Itersrof
Worship for non-clerics is different for each god. Some deities demand time and money from followers, while others demand nothing and give very little in return. Each deity has a corresponding 'religion,' complete with holy days, specific places of worship and sets of rules. A complete list of all the deities can be found below, with a short description of holy days and rituals.
Any player who wishes to become a cleric must choose a specific deity. The player can get a more detailed description of the rituals and the laws which his or her cleric must follow from the DM. Please note that here, as in all phases of this game, the DM would appreciate input as to possible rituals or other ideas concerning the chosen deity. If anyone has an idea, please tell me and I will decide whether or not to incorporate it into the campaign.
In the beginning was music. This music and those who generated it are called the Oknar. For eternity this music was unchecked and according to plan. Each immortal had a part to play and each played their part. Then one angel began to change the part created for him, causing disharmony. Lladmieh, the bright god, attempted to keep the law of the music, but the music was forever altered. The name Ikol, meaning 'discord' was given to the angel who changed the music for his own will. At last, when the music could go on no longer, the immortals saw fit to create the universe, in order that these differences could be settled.
Immortals cannot be killed, but if they are forced to change shape against their will, they are severely weakened for thousands of years. There is only one known offspring of Immortals, the child of Annani and Redlabe, Niemann. Niemann cannot be killed by time, only cold (non-magical) flint or steel can do the job. Niemann is as beautiful as his father but as evil as his mother. The Kings of Kron have this curse upon them: They shall never be happy until Niemann is dead. Furthermore, Niemann will not be killed nor diminished by a King of Kron.
Each deity has different holy days. Only the major ones need be acknowledged by non-clerics, and these are listed below.
Some days in the calendar are important to many deities. The equinoxes (fall = Mahrian 15th, spring = Haustic 23) and the solstices (summer = Wellsian 6th, winter = Quentin 20th) are important to the earth and moon gods, Annani-sin, Agirf, Ik and Ghadsur-nin. Quavers the 2nd is the most holy day of the year, being the day which all the gods were banished to their respective planes. The month of Ides has thirteen days and is called "The Holy Week." Each day of this month honors some set of gods. According to legend, Ides 13th is the day which Lladmieh and Ikol will begin their final battle.
Most gods are very creative and have generated legions of different creatures. Cherubs, succubi, demons, devils, angels, pixies and many others are all direct creations of the gods, and inhabit the various planes of existence. Although the gods themselves have been banished to the outer planes, they still exhibit influence over the prime material plane.
There are also a few hundred demi-gods. These are immortal beings who are a byproduct of the original creation of reality. When the gods were banished to the planes, most of the demi-gods were also banished. Ancient and powerful scrying devices have determined that there are at least twenty-three demi-gods still at large in the Prime Material. However, the number twenty-three has been a subject of debate in religious circles, because all of the newer magic seems to indicate that only seventeen are still at large.
It is thought that the main difference between gods
and the sentient races of Dreadl-Kal is that gods are trapped
by their own nature, whereas the races of Dreadl-Kal can and sometimes
do overcome their natural tendencies in order to achieve higher
personal goals. In fact many people change many times in their
life. Demi-gods seem to be a transitional type entity, for it
is known that at least six of these Demi-gods have changed natures.
However, it appears to be a much more difficult and momentous
event both in the world and for the Demi-gods themselves when
they do change their behavioral tendencies.
Description: Itersrof is the god of Wisdom. Often called the god of true seeing, it is rumored that his clerics of have uncanny foresight, and are often used for Divination. It is said the Itersrofs truest pleasure would be to see Ikol brought to justice, and for this reason he is often known as the god of justice. One of his forms which is often depicted in courthouses throughout Dreadl-Kal is a female with a cloth covering her eyes, holding scales.
His worshippers come mainly from the human race,
but he has a surprisingly large contingent of halvling followers.
He has two main holidays, Kalari 11th and Mahrian 7th. Non-clerical
worshippers of Itersrof are expected to tithe some 'just' amount
of their income to the churches of Itersrof, though payment is
not perfunctory. This 'just' amount usually amounts to 5%.
Description: Ryt is a lawful good god of war. He is known for his heart rather than his head, and there are many stories of Ryt flying into a 'holy rage,' when encountering evil. The classical 'Dies Irae' section of requiems are dedicated to Ryt. His clerics are known for their ability to fly into a like rage against evil. Ryt is usually depicted as a large gnome with a huge gut, laughing heartily, though he has many other manifestations.
Ryt's followers tend to be demi-human rather than
human, especially attracting Gnomes, Dwarves and some Elves. His
main holy days are on Augustine 15th, Quentin 4th and Haustic
19th. The main day of worship is Quentin 4th, called Goliathian,
and parades are often used to celebrate this day. The central
theme of this parade is the victory of Ryt over the Giant twins,
Myrth and Rutrus. Worshippers are expected to visit the various
shrines at least four times a year with gifts for the poor.
Description: Lladmieh is the god entrusted with the horn of calling, which encompasses the sound of the first music and can call together all the Oknar. He is the sworn enemy of Ikol, and he works every day to diminish the power of the discordant one. All Paladins have Lladmieh for a god. He is the god of Love and of Peace, and he has only two known humanoid forms. He appears as a tall male human in full armor doing battle with Ikol and he appears as a beautiful half-elf, tending the sick at heart.
Lladmieh is by far the most worshipped deity in Dreadl-Kal.
His churches are everywhere, and are often works of art. He is
worshipped by all races. His major holidays are known by everybody,
and they are on the 25th of Chills, the 12th of Mahrian, the 20th
of Kalari and the 10th of Quavers. Worshippers are expected to
go to church once a week, confession at least once every fortnight
and they must tithe 10% to the church, to be paid in weekly installments.
In return the clerics of Lladmieh are often very kind to families
in need.
Description: Nido is called the Father of the Dwarves, for legend has it that he created the race out of stone, cinder and emerald. He is famous for the large underground city he helped create for the Dwarves and for his ongoing war with Ikol for destroying that city. Nido is the subject of numerous works of art due to the method of tithe Nido clerics use.
Eighty-five percent of all Dwarves worship Nido. Although many Dwarves are prejudiced against elves, priests of Nido try not to be, as Dwarves and Elves actually have a long history of reluctantly helping each other. In fact there are a few elven and half-elven clerics of Nido. Gnomes are rarely associated with Nido, but there is a large contingent of Halvling worshippers. Humans, who seem to flock to every religion, make no exception for Nido. Human clerics of Nido are rarer than Halvling clerics, but they are a close third. His one major holy day is on Octavian 15th, the day on which Ikol was driven away from the ruined entrance of the city and the Dwarves were set free.
Nido temples are all made of stone, with the greater
temples having at least one wall being the side of a mountain.
Donations to the temples are accepted, but not required of any
but priests. Two large stone bowls are always outside the entrance
to a Nido temple, as it is considered bad luck to bring anything
of value inside.
Description: Atsar is the goddess of birth and goddess of the hearth. As such, she is not associated with adventuring clerics, and very rarely are any of her clerics above 4th level. Legend has it that Atsar is always at the side of a woman giving birth, and it is customary to make a place for her to watch over the mother and child. She has a small but loyal following of worshipers who span all races. Almost all professional midwives take Atsar for their main deity.
Atsar's temple is the home, and anyone who has a
home can worship there. Often sick and lonely people send for
blessings from Atsar. However, there are temples to Atsar which
are constructed in an open fashion and made of white marble. Often
these temples double as maternity wards.
Description: Redlabe is the god of the wisdom and beauty. He is also known as the God of the Halvlings. He is famous for his love affair with Annani, and for being the father of Niemann. It is said that his sheer beauty can cure insanity.
Description: Anything which has to do with music is under the jurisdiction of Igarb. He is the god of the bards, and it is said that his music is the only thing in the universe which Ikol loves. This does not stop Ikol from trying to pervert the intent or sound of the music. Igarbs worshipers are usually bards and thieves, and though there are a few clerics of Igarb, they are few and far between.
Description: Yefr and his twin sister Ayefr are the gods of the Elves. Yefr is well known for his love for his sister and for his love of the Elven people. Legend has it that in his fight with Lolth the demoness he was wounded, and the blood which spattered the land caused the first Elves to appear. It is also told that Lolth's blood was likewise spilled, and from this blood the Drow arose.
All shrines of Yefr are made entirely of wood, and are of the finest workmanship. Every object within a true shrine is made of wood, including the nails and joints; no metal at all. Priests of Yefr who are not granted the power of spellcraft (about 75%) become extremely adept carpenters, though they cannot use these skills for profit or for non-temple related items, with one exception. All temples of Ayefr are built by carpenter priest of Yefr. However, temples of Ayefr also have metal sections which the priests of Ayefr handle themselves. It is often the case that the temples of Yefr and Ayefr are close together, but they never touch or communicate directly, again with one exception.
The main, or at least the oldest, temple to Yefr and Ayefr, located in the High forest is a temple with twin spires of immense size. At least once in a followers life a pilgrimage must be made to this temple.
On the religious holidays of Yefr, Mahrian 18th and
Quentin 2nd, elves and other worshippers can be found roaming
the forests and visiting temples. Often games are played on these
holidays, and each holiday has a characteristic game. Followers
of Yefr are expected to give as much as they can to the priests
who tend the various temples.
Description: Ayefr is the goddess of the elves and twin sister of Yefr. However, she is best known for her love of Beatold, a human who started the Kronian line of Kings and who was indirectly responsible for the war of the gods. Her sometimes mischievous persona often associates her with the other forest denizens: the pixies, nixies and sprites.
See above for details on her religion. She adds the 1st of Hamptonian to her list of major holy days, as a day of remembrance of Beatold.
Description: Lilne is the god of the Air. Because
the air can be such a destructive force, he is also known as a
greater god of war, and many warriors take Lilne for their god.
Clerics of Lilne are few and far between because of the high physical,
mental and charismatic standards demanded by those of the true
faith.
Description: Ingam is the god of strength, and it is said that he can move or hold anything in the universe. He is famous for moving the stone which was the size of a mountain to free the Dwarves from their city and also for holding Ikol as the mage Tenser read the sentence of demi-kind.
Description: Nudi is the goddess of spring and of growth. She is the patron goddess of farmers and anyone else depending on spring for their livelihood (hunters). She is always depicted as a Halvling female with wings in a nature scene.
Description: Idom is the God of Courage and of Beserker Rage. Many sailors who do not worship sea gods choose Idom as their God due to his emphasis on the spirit of courage. Many non-clerical adventurers also have Idom for a god. He is best known for his frequent rages against the creatures of Ikol.
Description: Fis is the goddess warrior, and is by far the most proficient deity at the art of war. She understands how to turn the chaos of battle into moral for her troops and how to break the ranks of the enemy. It is said that there is no military tactic which she does not know.
Her clerics must give a 75% tithe and must take the vow of celibacy. These rules must be followed or all powers are lost. Fis believes in military discipline and the chaotic part of her nature is manifested in war.
Description: Roth is the god of thunder, and as such attracts many adventuring clerics. Like many of the gods, his biggest role in the mythology was during the war of gods, in which Roth was said to be the turning factor in many of the battles against Annani's stratagems. The chaotic conditions he created with his storms often ruined Annani's best plans.
Description: Radiu is the god of silence, and of inner strength. In the music before the universe only Radiu ever had a solo part. It is said priests of Radiu are immune from insanity.
Description: Moon Goddess. She is purported to have three faces, each corresponding to one of the moons of Dreadl-Kal.
Description: Utu is often known as the messenger of the gods, and as a god who protects other gods. It is said that he can see everything which is touched by sunlight. Hence he can send messages without delay as long as both parties are in the light. However, he is a greater god and does not deliver messages as his main function. His main function is to keep the binds of the older and newer gods. He represents the relationship between Ik and the newer gods like Lladmieh.
Description: God of hunting. Famous for his ambush of Fis' troops during the war of the Gods. He used to be the most famous of gods and sought after as a protector, but after some failures in battle the protector of the gods fell on other shoulders, and now he has a considerably smaller set of worshipers.
Description: God of the storms and of the sea. Also the god of parties, it is Rigae who has a lot of Dionysian characteristics.
Description: Ikol stands for all that is evil and chaotic. He has the ability to feed on his own rage. He is the most powerful of all deities. Not much is known about this deity, though it is rumored that an ancient tome gives many of the details relevant to his activities during the war of the gods.
Description: Myrth is the god of Giants, and despite the fact that he is not as powerful as Ikol, he gets a lot of notoriety for being the one who started the events leading up to the war of the gods. He often fights with his brother, Rutrus.
Description: Goddess of the Dead. Reported to be more evil than Ikol, and the only member of the pantheon he fears. The planes she inhabits are said to be the most grizzly of all. She is often depicted as an incredibly beautiful human female, but with a gaunt, skull-like face.
Description: God of fire Giants, this God tends to be thought of as a god who serves as a contact man for other evil gods. Often when attempting to gate other gods, Rutrus is first invoked, because he knows the best ways to lure evil ones through.
Description: Goddess of War and Love. She is the mother of Niemann, and despite her evil tendencies she is in love with Redlabe. Annani is the fiercest competition Fis has in the area of war. Whereas Fis emphasizes the art of war and the excellence of the warrior, Annani emphasizes the cruelty and harshness of war, and the suffering which war can cause.
Description: Goddess of the Atmosphere. One of the old gods, associated with Spring, Fall and the earth.
Description: Ekni is the alchemist of the Gods, known especially for the love potion which caused Annani and Redlabe to fall in love.
Description: God of Druids.
Description: Spirit of Time. Said to be at all places at all times. There has never been a physical manifestation, and there is some debate whether Emit is the weakest god of the pantheon or the most powerful.
Description: Mother Earth Goddess. By far the oldest of the worshipped deities.
Get your own Free Home Page
