The Gods of Divine Law

Ulogi Riven-Sire (God of Culture)

Greater God

Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Symbol: Wheel with swords for spokes
Realms: Arcane Channeling, Charm, Creation, Divination, Healing, Protection, Sun, Weather
Description: Appears as a large (6’6”) human with a round head and full cheeks. These characteristics give him a bullish appearance. Nevertheless, his ageless face is lined with the wisdom of ages. It is to Ulogi that oaths are sworn for the god never lies though he may adhere to the letter of his word rather than the spirit. His worshippers are those who seek to promote civilization and culture. His holy symbol indicates civilization by strength. The regularity and symmetry of the wheel also indicates action must be accompanied by purpose or chaos will ensue. Priests of Ulogi will never support those who are weak and unwilling to support themselves. Thus they recognize no monarch who reigns simply by virtue of birth. He must also be strong enough to prove and defend his right to rule.

Ulogi is the father of Keeerani and Putrexia by different mothers. He is often called the "Father of Fathers".


Set (God of Evil and the Night)

Greater God

Alignment: Lawful Evil
Symbol: Coiled Cobra
Realms: Animal, Arcane Channeling, Charm, (Dark Channeling), Divination, Necromancy, Protection, War
Description: Set Is a scaled humanoid with the head of a fierce jackal. He is totally dedicated to the spreading of evil. Ceremonies in the name of Set are always bloody rituals usually involving human sacrifice. Priests of Set wear black robes and carry sharp ceremonial daggers. No snakes will attack priests of Set and, at higher levels, these priests gain the ability to control ophidians. Set has many sons who are offspring of various succubi and she-devils. These sons are usually monstrous creatures of ghastly countenance and no two look even remotely alike. The four most powerful of these are the Chosen Sons of Set while the others are referred to as Lesser Sons of Set. The Minions of Set form the bulk of Set’s demonic army. These creatures appear as humans clad in black scaly plate mail and wielding broadswords. They also have the ability to polymorph themselves into giant, poisonous snakes. They act as go-betweens for Set and his earthly followers.

Set is the implacable enemy of Mitra Pureheart and will attempt to thwart him through others whenever possible. The worship of Set is usually referred to as the “Snake Cult” while the priests are “Snake Priests”.

Set was born a demon of the pale but. Through ambition and cunning, rose to become one of the Gods of Putarrha.

Putrexia (The Sloth Goddess)

Lesser Goddess

Alignment: Any
Symbol: A Black Cat or a Broken Pitchfork
Description: Putrexia is the half-sister of Keeerani and a daughter of Ulogi by a mortal woman. Her sobriquet (The Sloth Goddess) is well deserved for the goddess is always sleeping and will only awaken in the most pressing of situations and even then her attention is not assured. This constant sleepfulness has two major consequences. First, almost none of her priests have spell casting ability (at least not channeling magic), and second, her followers are divided into two diametrically opposed factions.

One faction holds that Putrexia is an example and that men should strive to do nothing. These followers tend to be the lazy rejects of society looking for an excuse to do nothing.

The second faction holds that Putrexia’s non-involvement in human affairs indicates that men should be more independent and not rely on gods to sort out their troubles. It is this faction that is the more predominant. The famous watchwords of this faction are Do it yourself, Am. It is thought that the phrase was originally begun as a slight against the followers of Putrexia, but was taken up as their battle cry when it was discovered how appropriate it was.

The Daughters of Putrexia, more commonly known as the Daughters of the Sloth, is a quasi-secret society based in Blue Mountain. It is rumored to consist of many powerful and influential women from many cities. Other than its existence, however, very little is know of the goals and means of the society.

Ki (goddess of nature)

Greater Goddess

Alignment: Neutral
Symbol: Iris
Realms: (Animal), Arcane Channeling, Charm, Creation, Healing, (Nature), Protection, Weather
Description: Ki appears as an elfin woman of great beauty. She is actually one of the old gods who exercised power long before Ulogi Riven-sire defeated his father to assume leadership of the pantheon. Many of her followers are descendants of the Jarin druids who lived during the War of the Spirit Masters. Her clerics are druids and her temples are wooded groves.

Her druids will always wear earthy colors (brown, green, russet, etc.) and favour quarterstaff and scimitar for weapons.

The Gods of Chaos

Keeerani Twin-Killer (God of Blood and War)

Greater God

Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Symbol: Bloody Curved Sword (falchion)
Realms: Astral, Charm, Combat, Divination, Healing, Necromancy, Protection, Summoning
Description: Keeerani is one of a pair of twins born of Ulogi and Nyaphante, a demon-succubus who tricked Ulogi into the coupling so that she may sire a god and, through him, work her evil deeds on the inhabitants of Putarrha. When the birthing occurred, she discovered that she had conceived not one, but two potential gods. Thus she raised them both to be strong, powerful and evil. Then the two, called Keeerani and Ibor, were sent to the world of mortals to raise followers.

Each traveled separately recruiting followers by fear and terror and raising armies to spread their reign of horror and destruction. Inevitably the two armies met. For many days the battle raged with neither side gaining the upper hand. Finally Keeerani met his brother and together they swore an oath in their father’s name. It would be they who decided the outcome of the battle by a duel to the death. It was further sworn that the loser’s soul would be sundered into a thousand and one pieces and scattered throughout time and space. To the victor would go the control of both armies and a godhead.

The battle of the brothers lasted for 66 days. No mortal who witnessed the battle lived to tell of it for a darkness of unparalleled dimensions blight the region where the demon godlings fought. At the end of the period it was Keeerani who emerged from the Stygian blight with the body of his twin brother held high for all to see. Then, in a ceremony too horrible to describe, Keeerani stripped the soul of his brother from the corpse and shattered it into a thousand and one pieces. He then ascended to his divinity and the remains of the armies became his first followers.

Priests of Keeerani must us a falchion as their primary weapon. They must also be trained in battle and initiated in blood. There are, of course, no cloistered priests of Keeerani.

Thor (God of Thunder)

Greater God

Alignment: Chaotic Good
Symbol: Hammer
Realms: Animal, Arcane Channeling, Creation, Healing, Nature, Protection, War, Weather
Description: Thor is thought to be the half-brother of Ulogi Riven-Sire. He appears as a large, red-haired and red-bearded man dressed in black and yellow chain mail. He rides through the skies on his golden chariot which is pulled by his two magical goats, Tanngrisner and Tanngjost.

Priests of Thor use a hammer as their primary weapon, as well as their holy symbol. The hammer gains powers and abilities as the priest advances in level.

Tysep (the staggering god)

Lesser God

Alignment: Neutral Good
Symbol: Goblet of wine
Realms: Arcane Channeling, (Charm), Creation, Divination, Dreams, Healing, Light, Protection
Description: Tysep appears as a rosey-cheeked, pot-bellied man of benign nature with a half-filled glass of wine always clutched in his right hand. An eternal smile fills the area between his puffed cheeks and he never walks in a straight line.

Tysep is the son of Mitra and Putrexia. (It is a source of much speculation among Mitra’s enemies as to Putrexia’s state of wakefulness at the time of the coupling. They would have it that Mitra raped Putrexia while she slept.)

The most devout followers of Tysep are bards (both agnostic and seraphic). Other followers include tavern owners, artists and anyone dedicated to having a good time. Tysep is more popular among men than women due to the numerous tales of womanizing by the lusty god. It is not known how many sons he has sired for most of those he couples with do not retain memory of his divine nature. The daughters of Tysep, however, are a different story. He has conceived only nine daughters, all as a result of a union between him and a high priestess/matriarch of his following. See the following pages for information on the Tarnli, the daughters of Tysep.

Although the clerics of Tysep are invariably of neutral good alignment, the followers of the staggering god range from lawful good to chaotic neutral. His clerics have no standard of dress but they will usually be wearing bright colors and will invariably be carrying a skin of wine.

Askelon (the entelechy of dreams)

Demigod

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Symbol: Hourglass
Realms: Arcane Channeling, Charm, Dark Channeling, Divination, (Dreams), Light, Necromancy, Protection
Description: Askelon appears as a wise man of undetermined age wearing shining silver plate mail and carrying a two-handed sword. He is known as the entelechy of dreams for he is responsible for the dreams and visions of mortal men. His clerics gain insights and spell ability through their sleep visions.

Askelon is one of the many Sons of Set. What sets him apart from all of his brothers, however, is that his mother was neither mortal nor demon, but Tarnli (Erato). Like his father, Askelon rose to divinity through cunning and ruthlessness.

Guis-Wa (the god of death)

DemiGod

Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Symbol: Blooded Dagger
Realms: Arcane Channeling, Charm, Creation, Dark Channeling, Divination, (Necromancy), Protection, War
Description: In most civilized cultures, Guis-Wa is a forbidden god and worship of him is outlawed. Nevertheless, secret temples of Guis-Wa can be found in almost every city. His priests and followers sacrifice living creatures (usually humans) in horrible rituals. Acolytes of Guis-Wa wear robes of black. Priests wear crimson and jet while high priests wear crimson robes.

Guis-Wa, like Set, began life as a demon. At this point, he is really more of a powerful demon than a god, but his worship is gaining strength.

The Gods of Benevolence

Mitraic Religions

Mitra Pureheart (God of the Pure at Heart)

Greater God

Alignment: Lawful Good
Symbol: Cross with a lion head imposed over the crosspieces.
Realms: Arcane Channeling, Charm, Creation, Divination, Healing, Light, Protection, War
Description: Legend has it that Mitra was a human who lived during the time of the War of the Spirit Masters (see Revolt of the Drow and Legend of the Soul Gems). He was one of those few humans who had achieved civilization and were know to the elves as Jarin. He arose to divinity shortly after his death in the Battle of the Soul Gems.

Another legend has it that Mitra was always a god and chose those turbulent times to “walk among mortals” and give rise to human civilization for it wasn’t long after the War that human civilization achieved dominance.

Mitra is primary deity in the religion known as Puritanism, which also includes St. Cuthbert, Killian and Mielikki. He is worshipped mostly be those of Lawful Good disposition though some of his followers are very fanatical about imposing their religion on others. In some places, Puritanism has taken on all the charm of medieval Catholicism (picture the Spanish inquisition and such Popes as Innocent III who raised crusades against fellow Christians simply because they did not believe in the absolute power of the Pope).

Mitra appears as a young man of heroic proportions wielding a lance and riding a white charger. He wears shining gold plate armour with no helm. In his forehead is embedded a small white gem. His hair is black and silver and his face is clean-shaven.

The arch enemy of Mitra is Set, the jackal-headed god of evil and the night. Because of this, priests of Mitra consider all snakes to be evil and will kill them on sight. By the same token, lions, being the symbol of Mitra, though they are no worshipped, are treaded with respect and will not be wantonly killed. Lions will never attack a priest of Mitra or those the priest considers his friends or companions.

Killian (the Sea Goddess)

Lesser Goddess

Alignment: Neutral Good
Symbol: Blue Coral Cross
Realms: Animal, Arcane Channeling, Charm, Light, Healing, Nature, Protection, Weather
Description: Killian is a half-sister to Ulogi. Her mother was a mermaid and so Killian too appears as a mermaid though she can assume human form at will. Killian is worshipped by many sailors and fishermen. Hers is the main religion of many coastal towns and cities. Her acolytes wear robes of sea green while her priests wear robes of dusky lavender.

Mielikki (Mistress of the Forest)

Lesser Goddess

Alignment: Neutral Good
Symbol: Evergreen Cross
Realms: (Animal), Charm, Creation, Healing, Light, (Nature), Protection, Weather
Description: Mielikki is the daughter of Mitra Pureheart and Polyhymnia (one of the Tarnli). Her followers are often at odds with the druids of Ki. Whereas the druids believe in the absolute sanctity of the forest, the teachings of Mielikke expound on the virtues of benign interaction between man and nature.

Mielikki appears as a beautiful young woman dressed in a green goassamer gown, even in the coldest of winters, and is always surrounded with summer songbirds. She watches over rangers and all creatures of the forest (especially dryads). Men who make their living from the forest respect her power. Woodcutters, for example, will plant two trees for every one that they cut down.

St. Cuthbert (…of the cudgel)

Lesser God

Alignment: Lawful Good
Symbol: Cross … long axis is a bronzewood cudgel, short axis is a mace
Realms: Animal, Creation, (Divination), (Healing), Plant, (Protection), Sun, (War), Weather
Description: St. Cuthbert appears as a stout, red-faced man, with a drooping white mustache and flowing white hair. He wears simple plate mail. Atop his helmet is a crumpled hat, and a starburst of rubies set in platinum hangs on his chest. In his left hand he carries a billet of wood, a bronzewood cudgel. In his left hand is a mace.

See the legend Year of the Amber Moon for a brief account of St. Cuthbert’s rise to divinity.

St. Cuthbert, before his divinity, was a loyal follower of Mitra Pureheart. The two gods are strongly supportive of each other and, as a result, worshippers of Mitra are welcomed in churches of St. Cuthbert and vice-versa.

The worship of St. Cuthbert is, for the most part, confined to the Kingdom of Parderaan although small followings can usually be found in most of the larger cities of the region. The priests of St. Cuthbert will always use a mace or quarterstaff (cudgel) as their primary weapon. They are also noted for the crumpled hat that they invariably wear. Their holy garments are simple brown and russet garments. Upon achieving priesthood (level 3) a priest of St. Cuthbert gains the ability to cast Shillelagh once per day.

The messengers and aids of St. Cuthbert, like Mitra, are angels. The nine most powerful of these are arch-angels. These are Gabriel (the most powerful), Abraham, Jacob, Samuel, Aurora, Frances, Josephine, Katherine and Sylvia.

The arch-enemy of St. Cuthbert is the arch-devil Asmodeus and his ilk.

The Many-faceted One

Celestian (The Travelling God)

Greater God

Alignment: Varies, but always good
Symbol: Collection of the symbols of the religions devoted to his many facets, interposed on a stylized human form
Description: Celestian is known as the many-faceted One. Though he is but one god, he is worshipped in many incarnations and aspects. Thus, there are many separate religions all devoted to the same god, but each devoted to a separate aspect or quality of the god. For example, the White Snake religion represents Celestian’s mercy of mortal men while the religion of Untamo represents Celestian’s visions and dreams.

Aspects of Celestian

Untamo (The God of Dreams)

Alignment: Neutral Good
Symbol: Half-lidded Eye
Realms: Arcane Channeling, Charm, Creation, Divination, (Dreams), Healing, (Light), Protection

White Snake (The God of Mercy)

Alignment: Chaotic Good
Symbol: Snake winding up a stick
Realms: Arcane Channeling, Charm, Creation, Divination, Healing, Nature, Protection, War

The Tarnli

Tarnli (guardians of the arts, messengers of the gods)

Demi-goddesses

Alignment: Varies (see below)
Symbol: Varies (see below)
Description: The Tarnli are the nine daughters of Tysep by a mortal high priestess of his religion. They do not have their own temples and followers per se, although there are those who look to them for the arts they preside over. The Tarnli range in alignment from chaotic neutral to lawful good. The goddesses are all very beautiful and some tend to be very capricious. A description of each goddess, together with her alignment, symbol and the art she presides over are listed below.

Clio
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Symbol: Brass-bound book
Art: History

Euterpe
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Symbol: Elaborate scroll
Art: Lyric Poetry

Thalia
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Symbol: Clown mask
Art: Comedy

Melpomene
Alignment: Neutral Good
Symbol: Woman with dagger plunged into heart
Art: Tragedy

Terpsichore
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Symbol: Figurine of a dancing woman
Art: Choral dance and song

Erato
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Symbol: Naked woman
Art: Erotic poetry

Polyhymnia
Alignment: Lawful Good
Symbol: Pair of stone tablets
Art: Religious poetry and song

Urania
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Symbol: Star
Art: Astrology and Astronomy

Calliope
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Symbol: Pegasus
Art: Epic poetry

Many stories and legend are told of the exploits of the Tarnli. Some of the more popular legends are outlined below.

A young bard by the name of Mensynate was invited to bed by Urania and died of his exertions. His death, however, is said to have been one of divine happiness and climatic fulfillment. “May you die the death of Mensynate” is and often-used blessing of the followers of the Gods of Putarrha.

Another such legend relates the tale of a sailing ship whose crew was driven to madness by Erato. The ship was, at the time, negotiating a particularly treacherous passage when the men were suddenly inundated with visions of diven lovliness in the form of a scantily clad woman (Erato) in erotic pose. The sex-crazed crew, despite the efforts of the clear-headed captain, ran the vessel into the rocks in an effort to catch the elusive spirit. They were thus embraced, not by the warmth of the capricious woman, but by the cold, harsh tendrils of the unforgiving sea.

Because of the very capricious nature of some of the Tarnli, certain dieties will favour a particular goddess as his or her steady messenger. For example, Mitra Pureheart will always use Polyhymnia while Keeerani Twin-Killer favours Erato and Thalia. Tysep favours none above the other and will use whoever is most available.

Other Gods

Bear (Protector of the People)

Lesser God

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Symbol: Leather Shield with representation of a Bear
Realms: Animal, Dreams, Healing, Light, Nature, (Protection), War, Weather
Description: Bear is the god of the Bear barbarians.

Wolf (The Astral Hunter)

Lesser God

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Symbol: Wolf Constellation
Realms: Animal, Dreams, Healing, Light, Nature, Protection, (War), Weather
Description: Wolf is the god of the Wolf barbarians.