Northlandish
Tokiwa-Dai
Land of Five Cities
Southlandish
Demi-human
Titans |
Tarantin
(Greater God, CN)
General Aspect:
God of OCeans and Storms. God of the violent forces of nature, especially those associated with the ocean. Chaos
is represented in the apparently random nature of weather and in the entropic forces of erosion. Tarantin is not
involved with seamanship, fishing, or other "productive" water-related activities, nor with small bodies
of fresh water (small to mid-sized lakes, ponds, rivers), although larger lakes and land-locked areas which are
prone to monsoons and/or flooding are included.
Worshippers:
Sailors, fisherman, coastal & island dwellers; also, locathah, merfolk, aquatic elves, tritons, nereids, etc.
Holy Items:
Holy water (salt water or rain), holy symbol (wave, trident, or lightning device in driftwood, shell, coral, silver,
electrum or platinum), ritual trident
Holy Areas:
Grottoes, Beaches, Tidal Pools, Lagoons,
Reefs, Sand Bars, Whirlpools
Restrictions:
Alignment:
Priests: CG-CE, N
Worshippers: any
Racial Requirements:
Humans, sea-dwellers (see worshippers above).
Diet:
Any aquatic foods, including fish, shellfish, water mammals (e.g., cetaceans, seals, and sea lions), and sea plants,
are preferred. Domesticated animals are looked on with distaste, though agricultural products and wild game are
acceptable. Dairy products are absolutely taboo. Uncooked foods are preferred when safe.
Preferred Weapons (in order of preference):
Trident (required), javelin, spear, harpoon, crossbow, net, warhammer, mace.
Armor:
Shield allowed; chain, leather, padded, ring, scale, studded allowed; small helmet (basinet) only.
Magical Items:
Priests of Tarantin can use any magical items normally available to priests, except those dealing with Fire magic
(the sole exception being the Wand of Flame Extinguishing, which is actually a Negative Plane item).
Spheres:
Major:
All
Chaos
Elemental Air (Conjure Air Elemental as Conjure Earth Elemental, 7th PH)
Elemental Water (+ Tidal Wave version of Earthquake, 7th PH; Conjure
Water Elemental as Conjure Fire Elemental, 6th PH))
Weather
Minor:
Divination (+ Reflecting [Tidal] Pool, 4th PH)
Protection (Evil clerics limit range to self)
Granted Powers:
Protection:
1st: Protection from opposing alignment when standing or immersed in salt water or rain.
5th: Protection from Water & Air Elementals & Lightning Quasi-Elementals (elemental must save vs. Spell
to attack priest)
7th: Unaffected by high winds (Dust Devil, Gust of Wind, Wind Wall, etc.; ½ damage from Air Elementals)
10th: Immunity to electrical attacks
12th: Lightning heals at 1 HP per die of damage
Summoning:
4th: Call Lightning (as spell) 1/day
6th: Summon storm (ocean/coastal areas only) 1/wk
9th: Summon storm (any terrain) 1/wk
12th: Conjure Lightning Quasi-Elemental 1/wk
13th: Conjure Water Elemental 1/wk
14th: Conjure Air Elemental 1/wk
Miscellaneous:
3rd: Swim unimpeded while wearing clothing or non-metal armor (incl. Studded Leather)
8th: Swim unimpeded while wearing metal armor
10th: Move freely underwater (as Ring of Free Action)
12th: Indefinitely survive comfortably in salt water
16th: Transfer self to Elemental Plane of Water (as druid)
17th: Transfer self to Elemental Plane of Air
18th: Transfer self to Elemental Plane of Lightning
Turn creatures from the elemental planes of Fire, Smoke, Magma, & Ash and command those from the planes of
Air, Water, Lightning, Ice, Ooze & Salt (functions as priest of two levels lower against undead).
Ethos:
Priests of Tarantin recognize and worship the awesome might of the elemental forces of nature. Precise beliefs
vary according to locality, including those who seek to live in harmony with and respect nature; those who eagerly
await the cleansing winds and waters which will wash away the sins of man; those who revere and fear the chaotic
and uncaring temperament of the weather; and those who would seek to harness the powers of nature for their own
glorification. As Tarantin seems to grant powers to his good and evil worshippers alike, theologians suggest that
he probably cares little of the effects of his worshippers, so long as his might is exercised and respected.
Tarantin's priests dislike human (and other races') attempts to control, restrain, and exploit natural forces.
Good and neutral priests will argue against the development of dams, dikes, seawalls, wind and water mills, and
the like; evil clerics will seek to destroy them. Any of Tarantin's priests will snicker at those who erect buildings
too near to the beach, though good clerics might feel the need to warn the inhabitants of their carelessness. The
priests themselves prefer to dwell in relatively protected natural areas near the ocean or sea, in wave-eroded
grottoes and caves, above cliffs overlooking the water, or on islands.
Tarantin is strongly associated with elemental Air and Water, as well as quasi-elemental lightning. In the dawn
of time, Tarantin was one of those gods who argued against the gift of Fire to mortals. Since the gift, Tarantin's
worshippers argue, Fire has become, in mortals' hands, a force that destroys the natural environment, while storms
are part of the natural process. Fire is also different, Tarantinian theologians argue, than the destruction caused
by storms in that it can be started and to an extent controlled by mortals, whether intentionally or by carelessness,
while storms are beyond mortals' command; theologians of other gods suggest that Tarantin is simply jealous of
Fire's power. Whatever the reasoning or the history, Tarantin has granted his clerics abilities against creatures
of Elemental Fire that are similar to other priests' powers against undead and the forces of evil. Likewise, the
supernatural use of fire is heretical to priests of Tarantin, and fire worshippers are prime candidates for sacrifice
by drowning.
Priests of Tarantin are protective of the aquatic environment only in terms of preventing exploitation, destruction
and "taming" of the sea. Normal fishing, pearl diving, and such activities are not a problem for these
priests, as they know nature can usually protect itself. Extreme cases of overuse, pollution, and such things as
"land reclamation" projects and dam-building, however, are antithetical to Tarantin, as are genocidal
attacks on aquatic societies.
Sacrifices range from valuables (particularly gems and precious metals) to animals and even humans. This is usually
accomplished by ritual drowning, exposure, lightning (e.g., chaining the sacrifice to an iron rod on a cliff top
during a thunderstorm), or slaughter by means of a trident. Sacrificed and donated valuables are used by good clerics
to help rebuild the lives of those devastated by storms, and by evil clerics to increase their own power.
Hierarchical Organization:
The worship of Tarantin is not particularly organized, although certain levels of mastery are recognized. An acolyte
or neophyte (1st level) is referred to as "Gust Brother," a deacon (2nd-3rd level) as "Squall Brother,"
a full priest (4th-6th) as "Storm Father," a high priest (7th-8th) as "Tempest Father," a prelate
(9th-11th) as a "Lord Typhoon," a pontiff (12th-14th) as a "Lord Hurricane," and supreme pontiff
(15th+ level) as "Father Tsunami."
Although there is an established church of Tarantin, and all clerics recognize each other as orthodox regardless
of alignment, there is no firm hierarchy of the church. There is often more than one Tsunami, each with a court
of at least five Hurricanes, contesting for primacy of the church. Hurricanes and Typhoons frequently claim control
over regions, but there are few set dioceses, and the population of clerics of Tarantin increases in areas that
are heavily affected by storms. Succession of sees is decided as often by battle, usurpation, and even assassination
as by election or appointment.
Clerics of Tarantin sometimes set out on their own, either to set up a new congregation or to live as a hermit,
frequently on remote islands or uncivilized coastlines. These priests can continue to advance without restriction,
although only a few hold any political power in the established church and none gain the title of Tsunami. Retired
Tsunami and others of equal or greater power, who usually isolate themselves from the political morass of the "organized"
church are sometimes referred to as Cyclones.
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