Alright. So, I wanted to make something special, but not too strange, so as not to alienate any of the players. So I stuck with altering the traditional pantheon, taking a few gods from there and changing them, while trying to stay true to the archtypes of the races presented in the PH. Of course, I had to add a few gods of my own.
Pantheon of [World, did we decide on a name?]
In the Beginning, there were only the Six Inner Planes, ruled by the Forgotten Gods. Though they were separate entities at times, they were also six sides of one Cube, Six Faces. The Faces decided that a Plane Majoris should be crafted, the Material Plane. And so, in a rare occurrence, the Faces worked together to force the Material Plane, the World, and, by extension, the Transitive Planes. Each Face crafted and gave birth to a God. These Gods, the First Ones, who crafted their own planes, the Outer Planes, created the Races that populate the World, and sometimes worked together to forge a Small God, who, in turn, created their own Race. The Faces grew to loathe their creations, and the First Ones grew jealous, resentful, or angry with their 'parents'. So, in a Great Upheaval, the First Ones, aided by the Small Gods, banished the once all-powerful but now weakened Faces to The Box, a pocket plane forever sealed by eternal divine magics.
Shortly afterwards, the Small Gods became just as powerful as the First Ones, and they all shared a pantheon.
It was always thought that the actions of the Gods, their feuding and scheming, had a direct impact on the Material Realm and its inhabitants. But the War was something entirely different. Made and fueled by mortals, the Long War was the first instance that the mortals of the Material actual caused strife in the Outer Planes. And so, a war was fought on the Material Plane, as well as the Outer Planes. Though the wars had different causes, and were fought for different reasons, the end result for both mortals and Gods were equally devastating.
On the Material, the effects were obvious. A land uninhabitable. But on the Outer Planes, a more subtle corruption infected the inhabitants. Some Gods were outright killed (or as far as Gods can be 'killed') in the fighting, and the trust between the closest of allies was torn down.
Today, the gods are angry. With each other, but also with the mortals. They are bound to assist those who worship them, and those who show proper piety, but they refuse to uplift the mortals from the chaos they created. Even if they wanted to, they couldn't. The relationships between the gods are in such disarray that any work done by one God would be reversed by three of his enemies.
These are dark days indeed... When Gods can't trust their followers, how can one hold hope for the future of the planes?
The Forgotten Gods (The Faces)
The mortals know very little of these gods, for their patron dieties reveal very little of their hated parents.
Ha, TN- Positive Energy God.
Lo, TN- Negative Energy God.
Rea, TN- Fire God.
Ste, TN- Earth God.
Wus, TN- Water God.
Aav, TN- Air God.
The First OnesHighly respected, but just as powerful as their 'lessers'. Ajax, God of Man, Child of Rea, NG- Good, Strength, Fire. The Handaxe is his favoured weapon. Ajax takes the form of a heroic warrior with unerring determination and drive, forever seeking to improve himself and the human race as a whole. He is the Icon of Motivation and the Strong Father.
Ajax
Being a primarily Human God, Ajax is usually depicted as a muscled, handsome man with dark tan hair and flaming, electric white eyes-usually sans shirt, and without other parts of clothing in the less wholesome depictions. He is always shown wearing a blood-red cloak, however. He might be considered something of a barbarous figure, though his features are rarely depicted in anger or anything but intense concentration. His holy symbol is a wheel crossed with twin hand axes-representing the tools of war, naturally, but the wheel is up to interpretation. Some believes it represents peace and good fortune, others the orderly function of society held up by the strongest.
The Clergy of Ajax tends to embody the values humanity seems to ascribe it itself-pride in accomplishment, steadfast determination and a drive to succeed at all costs. There are no frail clerics in his church-Ajax demands physical perfection, and nearly every Cleric is also a fighter, a paladin, or even a barbarian-representing different fighting styles. The monks of Ajax are highly regarded, but theirs numbers are small. Interestingly, while many of them are of the more holy bent, just as many purely martial types revere Ajax-and are actually viewed as more pious, for having to rely on only their own muscles and the will of their God. A secondary part of his worship is fire-the very icon of civilization's rise was after all, a single spark. So his followers tend to likewise venerate flame, careful to let it burn without ever growing out of control. The church fully accepts numbers of Holy-minded Arcane orders who can show their physical prowess-employing the Holy Flame of Ajax against humanities enemies is quite well respected-and those who call the fire in the name of Ajax with good intent find their flames tinged with a rich silver cast. This 'Whitefire' is a sure mark of his clergy's doing, and leaves uniquely recognizable remains.
His temples tend to be located in central locations in a city-marketplaces and entertainment venues, and can resemble gladiator arenas as much as they do churches. The sounds of men and women drilling and sparring all day long is common, and between services crowds are allowed to watch the gladiators practive. During holy days (there is one a month, representing the twelve labors of Ajax) contests are held for anyone who is fit enough to compete-these tournaments are highly popular,s serving to educate and entertain the local populace. It is also a substantial source of income for the church, allowing it to operate without the usual unhealthy ties to donor organizations.
Ajax himself embodies the ideals of goodness, but is almost stubbornly neutral in regard to Law and Chaos-likewise, his followers tend to be honest, decent men and women of varying political and social stratum, who only wish to see peace and justice-regardless of creed or even race, though nearly all of Ajax's followers are human. Though if someone should threaten that they will find a strong arm holding up these beliefs.
In battle, Ajax's clergy will typically spend some time buffing one another with powerful magic and singing holy songs-Giant Growth is perhaps the most well known and used among them, as Ajax himself is said to be quite tall and imposing, and they wish to emulate him. Contrary to other orders, they do not particularly concentrate on healing magics, and rarely use trickery or delaying tactics-the press of battle is all they enjoy. Still, they enjoy tactics and strategy to an extent-the 'softening up' process involves mass ranged attacks during a charge, augmented by powerful whitefire strikes. Most Arcane wielders take special training to be able to use their fire without harming their allies. They also like to employ horses in combat, for powerful charges-literally dismounting and jumping into the ranks of their enemies at times.
A typical squad of Ajax's believers will be a group of around 3-6 non or minimal magic using individuals of martial bent, highly devoted and motivated in proving themselves in battle in the eyes of Ajax-yet most of them are tempered with mercy and a desire to aid those in need. Neighborhoods in the vicinity of Ajax's temples tend to be free of street crime, prosperous and happy-and even enjoy a reprieve from the lax depredations of sadistic town guards, who are also not eager to fight the Gods chose. Larger groups of warriors can measure as much as 50, though they prefer small unit combat-all the better to go one-to-one, then large and drawn out battles. They tend to carry axes and swords, with a tendency to favor a weapon in each hand-shields are comparatively rare. Few use bows either,a lingering and nearly unconscious separation from the Elven peoples. Of note is that nearly all followers of Ajax trained in the hand axe are fond of tossing it-the sound of axes hitting blocks of woods is as a common sound in his chapels as the morning prayers. They will never willingly commit an evil act unless the order itself has fallen to horrible depths. This squad is usually led by a powerful Cleric, Paladin or even a wizard who leads the charge, empowering them, giving orders and rallying against foes. Even if the Squad leader is slain, Ajax's followers are not likely to flee-especially if there are innocents in the vicinity that would suffer for their cowardice. Only a particularly charismatic leader or a guileful or charming individual could convince them to withdraw from battle.
Ajax produces many characters of heroic bent-these men and women are typically CR 15, and are called the 'Sons and Daughters of Ajax'. Most are of considerable martial skill, even the arcane practitioners. They wear only medium weight armor to keep up their speed, and usually fight with two weapons-a battleaxe in one hand and a hand axe in the other, or two hand axes in unis ion. They will almost have a retinue of warriors around them-even those of far lesser skill are allowed by their sides if they prove they have courage-as well as Clerics to prop them up. In battle, they become terrible tempests of death-cutting down opponents in eye-blinks with twin whirling steel. They like enchantments that radiate obvious power-keen, holy, flaming burst, brilliant, thundering-and are particularly fond of weapons of returning, that can be tossed endlessly. Even the least of Ajax's warriors can hope to have a pair of +1 Hand axe's of returning by his 5th year of training. His followers tend to spend less time and money on armor, however. Those who are most ostentatious tend to use a sort of reverse glammer, making it seem as they are not wearing any armor at all-enjoying the 'bare chested' look to it's fullest...
Ajax himself is not any particular foe to the undead, though he destroys them as any other would. His clergy tends to view them not as specialized enemies but yet another foe to be cleaved from humanities path. They reserve greater distaste for demi-human monsters and demons, and despite the best intentions of their ruling caste, there is a small but vocal group of Ajaxites that despises all non-human races-reading into the worship of the flame as a terrifyingly literal answer to everything. Unfortunately, the cataclysm has only made these once powerless and ridiculed men and women all the louder...
In the post-apocalypse, many Humans feel threatened and afraid-outnumbered and encircled by many peoples they once, perhaps even unconsciously, believed to be lesser then themselves. Some who worship Ajax may seek to collect these wayward souls out of the fear, rather than hope-rekindling the human supremacist movement that was stamped out ages ago.
The Twelve Labors and Holy Days of Ajax
Ajax was said to have spent some time on Earth at one point-most legends say he was challenged by Mishtoss he could prove himself as he so often demanded of his own followers. Thus, he took a mortal form and began to walk among us-spreading his deeds far and wide. By the time he returned to the Heavens, many knew of Ajax's deeds and words-and the first organized religion sprung up around them. These are the 12 deeds he performed, and each act is considered holy to those who follower him.
Mishtoss was said to have similar origins, and his followers say the trickster God was merely using Ajax himself to spread his own legend through Ajax's own careless talk-for he was surely a legendary braggart, if any of his followers are to be believed. This, Mishtoss also rose to Godhood, albeit, with none of the labor required.
January 22nd: The Serpent Slaying/He cut off the head of a monstrous snake that threatened to eat the world. They still hate snakes. Many followers will use this day to seek out a particularly evil enemy to slay. In the past, Dragons were very popular to hunt
February 24th: The Peak Conquering/He climbed to the peak of the Giantsbrow Mountains, all by himself-the range itself can be seem dimly from the northern walls of Oasis, a journey of many miles. Some of his followers have attempted to repeat the task, as they did often before the cataclysm, but none have so far succeeded. It's often a day for displaying grand endurance.
March 6th: The Barrel Cooping/Apparently, Ajax constructed a perfect barrel in his spare time during this month. His believers like to remind tthat Ajax was not always doing exciting things. This day is usually celebrated to honor fine craftsmanship.
April 2nd: The Fiend Shunning/Ajax was tempted to lust by a dusky beauty of infernal nature-but he shunned her for her nature was not of her own choosing-and so powerful was his radiance she turned into a normal mortal woman. Whom he then bedded without guilt. This day is often celebrated through elaborate costume and gamesmanship in private-a woman will play the dusky beauty, and a man the fallen God with mostly pure intentions...
May 1st: The Gate Shattering/Ajax beheld the Goblin Slaver city of Shoegh, and the multitude of suffering within. He smashed down the gates with a single punch. On this day, followers of Ajax will try to right a great wrong in the eyes of the law. Slavery is still utterly abhorrent to them.
June 20th: The Carrying of the Vase/The lower case God spied an old woman in her last days of life-struggling to carry a heavy vase of water. He aided her without promise of reward. He later stayed and helped her repair the holes in her roof-then rebrick her well, then help plant her crops...It's a day for good deeds-even to the smallest and seemingly least of persons. It's entirely possible the woman was actually the crafty Riddle Lit in guise, because...
July 25th: The Earning of Bread/...by the next month, Ajax was quite out of money and the old woman had passed on, or at least passed away. He worked an honest job as a baker to fill his pockets. Celebrations on these days tend to be feasts, and opened to everyone-even the poorest.
August 4th: The Second Serpent Slaying/Ajax was surprised to find the snake he slew months earlier had grown a second head. He chopped it off once more, and burned the stump for good measure. This month is usually spent in additional wariness and redoubled arms training-warning that complacency is perilous.
September 3rd: The Horse Rearing/Ajax desired to no longer walk, for his feet were quite tired. He reared a great stallion with love and care, and named her 'Onstella'. When he returned to the Heavens, she went with him-and is now seen in the stars in the sky. In this month, Ajax's followers are kind to animals.
October 16th: The Challenging Gauntlet/Ajax was well rested and content, but his reverie was ruined by the sudden appearance of Sangur, who challenged him to a duel-however, Ajax was without his Godly powers, and the cowardly yet insane Orc God sought to slay his rival. Ajax accepted out of honor-but, knowing his opponent would not follow the same rules, he had Morem (his cousin), secretly take his place. By all accounts, Morem won-but his hand was injured beyond all hope of healing. Ajax has ever since been the enemy of Sangur, and a friend to Morem and his followers-the Dwarf God who saved him. This a month for celebrating friendship-where all debts are repaid or forgiven in the spirit of good will.
November 29th: The Grand Brewing/Finally finding a use for his perfect barrel, Ajax brewed the greatest beer every beheld by mortal lips-and strangely, gave it to the Dwarves, perhaps in recognition of Morem's bravery. This, Humans has an excuse for relenting in this particular area of expertise. Most of this month is spent enjoying beer and ale, obviously-and shares a similar time of celebration with Morems followers.
December 27th: The Time of Sleep/Ajax was finally weary, and slept for a time-and though his enemies (he had made many) sought to harm him while he was helpless, those he had helped far outnumbered them. In this month, Ajax's followers rest-they sum up the weight of their good and bad deeds in the previous year-and decide, if they were to slumber like their God-would they be slain by the weight of those they made enemies of, or protected by the combined strength those they love?
Good, Trickery, Air. The Dagger is his favoured weapon. Mishtoss takes the form of an aged, but agile cloaked rogue/ranger. He is ever cunning, and his name is often whispered by survivalists and rogues in times of need. He is the Practical One and the Wielder of the Razor (Occam's Razor).
Morem/Male, Gods of the Dwarf, Child of Ste, LG- Law, Protection, Earth. The Warhammer is his favoured weapon. Morem and Male are two sides of the same coin. Twins, but at the same time one entity. Most practitioners simply refer to him as Morem. Morem takes the form of a king, and a worker. Morem is the Aspect of Law, the King, while Male is the Aspect of Good, the Smith. He embodies two things especially important to dwarves, stern law and productivity.
Lorhen, Goddess of the Elf, Child of Wus, TN- Plant, Animal, Water. The Longbow is her favoured weapon. Lorhen was once a young and beautiful god of fertility, but the ravages of the war reduced her to an old woman. Elves and druids call to her often. She is (or was) the Mother of the World, the Guardian of the Wilds, but more recently she's known as the Crone to dissidents, or the Ailing Mother by her followers.
Riddle Lit, Goddess of the Gnome, Child of Ha, NG- Luck, Protection, Trickery. The Sling is her favoured weapon. Riddle is, as her name implies, a riddler and, to a lesser extent, a jokester. She takes the form of a well dressed young merchant. Gnomes and other practitioners try to mirror her eccentricity and mysterious nature. She is the Holder of the Key and the Smart Glib.
Sangur, God of the Orcs, Child of Lo, CE- War, Chaos, Evil. The Battleaxe is his favoured weapon. Sangur takes the form of an orc warlord, without eyes. Negative energy is not evil, nor was Lo, but a series of unfortunate events twisted Sangur at birth, forever dementing his mind. At the last moment, Lo took away the God's eyes, in order to limit his power. Unfortunately, it was little hinderance to the Warlord. To his followers, Sangur is known as the Blind Warlord and the Ingenious Killer. To everyone else, he is known as the God of Cripples and the Demented First.
The Small GodsNumerous and diverse, the Small Gods came after the First Ones.Liere of the Eye, God of Magic, Child of Dark and Light, TN- Knowledge, Magic, Luck. The Quarterstaff is his favoured weapon. Liere is every race, and none. His visage is ever shifting. He rules over all magic. Many see him as a force of chaos, for his intentions and actions shift as much as his form. But scholars will tell you that their is a definite method to his madness. For every chaotic action he takes, he does something lawful. For every good deed, an evil one. In this way, he is balanced. He is the Many Faced Scholar and the Magister Ultimate
(The Magister Ultimate, new combo meal at McDonalds!).
Blessed Roe, Goddess of Healing, Child of Water and Fire, NG- Healing, Sun, Good. The Mace is her favoured weapon. Roe is sometimes a human, and sometimes an Elf. Either form she takes, she is a healer. The half-elves see her as their patron deity, as well as healers. Even though she is seen as good, she does not oppose evil. At least, not as much as her good brothers. She is the Saviour and the Death Ward.
Satore, God of Refinement, Child of Lorhen, CG- Chaos, Protection, Knowledge. The Rapier is his favoured weapon. Satore takes the form of a noble elf. When elves started intermingling with human society, and when many elves moved from the forest to the city, Satore was born. Even though many elves call him their patron deity, there are nobles of other races that look to him for guidance. He is the Aristocrat, the Eloquent Sir, and the Gentleman.
Beg No More, God of Cruelty, Child of Regret, CE- Chaos, Evil, Destruction. The Flail is his favoured weapon. Beg is a choatic mess of multiple species, including Gnolls, Lizardfolk, Goblinoids, and other evil creatures. This God would love nothing more than to see everyone dead, including his own followers, if there was no one left to slaughter. He is the Broodfather of Evil and the Abomination. While some evil species call him their God, many turn to his brood, the many Gods that fell from his body and went on to create the sentient monster races we see today.
Misnevex, Goddess of Domination, Sister of the Dark Earth, LE- Evil, Protection, Strength. The whip is her favoured weapon. Misnevex is the Goddess of areana (spider sub-class, correct?). She is the Mistress of Torture and the Spider Queen.
Monorox, God of Tyranny, Brother of the Dark Earth, LE- Law, Destruction, War. The Heavy Mace is his favoured weapon. Monorox takes the form of a human king. He is the Cruel King and the Master Tactician.
Voruh, God of Death, Child of the Black Waters, NE- Evil, Death, Luck. The Scythe is his favoured weapon. Moruh can't be seen, even by the Gods, but is represented by an hourglass, or simply, an x with a line above and below. To his followers he is known as the End and the Final Father, but to those who fear him, he is the Unknown Reaper.
Rowbe the Just, God of Justice, Child of Fire and Earth, LN- Law, Protection, Destruction. The Warhammer is his favoured weapon. With the fire of humanity, and the law of the dwarves, comes a zealous judge. He takes the form of a giant, and is therefore the patron of giantfolk. He is known as the the Judge and the Lens Holder.
Senntoss, God of Chaos and Trickery, Child of Mishtoss, CN- Chaos, Trickery, Luck. The Dagger is his favoured Weapon. This halfling God represents Mishtoss' more chaotic side. He represents all rogues, gamblers, and, to some extent, bards. Practioners are as likely to tell you a good joke as they are to stab you in the back. He is the Unrepentant Rogue and the Joy Thief.
The Triune (Subclass contributed by Deep Waters)
Composed of a set of three triplet deities, the Triune is often called upon as a whole by worshippers, rather than by its individual components, and regular priests (those not blessed by divine power) often follow suit. However, more fervent followers such as clerics and paladins always devote themselves to a single member of the Triune.
Malnir, God of Retribution, Child of the Sword, LG- Law, Good, Travel. The longsword is his favored weapon. It is said that Malnir fell into the sea upon birth and was snatched from the foam by an albatross. When a mortal commits a terrible crime against the gods, Malnir is often tasked with punishing them.
He is usually found wandering the realms in the guise of a large, weathered human or dwarven warrior (often male, though occasionally female), vanquishing evil wherever it is to be found, and his devotees are advised to worship him by emulating him. As such, his followers are almost always warriors, either idealistic crusaders convinced they can change the world or veteran heroes content to live and die by the ivory sword. Though they have little official organization nor united creed, they have earned the collective moniker "Templars of the White Cross" due to the simplified version of Malnir's symbol (a white sword) that they wear somewhere on their person. Always scattered and few, his 'church' has nevertheless escaped relatively intact due to their hardiness and self-reliance.
He is the Seafoam Sword and the Wandering Templar, but to his enemies he is known as the Sparrow Lord due to his association with birds. His holy symbol is a plain sword, the hilt and crossguard simplified into spike-like projections, and usually carved of ivory (5gp), though bone or other white-colored materials are not unknown. However, mythril is Malnir's favored material (70gp), and most of his followers carry his symbol in mythril when they can.
Metia, Goddess of the Hearth, Child of the Scales, NG- Community, Fire, Artifice. The dagger is her favored weapon. One of triplet deities, it is said that Metia fell into a volcano upon birth. In spite of being crippled by the impact, she climbed all the way out of it and dragged herself into a nearby mortal's dwelling, where she shaped the embers in their firepit into a set of magical leg braces that let her walk normally.
Metia loves to take on different forms, ranging from dwarves to azer to gold wyrms, though she always has a set of metal braces around her legs (or equivalent location) that glows like red-hot iron. She currently presents herself to mortals in a form similar to a noble salamander. Her devotees are industrious folk who often have vocations aside from their clerical ones, serving as chefs, healers, merchants, and most especially crafters and artisans. Her church was most hard-hit of the Triune by the arcane catastrophe-- partly because it is highly community-oriented, partly because it was the largest in the first place, though her few remaining followers are among the most zealous in gathering survivors together and trying to rebuild society.
She is known as the Hearth Mother and the Magma Artisan. Her symbol is a clear orb containing a red teardrop shape, both usually made of glass. Her followers prefer to use a cut ruby encased in glass whenever they can afford it (90gp).
Morai, Goddess of Fate, Child of the Veil, LN- Oracle, Luck, Darkness. The gauntlet or spiked gauntlet is her favored weapon. It is said that Morai fell into a chasm upon birth and wandered the caves for eons, eventually losing the use of her eyes in exchange for gaining insight into the tapestry of Fate.
Morai is often depicted as a frail human woman wearing a blindfold, but in truth no one knows what Morai looks like, for she always appears conveniently shrouded in darkness. She reveals her knowledge in bits and pieces, and even then only to her devotees. Her followers themselves are the secretive and tight-lipped sort, often unwilling to give away their mistress' secrets, and as such form a religion more like a cult than a church (in spite of its unassuming nature). Easily recognized by their simple robes and symbolic blindfolds (the cloth is translucent enough to see through, though the more fervent among them wear true blindfolds and learn to navigate through other senses), the Sparing Ones, as they've come to be known as, are often called upon as impartial parties and intractable judges.
She is known to her followers as the Blind Judge, the Silent Oracle, and the Prophet in the Depths, but most simply call her the Shrouded Lady. Her holy symbol is a hollow disk (usually of a dark-colored wood), with white thread crisscrossing the center. The threads are strong and durable but not unbreakable. Though the symbol does not stop working if the threads break, failing to replace the broken symbol when able can earn Morai's displeasure. Most of her followers carry silver disks with threads of black spidersilk when they can (30gp), which are much more difficult to break accidentally.
Yeah, so there's that! I didn't want to engorge this post with every combination of element, or every God of every species. But, of course, there are many more combinations to be had! So, if you'd like to see a certain species represented, or another God of a certain alignment, feel free to ask. Or, even better, come up with your own, and I can add it to the list.
A few possibilities are: A kobold god, a god of lies, another LG god, a Kord equivalent, more positive energy combinations, definitely some of the brood gods that came from Beg (especially a goblin one). Probably should put a Wee Jas equivalent. There's also plenty of aspects that can be explored. I should also add (or you can add) a few more gods that are immediately relevant to a city like Oasis. For example, I added Satore (pronounced Suh-Tore-Ay, by the way) for the benefit of nobles in the upper district. I'm probably forgetting a bunch of good ones, so consider this list a decent start.
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Topic: Living Oasis (3.5) OOC Thread - 8? Slots open (Read 43576 times)