Pantheon, Fluff and other Stuff

[Mister_Sinister]

This is where any submissions regarding the flavour text of the world, as well as the pantheon, go.

• Bharrai (submitted by Agita)
  
• The Letter (submitted by Mister_Sinister)
  
• House Rules (submitted by Mister_Sinister)
  
• House Rule Clarifications and Rulings (submitted by Mister_Sinister)
  
• Korion, Cyntas and Mul-Morgen (submitted by VennDygrem)
  
• The Protectorate (submitted by FlayCrimsonwind)
  
• The Rise of the Hokar (submitted by Awkward Map)
  
• The Thrice-Born (submitted by Mister_Sinister)
  
• The Unknown (submitted by Sohala)
  
• The Night of Shooting Stars and The Endless (submitted by Nick)
  
• Fall of Windgrace City and The Slivers (submitted by Nick)
  
• The Shades of Shar (submitted by Sohala)
  

[Agita]

Bharrai

Intermediate God
Symbol: Image of a snarling bear emblazoned on a shield
Home Plane: ?
Alignment: Lawful Good
Portfolio: Bears, nature, storms
Worshipers: Sentient and anthropomorphic bears, lycanthropes, druids, barbarians (especially bear warriors)
Cleric Alignments: Any
Domains: Bear, Storm, Strength
Favored Weapon: Bite or claw

Bharrai was among the first of the gods to plant life on the Ages he left behind. What he created was a creature in his own image, a mighty, noble predator to roam the forests and icy wastes of his Ages. When Bharrai returned from the Reality Gate, he found that his creations had not only thrived, but spread across the Ages of other gods as well. The creatures he had created were the first to cross the oceans under their own power, a feat that had previously been the sole purview of the gods. So fiercely proud was he of his beasts that he proclaimed them demigods in their own right and called them bears, for they bore divinity within them. When the other gods created the humanoid races, Bharrai also made his own, but he modeled them after his original creations, mighty two-legged bears.

Dogma
Protect nature in all forms - not just forests - and revere bears and storms as the ultimate manifestations of nature's might. Protect all natural life, sentient or not, but do not be afraid to horribly maul people for the greater good. Oppose undead and extraplanar aberrations as affronts to nature. Followers of Bharrai may hunt bears (indeed, defeating a bear is regarded as a supreme display of combat prowess), but they are expected to use any and all parts of the bear they can - meat, bones, fur, and so on - and properly honor the rest with a short ritual. Killing bears for sport is tantamount to blasphemy. Lychantropy in all its forms is regarded as a good thing rather than a disease, and becoming a werebear is one of the greatest honors that a follower of Bharrai can recieve. While not strictly required, male members of the church (and female, if dwarves) often grow beards.

Clergy and temples
Many clerics of Bharrai are actually Druids, but there is still a large amount of Clerics among his worshippers. High-ranking clerics almost always take some prestige class that allows them to transorm into a bear or are werebears, anthropomorphic bears, or Awakened bears to begin with. Temples of Bharrai usually take the form of natural glades or lakes guarded by one or more members of the church. Exerting lethal force against bears in these areas is strictly forbidden (and they are enchanted with magic that ensures wild bears don't attack first), but nonlethal bear wrestling is a popular sport.

Bear Domain

Granted Power: Gain Surrogate Spellcasting as a bonus feat.

Bear domain spells

1	Goodberry
2	Claws of the Bear
3	Lesser Planar Exchange*
4	Bear's Heart
5	Draconic Polymorph**
6	Bite of the Werebear
7	Animal Shapes**
8	Phantom Bear
9	Shapechange**

*Celestial Brown Bear only.
**Bear forms of bear-like forms only (all bears, ursinals etc. - DM has final say)

[Mister_Sinister]

The Letter

Dear legate,

I hope that you receive this message with an open mind and an open heart, for we desperately need these things at this critical time. What I have to say here may come as a shock to you, and quite rightly so, for you have likely never heard of the Protectorate and could not imagine many of the things that I am about to tell you. Despite these things, I trust you, as a man of the faith, to at least consider the possibility of what I am telling you as being true, and asking for nothing more than a representative of your faith to assist us.

There are worlds beyond your world – beyond even the outer planes on which beings great and wondrous dwell. If the thin skin of reality is pushed enough, a connection can form to other worlds, other places, with their own planes and reality, different from your own. We have our own deities and powers, different from your own, and we also would not know of you, as you do not know of us, were it not for the power of the Reality Gate, that dwells between our central suns. Through this gate, we can connect to your world, and speak to you, as I speak to you now. The connection is also two-way, in that you can speak back, and even send through objects and people.

We kept this from you, as the secret of the Protectorate and the Reality Gate is highly dangerous to allow to become widely known. We cannot run the risk of those who wish to invade our reality of finding out this information, and we pray that it does not leave your chamber and those who you can trust. Were it not for the dire revelations and situations we find ourselves facing, the secret may have remained a secret for a long time – perhaps even forever.

At the same time, we cannot continue to keep this a secret from you, as we are faced with the deadliest and most dangerous threat we have yet encountered. We call these beings the Edge of Sanity, and they come from a place none of our cosmologists even knew existed. They cannot be spoken or reasoned with, and they came at the Protectorate without warning or provocation. They have attacked our outer worlds, bringing their living ships belching madness and flesh. They spare no-one, and the worlds they leave behind are places of insanity given form, having continents of flesh, gigantic insects that belch streams of maggots, and floating monstrosities too horrible to describe. They close ever faster to the heart of the Protectorate, and the Reality Gate. If they are to reach and discover it, I fear that they may attack your worlds also.

We, as the custodians and guardians of this, cannot allow this to come to pass. We owe it to you, and other worlds connected by the Gate, to ensure that this threat is stopped. However, we are growing weaker by the day, and our champions fall faster than they can be replaced. We urge you to send any help you can, in the form of your greatest and most potent servants, to assist us in our struggle against the Edge of Sanity. We swear that we do not lie, and that this letter is completely genuine, and we will assist you in kind one day if you assist us now, in our time of need.

If you wish to send us a champion, send them to the place this letter was found, with this letter, and we will take it from there.

In the name of the Protectorate,

Father Gabriel Valentinius

[Mister_Sinister]

House Rules

The basics

This game will have four players, plus myself as GM. We will use a modified form of 3.5 DnD, with a bunch of houserules that I will list here. We will be playing as either PbP or over IRC, but I would like to remind everyone that, as I am at GMT+12, IRC might be a bit more challenging – though I'm very willing to give it a go!

The most important rule

Gentlemen's agreement is in effect – this means, if you use it against me, I'll use it against you. Bear this in mind.

Sources

Any and all sources are game.

Houserules

Fundamentals and Background

• Everyone is 10th level.
• You must follow a deity. One PC will follow an Eberron deity, one will follow an FR deity, one will follow a Greyhawk deity, and the last (being a Protectorate local) will follow a deity from the pantheon that we set down for them. Please decide amongst yourselves who gets what.
• You are a champion of your chosen deity, and one of its highest representatives – thus, please have a background that actually supports this!
• Everyone has a stat array of 16, 15, 14, 13, 12, 10, arranged as they like.
• No flaws in this game.
• Numeric XP is dead. XP components are also dead. Good riddance.
• Favoured class penalties are dead. If you have a favoured class, it means you can take racial substitution levels in that class, regardless of what race you are. Yes, humans can take any substitution level – go nuts.
• As a result of the above, all races will have two favoured classes. Feel free to suggest some.

Races

• All races are acceptable.
• If you want to play something with LA or racial HD, let me know, and we'll work out an option that doesn't suck.
• No LA buyoff is in effect – let me know if you want an LA race, and we'll hammer something out.

Classes

• Everyone is a cleric in this game. By this, I mean that cleric casting or the cleric class should form the keystone of your build for this – no one-dips of clerics for feats!
• You may use any ACFs or PrCs that you want to fill out your build.
• PrCs never cost you caster levels. Yes, all PrCs which give any caster levels are now full casting. This may cause me to amend some of them, though, so bear this in mind.
  
• You may be of any alignment you want – yes, lawful evil clerics of Pelor are all good here.
• Turning compares to CR, not HD.
• You may never access a PrC below 6th character level, ever, ever, ever. Ever, ever.
• When qualifying for a PrC, you may ignore one set of reqs (skill ranks, feats, spell requirements, etc).
• Everyone receives 2 additional skill points at each level.

Skills

• Skill points are no longer multiplied by 4 at 1st level. The maximum ranks that you can have in a class skill is now equal to your character level, half that for cross-class skills. You receive a +3 training bonus to any skill you have ranks in.
• As a result of this change, all skill rank reqs are reduced by 3, to a minimum of 1.
• You no longer pay double cost for cross-class ranks.
• Tome of Prowess skills are in effect. Reduce all rank requirements by 3, to a minimum of 1. If stuff's missing (and it well may be...), use this link instead.
  
• Anything which gives bonuses to skills that are not ranks, training or stats is now a competence bonus.

Feats

• All characters receive Power Attack and Combat Expertise for free. Additionally, Power Attack always has a 1:2 damage output, regardless of weapon choice, and Combat Expertise has no cap (essentially being Improved Combat Expertise, or whatever the fuck it's called). Anything that has any of these feats, or any derivative or improvement of these feats, as a prerequisite, no longer has them. If you want to replace these with any derivative or replacement of these feats (such as Stone Power), feel free to ask.
• Everyone has Apprentice and Mentor as bonus feats at 1st and 6th levels respectively. Work it into your background.
• All the +2/+2 skill feats are dead, and anything that has them as prerequisites no longer has them.
• Skill Focus now gives a +4 bonus to the skill it's set to, and makes that skill a class skill. Combat Casting is now dead in the water.
• Weapon Focus now folds in Weapon Specialization, Greater Weapon Focus and Greater Weapon Specialization at appropriate levels. Anything which required these feats as prereqs no longer does.
• Dodge now gives a +2 dodge bonus to AC at all times, and includes the benefits of Mobility. Any derivative of these feats is dead, and anything that needs Mobility as a prereq no longer does.
• Item Creation feats are no longer in existence, instead becoming uses of Craft (with the right specialization) at a number of ranks equal to their caster level prereq.
• The Toughness feat now gives 2 additional hit points per level. Improved Toughness and any replacement or derivative of Toughness no longer exist.
• All metamagic costs are reduced by 1, to a minimum of 0.
• Using RobbyPants version of Persistent Spell. This does NOT get the reduction (still +2 levels as normal).
  

Spellcasting

• Material components are dead. Focus components are also dead.
• Your caster level is always equal to your character level. Always, forever, and eternally. It can never be higher or lower.
• Clerics do not automatically know every cleric spell. Instead, they automatically know all cleric spells given as part of their list in the SRD, and may replace access to any spell at any level with another cleric spell at the same level. In addition to this, at every level of casting, you may add one spell from any source to your list of cleric spells known.
• Sanctified and corrupted spells must be learned in the same way as all other non-SRD ones – nobody gets them by default.
• All spells are uncapped if they were capped. Any problematic things will be banned if needs be, or nerfed if they don't warrant banning.
• Divine power is removed from the cleric list, and cannot be acquired by any means. Instead, clerics get a free spell to add to their list to replace it from any cleric source.
  
• All domain abilities based on cleric level are now based on cleric caster level instead.
• Greater dispel magic no longer exists, being totally superceded by dispel magic. As with divine power, replace for free and enjoy.
  
• All spells that give skill bonuses have that bonus cut in half (rounding down) and turned into competence.

Items

• Items which give pure bonuses do not exist anymore. Instead, all characters receive the following benefits: +4 enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls, +4 enhancement bonus to all ability scores, +4 enhancement bonus to AC, +4 resistance bonus on all saves and +3 deflection bonus to AC.
• Nonstandard bonus-type-granting items (things that give, for instance, insight bonuses to AC) do not exist anymore.
• Instead of WBL, we'll be using a different system. All items are divided into least, lesser and greater. Least items are worth between 1 and 4, 000gp, lesser items are between 4, 001 and 25, 000 gp, and greater items are between 25, 001gp and 200, 000gp. At your level, you may own up to ten least items, and one lesser item. You also have up to three potions of 1st level spells, and three potions of 2nd level spells if you want.
• Weapons and armour with abilities no longer require pluses. To figure out their cost, simply reckon them as if they were items with pluses equal to their 'plus adjustment'. Thus, a flaming weapon costs as much as a +2 weapon would have normally.
  
• You each have 10, 000gp's worth of precious objects that are specifically not magical. Anything is game here – gold bars, gems, castles, stables full of horses... use your imagination.
  
• You're allowed as many mundane objects as is reasonable.
• All wands are eternal wands from MIC. Scrolls no longer exist. Staffs behave like runestaffs.
  
• For the creation of mundane objects, I will assign a sane timeframe. For magic items, they can only be created in very unusual circumstances, which are entirely at the whims of the plot.
• Buying magic items for wealth is practically not possible – you'd have to trade favours or other items for them.
• The body system for magic items is retarded – as long as you are physically capable of wearing the item, you can use it. If you wanna run around with three medallions or five rings, I'm not going to stop you.
• You may not benefit from more than five continuously-active items at any one time. Consumables don't count here. You may still carry more than six items if desired, of course.
• Items that boost caster level no longer exist.

Additional Game Rules

• Whenever you have to make a d20 roll for something, or an opponent has to make a d20 roll to resist or stop something you're doing, you may declare it to be a 'stunt'. To declare a stunt, you must describe the action in a cool and interesting way. If you do so, you may roll two d20s and pick the one you like more, or force that opponent to roll two d20s and pick the one you like more. Stunt as much as you like – keeps things more fun!
• This is not a rule as much as a request – please provide a brief description of what your character's main mechanical schtick is with any posts of stats! It helps me immensely to not have to figure this out myself.

[Mister_Sinister]

House Rule Clarifications and Rulings

• Re: Stoneblessed and Master Specialist, as well as similar classes: Permitted to qualify early if a good case can be made. Source
  
• Re: Classes that give either bonus feats or casting: Pick one or the other, but no mixing and matching. Source
  
• Re: What 'cleric casting' constitutes: Only spellcasting specifically from the cleric class counts - no Archivists, Favoured Souls, Ur-Priests etc. Source
  
• Re: Domain powers that boost caster level: These no longer exist. Instead, they grant a bonus feat, with preference to the Devotion feat connected to that domain unless ruled otherwise. Source Source 2
  
• Re: Geomancer and spontaneous cure and inflict conversion: This is different from the cleric ability that has a similar effect, and thus, Domain Spontenaity does not affect it. Source
  
• Re: Doublies: Yes, both sides get full advancement. Yes, you still suck donkey dick. Source
  
• Re: PrC entry after level 6, but prior to normal possibility due to req burning: Yes, provided the abilities you gain are not out-of-line with your level. Source
  
• Re: Legacy Champion: Yes, you get full casting with it too. Happy birthday. Source
  
• Re: DragMag usage: As I don't own DragMags, any content you wish to use has to go through me first, preferably by PM of said content. Source
  
• Re: Domain expansion: I will consider sensible choices for a deity if you wish to take additional domains. Pelor does not grant the Undeath domain, basically. Source
  
• Re: Shining Blade of Heironeous Remake: Nothing wrong with that. Use it if you want. Source
  

More to come here (currently on page 4)

[Mister_Sinister]

This was originally posted by VennDygrem. I have taken the liberty of transferring it.

Korion

Intermediate God
Symbol: A blue circle surrounding a black triangle- within lie three unblinking eyes at each corner of the triangle.
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio: Illusion, Shadow, Change
Worshipers: Anyone may worship Korion, though a large portion of his followers include Shapeshifters, Rogues and Scallywags, Illusionists, and even some divinity-minded Aberrations.
Domains: Illusion, Darkness, Transformation (RoE 181), Trickery
Favored Weapon: Hand Crossbow
Lore: The Lord of the Farthest Realm, The King of the Black, The Shadow King; For the longest of times, he barely registered as a power within the pantheon. Whenever a kingdom, empire, or any mere city would crumble, however, Korion rose up from its ruin hoping to take some measure of its glory as his own. Feared by some to be evil, he does not quite qualify as he has no particular love of suffering or cruelty; he is rather motivated simply by self-interest and a love for change. He craves attention, having been deprived of it for so long, and cares not where he gets it. He thus accepts worshipers of all alignments, races, and creeds.

Dogma: Korion's adherents are bidden to seek change in all its forms. His followers are typically nomadic, or otherwise restructure their permanent homes and settlements regularly. An individual might, for instance, might change their hair color monthly, or might otherwise seek out transformative or illusory magics to alter their appearance. Warriors are encouraged to take a side in battles for liberation, revolution, or conquest; anything to alter the status quo. Followers often interpret their divine charge differently, and of course this pleases Korion to no end.

Clergy: Korion has few permanent churches, but clerics and priests are plentiful. Typically, they roam from town to town, preaching change and transformation of the soul. Some of the more zealous take a more aggressive role in such change, and provide for the bulk of the bad reputation Korion's church receives on a daily basis.

Cyntas

Greater God
Symbol: Unknown (though hidden, ancient enclaves reveal his symbol to be a longsword surrounded by clouds)
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Dreams, Secrets, Pride, Safe Travel
Domains: Dream, Planning, Truth (RoE 181), Law, Travel
Worshipers: Few, if any.
Favored Weapon: Longsword

Lore: The Silent Watcher, The Phantom Traveler; The first of the Gods, little is known of him. As the pantheon grew, so did his paranoia. Expecting one of the younger deities to attempt to usurp his power, he went into reclusion, and none have heard word from him to this day.

However, hidden away nearly as well are his followers. They broker secrets, and are not afraid to take up a cause if they feel it aligns with their personal code of morals. All strive to keep secret their God's influence, but draw strength from him nonetheless. They spread throughout the world keeping it safe without regards to good or evil, though typically this effort leans closer to Good tendencies.

Mul-Morgen

Greater Goddess
Symbol: A raven perched in front of a rising sun
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Portfolio: Magic, Honor, Sacrifice, Scholarship
Worshipers: Varies; Primarily good-aligned creatures, and primarily humans (though many races respect her goals and values)
Domains: Magic, Glory, Strength, Knowledge, Protection
Favored Weapon: Morningstar
Lore: Mul-Morgen the Raven-haired, The Dawn Queen, The Mistress of Tomes (also, sometimes, "The Hot Librarian", via the cruder populace); Mul-Morgen is a powerful deity, and a great force for good. She was once a mortal princess, hidden from the world due by her family due to being born frail. She grew tired of being imprisoned from a world she knew to be much wider than her own courtyard, and so staged a daring, difficult escape. Upon her success, Mul-Morgen discovered a strong, innate connection to magic, which allowed her to see the world in an entirely new way. She trained her body and mind, overcoming impossible odds through force of will and determination. Her unique talents allowed her to grow strong, and she put her strength in arms and in magic to ending what tyrannies and evils she came across. Upon her ascension into godhood, she formed a group of divine warriors to further her goals and help protect the world. They are the Knights of the Raven, and their main goal is to fight evil undead, though they take up the charge of fighting against evil wherever it arises.

Dogma: Always seek to improve oneself, while helping others to improve themselves. Be strong in body, mind, and soul, and always strive to fight tyranny and evil.

Clergy: Primarily made up of clerics and paladins, there is still a plentiful number of priests who devote themselves to serving communities. Adherents build churches, libraries, and schools, though almost always teach the community to tend after such facilities themselves in an attempt to help them become self-sufficient.

[Mister_Sinister]

This was originally submitted by FlayCrimsonwind. I have reposted it here.

The Protectorate

Time, it is said, is an illusion, while the concept of space is seen as infinite. Thought, however, is limited both in scope of space and of time; bound by this illusion, thought can only stem from that which a subject may perceive, and perception is not boundless, even to Gods. For Gods know of their realm, and see their realm extending until it is bordered by another power. And so, reality, as we see it, is limited, but rather vast.

The realm of the Protectorate is limited and infinite at once.

You see, its gods once viewed their realms in the same fashion as the Gods of other planes, and they were locked into their limited reality by the same logic. But in the Protectorate, the Gods grew tired of their bickering very quickly, and wished for their own realms away from the others. And so, the original father, known by mortals now as Cyntas, while the other Gods fought further about how to fix their solution, came upon his own plan; he simply wandered away, wanting to take his realm to a place away from the others. And so he did; and when he disappeared, the other Gods grew curious, and frightened, for they knew he had not been destroyed by any amongst them.

Now, when Cyntas left, he knew that he would do well to not lose himself, and when the other Gods became lost from sight, he lay down markers in the nothing, a piece of his realm to lead him back in the direction. This first island in the mists of nothing became known as Riven, and was inhabited by beings of light, who might shine brightly, so that he would know how to return. As the light grew too dim for even he to see, he knew it might be hard to identify his beacons when he came back that way. And so he left a piece of his realm, a vast ocean, by which the currents would connect Riven to it's sister island, the second beacon, whose name for other reasons is now lost to time. As he wandered this way and that, his currents gave direction to the beacon islands, ages apart; thus were they named "Ages," and spread so distantly apart.

The other gods, meanwhile, had sent themselves out to the farthest corner of their realms, looking for where Cyntas must have hidden, but finding him nowhere. Finally, looking out at their realms, did they see for the first time something unexplainable; a border, where nothing lay on the other side but a vast, misty ocean, with a sliver of light shining from it. It was then they knew, Cyntas had gained what none of them had; a separate, perfect realm. And they all wanted it, and all angrily plotted to find him, take it, and claim it for their own.

As they came rushing upon him, with armaments and spellcraft, Cyntas fled, knowing that though he was the first, he could not hold them all off. But his currents gave him away, and his islands lay unprotected beneath him. And so, with a wave of his hand, he struck out the lights, and scattered the currents so that none would be led to him. In their fury, they chased him into the darkness, the realms torn from one anothers borders as they followed their respective gods. Suddenly, each God having followed their own strand of the current, the Gods realized that they had become lost in the misty sea themselves, with their realms now islands, separate from the rest. Cyntas was lost, and they were all secluded, and it looked as though their realms would stay floating upon the furious waves, unmoving, forever.

However, the Gods realized their own loneliness, and so sought out each others traces in the darkness. Each worked to study the shifting currents, understanding that, as they could perceive them, they could therefore be limited. Studying, watching, the Gods made vast libraries of knowledge of the currents, until in each of their libraries, they had the written collective knowledge of every variable path the currents could move in, as far as they could see into the mist from their own islands. With that, the Gods locked themselves into their libraries, charted their courses, and decided upon their path; extending from where the currents seemed to all ultimately lead to, beginning, they hoped, where their currents seemed to all originate from.

With this technique, they stumbled out, leaving behind fragments of themselves as the basis of life, magic, and knowledge, and knowing that the beings that would grow from those seeds would protect their realms, the Gods set themselves out from their Ages to their desired origin.

Eventually, they met; all except Cyntas. Some, feeling guilty for the gift he had given, having only given violence and threat of unmaking in return, sought to find Cyntas and attempt forgiveness. Some, more dark hearted, sought the islands that Cyntas had left dark and hidden, believing them to be the place where Cyntas' knowledge might be stored in his own library. All of them, agreeing to keep an eye at their borders for the Ages of Myst and Riven (the old word for "Rivers," meaning the currents upon which the mist floated), went back to their ages, and at the meeting point they had all found, some by chance, combined to rise from the ocean the Age known as Relisgarte, where all their magic tethers, lines drawn from the libraries to this Age, were locked.

However, this island Age, named in the old tongue "the Reality Gate," overtime was stretched from it's central point, a library of combined information of each of the Gods on the way of the Ages. From that point came a tear, very small but still apparent, from which a small amount of utter madness spewed forth. Hurriedly, the Gods sealed the rip, but could only patch it, not unmake it. The Reality Gate therefore became more fittingly the gate that sealed reality, possible only from its ordered state, from the madness from without. The Gods, with their libraries now more gently connected, and requiring the right books within their libraries to travel between, severed their tethers to the reality gate, though their magic still lingers barely graspable.

For ages now, the people of the different Ages have developed, understood some of the old magic of the libraries, and learned over time to contact one another. Some times have been peaceful; other times have led to invasion, war, conquering, and destruction. Content to rest from their battle with the madness, the Gods restricted themselves to their own people, followers, and Ages, and have not plotted to take any more than their followers could take for themselves. The Gods strife became played out by their guardians of the Age, and slowly their interests became much more indirect.

But like the original beacon, magic called out from beyond the veil of the reality gate, and other planes were believed to exist beyond the Reality Gate. With the help of their Gods, the guardians of the Ages, known only by the names of whichever nation established itself among the Age, perfected magics to force a portal-like path through the reality gate, to become aware of the realms of other Planes. But as they did, the Reality Gate showed the madness on the other side. Showed it's advancement over other planes. Showed how it could not be weakened, or stopped, or slowed. And so they resolved to gathered the greatest heroes from each plane, and pit them against the darkness. For their Ages were not enough; perhaps the Ages of many would be able to drive it back into the abyss.

[Awkward Map]

Rise of the Hokar [Event]

In the mountainous region of Cragfell, live the Hokar.  These humanoids walk with a bit of a crouch and have powerful bodies for scaling the crags they call home.  They have gray, mottled skin and hairy bodies as well as fangs for ripping and tearing flesh.  Though primitive, they did craft and manipulate bone and stone implements, such as stone axes.  Hokar lived in tribes, fighting viciously for rights to lead and control as many others as possible.  Tribal leaders often were steeped in shamanic traditions and capable of using magic.

However, they were viewed by the neighboring country of Proshnak as nothing more than brutes who would kill any venturing into their mountain passes.  Hokar men, women, and children were considered less than humans and a blight upon the land.  A practice passed down through generations of Proshnak royalty is that of the yearly fight against the invading Hokar hordes.  Since there was never a fight to begin with, the tradition is actually just mounted knights setting fire to some villages on the outskirts and putting any found to the sword.

A half-breed by the name of Ging was born by a human mother in shame after, as her family said, being befouled by a beast man.  She raised her son quietly and in a small village where she was able to control how many eyes fell upon them.  Ging wasn't angry with his mother, but he also wasn't going to live a life in fear and shame.  He set off to find a way to prove that he and the people who he shared blood with had real worth.

Ging knew he needed money and he needed skills that would get him far in the world.  He trained as a thief and assassin, since he needed a lot of money and a job which didn't ever require lifting his hood.  Ging saw he had a knack for setting up jobs that most importantly of all remained unnoticed.  Years of work as a contract killer and professional thief gave him many contacts and plenty of money to do what came next.

Ging came to increase their standard of living with modern techniques, but it required absolute control to do anything with the Hokar.  They believed in shows of strength and were incredibly individual creatures used to uprisings against tribal leaders.  Without wasting time, Ging made himself known as the strongest among the Hokar.  The crags ran red for a season as he moved from the shadows, eliminating any threat to his impending rule.  Afterwards, he established himself as dictator and brought to his side those among the previous tribal rulers who were smart.  Those who crossed him died and their families were also erased down to the last kin.

The mountains the Hokar resided in were rich in metals and gems, but they were not tapped into the outside economy whatsoever.  As part of his first steps, he began importing outside talent and implements into the region.  Those who were deemed stupid were set to work mining, but those who were smart were taught metal working and gem cutting.  Several years passed as those assigned to their tasks worked towards and then surpassed the quality of goods from other countries.  Simply having larger quantities of goods to work quickly honed their skills.  Ging made it known to the outside world that the Hokar were no longer asleep on their mountains and had awoken to the ways of the world.

As years passed, quality of life improved for all in the Cragfell.  Education and skill are highly valued attributes that allow people to further themselves.  Some can recall the dark days when Ging first came to their secluded realm, but most do so in homes while eating hot food and drinking ale.  He continues to rule them, but has worked with experts from courts throughout the land to create a system for ruling when he has passed.  He had succeeded at his goal of re-booting the Hokar cultural identity into one that is concerned with the intellect and not with brute strength alone.  Ging has also worked with many military experts in building a fighting force to protect their valuable lands from outside influence.

The rest of the countries of the Protectorate have been made uneasy by the rapid modernization and expansion of influence the Hokar have made in the past 12 years.  Many still view those hailing from Cragfell as nothing more than dressed up beasts, but the export of high quality goods and services has earned begrudging respect.  Those masters who many years ago taught the Hokar have asked to visit and learn from their students, but been denied.  The Cragfell has remained a homogenous nation that is unwilling to accept any non-Hokar, viewing them as inferior.  In many ways, these are years of cultural pride for the people of Hokar and signal of a golden age.

[Mister_Sinister]

The Thrice-Born

Origins: The Thrice-Born have been worshipped for an incredibly long time, predating all other forms of worship on Elessium. First revealed by the Prophet Issa (an act believed to have occurred more than two thousand years ago), it has since become the predominant religion of Elessium, with limited success elsewhere. Although Issa lived a very short life on Elessium (having chosen to leave it and travel to 'worlds elsewhere'), his teachings were the beginnings of the kingdom of Khrista, which continues to be a stronghold for the Thrice-Born Believers, the strongest and largest faction within the followers of the Thrice-Born.

Beliefs: Those who follow the Thrice-Born are known to disagree on many things. However, the points of agreement are as follows: the greatest divinities of all are the Thrice-Born, represented as Father, Mother and Son (although some factions also claim a Daughter, although this is considered heterodox at best), who are 'as one, but in thrice'. Some claim that this means that they are one being with three different forms, or three beings which act in unison. The former interpretation (the Monoformants) is the one that is taken by the Thrice-Born Believers, although the latter interpretation (the Triunitarians) is slowly becoming more popular. Additionally, all hold the Contract of Issa as the key guiding principles of their faith, although interpretations vary considerably, and the status of Issa is always at least that of a prophet (if not a divine being, or the Son himself). Lastly, all those who follow the Thrice-Born are expected to spread their faith and convince others to believe as they do. To what extent this is taken varies, but some factions have seen this as justification for holy war and worse crimes.

The Contract of Issa

Believed to have been formulated by Prophet Issa himself, as revealed to him by the Thrice-Born, the Contract of Issa is the key founding document of all Thrice-Born followers. However, as the document was written down only in poetic form, interpreting it precisely has become an endless complexity between the different factions of the Thrice-Born faithful.

The Contract contains nine clauses (or Edicts), which are listed below.

• Honour the greatness of the Thrice-Born, for none are above their power. Those who would be gods are but as men before them.
  

This passage, known as the Totalitarian (or First) Edict, has been largely interpreted to mean that the Thrice-Born are the only deity worthy of the title. The Thrice-Born Believers in particular assert this claim, insisting that even other deities are not as powerful as the Thrice-Born, thus making them lesser (if still divine) beings. As a result, those who belong to the Thrice-Born Believers must venerate the Thrice-Born above and beyond all other deities, and single-choice veneration is seen as the best approach to worship.

This is arguable, as the priests of all faiths receive powers from their deities, which has led many of the less zealous followers of the Thrice-Born to take a more sensible doctrinal approach, which states that the Thrice-Born are merely another deity among many. This interpretation is still considered highly unorthodox, and debates regarding this among those who follow the Thrice-Born have become heated to the point of violence.

Largely due to this research, the second sentence of the Totalitarian Edict has been interpreted by several factions as not referring to deity-level beings at all, but simply claiming it as a reinforcement of the idea that no non-deity-level being is deserving of worship, making the Thrice-Born as simply another deity, with no claim of superiority, but having a strict prohibition against the veneration of any individual 'of this world or any other'. These factions venerate the Thrice-Born along with other deities, something which the Thrice-Born Believers look upon with scorn.

• Depict not the Thrice-Born, nor my form in any matter of this world but your minds and hearts, for those who would create such things would attempt to form the formless, and limit the limitless.
  

This passage, titled the Non-imagic (or Second) Edict, is fairly uncontested, and almost all factions do not depict the Thrice-Born in any way aside from their symbol (which never claims itself as a depiction anyway).

The difficulty arises from the statement that 'my' form also cannot be depicted. Although most claim that Issa had been speaking from the first person while saying this, essentially insisting that he could not be depicted either, this is not a reading recognised by any but the Thrice-Born Believers. All other factions claim that the justification given cannot possibly fit Issa, as he had both form and limit (although less than can be expected). The Believers justify their interpretation by claiming that Issa was in fact the Son in mortal form, and therefore, had only the illusion of form or limit, but this is no longer looked upon as credible, as no provable Collegiate theory exists that could indicate that a deity could take mortal form. However, the Believers insist that until such a theory exists and is proven, their interpretation cannot be discounted.

Other factions interpret 'my' as referring to themselves, which means that they do not allow their picture to be painted or sculptures made in their form (a doctrine termed Non-imagism). This is considered extremist by many, and thus, these factions tend to be the minority. Most claim that Issa cannot be depicted, but not because of the justification given, but simply for reasons that are perhaps left unsaid.

• Speak as you wish to be spoken to. Sully not your tongues with the words that harm, the words that injure, and speak only the truth of the Thrice-Born.
  

The Polity (or Third) Edict is one of the most disputed in existence. The Believers claim that it prohibits curse words of any kind, as well as speaking in any way that would hurt another. However, they claim that when an accusation is true, it can be spoken irrespective of how impolite or hurtful it is. This has caused accusations of hypocrisy by many, who claim that this merely allows the Believers to reprimand those that would criticise them, but allows them to criticise others on bases they consider 'truthful'.

Other factions claim that 'words that harm and injure' are words that incite others to harm or injure, which prohibits actions such as giving orders to hurt or kill someone (or even carry such an intepretive possibility). The 'truth of the Thrice-Born' is also interpreted by some (extremely extremist) factions as referring to only the teachings of the Thrice-Born, which prohibits them from saying anything not directly related to the faith. Others instead insist that this prohibits lying in any form. Most ordinary faithful simply claim that this is an injunction for politeness, civility and honesty.

One of the most unusual interpretations of this Edict is that it is against magic in general. As a result, many 'witches' have been killed under the pretext of this, although only the Witch Hunters of Illamar consider this to be an interpretation that is valid.

• The Fiveday is a day for holy work and holy thoughts. Keep it always.
  

The Fiveday (or Fourth) Edict is often seen as an insistence on prayer, divine contemplation and learning every Fiveday. How strict this regulation is varies from faction to faction, with the Thrice-Born Believers insisting that all attend a service on that day, and that missing such a service for anything short of life-threatening reasons is a great spiritual failing. However, other factions disagree with such a strict reading, claiming that 'holy work' and 'holy thoughts' can mean many different things, and many claim that simply ensuring that one follows the Contract thoroughly on Fivedays is sufficient. Activities which are not considered appropriate for Fivedays vary widely; the Believers insist on including sex into this category (and are about the only faction that does), while others claim that everything from eating meat to gambling to use of intoxicants to physical exercise (and many more besides) are not considered 'holy'.

• The hierarchy is a sacred thing. Father comes before Son, Mother before Daughter, king before subject, and Thrice-Born before all things.
  

This clause, termed the Hierarchical (or Fifth) Edict, is interpreted in three ways. Firstly, it is claimed as an indication that the Thrice-Born indeed have a hierarchy of their own. However, at the same time, this interpretation hails that the unity of the Thrice-Born must come before such hierarchies, indicating that within an organization, all lessers and greaters become greater than they are. This interpretation is popular within the Believers, who also add that, as it involves 'kings and subjects', it must mean that all things in life also have such a hierarchy, which is of equal sacredness. These hierarchies are constituted in many different forms, concerning all ways of life, and deference to them is seen as a spiritual thing.

The second interpretation is more literal, claiming that this does not refer to the Thrice-Born at all; instead, it discusses the structure of the family, and that fathers should look after their sons, and in turn, be respected by their sons, and likewise for mothers and daughters. Kings and subjects are seen in the same way. However, in all other things, it claims that hierarchies are not divine or sacred things, but simply created for whatever purpose, good or bad, that their non-divine creators insisted upon. This is probably closest to what many lay believers practice in their lives as far as this Edict is concerned.

The last, perhaps most unusual, interpretation of this is the fact that in fact, the Thrice-Born are not three, but four, with the Daughter being a hierarchically inferior, but present, being. Very few factions consider this interpretation valid, however.

• Kill not those who believe, for they are equal in greatness to yourselves. Only the Thrice-Born can decide who is to live and who is to die.
  

Due to the gravity of its implications, the Terminal (or Sixth) Edict is a matter of hot interpretive debate. The most common divergences result from differing interpretations of 'those who believe'. The Thrice-Born Believers claim that this refers only to other Believers, and thus, claim that violence against those who are not Believers (even if they are heterodox followers of the Thrice-Born) is acceptable. This is not something shared by almost any other factions, who largely interpret 'those who believe' as referring to the faithful of any deity, or those who believe in the Thrice-Born (including those who venerate other deities in addition). Some factions also claim that if the Thrice-Born (through some mortal agent) declare an enemy, they can be killed without concern. Who has the right to make such a decision is frequently a matter of dispute, although the Thrice-Born Believers insist that the Hierarch has this right (although it has rarely been invoked, and always for a limited span of time).

• The marriage contract is akin to that of Issa – those that violate it are unworthy in the eyes of the Thrice-Born.
  

The Marital (or Seventh) Edict is usually read as requiring those who are married to abstain from sexual relations with any other person, as well as requiring those that are married to not marry anyone else as long as their spouse lives. Divorce (that is, the breaking of an already-established marriage contract) is rare among those who believe in the Thrice-Born, though some factions claim that the breaking of a marriage contract does not constitute its violation. The Thrice-Born Believers also claim that sexual relations outside marriage regardless of whether one is married or not are a violation of the marriage contract, though in this case, explicitly that which you would sign in the future. Such a 'chronological' interpretation is not seen as valid by any other faction within those who believe in the Thrice-Born. Lastly, monogamous marriage is rejected by several factions of those who believe in the Thrice-Born (which collectively term themselves as the Polygamists), although most claim the ability to marry multiple women is restricted to men only. Endless denunciations over the interpretations of this Edict abound.

• That which another owns is theirs to give and theirs alone. None but the Thrice-Born can decide who is to own what, and none beneath them can make that choice for another.
  

This Edict, dubbed the Mercantilist (or Eighth), is basically non-controversial. Its basic implication (that property and possession transfers are only valid with the consent of the one that owns them) is not disputed (except by the few factions who argue that figures senior enough to be qualified to speak for the Thrice-Born can make decisions redistributing property or possessions without the consent of their owners), but the extent to which it applies varies. The Thrice-Born Believers read it as strictly forbidding theft, whether by strength or guile, but insist that the Hierarch, who speaks for the Thrice-Born, may make decisions regarding the redistribution of anyone's property. As this power has yet to be used by the Hierarch, its implications regarding non-believers (and, indeed, non-Believers) have not yet been considered.

• Envy not what others may have, for it demeans both you and them. Be like the Thrice-Born, content with all, but owning none.
  

The Ninth (or Luxurious) Edict is the subject of some controversy among the different factions. The most common interpretation of this Edict is that none should envy others simply because they have something that they do not, is complicated by the various implications. Some factions argue that only physical objects should not be envied, and that the envy of intangibles (such as intellect or talent) is acceptable. Others (including the Believers) claim that it is the emotion of envy, rather than some specific expression of it, that is being criticised within the Edict, and thus, claim that the envy of anything for any reason is wrong.

The second sentence is also widely disputed. Many argue it to simply be an injunction toward tolerance, benevolence and acceptance, but other, more literalist traditions claim this is an injunction toward a monastic existence for all those who believe in the Thrice-Born. Generally, factions tend to fall in-between these positions, allowing for a monastic tradition for those who desire it, but not requiring it of all faithful. The Thrice-Born Believers state that monasticism is an ideal state to aspire to, but accepts the fact that not all are willing or able to undertake such a step, making allowances for both monastic and non-monastic adherence.

Organization: The Thrice-Born faith is often (but not always) highly-organized, with a strict hierarchy of spiritual and lay people. At the top of this organization are the Hierarchs, who are the greatest leaders of any given faction or sect of Thrice-Born worshippers. Due to the large number of differences that are observed by the followers of the Thrice-Born, as well as their great fixation on minor theological details, with the added determinism of such factors, means that there are a great number of people at any given time who claim to be Hierarchs. How veracious their claim depends on the number and vociferousness of their followers, as well as their ability to command the magical energies bestowed by their deities. It has also been said that armies are of great help to aspiring Hierarchs.

Beneath the Hierarchs are Clerics, who are trained in theological matters, and deal mainly with ministering to the faithful, proselytization and addressing more temporal concerns. Clerics have several ranks establishing seniority, with the Rule of Three of the Thrice-Born Believers being the most commonly adhered to. Under this rule, the highest rank of Cleric is titled Archimandrite. These (mostly) men and (seldom) women are given responsibility for the spiritual advancement of a region the size of at least several cities, corresponding to ancient divisions of the Age of Elessium into administrative regions. The largest region, the currently known as Illamar, from where Issa is said to come, is also the most prestigious. The individual in charge of this region is titled Grand Archimandrite.

Beneath Archimandrites are Metropolitans, who are given charge of a city or city-sized regions, being delegated the more mundane duties concerning the faithful within that region. It is highly likely that particularly important cities could have several Metropolitans, all claiming responsibility (and hence, authority) over the faithful of the Thrice-Born in each city. This leads to a very complex political situation for the rulers of that city, especially if any given Thrice-Born faction is of great importance or has great numbers, or is of particular influence.

The lowest rank according to the Rule of Three are the Precentors, who are usually in charge of a single Thrice-Born shrine or temple, and deal with the most immediate concerns of ministration to the faithful of that particular shrine or temple. They are also the most numerous of all Clerics, as they are needed in great numbers, particularly in very populous regions or cities, where there could be hundreds of Precentors.

An exception to the Rule of Three are the Protectors, whose task is to provide the martial arm of a Thrice-Born faction. While the use of mercenary units is acceptable to most factions, their leadership and direction must come from sacred authority, and the Protectors are given very great, but very narrow, powers, able to overrule even an Archimandrite on matters of safety or security. These Clerics are given far more training in martial and strategic matters, although they are just as versed in all things theological as any Cleric must be.

Seniority is usually taken extremely seriously by followers of the Thrice-Born, and it is common for ordinary laypeople who believe in the Thrice-Born to accept anything delivered by a higher authority to be literal truth without question. Many factions, however, question the need for such precise delineation, and quite a few believe that any sort of ranking other than Hierarch is completely unnecessary. However, these groups tend to be small and less significant than the others. The most rigid adherents to the Rule of Three (and possibly even their establishing faction) are the Thrice-Born Believers.

Symbol: The followers of the Thrice-Born usually use a tesselating pattern of three fish as their symbol, believed to represent the three fish given to Issa by the first man to accept the Thrice-Born in gratitude. All faithful are encouraged to wear the symbol prominently, and this design features heavily in the decorations of temples, shrines and priestly vestments dedicated to the Thrice-Born.

Domains: Community, Family, Glory, Healing, Purification

[Sohala]

The Unknown

The void between the Ages. Strange energy flows through it corrupting all that manage to live there. There might be some angry god there too.

[Nick]

Night of Shooting Stars

Some call it an ill omen, others call it a portent of great events, but one thing for certain, and made doubly sure by the Disciples of Legend, is that the Night of Shooting Stars was the very same night which the surviving half of the Six disappeared forever from Greyhawk.

A shower of stars lit the night like never-ending stream of fireworks turned the darkness of the night into day. Astrologers are suddenly faced with disappearances of whole constellations and star maps no longer functioned for ships and land travelers. While there were reports of meteorites striking various areas, actual investigations reveal no signs of damage to anything, and no traces of any star rocks can be found at all. Many wonder if its a trick of the light or perhaps these stars are magical in nature. But what is most intriguing, the next night, the stars are all back into their original position, and the Six are not seen or heard from since.

It is not just Greyhawk that experienced this phenomena, Faerun, Eberron and even the Protectorate has this event occuring at times of great turmoil. Sages suggest that the incredible power and will generated from these crisis cracked open the thinest barriers between worlds allowing a form of planar interference that threatens to merge these disparate worlds together. Other sages conclude convincingly that other-worldy threats attempted to invade these worlds, and only the collective efforts of Gods manage to stave off these assaults

What the hell happened? Nobody knows.

Pantheon: The Endless

Wikipedia of Neil Gaiman's work

Sorry, too awesome to not include them

[Nick]

The Fall of Windgrace City

Somewhere in the Protectorate, an ancient city from a long gone golden age lays in ruins in the bottom of a deep valley.

Windgrace City, the epitome of magical technology, a literal city in the clouds was constructed with the perfect fusion of advanced engineering and raw magical power. It was paradise for its citizens, where the large island-like floating city boasts not only the best view but also the best amenities for its people.

Yet despite that, the doom of the city began not from oppressive or destructive external forces, but from within.

As the years of peace moves along, scientists and mages alike had always tried to strive for biological perfection, seeking to create longer living and stronger people. Experiments to provide a workforce that is both extensively coordinated yet retaining semi-independance from that hivemind have produced strange looking creatures.

And suddenly the city began to fail when these strange creatures were let loose. Their hivemind controller, being of as great intellect as her creators, yet none of the cultural and moral sophistication of theirs, began to consume, dominate or outright slaughter the inhabitants of this city.

The creation of a new creature in this species was also rumored to have caused the city to fall with its natural ability to suppress magic.

Nobody really knows then what actually happened to the city, but it lays in ruins, and nobody dares to go closer.

The Slivers

(This post contains not just a species, but also naming one of the worlds/continent of the Protectorate universe.)

Ignore names and locations where applicable (link)

[Sohala]

Shades of Shar

When those of Shar’s faithful, that prove themselves truly devoted to her cause, die, they are granted a boon, the option of another life. It is a life devoid of all the pesky needs of their past life, the need for sleep or even food, all there is to serve their goddess.

Shar infuses the souls of a prospective shade with the essence of shadowstuff, molding it to her liking. This ritual changes the outward appearance of the body, graying to blacking out its skin.

They are bound to the Plane of Shadow, until called by one of Shar’s followers. In return for their aid to those that summoned them, they are given a token of darkness, and allowed to stay on the plane in which they were summoned for the duration of that darkness.

With the changes to their spiritual energy, only those in the employ of Shar can raise a shade.