even though the number of Vivimorts is not as great as less grim churches. They tend to be spread thinly, since the worship of Termanant is a harsh trade to follow.
In society, Termanant is widely sought, as the Keeper of the Gates. Dead relatives can be restored by the Vivimorts, as long as the price can be met. When the Church of Termanant is strong, there will be a Vault in every sizable town, even though the number of Vivimorts is not as great as less grim churches. They tend to be spread thinly, since the worship of Termanant is a harsh trade to follow.

Revision as of 15:37, 16 January 2020

Celegian Pantheon

The powers that hold dominion over the Empire of Celegia are a pantheon of gods who are widely worshiped within the Empire. Many other gods and powers exist, but only in minor or fragmentary ways.

At least, that's the base story. After all, who knows what wonders and mysteries the players will discover during their adventures?

If a Game Master wishes to run a game, but has not built their own pantheon of deities, or, they do not have convenient access to a resource which has a pre-built pantheon, we offer for use this pantheon of Gods. These deities are intended to be somewhat 'abstract', and the Celestial Bureaucracy is offered as a way for GM's to add as much or as little of their own invention as they wish, when inspiration comes. These Gods are also intended to operate smoothly with other well-known Pantheons available in supplements, so that as the GM obtains more such resources, they can easily integrate any and all new material without disrupting the 'generic' Celegian pantheon structure. The simplest way to do this is run the Celegian pantheon as a vague 'senior leadership' set of Gods who are not strongly engaged with the world, whose temples are rather rare and confined to places that are out of the way. This allows the GM to easily begin play, and then enrich their game world with as much or as little detail as they wish.

Of course, GM's can also use these Gods as their only religion, and make their worship as rare or common as they wish. There is plenty here to have allies and villains in plenty.

Enjoy, and have fun!

Overview of the Great Gods

The Celegian Pantheon begins with The OverGod. Even though he is poorly understood by mortals and not the most conventionally mighty in terms of mortal affairs, the Celegian Pantheon in many ways stands upon the sturdy foundation that is Termanant.

Despite His low profile in the Prime Material Plane and His unassuming Church, Termanant is suspected to be far older than the other Nine Great Gods and may even be more powerful. In keeping with His reclusive nature, He does not reveal anything of His True Glory if that is the case. Termanant is often called "the Overgod", even though that title appears nowhere in the catechisms, doctrines, dogmas, or teachings of His religion. His Clerics and worshipers know him as The Measurer.

Termanant is unique in that He will accept worship from anybody or anything, and indeed, it is said that The Measurer receives worship from every aware thing that does not ascribe to the other Gods. The truth is unknown, and likely unknowable, but if this notion holds some kernel of truth, then it would explain His strength. In even the most devout of polity's, there are many people indeed who only give lip service to the Pantheon, and thus, lend their worship (albeit unknowingly) to The Measurer.

Aside from the haughty and indifferent Termanant, the Celegian Pantheon consists of nine gods, often called 'The Great Gods'. Each of the Great Gods is associated with one of the nine Engaged Alignments. In this way, no matter what alignment the players choose, there is always a well-developed deity associated with that alignment for them to worship. The Nine Great Gods of the Celegian Pantheon are detailed below.

Note that there are no game mechanics associated with these write ups: Matters of alignment and in-game religion are left to each GM to determine. Note further that there is a Holy Symbol (or symbols), associated weapon, one or more Domains, and campaign notes about the religion associated with each listed Deity.

If the GM wishes to have game mechanics associated with the deities, this information should provide plenty of starting points. Every GM is allowed and encouraged to be creative, but any powers that are assigned to the various Gods should be fairly minor, to avoid impacting game balance.

Some examples of such powers could be:

  • Clerics of the God gain proficiency with the God's preferred weapon, as long as they are openly wearing the God's holy symbol. No Symbol, no proficiency. If the God has more than one preferred weapon, the Cleric must choose which one they become proficient with.
  • Clerics of Lurain gain the ability to add a splash effect to any spell they cast with the word 'Cure' in the name. Any creature can only be healed once with a single casting of the spell, and any forced movement granted is only granted to direct spell targets, not creatures healed by a curative splash.
  • Clerics of Lyreth gain a +2 Divine bonus to Stealth Skill Checks if they have fulfilled their God's duty and performed a prank in that day. No prank, no bonus.

If desired, the GM can come up with similar powers granted by each deity, or not.


Detached Gods

Termanant the Measurer

Termanant is the one who determines the length each soul shall live. He is the master of darkness and the bearer of Life and Death. He is present at every birthing and deathbed. He delivers the souls of the dead to their proper place in the heavens, and ensures every soul returning has a body to be born into. Termanant is a mercenary god, and is quite happy to bargain with the living and dead over the disposition of this soul or that. His temples do a thriving trade in resurrections. Termanant stands somewhat aloof, not getting involved in the plotting of his younger contemporaries.

Clerics may choose to declare they are direct worshipers of Termanant, and members of his Church. Such Clerics are known as Vivimorts of Termanant
  • Alignment: In order to be declared a Vivimort, the Cleric must have and maintain an alignment of Detached. If their alignment changes to anything other than Detached, they must worship another.
  • Domains: Artifice, Creation, Darkness, Death, Destruction, Force, Glory, Nobility, Repose, Rune, Scalykind, Void
  • Favored Weapons: lasso, scythe, net, club, terbutje, spear, pickaxe, spiked chain

Campaign Information for the Church of Termanant

Termanant is the Measurer, He who stands apart. As such, His priests, the Vivimorts, are essentially and eternally alone. The place of Termanant is betweeen life and death, both at the beginning and end.

The services of the Vivimorts are in high demand, and a Vivimort is supposed to be present at every birth and should attend at every death. Termanant's temples are called Vaults, and are always constructed in a style calculated to disturb or reassure, depending upon the sect of the Church. Termanant stands aloof from the Celegian Pantheon and is the Eternal God.

In society, Termanant is widely sought, as the Keeper of the Gates. Dead relatives can be restored by the Vivimorts, as long as the price can be met. When the Church of Termanant is strong, there will be a Vault in every sizable town, even though the number of Vivimorts is not as great as less grim churches. They tend to be spread thinly, since the worship of Termanant is a harsh trade to follow.

The Church of Termanant has many different sects, of which the largest and/or most impactful are briefly listed below. The GM is encouraged to expand upon this list as required.

  • The largest sect of Termanant is surprisingly one of the least well known. The Knowers of Darkness are those Vivimorts who make a study of the Land of Death, and who devote themselves to learning the secrets of the terrain. They tend to be more studious than their fellows, and so the bulk of the noisome duties of the Church falls upon them, but they don't venture out much. The Knowers are the ones who tend to resurrect the fallen, and so provide the majority of the funds for the Church.
  • The second largest sect is also by far the best known, since they are the Bidders. Their duty is to see to the proper ending of lives, when their appointed time has come. The Bidders are the somber, chilling, and slightly disturbing men and women in the black raiment, bearers of the sacred measuring sticks and death/birth badges, who silently come for the sick, old, or unlucky. Bidders will grant the boon of ending to any who desire it, and the crippled, lame, and senile often request that service, sending their souls into the gentle darkness to be made fresh. Bidders tend to be the most aggressive and adventurous sorts, although only a few Vivimorts feel the need to stir, since all come for their services eventually.
  • The third common sect is that one which serves the other end of the process the Bidders begin. The sect of the Greeters are those Vivimorts who attend to births, seeing to it that any problems are attended to, safeguarding the mother, and seeing that the child receives a proper soul. The Greeters are the most popular of the Vivimorts, and are often not as foreboding as their brethren... although that is not a difficult mark to meet. No one is going to mistake them for cheerful, of course, but they are less actively frightening than Bidders or Knowers. Greeters tend to more white and silver in their raiment, with black trim and accents.
  • The last main sect are the Bearers, the ones who attend to the disposal of the remains of the deceased. What they do with the bodies can cause nightmares in the uninitiated and they are the most feared of the Vivimort main sects. Many Bearers are disturbingly practical in their disposal methods, and burials are rare. Instead, according to popular myth, most Vaults are called that because they are stuffed to bursting with animated skeletons and zombies, and woe betide the fool who provokes them.

There are an incredible number of sub-sects, splinter sects, heresies, fanatics, and maniacs associated with Termanant, and the God accepts them all equally. Termanant is uncaring of the behavior of his worshipers as long as they follow His strictures, since they will all be cleansed upon death for their next tour of duty in life. One of the largest of these heresies are the so-called Lovers of Night. This sect has been accused of fraternization with sentient undead, and indeed, it is possible there are thousands of vampiric Lovers who are priests in good standing with Termanant. Add in the heretical sect known as the Emptied, composed almost entirely of mummies, and the shudders of the populace around Vivimorts become more understandable.

Where the Church of Termanant is strong, there is often a surprising amount of organized worship by the commoners, as everyone approaches every appointment with a Vivimort with trepidation, and many seek to understand the mysteries of death before experiencing them. The Day of Crossing is the day when the Vaults are open to the public, and services concerning the mysteries are held.

Duties: All Vivimort sects, orthodox and heretical, are required to attend to all duties the Other God requires. Births and deaths are by far the most common events, while resurrections are much rarer, although lucrative. Vivimorts are usually required to be present at births to ensure that the new life has every proper chance to begin their next lap around the cycle. Still-births are regarded as souls who were otherwise detained, and are considered a mark of shame upon any attending Vivimort. Vivimorts are also required to be present at deathbeds, to see the released soul upon its way. Vivimorts also handle the bodies of the deceased. Depending upon sect, the body will be disposed of, burned, or "put to good use."

Other Limitations: Vivimorts are traffickers in life, and as such are required to resurrect anyone if the price is met, regardless of their feelings in the matter. Likewise, an ending may be purchased for anyone for the proper cost. Prices are set by the church on a case by case basis, assisted by auguries and communes.

  • The head of the church is The Leading Vivimort.
  • Termanant's colors: The raiment of Termanant is Black, White, and Silver.
  • Termanant's Vestment: Vitiators tend to favor severely cut, sober outfits. These often include robes, cassocks, or figured jackets and trousers, often with silver buttons.
  • Symbols: Vivimorts of Termanant are best known by the fact that they frequently carry measuring sticks, in a huge variety of sizes and styles.

Good-Aligned Gods

Lurain the Kind

Lurain the Kind is Domana's wife and consort, as well as being nearly his equal in power. Some say she is even mightier than her husband, but simply less...assertive. In any case, her outlook on existence is totally different from that of her conquering husband. Domana smashes headlong into life, while Lurain genuinely loves every living thing and would offer no hurt to anything that would do the same to her and hers. Her temples are places of healing and health. Food is created and given away every day to anyone who would like it. Any wounded or ill creature will be given the best care possible for nothing. Donations are welcome and expected, but only of what you may afford, even if it is only an hour of work or a copper bit. The act of giving is the important thing. Lurain is the Loving Mother and the Healer. But few think Lurain is weak! She is also the Defender of the Hearth, and stories of entire populations attacking anyone who defiles her temples are common. She is truly fearsome in defending her own.

Clerics may choose to declare they are direct worshipers of Lurain, and members of her Church. Such Clerics are known as Philiates of Lurain
  • Alignment: In order to be declared a Philiate, the Cleric must have and maintain an alignment of Lawful Good. If their alignment changes, but still remains either Good or Lawful, they may still worship Lurain and even gain spells, but they lose the abilities listed below. If their alignment changes so that it is neither Good nor Lawful, they must worship another.
  • Domains: Artifice, Charm, Community, Glory, Good, Healing, Law, Protection, Strength
  • Favored Weapons: quarterstaff, club, greatclub

Campaign Information for the Church of Lurain

The Church of Lurain is organized, powerful, directed, and dedicated. The church is the living temporal arm of the Love of the Mother, and every Philiate of Lurain seeks to advance the maximum good for the maximum number. One of the universal strictures is that every Philiate of Lurain must use the power granted by the Goddess to aid anyone they meet that is in need, every day. The Philiates of Lurain gather in great stone houses called Temples. These structures are often very large indeed, but are usually low and rambling, with many gardens, balconies, skylights, and breezeways. The aim is to allow as many people as possible the use of the space, and no one will ever be turned away from a Temple of Lurain unless they abuse the good nature of the place.

Temples are beautiful places, and older Temples are literally hand finished over every inch of the place, as the dedicated faithful give their time and effort to the Church, and by proxy, aid the Mother.

Many Philiates actually spend a great deal of their time out of the temples, moving through the streets and slums, speaking with, assisting, and aiding all they meet. In Celegia it is absolutely unthinkable to raise a hand against a Philiate of Lurain, and even hardened criminals know better than to try it. Most Philiates would not stop you (depending upon their Sect! some Philiates might object quite effectively!), but if the Watch, or the Revellers, or the Templars found out, it's all over. If the neighborhood finds out, well, the culprit probably won't live to reach a Justiciary. The taboo against harming a Philiate is very strong indeed.

There are several sects in the church, but their differences mainly stem from differing views of the best way to bring peace and comfort to the flock.

  • By far the largest sect of the Church of Lurain is the Kindly, which is the sect that dictates most of the daily activities of most Temples. They give away the beneficent magics of the Goddess to any who need it. They organize aid and comfort for all who seek it out, and accept with open arms any who enter a Temple with earnest need in their heart. The Kindly Sect is not composed of fools, however. Those who approach the Kindly with duplicity or ill-intent are usually discovered quickly, and such scoundrels find that the Kindly will remain, always, gentle and kind, but a firm 'no' is their answer to most false witness. Being shunned by the Kindly is dire indeed, as many other civil authorities will take such actions as a testament to the nature of the person involved, and such miscreants often find their activities under heavy scrutiny. Raising a hand against the Kindly in their Temple is suicidal foolishness. Not only will the Kindly defend their hearth and home, such aggressors will find every door closed and every hand turned against them.
  • The second largest sect of Lurain are The Healers, and they are far more active outside the Temples than the Kindly. They actively travel forth in their flock, seeking out those who are ill, down-hearted, lonely, and injured. The Healers are always seeking disease and hunger to destroy, as well as being vigilant for the social illnesses of abuse, despair, neglect, and perversion. As a result, the Healers are actively opposed to the works of both Puellor and Quellada, and the Healers are perhaps the most likely of the common sects of the Philiates to be involved in fighting, an irony many find delicious. Healers are not duty-bound to gift their Goddess-granted abilities to all they meet, but given their invariably Lawful and Good alignments, they will frequently take the time at the end of each day to spread some curing, restorations, and divinely-created food to those around them.
  • The Teachers are the sect which concerns itself with the care and tending of children, those who are young and old, as well as those who remain children their entire lives. Many of them actually reside in Factoriums, bringing the world's knowledge to the newly returned, so that they will be good, honest, loving, and caring people. Teachers are also often found traveling, fulfilling various pilgrimages and quests, often moving to seek aid from Teb or answer needs from Corellan or Daneth. Teachers are also often involved heavily in civil affairs, and by far the most likely Philiates to be working with the local Town Watch to administer programs for the needy, displaced, and unfortunate. Teachers are not required to gift their magics to others, but are instead constrained to offer advice, wisdom, guidance, and protection to the young, old, and infirm, while spreading the Mother's Love to all they meet, far and wide.
  • The Defenders are the smallest of the main sects, and have diminished greatly since Lurain drew the attentions of Domana, with Templars fulfilling many of their old duties. The sect continues, however, and stubbornly persists despite the often horrified pleas of their gentler cousins. The Defenders are the ancient sect charged with avenging wrongs done to the flock, protecting the hearth and temple, and ridding the world of the aggressive evil that infests it. Many Defenders and Healers travel with adventurers. Defenders maintain their vestment of the Loving Mother, their apron reduced to a heavy symbolic vest, or even a Warriors Harness, usually with pale as their main color, with trimming of silver and white. Defenders are perfectly willing to adventure and fight, and are often seen striding forth fearlessly, while Revellers and Templars hastily chase after. Allowing any Philiate to come to harm is a black mark indeed, but Defenders persist in throwing themselves into harms way, which is often inconvenient....
  • There are several small, radical heresies of Lurains Church, including the Hearth Stones, the Red Doves, the White Lords, and the Calloused Ones. Even the Defenders cannot condone the philosophies of these mad splinters, but the Goddess can and does lend her gentle grace to them, as long as they maintain their incredibly strict vows. Most of these splinter cults are extremely aggressive evil hunters, relentless in their tender scourging. These splinter cults hail from Lurain's less pastoral younger days, and are reflections of Her desire to protect Her flock from harm by destroying evil before it strikes.

Lurain is the God whom everyone is most likely to pay homage to, not because they seek to appease Her, but because they seek to please Her. Most casual worship occurs on Godday and Peceday, with the truly faithful visiting the Temple several times a week. The Church carries out formal worship ceremonies on Godday, Peceday, and Feyday.

Most Temples are never closed and will offer succor to any who request it, although lawbreakers and the evil will most certainly be turned over to the Justiciaries, Watch, or Templars.

Duties: Lurains priests are required to give aid to anyone (or anything) who is in need, at any time or place. When at temple, all priests create food and water everyday and give it away to all who wish it. They also act as healers for their flock and rush to accidents with bandages and healing spells. They attend the sick, curing disease, and purifying water supplies. As well, they are often asked to settle disputes by detecting truth or by locating objects.

  • The leader of the Church is The High Philiate.
  • Lurain's Colors: The raiment of Lurain is most commonly White, Silver, and Pale (a light green).
  • Lurain's Vestment: The Philiates of Lurain normally wear aprons over robes, or trousers and shirts, as their vestments. The colors of the Loving Mother are white, silver, and Pale, a light shade of green.
  • Lurain's Symbols: The symbols of Lurain are varied as well, with the most common being the White Hearth, showing a stylized hearth (little more than a heavy horizontal line) with a white flame burning in it. Few Celegians realize that the symbol is of fire, and most think it to represent the Mothers Tears, which is another symbol of Lurain. Another common symbol for the Mother is the Swaddled Child, showing a baby in a Mothers arms.
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Daneth the Preserver

Daneth the Preserver is an ethereal presence in the pantheon who is well liked by all the gods except Puellor. Daneth acts to nurture the land, with her power going to the wilderness and farmland, to roof gardens and sewers. She works to keep the balance of nature working and to bring life to all things. Daneth is the strength of plants that can split open stone merely by growing. Daneth is also the Hunter's goddess and is a deadly opponent within her environs. Daneth is not a city god, although she has a presence there. Her place is the vast stretches of the forests, the grassy sea of the Endless Steppes, the Swamps of Istis, and even the burning deserts. Daneth despises Puellor, as he is the only god who doesn't see (or care about) the importance of her chosen tasks. (Please note: Daneth is not a Nature goddess. Daneth is a gardener goddess who sees the importance of wild lands, and acts to preserve them for her worshipers to use.)

Clerics may choose to declare they are direct worshipers of Daneth, and members of her Church. Such Clerics are known as Wardens of Daneth
  • Alignment: In order to be declared a Warden, the Cleric must have and maintain an alignment of Pure Good. If their alignment changes, but still remains either Good, they may still worship Daneth and even gain spells, but they lose the abilities listed below. If their alignment changes so that it is no longer Good, they must worship another.
  • Domains: Air, Animal, Creations, Good, Plant, Preservation, Protection, Purification, Sun, Weather
  • Favored Weapons: bill, bows (not crossbows), heavy whip, boar spear, scythe, sickle

Campaign Information for the Church of Daneth

It may be difficult to believe, but the Church of Daneth is often the most powerful Church of all, once the Wardens reach their full strength. They have no armies, they profess no plans of conquest, and they are practically invisible in the cities and large towns, but Kings and Governors and Mayors cater to every desire the Wardens put before them, and for one simple reason. The Church of Daneth controls the weather.

That simple yet awesome power has never been abused by the Wardens, but if the Church suspects there is abuse of the land or of the fruits of the land, they do not hesitate to exercise their huge temporal power to see the problem corrected. Few commoners ever think about it and take the fair weather brought by the Church of Daneth for granted, but the myriad Groves spread across the entire length and breadth of the land are constantly at work, bringing rain, cooling heat spells, warming cold snaps, and protecting crops and people from floods and fires. Fewer people still realize the fact that the Wardens follow the Great Cycle, varying the weather each year on a nine year schedule to maintain the vigor and health of the land. Thanks to these largely invisible labors, the everywhere the Wardens go is a fertile garden, bursting with beauty and health, that the commonfolk are unable to see because they have nothing to contrast it with. The large majority of Wardens come from the rural areas of the land, from the ranks of hunters, farmers, and peasants. These folk are the ones who realize the enormous burden the Wardens bear and leap to help them in their labors.

The work of the Wardens is mainly done in the sacred Groves of the Preserver. These structures are composed entirely of living plants and animals, and more resemble gardens than buildings. They are open to the elements, and the Wardens endure all that Nature gives them without additional shelter. The Wardens have several Sects, generally low-key affairs that the laity may not even be aware of.

  • The largest sect of the Church is the Preservers, those Wardens whose chief desire is to do no harm. The Preservers moderate the weather, ensure good harvests, keep the rivers flowing, and generally maintain the status quo. When faced by great threats, the Preservers are the ones who gather and safeguard seeds, flocks, herds, and breeding stock, so if the worst happens they may rebuild when the bad times have passed.
  • The Keepers are the Wardens that actively oppose any destruction of the land. Keepers battle erosion and overuse, search out abusers of the land and stop them, and see to it that any imbalances are redressed. Keepers are the most active of the Wardens outside the Groves. As the Preservers labor to regulate the weather and forestall any disasters on the large scale, the Keepers look at their lands on a small scale and ensure the health of the lands in the micocosm.
  • The Bearers are the sect that carries the balance of the land on their shoulders. They are the ones who work hand in hand with the Keepers, finding problems for the Keepers to correct. Most Bearers are considered eerie and fey even by other Wardens, and the connection they have to their land is unnerving. Rumors persist that many of the Bearers are actually dryads, nymphs, sylphs, satyrs, and other less tame spirits. There is a lot of truth to this suspicion.
  • The last major sect of the Wardens are the Hunters. Daneth has always concerned Herself with the health and happiness of Her flock, and the Hunters are that sect who dedicate themselves to, as they put it, "weeding the garden." If there is evil afoot that is aggressive or dangerous, or that is supernatural or undead, then the Hunters will be sent to correct the problem. The Hunters do not make particularly mighty warriors compared to the doughty Templars of Domana or the Courageous Warriors of Corellan, but one fact remains about the Hunters. If they feel they cannot battle the evil directly and win, they will bring enough to the battle with them to see the job through. For a feral bear or rampaging bulette they may bring a pack of dogs. A roving band of bandits will easily succumb to the blandishments of a friendly nymph. A cthonic earth sprite, powerful undead thing, or demon will be confronted by an entire file of Hunters mounted on savage Destriers, with treants, animated oaks, summoned elementals, and even perhaps an Avatar supporting them, all intent on its destruction.
  • There are many minor Sects of Daneth, of widely varied but invariably helpful demeanor. It should be noted that Wardens are NOT Druids. Indeed, in many cases Wardens of Daneth and Druids are in direct and open conflict. Wardens are gardeners, while Druids are adherents to the primacy of Nature. Wardens gain their might from the well-spring of the Great God Daneth, while Druids draw upon the Green. It is possible for druids and Wardens to have uneasy alliances, but if there is no external threat, the conflict between Nature and the Gardener is eternal.

The Groves of Daneth are always open, but few city dwellers ever take advantage of them. The many lush gardens of the cities are heavily laced with Groves, but most of them have only lay members. The Wardens do not shirk their duties in the cities, but the plants in cities are being tended by the population, and so do not need so much care from the Wardens. The main duty is ensuring fertility and good harvests, and stopping vandals from harming the larger plantings. Wardens in cities often end up spending more time battling evil than they really feel comfortable with, but the weather must be regulated in the cities even more than in the country. The huge sewers of the cities need regular rain or they become dangerous and pest ridden, and patrolling the flora of the underworld is a noisome but essential chore.

By contrast, the Groves in the country are often the center of the community, both temporal and spiritual, and many fertility rites, festivals, and celebrations are held in them. The Groves are always open to any who would seek shelter, and woe betide the person who abuses that hospitality.

Duties: Wardens are expected to work to maximize the usefulness of any lands they inhabit. They plant, raise animals, clear old growth, ensure that there are enough predators, protect against over-use, summon rain, monitor fires, etc. A Warden would see nothing wrong with a monster inhabiting his or her demesne, so long as it fit harmoniously into the pace of life there. Disruptive influences will be minimized or removed.

Other Limitations: Wardens are not allowed to exploit their domains for the short term gain over the long term good. They are required to work for the maximum good for all creatures.

  • Daneth's Colors: The Raiment of Wardens is Green, Brown, Black, or Silver.
  • The leader of the church is The Great Warden.
  • Daneth's Vestment: Wardens always have living plants on their persons, such as living vests or even robes made of vines, or flowers festooned in their hair.
  • Daneth's Symbols: Daneth's symbols are plants, preferably living, although medallions or amulets inlaid with plant-based designs are also acceptable.
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Corellan the Merry

Corellan the Merry is the god of youthful exuberance. He is known as the Merry for good reason! His demeanor is one of boundless energy driven by a good natured spirit. Corellan is a good-hearted rake and a cheery rascal who delights in scandalizing the more staid members of the pantheon. Karena holds a venomous hatred for him, while Puellor hates him as only the Mad can. He holds genuine respect for Domana, but loves deflating his stuffiness. Lurain tolerates him fondly and Corellan would do anything she wished. Quellada has a fascination for the Merry One like a moth to a flame ever since the time that The Cunning One gave The User a stinging rebuke in the form of a freely given gift. Teb seems to like Corellan a great deal, but makes Corellan nervous. Lyreth and Daneth both seek his attention, which he lavishes upon them. Corellan dislikes Termanant, but Termanant treats Corellan as he treats everyone. Corellan is the Reveler and the Cunning One, but there is substance to him. He is known also as the Courageous Warrior and will not shirk an opportunity to press forward his values. Corellan's temples are loosely organized affairs that seem to run like a frat house crossed with a cocktail party, although the surface often conceals a great deal of quite serious work.

Clerics may choose to declare they are direct worshipers of Corellan, and members of his Church. Such Clerics are known as Revelers of Corellan
  • Alignment: In order to be declared a Reveler, the Cleric must have and maintain an alignment of Chaotic Good. If their alignment changes, but still remains either Good or Chaotic, they may still worship Corellan and even gain spells, but they lose the abilities listed below. If their alignment changes so that it is neither Good nor Chaotic, they must worship another.
  • Domains: Celerity, Charm, Competition, Courage, Creation, Good, Liberation, Luck, Travel
  • Favored Weapons: bows, crossbows, longsword, greathammer, sling, slingstaff

Campaign Information for the Church of Corellan

The Church of Corellan is extremely widespread and His worship is devoutly espoused by millions of followers, but there are few physical traces of it. Corellan is not out to impress anyone, He simply desires to spread happiness and good cheer all over the world, enriching the lives of everyone. Shrines and churches of Corellan are fairly common, but they are usually modest structures, often in rented space. It doesn't really matter, since the Revelers are rarely there except to recuperate from their latest capers.

Additionally, where the worship of The Merry is strong, every tavern, inn, gathering hall, dance house, whore house, guild hall, lodge, and longhouse in the land is counted as a shrine of Corellan, and there is usually at least a lay member in attendance at (or near) all of those places. Corellan's Church does maintain several large and impressive Great Halls, but these are only in larger cities. A large portion of the Revelers of Corellan will be actively traveling at any given time, as they are avid attendees of the myriad fests and holidays celebrated by the various provinces and cities, and every major holiday is also a High Holy Day for the Revelers.

  • Most public Revelers are members of the Joybringers Sect, which follow the teachings of Corellan the Merry. These cheerful individuals wander the world, singing, playing, dancing, and generally livening the mood. They are by far the best known sect of the Church and tend to do the majority of the preaching. As a note, Corellan has no trouble finding priests, and has surprisingly stringent entry requirements to screen out the merely intoxicated. Joybringers are not often adventurers, but they are very often entertainers, and some of the greatest artists and songsters of the ages are not bards, but Joybringers. That said, the Joybringers and Bards get along like bread and butter, and incredible fun is had by all. But it can be said that the Joybringers main reason for existence is to conceal their cousin sects, the Merrymakers and Harlequins, the Cunning and the Courageous. The Joybringers perform enormous good for the world, but they are not really about good deeds, they are more about good fun for all.
  • Another major sect are the Merrymakers, although they are almost completely secret to the uninitiated. To an outsider, the Merrymakers are indistinguishable from the Joybringers, but the two sects are almost the reverse of each other. The Joybringers exist to create happiness all around them, while the Merrymakers exist to destroy sorrow. The difference is profound. The Merrymakers are the sect that travels the world, singing and dancing, but who constantly search out the causes of sorrow and fix them. The Merrymakers are the ones who actively destroy baneful spirits, dissolve bad marriages, oppose tyrannical rulers, and counsel those who have sadness ingrained in their souls. Both sects attack the same problem, but from different directions. Joybringers are the 'public face' of the Revelers, and the Merrymakers are the ones who catch bad guys in dark alleys.
  • A sect whose membership has been in slow decline for many centuries is that of the Cunning. Before the advent of Lyreth, Corellan's Cunning aspect was the only true deity dedicated to the "sly arts." Revelers of the Cunning Sect are genteel rogues who are constantly on the prowl for the opportunity to stir the pot a bit. Cunning Revelers are the worst enemy of bureaucrats and tyrants everywhere, never seeking to steal anything from those who can't stand the loss. They are always seeking to discomfort those who oppress others from behind the screen of laws and rules, and live to rescue damsels in distress, right wrongs, and stop oppression.
  • The Harlequin Sect is where the Church of Corellan starts to get a bit...dark. In a world that sometimes seems to be drowning in evil, the Harlequins of Corellan are the ones who work in the shadows, changing their stripes as easily as a chameleon, always with a smile and a joke, but rarely admitting who they worship, or how, or why. The Harlequins are not 'punchin' fools' like the Merrymakers, but the Harlequins are frequently the ones who discover the darkest and worst, the hidden and bizarre, the ones who can plot and scheme as well as the most evil out there, blend in and get along...until the day they call in the Merrymakers. Corellan is not weak, but if there is a problem that the Merrymakers, or heaven forbid, the Courageous Warriors, cannot solve, then the Harlequins are the ones who will call in the big guns.
  • The Courageous Warriors Sect is an enigma, since these Revelers are that most odd of odd birds: Revelers who are quiet types. The Courageous Warriors enjoy seeing the spread of cheer as much as any others, and they often travel with Merrymakers or Joybringers, but the Courageous Sect exists to battle evil in a more direct and mundane fashion than through simple good cheer. If evil deeds are committed, then eventually a Harlequin will summon the Courageous, and those deeds will cease. The Courageous, unlike the Merrymakers, will press an assault home, no matter the price or consequences. The Courageous Warriors are only interested in justice, not in laws, and more than a few of them are desperately wanted by the King, Watch, and Templars alike. The Warriors are not crazed killers, though, and the punishments Corellan Himself places upon them if they stray equal the worst the land can manage.

Many commoners never worship formally at a Temple of Corellan, but nearly everybody worships Corellan, at one time or another. Their ubiquitous presence at festivals and taverns mean they speak to hordes of people, and are almost universally well liked. If there has been an injustice done or a law has been perverted, the Revelers are the ones who will hear of it first, and often appear to correct it. More Celegians will see Revelers than will see Templars in any given day. True followers of Corellan attend services on most festival days, although they are more like parties than formal worship ceremonies.

Duties: Revelers tend not to accumulate wealth or possessions, or such encumbrances as lasting relations or families. Revelers are expected to halt cruelty when they see it and not to back down from a confrontation.

  • The leader of the church is The Exultant Reveler.
  • Corellan's Colors: The raiment of revelers is most commonly Red, Blue, Yellow, Black, and Gold, often in festive domino patterns or flowered abstracts.
  • Corellan's Symbols: An overflowing tankard is often associated with Corellan, and a spilled mug is also very common. Most Revelers will have a tankard, cup, goblet, or mug on their person at all times, either worn openly tied to their belt, or tucked away. Yes, this is a subtle sign, but many of Corellan's Sects are not interested in advertisements.
  • Corellan's Vestments: Loose, flowing clothing is almost universal among Revelers, and blousey 'pirate shirts' are practically a uniform, although there is no stricture at all on what Revelers may or may not wear. It's just that most Revelers love that kind of stuff. Seriously, that kind of shirt looks awesome.
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Neutral-Aligned Gods

Domana the Powerful

Domana the Powerful is the mightiest God of the pantheon, and is definitely the most aggressive. Domana is a god of Conquest and Law. He is often called the Justice Giver, and is a notorious stickler for details. Lastly he is the Protector and will seek to defend the defenseless as long as they are within his fief. Domana is a fierce and dynamic Power, restless, with a driving urge to place all within his fief so that he may rule and protect them. He is a scrupulously meticulous ruler who will not tolerate any slacking or bending of the rules he lays down. His temples are military places of discipline and order, with a strict hierarchy of responsibility and power. Through his Templars, Domana always seeks conquest, the defeat of lawlessness, and the imposition of order. Domana is the head god of the Celegian Pantheon and nearly everyone offers at least token recognition of his status. Frankly, he is worthy of that recognition, as even his enemies admit that his honor is absolute.

Clerics may choose to declare they are direct worshipers of Domana, and members of his Church. Such Clerics are known as Templars of Domana
  • Alignment: In order to be declared a Templar, the Cleric must have and maintain an alignment of True Lawful. If their alignment changes, but still remains Lawful, they may still worship Domana and even gain spells, but they lose the abilities listed below. If their alignment changes so that it is no longer Lawful, they must worship another.
  • Domains: Law, Protection, Sun, Fire, Earth, Repose, Glory, War, Inquisition, Strength
  • Favored Weapons: axes (any)


Campaign Information for the Church of Domana

When the Church is strong, the church of Domana is the most powerful, widespread, well organized, and aggressive in the land. Befitting His status as the Ruler of Heaven and King of Creation, Domana's Church actually has two types of official Church buildings, Cathedral and Punishment Temples. Cathedrals are the seat of His Church's temporal power, the garrisons for His vast ranks of disciplined Templars, and the place where the Great God accepts worship and administers Justice for His people. The Punishment Temples are where those who have been correctly Judged are sent to remediate their troubles through service and scourging.

Every city of any size has a Cathedral to Domana, and since Domana is the King of the pantheon, if any of the other Gods or Spirits wish a shrine, it will be provided in the cathedral. Cathedrals are enormous vaulting stone structures designed to impress and intimidate, and most of them succeed in that aim. The Punishment Temples of Domana are larger still, and are foreboding in the extreme in their design. All of the holy places of Domana, even a minor shrine in a tiny village, is holy ground to Domana, and woe betide any who would dare defile it. The Templars are always skilled in arms, and will teach anyone who they feel is worthy, both in matters of conquest, and in matters of justice. The Templars take their duties seriously and actively put forward the values of the Great God at all times. Domana has huge numbers of Templars, enough to rival many great armies, and the Conqueror makes sure they do not grow fat or lazy in their terrible Cathedrals, either. Domana is always hungry for the march.

But Domana is not simply some caricature of a brutal War God, no. Domana is so successful in His Way because he Conquers, but then he Rules, fairly, diligently, justly, and gently. There is no trace of venality or corruption under the Dominon of the King of Heaven, although, to be fair, many elements of the Templars are harsh indeed. Those of a chaotic mindset may not LIKE the Dominion of the Great God, but there is no arguing that His lands are peaceful, prosperous, and productive. Domana is acutely aware that He is the King of a Pantheon, and thus it is His duty to allow all members of that Pantheon their proper place. Thus, elements of chaos are tolerated, as the meet due of His Subject Deities, and he rules fairly in all things. Domana was not always so gentle and even-handed, but his Great Wife and Consort, the Mighty Goddess Lurain, the Loving Mother, has been able to make even the Conquering King, the Invincible Overlord of Heaven, the Immutable Judge of All Things, desire to also be a better man. Thus is Her great might made evident in Her gentle smile.

There are several sects within the larger structure of the Church which bear noting.

  • The most warlike and aggressive faction is that of the Conquerors, those that foment the power of Domana ascendant, Conquering Overlord of the Gods. These aggressive hawks constantly rove the land, seeking weakness to stamp out and new territories to crush, spreading the holy word of the Conquering Domana. The Conquerors are frequently eager to explore new frontiers, always pushing the edges of the map, always testing and probing hostile borders, forever seeking out worthy enemies and honorable allies. Conquering Templars are very commonly seen as adventurers, and indeed, most Conquerors are granted sabbatical expressly to go and adventure. It is said that in order to rise in the Overgod's Desmense, a Templar must test themselves to the breaking point and beyond with sabbaticals and strife, and if a proper Conquest is not available, then each Templar must find their own conquest.
  • The Punishers are the sect that hunts down lawbreakers and murderers, the ones who uphold Order wherever they go. Given their ominous name, they are a surprisingly mild-mannered Sect, especially compared to the iron-willed Conquerors. Punishing Templars are often seen as friendly locals, always around and willing to lend a hand, always with an eye out for rectitude and proper treatment for all. Of course, the Punisher Sect also operates the dreaded Punishment Temples, those places where the most incorrigible prisoners are kept and offered every aid in their journey to redemption. The Punishers are a secretive sect, with many inner mysteries, rites, and rituals. Their duties fall beneath the Justice Giver aspect of Domana, and they honestly seek to redeem the criminals they pursue, and those given into their care. To say their methods are strict is a huge understatement, but those that enter a Punishment Temple are often beyond redemption by any lesser method. The huge Punishment Temples are often placed in inhospitable surroundings, and make the Cathedrals seem warm and inviting. Surprisingly, many if not most of the Templars that join the Punisher Sect are former inmates!
  • The Protectors are the third major sect in the Church. They are the ones who are charged with protecting all those that Domana has placed beneath his fief, and it is common to see Protectors preaching in the worst slums, escorting other religions (particularly Philiates, Wardens, Contrivers, and Wisdoms), seeking out criminals, destroying evil spirits, and generally aiding all those about them. The Protectors are the most visible of the sects, and it is common to see them reach great fame and popularity. Protector Templars are commonly adventurers, and like the Conquerors, often are granted sabbaticals to pursue their own growth. Unlike Conquerors, Protectors are far more likely to be active close to their home Cathedral, although that is not a hard rule.
  • In addition to those three great sects, there are several other smaller sects that are viewed as legitimate, although their views are often extreme. The Brotherhood of Rage, the Chosen of Domana, the Skyreavers, etc. are examples of small but still legal sects. There are also several heresies of Domana, splinters that have drifted far in their beliefs but are still accepted beneath the grace of the God. These include the Lifetakers, the Burning Tower Sect, and the Red Flowing Hand. These sects contain the most hard edged fanatics, who have passed beyond the pale of society but are still granted the full power and support of the deity. Most of these smaller sects have taken one or more of the host of allied powers that surround Domana as their patrons, and prosecute Domana's aims as embodied in those allied powers. Domana is such a mighty fount of power that He supports all of these sects and more besides, all with an aim to keeping His options as wide and strong as possible.

Where Domana is strong, most commoners appear in a Cathedral at least once per month, most often on a Peceday. Peceday is the safest day to visit Domana, as on other days the atmosphere can become "tense." Domana is worshiped most often in propitiation, as He is a wrathful, precise, and powerful deity that likes to be properly respected and feared by His subjects. In addition, He is often sought out by those who have been wronged or injured, and also will grant shelter to any who flee injustice or harm. Woe betide the husband who raises a hand to his wife or family where the Templars hold sway!

Domana is also often worshiped by those who desire success in some venture, be it a military commander, businessman, adventurer, politician, etc. Persons who claim Domana as their deity are expected to attend the Cathedral on every Godday, to observe the lessons taught there, listen to the oracles and diviners, and to witness the surpassing glory of the King of the Gods.

Duties: Domana's Templars are encouraged to crush lawlessness wherever they find it. They commonly serve as "justices of the peace" or judges and their decisions are binding, although unofficial. Templars are also expected to carry the faith to the faithless and to seek out new goals to conquer.


  • Domana's Colors: The holy raiment of Domana is most commonly Iron, Crimson, and Gold. (Iron is a shade of dark grey).
  • The leader of the Church is the Penultimate Templar.
  • Domana's Vestments: The Templars of Domana usually wear heavy military armor as their vestment, with a tabar bearing the Symbols of Domana and their Templar designators. When 'off duty', severely functional tights and trim-cut fighting tunics are the norm, often with axes as decorations. A Templar is always ready for battle.
  • Domana's Symbols: The Symbols of Domana are of various types, with the most common being the Nine Fluted Pillar. Domana's Axe, also with nine flutes, is common, as is Domana's Hand. Domana's Hand is always depicted as reaching down from above, and depending upon the sect will either the Hand of Justice, reaching down to lift up the weak, or the hand of the Conqueror, reaching to seize and hold.
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Teb the Wise

Teb the Wise is the most mysterious of the Celegian pantheon, even including Termanant. He is also known as Teb the All-Knowing. Teb is reputed to know everything that ever was and ever will be, and to gain delight in not telling anyone else. Teb has amicable relations with every god, since they all want to ask him questions. However, no one is truly close to Teb, as he is prone to utterly inexplicable remarks, prompting his tag as the Mysterious. Worse, he is prone to seemingly random bouts of ferocious violence, when he puts his knowledge of weakness and hidden things to savage use. This penchant to violence has earned him the name of the Dark Destroyer, for when he attacks he has no mercy, and Teb is not weak. Teb's temples are places of learning that take many forms, possibly no two being alike. Teb is reputed to be a wealthy god, and his vast library-temples certainly support that impression.

Clerics may choose to declare they are direct worshipers of Teb, and members of his Church. Such Clerics are known as Wisdoms of Teb
  • Alignment: In order to be declared a Wisdom, the Cleric must have and maintain an alignment of True Neutral. If their alignment changes, but still remains Neutral, they may still worship Teb and even gain spells, but they lose the abilities listed below. If their alignment changes so that it is no longer Neutral, they must worship another.
  • Domains: Artifice, Darkness, Destruction, Knowledge, Magic, Mind, Mysticism, Oracle, Pact, Strength, Summoner, War
  • Favored Weapons: quarterstaff, sling, short sword

Campaign Information for the Church of Teb

Where the Celegian Pantheon is strong, the church of Teb is inextricably bound up in a vast array of Factoriums, Mage Schools, Colleges, and Universities, all the huge assemblies of knowledge and learning where most mages and sages receive their training, as well as all the civil engineers, architects, and most advanced of craftsmen. Temples of Teb are quite common, but they are not always public affairs, and Teb is rumored to have secret stashes of forbidden knowledge that no-one else has even heard of. Most temples of Teb are called Librariums, and they are huge affairs full of halls and galleys, most stuffed with scrolls, books, tablets, and crystals.

According to common myth, Teb knows everything there is, and delights in not telling anyone. This delight rubs off on His Wisdoms. The Wisdoms of Teb must be forgiven their irritation with petitioners, for every day they must deal with a seemingly endless parade of people seeking advice. That advice is usually available for a fee, but if someone asks where they left their socks they are charged ruinously. Merchants seeking to edge out their opponents, politicians seeking dirt, architects and builders wanting advice, all are treated with as much patience as the Wisdoms can manage.

Worship of Teb is difficult, and the personnel resources of the Church are not large compared to their vast Librariums, storehouses and other resources. The fact that the Church of Teb is extremely rich does help with recruiting new acolytes, but it takes a certain mindset to effectively follow Teb. In many cases, the socially maladroit but brilliant, the cripplingly arrogant but genius, the intellectually gifted but lackadaisical, are the very best source of acolytes of Teb, but by their very nature, such towers of mental ability are...faced with many difficulties among the bulk of society, and getting along with each other is no easier. Teb is a haven for such maladroit, arrogant, and lackadaisical sorts. To say that many Wisdoms are somewhat lacking in social graces is being polite about it.

Teb has a huge number of sects and splinters and heresies and factions and cliques. Indeed, it may be that most Wisdoms are not part of a large, well-known sect, or might even be a Sect of one. That said, there are a few larger and somewhat better know sects.

  • Teb occasionally releases a bit of information that could be extremely useful, if the unwashed masses could simply reason out what to do with it. A true story is the fact that the Imperial gate system is directly attributable to a visit made by a Wisdom to a friend who was a wizard. As the Wisdom was leaving, she said, for no particular reason, "All places are the same, if you make them similar enough." The wizard found it so odd that he wrote it down, thought about it deeply, and then applied it to his research into the nature of the Fundaments, and created the first Gate by accident. After he was resurrected, he turned his research over to the Empire and lived the rest of his life in opulent luxury. This sort of action is typical of the Wise sect of Teb.
  • The most often encountered sect of Teb when petitioners enter the great Librariums is the All Knowing Sect It certainly does not improve the Church's relations with the world that the All Knowing are widely acknowledged as the most annoying of an already trying group. The All-Knowing are human libraries, and are mostly comprised of those odd individuals with near perfect memories. They seek to emulate Teb in his vast knowledge by learning at least a little about nearly everything. As a result, they spend much of their time in long rambling discourse, on any and every topic in the world. Unlike most Wisdoms, they are eager to share their knowhow, but getting anything actually useful out of the rambling gasbags could try the patience of a Philiator Saint.
  • Teb's next sect are the Mysterious, and they delight in dark prophecy, enigmatic riddles, coded speeches, and baffling the unlearned. The Mysterious are also one of the more frightening sects, as their cryptic mutterings are often revealed to have been prophetic in the glare of hindsight. According to popular rumor, the Nightmare wars were predicted by a Mysterious Wisdom the year before the North rebelled, and if only the warning had been understood the whole mess could have been avoided. The Mysterious is also that sect which deals with knowledge best left unknown, and they are reputed to possess secrets the Contrivers would kill their mothers for.
  • The last major sect of Teb is also His most widely feared, the Destroyers. Teb knows much about the shape of events, and He often acts to influence events into the path He desires. This often involves a "pre-emptive strike" against someone or something. Teb may decide that your grandson is going to be a terrible murderer, so a Destroyer shows up and poisons your wife, because obviously, that's the only way to be certain. Teb's vast knowledge makes the Destroyers terribly effective, as they always seem to know the exact moment to strike to cause the maximum damage. Add in the fact that Teb is owed favors by everybody, and will not hesitate to call upon help if it is needed.
  • There are many sub-sects and heresies of Teb, as He is not choosy about His worshippers. Some of the larger sub-sects include the Geometers, the Delvers, the Eretoans, and the Realists. The heretical sects include the Know-Nots, the Deniers, and the Shorn. Any all of the Sects of Teb may be found as adventuerers, typically because the Wisdom in question has decided to go out on a fact-finding expedition. Such excursions are supported and encouraged by the Church, as anything at all which gets the Wise One more temporal grasp of knowledge is eagerly encouraged.

Duties: Wisdoms are required to seek out learning wherever Teb has placed it. The process of learning moves you closer to Teb, but knowledge cheaply gained is usually worth the effort. Also, once knowledge is gained a Wisdom must see that it is safeguarded so that it is not lost or stolen to be used in some rash way. A Wisdom may not allow knowledge to be wantonly destroyed, either, and so will often spend time copying documents for safe keeping and seeking out individuals with important reminiscences. Contrivers and Wisdoms often have harsh words over these matters. Most of Teb's temples are also blessed with large libraries, of various levels of neatness and organization.

Other Restrictions: Wisdoms are not allowed to shirk their duty of amassing knowledge just because they find the information to be distasteful. Many times a Wisdom has learned something which was repugnant to him or her but recorded it nonetheless.

  • The Leader of the church is the Erudite Wisdom.
  • Teb's Colors: The raiment of Teb is Grey, Saffron, Burgundy, and Green. Solid colors tend to be preferred, or complementary matches of a pair of the colors. The shades of grey in their vestment can vary widely, from almost white for the All-Knowing to essentially black for the Dark Destroyers.
  • Teb's Raiment: Wisdoms are invariably found wearing long, comfortable robes. If they are adventuring, Tabards will be worn in their colors over any armor they don.
  • Teb's Sumbols: Teb is frequently represented by a book or a scroll, either the actual article or a carving painting, or other representation. They are also sometimes represented by a reading monocle or a magnifying glass, although such symbols are more rare.
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Lyreth the Sly

Lyreth the Sly is the Sneak goddess and the Goddess of Chance. Lyreth is the Bringer of Changes, the Lady of Decay, and The Replacer. Lyreth is Miss Mayhem, the Queen of Accidents, the Lucky Break, and She Who Laughs. Lyreth is also the Dancing Dottir, the Lady of Broken Fates, the Destined Criminal, the Ally of Anarchy, the Two-Faced, the Laughing Liar, the Cheerful Gifter, and many, many, many other names besides. It is sometimes said that Lyreth has two names for every tongue that has ever spoken of Her. To say that She is mercurial and difficult to describe is an understatement.

Lyreth is widely considered to be the weakest of the Nine Great Gods, but Lyreth does not care about rankings or status, and any serious effort against Her is usually met with a response from Her many allies...so in some ways She may be considered the very strongest of all. She delights in pranks both funny and vicious, either one or both. It is sometimes said that the other Great Gods tolerate Her antics because She is the weakest, and thus, She serves as a tempting target for any Deific assaults upon the Pantheon, thus serving as a 'sacrificial goat' for such Heavenly Warfare. If Lyreth realizes this, it is doubtful She cares, and indeed, She probably considers it great fun. Indeed, it is entirely possible She merely pretends to weakness, to trick the rest of the Pantheon into protecting Her, which, to be fair, Lyreth would consider to be hilarious.

Whatever the truth of Her status, Lyreth feels the pantheon to be horribly staid and stuffy, and constantly seeks to "let in some fresh air". Her love of making others look less dignified has led Her to the exasperated enmity of Domana and makes Her well received by Corellan. Lurain views Her with loving tolerance, and recognizes how She enlivens the pantheon. Karena despises Lyreth with a venomous purity since the time that Lyreth made the Keeper of Secrets look positively ill-informed.... Puellor both loves and hates Lyreth with the kind of insane passion only the Mad can muster, and Lyreth weaves around his worst impulses with graceful ease. Indeed, it is rumored that the Darkling Romance between Puellor and Lyreth is the doomed mirror of Domana and Lurain, and whether that horrifying pairing will ever reach fruition is watched with bated breath by the highest Powers.

Anyone about to engage in a bit of underhanded business will call upon Lyreth, be it an assassin envenoming a blade or a husband slipping in the back door with his shoes in his hand. Those seeking to gamble, those seeking to cheat at gambling, anyone looking for a bit of luck, all will call upon Lyreth.

Lyreth has many temples, which tend to be small, loosely organized affairs which spring up, thrive, grow, split up, and move on.

Clerics may choose to declare they are direct worshipers of Lyreth, and members of her Church. Such Clerics are known as Tricksters of Lyreth
  • Alignment: In order to be declared a Trickster, the Cleric must have and maintain an alignment of True Chaotic. If their alignment changes, but still remains Chaotic, they may still worship Lyreth and even gain spells, but they lose the abilities listed below. If their alignment changes so that it is no longer Chaotic, they must worship another.
  • Domains: Chaos, Charm, Darkness, Dream, Liberation, Luck, Mirage, Rune, Trickery, Void
  • Favored Weapons: brass knuckles, dagger, falchion, kukri, siangham, sap, trident

Campaign Information for the Church of Lyreth

The Church of Lyreth does not exist in any concrete form. Tricksters by their very nature do not form any kind of larger organization, and actually reject any kind of overall guidance that they may tend to develop. Each temple of Lyreth stands alone, and the behavior of every one will be different from every other one.

  • There are no known sects of Lyreth. If there ever does exist a sect, it is unlikely to last long enough to make any significant impact. Every group of Lyreth worshipers has their own way of doing things and reasons for it, and those are as mercurial as the groups themselves.

Duties: Tricksters are required to work against the larger order at all times. Depending on the nature of the Trickster involved, this may be vigorous or subtle, may promote a good goal or a fickle one. Tricksters are famous for their persecution of cruel landlords or tax collectors. They are infamous for their sabotage of water supplies and their misdirection of food caravans. Tricksters feel any imposed order to be oppressive, and seek to allow people freedom to pursue their own goals.

Other Limitations: A Trickster spends much of his or her time in active conflict with representatives of the law, at least if their behavior is proper for their goddess! Beyond this already considerable restriction, Tricksters are required to perform at least one prank per day, be it something as small as spiking someone's drink to as major as killing the local governor. Lastly, no Trickster may refuse to help someone who comes to them wishing to perform a prank, for whatever purpose. Please note, however, that Tricksters are notorious for putting their own unique interpretations into pranks they feel to be mean spirited, unimaginative, or dull.

  • If there is a "leader" of this non-existent church, it might be the High Grand Harlequin of Tricks. Or that might be an imaginary post the Tricksters use to gull the unwary. There is literally no way to know.
  • Lyreth's Colors: The raiment of Lyreth is Black, Brown, Purple, and Grey....probably. Or maybe those are all dark colors that the sneaky sorts would wear anyway.
  • Lyreth's Vestments: Tricksters wear whatever they fancy at the moment.
  • Lyreth's Symbols: A crude etching of a rose is often associated with Lyreth, but every Church mob has their own secret and secretive set of codes, so who knows which, if any, of these are 'official'.
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Evil-Aligned Gods

Karena the Plotter

Karena the Plotter is the complete opposite of Corellan. Karena is a scheming, conniving conspirator who is likely to welcome you home with a poisoned cup. This fickleness is one of the things that allowed Lurain to attract Domana's attentions away from Karena, a slight which rankles in her mind to this day. She is a lethal liar who enjoys killing things, prompting her title of the Slayer. Karena is also the Keeper of Secrets, and it is said that Karena knows every secret there is, an assertion that is met with a knowing smile by Teb. Karena's weapons are rumor and innuendo whenever daggers and poison are inappropriate, prompting her status as the Whisperer. Karena assumes a smiling mask in all her dealings. Her temples are rigid hierarchies, with every priest and priestess locked in a web of intrigue. Karena's followers are often politicians, and many merchants favor her Keeper of Secrets aspect, as the most advantageous of the Gods to their affairs.

Clerics may choose to declare they are direct worshipers of Karena, and members of her Church. Such Clerics are known as Contrivers of Karena
  • Alignment: In order to be declared a Contriver, the Cleric must have and maintain an alignment of Lawful Evil. If their alignment changes, but still remains either Evil or Lawful, they may still worship Karena and even gain spells, but they lose the abilities listed below. If their alignment changes so that it is neither Evil nor Lawful, they must worship another.
  • Domains: Charm, Evil, Knowledge, Magic, Nobility, Occult, Rune, Summoner, War, Water
  • Favored Weapons: club, dagger, garrote, harpoon, net, lasso

Campaign Information for the Church of Karena

The worship of Karena is widespread in the cities of various kingdoms, and Her church is widespread, wealthy and influential, although frequently secretive. Even though Karena makes no secret of her evil, very little stigma has attached to her, perhaps because of her steadfast (and carefully public) opposition to Puellor, Lyreth, and Quellada. Of course, she also works just as hard to stamp out the Revelers of Corellan and would cheerfully do away with Lurain if she dared, but the church is very careful to keep those sorts of activities secret. Contrivers also serve as Justiciaries and will provide truthsaying services for a fee. The veracity of these services is absolute, since the Church will not risk its reputation by lying about something that could ever be caught out.

Churches for the worship of Karena are know as Sanctoria, or Sanctoriums, although persistent rumor tells that there are other, better, names for these places that the Keeper of Secrets does not casually reveal. The Sanctoria of Karena are grand affairs of stone, similar in many respects to the Cathedrals of Domana, except even more stark in their sterile perfection of form.

The church of Karena suffered a great setback several thousand years ago, when Karena was known as the Consort of Domana. Karena has been the paramour of the Powerful God for most of recorded history, and the two of them have administered the affairs of the Celegian pantheon through trials and travails without number. A little more than five thousand years ago, Domana was lured away from Karena's side by a relative newcomer to the pantheon, Lurain. This is still known today as the Great Betrayal among the annals of Karena's history, and the Contrivers are tasked to win back the affections of the Powerful One at any cost. In the past, Karena has opposed Lurain directly and wound up driving Domana into a rage in defense of His Great Wife and Consort. Karena suspects Teb and Lyreth had a hand in that whole affair, but even She is unable to ferret out the truth of the matter with both the Wise and the Sly opposing Her. This particular conflict has evolved into one of the longest running and tense feuds in Imperial history.

The largest sect of the church of Karena is that of the Plotters. These worshippers are the schemers and planners of the world, and many politicians, nobles, soldiers, and merchants are devout lay members of the Plotters sect. Without a doubt the largest concentration of Plotters is within the burearocratic workings of kingdoms, and their plottings are Byzantine and bewildering in their intensity. Without Contrivers the machinery of rulership would grind to a halt, as the efforts of the Contrivers have become enmeshed in every daily affair...for good or for ill.

The next sect of Contrivers is a small and secretive one, that of the Slayers. The evil aspect of Karena gains fullest expression in this aspect. Slayers are just as much plotters and schemers as are the Plotters, but they also delight in murder, and most of their efforts are bent toward carefully elaborate schemes to do just that. The more convoluted and intricate the plan is, and the more insulated the Slayer is from reprisal, the better it is liked. Slayers manuever enemies into duels against one another, fix accidents, manipulate simpletons into murder, use elaborate two and three part poisons, trump up charges, lay lies and half-truths in conversation like hidden beartraps, and generally fight using every dirty and underhanded trick there is. Slayers are often assassins, and any Temple of Karena has a Slayer sect, usually engaged in one or more vendettas against enemies of the Church.

The Keepers Sect of Karena is one of the largest and most popular, since they are involved in the distribution and safeguarding of knowledge. Wisdoms of Teb dismiss the Keepers as "amateur gossips", but in truth they are amazingly well informed about most events. The main problem with the Keepers is the fact that they feel as if information shouldn't be shared, and getting them to divulge a useful tidbit can be a real chore. Many wealthy merchants actively cultivate favor with the Keepers, and they provide the majority of the usable income the Church has access to... which in fairness is a very large amount indeed. The Church of Karena is a wealthy one, indeed. The Keepers are also one of the least liked sects inside the Church, as they are always snooping in others affairs, although the Slayers sect is most often left alone.

The Whisperer Sect is a small but fairly public sect, and most are glad they are not more numerous. The weapons of the Whisperers are words, and they are demonically effective with them. Whisperers craft a careful web of truth, partial truth, divulged secrets, and lies to ensnare their victims and advance their cause. Rumors, gossip, false accusations, and public excoriation has brought down some of the most powerful people in all the lands, and the Whisperers are by far the most politically active sect in Celegia, and are astoundingly influential. Many cooperate with them due to clever blackmail, or to avoid disclosure, or to simply keep them at bay.

And...that is every sect of the Queen of Lies. Karena does not allow splinter sects or heresies. That would be untidy and hazardous.

Despite her manifold Evil, Karena is surprisingly popular among the masses, and her Sanctoria are well patronized. Most of these worshipers are ordinary people who are petitioning the Keeper of Secrets for aid with various problems. Karena demands her worshipers aid all those who come in this way, and even though it comes with subtle hooks and lures embedded within, Contrivers provide healing upon request when it is available. Of course, being wealthy and making an appointment increases the odds of that immensely.

Karena is known for the fact that her healing is often of higher quality than that available from other temples, a fiction which the Contrivers are careful to maintain and spread. In truth, the presentation and showmanship of the Contrivers is superb, but the actual healing powers they possess are no better or worse than any of the Gods, and the Philiates of Lurain are actually more able. This fact merely adds to Karenas rage, but She is far too cold and calculating to allow it to affect Her activities in resuming Her place as Domana's consort. Karena realizes She must become more popular, since the Philiates of Lurain outnumber Her followers tremendously.

Duties: Contrivers are required to be actively involved in manipulating the populace in which they reside. Contrivers are expected to achieve positions of power and use them to further the aims of Karena. Contrivers should work through intermediaries, blackmail, etc. whenever possible, although direct action is certainly not disallowed. The ideal position is to be the "power behind the throne".

Other Limitations: Contrivers are required to never present their true selves to anyone if they can possibly avoid it. Their lives are lived from behind masks of deception and so they often have entirely separate professions and even identities. From behind these masks Contrivers further their plots but are never allowed close human contact.

  • The leader of the Church is the Ideal Paradigm of Contrivance.
  • Karena's Colors: The raiment of Karena is Dark Blue, Orange, Black, and Grey.
  • Karena's Raiment: Contrivers wear stylish and beautifully adorned and accented robes, almost always with a head-dress and very frequently with some sort of a formal veil. Heavy facial makeup is donned for many duties as well, frequently in blank 'whiteface' stylings, to render them as anonymous as possible.
  • Karena's Symbols: Karena's holy symbol is the Broken Covenant, a simple circle of gold, cracked through.
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Quellada the User

Quellada the User is the Goddess of callous use and abuse, She who peddles flesh, the Corruptor of Innocence and the Exploiter of Compassion. Her aspect is one of smiling but unstable openness, and Her goals often change based on the moment, or even Her whims, or because She has changed Her Divine Mind. Quellada often switches goals in the middle of an endeavor without bothering to tell anyone She is working with, thus earning Her the title of Deceiver.

Many (probably most) of Her worshipers do so in secret, while worshiping another openly. Quellada is the Dealer in Depravity and Her worshipers do so with gusto. The slums of cities are hotbeds of Quellada worship, with every perversion and obscenity imaginable practiced with enthusiasm. Quellada is a surprisingly strong goddess, showing a side of humanity which is perhaps embarrassing, but is apparently necessary. Quellada receives worship from nearly everyone at one time or another, in one form or another.

Lastly, Quellada has some small aspect of normality as well, in Her role as the Huckster. Even well-respected merchants, upstanding charities, and staid marriage partners sometimes call upon the Huckster, to quicken the pulse and change things up, as it were. Sometimes the Huckster's smiling approach is used for darker endorsements, as a prelude to Her other aspects.

Quellada is viewed with apprehension by the other gods, although Corellan and Lyreth feel Her blandishments most strongly, while Teb and Termanant are nearly immune to Her dire antics. Quellada is shunned by the others as they know The Usurer will be seeking them out soon enough, for She is always hunting Her next dark thrill.

Clerics may choose to declare they are direct worshipers of Quellada, and members of their Church. Such Clerics are known as Vitiators of Quellada
  • Alignment: In order to be declared a Vitiator, the Cleric must have and maintain an alignment of Pure Evil. If their alignment changes, but still remains Evil, they may still worship Quellada and even gain spells, but they lose the abilities listed below. If their alignment changes so that it is no longer Evil, they must worship another.
  • Domains: Animal, Charm, Community, Dream, Evil, Healing, Pleasure, Protection, Trickery
  • Favored Weapons: lasso, net, morningstar, flail, war flail


Campaign Information for the Church of Quellada

The church of Quellada is an enigma in the world, because of the mysterious popularity of the Goddess of Exploitation. The Church of Quellada is almost entirely secret, with public shrines in the largest cities and in many Cathedrals of Domana. Other than those few public outlets, the worship of Quellada is almost entirely furtive.

Quellada is a social vampire, and seeks out those most fragile of essences, trust, compassion, and innocence. To say that Lurain is an implacable foe to Quellada is an understatement, and if it were not for the truly horrific presence of Puellor, it is unlikely that Quellada would be able to thrive as She does. As a further example of Her eerie, exploitative existence, if it were not for The Loving Mother's influence, Quellada would not be even a tenth as strong as She is. Such is the paradox of the Great Gods.

Quellada and Her Vitiators are all jaded and worn, but are possessed of a vulgar hunger to use, despoil, and exploit that gnaws at them incessantly. In Celegian society Quellada is tolerated only because in comparison to Puellor, Quellada is fairly benign, and because Quellada worship is practiced by so many in secret. The details are best left vague, but Quellada is worshipped in secret by many otherwise upstanding citizens, and often by people you would never suspect.

Many of the secular practices used in the Worship of Quellada are not inherently evil in themselves, but the nature of Quellada is to twist and subvert everything She touches. As a result, perfectly normal mercantile practices of buying and selling grow horribly evil when the merchant begins buying and selling people, or sentient flesh as food, or destructive elixirs, poisons, and drugs. Quellada takes behavior that is perfectly upright and upstanding, and slowly twists it into a dark shadow of horror and despair. When the worshipers of Quellada wander into the darkest realms of exploitation and depravity, the situations they produce are some of the worst excesses that civilization can inflict upon the world.

Many of the secret congregations of Quellada have persisted for years, never harming anyone but themselves and occasionally the innocence or trust of a passerby. When a congregation of Quellada turns truly bad, however, they often degenerate into nests of darkness worthy of the shuddering tales told of Quellada, Goddess of Usage. This essential evil is simultaneously Queen Quellada's great weakness, and the source of Her strength, as the ability to callously commit acts upon others is apparently rooted in that evil.

It is an odd truth that Quellada worship is strongest where the good gods are also strongest. This is due to the fact that Madame Quellada is interested in trust, compassion, and innocence, all commodities promoted by the good Gods. Paradoxically, Quellada is less-worshiped among creatures who do not possess the Spark of Civility, because in many ways, Quellada requires that spark for nourishment.

In a perverse way, Quellada is the shadow cast by the power of good in the lands where the Great Gods hold sway. Mistress Quellada has been growing stronger for centuries, an event viewed with despair by the short sighted, but indicative of the rise of goodness to those with the vision to see it. Another indicator of the fickleness of the church of Quellada is the broad range of affiliations Vitiators make with other faiths, often with knowledge and consent.

Many bands of Revellers contain several Vitiators, and the two faiths are able to find some common ground in many ways. Tricksters of Lyreth often have dealings with Vitiators to the mutual enrichment of both. Ravers also have dealings with Vitiators, again to the mutual enrichment of both. It is an example of how terrible is the God of Madness that Vitiators are often a tempering influence on the behavior of Ravers! Indeed, many Vitiators deliberately seek out Ravers and actively work to curb their excesses, simply to have such 'good deeds' to use as bargaining chips when the Templars and Philiates inevitably come calling. Incredibly, even Philiators are often affiliated with Vitiators, although relations are highly strained on both sides of those arrangements. The Philiates have trouble hiding revulsion at the behavior of the Vitiators, and the Vitiators have trouble keeping their sticky fingers off the Philiates and their flock, no matter the inevitable punishments rained down upon them. Wardens and Vitiators have many arrangements between them, and in some ways the vibrant health of the Lands Beneath the Great Gods has much to owe to Quellada.

There are several main sects within the Church of Quellada, the archetypical being the Perverse. When most Celegians think of Quellada, it is the Perverse that comes to mind first. The Perverse are those who delight in doing things that society considers different and disturbing. A definite part of their activities involves inflicting pain so they are particularly susceptible to the darkness of Quellada, and Perverse sects are ones which are often the worst. If a Perverse sect congregation becomes involved with a Raver, problems are sure to result.

Probably the largest sect of Vitiators is that of the Deceivers. These are the most deeply secret worshipers of Quellada, those who practice their acts in private. The Deceivers are often perceived as grubby dabblers by other Vitiators, but their mania for secrecy is highly laudable in the eyes of Quellada and many Deceivers are among the most devout followers the Goddess of Exploitation can claim. Many Deceivers are also involved with Karena, but since most Deceivers are solitary it is difficult to trace how large a tie this may be. Deceivers who work with Karena live dangerous lives indeed, as the Dark Queens do not get along well with one another, despite their similar alignments.

The most active and vigorous sect of the Vitiators are the Usurers. Through no accident, they are often affiliated with the Revelers of Corellan. The Usurers are the agressive seekers of the next thrill, the next innocent life to corrupt and twist, trusted bonds to break, compassion to exploit. Their frequent affiliation with Corellan keeps most Usurers safely far away from the excesses of the Perverse sects, but if they ever do drift they often fall in with Despoilers of Puellor. Some of the deepest and most scarring crimes imaginable occur when that happens, and the process of cleansing a spoiled Usurer, or worse, a nest of Usurers, is a terrible one, as the depth of their corruptive activities is discovered.

The largest sect of Quellada is also the most benign, thankfully. The Hucksters are another solitary sect, each Huckster travelling a solitary path among their flock. Hucksters are those who practice the most gentle of Quellada's arts, and their activities almost never involve pain or anguish. Hucksters delight in showing new paths and vistas to those they 'enrich'. Hucksters rarely visit the same person more than once, as they delight in the freshness and newness of each new patsy. Hucksters wander far in their quest for innocence to ravage, trust to destroy, and compassion to sup upon, and meet many strange friends along the way. Many Hucksters are joined with Tricksters of Lyreth, or with Wardens of Daneth. Many Hucksters actually have a set area that they patrol, educating and "enriching" the lives of those they meet. Incredibly, many Hucksters are also affiliated with Lurain, adding their expertise to the Love of the Mother.

There are numerous sects and heresies of Quellada, most of them of such a noisome nature that there is no need to go into details here. Thankfully, they are small and often do not last long.

Duties: Vitiators are required to plumb the darkest, most twisted parts of the human psyche, both their own and those of their followers. Vitiators are required to lie about every aspect of their lives to everyone, except other Vitiators. Lastly, Vitiators are required to assist anyone who seeks their aid in carnal affairs.

Other Limitations: Vitiators must indulge one aspect of their god every day, either by deception, depravity, or seduction. Coupled with their need to conceal their identities, this tends to keep their lives interesting!


  • The leader of the church is the Sated Vitiator.
  • Quellada's Colors: The "raiment" of Quellada is Purple, Brown, Burgundy, and Jade.
  • Quellada's Raiment: Vitiators tend to wear either sober garments such as robes and cassocks, or wildly inappropriate clothing designed to shock and titallate, depending upon their sect and whims.
  • Quellada's Symbols: Quellada has many symbols, such as the Fanged Smile, the Rampant Declaration, the Impudent Digit, and many others. They are uniformly offensive to somebody.
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Puellor the Mad

Puellor the Mad is the nastiest, meanest, and most selfish god of the pantheon. Domana and Karena both keep Puellor under constant watch, as He will strike out at random at any who get in his way. Templars and Contrivers, often aided by or called for by the Philiates, are constantly on the hunt for Ravers. Puellor hates everything in the universe, including Himself, and considers every hand raised to oppose Him (perhaps with some cause!)

Puellor destroys everything he cannot hold, since He knows He can't have it all to Himself, so earning the name the Despoiler. Puellor will eagerly form alliances with anyone, but He then seeks to destroy His allies before they can turn on him, earning the name the Betrayer. Lastly, Puellor covets everything. He is convinced that everything should be His and everybody else should be gone. Puellor even seeks some way to destroy His enemies without killing them, as He suspects that Termanant draws power from death.

Puellor's entire existence is one constant battle against adversity because the universe is His enemy and The Mad God will not be able to rest until it is conquered or He is conquered. Puellor attracts allies with His desperate bribery, offering power lavishly and then stealing it back when He destroys them. Priests are attracted to Puellor through this power and Puellor's promises of vengeance for slights, any slight. His temples are small, furtive affairs that lurk in the dark and grime with no semblance of organization.

Clerics may choose to declare they are direct worshipers of Puellor, and members of his Church. Such Clerics are known as Ravers of Puellor
  • Alignment: In order to be declared a Raver, the Cleric must have and maintain an alignment of Chaotic Evil. If their alignment changes, but still remains either Evil or Chaotic, they may still worship Puellor and even gain spells, but they lose the abilities listed below. If their alignment changes so that it is neither Evil nor Chaotic, they must worship another.
  • Domains: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Fire(arson), Madness, Law (slavery, tyranny), Pestilence, Plant(decay), Strength, Trickery, War
  • Favored Weapons: any

Campaign Information for the Church of Puellor

It is perhaps an error to label the worship of Puellor a 'church', since that implies some measure of temporal organization. The church has no such organization. Every Cathedral of Domana includes a shrine to Puellor, as the Mad God's due afforded by the King, but few Ravers would ever stoop to worship there. Puellor hates Domana with the kind of white-hot blinding insanity that is reserved for enmity between brothers, and thus the Shrines stand empty, a bleak monument to insane hatred...which is perhaps appropriate.

Each true shrine of Puellor stands alone and defiant, snarling their mad messages at the world in insane solitude. It is fortunate that there is so little cooperation among the Ravers, for they truly have no limits on their behavior, and no act is too despicable or depraved for them. Despite the surface randomness of the church, there are definite trends to be found in the various temples, as they follow the greater tendencies of the mad God they profess above all others.

Most temples of Puellor are temporary affairs, since the worship of Puellor, while not illegal, is discouraged by all sane people who live near it. The activities of the faithful of Puellor often are illegal, and any professed worshipper of the Mad God is likely dangerous to be around. Temples are often secret, relying on divine madness to bring the faithful to their door. Temples have no formal name, but are often called Pits. There are a few large and permanent Pits, notably in places lost to despair, darkness, blood, and fire, and those are places of horror.

The largest sect of Puellor is that of the Mad, and much of the confusion about the church's organization stems from the fact that every Pit of the Mad is different from every other one, shaped by the individual psychosis of the Raver in charge. One common element is the fact that most of the Mad sects are motivated by Puellor's overwhelming desire to dominate the universe, and so act toward expanding their influence. They do this in a million different ways, and are often chillingly clever about it. Not all of the Mad sects are mindless brutes, lashing out. Far too many of them are subtle, but no less destructive in their effects. Add in the fact that a large proportion of them are working on information gained from their madness, toward goals that are insane, at a pace that only the daft could understand, and it is easy to see why Puellor is unwelcome as a neighbor.

The next sect of Puellor is that of the Despoilers. These raving maniacs are the most well known, since they seek merely to ruin and destroy as much as posssible. Mass suicides, poisoned children, ritual murders, uncontrolled summonings, rituals so dark the very earth shudders at their touch, all these are the tools of the Despoilers. Few despoilers last more than a few years, and other sects often degenerate into despoilers. They quite simply seek to destroy everything, leaving Puellor supreme by default. The Despoilers are responsible for much of the random evil loose in the Lands Beneath the Great Gods today, and one of their favorite tricks is to drive someone mad, turn them into an undead, and release them to spread their curse among their family and friends. Lycanthropes of all sorts are also popular among the Despoilers, and many of those monstrous shapeshifters are devout followers of Puellor the Despoiler. Despoiler Pits are usually stamped out as quickly as they are found, but there are always more.

A much less well known sect is that of the Betrayers. Betrayers are often associated with Quellada, and they seek many of the same goals. Betrayers live to gain trust and power, then stab and rend those who trusted them, fostering pain and grief far beyond their original crime. One of the worst possible nightmares occurs when a Betraying Raver infiltrates a school or temple. The twisted acts they commit against children destroy huge tracts of the social structure, and the worst thing is that they often go uncaught for a long time, committing their horrors and then moving on to do it again. A single Betrayer kills much less than Despoiler, but they possibly spread even more fear and horror in their wake.

The last of the major sects of Puellor are the Greedy. In many ways the sect is similar to the Betrayers, but instead of treachery against the mind, they commit treachery against the body. Greed Ravers seek to hoard up everything for their own use, depriving others of it. They are racketeers, packrats, and thieves. The Greedy are insidious in their evil, starving children to death by proxy instead of killing them outright. The Greedy sect has grown like wildfire of late, and serves as a constant drag on all the lands it infests.

There aren't any splinter sects in the worship of Puellor, since all of the odd worshippers of Puellor are lumped into the Mad sect. Puellor doesn't have any organized day of worship, either.

Given that literally every hand is raised against Him, many have wondered how the Mad God persists. Some speculate that His ineffable, sucking Madness is endemic in every intelligence, his dark worship latent in everyone, his stain immutable. Others feel that Puellor is simply incredibly mighty, even stronger than Domana, the God-King, and his manifold enemies have weakened the Laughing Fiend as far as it is possible to do so, and He will never grow any weaker than He is now...although the Ravening Lord of Blood could certainly grow stronger. Others feel that Termanant quietly supports Puellor's existence, to keep the Slavering Lord of Monsters around as a sort of 'mad dog on a leash', to serve when 'problems' arise. The truth could be all of these things, or perhaps none. The unfortunate truth is, Puellor's evil insanity lurks, and the world must endure it.

Duties: Ravers are required to sacrifice to Puellor. These sacrifices will entail destroying works of art, homes, etc., as well as living sacrifices and human sacrifices. Ravers may be required to slay members of their own families or persons who have offended Puellor in order to advance levels or to atone for committing acts offensive to Puellor.

Class Skills: Intimidation, Rope Use,Professional Skill:Torture, Ride, Knowledge,

Other Limitations: Ravers rarely form into large organizations, so they often spend their time in solitary schemes or as small temples in neighborhoods or hidden in ghettos. Note: there are some extremely powerful Ravers who have accreted large temples, but usually only through personal magnetism.

  • The "leader" of the church is the Vilest One.
  • Puellor's Colors: The raiment of Ravers, when it is of a special color, is always Black, Blood, and Ash.
  • Puellor's Raiment: Ravers can and will wear anything, although they tend to disorganized, shabby, disheveled appearances, because many of them are mentally unsound and the rest are consumed with the will to do Evil and commit crime.
  • Puellor's Symbols: The Fanged Eyeball is commonly associated with Puellor, as are a myriad of rambling, insane glyphs and symbologies. Ravers claim to have a secret language, but if they do, it is REALLY secret.
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The Extended Pantheon

As everyone knows, the Celegian Pantheon is composed of Nine Greater Gods. These Nine are of overwhelming might, living deep in the Celestial Cascade, involved in an eternal dance of power as they each strive to advance their own Domains. As if that isn't overweening enough, there is one Over God, who holds himself aloof from the pantheon and is suspected to be even older and mightier than the others, but there is no evidence either way.

Then, is this all of the Powers that have sway in Celegia? The answer is an emphatic no. The Empire (or your game world, if you choose to use this resource) is positively swarming with spirits, demigods, primals, fallen gods, arisen gods, other gods, even entire lesser pantheons of gods, each with varying but great power.

The Celestial Bureaucracy is a vast civil organization that is rumored to govern the affairs of Deities and Spirits, wherein every God, Demi-God, and spirit, from mighty to minuscule, has a place and a role. Whether this is true or not is unknown, although the existence of Onis and their weird affinity with all things Deific certainly lends some credence to the notion.

Spirits, demi-gods, and gods can be found everywhere in the Empire. Shrines to travel spirits line the streets, often at every corner. Nearly every inn and tavern has a house spirit, some of the more active ones sharing fellowship with the patrons on most nights. Ghosts, haunts, feyrs, and hoolies are common, especially in the big cities. Holy sites often have guardians, many of surpassing power, such as demons, angels, or demi-gods. Nearly every river and stream has its resident nereid, aereids dance and play in the clouds above, dryads enliven the hearts of many of the trees. Powerful and fell undead are discouragingly plentiful, as well as being aggressive and smart. Haunted houses are the norm rather than the exception, and the house spirit is as common as the family pet.

How to make sense of this bustling hive of celestial activity? Well, let's examine these entities in a bit of detail. Note: The GM may use as much or as little of this as they deem proper, but it's useful to have the resource available.

Other Gods

A lesser god manifesting a mantle of war

After the Nine Great Gods, there come the Other Gods. These are deities not in the Pantheon, although depending upon the God in question their exact status may be hotly contested. Are they 'on the Rise', or are they Fallen Gods?

The Fallen Gods are deities of pantheons that were long ago conquered by the Celegian Empire but that were not driven away. These include gods of weather, a Sun God, a Moon Goddess, a God of Smiths, a God of Farmers, a God of Storms, a God of War, a God of Wine and Beer, the Mason God, Wrath, the God of Rage, and many, many others. Many of these gods are no longer worshiped in any organized way, and thus are extremely pleased and generous with their largess to those few who choose to worship them.

The plots and stories that can be generated by this structure are many-fold. Is there an Other Pantheon that's gunning to displace the Great Gods? Is there a War in Heaven brewing? Is there an illicit romance brewing between a Demi-God and a Great Spirit? Is a Fallen God seeking to end their mighty existence? Is a cabal of Spirits plotting to erase all knowledge of beer from mankind? Such questions can drive many adventures indeed.

As a matter of convenience, the 'Other God' status is where GMs may invent their own deities, to serve as allies or adversaries for their players.

The Other Gods can actually be more powerful in the game world than the so-called 'Great Gods'. The Celegian Pantheon is so high and mighty (in the literal sense of being divorced from mundane reality and ridiculously deifically potent) that their temporal Churches in the world may be fairly small compared to the influence of the Other Gods.

It is rumored (perhaps blasphemously) that the Other Gods have alliances to one of more of the Great Gods, and perhaps even to the mysterious Overgod, Termanant. The most subversive of these rumors hold that the Other Gods are subservient to the Nine Great Gods as members of the Celestial Bureaucracy, acting as agents, vassals, servants, or soldiers for those high and mysterious entities. Whether these rumors and portents are true is utterly unknown to most mortals, and of interest only to the most powerful and learned of adventurers. Perhaps.

If this Celestial Hierarchy is indeed the case, it is possible that during times of strife and schism that mysterious aid may arrive unexpectedly. If the Other God of War, Battles, and Rulership is being sorely pressed by the Other God of Furious Darkness, it is possible that a roving band of Domana's Templars will suddenly show up to tilt things in the War God's favor...and equally likely that a straggling mob of Ravers will arrive and begin being horrible. Such matters are left to the GM, of course.

Most resources for Deific Pantheons can readily be accommodated as 'Other Gods' if the GM wishes to use the Celegian Pantheon as a resource as well. How much or how little this matters in the day-to-day world is up to the GM.

As an example of the Other Gods, we offer two examples.

The Aldenian Pantheon

Alden was a rugged land that sprawled across most of a far southern continent, long and long ago, in the youth of the world. Many peoples lived there, and wondrous cities decorated the land, and peace and prosperity ruled everywhere. Unfortunately for the Aldenians, there was a mighty sect of Sea Druids who lived in their fortress Islands off their coast, and notable among them was the Witch-Queen, Harrian.

The Witch-Queen of the Sea Druids cast her gaze upon the fair lands of Alden, and she did not see shining lands of peace and prosperity, she saw a murdered wilderness, in whose corpse writhed the maggots left by the murderers. The Witch Queen called upon the Green and used That Might to lay her fell influence upon the many sea creatures that dwelled in the sea, and incited them to blood and war.

Harrian marched from the waves at the head of an endless tide of sea-monsters, all given the ability to stride the earth until the End of Alden.

The battle was long and terrible, but the might of The Green was beyond measure, and the bounty of the Sea, and its trove of monsters, was endless.

The Gods of Alden, a fair and shining Pantheon, struggled along with their people, and their might was wanting against The Green. The nations of Alden were razed, the cities were cast down, and the people trembled upon the edge of extinction.

The Gods of Alden, being of fair and pure demeanor, finally, in desperation, appealed to a power as mighty as The Green in their hour of darkest peril. Termanant, the Measurer, is a mercenary God and cared nothing for the plight of the Aldenian Deities, but Termanant...can be bought.

The Aldenian Pantheon struck a terrible bargain with The Measurer, and once the price was paid, the Overgod...did nothing.

Instead, great portals opened upon the Fortress Islands of the Sea Druids, and the Ravers of Puellor ran free, laughing in mad, bloody joy.

Today, the Sea Druids are no more, their Fortress Islands skull-littered graveyards where nothing grows, where nothing will ever grow again, a permanent scar in the realm of The Green. Alden fell forever, The Green receiving its prize of a pristine wilderness reclaimed, at the cost of every Sea Druid's life and the end of the Sea Druids forever. The Witch Queen, Harrian, was taken away by Domana Himself for her crimes, and her fate is unknown.

The Gods of Alden are now counted among the Other Gods, and their worship is widespread throughout many worlds and lands...although of Alden, only the name of the Gods remains.

The Aldenian Pantheon

Name Pronunciation Align- ment Domains Symbol Favored Weapon Theme and notes
Lucrum loo-krum Lawful Evil Artifice, Evil, Knowledge, Trickery A scale Bill The money-changer
Lumina loo-mih-nuh Lawful Good Charm, Community, Earth, Good, Healing, Plant A latticed seed pod Flail Watcher of the hearth
Navis nah-vis Pure Good Air, Luck, Protection, Travel, Water, Weather An eagle's pinion feather Throwing Spear The voyager
Prefex pri-fecks True Neutral Animal, Artifice, Liberation A richly decorated leather glove War Pick The laborer
Princepis prin-keh-piss True Lawful Law, Nobility, Strength A book of laws Longsword The lawgiver
Sicarius sih-kar-ee-us Lawful Evil Darkness, Death, Repose, Void A fractured human skull Greataxe The headsman
Sophia so-fee-uh True Neutral Healing, Knowledge, Magic, Nobility, Rune A stylized turquoise eye Greatclub The sage
Spiro speer-oh Chaotic Good Fire, Glory, Sun, War A bronze dual-sun Greatsword The muse

The Fane God

In a place long lost, there was a God who had lost everything. All life had been extinguished, all other deities long left. The lone God made a volcano arise, to warm His hands, and sat upon a mountain peak, to wait.

As that God, the last survivor of His entire universe, waited the ministrations of Fate, patiently, there came a breeze, and lo, the Invincible Overlord of Heaven, Domana the Conqueror, stood in companionable silence, also warming His great hands.

The two talked amiably, quietly, as mighty and comfortable beings are wont to do when there are no stakes that either is concerned with. Many scholars have speculated what the Fane God and the Conquering King discussed, but no one knows.

When the time came for Domana to return to his duties, the Giver of Justice paused, and asked the Fane God if perhaps, that honored entity would join the Overgod, as friend.

The Fane God refused.

Domana, honoring the Last Survivor's request, bade farewells and went on His way.

Long and long after this, in the Celestial Cascade, Domana beheld the Fane God stride away from his volcano, and this time, when He asked, the Fane God agreed to friendship.

To this day, the Fane God is a steady presence, enshrined without fanfare in every Cathedral, the revered Wise Uncle of the Conqueror.

The Fane God

Name Pronunciation Align- ment Domains Symbol Favored Weapon Theme and notes
Thallengrym thal-en-grim True Lawful Earth, Community, Law, Protection A sound bit of stone Warhammer God of strength, earth, things that sustain


Arisen Gods

It is rumored that there are some Gods out there who were once Mortals, long ago, and who have Ascended to the Godhead through some unknown process called The Apotheosis. In practical terms, there is no difference between an Arisen God and an Other God. Both are deifically powerful entities that gain power through worship and have an interest in the affairs of the Mortal Realm.

The existence of Arisen Gods is up to the GM, and it is possible (even probable) that Other Gods may be revealed as Arisen Gods as the players adventure and grow mighty. Indeed, it is possible that even the towering Greater Gods were once Arisen, long, long ago.

Arisen Gods can be very powerful campaign drivers in the higher realms of play, as the player characters start approaching the Apotheosis. It is rare indeed for a mortal to reach such heights, and the ones that do might attract interest from their elders, those ascended Gods who still recall their mortal days most clearly.

An Ascended God is still a full-blown Deity, after all, and having an Ascended God angry at you because of your place of birth still counts as drawing the Wrath of a God down on your head, even if it is through no deed of your own. Having a Sea God punching you around because you come from a desert is very unfair, but hey, that's almost the definition of Gods, now isn't it....

As an example of the Arisen, we present the Ottovarians, one of the newest of the Arisen, and certainly among the friendliest.

The Ottovar Pantheon

Ottovar is a small city, or maybe a large town, set in the hinterlands. It is a comfortable place, prosperous without being snobbily wealthy, exciting without being dangerous. It is ruled ably if not spectacularly by a Town Council and a Mayor, there are places of worship, schools and merchants. In short, Ottovar is a nice little city that is not remarkable in any significant way....

Except for the entire Pantheon of Arisen Gods who grew up here, and now live in the city.

The Gods of Ottovar were all born here as mere mortals, they all still have mortal kin who live here. There are four surviving Godheads in Ottovar, three mothers and a father, who raised the Deities as children in their homes. As mortal youths and young adults, the Gods of Ottovar were friends and companions with many of the mortals who live in Ottovar today.

The Gods of Ottovar have a table permanently reserved for them in a small inn, called "The Dancing Goat", on Carrington Street in Ottovar. That table is where five young adventurers met to begin their very first adventure, setting into motion the world-shaking events that led to the Averted Apocalypse of Gorr-Gonne-Cru, and the mass Apotheosis of all five of those mortals.

Unlike most who achieve Apotheosis, the Gods of Ottovar remained stubbornly attached to the mortal realm, and now, all five of the Deities actually, physically, live in the small comfortable city. The entire Pantheon maintains five different extra-dimensional mansions that are directly connected to the Celestial Cascade. The power of the Ottovarian's is such that despite mangling reality to maintain an effective vestige of their mortal lives, the city is not only still habitable, it is nigh-unchanged, although the presence of such might is impossible to conceal completely.

The Gods of Ottovar accept worship from the devoted in many worlds, and are by all accounts rapidly rising Powers in the ranks of the Greater Heavens. Yet they are also a circle of five friends who still have a pint of beer every Wednesday evening in a small bar named after a goat.

It can be difficult to get a seat in The Dancing Goat on Wednesdays, and no mortal has ever been able to explain what the evening in the presence of Actual Divinity was like, but everyone who has attended an 'Evening With The Gods' has enjoyed the experience, and would go again.

The Gods of Ottovar

Name Pronunciation Align- ment Domains Symbol Favored Weapon Theme and notes
Caylen kay-len Chaotic Good Animal, Darkness, Healing, Protection, Sun, Travel, Weather Ever-vigilant shadow Longbow Patron of caravans
Dorag dor-rag Pure Good Artifice, Earth, Fire, Glory, Knowledge, Rune, Water Axe and Anvil Great Pick Patron of craftsmanship
Thadian thay-dee-an True Lawful Community, Glory, Knowledge, Law, Strength, War Standing Stone Hooked Axe Patron of merchants and haggling
Toria tor-ee-uh Lawful Good Community, Good, Law, Magic, Nobility, Protection, Repose Mortar and Pestle Athame Matron of families and community; sister of Vadia
Vadia va-dee-uh True Chaotic Glory, Healing, Knowledge, Magic, Repose, Rune Herbs and Scroll Kama Matron of risk and luck; sister of Toria

Demi-Gods

Not all Gods are equal, no matter what their Clergy will tell you. Indeed, it is possible that some Gods are remarkably feeble indeed. The definition of Godhood is an eternal spirit, gaining power through worship, and possessing senses and powers beyond mortal ken. It is quite possible for a baby turtle to have all of those traits, and still be effectively helpless.

Granted, that's unlikely. Even a Demi-God is (usually) an incomprehensibly mighty entity, not to be trifled with.

Demi-Gods are celestial creatures, often of great power, but missing a lot of the 'Glory, Guts, and Grandeur' of their bigger cousins. Demi-Gods can be comical or sad, whimsical or deadly serious, bastions of joy or living monuments of hate or nigh-useless layabouts or a thousand other things besides. In all cases, Demi-Gods can be invaluable to a GM's ability to tell a good story, and having a Demi-God as your patron can be both good or ill...sometimes both.

If the GM wishes to use the Celegian Pantheon with Demi-Gods, then it is expected that the Demi-Gods are beholden in some way to a Great God, as an ally, friend, or serf. In such matters, the Demi-God can be even more potent, as it is possible that the Great God will choose to involve themselves in mortal affairs. Such things are rare, but not unheard of.

Having your humble little roadside shrine to 'Blod the Vale-Dancer' suddenly become a point of interest for Daneth the Preserver can be...interesting.


Spirits

Standing beside the actual Gods, there are the Spirits. The main difference between a Spirit and a God is the fact that Spirits gain much less power from worship than a God does, but a Spirit loses much less of their power if they do not have any worship. It is a subtle distinction, but important. Spirits come in a huge array of power levels, from continent-smashing Primals of Storm or Upheaval, down to house spirits that are essentially friendly little ghost-pets.

Spirits are supernatural beings of power, from mind-boggling to merely cute, that exist in the world to perform or embody some function. That function may be abstract, or very concrete indeed. Many sages, cyphers, scholars, and mages believe that Spirits are the essential mechanisms that make the Universe work, embodied and granted sentience, although it is often extremely exotic forms of sentience indeed. To behold a Spirit is to see into the gnashing workings of Reality. Mortals are encouraged to approach these fell regimes of might with great caution.

Spirits will accept worship, and do grant divine power to those who profess to worship them if those persons are Clerics or Paladins. Such worship tends to be fairly rare where the worship of a proper Deity has taken hold, because, unlike Deities, Spirits do not crave worship. As a result, when a deity is competing with a spirit for mortal attention, the deity tries a lot harder to win over converts.

Greater Spirits

The most exalted of these lesser Powers are the mighty Greater Spirits, barely beneath the Gods in their might and possibly mightier in their own areas. These greater spirits include those known as the Primals, expressions of a great naked truth of the universe. They include Storm, Rage, Sun, Night, Love, Terror, Flood, and many others that are often unnamed or forgotten. Other Great Spirits are the Fundaments, the sentient but not self aware expressions of the nine fundaments. These entities are mighty indeed, especially the terrible Death, Fire, Stone, and Force. Also in the Greater Spirits are migrant Powers from other Lateral Planes, including many Refuge Spirits from the First World, among many, many others. Most of the Greater Spirits are so powerful and abstract that while you CAN worship them, and they DO grant divine power, they are impossible to define with a mere symbol, they do not understand the concept of weapons or domains, and alignment is meaningless, essentially being detached.

That being said, there are a few Greater Spirits that are less abstract, and do have structure similar to a God. Presented below please find an example of such a Greater Spirit, Grinner. Grinner is the Greater Spirit of predation, conflict, and murder in all its forms, including, grimly enough, Deicide. Worship of The Grinner is grim, grim indeed. Grinner can and does kill Gods. Indeed, it can be said that such deific slayings are why Grinner even exists...which is more than a bit disturbing to think about.


Greater Spirits

Name Pronunciation Align- ment Domains Symbol Favored Weapon Theme and notes
Grinner grih-ner True Chaotic Destruction, Death, Glory, Strength, War Crooked smile Harpoon The Embodied Spirit of predation, battles, murder, and slaughter; the God-Slayer


Major Spirits

Slightly below the greater spirits in power are the Major Spirits. These still awesome entities are more limited in their scope or less absolute in their might than are the Greater Spirits, but this is not always to be counted on. Some of the stronger of the Major spirits are easily equal to many of the Greater spirits, so the demarcation is somewhat vague. The Major Spirits consist of angels, demons, daemons, devils, avatars, powerful extraplanars, greater undead, anima, abominations, aberrations, devas, and myriad other entities too unique or strange to classify. Of special interest are the anima, such as Great Father Tree, Standing Stone, Thunderchild, Still Deep Water, etc.

Many of these anima are the special favorites of one or more of the Great Gods, and as such their ranking as a Major spirit is even more deceptive, since any molestation or attack on one of these may draw the attention of one or more of the Nine Gods. This is especially the case with Still Deep Water, who is greatly beloved by Daneth, Domana, Lurain, Karena, and Teb. It is unwise in the extreme to draw the enmity of Still Deep Water, for Daneth is almost certain to intervene, and if She is unable to resolve the problem, She will almost certainly call Domana, and woe betide the stirring of HIS might.

Major Spirits are incredibly mighty, but much more concretely defined than the mind-breaking Greater Spirits. As such, many Major Spirits have quite a few worshipers, although they don't really seem to care much, one way or another. Below see listed a number of examples of the more common Major Spirits.

Major Spirits

Name Pronunciation Align- ment Domains Symbol Favored Weapon Theme and notes
Changeful Sea chaynj-fuhl see True Neutral Liberation, Travel Waves and Trident Trident Greater spirit of the sea and transitions
Furious Tempest fyer-ee-us tem-pest True Chaotic Darkness, Weather Rainclouds Throwing Glaive Greater spirit of storms and passion
Grandfather Oak grand-fah-thur ohk Pure Good Plant, Protection Verdant oak Club Greater spirit of trees and growth
Sister Moon sis-ter moon True Lawful Healing, Magic Full moon Chakram Greater spirit of the moon and fertility
Still Deep Water stil deep waw-ter Chaotic Good Water, Void Serene basin Lasso Greater spirit of lakes and depths
Wild Wanton Wind wahyld won-tn wind Pure Good Air, Luck Trifold Gusts Throwing Knife Greater spirit of the wind and joy

Lesser Spirits

Still further down in the celestial hosts are the Lesser Spirits, which are like the major spirits in that their power varies a great deal, and some of them are strong indeed. The Lesser Spirits include such entities as most city spirits, the river spirits, place spirits, forest spirits, travel deities, fertility spirits, the most powerful faeriefolk, summoned elementals, conjured planar things, major guardians, vengeance sprites, lesser abominations and aberrations, feyrs, etc...

There are so many Lesser Spirits it would be fruitless to list them all. They are similar in structure to a Major Spirit, typically with a single Domain.

Minor Spirits

Last of all come the lowly Minor Spirits, but these entities still warrant a great deal of respect and caution when they come to you. These include most of the Faeriefolk, house spirits, plant spirits, drink spirits, minor guardians, haunts, hoolies, spriggans, gremlins, sprites, and many others.

Nearly every place the average Celegian goes is swarmed by these mostly invisible and undetectable entities, but their shrines and monuments are a staple, as common in Celegia as are advertisements in our modern world. Every Celegian is taught as a child to be polite and respectful to the spirits, and how to interact with them in a way that keeps them in their places. Most of the spirits have only a vague sense of most humans, as we are as incomprehensible to them as they are invisible to us.

In a sense there are two Celegias, the mundane material one and the exotically ethereal one of the spirits. The spirits seek to keep the humans appeased (and providing gifts) by offering their protective services and assistance with things in their purview. This is especially true of house spirits, place spirits, and most of the minor nature spirits. Most Celegians have become so accustomed to this politeness to the spirits it is a habit they are not even aware of. A Celegian would no more not say, "Thank you for welcome" upon entering or leaving a building than he would forgo breathing for an hour or so. It is as automatic as putting on clothes, or checking the weather before stepping out. If a Celegian is invited to a friends house, it is customary upon the first visit to take a very minor gift, such as a small cake, feather, flower, etc. along. This is gifted to the house spirit, and the house spirit is introduced to the guest as if it were a member of the family. Afterward, the friend may freely return with only the customary thank you's.

House spirits are usually perfectly harmless, but they will seek to deter robbers with squeaky floors, sticky windows, tipped-over pots, and the like. Some house spirits are much more ferocious than that, and can manifest and attack! Imagine a spectral pit bull, guarding that house you want to rob. Getting to know the house spirit is a definite must before any robbery. Some wealthy citizens have had much more aggressive and determined guardians summoned, so caution is especially recommended in that case. And woe betide a robber who manages to raise the ire of a city or place spirit! These entities are similar to a house spirit but are vastly stronger. Imagine a spectral dragon, or an angry vampire. Definitely something to avoid. Many smaller cities have gatekeepers who routinely introduce all travelers to an especially aggressive or truculent city spirit, in exchange for a toll. It is always a good idea to listen to what these toll keepers tell you, or you might find a lesser spirit persecuting you. This hyper-abundance of denizens on the spirit plane is a real boon to diviners, especially those who can directly speak to the spirits, as finding something may be as simple as asking directions of the proper spirit.

Deific Avatars and Champions

At the lowest scales of Deific Might, you find the Avatars and Champions. If a God (Greater, Other, Demi, etc) feels the need to exert their influence directly in the Mortal World, this is easily done. To exert that influence gently, subtly, or secretively, is much less easy.

The best way for a God to be gentle in their direct meddlings with mortals is to simply empower one of those mortals. Bleeding Divine Power into the world is easy to do, since that is what the Celestial Cascade already does. Slipping a little extra into the Cascade to empower a chosen vessel is simple, and can be done subtly.

Such targets of empowerment are often called Avatars or Champions. Those who are aware of their divine patron tend to be called avatars, while whose who don't realize the source of their prowess are usually called champions. Such individuals are often carefully chosen by the Deity or Deities involved, to be sure that their decisions, made without interference so as to preserve free will, will align with what the Deity or Deities actually want.

A problem with this method of doing things is the possibility of error or corruption. Some Gods delight in 'messing with' the Avatars or Champions of other Deities, and subverting their actions to serve their goals rather than their Patrons. To make this even more risky (or funny, depending upon the view of the Deities in question) is the fact that once the power is granted, there is no subtle way to end it, which makes this whole process deliciously game-like.

In game terms, this allows the Game Master to place villains, allies, or obstacles who are simply too mighty to defeat conventionally, AND THUS FORCE THEIR PLAYERS TO DEAL WITH THEM IN MORE INVENTIVE WAYS. Because what cruel Game Master would ever challenge their players to solve problems without hitting something?

The Celestial Bureaucracy

This huge host of Powers and Spirits is collectively known as the Celestial Bureaucracy. Each of the Great Gods has a certain number of the lesser beings "in their camp" as it were. These are usually entities that they have directly defeated or that accurately reflect their own views on existence. As a few examples:

  • Domana has the Primal Sun, Primal Desert, Primal Purity, Primal Storm, Primal Fury, Primal Rage, Primal Terror, the Fundamentals Force, Stone, Light, Air, and Fire, the Storm God, the War God, Avalanche, a huge array of angels, aasimons, Celestial, modrons, etc., all arrayed in a huge and tightly organized military style war machine.
  • Lurain is attended by Primal Love, the Fertility Goddess, several old Gods of Protection and Battle, many Angels and Devas, a host of house spirits, a vast array of entities from the higher outer planes, and as a special arrangement, she is known as the Beloved of Domana. Any major incursion on Lurain is almost certain to bring down the wrath of Domana, as well as his array of lesser Powers.
  • Corellan has the Spirit of Wine, the Spirit of Beer, a minor Fertility Goddess, loads of female nature spirits, the King of Vengeance, The Wanderer, Strongarm, Primal Joy, Primal Strength, etc. Corellan is also on very good terms with both Daneth and Lyreth and they have gifted him with a Sky God and the mighty Primal Trickster. The latter is viewed by Corellan as a mixed blessing, at best.
  • Puellor has Primal Rage, Primal Madness, Primal Hate, the Fundamentals Fire, Death and Stone, demons, daemons, a berserker God, the God of Rape, Primal Madness, Primal Chaos, the King of the Vengeance Sprites, and others too horrible to mention.
  • Quellada has Primal Love, Primal Lust, Primal Rape, several Fertility Deities she has thoroughly warped, the God of Rape, demons, devils, numerous place spirits, etc. He is also granted the loyalty of the Primal Hate by Puellor, and is almost insanely lustful for the Primal Purity, which has fled to the side of Domana for shelter from the God/dess of Perversion.
  • Karena has a vast and rigidly well organized group of devils and daemons, as well as three severely constrained Gods, one of assassins, one of murder, and one of Poison, as well as a host of undead, corrupted spirits, etc. Few of the great Spirits associate with Karena, as She prefers a more subtle approach.
  • Daneth has a large following indeed, every one of the Nature Anima as well as every one of the Nature Spirits, as well as a nature God, a Sky God, a Moon Goddess, the Goddess of Night,a host of Angels, and more. The God Corellan has gifted Her with the Primals Strength and Strongarm.
  • Lyreth is poorly attended, due mostly to her loner spirit. Notably, the mighty Primal Trickster has affixed himself to her, as well as a Thief God and an odd assortment of Spirits that she has stolen from the other Gods and refuses to give back. Corellan especially wishes her to return the Spirit of Debauchery, since she is sowing havoc with it. Instead She sent Trickster, who has plagued Corellan ever since.
  • Teb doesn't have any Powers attending him, or rather (as he claims), they all attend to him, they just don't know it. There may be some truth to his boast, for every time he has gone to a Power to ask for aid it has been granted.
  • Termanant has a huge following, many of which are so mysterious that no mortal has ever heard of them. They include the Fundamentals Dark, Death, Life, and Light, a total of at least ten Deities in attendance, all relating to death, birth, or darkness. As well he has a host of Avatars of deities who also attend him, as well as a long list of Planar Powers such as Primus the Modron, The Master Of Olympia, Queen of the Dragons, and others. The Primal Fury and the Primal Terror attend him. There are many more, as well. Needless to say, even Domana is polite to Termanant.

Clerics in Celegia

There are numbers of persons in Celegia who feel the call to serve the Gods, but do not strongly associate with only one deity. The majority of these persons are defined in the game rules as Clerics, and are known in Celegia as Pantheonists. Most Pantheonists align themselves eventually with one or two gods that most closely reflect their personal views, but not all of them do so. Most temples in Celegia will welcome most Pantheonists, assuming some similarity of world view, but a neutral evil cleric who associates freely with Ravers, Vitiators, and Contrivers may find a lack of warmth at a temple of Lurain.

In addition, there are many persons in Celegia who dedicate themselves to the service of a Power that is not one of the Great Gods. In game terms, nearly any specialty priest or cleric of a God may be played, as all the referee has to do is determine which of the Greater Gods would hold dominion over the Power chosen, approve the specialty priest as play balanced, and decide which region of the Empire is suited for this worship to be based. The Celegian Pantheon is not a very jealous one, as long as the lesser Powers realize their supremacy. For example, Druids are relatively uncommon in Celegia, and are considered to be worshipers of the various nature anima, of which by far the most prominent is The Green, the supposed well of all life. As such, druids are granted their spells by the nature anima (usually The Green) and seek to put forth their goals, with the uneasy feeling that Daneth is the Gardener. Wardens and druids do not always view a situation in the same light, as the Wardens seek to maximize the potential of a wilderness, while the druids would be just as happy to see no civilized involvement at all. At best, Druids and Wardens are friendly enemies, while at worst the Groves are under constant attack.