TEXT:  
   
  by Keith Done 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  An Abbott of the Theydori faith, wearing a Tharanda, his holy symbol, which 
  resembles a small casket. Inside is a small parchment called a Thran, on which 
  his secret name within the church is written. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Table of Contents 
   
  INTRODUCTION  ............................................................................................................................ 7 
   
  A BRIEF BACKGROUND TO WORSHIP IN ELDORIA ...................................................................... 9 
  The Theledai ....................................................................................................................... 9 
  Common Religious Dogma and Governance ........................................................................ 13 
   
  HOLY MAGIC ............................................................................................................................... 19 
  How Divine Magic Works .................................................................................................. 19 
  Creating Magic Items in Eldoria .......................................................................................... 19 
  Arcane Failure Tables ......................................................................................................... 22 
  Charms ............................................................................................................................. 26 
   
  RELIGIONS OF ELDORIA  ............................................................................................................. 29 
  Reading the Entries in this Section ...................................................................................... 29 
  Ormocea (God of Law) ....................................................................................................... 33 
  Esmia (Goddess of Healing) ................................................................................................ 41 
  Siritar (God of Paladins) ..................................................................................................... 49 
  Theydori (God of Knowledge)............................................................................................. 59 
  Gaien (Goddess of Fertility) ................................................................................................ 67 
  Priath(God of Time and Dreams) ........................................................................................ 73 
  Ahridaar (God of the Arts) .................................................................................................. 81 
  Faar (Goddess of Agriculture) ............................................................................................. 89 
  Rhioria (Goddess of Health and Beauty) .............................................................................. 95 
  Tarimth (God of the Moon and Stars) ................................................................................. 101 
  Phelltar (God of the Saahn) ............................................................................................... 109 
  Pharidor (God of the Sun) ................................................................................................. 115 
  Ulliah (God of the Forests) ................................................................................................. 121 
  Yhancia (Goddess of the Mountains and Land) .................................................................... 127 
  Hirath (God of the Animals) .............................................................................................. 133 
  Gurthor (God of the Oceans) ............................................................................................. 141 
  Liraan (Goddess of the Sky and Storms) .............................................................................. 147 
  Se (Goddess of the Animals)............................................................................................... 153 
  Trezkillian (God of War) ................................................................................................... 158 
  Daugron (Goddess of Fire) ................................................................................................. 167 
  Imaar (God of Magic) ........................................................................................................ 175 
  Xullia (God of the Dark) .................................................................................................... 183 
  Sirrith (Goddess of Death) ................................................................................................. 191 
  Tiea (Goddess of Thieves) .................................................................................................. 199 
  Sadir (God of Destruction) ................................................................................................. 209 
  Yaarneya (Goddess of Entropy) .......................................................................................... 217 
  Kharic-Ohrm (God of Pain and Disease) ............................................................................. 227 
   
  GLOSSARY  .................................................................................................................................. 233 
  Vestments ........................................................................................................................ 233 
  Architecture and Miscellaneous ......................................................................................... 233 
   
   
  
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  This product makes use of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. These rules can be found online as 
  part of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Reference Document at paizo.com/prd.Paizo Publishing, LLC 
  7120 185th Ave NE, Ste 120 Redmond, WA 98052-0577 paizo.com 
   
  Pathfinder is a registered trademark of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 
  and the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Compatibility Logo are trademarks of Paizo Publishing, LLC, and 
  are 
  used 
  under 
  the 
  Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying 
  Game 
  Compatibility 
  License. 
  See 
  http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG/compatibility for more information on the compatibility license. 
   
  Compatibility with the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game requires the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game 
  from Paizo Publishing, LLC. See http://paizo.com/pathfinderRPG for more information on the Pathfinder 
  Roleplaying Game. Paizo Publishing, LLC does not guarantee compatibility, and does not endorse this 
  product 
   
   
   
   
   
  . 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  A FANTASY ROLE PLAYING SOURCE BOOK 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  An Esmian priestess who serves the Goddess of Healing. She wears the tear drop 
  symbol as her holy symbol. It is considered very unlucky to harm an Esmian and it 
  is widely believed that those who do so are beset J’minda’s Curse – a terrible 
  disease with no cure, both physically and by magical means. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  INTRODUCTION 
   
  AUTHOR’S NOTE 
  I began work on Eldoria around 1980 and, 
  what started as a campaign setting for a games 
  club in Brisbane, Australia, has grown over 30+ 
  years to a rich and detailed fantasy role-playing 
  world that has attracted a loyal following. One of 
  the stronger elements that fans of my work have 
  always remarked on is the central pantheon of 
  Gods. Eldoria is dominated by twenty-seven 
  recognized religions, whose views permeate the 
  social and political fabric of every realm; from 
  the iron grip of the Daugron priesthood over the 
  desert lands of Y’sira to the machinations of the 
  Ormocean church, whose laws form the moral 
  framework for Human society. 
  Many of my campaign plotlines and the 
  modules I have written revolve around rivalries 
  between the religious factions of Eldoria. As 
  these adventures were written, more and more 
  detail was created about each specific religion. In 
  addition, the interaction between me (as a GM) 
  and my players has greatly added to the content 
  of “The Reliquarium”. I am in debt to many 
  people who role-played clerics in my campaigns 
  and who actually shaped the nature of some of 
  the religions by the way they interpreted my 
  original concepts, adding their own spin to them.  
  In particular I would like to thank Malcolm 
  Owen, who is the epitome of the inflexible 
  Ormocean priest; Terry Krause for his portrayal 
  of the arrogant Imaar cultist; Mark Garnet for his 
  steel-willed Daugron cleric; and Adrian Mackay 
  for his iconic Paladin Savior Their personalities 
  inhabit these pages. 
  I hope you are able to extract a great deal 
  of useful information from this book to fuel your 
  role-playing adventures and that you come to 
  both love and loathe the priesthoods that are 
  detailed within. Note, you may find some slight 
  differences between the tales of the Gods in this 
  book compared to the “Encyclopedia Eldoria”. 
  This is intentional, as the original EE is meant to 
  be the stories as mythology, while the RE takes a 
  more pseudo-science approach to deities and 
  their origins. 
   
  THE RELIQUARIUM: IN SUMMARY 
  “The 
  Reliquarium 
  Eldoria” 
  contains 
  source material on the twenty-seven religions 
  that form the recognized pantheon of Eldoria. 
  Previously, the religions were summarized in the 
  book, “Encyclopedia Eldoria”. The information 
  presented here provides a wealth of additional 
  detail on each religion, their history, practices 
  and motivations. Also included are details of 
  major holy artefacts kept by the principal temple 
  of each church and a series of new minor magic 
  items called “Charms” (these are low powered 
  tokens blessed by their respective priesthoods 
  and given to their followers and allies). 
  While 
  this 
  book 
  is 
  written 
  as 
  a 
  supplement for a GM who is running a campaign 
  based in Eldoria, there is nothing stopping you 
  from transplanting any of the religions contained 
  in this book to your own alternate setting, or 
  using the artefacts and Charms in your 
  campaigns. Feel free to adopt the material so it 
  suits your own game. “The Reliquarium Eldoria” 
  has been written using the Pathfinder RPG but it 
  is light on rules and is easily adaptable to other 
  systems. 
  Its 
  companion 
  book, 
  “The 
  Encyclopedia Eldoria” was originally written as 
  a Dungeons and Dragons source but has recently 
  been revised for Pathfinder.  
   
  Content Overview  
  This book has been divided into the 
  following sections: 
   
  - 
  A Brief Background to Worship in 
  Eldoria 
  This section provides a summary 
  of how the religions evolved their 
  common belief structures and the 
  concept of the afterlife. 
   
  - 
  Holy Magic 
  This 
  section 
  provides 
  an 
  overview of how clerics learn to use 
  divine spells and provides information 
  on a new form of minor magic item 
  called ‘Charms’, that are created for the 
  followers of a particular faith. 
   
  - 
  The Religions of Eldoria 
  This 
  section 
  details 
  each 
  Eldorian 
  religion 
  and 
  includes 
  information on their history, doctrine 
  and organization, plus an ability, spell, 
  artefact and charm unique to each 
  church. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Note, this is the short-form version of the 
  Eldorian creation myth; the full tale is contained 
  in the “Encyclopedia Eldoria”.  
   
  THE THELEDAI (THE GODS) 
  The ancient High Elves, known as the 
  Darvinor, were the most knowledgeable about 
  the Gods, having been given stewardship of 
  Enshar when the Gods departed the world, 
  following the Great Accord. Their relationship 
  with the Theledai (the name that the Darvinor 
  gave to the Gods) resulted in much of the lore 
  and history of the Theledai being entrusted to the 
  Elves. This trust was betrayed when the Darvinor 
  stole the secrets of divine magic from the 
  Theledai (in their absence) resulting in the War 
  of Power.  
  The Darvinor vanished from the face of 
  the world at the end of that apocalyptic struggle 
  and, as they kept few written records, their 
  knowledge 
  concerning 
  the 
  Theledai 
  was 
  originally passed on to mortal races by word of 
  mouth and later recorded in passages of the First 
  Book of Law. As a result, the accuracy of 
  information concerning the Theledai has often 
  been questioned by the religions and is often a 
  matter of debate at the Congress of Odressi every 
  four years 
   
  Kalidath (the First Heaven) 
  The Theledai are an immensely older race 
  of beings who dwell in the realm of Kalidath; 
  which is a vast distance from the world of 
  Enshar, separated in time and space by the Great 
  Shadow, a place of unending chaos. It is not 
  known how many Theledai exist but references 
  in the First Book of Law name several beings, 
  other than the twenty-seven Gods of the Eldorian 
  pantheon. These other Theledai are depicted as 
  inhabitants of Kalidath and appear to be more 
  senior to the divine Twenty-Seven. Before 
  establishing the Realm of Kalidath, the Theledai 
  had lived in the prime material plane of existence 
  and for countless millennia they had explored 
  that plane (and others) learning all that there was  
   
   
  to learn, 
  before removing themselves to 
  Kalidath.  
  They were attracted to Kalidath by its 
  unique aura, a powerful energy source that they 
  were later to call the Tas. The Tas shaped the 
  very fabric of the universe and, although it 
  existed everywhere, in Kalidath there was 
  abundance unlike any other place the Theledai 
  had explored. They looked upon Kalidath as the 
  source of all energy in the universe; the origin of 
  existence. Here, the Theledai developed a deeper 
  understanding of thetas; they learned to use its 
  forces with a far greater ability than the highest 
  practitioner of magic in Eldoria has ever 
  achieved. Their society evolved to an ethical and 
  spiritual level that is difficult for us to 
  comprehend. They focused their attention on the 
  pursuit of the deeper mysteries that permeate 
  existence, 
  while 
  constantly 
  refining 
  their 
  abilities, tapping into powers that allowed them 
  to enhance and reshape reality. Eventually they 
  became one with the Tas and could not exist 
  without being bound to its matrix, body and soul. 
  In merging with the Tas, the Theledai 
  withdrew even more from the prime material 
  plane. They could no longer exist outside 
  Kalidath (or at least in a form that could 
  manipulate the Tas to the degree that they could 
  in Kalidath). They could travel into the realms 
  beyond the Great Shadow but in a diminished 
  capacity, no longer immortal or  immune to harm 
  (though still considerably more powerful than 
  most mortal beings who existed in the prime 
  material plane). Eventually, existence beyond 
  Kalidath became thought of as mundane and 
  unworthy of intellectual pursuit by the majority 
  of the Theledai. 
  That is not to say that there were no 
  Theledai who had an interest in what lay outside 
  of Kalidath. The Theledai known as Tarimth 
  always had a fascination for what existed beyond 
  the Great Shadow. This was a place that had not 
  been greatly explored by the Theledai when they 
  existed in the prime material plane and it was 
  referred to as Talyssar. 
  A BRIEF BACKGROUND TO WORSHIP IN ELDORIA 
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Tarimth often travelled across the vast 
  distance of the Great Shadow while his brethren 
  pursued their individual concerns. When making 
  one of his journeys to the extreme limits of the 
  Great Shadow, Tarimth came to the edge of 
  Talyssar and beheld a distant star and about it a 
  world that was wreathed in a web of energies, 
  similar to those in Kalidath. This complex matrix 
  of power, radiated from there outwards across all 
  of Talyssar. Tarimth returned to Kalidath to tell 
  his people about this other place that shone with 
  a light like that of their own Heaven. 
  The younger Theledai embraced the news 
  brought by Tarimth and a group of them, led by 
  Ormocea, wished to journey across the Great 
  Shadow and so enter the realm of Talyssar and 
  investigate the phenomenon there. Although the 
  higher Theledai looked upon this as a pointless 
  pursuit, Ormocea continued to petition them and 
  was at last granted leave to take his followers 
  across the cosmos and journey to this alternate 
  beacon of the Tas that Tarimth said he had seen 
  from afar. 
  Ormocea was given command of the 
  “Aurliath”, one of eight great vessels (also called 
  sailing stars) which the Theledai had used to 
  cross the universe when they first founded 
  Kalidath. 
  Ormocea 
  took 
  with 
  him 
  nine 
  Aercharns, family groups of Theledai that were 
  each made up of three entities. They dedicated 
  themselves to their mission, which was daunting 
  by our standards, as it would take over 5,000 
  years to traverse the Great Shadow and so come 
  to Talyssar.  
  Once they entered the Great Shadow the 
  Theledai would be cut off from their own Tas 
  and would have a semblance of mortality. To 
  preserve their life-force, they would enter a state 
  of hibernation and when they reached their 
  destination, they would be refreshed by this new 
  source of Tas energy in Talyssar. A few Gods 
  did not go to into the induced sleep and remained 
  awake for great lengths of time as the “Aurliath” 
  traversed the Great Shadow. They arrived in 
  Talyssar in a very weakened state but with a 
  deeper understanding of the universe. In this 
  way, the Theledai Imaar studied the weave of the 
  new Tas as the “Aurliath” approached it. He 
  came to understand how it differed from the Tas 
  energy of Kalidath and he learned how to master 
  earlier than his companions. 
   
  The Theledai in Talyssar 
  In Talyssar, the Theledai awoke and 
  traced the source of the Tas to the planet orbiting 
  a single star. They directed the “Aurliath” to that 
  world and to their surprise, here they found (as 
  Imaar had already discovered) that the power of 
  the Tas was very different to that of the power 
  source of Kalidath. Although, they could use its 
  energy to perform great wonders, its source 
  would not sustain them indefinitely. The 
  Theledai were forced to take on permanent 
  physical forms so that they could exist within 
  their new world.  
  They were faced with having a limited 
  timeframe of existence in Talyssar, so they 
  experimented with the Tas energy that they 
  commanded and reshaped the world, which they 
  came to call Enshar (the Second Home).  
  They changed the face of Enshar in a 
  fever pitch of experimentation, unmaking it and 
  creating it anew. Ormocea gave the Aercharns 
  tasks according to their particular skills. Many of 
  the Theledai had hoped to make Enshar their 
  new home but the discovery that the Tas was 
  radically different in Talyssar made this 
  impossible. Instead, Ormocea commanded his 
  followers to learn all they could of Enshar and 
  the realm of Talyssar, using the Tas to shape it, 
  for it was a certainty that they would soon have 
  to make the trip back to Kalidath before 
  mortality caught up with them. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  The Creation of Enshar 
  There are differing versions of stories that 
  surround the creation of the world of Enshar and 
  the Books of Law are not clear about the details. 
  Some scholars interpret the Books to say that the 
  Gods entered the realm of Talyssar and 
  discovered the sun Pharys and its worlds already 
  there and that the Gods simply claimed Enshar as 
  their home; others tell of the worlds being drawn 
  from the heart of Pharys and set to spin about the 
  sun. However, the most accepted story is that an 
  immense miasma of dust and gas, called the 
  Maelstrom, existed in the place that Pharys now 
  stands. Daugron used her knowledge of fire to 
  kindle 
  the 
  Maelstrom 
  and 
  the 
  resulting 
  detonation ignited the sun and formed the worlds 
  of Pharys. After the turmoil coalesced, the 
  Theledai made Enshar their home. 
  After resting from their voyage across the 
  Great Shadow, Ormocea set into motion a plan 
  to make Enshar a world as beautiful as their 
  home in Kalidath. The Gods shaped the face of 
  Enshar; sculpting its land-forms and filling its 
  voids with oceans. They then instilled the world 
  with raw energy, bringing into being a primal 
  force of nature that spontaneously brought forth 
  an unending plethora of plants and animals. 
  The amount of energy expended to form 
  Enshar was immense and took its toll on the 
  Gods. As previously mentioned, the Tas energy 
  was very different in Talyssar and the Gods 
  relied on the reserves of the Tas that they had 
  brought with them from Kalidath to sustain 
  themselves. This was limited and as their power 
  waned, they began to take on mortal traits; they 
  aged and became susceptible to harm. Their 
  work on Enshar ceased. For a long age they 
  could do no more in Enshar and contemplated 
  the return to Kalidath. 
  Imaar solved this dilemma by creating the 
  Weirding Stone; an artefact that attuned the Tas 
  of Talyssar to the same energies as those of 
  Kalidath. This allowed the Gods to reinvigorate 
  themselves and continue to dwell in Talyssar and 
  complete their work on Enshar.  
  This was not without consequence; the 
  process that allowed the Gods to suffuse 
  themselves with the Tas, ended up consuming 
  Imaar completely so that he never could exist in 
  the prime material plane again. Fearing what had 
  happened to Imaar, Sirrirth tried to end the 
  process of becoming one with the Talyssarian 
  Tas prematurely. This caused her to be severely 
  weakened, making her unable to manipulate the 
  magic forces of the Tas ever again. 
  The Rune of Making 
  After the creation of the Weirding Stone 
  the Gods set about a second age of creation and 
  during this time intelligent life was first brought 
  into the world. These were the Saahn, whose 
  descendants became the sentient mortal races of 
  the world. 
  However it must be noted that this was 
  not the first occurrence of intelligent life on 
  Enshar (other than the Theledai). There were two 
  other forms of intelligent life that emerged 
  before the Saahn. The Gods had created semi-
  divine servants called Uushai when they first 
  began their great labors. These were made out of 
  the life-force of the Theledai and were thus 
  beholden to them, having no free will. The other 
  intelligent beings were the Sylvaari (also called 
  the Fey) who were created by the wild natural 
  forces unleashed when the Gods instilled Enshar 
  itself with the power of spontaneous creation. 
  The Sylvaari are bound to the natural 
  world; when harm comes to the forests and 
  mountains, to the oceans and rivers – then harm 
  comes to the Sylvaari.  
  The Saahn, however, were specifically 
  created according to design, using a powerful 
  incantation called the Rune of Making; a magic 
  only fully understood by the Goddess Phelltar. 
  She made the Human race and then went on to 
  create the Elves, however, this was against the 
  commands of Ormocea and ended up causing a 
  schism 
  between 
  the 
  Theledai; 
  principally 
  between those who were closely allied with 
  Ormocea and those who wished to learn to 
  perfect their use the Rune of Making.  
  This desire to master the Rune ultimately 
  culminated in Sirrith openly rebelling against 
  Ormocea 
  and 
  being 
  imprisoned 
  within 
  Shadowland 
  for 
  her 
  actions. 
  Before 
  her 
  imprisonment Sirrith stole the Rune and taught it 
  to several Gods who sided with her. They 
  experimented with it and brought forth all 
  manner of intelligent beings and creatures into 
  the world. 
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  The Great Accord 
  The disobedience of the Gods and the 
  mischief caused by Sirrith caused Ormocea to 
  bring his kin together and have them agree to 
  remove themselves from Enshar and watch over 
  their creations from afar, addressing any 
  calamities by sending their Uushai into the world 
  when necessary. This was the Great Accord, 
  which saw the formation of Tarrisada, a realm 
  between the boundaries of the Great Shadow and 
  Talyssar. The Theledai were bound to the 
  Accord by the Talisman of Law, a great artefact 
  created by Theydori for Ormocea. If a God 
  defied the dictates of the Accord their connection 
  to the Weirding Stone was cut and they were 
  diminished in their power and capacity to dwell 
  in Talysaar. 
  For many thousands of years the Gods 
  dwelled in Talyssar under the terms of the Great 
  Accord but many grew tired of watching over 
  Enshar and departed to seek new worlds in the 
  vastness of the universe. Enshar was left in the 
  hands of the Saahn and was watched over by the 
  Uushai who still maintained order in the realms 
  of Tarrisada. 
   
  The War of Power 
  In the absence of the Gods, the Saahn 
  learned lore that had been forbidden to them. 
  Eventually, under the guidance of the High Elves 
  (known as the Darvinor) they began to learn how 
  to use the Tas in the same manner as the 
  Theledai. Some Uushai descended to Enshar and 
  tried to dissuade the Saahn from these pursuits 
  but they could not be deterred. The Uushai 
  sought out the Gods who had spread out across 
  Talysaar and the High Lords returned to deal 
  with their upstart creations.  
  The Great Accord that they had put in 
  place prevented them from directly returning to 
  Enshar, without the threat of becoming mortal, 
  so they marshalled their forces from Tarrisada. 
  For centuries a war raged across the world, 
  pitting mortal forces against those created by the 
  Gods. The mortals were divided, some still 
  allying themselves with the Gods, while others 
  now followed the Darvinor Elves. 
  But the Theledai also were divided; 
  several of the Gods leant their support to the 
  Saahn who opposed Ormocea and his allies. In 
  the end, the Saahn sought refuge in the northern 
  continent of Eldoria and a final battle took place 
  for the control of the world. The Gods would 
  have been victorious except for the treachery of 
  one of their own kind. While their attention was 
  diverted, the Theledai Sadir destroyed the 
  Weirding Stone and the power of the Gods was 
  permanently diminished. 
  The War of Power had ended up pitting 
  God against God and the Theledai had become 
  tired of the universe of Talyssar and all its woes. 
  They decided to return to Kalidath for good and 
  find peace again. To do so, they needed the 
  “Aurliath” to replenish its energy reserves, in 
  order to cross the vast distance of the Great 
  Shadow and sustain them during the long 
  voyage. The Gods entered a state of Priatharia 
  (the magical sleep of the Elves) and it is said 
  they will awaken at a time in the future, when the 
  “Aurliath” is ready to make its final journey 
  home. 
   
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  15 
   
   
  COMMON RELIGIOUS DOGMA AND 
  GOVERNANCE 
   Knowledge about the Eldorian pantheon 
  is derived from many sources. The most 
  common source comes from translations and 
  interpretations of the Books of Law; three iconic 
  tomes written at the time when Gods still 
  dwelled on Enshar. These were discovered 
  thousands of years after the War of Power by the 
  Prophet Samroth. The discovery of the Books 
  ended the Darktime and brought stability and 
  enlightenment to the world. Other lore was found 
  by charismatic individuals who sought out 
  dogma on specific Theledai and then created a 
  following amongst those who were willing to 
  listen to them. In some cases, religious 
  movements of the more obscure Gods have 
  evolved from doctrine created by people who 
  had scant pre-existing information to go on; 
  these prophets simply ‘made it up’ and any true 
  facts they later discovered were ‘reinterpreted’ to 
  fit their current teachings. 
  This, of course, means that the different 
  religions often have conflicting views and 
  explanations of aspects of the same pantheon. 
  The Congress of Odressi, a great religious 
  convention that meets every four years, debates 
  and 
  ratifies 
  these 
  divergent 
  views 
  and 
  continually seeks to develop a unified dogma to 
  govern 
  al 
  churches. 
  Despite 
  the 
  many 
  differences, there are a number of common 
  dogmas shared by all temples and these are 
  outlined below.   
   
  Tarrisada 
  The Gods removed themselves from the 
  world so that Enshar could no longer be subject 
  to the destruction that resulted from their rivalry. 
  As part of the Great Accord, the dimensional 
  realm of Tarrisada was made, consisting of 
  twenty-five separate regions (There were only 
  twenty-five 
  regions 
  because 
  Sirrith 
  was 
  imprisoned in Shadowland before the creation of 
  Tarrisada and Imaar had vanished from the world 
  eons before). 
  The regions of Tarrisada are arrayed 
  about a central axis, like a vast wheel; the center 
  being a conflux of portals, called the Nexarian 
  Gate. Here weaknesses exist between the regions 
  of Tarrisada, the prime material plane and the 
  frightening realm of the Great Shadow. The 
  Theledai and Uushai have the power to cross 
  these portals at will; however it has been known 
  that some mortals, adept at magic, have also 
  managed to traverse the Nexarian Gate over the 
  centuries. 
  Standing upon the brink of the Gate is 
  Khallarghad, the mighty fortress of the Uushai 
  who guard the sleeping form of Trezkillian. They 
  lead the Legion Eternal, who are made up of the 
  mortal spirits who serve them in the afterlife. 
  They defend Tarrisada and the doorways to the 
  other realms from the Ravening Horde; Demons 
  and their armies who dwell within the Great 
  Shadow. They seek to overrun Enshar and the 
  rest of the prime material plane. 
   
  The Afterlife 
  All of the twenty-seven religions promote 
  a concept of the Afterlife (except the church of 
  Sadir). The doctrine surrounding what happens 
  to you when you die varies between the 
  priesthoods, 
  however 
  there 
  are 
  many 
  commonalities shared across the pantheon. The 
  existence of Tarrisada and Kalidath are upheld 
  by the majority of religions. All believe that their 
  God sleeps in their own particular realm that 
  forms part of Tarrisada, watched over by their 
  Uushai.  The Gods sleep in order to preserve 
  their potency, as most of their energy was spent 
  during the War of Power. When they awaken, 
  they will put to sail in their great vessel, 
  “Aurliath”, the ship that brought them across the 
  Great Shadow millennia ago. They will return to 
  Kalidath, the First Heaven, their home, and they 
  will take with them, the souls of the faithful.  
  When you die, the soul departs the body 
  in a non-corporeal form and, if you have shown 
  the appropriate amount of respect and dedication 
  to your patron deity, you will find your way to 
  the Unending Sea. Here, once awakened beneath 
  its waters, the faithful are attracted to the light 
  above. Upon reaching the surface, they are made 
  whole and given physical form again (this is 
  known as being Reborn). They continue to 
  ascend, rising above the Unending Sea and 
  translating to their designated realm in Tarrisada. 
  In Tarrisada, the Reborn are immortal and they 
  serve the will of the Uushai who dwell there and 
  await the day of the Awakening. 
  The Reborn cannot normally revisit 
  Eldoria ever again. Their existence is bound with 
  the Tas and the same forces that were invoked 
  when the Great Accord was broken would 
  destroy them utterly if they set foot in the world 
  again. However, the Uushai are made of stronger 
  
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  stuff and can visit Enshar for a brief time. In 
  doing so they are at great risk; their power is 
  diminished and they are made mortal. If slain, 
  would be eradicated from existence. 
  Some souls are not Reborn. There are 
  those who make the journey to the surface of the 
  Unending Sea but their faith has not been 
  sufficient to ascend to Tarrisada. These beings 
  gain a physical form again and their essence is 
  bound to the Tas, just like the Reborn. However, 
  they cannot return to Enshar again and they end 
  up simply existing in the twilight world of the 
  Unending Sea.  They drift upon its waves and 
  cannot sink or drown. Many find their way to 
  island realms that exist in that strange oceanic 
  realm, discovering communities that have grown 
  there. They are called the Telarci (or driftwood 
  in the tongue of the High Elves). Here, the 
  Telarci dwell, never ageing and, if they die 
  through violence, they find themselves alive 
  again, recreated beneath the waves of the 
  Unending Sea, They must renew their faith in the 
  Gods and, if they reach enlightenment, they will 
  eventually rise and make the transition to 
  Tarrisada. 
  There are those Telarci who are unlucky 
  enough to find themselves picked up by ships, 
  sent forth by the Goddess Sirrith, to collect those 
  who stray from Tarrisada. Shadowland is one of 
  the realms located in the Unending Sea and the 
  Goddess directs her minions to collect the souls 
  of the unfaithful and bring them to her thralldom. 
  Here, their form is corrupted by the power of the 
  Vorg. They are bound with negative energy and 
  can then be sent back into Enshar to do the 
  bidding of the Goddess. In this way, many of the 
  Undead who have physical shape are created. 
  There are other darker creatures that are 
  born within the waters of the Unending Sea.  
  These are the souls who never see the light and 
  instead descend into the cold depths and enter 
  the uncharted realms that border the Great 
  Shadow. Because of this they remain as spirits 
  and do not achieve the physicality of the Reborn. 
  Some eventually find their way via unknown 
  paths to Shadowland and serve Sirrith as her 
  incorporeal servants. Others become lesser 
  Demons in the Great Shadow. Finally, there are 
  those who return to the living world without 
  becoming the thralls of Sirrith. They exist as 
  ghosts, wraiths and other creatures of an 
  incorporeal nature. 
   
   
   
  The Afterlife and Elves 
  Elves do not follow the same path to 
  Tarrisada that other mortal races take. It is said 
  that the Gods banned them from heaven after the 
  Darvinor usurped power in Enshar. Instead their 
  souls find their way to the Holy Glade, on the 
  island of Corrithia, in the Unending Sea. They 
  are numbered among the Telarci. 
  Elves enter a state called Priatharia within 
  a few centuries of achieving the age of 300 
  years. They become more and more out of step 
  with the world and slip into meditative trances 
  for long hours. Eventually, they never wake up 
  from these trances, though their resting form 
  remains strong and unchanged.  
  Their bodies are placed with great honor within 
  hidden crypts and watched over by appointed 
  guardians (an Elvish Order known as the 
  Dreaming Custodians). The souls of these 
  sleeping Elves achieve a Reborn form in the 
  Unending Sea, like other mortals, but they never 
  rise to Tarrisada. Instead, they make their way to 
  the realm of Corrithia. The path taken is usually 
  via the island kingdoms of the Telarci and then 
  by boat – a long voyage to far distant Corrithia 
  that lies near the edge of the Great Shadow.  
  Alternately, they may take the shorter, but 
  more perilous route of the Grey Road, through 
  Sirrith’s realm of Shadowland. This way is more 
  direct but only for the steadfast, as Sirrith’s 
  minions constantly attempt to lure the unwary 
  off the safety of the Grey Road. Their souls 
  become the property of the Pale Lady. 
  
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  The Holy Glade is at the heart of 
  Corrithia. It is an idyllic realm where Elves 
  contemplate the great questions of the universe 
  (much like the Theledai of Kalidath). They 
  reside here waiting for enlightenment that will 
  take them to the next stage of existence; a state 
  of grace that they cannot even imagine. The 
  Elves of the Holy Glade cannot return to the 
  world of the living as, in achieving their Reborn 
  form, their existence has become bound with the 
  Tas and subject to the Great Accord. However, 
  living Elves have been known to visit their loved 
  ones in the Holy Glade by crossing from the 
  prime material plane to the plane of the 
  Unending Sea, via the portal of the Merdathian 
  Maelstrom. 
  The Maelstrom is a vast storm that 
  constantly circles the equator of Enshar. Here 
  there are no land masses of a size to slow or 
  impede its passage. Its power is so great that it 
  has torn a hole in the fabric of the universe that 
  separates the planes. Those Elves, brave and 
  hardy enough make pilgrimages from Fairhaven, 
  in the south of Leezeria, and follow the 
  Merdathian Maelstrom in their sleek talidori 
  craft (trimarans made from the wood of the Eldar 
  trees). They seek occasional lulls that can appear 
  from time to time in the storm and, if the 
  opportunity arises, they sail on through into the 
  waters of the Unending Sea and from there to 
  Corrithia. 
   
  The Awakening 
  Most of the religions hold to the concept 
  of the Awakening. This is a time in the future, 
  when the Gods will arise from a divine slumber 
  that is said to last for 10,000 years. The duration 
  of the Darktime that followed the War of Power 
  was unmeasured but is said to have lasted at least 
  5,000 years. Since the discovery of the Books of 
  Law and the declaration of the Age of the 
  Redemption, a further 2,150 years have passed. 
  After the War of the Power, the Gods 
  grew weary of Enshar and they agreed to return 
  to Kalidath, their ancient home. With the 
  destruction of the Weirding Stone they had lost 
  their connection to that part of the Tas which 
  gave them divine power and immortality. To 
  return to Kalidath they would have to cross the 
  Great Shadow in their star-vessel, “Aurliath”. 
  This would require a vast reserve of energy both 
  to traverse the expanse of the Great Shadow and 
  sustain their existence for the voyage home. 
  Without access to the higher energy forms 
  of the Tas, it would take many generations to 
  channel sufficient energy into the “Aurliath” for 
  the homeward voyage. The Gods would have 
  aged and died long before then. The Theledai 
  agreed to go into a form of hibernation until that 
  time; a state very similar to the Priatharia of the 
  Leezari Elves. There resting forms would be 
  guarded by the Uushai until the time of the 
  
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  Awakening, when the “Aurliath” is ready to set 
  sail. 
  It is commonly believed that the Gods 
  will invite those mortal souls who have reached 
  the domains of Tarrisada, to join them in their 
  journey to Kalidath. Once the “Aurliath” sets 
  sail, the wards that prevent Sirrith from breaking 
  out of Shadowland will be removed and the 
  realms of the Unending Sea and that of the world 
  of Enshar will be her domain. 
   
  Seervati 
  Seervati is an old Darvinor word meaning 
  “vessel of God’s power”. Since the Redemption, 
  the word has also been used as a title for a cleric 
  who has the ability to summon the Tas and cast 
  spells. In Eldoria not all clerics usually have this 
  ability; only a few who have a natural affinity for 
  connecting to the Tas and have been schooled in 
  the secret rituals and incantations of the religion 
  they serve. 
  When a novice joins a religion, they are 
  examined by the existing Seervati of their temple 
  to determine their ability to harness and form 
  spells. Usually they undergo a series of tests 
  designed to ‘kick-start’ any latent talent they 
  may have. Those who fail the tests are allocated 
  to other administrative bodies within their temple 
  and may still rise to positions of seniority. Those 
  who do show Seervati potential are taken under 
  the wing of the Seercandum, an order of a temple 
  that is devoted to maintaining the religion’s lore 
  and the teaching of divine magic to its rising 
  stars.   
  The magic of the Tas can be manipulated 
  in various ways. Whereas wizards are taught to 
  use complex combinations of words, gestures 
  and materials to shape raw Tas energy into a 
  desired form, clerics rely mainly on sheer 
  willpower that has been bolstered by faith in 
  their God. It is their faith that determines the 
  amount of Tas they can channel.  
  The Seercandum maintains a collection of 
  spells that are grouped into ‘Circles’. Each Circle 
  of spells is considered to be of a specific 
  complexity, requiring a greater level of faith and 
  devotion to be able to cast successfully.  When 
  they initially join the temple, they learn its 
  orisons and gradually move on to master level 1 
  spells. 
  The spell Circles equate to the levels of 
  spells in Pathfinder – when a level 1 cleric 
  attains sufficient XP to cast a 2nd level spell they 
  have achieved the “Second Circle of the 
  Seercandum” and are considered to have attained 
  sufficient skill to use all the spells of that level 
  that are known to the religion.  
  The status of a Seervati differs across the 
  religions. In some churches, the Seervati are just 
  the same as another cleric and their powers 
  afford them no greater rank within their temple - 
  the supreme head of the church does not have to 
  be a Seervati. In others, it is only the Seervati 
  who can be appointed to senior positions and in a 
  number of the smaller cults all their followers 
  must be Seervati. 
   
  The Books of Law 
  The Books of Law are three ancient 
  tomes found by Elias Samroth, a religious 
  visionary who dwelt in Akalastia during the 
  Darktime. Samroth unearthed the books when 
  excavating a site to build a temple devoted to 
  Ormocea.  
  The Books date back to the Pre-
  Redemption age and are purported to be the 
  collected works of a sage called Erandasmir, 
  who was a devotee of Ormocea in the brief age 
  of peace that followed the end of the War of 
  Power when the Gods withdrew from Enshar 
  forever. As well as serving the ancient 
  priesthood of Ormocea, Erandasmir was a 
  historian and had access to the library of 
  Madriss. From this great resource he was able to 
  gather a vast amount of knowledge and much of 
  this was put down in the Books of Law. 
  Each volume covers a specific range of 
  subject matter. The First Book of Law provides a 
  detailed account of the theology and laws of the 
  Ormocean religion and became the foundation 
  stone, not only for that church but also for the 
  laws and principles that govern most of Eldoria 
  today.  
  
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  The Second Book describes, in depth, the 
  mythology of all of the Gods and the dogma and 
  practices of the other religious orders that were 
  established prior to the Darktime. The Third 
  Book documents much of the history and culture 
  of the Pre-Redemption age. 
  It has been rumored that, later in his life, 
  Erandasmir also completed a draft of the Fourth 
  Book of Law that contradicted many of the 
  histories and lore contained within the other 
  books. The existence of the Fourth Book is a 
  hotly debated topic that resurfaces from time to 
  time at the Congress of Odressi. A copy of a 
  controversial book called “The Apocalypse 
  Tome” emerged in 1051R, in the possession of a 
  scholar called Ohridane the Seer.  
  Ohridane was a member of the secretive 
  Cult of Priath and ended up being burnt at the 
  stake after a panel of religious examiners 
  denounced the book as a work of heresy. After 
  Ohridane’s demise, rumors circulated that “The 
  Apocalypse Tome” was indeed Erandasmir’s 
  Fourth Book of Law and, although it was 
  ordered to be destroyed along with Ohridane, a 
  copy survived that was later circulated amongst 
  secular lore masters. Even today, the story 
  persists that the Fourth Book exists and, if you 
  are deemed worthy, those who know its secrets 
  will contact you and allow you to learn the true 
  meaning of the universe contained within its 
  pages. 
  The original Books of Law have resided 
  in the city-state of Jasper, ever since their 
  discovery. The Prophet Samroth housed them in 
  an ornate shrine within the temple to Ormocea 
  that he built there. Between 10R and 21R he 
  encouraged scholars and wise men to journey to 
  the temple and he provided them with free access 
  to the Books of Law. Indeed, many visitors 
  became involved in translating sections of the 
  Books of Law that were written in some of the 
  more obscure languages of ancient times.  
  Samroth allowed his collaborators to copy 
  large sections of the Books that were of 
  particular interest to them and several sages 
  brought with them scribes who made complete 
  copies of the original document.  
   
  In this way, many of the modern religions 
  were born. Scholars would read and copy 
  sections of the Books that provided details of the 
  practices and dogma of the pantheon and go on 
  to found a revival of specific deities. After his 
  death, the Books became the property of the 
  fledgling Ormocean church which restricted 
  open access to the tomes. Instead, those who the 
  Ormoceans approved of were allowed to view 
  and read the books and copies were now 
  forbidden.  
  Over the centuries, many versions of the 
  Books of Law began to appear across Eldoria, 
  but most of these were copies of copies and 
  began to lose content and meaning in their 
  transcription. Today, it is claimed that there are 
  only four true copies of the Three Books: 
   
  - 
  The original which is housed in the 
  Museum of the Empress in the Imperial 
  Palace of Jasper; 
  - 
  An authentic complete copy that is 
  housed in the Ormocean temple in 
  Odressi; 
  - 
  An authentic complete copy that is 
  owned by the King of Llan 
  - 
  An authentic complete copy that is the 
  property of the church of Theydori and 
  is kept on Guardian Island. 
   
  The Treaty of Odressi 
  In 1002R, Lord Bannin Ortolzo sent out 
  an invitation to a number of senior clerics of the 
  religions that had established themselves across 
  Eldoria at that time. Its purpose was to hold a 
  council to discuss a vision that Ortolzo had to 
  bring all religions together in the one location; 
  being the city of Odressi. It was hoped that, by 
  doing so, the religions would learn from each 
  other and grow stronger. With an increasing 
  threat of war likely between the rising empires of 
  Sardell and Y’sira, the knowledge and wisdom 
  of those religions would not be lost. 
  All religions of the world have existed in 
  Odressi at some point in time and have had 
  major temples constructed there. In most cases, 
  the head of each religion is based in the city. 
  There are some exceptions (e.g. the pontiff of the 
  
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  Daugron faith is based in Byalliz, in Y’sira). The 
  Treaty of Odressi provided all churches with 
  security. A standing army, maintained by the 
  secular authorities of the city was there to defend 
  them in times of war. In addition, the temples 
  which operated out of Odressi influenced the 
  monarchs of the realms in which they had 
  religious dominance. Those realms were often 
  allied to Odressi and also agreed to defend the 
  Holy Isle from external threats. 
  The churches who were signatories to the 
  treaty agreed not to bring harm to the priests or 
  property of other members of the covenant. To 
  do so brought heavy penalties, including seizure 
  of church wealth and relics and the imprisonment 
  of priests. The most severe penalties awarded 
  occurred in 2105R, when the churches of Sadir, 
  Yaarneya and Kharic-Ohrm were proscribed and 
  their temples in Odressi (and most of the other 
  Eldorian realms) closed; their priesthoods 
  forbidden to practice on pain of death. 
  To enforce the laws that governed the 
  temples, the Citylord of Odressi established a 
  special Order, known as the Monks of Light. 
  Judgements against those temples accused of 
  breaching the Treaty of Odressi were brought 
  down at the Congress of Odressi. In addition to 
  deciding legal issues, the Congress debates 
  dogma, reviews and establishes new canon law 
  and votes for a new council from its members. 
  This council represents religious concerns with 
  the secular authorities of the city and has great 
  influence on religious decisions that affect all 
  churches. 
   
   
  The magnificent city of Odressi exists to protect the religions of Eldoria from secular wars that 
  threaten the stability of Eldoria from time to time. The major temples of the pantheon exist here and 
  politics between factions come to a head at the Congress of Odressi, which is held every four years to 
  discuss dogma and ratify changes in theological thought brought about by new discoveries by 
  Seervati priests 
  
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  HOW DIVINE MAGIC WORKS 
  Magic in Eldoria is referred to as the Tas; 
  a complex web of invisible energy that surrounds 
  and permeates every living and non-living thing. 
  The Tas is the source of power that all 
  practitioners of magic use to cast spells, whether 
  they are followers of the arcane arts (such as 
  wizards and sorcerers) or the divine spirits (such 
  as clerics and druids). The way that the wizards 
  and clerics access the Tas that is very different. 
  The use of clerical magic evolved first in Pre-
  Redemption times, when the Gods and their 
  Uushai taught their mortal followers a basic 
  understanding of the Tas. The first religious 
  orders were established at this time and most of 
  the dogma that was later put down in the Books 
  of Law was formulated. 
  Every living creature has a personal aura, 
  which is a unique weave of the Tas. In order to 
  cast a spell, a person must be able to link their 
  aura with the greater energy field that constantly 
  surrounds them. Making that connection allows a 
  person to draw a specified amount of Tas and to 
  covert that energy to a new re-ordered form. This 
  form usually lasts for a short-time before it 
  reverts to its normal chaotic state, although some 
  spells (particularly those cast by more skilled 
  adepts) can take on permanent form. 
  One problem that spell-casters (of all 
  persuasions) face is being able to disconnect 
  from the Tas, once the link is made. Each year, 
  many young Seervati and apprentices alike are 
  harmed and even die when learning to use magic. 
  In addition, skilled practitioners of magic can 
  find themselves in difficulties if they lose 
  concentration when casting a spell (usually due 
  to an unforeseen interruption or being involved 
  in direct combat). If a spell-form is not 
  successfully completed and the caster is not 
  skillful enough to disengage from the Tas 
  quickly, they can continue to draw too much 
  energy, which can be lethal. This can result in 
  the caster being immolated in a blazing surge of 
  silver fire. Consuming too much magical energy 
  is, known as ‘Riding the Tas’ and is a common 
  way that some spell-casters commit suicide (by  
   
   
   
  simply tapping into the Tas and refusing to allow 
  a spell to take form). 
  Clerics access the Tas mainly through 
  sheer force of will. They are trained to have 
  unwavering belief that their deity allows them to 
  make a divine connection. That belief gives them 
  a focus of will, forcing into existence the bridge 
  between the physical world and the super 
  physical world, creating the desired spell. A 
  Holy Symbol is often used as a physical object to 
  reinforce their belief and sometimes other 
  physical components are used which aid in the 
  process of forming the spell. These additional 
  components are usually consumed by the power 
  of the Tas. 
  When the Darktime came and the 
  majority 
  of 
  the 
  religions 
  collapsed, 
  the 
  fragmented lore that survived was studied by 
  individuals and reinvented as arcane magic, 
  giving rise to an age dominated by sorcerers. 
  Instead of belief in Gods, sorcerers used 
  ritualized phrases and gestures to clear their 
  mind and access the Tas, along with a greater 
  amount of physical components, designed to 
  kick-start the process. Schooled wizards, who 
  arose as a result of the foundation of institutions 
  such as the College of Arcane Science and the 
  University of Pharidor’s Watch, use a similar 
  means of connecting to the Tas as sorcerers.  
   
  CREATING MAGIC ITEMS IN ELDORIA 
  In the First Age of Enshar, the mortal 
  races had a greater understanding of magic and 
  the manufacture of magical constructs. Scholars 
  of ancient times understood the metaphysics 
  involved, having been tutored directly by the 
  Uushai; the servants of the Gods. Their control 
  of the Tas was more adept; the tasks they could 
  accomplish more vast (and the destruction they 
  could bring down more terrible).  
  Mortal sorcerers and clerics of that age 
  were not reliant on meditative rituals or bound 
  by the use of chemicals and components needed 
  to synthesize spells like they do today. They also 
  excelled in the manufacture of magical devices 
  and weapons, perhaps even outstripping the 
  HOLY MAGIC 
   
  
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  Gods themselves in that area of knowledge; the 
  Gods were used to relying solely on their own 
  divine power rather than constructs designed to 
  simulate and magnify magic. 
  When the War of Powers drew nigh, the 
  mortal factions that were opposed to the Gods 
  came together at Caldartha, situated on Baladara 
  (now the Holy Isle). For 200 years, they 
  fashioned an arsenal of magic to both bolster the 
  powers of their spell-users and equip their 
  warriors with weapons and defenses that would 
  be effective against the conjured minions of their 
  enemy.  
  After that long and tragic war, the 
  weapons and devices of Caldartha were scattered 
  and most of the magic items that exist in Eldoria 
  today are those Caldarthan forged relics that 
  managed to survive the Darktime. 
  It was the Darktime that made magic a 
  shadow of what it was in the First Age. The 
  greatest sorcerers of that time became despots 
  after the Gods passed on to their eternal rest in 
  Tarissada. These powerful magi, called the 
  Serpent Kings, were eventually overthrown and 
  all that they stood for was burned and destroyed 
  with them.  
  Arcane knowledge had already been 
  diluted by the War of Powers; the demise of the 
  Serpent Kings further destroyed this knowledge 
  base, so that the magic spells and the skills to 
  fabricate devices imbued with the Tas became a 
  poor reflection of those more glorious days. 
   
  The Mechanics of Magic Items 
  These rules are an expansion on Notes on Magic, 
  from the “Encyclopedia Eldoria”. 
  A further problem that exacerbates the 
  creation of magical constructs in the modern age 
  of Eldoria is the scarcity of essential materials to 
  make them. The world was pillaged by the 
  weapon-smiths of Caldartha in the First Age for 
  these materials. Known sources that exist today 
  are few and far between. The ancient magic 
  devices that survived the Darktime incorporate 
  components that have a natural affinity with the 
  Tas; they easily link with the Tas field, store its 
  matrices and duplicate spell-forms written into 
  them. They include such rare substances as 
  Diamondwood, Excellium Steel, Krystarrian 
  Glass and the bone and hide of many magical 
  beasts that served the Uushai, most of which 
  perished after the War of Powers. 
  To reflect the lack of knowledge and 
  materials needed to make magic items in modern 
  Eldoria, the following adjustments are made to 
  the standard rules governing the manufacture of 
  modern constructs emulating those of Caldarthan 
  design: 
   
  - 
  All material costs are increased by a 
  factor of 50% 
   
  - 
  All prerequisite class levels for magic 
  creation feats are increased by a factor 
  of +2. 
   
  Types of Magic Items 
  There are a number of distinctly different 
  types of magic items existing in Eldoria. These 
  all have different levels of complexity that 
  challenge the skills of the modern artificer.  
   
  Uushai Crafted Items (Artefacts) 
  In the First Age and the War of Powers, 
  the Uushai made weapons, armor and devices for 
  the mortals who were loyal to the Gods. These 
  are the most powerful magic items that still exist. 
  All artefacts are considered to have been 
  fashioned by the Uushai. They are exceedingly 
  rare and cannot be duplicated by modern 
  craftsmen. The Artifacts listed in each entry for a 
  God are from this group. 
   
   
   
  
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  Caldarthan Crafted Items 
  These items were made by the mortals 
  who opposed the Gods in the War of Powers. 
  They are usually identified by the hallmark of 
  the Caldarthan weapon-smiths (a crab bearing a 
  sword in each claw). Even within the Caldarthan 
  School, there were a number of different types of 
  methodologies practiced to link constructs with 
  the Tas and invest them with spell signatures. 
  These are detailed below: 
   
  Permanent Caldarthan Items 
  The most demanding and time-consuming 
  magic constructs required the permanent binding 
  of the item to the Tas so that the device was 
  active all the time (e.g. a magic weapon or a ring 
  of protection). A synthetic Aura was created for 
  the magic item and that was sufficient to create 
  an ambient link to the Tas, to supply energy to 
  the spell signature woven into the Aura.  
  This synthetic Aura sometimes achieved a 
  form of sentience and created an ego in specific 
  ancient devices and weapons. It is this 
  knowledge of how to make a synthetic Aura that 
  has been lost over time which now limits the 
  fabrication of similar devices in modern Eldoria. 
  For this reason (and also the lack of 
  materials) permanent forms of Caldarthan magic 
  items are equally rare as those made by the 
  Uushai. A few exceptions can still be fabricated 
  by artisans who are skilled enough.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  In addition to meeting all the standard 
  (and adjusted requirements) to manufacture 
  permanent 
  magical 
  constructs, 
  a 
  modern 
  Eldorian craftsman must also make a special DC 
  roll in order to successfully complete the item.  
  This is an Int roll against at a base DC of 
  20, modified upwards by one increment for 
  every 10,000gp market value of the item (round 
  up fractions).  
  As an example, a Ring of Protection +3 
  would have a DC of 22 (a base of 20 plus 1.8 
  based on a value of 18,000gp). The roll is made 
  secretly by the GM and failure results in a check 
  against the Arcane Item Failure Table (1). 
  Charged Caldarthan Items 
  The Caldarthan smiths employed an 
  alternate means of supplying Tas energy to a 
  construct. This involved investing the object 
  with its own small Tas reserve and creating a 
  link to this by means of an activation trigger 
  (through 
  a 
  verbal 
  command 
  or 
  physical 
  mechanism). Most often, the Tas reserve was 
  stored in a crafted piece of Krystarrian Glass; 
  one of the few substances able to trap Tas energy 
  and hold it indefinitely, allowing it to be 
  triggered at a later date.  
  Krystarrian Glass, though durable, can 
  only hold a set amount of energy (or charges) 
  and the magic item is rendered inert when the 
  energy is depleted through constant use. Charged 
  items were easier to make but the materials 
  needed to make them were just as costly as 
  permanent magic items. 
  Items that require charges have a greater 
  chance of being made by modern artificers. To 
  successfully complete a Caldarthan magic item 
  relying on charges, an Int roll is made, based on 
  a DC of 10, modified upwards by one increment 
  for every 10,000gp market value of the item.  
  This roll is made secretly by the GM and 
  Arcane Failure Table (2) is consulted in the 
  event of failure. 
   
  Ismodian Devices 
  The College of Arcane Science maintains 
  an extensive collection of magic constructs. 
  Masters of the College conduct continual 
  research into a whole range of curious ancient 
  items that they know are connected to the Tas 
  but still have no idea of what their function could 
  be.  
  They have managed to duplicate some of 
  the Caldarthan devices in their entirety but the 
  College suffers from the same limitations caused 
  by the rarity of key materials (albeit they have a 
  larger stockpile than most other individuals and 
  organizations).  
  Learning from the principles that went 
  into the crafting of magic items in the First Age, 
  the College has become adept at the construction 
  of specialized single-use magic items. These 
  were pioneered by Master Juliad Ismo in the 
  late1800’s R. Most pupils of the College, who 
  specialize as artificers, study Ismodian lore and 
  are later employed as craftsmen in the Hall of 
  Relics.  
    
   
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  24 
   
   
  ARCANE FAILURE TABLES 
   
  Arcane Failure Table 1 
   
   
  Arcane Failure Table 2 
   
  Arcane Failure Table 3 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  d20 roll 
  Result 
  Notes 
  1-15 
  Complete 
  Failure 
  The item does not function in any way 
  16-17 
  Limited 
  Life 
  The item will function for 1d12 days 
  18-19 
  Erratic 
  Power 
  The item works 25% of the time. Check every time its powers are 
  tested/used 
  20 
  Explosion 
  The item draws Tas without creating a spell-form. The item explodes doing 
  damage equal to its market value divided by 1,000 in the ground zero square. 
  Every 5ft beyond ground zero reduces the damage by 5points. A successful 
  Reflex save halves all damage. 
  Die Roll 
  Effect 
  Status of Krystarrian Glass 
  1-4 
  Device fails to function 
  Glass lattice destroyed 
  5-6 
  Device fails to function 
  Glass lattice intact 
  7-8 
  Device functions but only 
  holds 1 charge 
  Glass lattice destroyed when the last charge is used. Item 
  can be recharged 
  9-10 
  Device functions but only 
  holds 5 charges 
  Glass lattice destroyed when the last charge is used. Item 
  can be recharged 
   
   
   
  Die 
  Roll 
  Status 
  Notes 
  1-10 
  Crystal and device cracks 
  Device is now useless 
  5-11 
  Crystal cracks 
  Device has one more use then it will automatically shatter 
  12-19 
  Crystal burn-out 
  The device can be used again but has a -10 penalty to rolls on 
  this Table 
  20+ 
  Crystal Intact 
  The crystal remains intact and the spell signature  can be used 
  again 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  25 
   
   
  1800’s R.  
  Ismodian devices use more mundane 
  materials, replacing Krystarrian Glass with 
  perfect mundane crystals as power reserves. 
  These crystals cannot hold Tas energy, in the 
  way that the Glass does but, if the internal 
  lattices of the crystal are arranged in a certain 
  matrix; 
  they 
  can 
  hold 
  a 
  spell-signature 
  indefinitely, until triggered. The spell is activated 
  when an external source of magic floods the 
  crystal. 
  Any 
  standard 
  magic 
  item 
  that 
  is 
  dependent on charges can be duplicated using 
  Ismodian technomagery and they are constructed 
  exactly according to the standard definitions and 
  costs (i.e. the prerequisite for the applicable feat 
  is unaltered and the cost is not increased by a 
  factor of x2).  
  They are not as reliable as the old 
  Caldarthan relics but their ease of manufacture 
  means they are more frequently encountered in 
  Eldoria than their First Age counterparts. To 
  successfully complete the construction of an 
  Ismodian magic item, an Int roll is made against 
  a DC of 5, modified upwards by one increment 
  for every 10,000gp of the market value of the 
  item. The Arcane Item Failure Table is not 
  checked; the device simply works or will never 
  work. 
  Once successfully made, Ismodian magic 
  devices are usually activated by the action of 
  casting any spell, although the spell must be at 
  least level 1 (cantrips and orisons do not generate  
  A sufficient level of power to trip the spell-
  signature held in the crystal). Some devices are 
  keyed to a particular form of magic (wizard, 
  druid, cleric, bard or sorcerer). 
  The initial contact with the Tas by the 
  caster is made to bring energy into their aura, but 
  instead of then channeling that energy into the 
  desired spell-form, it is directed into the crystal 
  of the magic device. The crystal usually becomes 
  flawed after one use, the lattice being fractured 
  by the Tas energy. 
  If a higher level spell level is used to 
  trigger an Ismodian device, there is an increased 
  chance of leaving the crystal lattice intact. Every 
  time an Ismodian device is used, roll 1d20 and 
  check Arcane Item Failure Table (3). For every 2 
  levels of spell used to activate the device add +1 
  to the result. 
  A Spellcraft check at DC 12 is required to 
  assess the status of any Ismodian magic item (i.e. 
  is it live or dead). Alternately, if a character 
  possesses any magic item creation feat, this will 
  automatically provide the information. A new 
  crystal can be programmed to replace a cracked 
  or burnt out one, the cost being one third of the 
  cost of the magic item itself and the time taken to 
  find a perfect crystal (usually 1+1d4 weeks if in 
  an urban environment, twice that if in a regional 
  area).  
  In the case of a device being cracked (1-
  10) – it’s back to the drawing board and a 
  completely new item must be paid for. 
   
  Materials for Making Magic Items 
  As described above, there are a number of 
  rare items required to make magic items in 
  Eldoria, most of which are now exceedingly rare. 
  They include: 
   
  Excellium Steel 
  Excellium, also known as Mage-Silver, is 
  a rare metal found deep in the rock strata, mainly 
  in the Grand Escarpment of Sard (although 
  minor 
  veins 
  have 
  been 
  found 
  in 
  other 
  mountainous areas of Eldoria). In its raw state it 
  has the best properties of both refined steel and 
  silver, but its real properties were known to the 
  Dwarves as far back as the Dawn of Time. 
  When heated to a semi-molten condition, 
  Excellium absorbs Tas energy that is cast into it 
  and holds the form of the spell permanently. It is 
  thus, an ideal medium for the manufacture of 
  enchanted arms and armor and miscellaneous 
  magical items. Most Excellium mines were 
  depleted of ore in the age known as the War of 
  Power, when a vast armory of magic weaponry 
  was assembled in preparation for the battle 
  between mortals and Gods. 
  The short supply of Excellium is one of 
  the factors that limit the construction of magical 
  devices in the modern world. It is highly prized 
  by wizards of the College of Arcane Science and 
  by the Dwarves, who still search for Excellium 
  throughout mountain regions. It is valued at 
  1,000 times its equivalent weight in gold. 
  In appearance Excellium is exactly like 
  silver, although slightly heavier.  It is not 
  magical in its unforged state and so cannot be 
  identified by Detect Magic spells. Close 
  inspection will reveal a feint blue Aura in strong 
  sunlight. 
   
   
  The ultimate test to identify Excellium 
  ore is a secret process now only remembered by 
  Dwarven smiths, whereby a select cocktail of  
  chemicals 
  are 
  combined 
  with 
  powdered 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  26 
   
   
  Excellium to produce a brief, dazzling flash of 
  blue light. 
  Excellium has 25 hit points per inch of 
  thickness and a hardness of 10. 
   
  Vurgonmir 
  Known in the common tongue as Shadow 
  Iron, this rare metal originates from Sirrith’s 
  realm of Shadowland, where it is often forged 
  into weapons that the minions of the Goddess 
  use when they manifest themselves in the prime 
  material plane.  
  It is a lusterless black in color and has a 
  cold and oily feel. It is extremely resilient and 
  durable material (Hardness 18) with unique 
  properties of storing and channeling Vurgonmir 
  negative energy (in much the same way as a 
  lodestone interacts with magnetic fields). 
  It is also used in the construction of many 
  necromantic magical devices. The metal is 
  extremely valuable (1,000 gold trades per ounce) 
  and is usually only sourced from the church of 
  Sirrith, due to their discourse with those 
  creatures who are able to journey between the 
  two planes. There are natural veins of the metal 
  said to exist in Eldoria, deep below the 
  mountains of Ahr-Ganiz, in the land of the 
  Goblinkynd. 
  Vurgonmir has 36 hit points per inch and 
  a hardness of 18. This is permanently reduced by 
  half of that if the material is exposed to direct 
  Vurgonmir’s 
  inherent 
  weakness 
  is 
  its 
  susceptibility to sunlight. This can cause the 
  metal to instantly corrode, crumbling away to 
  nothing in seconds. Undead that can walk in 
  sunlight, always keep their Vurgonmir weapons 
  sheathed and swathed in cloaks, when abroad in 
  the daylight hours. 
  Most items made from Shadow Iron have 
  a Break DC of 35. If ever exposed to sunlight, 
  the Break DC becomes 10 permanently and it 
  immediately undergoes a Break Check as though 
  hit by a force equal to 10+1d10 Str. 
  A critical hit delivered by a weapon made 
  from Vurgonmir does not inflict extra damage. 
  Instead it drains an energy level, the saving 
  throw being based on a DC of 15. 
   
  Diamondwood 
  Diamondwood comes from timber that 
  only grows on Southwind Island, in the Sea of 
  Souls. The trees are huge; about the size of a 
  sequoia and the timber combines the lightness of 
  wood with the hardness of steel. The material has 
  always been in great demand for construction of 
  fortifications, marine vessels and mundane armor 
  and weapons, as well as magical devices. The 
  supply of Diamondwood is strictly regulated by 
  the Diamond Sisterhood, a druidical order that 
  has had a long custodianship over its culling. In 
  the past, various political forces have attempted 
  to seize control over Diamondwood but this has 
  been for no real gain; only the Sisterhood knows 
  the spells that will render the wood malleable for 
  a brief time, so it can be cut and shaped. 
  Attempts have been made to cultivate seeds 
  outside of Southwind but, to date, they have all 
  been unsuccessful.  
  The only real way to purchase and use 
  Diamondwood economically, is through the 
  Sisterhood. Understandably, it is a scarce and 
  expensive material, although it is more available 
  during the March of Earth, on every tenth year, 
  when the druids allow the felling of a single 
  Diamondwood tree.  
  The wood holds Tas energy, in a similar 
  way to Excellium Steel and is sought after by 
  crafters of magic items for that reason. Once 
  spell energy is bound into Diamondwood it gains 
  a resistance to magic, with a +7 bonus to all 
  Saves. It is the premium construction material – 
  being light-weight, extremely tough and resistant 
  to magic. 
   
  Diamondwood has 50 hit points per inch 
  of thickness and a hardness of 22. 
   
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  27 
   
   
  Krystarrian Glass 
  Krystarrian Glass is essential for instilling 
  spell forms in a device. It is one of the few 
  known materials that can hold the ‘formula’ for a 
  spell within its complex matrix. Excellium and 
  Diamondwood are fine for binding with Tas 
  energy and supplying the source of power to 
  make magic devices function, but it is 
  Krystarrian Glass that is able to duplicate the 
  energy pattern that determines what form a spell 
  will take. It is also an excellent material for 
  trapping souls and elementals (which often 
  become the source of power in certain magic 
  items. 
  Krystarrian Glass was common in Pre-
  Redemption times, when the mineral sands from 
  the great sand island of Kryst were readily 
  available as an essential part of its manufacture. 
  After the fall of Kordass, Kryst was submerged 
  in the conflagration that followed and the making 
  of Krystarrian Glass passed from the world. It is 
  only in the past 200 years that the art of making 
  the Glass has been rediscovered in Elkia and 
  made possible by the fine sands found in the 
  depths of the Maritaani deserts. 
  Krystarrian Glass has 15 hit points per inch and a 
  hardness of 10. 
  Other Items 
  There is a wide range of other materials 
  used in making magic constructs, including 
  linen, leather, bone and silk. On the whole, these 
  were once sourced from magical beasts that 
  existed in Pre-Redemption times which have 
  become extinct ages ago. Often these materials 
  can be discovered in ancient caches of long-lost 
  dungeons.  
   
  Note on the Use of Mundane Materials 
  It should also be noted that the presence 
  of mundane metals will often impede the 
  translation of Tas energy. This seems to affect 
  the processes employed by wizards and sorcerers 
  more often than clerics; the former relying on the 
  consumption 
  of 
  organic 
  and 
  inorganic 
  components, the latter relying upon willpower 
  and faith to make the connection. However, the 
  presence of gold seems to have a detrimental 
  effect upon all forms of spell-casting, regardless 
  of the discipline. 
   
   
  Krystarrian Glass is essential for creating magical constructs that duplicate spell effects. The Glass 
  was used extensively in the construction of the wards that imprisoned the Goddess Sirrith in the 
  realm of Shadowland 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  28 
   
   
  Religious Artefacts 
  The Artefacts listed in each religion entry 
  in this book are all magic items that were given 
  as gifts to mortals by the Uushai (the divine 
  servants of the Gods) and, as such, they cannot 
  be duplicated by modern artificers, though more 
  than one copy may still exist.  
  Each entry in the Religions of Eldoria 
  section is prefaced by a descriptive section.  
   
  CHARMS 
  Charms are minor magic items prepared 
  by priesthoods according to rituals passed down 
  over generations. They are used by members of 
  the priesthood and often sold to the general 
  populace as a source of revenue to each church.  
  Although the magic of a charm is not as 
  powerful as a spell effect, their creation is a 
  closely guarded secret and usually involves the 
  crafting of mundane items that are then blessed 
  by a Seervati.  
  Many charms of different kinds exist 
  within each religion. In this section the best 
  know charms are described. GMs may wish to 
  develop their own versions of these items. 
   
  How Charms Function 
  Charms are imbued with a small amount 
  of 
  Tas 
  energy 
  that 
  reacts 
  to 
  specific 
  circumstances triggered by fluctuations in a 
  person’s aura. The strength of a person’s belief 
  in the Gods and the belief in the Charm itself 
  determines if the magic is activated according to 
  its divine purpose. Note that some Charms are 
  rendered useless once their power is triggered; 
  others continue to be usable until the item is 
  broken or otherwise worn out. 
  When the specific circumstance that 
  activates a charm occurs their particular effect 
  may take place. The chance of this is determined 
  by the GM making a DC roll (referred to as a 
  Belief Check). Each charm has its own DC listed 
  in its entry. 
  The following modifiers are applied to all 
  Belief Checks: 
   
  +2 If the person using the Charm is a cleric of 
  the religion that made the charm 
   
  +1 If the person using the Charm is Recognized 
  to the religion that made the charm 
   
  +1 If the person using the Charm demonstrates 
  regular religious convictions to the GM (e.g. 
  they pay tithes to churches, they visit temples to 
  pray etc.). 
   
  +1 for each point of CHA modifier 
   
  -1 if the person using the Charm has an 
  alignment opposed to their religion (e.g. their 
  patron God is of Good Alignment and the Charm 
  is made by an Evil church or vice-versa. 
  The above adjustments are cumulative 
  (e.g. you would expect a cleric to have at least 
  +3 as they would also be Recognized to their 
  deity). The cumulative figure is their ‘Belief 
  Bonus’. A DC roll of 1 is always a failure. 
  The wearing of multiple Charms displays 
  a lack of faith. If a person has more than one 
  Charm (of any kind) on their person, then the 
  Belief Bonus for each additional Charm worn 
  incurs a -4 penalty to all Charms worn. 
  If the Belief Roll equals or exceeds the 
  DC, the Charm’s power manifests and takes 
  effect. If the Charm’s power is listed as single-
  use, the Charm will no longer function. 
   
  Types of Charms  
  One type of Charm is listed for each 
  religion in the Religions of Eldoria section of 
  this book... The following references are used 
  throughout the descriptions in that section: 
   
  Religion (the religion that knows how to make 
  the Charm) 
   
  Description (a brief description of what the 
  Charm looks like and is made of) 
   
  Trigger (the circumstances that trigger the 
  effects of the Charm) 
   
  DC (the difficulty check for the Belief Roll that 
  activates the Charm’s effects) 
   
  Effect (a description of the effects that the 
  Charm provides if its Belief Roll is triggered) 
   
  Cost (the amount in trades that the Charm 
  usually costs on the open market) 
   
  Permanency (how many times the Charm can be 
  triggered; usually only known by the GM)  
   
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  29 
   
   
  Frequency (a measure of how rare the Charm is. 
  Charms are rated as being common, uncommon, 
  rare and unique (see below): 
   
  Common: this Charm is made by novice Seervati 
  of the temple as part of their daily routine. They 
  are sold both by the temple and by merchants 
  who purchase them from the temples to sell in 
  cities and in regional areas. These can be 
  obtained easily by anyone, regardless if that God 
  is their patron. 
   
  Uncommon: This Charm is made by novice 
  Seervati and sold by the temple to persons 
  Recognized to the temple or those religions who 
  share Recognition agreements. 
   
  Rare: This Charm is only made by senior clergy 
  and sold to Recognized church members or given 
  as gifts to allies of the church. 
   
  Unique: This Charm is only made by senior 
  clergy and given to allies of the church as a 
  special reward for services provided. 
   
  Usage (How long the charm remains potent and 
  will still manifest its effect). 
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  30 
   
   
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  31 
   
   
   
  READING 
  THE 
  ENTRIES 
  IN 
  THIS 
  SECTION 
  This 
  section 
  of 
  “The 
  Reliquarium 
  Eldoria” provides a wealth of information on the 
  twenty-seven religions that operate in Eldoria. 
  Each religion is summarized in the same format 
  under a number of specific headings, which are 
  explained below. 
   
  Other Titles: 
   
  These are alternate names and titles that 
  the deity is known by. In centuries past it was 
  considered unlucky to name a Theledai in case 
  you involuntarily invoked them or their Uushai, 
  incurring their wrath. Instead other titles were 
  created to describe the Gods, either as honorifics 
  by their followers or derogatory terms by their 
  enemies.   
   
  Alignment: 
  This is the general alignment of the deity, 
  usually dictated by the philosophy and actions of 
  its religious followers. See Pathfinder Core 
  Rulebook for details on alignments. Generally, a 
  cleric can only be one step away from their 
  deity’s (e.g. a cleric of a Lawful Evil religion 
  could be Lawful Evil, Chaotic Neutral or Neutral 
  Evil. A follower who has a God as their patron 
  can generally be one division away from the 
  alignment of that patron (e.g. a follower of an 
  Evil religion could be any step of Evil or 
  Neutral). 
   
   
  Domains: 
  The domains governed by the deity that 
  determine the spells that its Seervati can cast (see 
  the Pathfinder Core Rule Book for details on 
  clerical domains). 
   
   
  Favored Weapon: 
  This is the weapon that clerics of the 
  religion are all familiar with, having received 
  basic training in its use as a novice. The cleric 
  suffers no combat penalties for using this 
  specific weapon. 
    
  Appearance: 
  When the Theledai crossed from Kalidath 
  into Talyssar they had to adopt a form that would  
   
   
  be their ‘default’ appearance in the prime 
  material plane.  
  Although they may alter their form at 
  times, this requires an expenditure of power. 
  When not consciously maintaining an altered 
  form they will revert to their default appearance. 
   
  Status: 
   
  This is an indication of the organization 
  and governance of the religion. If the status is 
  described as a church this means that the religion 
  has a clerical following that devotes full-time 
  worship of the deity, in addition to a secular 
  congregation which supports the church and 
  attends regular ceremonies held at temples. A 
  major church usually has political influence over 
  a region and has temples across Eldoria. A minor 
  church usually has little political influence and 
  has a clerical power-base in a single region, with 
  limited representation in other realms. 
  A cult status indicates that all followers of 
  the religion (clerical and non-clerical) are very 
  active in advancing the agendas of their religion; 
  their day to day lives revolve around serving 
  within the cult temple or otherwise undertaking 
  the orders of their hierarchy. A major cult is 
  widespread across Eldoria while a minor cult is 
  usually located in only specific areas. Regardless 
  of the spread of their influence, a cult following 
  is always considerably smaller than that of a 
  church. 
   
  Following: 
  An approximation of the division of the 
  sexes of the clerics who serve a specific religion.  
   
  Power Centers: 
  While 
  some 
  religions 
  may 
  be 
  widespread across Eldoria, most will have a 
  number of places where they are more dominant 
  or have their greatest concentration of followers. 
   
  Holy Day: 
  Each religion has a specific day when 
  their most important ceremonies are performed. 
  A diverse range of factors determine these holy 
  days, that include such things as: 
   
  - 
  The day that the religion was founded 
  after its doctrine was derived from the 
  Books of Law 
  RELIGIONS OF ELDORIA 
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  32 
   
   
  - 
  The day the church established a temple 
  in Odressi. 
   
  - 
  The birthday of the founder of the 
  church. 
    
  Clerical Dress: 
  This is the most common clerical costume 
  associated with the religion. Each religion may 
  also have variations of this costume in different 
  realms and within its hierarchy (e.g. a novice 
  will dress differently from a high priest). 
   
  Holy Symbol: 
  This is the most common form of the 
  religion’s holy symbol; a device that is the icon 
  that represents its deity. While the size and 
  materials used to make the symbol may vary 
  depending on the wealth and status of its owner, 
  the basic shape is usually retained. 
  Besides being a token that displays a 
  person’s allegiance to a patron deity, a holy 
  symbol is used by clerics in rituals, as 
  components in spell-casting and to invoke 
  energy to repel or command Undead (refer 
  Pathfinder Core Rulebook). 
   
   
  Associations: 
  Eldoria’s religions are ordered into nine 
  groups of three deities. The deities that form one 
  group are referred to as an Aercharn (or House) 
  and consist of a mother and father figure and 
  their single offspring. 
  Most of the religions whose Gods are of 
  the same House have formal allegiances and 
  agreements to share knowledge and provide 
  political and financial support for each other.  
  One of the most important ceremonies 
  amongst these is the Recognition Agreement. 
  Eldoria is largely a polytheistic society with 
  most people acknowledging the existence of the 
  divine 
  twenty-seven 
  Gods. 
  However, 
  by 
  tradition, a family will be allied to one God of 
  the pantheon. This is their patron deity. 
  When a new child is born, within a year, 
  the parents will offer their offspring to the priests 
  of their patron deity for a Recognition 
  Ceremony. As part of this ritual, a distinct 
  recognizable symbol is placed into a subject’s 
  personal aura. Only one Recognition symbol can 
  exist within an aura at any one time. If a follower 
  of one religion wishes to adopt a different deity 
  as their patron God, the Recognition agreements 
  within the religions of each House govern this. 
  Often there is a fee that is transferred between 
  the Houses for the removal of a Recognition 
  stigma, to allow the individual to ally themselves 
  with their new patron. 
  Some religions within a House may have 
  no associations with the other members of the 
  same House. Some religions may have various 
  agreements with other Houses and individual 
  religions within Houses. This is not a common 
  practice. An example of where a specific 
  agreement is in place involves the Trezkillian 
  and Tiean religions. They have a mutual pact 
  whereby the Tiean cult undertakes espionage for 
  the Trezkillian church who reciprocate by 
  providing protection for the Tieans in Sard). 
   
  Basic Goal: 
  Most religions have a main goal or 
  direction that is driven by their core beliefs. This 
  goal is summarized here and provides the reader 
  with a ‘snapshot’ of what the religion is all 
  about.   
   
  Religion Trait: 
  This is a bonus trait that is automatically 
  given to the clerics or druids of a church or cult. 
  At their discretion, a GM can allow non-clerical 
  characters, who follow the same religion, to use 
  this trait in place of one of their other allowable 
  traits (Refer Pathfinder traits in the Advanced 
  Player’s Rulebook). 
   
  Bonus Spell: 
  This is a first level spell that can only be 
  cast by Seervati of this religion or by the clerics 
  of those religions that have a formal association 
  with each other. This spell can be substituted at 
  any time for any other prepared spell that has not 
  been used, just like Cure Light Wounds. 
   
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  33 
   
   
  Assay Spell: 
   
  This is a spell that was the focus of 
  learning when being trained as a Seervati. The 
  understanding and successful ability to cast this 
  spell meant that the Seercandum accepted the 
  candidate as being an ordained priest. The cleric 
  became so familiar with its casting that its spell 
  effects are augmented, as per the details in the 
  entry. Assay Spells are usually 1st Level Spells. 
   
  History: 
  This entry provides a brief history about 
  how the religion formed, key individuals who 
  were active in its rise and important events that 
  had marked effects upon the religion and the 
  culture in which it was imbedded. 
   
  Doctrine: 
  A summary of the fundamental beliefs of 
  the religion; this is what motivates their clergy 
  and what they preach to their congregation. 
   
  Organization: 
  How the religion is structured, including 
  the clerical hierarchy and the administration of 
  power across the realms. 
   
  Regalia: 
  Provided 
  here 
  are 
  more 
  detailed 
  descriptions of the clerical costumes, including 
  the different clothing worn by different ranks of 
  clerics and by unique orders within each religion. 
  Also included are descriptions of their holy 
  symbols and other icons and decorations used by 
  the religion. 
   
  Temple Design: 
  This entry provides a description of the 
  architecture and layout of the most common or 
  best known temples of the religion. 
   
  Ritual: 
  Some of the more important or unique 
  ceremonies performed by the religion are 
  described here, from initiation rites to funeral 
  services. 
   
  Uushai:  
  The Books of Law say how the Gods (or 
  Theledai in the ancient tongue of the Darvinor) 
  removed themselves from Enshar after the War 
  of the Powers and retreated to their realms in 
  Tarrisada. Here they entered a form of 
  hibernation that would last thousands of years, in 
  order to survive the period of time that it would 
  take for their star-faring ship, the “Aurliath” to 
  gather sufficient energy from the Tas to traverse 
  the Great Shadow and return to their origins in 
  Kalidath. 
  Until that time (called the Awakening) the 
  divine realms are guarded by the Uushai, semi-
  divine creatures and beings of supernatural 
  power created to serve the Gods at the Dawn of 
  Time. Uushai take all kinds of forms and those 
  that serve each religion are described under this 
  entry.  
  Uushai can exist in the prime material 
  plane for a short time, although their powers are 
  greatly diminished. Some can exist indefinitely 
  but suffer some weakness or flaw as a result (e.g. 
  Sirrith’s Uushai are Vampires who cannot stand 
  sunlight and must sustain themselves on the 
  blood of mortals when they dwell within 
  Enshar). 
   
  Artifact: 
  A major holy relic which has been found 
  by its church. This artefact is usually housed in 
  their largest temple, which is most often the 
  temple in Odressi. 
   
  Charm: 
  A sample of a Charm that is made by the 
  church. Details about how Charms work can be 
  found in the section on Holy Magic. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  35 
   
   
  ORMOCEA  
  God of Law 
   
   
   
   
  Other Titles: 
   The Law Giver, Lord of the Tranquil Hand. 
  Alignment: 
   Lawful Good. 
  Domains: 
   Law/Protection/Nobility/Glory/Good/Knowledge 
  Favored Weapon: 
   Staff 
  Appearance: 
   A middle-aged man with steel-grey hair and a close-trimmed beard. His eyes 
  radiate prismatic light.  
  Status: 
   Major church. 
  Clergy: 
   95% Male, 5% Female 
  Power Centers: 
  Elkia, Tempest, Odressi, Llan and various degrees of legal representation in 
  other lands (e.g. Daugron priests in Y’sira who have studied Ormocean Law). 
  Holy Day: 
   Gaidezar, 12th Day of the Second Span of the March of Light 
  Clerical Dress: 
   Light grey robe trimmed with white leather. High officials wear the “Sontaara” 
  which is a stiff elaborate headdress. 
  Holy Symbol: 
   A brass disc engraved with the balance symbol. 
  Associations: 
  Ormocea (God of Law) is the husband of Esmia. Siritar (God of Paladins) is 
  their son. Together, the three are referred to as the Holy Trinity. Ormoceans 
  have Recognition agreements within the other religions of their House and with 
  the House of Life and the Theydori church (only) of the House of Secrets. 
  Basic Goal: 
  The maintenance of law and order and vigilance against the incursion of Undead 
  and Demons. 
  Religion Trait: 
  Lover of the Law. You have a strong belief in the righteousness of law and 
  justice. Benefit: You receive a +1 trait bonus on saves vs. charm and compulsion 
  spells, and may make a new save with an additional +1 bonus (for a total of +2) 
  if directed to act against the law while under a compulsion. 
  Bonus Spell: 
  Recitation 
  Assay Spell: 
  Hide from Undead 
   
  History 
  The organized worship of Ormocea that 
  followed the Darktime is said to have been started 
  by the Prophet Samroth, who received a vision of 
  Ormocea, appearing to him out of the west and 
  proclaiming that law and order would soon be 
  returned to the troubled world. Samroth was 
  directed to go forth and pave the way for the time 
  of the Awakening so that the faithful would be able 
  to travel to Kalidath when the Gods depart from 
  Enshar.  
  Samroth dwelled in the fertile lands south of 
  the Porgruu Bogs; a place settled largely by the 
  Tarkians, a barbaric people who dominated north-
  west Sard at this time. Communities in this region 
  were in constant danger of being destroyed due to 
  endless wars between chieftains who controlled 
  various parts of Porgruu. Samroth preached the 
  word of Ormocea for many years and, eventually, 
  Was able to convince Balagar (one of the more 
  powerful local warlords) to adopt Ormocea as a 
  form of ‘luck totem’.  
  Under Balagar’s protection, the priesthood 
  of Ormocea began to flourish and missionaries 
  spread the word of the Wise to other communities. 
  Samroth went on to discover the all-important 
  Books of Law, which provided a great amount of 
  lost lore concerning all of the Gods; their doctrines, 
  beliefs, rituals and incantations.  
  The Books of Law were found when 
  followers of Samroth excavated a site in Jasper to 
  build a temple to Ormocea. These relics not only 
  asserted the dominance of the Ormocean church in 
  the centuries to come but the knowledge contained 
  within them caused an immediate intellectual 
  renaissance, dragging the Human tribes out of eons 
  of barbarism.  
  Although the lawful society that Samroth 
  worked toward did not eventuate in his lifetime, the 
  priesthood he established continued to spread the 
  word of Ormocea after his death and brought a 
  lasting peace to the Tarkian clans. Later, the 
  Ormoceans 
  played 
  a 
  major 
  role 
  in 
  the 
  establishment 
  of 
  the 
  Kingdom 
  of 
  Sardell, 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  36 
   
   
  effectively becoming the power behind the throne 
  of Eldoria’s greatest empire.  
  Many scholars say that the Ormocean 
  church achieved true greatness with its early social 
  reforms, particularly with its code of laws that 
  governed all, regardless of station. However the 
  acquisition of wealth and the pursuit of political  
  power, by individuals of the faith, eventually 
  caused great tension between the Ormoceans and 
  the other religions of the House of Wisdom.  
  By the height of the Sardellan Empire, the 
  Ormocean church had spread its teachings and laws 
  to most realms of Eldoria, but had done so on the 
  back of the imperial war-machine that the church 
  publically supported. The Ormocean priesthood, to 
  a great degree, abandoned all pretenses at having 
  any moral rationale in justifying its activities in 
  obtaining political control of the far-flung outposts 
  of the Empire. The senior clergy thirsted for same 
  power that the nobles of the Sardellan Empire 
  pursued, with high priests seeking appointments as 
  regional governors as the Empire grew.  
  Inevitably, there was a schism within the 
  House of Wisdom, whereby the Esmian and Siritar 
  faiths divorced themselves from the exploits of the 
  senior House of their group. 
  Many 
  theologians 
  have 
  drawn 
  an 
  association between the moral vacuum of the 
  Ormocean church, the collapse of the Sardellan 
  Empire and the years of bloody civil war that 
  followed. It is suggested that, if the hierarchy of the 
  church had not been so politically ambitious at a 
  time when the Empire was left with no heir, a 
  successor could have been put forth that all the 
  Lords of Sardell supported and the Empire would 
  have continued. However, following the death of 
  the Empress Taranae, who left no direct heir on the 
  throne, the Ormoceans drew out the succession 
  debate for nearly eight years, causing division 
  amongst many factions. After several heated 
  councils managed to bring the Empire to the brink 
  of civil war, the church finally had the audacity to 
  propose an heir of their own; a nobleman directly 
  related to the Archbishop of the Ormocean church 
  in Jasper. The powerbrokers walked away from the 
  conference table and a century of bloody warfare 
  followed. This was called the Kinstrife. 
  The chaos of the Kinstrife wars made it 
  possible for the Ormocean church in Odressi to 
  gain a more dominant role in affairs across Eldoria. 
  Up until then, power had been firmly maintained 
  by the temple in the Imperial capitol of Jasper but, 
  as a result of the civil war, the Ormocean orders 
  throughout Sardell became fractured and the 
  chapter in Odressi became prominent, Odressi 
  being perceived as a neutral territory.  
  In the late 17th century R, Abbot Ormond 
  Mordling was able to initiate reforms in the 
  religion through the Congress of Odressi, stripping 
  power from many of the senior clerics of the 
  temples in former Sardell. In 1677R Mordling 
  reunited the churches of the Holy Trinity and 
  brokered a treaty that ended the Kinstrife, dividing 
  Sardell into the lands of Sard and Elkia, giving 
  political control of Sard to the lords allied with the 
  Trezkillian faith and control of Elkia to the House 
  of Wisdom.  
  In the following centuries there was a brief 
  period of rivalry between the Ormocean temple in 
  Odressi and their counterparts in Elkia but, by the 
  20th century R the situation had sorted itself out and 
  the Odressi chapter of the religion emerged as the 
  firm center of Ormocean theology.  
  The Ormocean church remains the most 
  powerful religion of modern times. Despite the 
  collapse of the Sardellan Empire, the priesthood 
  was able to entrench itself in many countries and 
  attract a solid following. When Imperial troops 
  withdrew from regions that they occupied, some 
  countries rejected the Ormocean temples that had 
  been established, however few repealed the laws 
  that the church had brought. If nothing else, the 
  legacy of the Ormocean faith is that they have 
  brought common laws to the realms of Eldoria. 
   
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  37 
   
   
  Doctrine 
  The essential doctrine of the Ormocean 
  church is one of creating an ordered society, by the 
  introduction of its complex code of edicts, as laid 
  out in the First Book of Law. The edicts of the 
  church promote moral values of obedience to 
  superiors, so long as those superiors act within the 
  defensible confines of Ormocean Law. The church 
  promotes an attitude of compassion in most of its 
  affairs but will readily adopt a strict and 
  unrelenting composure with those who transgress 
  the law and refuse to seek absolution.  
  Due to the complex integration and 
  interpretation of the thousands of laws contained 
  within the First Book, Ormocean priests can often 
  come across as bureaucratic and uncaring, seeming 
  to be more interested in getting the tiny fine-print 
  of the law correct rather than seeing it applied in a 
  fair and sensible manner. 
  A smaller but certainly important function 
  of the church is its eternal battle against any 
  incursion into the world of the Undead and the 
  power of the Shadow. This is related in passages 
  found in the First Book that describe of how 
  Paradise was first spoiled when the Goddess Sirrith 
  stole the Rune of Making from Phelltar and divided 
  the loyalties of the Theledai.  
  Ormocea cast the Pale Lady into the Prison 
  of Shadowland and his followers have remained 
  ever vigilant against Sirrith and her minions since 
  that time. 
  The church created a small, specialized 
  Order, the Stormwatch, in 1165R. Their mission 
  has been to root out evil and fight a subversive 
  battle against those who would upset the moral 
  foundations of Ormocean Law in society. One of 
  the Stormwatch’s main duties has been to defend 
  the Human realms against the incursions of the 
  Sirrith cult, which has always had a small, but 
  active following. The church has openly tried to 
  have the cult ousted from Odressi, where it houses 
  its only ‘official’ temple but the Sirrith priesthood 
  has always made sure no proof exists that it 
  practices its beliefs in any other way than within 
  the charter of the Congress of Odressi.  
  Because the Stormwatch often needs to 
  fight evil, it has created the notorious Edict 38, a 
  magically 
  binding 
  contract 
  that 
  allows 
  its 
  operatives to be absolved of sin as long as their 
  actions, no matter how vile, achieve the goals of 
  the church. 
  Behind the scenes, the Stormwatch and the 
  cult of Sirrith trade blows, using plots and counter-
  plots to outguess the other. The Ormoceans strive 
  to have the Sirrith cult proscribed, while the 
  followers of Sirrith look for lore that will lead them 
  to free the Queen of the Dead from her prison, so 
  she can achieve dominion over the lands of 
  Eldoria.   
   
  Organization 
  The supreme leader of the Ormocean church 
  is the Patriarch of Odressi. The Patriarch is elected 
  to the position for life upon the death or resignation 
  of the former Patriarch. Beneath the Patriarch are 
  the Archbishops. Each Archbishop rules over the 
  spiritual affairs of a specific region called a 
  Protectorate. The Archbishop is usually based in a 
  cathedral. Larger Protectorates are divided into 
  smaller areas governed by bishops. 
  The Patriarch’s word is law but he is guided 
  by the Council of the Wise that meets once every 
  four years, in the weeks leading up to the Congress 
  of Odressi. The Council is made up of the 
  Archbishops of Odressi, Denhaven, Tempest and 
  Quorull plus a fourth Archbishop elected by the 
  Council for a period of six years. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  The 
  church 
  maintains 
  three 
  distinct 
  Chapters (as well as several smaller Orders). The 
  three major Chapters are: 
   
  - 
  The Immaculates 
  - 
  The Choir 
  - 
  The Justicators 
   
  The Immaculates are the heart and soul of 
  the Ormocean church. They are the clergy who 
  deliver sermons to the congregation, address the 
  needs of their followers and run the routine 
  administration of the church; they are the main 
  The 
  emblem 
  of 
  the 
  Stormwatch, 
  the 
  Ormocean church’s secretive political wing 
  that will use any means at its disposal to fight 
  evil 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  38 
   
   
  section of the Ormocean faith which interacts 
  regularly with the secular world. 
  The Choir are devoted to the maintenance of 
  the articles of Ormocean Law. Each cathedral (and 
  some of the larger regions administered by 
  bishops) will have at least one priest who acts as 
  the Choir. Their responsibility will be to keep an 
  effective and easily accessible legal reference 
  library and to be able to recite word-for word, the 
  contents of any of the books and articles kept there. 
  This is quite a remarkable feat considering that the 
  standard library maintained by a Choir consists of a 
  set of the Three Books of Law and 366 volumes of 
  additional statutes and precedents derived from 
  judicial rulings over the past 650 years (as ratified 
  by the Council of the Wise). 
  The Choir often work closely with the 
  Chapter of the Justicators whenever a high level 
  Audit (judicial hearing) is held. Followers of the 
  Order of Justicators administer Ormocean Law 
  throughout the many Human countries that have 
  adopted the Ormocean legal system after being 
  conquered or becoming an ally of the Sardellan 
  Empire. Although Justicators are usually devotees 
  of the Ormocean church there are many secular 
  Justicators in countries where the faith is not as 
  strong but Ormocean Law is still the accepted 
  means of dealing with disputes. 
  As acolytes, Justicators study law under the 
  tutelage of the Choir and, upon obtaining an 
  acceptable level of competency; they are given a 
  posting to maintain the law in a designated 
  community within an Ormocean Protectorate. They 
  are responsible for arbitrating a wide range of 
  claims and grievances, ranging from mercantile 
  transactions to petty theft. Their decision on any 
  issue is final unless an affected party opts to have 
  the dispute taken to an Ormocean Audit (a higher 
  court).  
  In doing so, the person who requested an 
  Audit hearing had better be sure of their case as 
  they can be served with large fines and even 
  imprisonment for wasting the time of the court. 
  Justicators do not handle matters that involve the 
  loss of life. In these cases, they will undertake an 
  initial investigation and detain any necessary 
  suspects, but this information is automatically 
  handed over to an Audit to preside over. Justicators 
  usually work hand-in-hand with the local militia or 
  town guard in order to make arrests.  
  In regional areas, where these resources are 
  not often available, a novice paladin may be 
  seconded from one of the Ormocean Chapters to 
  serve the Justicator for a set period. 
  The highest position that a Justicator can 
  attain is that of a Truth-Seer, a magistrate who 
  serves on a Supreme Audit. A Supreme Audit is 
  made up of three senior Justicators who have 
  served the church for more than twenty years and 
  have sat on a minimum of five Audit hearings. 
  While a normal Audit usually addresses criminal 
  cases and appeals from rulings by Justicators, 
  Supreme 
  Audits 
  are 
  reserved 
  for 
  hearings 
  involving the clergy and nobility. 
   
  Regalia 
  All Ormocean priests wear vestments that 
  are a light grey in color. A novice’s attire is quite 
  plain, consisting of a woolen alb and cincture of 
  brass links. When ordained as a priest, the alb has 
  white leather trim about the shoulders, sleeves and 
  hem. 
  Archbishops wear a stiff leather miter called 
  a ‘Sontaara’ and a chasuble, with a white satin 
  stole. The stole often has motifs of the church and 
  offices achieved by the Archbishop emblazoned 
  upon it.  
  The Patriarch wears a costume similar to an 
  Archbishop, augmented by a decorative cope, 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  39 
   
   
  embroidered with a representation of the Three 
  Books of Law. 
  The holy symbol of the Ormocean church is 
  an amulet, commonly made of brass and inscribed 
  with the Kiir (a rune that depicts balance) or a 
  picture of a set of scales. Senior members of the 
  clergy often have silver or gold holy symbols. 
   
  Temple Design 
  Ormocean temples are reminiscent of the 
  Greek Parthenon, having huge columns supporting 
  the roof and surrounding a closed nave. The nave is 
  an open area and has no seating for the 
  congregation (except for pews set in niches in the 
  walls for the elderly or infirm). The choir contains 
  the altar and a raised pulpit and is usually divided 
  from the nave by a low wooden partition. Statues 
  depicting Ormocea are not common; instead, the 
  central altar-piece is a large balance. Priests who 
  serve 
  and 
  administer 
  the 
  temple 
  have 
  accommodation and work areas located in 
  buildings close to the main structure, often in 
  complexes beneath the temple. 
   
  Ritual 
  The most notable ritual of the Ormocean 
  church is called Deathwatch. The church is 
  obsessed with guarding against the incursion of the 
  Undead. When a member of the faithful dies, a 
  remembrance service is given at a location 
  provided by the family of the deceased (most often 
  the family home). This service commences at 
  sundown and is followed by a formal meal. After 
  the meal, the invited guests depart but a small 
  group remains to sit an all-night vigil over the body 
  with the priest who gave the service. The group is 
  often made up of members of the immediate family 
  but can also include close friends. 
  The priest will place various wards about the area 
  to prevent any spirits or demons from possessing 
  the body. At dawn a person employed by the priest 
  will dress as the Goddess Sirrith and command the 
  corpse to rise and enter her service.  
  In larger cities the role of Sirrith is played 
  by an actor from a local group of players. 
  Ormocean funeral services are a major source of 
  income to Bardic conservatories across Eldoria. 
  However, relatives and friends can also portray 
  Sirrith at Deathwatch and it is considered an honor 
  to be asked to play the role. 
   
  Uushai 
  Ormocea created two Uushai, the twins 
  Maedrannis and Maedrah. Maedrannis appears as a 
  middle-aged angel, robed in white. He is epitome 
  of righteousness and will not tolerate injustice or 
  the breaking of the Laws of Ormocea. Maedrah, his 
  sister, is more chaotic in nature and is prone to 
  ‘bending’ the Law in order to receive a result, so 
  long as the cause is not aligned to evil. The two 
  Uushai represent the balance that is associated with 
  their deity. They are the ‘yin and yang’ of 
  Ormocea. 
   
  Bonus Spell 
  Ormocean priests often need to recall laws 
  contained in 366 volumes of the Choir. This spell 
  allows them to recall up to 500 words from any 
  written source they have read within the past year. 
  RECITATION 
  School divination; Level cleric 1 (Ormocea) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, DF  
  Range personal 
  Target you 
  Duration 10 min/level 
  You can recall verbatim up to 500 words 
  per level from any one written source you have 
  read within the past year.  
   
  Assay Spell 
  The Ormocean Assay spell is Hide from 
  Undead. If cast by an Ormocean priest, intelligent 
  Undead receive a -4 penalty on saving throws 
  required to see a person hidden by this spell. 
  The Kiir is a stylized balance symbol that is the 
  main icon associated with the Ormocean 
  church 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  40 
   
   
  Artefact 
  EMPYREAN WARD 
  Strong abjuration (Good); CL 18th; weight 1lb 
   
  Dalian was now struggling against the 
  slack-jawed creature as it attempted to wrestle him 
  to the ground. I saw that P’tar had failed in his bid 
  to toss the Ward into the utter darkness of the Well; 
  four of the Undead had dragged him to the ground 
  and he screamed as they hungrily tore at his flesh.  
  The Ward he had been carrying had fallen 
  to the ground and, as I watched in terror, I saw 
  that P’tar had managed to prime the device before 
  he was overcome. A clear bell-like sound rang out 
  as the metallic sphere rolled toward the lip of the 
  dark pit. It sounded again as it went over the edge. 
  Then I heard it once more, as though it was the 
  faraway toll of a church bell.  
  Whiteness flooded everything and I was hit 
  by a force that lifted me from my position and 
  hurled me thirty feet through the air. As I came to 
  my senses I quickly reached for my mace to guard 
  against the creatures that had slain brave P’tar. I 
  did not have to worry, as each of the Undead had 
  been turned into piles of smoking ash. 
   
  An Empyrean Ward is a sphere, roughly the 
  size of a tennis ball, which is used as a powerful 
  means to consecrate an area with positive Tas 
  energy. The Wards were originally fashioned by 
  Ormocea and given to his servants to create the 
  boundaries of Shadowland and thus imprison 
  Sirrith and her undead minions. When the task was 
  complete there were number of the Wards left over 
  and these eventually found their way into the hands 
  of mortals. 
  The Prophet Samroth, uncovered a set of 
  twenty-five Empyrean Wards when he discovered 
  the Books of Law. Three of these were used to 
  sanctify the temples that were built at Denhaven, 
  Odressi and Jasper. The others were lost during the 
  Kinstrife and the last known Ward is kept in the 
  The Ormocean church has made it their mission to find and seal all rifts between Shadowland and the 
  world of Enshar, using Empyrean Wards to purify the negative energy that permeates such portals 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  41 
   
   
  reliquarium of the Odressi church, however it is 
  possible that the others do exist and are will one 
  day be found again.  
   
  The outer surface of an Empyrean Ward 
  appears to be made of a white ceramic. It has a 
  recessed Krystarrian Glass button on one side and 
  an Ormocean Kiir on the other. If the button is 
  depressed fully, it clicks into a locked position; the 
  device then begins emitting a chime every five 
  seconds. 
  On 
  the 
  third 
  chime 
  the 
  sphere 
  disintegrates, releasing a flood of purifying magical 
  energy that displaces all existing magical fields for 
  an area equal to 5000 cubic feet. 
  A wave of force is released from the 
  epicenter, inflicting 5d4 points of impact damage 
  to anyone within the area of effect. It also inflicts 
  5d4 damage beyond the 5000ft zone (less 1d4 for 
  every 100 ft. beyond the main area of effect. A 
  successful REF saving throw halves the damage.  
  The Empyrean Ward instantly renders all 
  magical items (including potions and scrolls) 
  within its area of effect, temporarily impotent (no 
  saving throw). These items regain their powers in 
  2d4 days’ time. However, the main purpose of this 
  magical consecration is to remove all negative 
  energy from a defined area.  
  The Tas energy that replaces the local field 
  is ‘decontaminated’ of any elements of the Vorg. 
  Any creatures that are of the Undead class receive 
  the impact damage detailed above, plus an 
  additional 2d12+4 points of damage (no saving 
  throw). For every round they remain in the 
  Empyrean Field, Undead sustain an additional 
  2d12+4 points of damage. 
  An Empyrean Ward generates a permanent 
  effect, though it can be destroyed/negated by such 
  spells as Desecrate or Dispel Magic, however, in 
  the case of Desecrate, the spell does not 
  automatically remove the warded area. Instead it 
  must use the same DC process as Dispel Magic to 
  overcome the ward. 
   
  Charm 
  DEATHWATCH BEETLE 
  Description: The Deathwatch Beetle is a small 
  insect native to the islands of the Sea of Souls as 
  well as parts of southern Elkia and Sard. It is a 
  lustrous black in color with white markings that 
  resemble a skull. The beetle is placed within a 
  miniature silver cage about 1 inch in diameter. The 
  cage is blessed with special wards and etched with 
  Ormocean sigils. 
   
  Trigger: If negative energy (such as that which is 
  manifested by the Undead) comes within 1’ of the 
  Charm, the effect may be triggered. 
   
  DC: 12 
   
  Effect: The beetle emits a high-pitched shriek for 
  2+2d6 minutes  
   
  Cost: 10 silver trades (this includes the cost of the 
  miniature silver cage) 
   
  Frequency: Common 
   
  Usage: Permanent (however the beetle dies at the 
  end of the effect and a new beetle must be found. 
  The cage can be reused).  
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  ESMIA 
   
   
  Goddess of Healing 
   
  Other Titles: 
   
  Lady of Unfettered Tears, Goddess of Healing, the Silver Spirit. 
  Alignment: 
  Lawful Good. 
  Domains: 
   
  Healing/Restoration/Resurrection/Community/Good. 
  Favored Weapon: 
  None. The clergy may know how to use simple weapons but are ordered not to 
  take up arms unless it is to defend the life of another. The religion preaches non-
  aggression and maintains a single protective order of fighting monks, known as 
  the Relenting Hand. They practice a defensive form of ancient martial arts 
  incorporated from their orders in distant Maritaan. 
  Appearance: 
  A middle-aged woman with a shaven skull and radiant Aura. 
  Status: 
  Major church 
  Clergy:  
   
  30% male, 70% female. 
  Power Centers:  
  Odressi, Eastern Elkia 
  Holy Day: 
   
  Festival Day, March of Gold 
  Clerical Dress: 
  A white robe with silver trimmings. The senior clerics are identified by their 
  shaven heads, upon which is worn a small cloth skullcap sewn with silver 
  thread. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  The teardrop is a central icon of the Esmian church and their holy symbol is a 
  small silver amulet wrought as a teardrop shape. Note that the holy water of the 
  Esmians has the same effect as a Cure Light Wounds Potion on the living and 
  radiates a pale violet light in the presence of Undead. 
  Associations: 
  Ormocea (God of Law) is the husband of Esmia. Siritar (God of Paladins) is 
  their son. Together, the three are referred to as the Holy Trinity. Esmians have 
  Recognition agreements within the other religions of their House and with the 
  House of Life and the Theydori church (only) of the House of Secrets. 
  Basic Goal: 
  The provision of sanctuary and care to all those who seek the compassion of 
  Esmia. 
  Religion Trait: 
  Morning Renewal. Your morning prayers often send a welcome spark of divine 
  vitality into your most recent patients. Benefit: When you use the Heal skill to 
  provide long-term care, your patients heal an extra 2 hit points after you pray 
  and care for them each morning. 
  Bonus Spell: 
  Personal Cleansing 
  Assay Spell: 
  Cure Light Wounds 
   
   
   History  
  The Esmian faith found its rebirth in the 
  eastern regions of Elkia some twenty years prior 
  to the discovery of the Books of Law by the 
  Prophet Samroth. The religion emerged amongst 
  the Nelandai people dwelling in the east Elkian 
  region called Vhellithron, a land bounded by the 
  Passage of Thungar in the east and the 
  Eaglesroost Mountains in the west.  
  The great Chiefs of the Nelandai had long 
  been served by a network of female wise-
  women, skilled in the arts of healing. They were 
  the midwives to the noble women of the 
  Nelandai and they had kept the secret knowledge 
  of birthing and the healing arts alive through the 
  Darktime, meeting regularly as a sisterhood to 
  share their experiences and precious knowledge 
  of healing herbs and remedies for illness. 
  Collectively, these midwives called themselves 
  The Spinner’s Circle, for they would often spin 
  wool while talking about birthing experiences 
  and cures for ailments.  
  A leading figure within the Circle was a 
  woman named Fyrecia, who traveled to the 
  community of Jasper at the request of the 
  warlord Balagar. Balagar had heard of the 
  healer’s reputation and sought her skills to treat a 
  severe wound, he had received in battle. During 
  her stay in Jasper, Fyrecia became a friend of the 
  Prophet Samroth and was present when he 
  discovered the Books of Law.  
  Fyrecia went on to be involved with the 
  interpretation of many sections of the great 
  tomes, especially the references to Esmia. In 34R 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Fyrecia returned to Vhellithron and over the next 
  ten years devoted herself to converting the 
  Spinner’s Circle to the worship of Esmia. The 
  Circle founded the Convent of the Weeping Lady 
  and its original practices began to change to 
  reflect the doctrine of Esmia as translated from 
  the Three Books. Whereas the Spinner’s Circle 
  had been a pampered group who tended the 
  health of the noble families, the new Esmian 
  sisterhood sold the valuables that had been 
  bestowed on them over the years and gave their 
  services to all, going out across Vhellithron and 
  tending to the illnesses and hurts of the 
  privileged and poor alike. 
  Vhellithron was but one of sixteen petty 
  kingdoms that made up the region called 
  Akalastia in the north of the Sard-Elkia 
  land mass 2,000 years ago. The 
  Esmian 
  faith 
  spread 
  throughout Akalastia and 
  proved 
  most 
  popular 
  with the common folk. 
  Although there were 
  a number of shrines 
  established in rural 
  communities and a 
  convent built near 
  to Jasper, the real 
  power-base of the 
  Esmians remained 
  in 
  the 
  distant 
  eastern 
  kingdoms 
  of Akalastia. As the 
  constant 
  political 
  struggles of the great 
  Chiefs 
  continued 
  throughout the region, the 
  Esmians 
  of 
  Vhellithron 
  worked hand in hand with the 
  Ormocean 
  priests 
  to 
  negotiate 
  peaceful ends to age-old disputes and played a 
  background role in the creation of the Kingdom 
  of Sardell. However, as Sardell grew in power, 
  the Ormocean church concerned itself with 
  politics, while the Esmians worked to create 
  hospices across the kingdom and tended the 
  needs of the poor. 
  In 600R, news reached the Esmian faith 
  concerning the misery brought about by terrible 
  protracted civil wars in Llan, a country to the 
  north of Sardell. The Esmians organized an 
  expedition, consisting of the majority of its 
  clergy and willing followers, to journey north 
  and bring aid to the Llanish people. The 
  Sardellan King was opposed to this (mainly 
  because he had designs on invading Llan once 
  the civil war had severely weakened the 
  country). The Ormoceans supported the King’s 
  position and did all they could to dissuade the 
  Esmians from their mission of mercy, including 
  intervening when the Siritar Orders proposed to 
  send a protective escort. 
  The council of the Ormoceans fell upon 
  deaf ears and a great number of the Esmian 
  clergy and the faithful made the journey to Llan. 
  While their ministrations were welcomed by the 
  common folk of the country, several of the 
  Llanish nobles saw the presence of the Esmians 
  and so many Sardellan people as an incursion 
  into their country. They suspected that this 
  would lead to the Sardellans establishing control 
  of the outlying regions of Llan. Suspicion over 
  this 
  foreign 
  presence 
  in 
  Llan 
  culminated in several Llanish 
  noble families ordering their 
  personal retinues of knights 
  to burn the hospices of 
  the 
  Esmians, 
  killing 
  and driving the clerics 
  out of the north. Of 
  course, 600 years 
  later the Ormocean 
  church invoked the 
  memory 
  of 
  the 
  slaughter 
  of 
  the 
  Esmians, 
  in 
  its 
  build up to invading 
  Llan. 
  Like 
  the 
  Ormocean church, the 
  Esmians 
  spread 
  throughout the world as 
  the 
  Sardellan 
  Empire 
  expanded. They were also 
  numbered amongst the religions 
  that were the original signatories to 
  the Treaty of Odressi.  
  Up until 1,000R, the Esmians had been a 
  strictly female order. When their temple was 
  established on the Holy Isle, they finally allowed 
  men to take an active role and train as priests, 
  although the separation of the sexes was strictly 
  enforced.  
  Many Esmia novices volunteered to travel 
  to the far ends of the Empire and everywhere 
  they went, their generosity and prowess in 
  delivering healing to all was held in good stead. 
  The Esmians were eager to learn about new 
  skills and medicines from the physicians of the 
  cultures they came into contact with. Some of 
  these skills were not necessarily related to the 
  healing arts, as evidenced by the adoption of the 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  45 
   
   
  martial fighting style of Trell-Korr, a practice of 
  the Y’naari people which was brought back from 
  Maritaan. 
  The 
  strong 
  influence 
  that 
  the 
  philosophies of the Y’naari had on the Esmian 
  faith resulted in the creation of a separate order 
  of monks in 1471R. Known as the Relenting 
  Hand, they were devoted to the protection of the 
  church, and used unarmed combat as their 
  principal fighting style. 
  In 1677R the Esmians were reunited with 
  the Ormocean church after a religious conclave 
  in Odressi healed the rift between the Houses of 
  the Holy Trinity. Since that time the Esmian 
  faith has continued as it has always done, 
  remaining loyal to its core doctrine of offering 
  compassion to all who ask for it. The largest 
  Esmian temple in the modern world is the 
  Chapel of the Sacred Lady in Odressi however 
  the faith prefers to use its funds to build practical 
  hospices rather than ornate tributes to the 
  Goddess. The sparse structure in Odressi reflects 
  this, with most of its space devoted to cells for 
  the recuperation of the ill. 
  Smaller churches and shrines exist in all 
  lands and the faith is even well-represented in 
  the turbulent region known as the Crownless 
  Lands, a place of refugees and desperadoes 
  hemmed in between the Elves of Leezeria and 
  the Goblinkynd of Ahr-Ganiz. 
   
  Doctrine 
  The Goddess Esmia was slain by Sadir 
  when she refused to allow him to destroy the 
  Weirding Stone. Her body was taken to 
  Tarrisada by her Uushai servants and her remains 
  entombed there. The religion believes that by 
  spreading belief in the Goddess, her mortal 
  followers will channel power to Esmarra, the 
  chief Uushai of Esmia, who will resurrect Esmia 
  at the time of the Awakening. 
  The Esmian faith believes that only by 
  cleansing the body and the mind can one truly be 
  at peace. They promote ceremonial washing and 
  grooming as part of the ritual to honor Esmia and 
  clerics are expected to bathe twice per day, after 
  rising and at noon. Senior clergy of both sexes 
  often shave all their hair off as a further gesture 
  to the Goddess of their personal cleanliness. 
  The purification of the mind involves the 
  casting out of all ill thoughts. An Esmian will 
  spend an hour each day in silent meditation 
  within the temple Salandrum (a special chamber 
  that has been ritually purged of all evil). 
  Contained within the Salandrum is the temple 
  font. The Holy Water of the Esmian faith is an 
  especially important medium, symbolizing the 
  healing tears of the Goddess.  
  The apothecaries of the church guard the 
  secret of distilling a potent healing draft 
  (equivalent to a CLW potion) that serves as the 
  holy water of the church. The cost of making this 
  is prohibitive so the church only dispenses the 
  Holy Water to those in great need. The water has 
  also been discovered to radiate a pale violet light 
  in the presence of Undead. 
  An Esmian is expected to show restraint 
  and tolerance in their dealings with others and 
  they are expected to offer no profanity or act of 
  violence, other than to stop someone from 
  slaying them or another. Esmians will not harbor 
  gold and riches. As long as they have the basics 
  of life (food, shelter and clothing) all else is used 
  to provide the same necessities to others.  
  Healing is a gift to the church by the 
  Goddess 
  and 
  is 
  to 
  be 
  used 
  without 
  discrimination. Divine healing is a greater gift 
  still and to dispense it without good cause is 
  considered an affront to the Goddess. Therefore 
  an Esmian will not resort to using magical 
  healing when physical treatment and bed-rest 
  will suffice. 
   
  Organization 
  The head of the Esmian faith is given the 
  title of the “Fyrecia” (in honor of the religion’s 
  founder). They are the high priestess of the 
  temple in Odressi and determine the doctrine of 
  the entire church on their own; there are no 
  councils that provide supportive input to the 
  decisions of the Fyrecia. The Fyrecia is head of 
  the Esmian faith for a period of approximately 
  20 years or unless illness or death requires the 
  election of a new Fyrecia. Election of a Fyrecia 
  takes place to coincide with the next Congress in 
  Odressi (which occurs every 4 years).  
  The church is divided into two distinct 
  orders; the larger and older order being the 
  Healing Hand and the smaller order being the 
  Relenting Hand. Novices of the Healing Hand 
  join one of the many convents that exist across 
  Eldoria and work to assist their local community 
  for a minimum of five years. Their daily life 
  consists of attending early morning prayers and 
  rituals and then visiting people in the immediate 
  region to offer whatever aid they can in the form 
  of medical assistance, food, clothing and labor. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  46 
   
   
  Once ordained, the clergy are assigned 
  responsibilities in the Healing Hall, a sanatorium 
  that is usually part of an Esmian convent. The 
  next rank of the clergy, above that of priest is the 
  position of Abbott. Clergy in this position act as 
  the head of a convent or (in the case of larger 
  temples) the head of a Healing Hall. Priests may 
  also be offered a posting at an Esmian mission in 
  a distant land. Acceptance of a mission 
  automatically raises the priest to the ranking of 
  Abbott.  Mission work is often used as a means 
  to quickly rise in the ranks of the Esmian church. 
  Novices of the Order of the Relenting 
  Hand have the same basic training as their 
  counterparts in the Healing Hand. However, 
  upon being ordained, the priests begin special 
  training at one of the isolated monasteries 
  devoted to teaching the martial skills of Trell-
  Korr fighting, a form of unarmed combat. The 
  three main monasteries are: 
   
  - 
  The House of Tharradine (located on 
  the mountain of Heaven’s Reach on the 
  Holy Isle) 
   
  - 
  Eaglereach (located in the Splintrock 
  Heights of Elkia) 
   
  - 
  Gann-Korr 
  Retreat 
  (located 
  near 
  Giribalda, Maritaan)  
   
  Most priests who complete the martial 
  training are assigned to convents or missions in 
  the service of the Healing Hand. Exceptional 
  graduates are offered positions within the 
  Relenting 
  Hand 
  as 
  a 
  Preceptor. 
  Their 
  responsibilities are to train priests in Trell-Korr 
  and take on administrative duties in the 
  monastery they serve. Ultimately, a Preceptor 
  can rise to become a Guardian, the head of a 
  monastery of the Relenting Hand. 
   
  Regalia 
  The main element of Esmian clerical 
  dress is an unadorned white robe. Novices wear a 
  beige apron over their robes. This has numerous 
  pockets to carry medicinals, food and clothing, 
  when 
  dealing 
  with 
  the 
  people 
  in 
  their 
  community. 
  When 
  ordained, 
  the 
  priests 
  embroider a small amount of silver thread to the 
  sleeves and hem of their robes to identify their 
  station as a healer. A priest who is elevated to the 
  station of an Abbott will often shave their head 
  and all other body hair as part of their daily ritual 
  of cleansing. Abbots are also identified by a 
  cloth skull cap, edged with silver thread. The 
  Fyrecia wears a shawl made of red wool and a 
  red skull cap representing the church’s origins 
  from the Spinner’s Circle. 
  Those who serve the Relenting Hand 
  wear a short version of the white robe, which is 
  also sleeveless.  
  The Esmian Holy symbol is a small 
  pendant in the form of a silver tear, given to the 
  priest when ordained.  
   
  Temple Design 
  Esmian convents are plain with little 
  adornment. They are usually a walled complex 
  containing the buildings where the clerics live 
  and work. The religion began as a solely female 
  following but eventually included males into the 
  clergy. However, the Esmians maintain a strict 
  division between male and female priests and the 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  47 
   
   
  typical convent is usually divided into two 
  separate compounds; one for each sex. 
  The formal place of worship is located in 
  the center of the convent. This is one of the few 
  places that both sexes meet, although males are 
  confined to pews on the left hand side of the 
  choir and females to right. The altar is a font, in 
  which Holy Water is maintained, having been 
  created in the main font in the Salandrum. Often, 
  a statuette of Lady Esmia stands in a niche 
  behind the altar. She is most-often depicted 
  tending to the wound of a small child. 
   
   
  The main doors of the nave are located in 
  the outer wall and allow the public easy access to 
  the place of worship. There is a partitioned 
  section behind the doors that is used to dispense 
  food and clothing to the poor before services are 
  given to the congregation. The main nave 
  contains rows of low wooden pews for 
  worshippers to be seated. Shallow troughs, set 
  into the floor divide each row and these are filled 
  with water before each ceremony. During the 
  sermon, novices will clean the feet of the 
  congregation, using water from the troughs. 
  The convents always maintain a Healing 
  Hall which is devoted to the long-term care of 
  the sick. The Healing Hall will have a section 
  with beds shared by the infirm and divided by 
  screens. Some larger Healing Halls will also 
  have a number of separate rooms for those 
  persons needing seclusion. Esmians try to treat 
  people in their own homes but will bring them to 
  the Healing Hall if they consider it necessary. 
   
  Ritual 
  Esmians believe that it is essential to 
  express grief for the dead at a funeral and so the 
  shedding of tears is an important part of the 
  Esmian burial ritual. Their priests encourage the 
  more stoic mourners to release their emotions at 
  the funeral service and to assist with the grieving 
  process they distribute maelari cakes during the 
  ceremony. These cakes are small wafers 
  containing pungent seeds that tend to make the 
  eyes water after they are eaten. 
  Also, during the ceremony, the family of 
  the deceased will make a payment in coin to the 
  Esmian priest. The priest will place the coins in a 
  pocket on the dead body to allow them to pay the 
  boatmen of the Unending Sea for the fare to 
  Celabethium, the final Healing Hall that is the 
  Esmian paradise. Traditionally, Esmians are 
  buried beneath the earth or in a stone crypt, the 
  body wrapped in a winding sheet. 
   
  Uushai 
  Esmia is served by twelve semi-divine 
  beings that appear as ghostly women wreathed in 
  a silver radiance. They are the called the Circle 
  of the Silver Spinners and they are led by 
  Esmarra of the Gentle Touch. Esmarra and her 
  sister are said to be of the original priesthood 
  that served Esmia before the Redemption and 
  witnessed her death at the hands of Sadir. It is 
  said that the immortal soul of Esmia flowed into 
  her twelve Uushai and that Esmia will be 
  restored by them at the Awakening. 
   
  Besides Esmarra, only two of the other 
  Uushai are named in records: 
   
  - 
  Meliasta (who is said to have appeared 
  to heal many of those priests who were 
  harmed during the pilgrimage to help 
  the people of Llan). 
   
  - 
  Jennah (who is said to have ended the 
  Rose Plague of 694R by descending 
  into the world and taking all of the 
  disease, its suffering and its pain into 
  herself).    
   
   
   
   
  The teardrop is synonymous with the 
  healing arts and is akin to our own Red 
  Cross symbol. The holy symbol of the 
  Esmian faith takes the form of a silver 
  teardrop and is used by the Order to 
  signify that a novice has become skilled as 
  a healer 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  48 
   
   
  Bonus Spell 
  Esmians often work selflessly with 
  persons suffering from all kinds of maladies – 
  this spell is usually cast upon a Priestess to 
  protect against contagion. 
  PERSONAL CLEANSING 
  School abjuration; Level cleric 1(Esmia) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, DF 
  Range touch 
  Target one living creature touched per three 
  levels 
  Duration 24 hours 
  Saving Throw Will negates (harmless);  
  Spell Resistance yes (harmless) 
   
  This spell creates a magical barrier 
  around the target that protects the subject from 
  all non-magical disease. The spell grants the 
  subject a +4 sacred bonus to any checks for 
  disease with an additional +1 to the bonus for 
  every three levels (maximum +10 sacred bonus 
  at 18th level). 
   
  Assay Spell 
   
  The Esmian Assay spell is Cure Light 
  Wounds. If an Esmian Cleric cast this spell it 
  cures maximum hit points (i.e. 8 + the Level 
  Bonus). 
   
  Artefact 
  THE DECANTER OF SEERA 
  (Strong healing; CL 18th; weight 3lb 
   
  Eldonar knelt before the priestess and 
  reluctantly extended his hand, the skin of which 
  was covered with pustulant ulcers – the mark of 
  J’minda’s Curse. Without hesitation, the Holy 
  Mother took Eldonar’s hand in hers and gently 
  pierced the flesh with an implement wrought in 
  the shape of a silver teardrop; blood stained its 
  surface. 
  Moving to the altar, she placed the 
  teardrop into the neck of a decorative decanter 
  and, after a brief pause, the vessel filled with a 
  shining liquid, the color of roses. The Holy 
  Mother returned to the still-kneeling figure of 
  Eldonar with the marvelous decanter held in her 
  left hand. She pushed back the cowl that Eldonar 
  used to hide his ravaged face and said, “Drink 
  from this most holy heirloom and be made whole 
  once more”. 
  Eldonar’s lips touched the decanter and a 
  tear slid down his raw cheeks.  
   
  The Decanter of Seera stands about ten 
  inches in height and is wrought of a blue, 
  translucent Krystarrian Glass, set into a base of 
  polished silver. It has a stopper made of 
  Excellium, shaped to resemble a tear, its narrow 
  end tapering to a sharp point. It is said that the 
  Decanter was used by the divine Seera to bless 
  the Seven Priestesses who first went out across 
  the world to tend the ills of mortals, in Esmia’s 
  name. 
  The Decanter produces a powerful 
  restorative potion, tailored to each individual’s 
  particular health requirements. Those seeking to 
  gain healing from the Decanter must use the 
  sharp point of the tear-shaped stopper to draw 
  blood. Once the sample of blood is introduced to 
  the decanter it fills up with a rose colored liquid. 
  If this potion is taken, by the person who gave 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  49 
   
   
  their blood to the Decanter they will receive the 
  following benefits: 
   
  - 
  hit point loss will be restored to 
  maximum 
  - 
  lost ability scores will be fully restored 
  - 
  any lost energy levels will be regained 
  - 
  any disease or ailment will be cured 
  (including 
  magical 
  diseases 
  e.g. 
  lycanthropy, mummy rot) 
  - 
  any toxins or poisons in the system will 
  be neutralized 
   
  Note that the Decanter will only provide 
  all these benefits to characters of Good 
  alignment. Neutral characters will have their hit 
  points (only) restored and evil characters will 
  gain no benefit. Any liquid not used loses its 
  effectiveness within 2d4 rounds of distillation 
  and becomes holy water instead. A potion 
  distilled from the blood of one person will not 
  provide any benefit to another person. 
   
  Charm 
  ESMIAN POSY 
  Description: A small silk pouch containing a 
  mixture of fragrant dried herbs and flowers. The 
  opening is bound with a silver ribbon. 
   
  Trigger: Opening the bag within 5’ of someone 
  who is suffering injury or mundane sickness. 
   
  DC: 15 note this check is made by any sick 
  person within range when the bag is opened). 
   
  Effect: persons within 5’ of the open posy 
  receive a +1 to any save that is required to effect 
  a cure for a disease. The posy also reduces any 
  hit point loss by disease or injury to 1 point only 
  in a 24 hour period. The posy does not affect 
  damage or conditions resulting from poison. 
   
  Cost: 1 silver trade 
   
  Frequency: Common 
   
  Usage: the potency of the Esmian Posy reduces 
  the longer the pouch remains open. Every 4 
  hours the posy is in use the DC permanently 
  increases by 1.  
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  SIRITAR 
   
  God of the Just Warrior  
   
  Other Titles: 
   
  Lord of Paladins, Lightbringer, God of the Righteous Sword 
  Alignment: 
   
  Lawful Good. 
  Domains: 
   
  Strength/ Good/Protection/Nobility/Leadership. 
  Favored Weapon: 
  The sword in any form (except exotic). 
  Appearance: 
  A young, pious warrior suited in gleaming plate armor and bearing a greatsword. 
  Status: 
  cult  
  Clergy:  
   
  98%male, 2%female. 
  Power Centers:  
  Elkia, Odressi 
  Holy Day: 
   
  Festival Day, March of Air 
  Clerical Dress: 
  The religion is formerly represented by four distinct orders of Paladins, each 
  with its own military surcoat and insignia worn over armor at formal 
  ceremonies. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  The sword is the holy symbol of Siritar, the weapons of the Paladins being 
  especially blessed when forged. 
  Associations: 
  Esmia (Goddess of Healing) is the mother of Siritar. Ormocea (God of Law) is 
  his father. Together, the three are referred to as the Holy Trinity. The religion 
  has Recognition agreements with all religions within its House, the House of 
  Life and the Theydori church (only) of the House of Secrets. 
  Basic Goal: 
  The protection of the weak from those who would seek to enslave them. The 
  destruction of evil and those who are allied to evil forces. 
  Religion Trait:   
  Blade of Mercy. You know that within the heart of even the most hateful and 
  cruel living creature exists a sliver of shame and hope for redemption. You have 
  trained long on martial techniques to use bladed weapons not to kill, but to 
  subdue. Benefit: When striking to inflict nonlethal damage with any slashing 
  weapon, you do not take the normal -4 penalty on your attack roll, and gain a +1 
  trait bonus to any nonlethal damage you inflict with a slashing weapon. 
  Bonus Spell: 
  Magical Bond 
  Assay Spell: 
  Blessing of the Watch 
   
   
  History 
  Through the long ages of the Darktime 
  and prior to the discovery of the Books of Law 
  by Samroth the Prophet, a few Gods of the 
  Twilight Years were still actively worshipped. 
  These were mainly deities that were revered by 
  powerful warlords who gave offerings to the 
  Gods to lend them strength in battle. Trezkillian, 
  God of War, was deified by lords of the ancient 
  kingdoms of Akalastia for many centuries before 
  the coming of Samroth. In the eastern province 
  of Vhellithron, there was a strong following of 
  Siritar, the God of the Righteous Warrior. 
  Records in the century prior to the 
  discovery of the Books of Law indicate that no 
  less than ten great clan-chiefs of the Nelandai 
  tribes had shrines dedicated to Siritar, housed 
  within their great halls. These shrines were 
  called Granthir-Tul, which meant ‘sword altars 
  in the Nelandai tongue. They were special 
  circular stone chambers, often built as an annex 
  to the clan great hall. Here, the swords of the 
  chief, his kinfolk and his veteran warriors were 
  kept, watched over by an effigy of Siritar. It was 
  essentially a form of totemism; the belief being 
  that the power of the God flowed into the 
  weapons of the clan. Early rituals involved 
  placing the heads of slain enemy chieftains about 
  the base of the Siritar effigy after a battle but this 
  practice stopped after the formation of the 
  Knights of Glory, who devised a chivalric code 
  of battle that later became the basis for present-
  day Siritar doctrine. 
  The Knights of Glory (taken from the 
  original Nelandai title of the Mahl-Gandrah) 
  were a collective of warriors with common 
  ideals. They came into existence as a result of 
  opposition to the brutal reign of Chief Marrad of 
  Vhellithron, after Marrad’s men tried to put an 
  end to the church of Esmia, which also had its 
  roots in the same region. Marrad was the most 
  powerful of Vhellithron’s warlords, at the time, 
  
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  and was only defeated after the other Chiefs 
  united and led their warbands against him. In the 
  vacuum that followed Marrad’s demise, the 
  region was ruled under one lord whom the other 
  clan leaders called the High Chief (and later their 
  King). Eloeyn Thungar was the first to rule over 
  a united Vhellithron and his son, Tabias, was the 
  founder of the modern Siritar faith. 
   
  Prior to the defeat of Marrad, Tabias had 
  always held his father’s sword altar as a place of 
  reverent awe and there are stories that say, as a 
  young lad, he often talked to the statue of Siritar 
  that stood within the chamber, seeking guidance 
  from it. His two older brothers had been killed 
  during inter-tribal feuding and Tabias was deeply 
  affected by their loss. As he grew older he 
  became a swordthane in his father’s warband and 
  is described, in song, as being a mighty opponent 
  in battle. But he fought in a different style, often 
  sparing his enemies when they surrendered. He 
  also offered the hand of friendship to clans with 
  long running disputes with his people. 
  A popular bard’s tale narrating his early 
  life has Chief Eloeyn and his army having a 
  stand-off against the massed warbands of the 
  Dyramandi folk (a tribe who originated from 
  Llan). Before blood can be shed, Tabias rides 
  forth and is able to get his father and the 
  Dyramandi Chief to agree to settle the battle with 
  single combat. Tabias represents his father and 
  the son of the Dyramandi Chief represents his 
  people. Tabias wins the bout but refuses to take 
  the head of his opponent, as tradition allows. The 
  Dyramandi Chief is moved by the gesture but 
  insists that his son, Vallarz, should be made 
  hostage of Chief Eloeyn’s people. This is 
  arranged and a strong friendship grows up 
  between Vallarz and Tabias, in which they have 
  many daring adventures and quests (if you 
  believe all the songs penned by the Horanda 
  Dannis in his great work, “Tabias, the Paladin 
  Savior”.  
  While there are a great many myths 
  woven into the life of Tabias, what is known to 
  be true is that he was sent to Jasper during the 
  reign of King Vhantarin to receive a formal 
  education. He spent four years in Jasper and is 
  thought to have read copies of the passages 
  devoted to Siritar contained in the Books of Law. 
  This is what is supposed to have inspired him to 
  form an order of fighting men dedicated to 
  upholding the chivalric doctrines of the God. 
  He began by training a select few 
  warriors who had served his father Eloeyn, 
  before the trouble with Chief Marrad had 
  reached a head. Word of this new order spread 
  across Vhellithron, reaching as far as the western 
  kingdoms of Akalastia. Warriors attracted by this 
  new and unique creed (which mixed martial 
  prowess with a strict code of honor) journeyed 
  from far and wide to join Tabias’ warband. By 
  the time Chief Marrad destroyed the Esmian 
  Convent in Vhellithron, Tabias had command of 
  a personal host of one hundred seasoned fighters.  
  The Chiefs of Vhellithron were reluctant 
  to challenge the might of Marrad and his army at 
  first but Tabias and his loyal followers, 
  aggrieved by the attack on the Esmian Convent, 
  immediately moved to engage the larger force of 
  Marrad’s kinsfolk who dwelled in the southern 
  coastlands of Vhellithron. They were successful 
  in driving Marrad from the field and this caused 
  such a stir amongst the Chieftains that they 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  mobilized their own forces to join with Tabias 
  and defeat Marrad once and for all.  
  Stability 
  came 
  to 
  Vhellithron 
  after 
  Marrad’s demise and the men who followed 
  Tabias established themselves at Castle Thungar 
  with the blessing of the newly crowned King 
  Eloeyn. Here the Order formalized itself, 
  weeding out those who could not really come to 
  terms with committing their life to Siritar. 
  Clerics from both the Ormocean and Esmian 
  faith visited Thungar for the purposes of 
  assisting in establishing the religion of Siritar. 
  Their Seervati showed Tabias’ men the uses of 
  divine power and some of these teachings were 
  adopted into the mystical side of their training. 
  The Order of the Knights of Glory was born. 
  By the time King Draelingus (first 
  monarch of Sardell) was crowned, there were 
  some thirty ordained paladins within the Order 
  of the Knights of Glory, served by one hundred 
  and fifty loyal fighters. The paladins of this time 
  were essentially the clerics of the religion. Siritar 
  had little time for men who preached from the 
  pulpit, he demanded clerics who went out into 
  the world to right its wrongs, bearing arms and 
  armor in the true cause. In later centuries, as the 
  religion became more established, and there was 
  a need for administration of its chapels, the role 
  of the traditional cleric emerged. Today, the 
  Siritar religion is still dominated by paladins but 
  the hierarchy is made up of a smaller but 
  influential circle of priests. 
  In times of war the religion served the 
  King. In times of peace, members of the Order 
  pursued the Pilgrimage of Steel, whereby they 
  went on personal quests, traveling far beyond 
  their homelands to champion worthy causes and 
  spread the word of the might of Siritar by their 
  noble deeds. 
  When the Kingdom of Sardell emerged it 
  was envisioned that the following of Siritar 
  would flourish; after all, the allied priesthood of 
  Ormocea was instrumental in founding the 
  regime. However, in order to unite the lords of 
  the surviving Kingdoms of Sard, Elkia and 
  Clannith, concessions had to be given to the 
  Trezkillian church, which had strong support 
  amongst the more powerful families of Sard.  
  The Trezkillians had been a dominant 
  power in the Akalastian Kingdoms for over a 
  hundred years and the worship of the God of 
  War was entrenched in the west. The church of 
  Trezkillian was given command over the defense 
  of Sardell and as such, they had little time to 
  indulge the faith of Siritar. The Knights of Glory 
  remained isolated in the east at Thungar and its 
  paladins were relegated to the role of temple 
  guards for the Ormocean and Esmian faiths. 
  The church of Siritar actually went into 
  decline in the first 500 years that the Kingdom of 
  Sardell was established. This culminated around 
  625R when the Esmian faith called upon the 
  support of the Knights of Glory to provide 
  protection to its missionaries and followers when 
  they defied the Sardellan King and marched 
  north to help the needy in the Llanish Civil War. 
  The Ormocean church put pressure on the 
  Grandmaster of Castle Thungar to deny the 
  Esmians any aid. This caused deep division 
  within the Siritar Order and many conscientious 
  The vestments of a Sirtitar cleric: his arms and 
  armor, worn with the colors of his Order 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  54 
   
   
  knights cast aside their surcoats and insignia to 
  serve the Esmians. 
  Any chance of growth for the Order was 
  decimated after this. The King and the Ormocean 
  church gave recognition and reward to those 
  serving in the ever-expanding armies of the 
  growing Empire. The ideals of the Siritar faith 
  were considered antiquated and only a small core 
  or the faithful Knights of Glory kept the memory 
  of their Order alive. Realizing that the worship of 
  Siritar may die out altogether, its Grandmaster, 
  Thallis Guilbard, petitioned the Ormocean 
  church in Jasper to persuade the King to allow 
  them to take an active role with the mainstream 
  military legions of Sardell. It took some tough 
  negotiating as King Draelingus III had agreed to 
  give total regional control of his outlying 
  conquests to the Trezkillian church. More and 
  more troops commanded by lords allied to the 
  Trezkillian clergy were needed to maintain the 
  colonial expansion of Sardell.  
  As a compromise, Draelingus gave the 
  Siritar faith command of the Homelands and 
  resourced them to raise a new fighting force to 
  be 
  garrisoned 
  in 
  Jasper, 
  Karhaven 
  and 
  Denhaven. This arrangement pleased all factions, 
  except for the Esmian church who had been 
  objecting to the overall militaristic direction 
  Sardell had taken for over a century. 
  This was a new lease of life for the Siritar 
  faith and the focus of the religion moved from 
  Thungar to the heart of the Empire in Jasper. 
  Thallis 
  Guilbard 
  began 
  the 
  immediate 
  recruitment and training of those who wished to 
  pledge their sword to Siritar and before he died 
  he saw the numbers of devotees rise to over 
  5,000 strong and the establishment of a second 
  Order, the Imperial Guard, based in Jasper. 
  During this renaissance of Siritar, the Treaty of 
  Odressi 
  was 
  signed 
  and 
  in 
  1201R 
  the 
  Grandmaster 
  of 
  the 
  Imperial 
  Guard 
  had 
  sufficient funds and personnel to establish a 
  temple on the Holy Isle under the terms of the 
  treaty.  This led to the formation of a third Order, 
  the Knights of the Holy Sword.  
  The Imperial Guard and the Knights of 
  Glory experienced some limited action against 
  border incursions by Llanish troops but never 
  saw any real test of their mettle until the collapse 
  of the Sardellan Empire. With the disintegration 
  of most of their possessions beyond the 
  Homelands, rival noble houses began to tear the 
  heart of the Empire apart in a power struggle to 
  carve up its riches. This period was called the 
  Kinstrife. As ‘Defenders of the Homeland’ the 
  Siritar Orders saw a great deal of action 
  combating the private armies of individual lords 
  whose ambitions revolved around claiming the 
  jewel in the crown, the capitol of Jasper. 
  During the Kinstrife, the Knights of Glory 
  (in particular) distinguished themselves in a long 
  drawn out campaign 
  fought through the 
  Splintrock Mountains, culminating in victory 
  against a force three times its size at the Battle of 
  Thunderfall Pass. However, in a more bizarre 
  twist of fate, the Imperial Guard found itself 
  engaged in a series of bloody skirmishes for 
  many years, fighting Orders of the Ormocean 
  church who sought to take Jasper!  
  When 
  the 
  Empire 
  collapsed, 
  the 
  Ormoceans had shown an equally avaricious 
  desire to claim wealth and land for themselves. 
  Archbishop Juliad Farwich tried blatantly to 
  have his nephew installed as the new Emperor 
  and the Imperial Guard in Jasper joined forces 
  with the Trezkillian legion stationed there and 
  seized control of the capitol until such a time that 
  the succession crisis could be sorted out. The 
  Ormoceans asked the Imperial Guard to 
  surrender Jasper to their authority and when 
  negotiations failed the Ormoceans ordered an 
  attack with an army they controlled; but they 
  were unsuccessful in taking the city. 
  While the internal disputes continued, the 
  church of Ormocea spent twenty years recruiting 
  and training its own martial orders overseas and 
  attacking cities in the Sardellan Homelands. In 
  1622R, an Ormocean led force landed at 
  Darringmoor and drove straight at Jasper, despite 
  Denhaven and other key holdings still being held 
  by Trezkillian loyalists. The other Siritar orders 
  had remained unsupportive of the actions of the 
  Imperial Guard in taking control of Jasper but 
  the attack on the capitol by the Ormocean 
  church, 
  under 
  these 
  circumstances, 
  was 
  unforgivable.  
  Both the Knights of Glory and the 
  Knights of the Holy Sword condemned the 
  Ormoceans and sent men to the aid of Jasper. 
  From 1622R to 1647R there was a series of 
  terrible battles fought to take the capitol that 
  were largely unsuccessful. Jasper remained an 
  icon of freedom and defiance; all that remained 
  of the old Empire and its traditions.  
  Eventually, the Ormoceans gave up on 
  Jasper and went on to take ‘softer’ targets in the 
  north defended by the Trezkillian lords. When 
  the Kinstrife ended in 1677R, there was a time 
  for the three orders of Siritar to truly come 
  together as one. At the great congress of 
  churches that was held in Odressi, shortly after 
  the end of the conflict, the Grandmasters met and 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  55 
   
   
  much was done to heal divisions that had 
  occurred both inside the religion of Siritar and 
  with the Houses of Ormocea and Esmia. 
  However, not all wounds could be healed. As 
  part of the resolution of the Kinstrife, two 
  separate states were formed, that of Sard and 
  Elkia. When it was proposed that the Siritar faith 
  form a theocracy to rule in Elkia, supported by 
  the Ormoceans and Esmians, the Orders could 
  neither agree to unify or determine which order 
  of Siritar should take up the offer.  
  The three Orders had grown up quite 
  separate from each other and, although they 
  shared a common doctrine, they were distinctly 
  different and proud of their heritage. In the end, 
  each contributed some of its resources to forming 
  a separate, new entity to rule in Elkia. This 
  fourth Order became known as the Protectors of 
  the Faith and they based themselves in Denhaven 
  from 1689R.  
  A fifth Order, the Daughters of the Silken 
  Sword, also came into existence in Y’sira after 
  the collapse of the Empire. This small group, 
  made up exclusively of women, has never been 
  formally recognized by the other Orders.  
  Since the end of the 17th century R, the 
  four main Siritar orders have consolidated their 
  separate power bases. The Protectors of the Faith 
  and the Knights of the Holy Sword have tended 
  to be most active in forming church dogma and 
  discussing the politics of the Holy Trinity.  
  There is little dialogue with the Imperial 
  Guard. When the Treaty of Four Swords divided 
  the Imperial Homelands into the lands of Sard 
  and Elkia, the administration of the old capitol of 
  Jasper refused to accept the resolution and Jasper 
  became an independent city state, jointly 
  controlled 
  by 
  Imperial 
  Guard 
  and 
  their 
  Trezkillian allies. They are looked on as the 
  ‘black sheep’ of the Siritar family due to their 
  continuing refusal to surrender Jasper.  
  The original Siritar Order, the Knights of 
  Glory, has removed itself from the politics and 
  factional fighting that surrounds the other 
  groups. 
  Its 
  members 
  concentrate 
  on 
  the 
  Pilgrimage of Steel; its remaining knights 
  pursuing the purity of the quest, in a bid to 
  recapture the old truths of Siritar as told by 
  Tabias in the Kingdom of Vhellithron. 
   
  Doctrine 
  The Books of Law and other scattered 
  references 
  portray 
  Siritar 
  as 
  a 
  kind 
  of 
  ‘policeman’ of the Gods, called upon to bring 
  others to the justice of a heavenly court when 
  those numbered amongst the Theledai went 
  against the dictates of the concordance. He 
  appears to be the strongest of deities in sheer 
  physical might and it is told that he even 
  defeated Trezkillian the Mighty in single combat. 
  It was Siritar who captured Sirrith and brought 
  her to judgment before Ormocea.  
  Because of this, the orders of Siritar 
  originally felt they should play a subservient role 
  to the church of Ormocea, simply adopting much 
  of their dogma, but the corruption of that 
  priesthood caused the leaders of the Siritar 
  Orders to reflect upon what their true ethical 
  beliefs should be. Essentially, the four existing 
  Orders (five if you include the Silken Sword) 
  share some common doctrine. Basically these 
  run along the lines that their fighting prowess 
  should be lent to benefit those who cannot 
  defend themselves and to stop ‘evil’ from 
  increasing its hold on the world. 
  While their combat ability is recognized 
  and has been typified by the resilient defense of 
  Jasper by the Imperial Guard, the Orders of 
  Siritar have been kept at a distance by influential 
  Kings and the nobility. The swords of the 
  religion owe allegiance to Siritar alone and not to 
  the whims of worldly lords. Those rulers who 
  win any of the Orders of Siritar to their cause 
  also risk the possibility of  having to defend 
  themselves against those very same Orders, 
  depending upon the subsequent actions they 
  take. 
  Fighting according to the mandates of 
  Siritar is an important part of the warrior 
  doctrine and the chivalric ideals, contained 
  within the “Vhellithron Codex” are what give 
  guidance to a soldier of Siritar, providing a 
  definition of what is acceptable behavior in 
  battle.  
  The 
  Orders 
  have 
  some 
  differing 
  interpretations of their role in society as detailed 
  below: 
   
  The Knights of Glory 
  (12 Paladins/30 Knights/150 Footmen) 
  Being the smallest order they believe 
  solely in the quest, which brings divine 
  revelations to those who engage in a divinely 
  inspired mission. The sacred twelve of the order 
  engage in quests for those who solicit their 
  services or from divinely inspired visions. Often 
  they quest alone but may sometimes take a 
  retinue drawn from the ‘regulars’ of Castle 
  Thungar. 
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  The Imperial Guard  
  (10 Clerics/8 Paladins/31 Knights/200 
  Cavalrymen/1,000 Footmen) 
  They see their divine role as to defend the 
  empty throne of the city of Jasper at all cost and 
  to keeping the Imperial capitol exactly the way it 
  was until a new, legitimate Emperor is found. 
   
  The Protectors of the Faith  
  (100 
  Clerics/38 
  Paladins/150 
  Knights/800 
  Cavalrymen/5,000 Footmen) 
  They see their role as the guardians of 
  Elkia and will defend its people to the death. 
   
  The Knights of the Holy Sword  
  (40 
  Clerics/18 
  Paladins/5 
  Knights/20 
  Cavalrymen/500 Footmen) 
  They see their role as representing the 
  Siritar faith to the Congress of churches and 
  continuing to try and unify their fractured 
  religion. 
   
  The Silken Sword 
  (2 Clerics/4 Paladins) 
  The Order of the Silken Sword is a secret 
  all-female group that originated to protect 
  women from slavery in Y’sira when the 
  Sardellan 
  Empire 
  collapsed. 
  Their 
  focus 
  continues to be the protection of the innocent and 
  particularly opposing the oppression of women.  
   
  Organization 
  There is no single supreme leader of the 
  Siritar church; the heads of each of the 
  recognized Orders share power equally and meet 
  every four years at the Congress of Odressi. The 
  head of each Order is called a Grandmaster and 
  has a military command structure beneath him. 
  Each Grandmaster is based in a specific chapter 
  house and may appoint captains to head smaller 
  chapter houses maintained by the same Order.  
  The head of a chapter house goes by the 
  title of Knight Commander. Clerics dominate the 
  senior ranks of all Orders except the Knights of 
  Glory, who remain an individualistic cabal, 
  rather than a military unit. 
  Novices enter military service within an 
  Order and train rigorously to become elite 
  warriors. Most of these novices will serve the 
  Order as soldiers of the faith. Those who show 
  the potential to harness divine power, receive 
  special training and go on to become clerics or 
  paladins. Although the paladins of an Order 
  serve the clerical Grandmaster, or Knight 
  Commanders of their Order, they have a greater 
  loyalty to their paladin brotherhood. If the moral 
  decisions 
  of 
  a 
  Grandmaster 
  or 
  Knight 
  Commander are ever in doubt, paladins will 
  follow the directions of the senior members of 
  their brotherhood.   
      
  Regalia 
  Each Order maintains its own distinctive 
  uniforms and colors. Both clerics and paladins 
  wear similar military uniforms with only a few 
  decorative devices distinguishing their rank and 
  role. The sword is an emblem common to all 
  orders. 
   
  The Knights of Glory 
  The order’s colors are white and red and 
  their device is a sword piecing a sacred heart. 
   
   
  The Imperial Guard  
  The order’s colors are black and yellow 
  and their device is a crown and sword. Clerics 
  are identified by a badge displaying three 
  crowns. The Grandmaster of the order wears a 
  black tabard with a repetitive motif of the crown 
  and sword. Knight Commanders have three 
  swords stitched upon the upper arms or their 
  uniform in gold thread. 
  
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  The Protectors of the Faith  
  The Order’s colors are green and gold and 
  their device is a swan flanked by swords. Clerics 
  are identified by a badge of office worn about the 
  neck in the form of an amulet bearing the image 
  of a swan. The Grandmaster of the order wears 
  an all green surcoat with small gold effigies of 
  swans set into the fabric. Knight Commanders 
  have images of the swan sewn into the forearms 
  of their uniform in white thread. 
   
   
  The Knights of the Holy Sword  
  The order’s colors are a checkered pattern 
  of purple and white and their device is a burning 
  sword. The clerics are identified by an all-purple 
  surcoat. The Grandmaster wears a uniform with 
  four burning swords emblazoned upon the 
  shoulders. Knight Commanders have flame 
  devices sewn into the collars of their tunics. 
   
  The Silken Sword 
  The Order has no formal uniform. Their 
  device is a circle of curved swords. Clerics are 
  identified by a tattoo of a sword along the middle 
  finger.  
   
   
  Temple Design 
  The Orders of Siritar maintain a number 
  of chapter houses throughout the realms. These 
  are fortified compounds, existing in their own 
  right or within established castles and garrisons. 
  A typical chapter house consists of a great hall 
  (often attached to a small, fortified tower) and 
  several 
  outlying 
  buildings 
  containing 
  dormitories, an infirmary, bathhouse, stables and 
  private lodgings. The great hall is the focus of 
  the Siritar chapter house complex.  
  This is usually a large empty structure 
  used for martial training, however small 
  storerooms attached to the hall contain ample 
  benches and tables so that the order can gather 
  for a morning and evening meal. During the 
  meal, the religious lessons for the day are read 
  by clerics. These are usually sermons on aspects 
  of the Vhellithron Codex or moral tales drawn 
  from the records of the Questors’ Lexicon. Also 
  attached to the great hall is the sword altar, a 
  circular chamber within which stands an effigy 
  of Siritar and the swords of the knights of the 
  Order, along with unclaimed blades of those who 
  died in service of the faith. 
   
  Ritual 
  The Orders do not devote a great deal of 
  time to meditation, believing more in a creed of 
  being judged by their actions. They support no 
  public congregation. Those who wish to pay 
  honor to Siritar, who are not a member of an 
  Order, do so by offering their skills and services 
  to a chapter house. Therefore you may have a 
  community including smiths, leather-workers, 
  
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  clothiers etc. actively supporting a local chapter 
  house in return for its protection. 
   
   
  Siritar followers are buried or entombed 
  with their armor and weaponry, except for their 
  anointed sword. This is returned to the sword 
  altar chamber of the relevant chapter house and 
  can be claimed by someone of kin, who is (or 
  becomes) a member of the Order.  
  The souls of the dead cross over to 
  Hallenheart, the Great Hall, where they serve 
  Siritar and help in the ongoing battle against the 
  evils of the Ravening Horde.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Uushai 
  Siritar is served in Hallenheart by the 
  Company of 
  Kordass, twelve semi-divine 
  warriors who fight at their God’s command. 
  Their Captain is Elisor Steelheart who has been 
  the leader of the Company since the Dawn of 
  Time.  
  Other members of the Company are 
  recruited from the souls who gather in 
  Hallenthrall; when one of the Twelve falls in 
  battle. Mortal paladins aspire to be worthy 
  enough to join the Company of Kordass in the 
  afterlife. 
   
   
   
  The swords of those paladins who have fallen in battle are given a place of reverence in a Siritar 
  Chapel. Depicted is a statue of Siritar watching over the weapons of the dead in a Sword Altar 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Bonus Spell 
  Siritar priests and paladins often serve as 
  ‘enforcement’ for Ormocean Justicators. This 
  spell allows them to quickly immobilize a person 
  when having to deal with other transgressors of 
  the law. 
  MAGICAL BOND 
  School transmutation;  
  Level cleric 1, paladin 1 (Siritar) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, S 
  Range touch 
  Target creature touched; see text. 
  Duration 10 min. /level (D) 
  Saving Throw Will negates (harmless); Spell 
  Resistance yes (harmless) 
   
  The spell creates a magical binding 
  between the target creature and an inanimate 
  object. The priest must place his hand over the 
  target’s hand and place the target’s hand on a 
  non-organic surface. The target‘s hand is 
  magically stuck to that surface. The bond can be 
  broken with a Strength check (DC 25). 
   
  Assay Spell: 
  The Assay spell of the Siritar Faith is 
  the Blessing of the Watch. The duration of the 
  spell is increases to 2 hours per level and the 
  Bless Bonus to +2, if cast by a Siritar Cleric. 
   
  Artefact 
  THE MANTLE AND CLOAK OF THE 
  PALADIN SAVIOUR 
  Mantle: strong healing; CL 20th; weight 1lb 
  Sword: 
  strong 
  evocation, 
  divination 
  and 
  compulsion; CL 20th; weight 8lb 
   
  The mounted figure rode slowly down the 
  main street of the village and the braver 
  inhabitants peeked from behind shutters to see 
  who this mysterious visitor could be. It was old 
  Tolwin who called out first, crying, “Do you not 
  see! Are you blind! See there, his sword bears 
  the sign of Thungar! And look beneath his grimy 
  covers and you shall spy the White Mantle. The 
  Paladin Savior has returned to drive evil from 
  our midst!” 
   
   
  These great artefacts were given to Tabias 
  of Thungar by Captain Persyene, a mysterious 
  divine servant of Siritar. Legends have it that 
  Persyene walked the mortal lands during the 
  Darktime, aiding people oppressed by evil.  
  When the Books of Law were found 
  again, it was time for him to return to Evelaar. 
  He is said to have taken Tabias on his last great 
  quest and, when they parted company, he gave 
  his sword and mantle to Tabias, as a gift. Tabias 
  used these artefacts to convey the divine power 
  of a paladin upon himself; any character of Good 
  alignment can use the powers of the Mantle and 
  Sword. 
  The Mantle is a full length white hood 
  and cloak, which fastens at the throat with a gold 
  heart-shaped catch and chain. Its fabric cannot be 
  permanently damaged by normal means. It can 
  be torn and stained but the damage is repaired 
  within 24 hours by a permanent improved form 
  of the spell, Mending.  
   
  The 
  Mantle conveys the 
  following 
  paladin abilities while it is worn: 
   
  -  Lay On Hands 
  - Divine Grace 
  - Divine Health.  
   
  The sword is a +2 two-handed good 
  aligned greatsword with a gold heart set into the 
  cross-piece as a decoration. Its wielder receives 
  the following paladin abilities: 
   
  - Smite Evil 
  - Detect Evil 
  - Turn Undead 
   
  
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  All of the abilities listed above are 
  conveyed at a minimum of 5th level of ability or 
  at the character’s level if greater than 5th level 
  If a paladin uses these artefacts their own 
  abilities that are the same as those conveyed by 
  the mantle and sword are treated as though they 
  were 3 levels higher. 
   Both artefacts are warded against the 
  possibility of being stolen away by Evil 
  characters. Should the Mantle or Sword become 
  the possessions of Evil, for more than a day or 
  two (or become otherwise lost) they are 
  magically teleported to the Shrine of the Paladin 
  Savior, the legendary hero Tabias of Thungar.  
  The Shrine was built in the far distant 
  west of Akalastia and here, the Mantle and 
  Sword can be reclaimed by someone worthy 
  enough to take up the cause of the Savior. Over 
  the ages, there have been seven incarnations of 
  the Paladin Savior and folklore tells that he is an 
  immortal knight. 
   
  Charm 
  BRINDLETHORN SWORD 
  Description: A sprig from the brindlethorn bush 
  that grows throughout Elkia, Sard and Llan. 
  Certain off-shoots of this resemble a miniature 
  sword (about 1’’ in length). The ‘sword’ is 
  usually kept wrapped in a piece of cloth and kept 
  upon a person.  
   
  Trigger: A successful natural 20 hit against the 
  bearer of a brindlethorn sword. 
   
  DC: 15 
   
  Effect: The critical roll automatically fails, 
  although the blow hits normally 
   
  Cost: 3 silver trades 
  Frequency: Uncommon 
   
  Usage: Once only. A person who survives what 
  looked like a deadly blow always gives thanks to 
  Siritar and then casts away the brindlethorn 
  sword.  
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Brindlethorn grows throughout most of the 
  northern realms of Eldoria and is considered 
  a bothersome weed in rural areas 
  
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  THEYDORI 
  God of Knowledge 
   
   
   
  Other Titles: 
  God of Secrets, Master of Riddles, Keeper of Forbidden Lore 
  Alignment: 
  Lawful Neutral. 
  Domains: 
  Knowledge/Memory/Construct/Artifice/Rune 
  Favored Weapon: 
  Staff 
  Appearance: 
  A wizened old man with a flowing white beard. He carries a scroll and a casket 
  and wears a maroon hood and cloak. He is often accompanied by his three 
  studious daughters. 
  Status: 
  Minor church 
  Clergy: 
  85%male/15%female. 
  Power Centers: 
  Ghardon, Odressi and Quorull 
  Holy Day: 
  Festival Day, the March of Fire 
  Clerical Dress: 
  Clerics wear a maroon robe stitched about with black glyphs representing the 
  sciences. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  A black box (Tharanda) where old knowledge resides and the blank scroll (Tharas) 
  where new knowledge will be gathered. Their holy symbol is a small replica of a 
  casket containing a tiny blank scroll 
   
  Associations: 
  Gaien (Goddess of Fertility) is the wife of Theydori. Priath (God of Dreams is 
  their son). The secretive activities of all religions in this House means there is 
  virtually no contact between them. The church of Theydori does have Recognition 
  agreements with the House of Wisdom, the House of Life and the Phelltarian 
  church (only) of the House of Light 
  Basic Goal: 
  The gathering and archive of ancient knowledge and the protection of arcane 
  secrets that the church considers the Saahn unready for. 
  Religion Trait: 
  Underlying Principles. You’ve spent a large amount of time around magical items, 
  and understand the similarities between many of them. Benefit: You gain a +2 trait 
  bonus to Use Magic Device checks, and it becomes a Class skill for you 
  Bonus Spell; 
  Activate Magic Item 
  Assay Spell: 
  Karmic Blessing 
   
   
  History 
  Images of Theydori are not usually 
  represented in the post-Redemption paintings 
  and tapestries of the church, but in some rare 
  early works the God appears as a wizened old 
  man, carrying a small casket beneath one arm.  
  More commonly seen in contemporary 
  religious ornamentation are the artistic depictions 
  of the Daughters of Theydori; three women who 
  were born from mortals to teach the Saahn the 
  mysteries of the world. They are named 
  Gywnfarrah, Soorael and Chezral. 
  The Books of Law claim that the mortal 
  races abused the knowledge that was given to 
  them and turned their backs on the Gods. The 
  High Lords forsook the world and, with them, 
  they removed a greater part of knowledge they 
  had granted the Saahn. Much of what had been 
  taught was gathered up by Theydori and placed 
  within a secure casket to remain under his 
  watchful eye, until the lesser races raised their 
  own intellects and proved that they were capable 
  of using the power of the hidden lore again.  
  The Daughters of Theydori chose to 
  remain in the mortal world. To ensure that they 
  could not reveal the secrets that Theydori had 
  taken away, they were put under a spell that 
  made them mute. But, after the passing of the 
  High Lords into Tarrisada, the Daughters 
  devised other ways of communicating with the 
  Saahn, so they were still able to impart some of 
  the lost knowledge to the mortal races. In this 
  manner, the written word, music and the science 
  of mathematics first appeared in Eldoria. It is 
  told in the scriptures of Theydori that the Keeper 
  of All Knowledge did not remove all the Gods’ 
  secrets, instead he left certain clues and puzzles 
  to aid in the understanding of the mysteries of 
  the world and if mortals could gather the pieces 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  of these clues together, they would have the key 
  to the casket that holds Hidden Knowledge. 
   
   
   
  The religion of Theydori emerged some 
  1,000 years ago, well after the scattered tribes of 
  the Humans began to settle the coastlines of the 
  Greater and Lesser Inner Seas. Whereas most 
  other religions worshipped by Humans quickly 
  found devotees after the discovery of the Books 
  of Law, the religion of Theydori was established 
  much later by Saint Rhanith Trune of Ghardon. 
  This is mainly because the early doctrine of 
  Theydori always surrounded itself in intellectual 
  mysticism and, although this was appealing to 
  individual scholars, it certainly did not appeal to 
  the masses.  
  Most free thinkers who could understand 
  the complex theology of the religion were 
  persons whose intellect questioned the very 
  existence of the Gods anyway. Although its 
  philosophies and arguments were seen as 
  delightful mental exercises, those who truly 
  appreciated them usually had little belief in 
  the deities they represented. 
  In 1206R Rhanith Trune graduated 
  from of the College of Arcane Science, the 
  most 
  renowned 
  institution 
  for 
  magical 
  learning and research. While most wizards 
  taught at the College were indoctrinated with a 
  philosophy based on Ormocean dogma, Trune 
  was deeply influenced by what he had read 
  about Theydori, during his studies. He 
  remained at the College for 20 years and 
  became a Master, teaching novice wizards. 
  As a Master of the College, he was 
  successful in getting the Mage Council to 
  adopt several of the traditional mind 
  exercises 
  and 
  puzzle-solving 
  rituals 
  (which were deeply imbedded in the 
  Theydori traditions) as part of the daily 
  routine of practitioners of the College. 
  Soon, several other learned wizards and 
  sages embraced the religion and went 
  on to encourage their associates to do so. 
  Over a period of 300 years, a large 
  following devoted to Theydori had become 
  an institution at the College and they 
  eventually formed the first recognized church. 
  The wealth that many of these worshippers 
  brought to the church, combined with funding 
  from noble patrons, led to the establishment of a 
  formal temple. This was built apart from the 
  College, located in the west of Ghardon.  
  The priests devoted their time to the 
  teaching of secular students in a variety of arts 
  and sciences and to the maintenance of an 
  archive of arcane and historical knowledge. 
  These students were usually drawn from the 
  ranks of failed wizards of the College or the 
  children of wealthy patrons of the church. Upon 
  completion of their secular schooling they were 
  given the opportunity of entering the Order of 
  Theydori if they so desired. 
  The second official temple was built in 
  Odressi in 1601R and in the centuries that have 
  followed, sixteen other churches and libraries 
  have been established throughout Sard, Elkia, 
  Llan and Tempest. The largest order outside of 
  Odressi is based in Quorull, and has an 
  associated archive of records on Guardian Island, 
  in the Greater Inner Sea.  
  
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  63 
   
   
  It is the practice of many temples to 
  create duplicates of their archived documents 
  and to house these copies in a separate, isolated 
  location. In 2100R, the Theydori temple in 
  Odressi was burned and looted during the Rhull 
  Uprising and, only because it maintained a 
  duplicate archive elsewhere on the Holy Isle, did 
  the order prevent a great loss of its lore. 
  The church of Theydori has always been 
  an inward focusing religion, obsessed with 
  discovering and cataloguing ancient lore. Its 
  secular congregation remains small, being 
  largely composed of students studying at their 
  established centers of learning and the families 
  sponsoring those students. 
   
  Doctrine 
  The church maintains two distinct orders 
  within its ranks – the Halasai (tutors) and the 
  Caldarai (archivists). The tutors provide a 
  continued solid financial base for the temple by 
  educating the children of the wealthy at schools 
  based in several major cities. The income 
  derived from the schools allows the priesthood to 
  procure rare documents and artefacts, in order to 
  increase the size of their archives - the real heart 
  of any Theydori temple. It is on the size and 
  quality of their collection of esoteric documents 
  and artefacts that a temple is judged by.  
  Priests go to great lengths to travel the 
  world and acquire ancient records and objects. 
  They do not usually share this information with 
  the general populace; rather they create private 
  repositories of knowledge secreted away and 
  viewed only by senior members of the clergy.  
  The 
  priests 
  of 
  Theydori 
  consider 
  themselves custodians of forbidden knowledge. 
  It is their role to decide what those outside of the 
  church should be allowed to learn about the 
  mysteries of the world. Even the clergy of 
  Theydori are limited in what they can know and 
  they receive greater access to the temple archives 
  as they progress in rank through the church 
  hierarchy. As they progress they therefore gain a 
  greater insight into the real nature on the 
  universe. 
  The clergy delight in the solving of 
  puzzles and riddles and these tend to form a part 
  of daily ritual amongst the seventeen major 
  orders of Theydori that are established in the 
  known world. 
   
   
   
   
  Organization 
  Due to the church being divided into the 
  ranks of tutors and archivists, there are two 
  pontiffs of equal standing referred to as the High 
  Halasai and the High Caldarai. Both positions 
  are six year appointments, elected by a gathering 
  of senior clergy at a synod held at the temple on 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  64 
   
   
  Ghardon. Unlike most religions in Eldoria, the 
  pontiffs reside on the Island of Ghardon instead 
  of Odressi.  
  Novices of the religion are appointed 
  from students attending any of the many schools 
  and colleges run by the church. The most learned 
  pupils are awarded access to a selection of 
  restricted lore and spend time studying with 
  mentors 
  within 
  a 
  temple 
  archive. 
  Upon 
  completion of their studies they may be asked to 
  enter the priesthood and, depending upon their 
  skills, they may opt to become a tutor or 
  archivist. 
  There are only two ranks (in each Order) 
  above the level of ordained priest. The first rank 
  is that of Rector (the administrative head of a 
  temple) and above that is the Abbot (the spiritual 
  head of a temple). Traditionally, Rectors are 
  drawn from the Caldarai and Abbots from the 
  Halasai, although there are exceptions (e.g. the 
  Abbot of the temple on Guardian Island has 
  always been of the Caldarai). 
   
  Regalia 
  The typical attire of a cleric of Theydori 
  is a robe that is maroon in color and often 
  displaying glyphs representing the sciences 
  about the sleeves and hem. Rectors wear a 
  skullcap of hardened leather. Abbots also wear 
  the skull cap and a dark grey chasuble with the 
  motif of the casket and scroll emblazoned upon 
  it. The two pontiffs both wear a black robe with a 
  maroon chasuble, along with a rectangular miter 
  displaying the casket and scroll. To distinguish 
  the two orders, the Halasai all wear a brooch at 
  the left shoulder bearing the Uushai rune 
  associated with learning; the Caldarai wear a 
  brooch displaying the rune for secrecy. 
  The holy symbol, common to both orders 
  and all ranks of office is a pendant of a miniature 
  casket, inside of which is a small scroll with the 
  secret name of the priest (see Rituals). The 
  casket icon is called the Tharanda. The scroll 
  icon is called the Tharas. Tharanda represents 
  hidden 
  knowledge 
  and 
  Tharas 
  represents 
  unasked questions. Somewhere in between lies 
  the knowledge of the church of Theydori.  
   
  Temple Design 
  Temples are usually somber affairs with 
  little thought to decoration. They always include 
  an archive of collected arcane and historical 
  material, hidden away in secret rooms, far from 
  the eyes of those who should not be allowed to 
  view them. The place of worship is will often be 
  decorated with effigies and paintings depicting 
  the three Daughters of Theydori and the altar 
  will hold an ornate chest and a large ceremonial 
  book. The chest contains a record of all priests 
  ordained at that church. It is usually positioned 
  beside a blank scroll. The chest and the scroll are 
  regalia of the church - the chest symbolizes all 
  the knowledge that is hidden from the Saahn and 
  the blank scroll symbolizes the answers we have 
  not found to life’s mysteries. The prayer book 
  contains a collection of prayers used at 
  A typical temple featuring stained glass windows that depict the three daughters of the God 
  Theydori (far end behind the altar) 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  ceremonies held at the temple.  
  The church does not hold regular sermons 
  for its secular followers within the temple. 
  Instead services and ceremonies take place 
  within the great halls of the schools and colleges 
  run by the Theydori priests. The temples are the 
  exclusive domain of the priests alone. 
   
  Ritual 
  As secular followers are rarely allowed 
  access to a temple, the Recognition ceremony is 
  only given to clerics as part of their ordination. 
  The ceremony also involves the subject adopting 
  a name known only to the hierarchy of the 
  religion. This becomes a password that is 
  recorded and issued to all temples and allows a 
  Theydori priest access to different levels of a 
  temple archive, according to their rank and 
  classification. Divulging your secret name to 
  another person is a major sin of the church and a 
  priest can be excommunicated from the religion 
  for doing so. 
   
   
   
  Priests of Theydori come together for a 
  morning meal, during which the Rector (or his 
  delegate) will pose a riddle, puzzle or a 
  conundrum to those gathered. A ceremonial 
  Tharanda will be left in the dining hall and 
  priests will have until the next morning’s meal to 
  place their solution to the puzzle in the Tharanda. 
  This ritual is called Tharasara (the sharpening of 
  the mind). Those who correctly solve the puzzle 
  are freed from menial tasks for the day and 
  allowed to study instead.  
  In addition, a record is maintained of the 
  number of puzzles solved by each priest. This 
  determines their level of access to a temple 
  archive. Access to the most secret records 
  requires a minimum of 5,000 correct solutions to 
  the Tharasara puzzle rituals.   
  The funeral rituals for followers of the 
  Theydori religion involves burying the body with 
  a slab of cut stone laid horizontally as a marker 
  of the grave. The Tharas and Tharanda motifs are 
  carved upon the slab and the secret name is given 
  along with the true names (the secret name 
  having been deleted from all temple records). 
   
  Uushai 
  The semi-divine servants of Theydori are his 
  three daughters; Gwyfarah, Soorael and Chezral: 
   
  - 
  Gywnfarah appears as a raven-haired 
  young woman dressed in a long Grecian 
  style robe, green in color. She is often 
  depicted in murals holding a wax tablet 
  containing mathematical symbols. She 
  is the patron of the mathematical 
  sciences. 
   
  - 
  Soorael appears as a young woman with 
  short red hair, wearing a red hood and 
  cape over a full-length black dress. She 
  is portrayed with a quill in one hand and 
  a bundle of scrolls in the other. She is 
  the patron of the written word. 
   
  - 
  Chezral appears younger than her sisters 
  and has blond hair held in a pony-tail. 
  She wears a short white shift and carries 
  a harp. She is the patron of music. 
   
  Note that Soorael and Chezral are 
  particularly revered by Bards. The Ahridaar faith 
  (which is the religion most worshipped by 
  Bardic Colleges) has Recognition agreements 
  with the Theydori church. There is much debate 
  as to whether or not Soorael and Chezral were 
  actually the Kyseera of the God Ahridaar, who 
  are known to have adopted different names over 
  the ages. 
  The Daughters dwell in the Library of 
  Thaxar, in the Plane of Tarrisada. Here they keep 
  the final secrets of the universe safe within the 
  library’s inner sanctum. In the library the souls 
  of the dead gather and the Daughters set a daily 
  Tharasara puzzle of outstanding complexity. 
  Those who solve the puzzle gain access to the 
  The Tharanda – a symbol of the 
  Theydori 
  religion 
  signifying 
  hidden 
  knowledge 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  66 
   
   
  inner sanctum where is kept the Sphere of ALL 
  Knowledge and the answer to any question that 
  has remained unanswered in life will be 
  revealed. 
   
  Bonus Spell 
  Theydori priests manage archives of 
  ancient magical items that they hide away from 
  common view. Often they need to power items 
  that have lost their charges to see what they do. 
  ACTIVATE MAGIC ITEM 
  School transmutation;  
  Level cleric 1 (Theydori) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, S, DF 
  Range touch 
  Target magic item touched 
  Duration 1 min. /level 
  Saving Throw Will negates (harmless, object); 
  Spell Resistance yes (harmless, object) 
  This spell allows a priest to power a 
  depleted magic item with a single charge. No 
  more than one charge can be placed into a magic 
  item using this spell. Active Magic Item allows 
  the caster to place 1 charge in a magic item that 
  has had all its charges used. The CL of the magic 
  item must be no greater than the CL of the caster. 
  The charge only has a limited life, if the charge 
  is used it consumes the last traces of magic in the 
  item making it impossible to cast this spell on it 
  again. If the spell ends without the charge being 
  used the item is undamaged and can be activated 
  again at a later date.  
  Assay Spell 
  The Assay spell of the Theydori church is 
  Karmic Knowledge. If a priest of Theydori 
  casts this spell the duration is hours per level 
  instead of rounds 
   
  Artefact 
  THE SPHERE OF ALL KNOWLEDGE 
  Strong enchantment; CL 20th; weight 5lb 
   
  Darmedes sat transfixed at the bench, the 
  large sphere held firmly between his outspread 
  hands. His eyes were closed as he recited the last 
  key phrases that would activate the arcane 
  device. As he spoke the words, the corresponding 
  glyphs on the sphere shone with a red 
  luminescence and a soft metallic click came from 
  inside. At last he uttered the final line and there 
  was an ominous static buildup of Tas energy in 
  the room – Darmedes’ hair rose with the 
  discharge. 
  This was followed by an anti-climactic 
  silence. Perhaps he had misspoken one of the 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  phrases? Without warning, a dazzling white 
  radiance was channeled out of the artefact, 
  along the line of Darmedes’ arms and into his 
  skull. As the light faded, the novice priest 
  collapsed backward and the sphere rolled across 
  the bench top and fell to the floor. We all rushed 
  to the aid of our friend who lay still, unconscious 
  but breathing. As we loosened his robe and made 
  preparations to move him to the bed, his eyes 
  opened and a wide grin spread across his face. 
   
  This artefact is a sphere about the size of 
  a basketball. Its surface is made of forty-four 
  interlocking 
  Excellium 
  and 
  Diamondwood 
  plates, each covered with sigils and glyphs, each 
  written in a different arcane tongue. Each plate 
  holds a section of a long activation phrase and 
  once all phrases are read aloud, the artefact will 
  provide the user with all known knowledge. The 
  story goes that, in the last days of the First Age, 
  Theydori feared that the world would fall into 
  ruin and he placed all knowledge into a magical 
  repository, which was the Sphere. This he 
  entrusted to Tranalor, wisest amongst those 
  mortals who still paid him homage. 
  To gain the knowledge contained within 
  the Sphere, you need to translate the forty-four 
  phrases into Uushai and then read them all out 
  aloud, strung together, while holding the artefact.  
  To perfectly recite the litany (once 
  decoded) you must make a successful language 
  check at DC18. If successful, the following 
  abilities are granted: 
   
  - 
  the recipient has knowledge of all cleric 
  spells and can cast then as though they 
  were an 18th level Cleric. 
  - 
  the recipient gains all skills operating at 
  a minimum level of five slots 
  - 
  the recipient’s INT and WIS scores 
  receive a permanent +4 adjustment 
   
  Of course, the knowledge of the Gods can 
  come at a price; the minds of most mortals are 
  too fragile to hold so much information. If a 
  person successfully reads the litany of the 
  Sphere, they must make a WILL saving throw at 
  DC24. Failure results in their INT and WIS 
  being reduced to 3 as a permanent effect, instead 
  of acquiring any of the abilities granted by the 
  Sphere.  
  Understandably, 
  once 
  the 
  Theydori 
  temple in Odressi found that those who tried to 
  unlock the secrets of the Sphere of All 
  Knowledge were being reduced to gibbering 
  basket cases, they squirreled the artefact away 
  out of reach of its inquiring priests. The artefact 
  currently rests in the reliquary of an isolated 
  monastery in the Llanish Highlands; out of sight 
  and out of mind. 
   
  Charm 
  PUZZLE BEADS 
  Description: A string containing fifty beads, 
  with each bead being engraved with different 
  letters, numbers and runes. 
   
  Trigger: the owner of the puzzle beads is trying 
  to solve a problem or gain an insight into some 
  cryptic information. Spending time twisting the 
  beads and looking at its complex string of 
  symbols often triggers insightful revelations. 
   
  DC: 18 
   
  Effect: The GM will provide information to 
  assist 
  with 
  solving 
  the 
  problem 
  (GM’s 
  discretion) 
   
  Cost: 5 gold trades 
   
  Frequency: Rare 
   
  Usage: Permanent. However a failed Belief 
  Check negates the use of the beads for a number 
  of days equal to the amount that the DC check 
  was failed by. 
   
   
   
   
   
  Meditating while focusing one’s mind on 
  the Puzzle Beads can often lead to the 
  solution of the most complex problems. 
  
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  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  GAIEN 
   
  Goddess of Fertility 
   
  Other Titles: 
  Mother of the Saahn, Lady Verdant Hand, the Soulbringer. 
  Alignment: 
  Lawful Neutral. 
  Domains: 
  Knowledge/Charm/Trickery/Thought/Nobility 
  Favored Weapon: 
  Dagger 
  Appearance: 
   A mature, matronly woman with dark brown skin. She is depicted wearing a hood 
  and cloak of black linen and a coronet of silver thorns. 
  Status: 
  Minor Human cult  
  Following: 
  0% male, 100% female 
  Power Centers: 
  Elkia, Tempest and Denhaven 
  Holy Day: 
  Pharianzar, 13th Day of the Third Span, March of Earth 
  Clerical Dress: 
  Priestesses rarely wear any distinguishing robes, except at private ceremonies. 
  During a secret high festival a high priestess may wear a short gray robe, worn 
  over a longer red dress hood and cloak. The priestesses favor a long hairstyle 
  called a concunbrah - which consists of a single braid coiled once about the throat 
  and fixed by a clasp to the shoulder. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  The Thraagi, an insignia shaped like a circle within a circle - a symbol associated 
  with femininity. 
  Associations: 
  Theydori (God of Knowledge) is the husband of Gaien. Priath (God of Dreams) is 
  their son. Because of the secret activities of the Gaien cult there are no 
  Recognition agreements between them and any other religion. 
  Basic Goal: 
  The gradual consolidation of power into the hands of females. 
  Religion Trait: 
  Holy Schemer. You are well versed in the arts of misdirection, plotting, and 
  intrigue and you know how to recognize those same arts when used against you. 
  Benefit: You earn a +2 trait bonus on Sense Motive. , and it becomes a Class skill 
  for you. 
  Bonus Spell: 
  Divine Conception. 
  Assay Spell: 
  Command 
   
   
  History 
  The Nalarian nomads claim to have 
  worshipped Gaien prior to the Redemption and, 
  today, Nalarians of both sexes often wear 
  circular charms and symbols associated with the 
  cult. However, since the Nalarians are a 
  wandering people and have no real fixed 
  homeland to speak of, it is the exclusively female 
  version of the cult of Gaien that is recognized as 
  the ‘official’ church of the Goddess.  
  The cult of Gaien has existed since 1R; 
  the first influential cleric of the religion being 
  Halanda Nurien. She was one of the many 
  women who were part of the Spinner’s Circle, 
  the group that were active in the formative years 
  of the Esmian church, when it was principally an 
  association of midwives. Besides being a 
  devotee of Esmia, Nurien also paid homage to 
  the Goddess Gaien, after reading the Books of 
  Law in Jasper. Nurien poured over the Books 
  while residing for a time in the city of Jasper and 
  she was intrigued by the references to Gaien. She 
  meticulously copied passages from the Books 
  and eventually made a religious tome devoted to 
  the Goddess Gaien.  
  She saw Gaien as having more relevance 
  to the midwives of the Spinners’ Circle, as the 
  Goddess was described as being the power that 
  created the spark of fertility in mortal races. As 
  the Esmian faith began to embrace a broader 
  knowledge of healing outside that of childbirth, a 
  small sect developed amongst the established 
  midwives that centered its reverence solely 
  around Gaien. Nurien naturally became the head 
  of this sect. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  The sect remained as a small group within 
  the Esmian church for a number of centuries and 
  finally broke away to form its own temple in 
  1006R, a few years after the Esmians signed the 
  Treaty of Odressi and made the decision to allow 
  men to become priests and healers. Those who 
  followed the original teachings of Halanda 
  Nurien believed childbirth to be a sacred and 
  secret rite that should only be known to women. 
  They were dissatisfied with the Esmians over 
  their change in policy, in accepting male priests 
  into the church, and made the decision to 
  separate. 
  The Gaien spokeswoman at that time, 
  Lorisa Nurien (a descendant of Halanda) became 
  interested in fully reviving the worship of Gaien. 
  She only had Halanda’s Tome as guidance to the 
  theology of Gaien and that was solely based on 
  extracts of the Books of Law. She made a 
  pilgrimage to Jasper and gained access to the 
  original set of Books and made herself familiar 
  with all its passages and references to Gaien.  
  She also was able to uncover ancient documents 
  from archives within the Theydori church.  
  As Gaien and Theydori both existed in 
  the same House, the clergy of Theydori were 
  very 
  interested 
  in 
  assisting 
  with 
  the 
  establishment of a formal Gaien church. Lorisa 
  was able to transcribe a great number of ancient 
  documents about the Pre-Redemption following 
  of the Goddess from the Theydori archive on 
  Ghardon. 
  Lorisa was not satisfied with all the 
  information she discovered concerning the 
  practices associated with ancient followers of 
  Gaien and decided to put her own slant on the 
  original gospel. Whereas, evidence suggested 
  that worship of Gaien had originally been open 
  to both sexes, Lorisa preached that the true path 
  to enlightenment through Gaien was reserved 
  only for females and she went on to create an 
  exclusive order of women, who took oaths never 
  to reveal the secrets of the Gaien faith, under 
  pain of death. 
  The cult had great success in Jasper and 
  spread across Eldoria on the heels of the 
  Sardellan Empire, like the Esmian and Ormocean 
  churches. Their priestesses were able to find 
  solid support amongst circles of disaffected 
  females, dwelling in many societies where 
  women were considered second-class citizens. 
  By 1800R, the major cities (and some larger 
  towns) in Elkia, Sard and Llan had small shrines 
  to Gaien and contained hospices, devoted to 
  assisting women with becoming pregnant and 
  with the delivery of their children. 
  The secretive nature of the Gaien cult 
  often led to their persecution over the years. 
  After Queen Fiora of Llan died in childbirth in 
  1721R, it was revealed that one of the midwives 
  in attendance had been a member of the Gaien 
  cult. Although the woman was blameless, she 
  was arrested and accused of causing the Queen’s 
  death. The local hospice and shrine were razed 
  and most of the sisterhood executed or 
  imprisoned. The cult is still officially banned in 
  Llan today. Similarly, during the Five Years 
  Doom, the Ormocean church tried to include the 
  followers of Gaien along with the churches of 
  the Unholy Trinity, as being responsible for 
  causing much of the unrest of that period. In the 
  end, the case was not proven but the Gaien 
  church in Odressi has remained under suspicion 
  by the Ormoceans and city authorities since that 
  time. 
   
  The cult has survived, mainly by 
  maintaining a low profile and working at 
  manipulating Eldorian society from behind the 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  scenes. One of their main tactics is to arrange the 
  marriages of young women, who are secretly 
  members of the cult, to men in positions of 
  power. These women act as the eyes and ears of 
  the cult and work at covertly influencing the 
  reins of power, according to the desires of the 
  sisterhood. The cult is quite wealthy, drawing 
  funds from many influential women of the 
  nobility who are its clandestine patrons. 
   
  Doctrine 
  The Books of Law say that Gaien devised 
  the spark of procreation, taken from Phelltar’s 
  Rune of Life and that she shaped the spark so 
  that mortal beings would not be consumed by its 
  power but instead would be invested with the 
  ability to create their own kind. The Saahn were 
  divided into two forms, the male and the female, 
  and it was to the latter that Gaien gave the full 
  power of her divine gift. 
  Gaien priestesses preach that the female 
  form is the only true Saahn and that the male 
  aspect of the race is, in fact, Nender-Saahn (the 
  equivalent of an animal). It is up to the followers 
  of Gaien to guide the affairs of the world in the 
  name of the Goddess, using a gentle and 
  secretive hand. The cult inducts, educates and 
  grooms women and encourages their marriage to 
  powerful and influential people.  
  They use elixirs and rituals to ensure that 
  children born of such marriages are girls and, in 
  so doing, seek to make the hierarchy of the world 
  predominantly female. 
   
  Members of the cult are, naturally, not 
  very tolerant with the male of the species 
  (although they are expert at masking their true 
  feelings). They also hold contempt for women 
  who have not given birth to children by the age 
  of thirty, women of questionable morals and 
  those who use the popular birth control Charm, 
  the Childsbane Lily. Women unable to bear 
  children are considered to be cursed by the 
  Goddess and priestesses of Gaien will often go 
  out of their way to make the life of infertile 
  women a misery. 
   
  The cult is also devoted to bringing about 
  a world populated exclusively by females. For 
  years, one of the closely kept secrets of the 
  Gaien religion is their research into the auras that 
  surround all Saahn. They have discovered that, in 
  certain charismatic people, the energy of the aura 
  remains with the body for a few hours after death 
  and that this energy can be drawn and collected.  
  The cult is continuing its work in this area 
  as it believes that the correct combination of 
  collected energy will result in the creation of the 
  Aereth, the ‘divine spark’. With this, women will 
  no longer have to breed with ‘Nender-Saahn’ to 
  produce girl children. Instead, they will be able 
  to use the Aereth to induce ‘immaculate 
  conception’. It is the concept of the Aereth that 
  the Ormocean church finds most objectionable, 
  equating the draining of energy after death as an 
  activity akin to the activities of its great enemy, 
  he Sirrith cult. 
   
  Organization 
  The cult has a decentralized structure. A 
  High Priestess is known as a Mederion and 
  maintains a large residential dwelling that 
  doubles both as a shrine to Gaien and as a 
  recruiting point for followers. The dwelling is 
  known as a Nook. The secret nature of the cult 
  means that the Nook is not distinguishable as a 
  building devoted to the Goddess, although the 
  priestesses may use signs known only to the 
  devotees of Gaien to covertly advertise their 
  presence (e.g. a posy of dried heather hung 
  above the door of the house is one of many signs 
  that a Gaien priestess is based there). 
  A Mederion will set up house in a specific 
  region and will recruit novices from the 
  immediate vicinity, targeting a mix of the down-
  trodden and the wealthy. The novices will either 
  visit the Nook on a regular basis to take part in 
  formal ceremonies or take up permanent 
  residence if it is convenient.  
  A Mederion will be supported by one or 
  two novices who are elevated to the position of 
  priestess (or Dressa). They are usually permanent 
  residents of the Nook who have been there for at 
  least five years. Dressa help maintain the Nook 
  and assist the Mederion with grooming the 
  novices and arranging suitable engagements that 
  will directly benefit the goals of the religion. 
  After a Dressa has given at least ten years of 
  The Thraagi – holy symbol of Gaien. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  service and proved their ability, a Mederion will 
  provide them with funds to establish a new Nook 
  in a region that the cult is seeking to expand into. 
  In theory, all Mederions are of equal 
  ranking in the religion, however the Mederion of 
  Odressi is acknowledged as having more 
  influence due to the location of her Nook and her 
  ability to exert influence over other religions, as 
  well as secular society.  
   
  Regalia 
  Clerics only wear their distinctive robes 
  during private ceremonies within their Nook. 
  The Mederion wears a long red dress complete 
  with a large hood. A short robe of grey wool is 
  worn over the red dress, to complete the outfit. 
  The shoulders of the robe are fixed with 
  brooches in the shape of the Thraagi. This allows 
  the Mederion to wear her hair in the traditional 
  style of the concunbrah; a long plait that coils 
  about the throat and is then fixed by one of the 
  Thraagi brooches to the shoulder. 
  Dressa wear the grey outer robe of the 
  Mederion over their normal secular clothing. The 
  Thraagi (a circle within a circle) is the holy 
  symbol worn by all followers of Gaien and is 
  usually worn as a gold pendant underneath the 
  clothing. 
   
  Temple Design 
  As mentioned, the religion does not build 
  formal temples but utilizes large residential 
  buildings as a place or worship. Regardless of 
  the layout of each building, a Nook will have one 
  room devoted to formal ceremonies. This is 
  usually warded against the intrusion of males 
  and features an altar in the form of a low table of 
  black wood upon which will sit a large Thraagi, 
  made of gold and an elaborately bound copy of 
  “The Word of Gaien According to Lorisa”, the 
  bible of the modern cult. 
  A Nook will also maintain a room used 
  for birthing and a well-stocked supply of herbs 
  and elixirs designed to ease the trauma of labor.   
   
  Ritual 
  The only followers of Gaien who undergo 
  Recognition are those who become Dressa and 
  take on an oath never to marry. The novices who 
  have marriages arranged by a Mederion retain 
  the Recognition symbols given to them before 
  they joined the cult. This makes it easier for 
  them to undergo wedding ceremonies of other 
  religions that may otherwise involve the 
  revelation of their Recognition symbol. 
  Before being married, a novice will 
  partake in a ritual cleansing ceremony in the altar 
  room of their Nook. Here they swear an oath to 
  Gaien that involves unwavering loyalty to the 
  Nook and sisterhood and to produce only girls 
  from their union. The Gaien Mederion know the 
  secret of distilling an oil which, when rubbed 
  into the skin just prior to conception, will ensure 
  the sex of a child is female. 
  Over the last 100 years the cult has 
  introduced 
  the 
  ritual 
  of 
  Kansalah 
  (soul 
  harvesting). When someone of greatness, known 
  for their intellect, great strength (or other 
  distinguishing attribute) is on their deathbed, a 
  Mederion may take the steps to harvest the 
  residual life energy that remains in the body for a 
  short while after death. A prayer is recited that 
  draws the energy from the body and a device 
  known as a spirit siphon is used to capture it.  
  Many Gaien Nooks hold collections of 
  spirit energy, catalogued and kept secret. 
  Mederion from far flung Nooks visit each other 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  to conduct experiments whereby spirits from 
  different siphons are blended and introduced into 
  the auras of willing novices in order to produce 
  spontaneous life. To date the sisterhood has been 
  unsuccessful with their research.      
   
  Uushai 
  The Gaien afterlife is called Maygora. It 
  is populated solely by the spirits of females who 
  have given birth to children. There are four 
  Uushai that dwell in Maygora, named Helsira, 
  Taleecia, Kasarah and Pelenda. They have the 
  appearance of middle aged women with long 
  braided hair of pure silver. The faithful are 
  welcomed to the great Nook by the Uushai 
  where they learn the most secret rituals of the 
  order and continue the great task of finding the 
  divine spark that will allow females to procreate 
  without men. 
   
  Bonus Spell 
  The Gaien religion marries off its 
  priestesses into influential families so that heirs 
  can be born who are influenced by the mother. 
  DIVINE CONCEPTION 
  School transmutation; Level cleric 1 (Gaien) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, S, DF 
  Range touch 
  Target one female humanoid creature 
  Duration 1 hour/level 
   
  Divine Conception will allow the target to 
  automatically conceive after sexual congress 
  (providing the sire is also capable of fathering 
  children).  The target must be capable of 
  conceiving a child or the spell will fail. The 
  caster will be aware of the failure of the spell.  
   
  Assay Spell 
  The Assay spell of the Gaien priesthood is 
  Command. There is no saving throw against a 
  Command spell cast by a Gaien priestess. 
   
  Artefact 
  SOUL SIPHON 
  Strong transmutation; CL 20th; 1lb. 
   
  In silence we gathered about the pale 
  body that had been brought in secret to our 
  house. Young Lord Thrane had been in the prime 
  of his life, yet two hours had not passed, since 
  his soul had departed. He had fallen from his 
  horse during the morning hunt and had struck 
  his head; he died instantly. The lord’s mother 
  had been a Dressa, a secret member of our 
  Nook; it was she who had brought her son to the 
  Mederion, asking our mistress to capture his 
  soul. 
  Our Mederion Mother was resplendent in 
  her robes of red and grey. She placed a small 
  wooden coffer on the table, at Lord Thrane’s 
  head and from it she withdrew a curious device; 
  a crystal carved into a long, thin cone, affixed to 
  which was a silver vial. Rainbows danced 
  through the crystal, reflecting the candlelight.  
  Curious, 
  I 
  extended 
  my 
  Seervati 
  consciousness to embrace the device and 
  immediately sensed its great power. It was 
  old…very old, and woven into its substance were 
  complex threads of the Tas. 
   
  The Soul Siphons were crafted by Lord 
  Fanilon in the First Age and given to those 
  Mederion (priestesses) who were loyal to Gaien. 
  Today, the cult possesses seven of these devices, 
  each resembling an elongated, conical crystal. At 
  the wide end of the crystal is set a screw-thread, 
  into which is attached an Excellium potion vial, 
  complete with a close-fitting stopper.  
  The Soul Siphons were discovered in 
  Maritaan, by Jorva Salanees, a priestess of 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Gaien, who brought them to the temple in 
  Odressi in the 1800s. Jorva had found the 
  Siphons in their original box, made from lapis-
  lazuli. Inside were places for ten of the devices; 
  the whereabouts of the other three were not 
  known.  
  Each Siphon is capable of removing and 
  storing the duplicate pattern of the aura that 
  resides in mortal Saahn after death and (in 
  theory) creating spontaneous new life in the body 
  of a woman (bringing about an immaculate 
  conception). 
  The cult of Gaien discovered that a 
  residue of the aura remains in the body and 
  slowly degrades within a few hours of the 
  cessation of life. This residual energy is not the 
  aura itself but an ‘imprint’ or ‘signature’ of the 
  original. Like a genetic code, it contains all the 
  information required to duplicate a persona and, 
  according to the senior Seervati of the Gaien 
  cult, it is the key to creating life. 
  The degradation of the natural aura takes 
  one hour plus a number of hours equal to the 
  Charisma bonus of the character. After this, the 
  signature persona cannot be retrieved. If the 
  crystal tip of the Soul Siphon is placed in contact 
  with the body of the deceased (within the 
  required time period) it will draw forth the aura 
  and store it indefinitely in the Excellium vial. 
  Here the aura is translated into an energy-infused 
  glowing liquid, violet in color; that can be 
  consumed like a potion. 
  It is thought that, if life can be created in 
  a host using a Siphon, the child will permanently 
  possess the skills and feats of the dead character 
  from which the signature aura was drawn, as 
  well as their ability scores. These will begin to 
  manifest during puberty and will be in addition 
  to other skills and feats that the character may 
  have developed, as they grew up. 
  So far, the Gaien cult has failed to create 
  spontaneous life in any subjects using the 
  artefact; for some reason the process eludes 
  them. The Gaien priestess Lorisa Nurien was 
  very efficient at destroying a lot of ancient Gaien 
  lore, when she reformed the religion in the 
  1300s, resulting in a gap in their current 
  knowledge concerning correct use of the Soul 
  Siphons. The sisterhood’s research into the 
  powers of the artefacts continues and the seven 
  possessed by them have been dispersed amongst 
  the Nooks for study. 
  However, in the meantime, the religion 
  has found an alternate minor use for the devices. 
  Anyone drinking the contents of a vial 
  temporarily acquires the skills and feats of the 
  person from which the aura was siphoned; 
  including their base hit and saving throw 
  modifiers. They do not acquire other ability 
  bonuses or class-related abilities. 
  This effect lasts for 1+1d6 hours and is at 
  the same level as the original persona of the aura.  
   
  Charm 
  NURIEN’S OIL 
   
  Description: A clear oil that smells of cinnamon 
  and is kept in a miniature vial, worn on a cord or 
  filigree chain. 
   
  Trigger: If the oil is rubbed into the skin by a 
  woman capable on conceiving children, the 
  trigger is the instant of conception. The oil must 
  be applied within one hour before conception. 
   
  DC: 15 
   
  Effect: The conceived child will be female 
   
  Cost: 10 gold trades 
   
  Frequency: Rare 
   
  Usage: Once only. The oil contained within the 
  vial can be sourced from the Gaien sisterhood at 
  5 gold trades (the vial, purchased the first time, 
  is reusable). 
   
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  PRIATH 
  God of Time and Dreams  
   
   
  Other Titles: 
  The Dreamwalker, Weaver of the Web, Lord of Forever. 
  Alignment: 
  Neutral Good. 
  Domains: 
  Knowledge/Memory/Repose/Ancestors/Magic. 
  Favored Weapon: 
  None. 
  Appearance: 
  An indistinct humanoid figure continually wreathed in mists.  
  Status: 
  Minor cult. 
  Following: 
  50% male, 50% female. 
  Power Centers: 
  No real centers of power, although the cult has small pockets of worshippers in 
  most countries. A priest sits on the Congress of Odressi, although there is no 
  formal temple located there. 
  Holy Day: 
  Draelinzar, 1st Day of the First Span of the March of Light 
  Clerical Dress: 
  None, although cultists are known to each other by combinations of colors that 
  they wear on specific days. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  None. Cultists wear combinations of colors and adornments on certain days to 
  identify each other. 
  Associations: 
  Theydori (God of Knowledge) is the father of Priath. Gaien (Goddess of Fertility) 
  is his mother. The secretive nature of the Priath cult means that it has no 
  Recognition agreements with any other religion. 
  Basic Goal: 
  Protection of the fundamental laws of time. 
  Religion Trait: 
  Prophetic Dreams. Your dreams often give you a hint of possible dangers you 
  might face during your day—such as a fall, an attempt to rob you by a thief, or a 
  bite from a poisonous snake. This prophetic dream sometimes makes all the 
  difference. Benefit: Each time you sleep, the GM tells you of a dream that had an 
  element of danger in it that directly affected you. Once per day, if you have to 
  make a saving throw against a threat similar to that dream, you can roll twice and 
  take the more favorable result. If you do not encounter circumstances similar to the 
  threat or situation you dreamed, this trait has no effect that day. If you have the 
  Halfling Jinx trait, you cannot select this trait, and vice versa. 
  Bonus Spell:  
  Detect Temporal Anomaly 
  Assay Spell: 
  Dream Feast 
   
   
  History 
  The secretive cult of Priath survived 
  relatively intact from Pre-Redemption times and 
  most of its gospel, texts and histories (contained 
  within a book called “The Apocalypse Tome”) 
  remain true to the doctrine that was preached 
  when the Gods still walked in the world. The 
  Tome is restricted and can only be viewed by the 
  eyes of the cult’s most senior and trusted priests.  
  The following of Priath was strongest, 
  and had a more public face, in the century that 
  followed the discovery of the Books of Law. 
  Several sages, who dwelled in Jasper and were 
  devotees of Priath were involved in the 
  translation of the Books and had many dealings 
  with the Ormocean clerics who guarded the 
  Books of Law and allowed scholars access to 
  them. Information flowed freely between the 
  Ormocean and Priath clerics and some of the  
  subject matter of “The Apocalypse Tome” was 
  revealed within those books.  
  The followers of Priath came under the 
  watchful eye of the hierarchy of the Ormocean 
  church, who were suspicious of any secretive 
  organizations. As the Ormoceans assumed 
  supremacy during the rise of Sardell they began 
  to impose restrictions on some of the practices of 
  other emerging religions. Those theologians who 
  openly worshipped Priath were quick to perceive 
  a 
  potential 
  danger 
  and 
  the 
  cult 
  went 
  underground.  
  They had no formal church structure but 
  maintained 
  a 
  clandestine 
  following, 
  with 
  members of the cult recognizable to one another 
  only by certain signs and key phrases. 
  Gatherings took place at isolated locations or 
  behind closed doors. Despite this, they were still 
  dogged by the Ormocean inquisitions that saw 
  
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  the cult’s secret meetings as further proof of 
  some kind of subversion and they actively 
  sought to uncover ‘plots’ they believed the 
  cultists were engaged in. 
  In 1051R, Ohridane the Seer (arguably 
  the cult’s best-known figure) was arrested for 
  possession 
  of 
  a 
  book 
  deemed 
  grossly 
  blasphemous. Ohridane was tried in Odressi by a 
  panel of six priests from different religions. He 
  was found guilty and burned at the stake.  
  The book that Ohridane had in his 
  possession was thought to be a copy of “The 
  Apocalypse Tome”. This was seized when 
  Ohridane was arrested and caused quite a 
  scandal, after his trial and execution. It was 
  circulated 
  amongst 
  a 
  group of 
  noteworthy scholars for criticism 
  and was subsequently lost in a 
  house fire under mysterious 
  circumstances. Few of the 
  learned people who read 
  the work were actively 
  vocal in condemning its 
  contents and many were 
  reported 
  as 
  having 
  ‘changed their view on 
  the world’.  
  The 
  book’s 
  existence became an 
  ‘urban legend’. It was 
  said that its contents 
  revealed many truths 
  that are hidden from 
  mortals and that it did 
  not perish in the fire. 
  Instead it continues to be 
  circulated 
  amongst 
  clandestine scholarly circles.  
  It was also rumored that 
  “The Apocalypse Tome” was, in 
  fact, the Fourth Book of Law 
  (another heretical work condemned by the 
  Ormocean faith). That book was said to contain 
  revelations concerning the ancient history of 
  Enshar that contradicted the Books of Law. The 
  Ormocean 
  church 
  was 
  adamant that the 
  forbidden work did indeed survive the fire in 
  Odressi and ended up back in the possession of 
  the Priath cult. Since then, senior cultists of 
  Priath have disseminated the information it 
  contains to those they wish to recruit into their 
  ranks. 
  After the death of Ohridane, the cultists 
  broke up their network into even smaller cells 
  and dispersed themselves throughout the Human 
  realms, becoming even more difficult to find. 
  They had once built a temple in Odressi as a 
  major meeting place but this was left empty after 
  the martyrdom of Ohridane. Although the 
  Ormocean church went through a revision of its 
  practices in 1680R and became more moderate in 
  its outlook, the Priath temple remains empty 
  today and has been converted into a shrine to 
  Priath by the city authorities. 
  Little else is known about the progression 
  of the cult since the 17th century R. They remain 
  a secret society and are believed to seek out other 
  converts on an individual basis. They value the 
  qualities of those gifted with foresight and the 
  powers of divination. It is claimed that their 
  Seervati can send messages in the form of 
  dreams, intended to bring a potential 
  recruit to a place and time where 
  they can be indoctrinated and 
  given the opportunity to join 
  the cult. 
  The 
  Ormocean 
  church preaches a line 
  that 
  those 
  who 
  are 
  invited to join the cult 
  but decline, die shortly 
  afterward, 
  after 
  receiving 
  terrible 
  nightmares that drive 
  them 
  to 
  suicide 
  or 
  insanity. 
   
  Doctrine 
  All 
  that 
  is 
  currently known about 
  the beliefs and rituals of 
  the cult comes to us from 
  the Ormocean church and 
  the records of the trial of 
  Ohridane. There are also a few 
  accounts from individuals who 
  claim to have been selected as 
  potential recruits, then later deserted the cult 
  (and lived to tell the tale). 
  Priath 
  governs 
  Noktaurus, 
  the 
  Dreamscape, a realm that mortals enter when 
  they release their Par, the unconscious part of 
  their mind. The Par perceives realities not 
  normally visible or accessible to the waking 
  mind. Most people only have limited access to 
  regions within the Dreamscape but those who 
  discipline themselves according to the teachings 
  of the cult, are able to open doors to the greater 
  part of the Dreamscape and eventually find the 
  Hall of Forever, where Priath dwells. 
  Priath is also the Lord of Time. It is 
  whispered that some priests of Priath have 
  
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  mastered the ability to move backward in the 
  flow of time. This breaks one of the fundamental 
  laws laid down by Ormocea; the practice of 
  visiting the past poses a threat to the very fabric 
  of existence. To alter the past causes unforeseen 
  consequences to the prime reality.  
  At his trial, Ohridane claimed that the cult 
  acted as guardians of the Web of Time and that 
  they actively opposed rogue individuals who had 
  mastered powerful arcane arts and learned how 
  to open temporal doorways across the ages. This 
  is reflected in the Priath axiom concerning the 
  afterlife, which tells that those souls who best 
  display their devotion to the God are empowered 
  as angelic beings; the Tuarin-Thrinn (or Time 
  Wraiths). They possess the innate ability to move 
  in time without affecting those who they meet. 
  The Wraiths are charged with the task of 
  destroying other beings that are foreigners to the 
  time-stream. They are like the ‘anti-bodies’ of 
  time. 
   
  Organization 
  The cultists exist in small groups 
  averaging three to four persons, based in specific 
  locales (although there are larger groups in 
  Odressi and throughout southern Elkia). These 
  groups are called Claves and they are extremely 
  secretive and protective about revealing their 
  existence due to the history of persecution by the 
  Ormocean church. Claves do not maintain a 
  temple but gather at the residences of their 
  members or in the private rooms of an inn.  
  The cultists of a Clave will, at times, wish 
  to invite others into their group. This comes 
  about when they have identified a local person 
  who has the qualities and beliefs that the cult 
  believes will be a ‘fit’ with the theology of 
  Priath. The selected person is often a scholar or 
  master of arcane arts, with some latent psychic 
  ability. The cult will send potential initiates 
  snippets of secret lore, designed to entice people 
  to want to know more. Those people whose 
  interests are piqued will gradually be led to the 
  cult’s secret meeting place and are offered a 
  place within the religion. If there is a Seervati in 
  the Clave, they will use their special abilities to 
  send dreams to the potential initiate, drawing 
  them to the meeting. 
  There is no formal hierarchy in a Clave, 
  other that respect for seniority and position. 
  Although Priath worshippers are aware of other 
  Claves, none can claim to have knowledge of 
  every group that exists across Eldoria. When the 
  Congress of Odressi meets, members of Claves 
  make a pilgrimage to the Holy Isle and come 
  together at a secret place, identified by signs 
  known only to cultists. At this gathering, a priest 
  is elected to represent the cult at the Congress. 
  The elected priest is called the Orsarpriath (voice 
  of Priath). 
   
  Regalia 
  Clerics of Priath wear no identifying holy 
  symbol or clerical uniform. They may be 
  recognized to other cultists by a combination of 
  colors and small items of adornment that they 
  wear on specific days. The Orsarpriath alone 
  wears any form of clerical attire and only when 
  attending 
  the 
  Congress 
  of 
  Odressi 
  and 
  representing the faith. This consists of a plain 
  white robe with the runic device for Priath on the 
  left breast. This robe was worn by Ohridane the 
  Seer prior to his execution.  
  The story goes that, after the death of 
  Ohridane, the cultists went into hiding and for 
  over 500 years they had no representation on the 
  Congress of Odressi. Then, after the reformation 
  of the Ormocean church in the late 17th century 
  R, Elsar Naerl, a priest of Priath, was elected to 
  attend the Congress of 1692R.  
  Naerl wore no attire to the great council 
  and elements of the Ormocean church that were 
  still hostile to the Priath cult sought to have him 
  removed, citing matters of protocol over the 
  rules of wearing formal clerical attire.  
  As an insult, the Ormoceans offered Naerl 
  Ohridane’s robes that had been in their keeping 
  since his execution. This was supposed to invoke 
  a reaction that would further help the Ormoceans 
  with their motion to have Naerl removed from 
  the Congress.  
  However, Naerl graciously accepted the 
  old and tattered blood-stained robe and thwarted 
  their plans. The Congress accepted the return of 
  the Priath cult to the Holy Isle and allowed Naerl 
  to keep Ohridane’s clothing. The robes have 
  been kept as a holy relic by the Clave of Odressi 
  since that time and have been worn by each 
  Orsarpriath who attends the Congress. 
   
  Temple Design 
  Modern followers of Priath do not 
  worship in temples; they make use of residences 
  owned by cultists or use private rooms in inns. 
  One temple exists in Odressi that was built in 
  1032R. It is now unoccupied but the building 
  remains as a shrine to Priath and is maintained 
  by the city authorities. The main temple is a 
  circular construction with a domed roof. Its 
  
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  inside walls are lined with mirrors that create 
  thousands of multiple reflections. There are no 
  statues or other depictions of Priath in the 
  temple.  
  There are a number of residential and 
  administrative buildings that are connected to the 
  temple by covered walkways. These have been 
  taken over by the treasury officials of the City-
  Lord of Odressi. There is a sub-level beneath the 
  main temple that also contains many rooms. This 
  level is locked and not used although it is 
  rumored that the Priath cultists know of secret 
  entrances into the area and use its chambers as a 
  meeting place to elect the Orsarpriath before 
  each Congress of Odressi. 
   
  Ritual 
  The details of only a few Priath 
  ceremonies have been recorded. Most people are 
  sworn to another religion prior to being inducted 
  into the cult. Priath does not require the stigma 
  of Recognition to identify his true followers; 
  upon death the soul of a Priath cultist enters 
  Noktaurus and is led through the Dreamscape by 
  the Tuarin-Thrinn to the Shrine where Priath 
  sleeps.  
  Being Recognized to other religions 
  greatly aids in maintaining the secrecy of the 
  cult. Therefore, followers of Priath celebrate the 
  ceremonies and rituals associated with the 
  religion they were sworn to before finding 
  Priath, pretending that one of the other Gods is 
  their patron deity. 
  Dreamwalking is a skill that most Priath 
  cultists accomplish and master in their lifetime. 
  By undertaking rigorous mental exercises, a 
  Dreamwalker develops their Par; a part of the 
  subconscious mind that is able to see alternate 
  realities. We often think we see something from 
  the corner of our eye that turns out not to be 
  there. That is because the Par can see other 
  existences that overlap with the physical realm 
  that we exist in. 
  When we dream, the Par takes over and 
  we enter Noktaurus, another world that co-exists 
  with ours. Most people can only explore a 
  limited part of Noktaurus, called the Par-Teth; a 
  personal region governed directly by our 
  experiences and memories. Dreamwalkers can 
  unlock portals in the Par-Teth and enter the 
  wider world of Noktaurus that draws upon the 
  consciousness of millions of sentient beings and 
  continually changes and rearranges its existence.  
  Dreamwalkers learn to stabilize the chaos 
  of the Noktaurus sufficiently to shape a reality 
  around them; this allows a Dreamwalker to 
  navigate that strange and ever-changing world 
  and meet with other cultists who may exist 
  thousands of miles away in the physical world. 
  Another prominent ritual of Priath that 
  has been documented is the acceptance test that a 
  newly indoctrinated disciple must pass in order 
  to become a cultist. An object is hidden within a 
  container (usually an ornate coffer) and the 
  subject must state what the object is. They are 
  not allowed to handle the container in any way 
  and are given one hour to deduce its contents. 
  This is a test of the psychic potential of a person; 
  powers which are considered the mark of Priath. 
   
  
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  Uushai 
  Tuarin-Thrinn are the angelic servants of 
  Priath; souls of the dead who have reached the 
  Hall of Forever and achieved such a level of 
  control of the Par that they can have mastered the 
  ability to not only move across the Dreamscape 
  but to move backwards in time. Tuarin-Thrinn 
  retain an idyllic representation of their original 
  living form when in the Dreamscape.    
  When they shift in time they are invisible 
  to most mortal beings and cannot interact 
  physically with them or any part of the time-
  stream. Beings that have managed to travel in 
  time can perceive Tuarin-Thrinn, which appear 
  as vaguely humanoid shapes of glowing energy 
  and mist.  
  Tuarin-Thrinn are able to interact with 
  beings that are not part of the time-stream and 
  they are drawn to disturbances in the Web of 
  Time. Effectively, this means that the more a 
  time-traveler threatens to change established 
  events of the time-stream, the more chance that 
  they will attract one or more Tuarin-Thrinn who 
  will attack in order to remove them. 
  Tuarin-Thrinn exist in the thousands and 
  their numbers grow larger by the day. 
  Chief amongst the Tuarin-Thrinn are the 
  Prime, three identical beings who appear to be 
  made of liquid silver. They move as one and 
  speak as one. Their main task is to marshal the 
  lesser time-wraiths and direct them to anomalies 
  they perceive in the Web of Time. 
   
  Bonus Spell 
  The Priath religion is a secret cult devoted 
  to ensuring those who learn how to manipulate 
  time do not unravel the prime reality by their 
  actions. Early in their training they learn how to 
  detect disturbances in the continuum. 
   
  Assay Spell 
  The Assay spell of the Priath faith is Dream 
  Feast. Instead of being cast on a single creature 
  by touch, a Priath priest can cast Dream Feast on 
  up to 4 targets within a 10’ radius. 
  DETECT TEMPORAL ANOMALY 
  School divination; Level cleric 1 (Priath) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Component: V, S 
  Range 60 ft. 
  Area cone-shaped emanation 
  Duration concentration, up to 1 min. /level (D) 
  Saving Throw none; 
  Spell Resistance no 
  You detect temporal anomalies generated 
  by persons or objects outside of their correct 
  place in the prime time continuum. You also 
  detect weaknesses in the fabric of the prime-
  material plane that would allow time travel. The 
  amount of information revealed depends on how 
  long you study a particular area or subject. 
  1st Round: Presence or absence of temporal 
  anomalies. 
  The Tuarin-Thrinn appear as ghost-like entity to 
  those persons who manage to break the laws of 
  time and pose a threat to the existence of the 
  continuum. 
  
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  2nd Round: Number of different temporal 
  anomalies and the power of the most potent 
  anomaly. 
  3rd Round: The strength and location of each 
  anomaly. If the items, creatures or location 
  causing the anomalies are in line of sight, you 
  can make Knowledge (Planes) skill checks to 
  determine the type of anomaly involved, 
  something out of place or a weakness in the 
  fabric. (Make one check per anomaly: DC 15)  
  If the anomaly emanates from an item or 
  creature, you can attempt to identify its correct 
  place in the prime time stream (DC20).Large 
  areas of temporal disturbance, multiple types of 
  anomalies, or strong anomalies may distort or 
  conceal weaker anomalies. 
  Anomalies Strength: An anomaly’s power 
  depends on how much fabric or time stream has 
  been corrupted. If an anomaly falls into more 
  than one category, detect temporal anomaly 
  indicates the stronger of the two. 
  Lingering Aura: An anomaly lingers after its 
  original source is destroyed or dissipates. If 
  detect temporal anomaly is cast and directed at 
  such a location, the spell indicates an aura 
  strength that is dim (even weaker than a faint 
  aura). How long the aura lingers at this dim level 
  depends on its original power (see Anomaly 
  Table below). 
  Each round, you can turn to detect 
  temporal anomaly in a new area. The spell can 
  penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of 
  common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of 
  wood or dirt blocks it. 
   
   
   
   
   
  Artefact 
  TEMPORAL DAGGER 
  Strong evocation; CL 18th; 2lb. 
   
  Bragith and I always hung around 
  Treacle Lane about midnight; it was our patch, 
  so to speak. The lane was a dead-end formed by 
  the backs of two warehouses, so there was no 
  one for the marks to call out to for help. Perfect 
  place for relieving folk of their money pouches. 
  This one night we were out for a bit of fun 
  and spotted this young lass walking into our little 
  reception committee. She was dressed in fine 
  clothing and I guessed that she had been 
  attending the Theatre of the High Lords on 
  Thunder Road. 
   Many toffs get lost trying to find a short-
  cut home across the merchant quarter and run a 
  cropper in the maze of streets. This was going to 
  be easy pickings; if the girl didn’t have a purse 
  of coins on her at least we could have made a 
  trade or two from the proceeds of her nice silk 
  headscarf. 
  She looked up and saw me waiting at the 
  cul-de-sac and, too late, she realized her error 
  and her danger. Bragith emerged from the 
  shadows behind her and grabbed her by the 
  shoulder. In the blink of an eye, she whirled on 
  him and I saw a glint of silver flash in the dark. 
  A large dagger was clutched in the girl’s right 
  Original Strength 
  Duration of Lingering 
  Aura 
  Faint 
  1d6 rounds 
  Moderate 
  1d6 minutes 
  Strong 
  1d6 × 10 minutes 
  Overwhelming 
  1d6 days 
  
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  hand. Bragith fell to his knees clutching his chest 
  and the girl fled by the way she had come. 
  I rushed to Bragith’s aid and, kneeling by 
  his side, I discovered that the dagger had cut 
  through his coarse jerkin but had only left a 
  minor wound across his flabby gut. No more 
  than a scratch, really. “Stop your horseplay”, I 
  said to Bragith. “You’re not going to die anytime 
  soon”. It was then that I saw his face. It was 
  lined with wrinkles that had never been there; 
  his hair hung limp and white, where previously it 
  had been auburn. Bragith was some forty-odd 
  summers of age; this man had the look of 
  someone close to seventy. 
  This is an exceedingly rare weapon of the 
  First Age, being a broad-bladed +1 dagger, 
  measuring some 6 inches in length and polished 
  to a mirror-like finish. It has a decorative hilt of 
  Diamondwood set with opal and a pommel 
  carved with the rune of Priath.  
  There are said to have been three in 
  existence, originally belonging to the Prime, the 
  three identical divine servants of Priath. Because 
  of the high degree of secrecy maintained by 
  Priath worshippers, it is not known if any of the 
  three blades are in possession of the cult today 
  If a Temporal Dagger scores a confirmed 
  critical hit, in addition to the physical damage it 
  inflicts, it also ages the victim by a factor of 5 
  years for each point of damage. Strength bonuses 
  are not calculated into the ageing formula, only 
  the +1 bonus and the damage rolled on the die.  
  Therefore the minimum amount the 
  dagger will age a person by is 10 years and the 
  maximum is 25. 
   
  Charm 
  AWAKENING STONE 
  Description: A semi-precious polished stone. 
   
  Trigger: An Awakening Stone is keyed to the 
  time of day it was blessed by Seervati of Priath. 
  Thus, there can be many types of this Charm, set 
  for different times. It is triggered if the owner puts 
  it within 1’ of their head before sleeping. 
   
  DC: 12 
   
  Effect: The owner will achieve rest as though 
  sleeping in a comfortable bed. They automatically 
  awaken at the pre-designated time that the Stone 
  was keyed for when it was created. Note; many 
  Priath worshippers will collect Awakening Stones 
  keyed to different hours of the day. 
   
  Cost: 1 gold trade 
   
  Frequency: Unique 
   
  Usage: Permanent. 
   
   
   
   
  An Awakening Stone is a handy 
  Charm used to rouse the owner from 
  sleep at a specific time of day. People 
  collect different Awakening Stones 
  keyed to different times of the day 
  
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  AHRIDAAR 
  God of the Arts 
   
  Other Titles: 
  Father of the Muses, Lord of the Voice, the King of the Harp. 
  Alignment: 
  Chaotic Good. 
  Domains: 
  Travel/Exploration/Trade/Luck/Knowledge. 
  Favored Weapon: 
  Rapier. 
  Appearance: 
  A heavy-set man with long hair and a plaited beard. He wears colorful robes and 
  carries a harp strung with Excellium strings.  
  Status: 
  Minor Human church. 
  Following: 
  70% male, 30% female. 
  Power Centers: 
  Odressi, Tempest, Quorull, Eriana and Dormos. 
  Holy Day: 
  Festival Day, March of Life 
  Clerical Dress: 
  Priests attire themselves in a white linen shirt and soft leather britches. Over this is 
  worn a short cape, sewn with the symbols of the muse that has inspired the 
  individual. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  A brooch shaped like a harp. 
  Associations: 
  Faar (Goddess of the Seasons) is the wife of Ahridaar. Rhioria (Goddess of 
  Beauty) is their daughter. The religion shares Recognition agreements with the 
  other churches within its House, the House of Wisdom, the Theydori church (only) 
  of the House of Secrets and the Phelltarian church (only) of the House of Light. 
  Basic Goal: 
  The perfection of the arts as inspired by Ahridaar’s divine messengers, the 
  Kyseera (or muses). 
  Religion Trait: 
  Ear for Music. You spent countless hours of your youth in one of Ahridaar’s 
  temples, listening to wonderful musicians and singers. Benefit: You gain a +1 trait 
  bonus on one category of Perform checks and a +2 trait bonus on any Knowledge 
  (local) checks that deal with the local art or music scene. You may choose one of 
  these as a Class Skill. 
  Bonus Spell: 
  Artistic Inspiration. 
  Assay Spell: 
  Aspect of the Nightingale 
   
   
  History 
  Tharpyn Jann 
  founded the 
  modern 
  religion of Ahridaar on the island of Eriana 
  around 1100R. He was a wanderer, a poet and a 
  storyteller, who had travelled most of known 
  Eldoria in his lifetime and claimed to have been 
  visited by the Kyseera, five spirits who serve 
  Ahridaar and are likened to the muses of Greek 
  Mythology. 
  Jann had viewed copies of the Books of 
  Law kept in Odressi during his journeys and he 
  was inspired by a number of poetic works 
  contained within the Second Book, which were 
  attributed to the God Ahridaar himself. He set 
  out to find all that he could about the 
  philosophies of the Pre-Redemption church of 
  Ahridaar and managed to collect a large amount 
  of ancient literature attributed to followers of the 
  God from thousands of years ago.  
  From these, he put together a religious 
  tome simply called “The Gospel of Lord 
  Ahridaar” and used this as the spiritual backbone 
  for the congregation that he gathered together at 
  the temple he eventually built on Eriana. 
  Jann’s church of Ahridaar attracted many 
  devotees who possessed talents across the arts 
  and related disciplines. The following was such 
  that the religion continued after Jann’s death and, 
  over successive centuries, it managed to acquire 
  a sizable number of parishioners throughout the 
  Sea of Souls and the Sardellan Homelands. 
  By1400R 
  many 
  great 
  painters, 
  sculptors, 
  musicians and playwrights were either active as 
  clerics within the church or were secular 
  worshippers, attracted to the faith (many in the 
  hope of receiving the blessings of the Kyseera).  
  During the early part of the 15th century 
  R, a specific painting style, first started by the 
  Ahridaar priest Dolannus Gylde, became popular 
  throughout most of Human society in Eldoria. 
  Up until then, most portraiture had been rendered 
  in a stiff, almost two-dimensional fashion. Gylde 
  studied anatomy and his paintings were more 
  
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  natural in appearance. His work was in great 
  demand amongst the nobility of the Sardellan 
  court and soon the ‘Gyldean Movement’ was 
  sweeping through the art-world, with many 
  imitators, copying his style.   
  In 1425R a great feud arose within the 
  ranks of the Ahridaar clergy that caused the 
  church to lose many of its members. At this time, 
  many talented priests were being sought after by 
  wealthy patrons of the arts, with an interest in 
  commissioning them to perform portraits on their 
  family members. More often than not, this led to 
  the priests leaving the church altogether, to live a 
  life of opulence at court. In response, Galien 
  Elbreen, the Pontiff of Ahridaar at that time, 
  introduced canon law that limited the clergy to 
  using their talents solely in the praise of 
  Ahridaar; forbidding them to undertake work for 
  anyone outside of the church. 
  Elbreen’s doctrine (called the “True 
  Believers’ Manifesto”) was opposed by a young 
  priestess (and accomplished writer) named Tira 
  Thrule. She bitterly resented Elbreen’s decision 
  and gathered a substantial amount of support 
  from the junior ranks of the church. She wrote a 
  stinging document on the close-mindedness of 
  the Pontiff, which she delivered at a great 
  gathering of temple priests, held in Odressi.  
  Thrule was cast out of the church and 
  hundreds of sympathetic followers left in support 
  of her. In the wake of the fallout, the Five 
  Companies of the Muse arose in Eldoria. These 
  were groups of former clerics and other 
  individuals with a common interest in a 
  particular area of the arts. They were dedicated 
  to the creation of new secular institutes to 
  replace the domination of the arts by the 
  Ahridaar temples.  
  Previously, the temples were used as 
  synergetic centers by priests and artists alike; 
  they were places where people could express 
  their art and ideas and teach new students. The 
  bardic colleges arose to provide new places of 
  learning, in the vacuum caused by the schism 
  created by the “The True Believer’s Manifesto”. 
  Tira Thrule, herself, went on to found the 
  great bard school of Falkhonen and many of her 
  compatriots were involved with establishing 
  similar conservatories. The church itself went 
  into decline and it took many centuries to 
  recover the talent it had lost following Elbreen’s 
  dictates. Even today, the church of Ahridaar 
  remains a smaller reflection of its former glory, 
  despite the fact that it repealed the Manifesto in 
  1977R.  
  People with artistic talents still come to 
  worship and make offerings within its temples, 
  but the proliferation of the various bardic centers 
  of learning has had its impact on the arts in 
  Eldoria and has watered down the potential for 
  the church to recruit new acolytes and garner 
  universal support amongst the art community. 
  Still, many noteworthy masters continue 
  to be discovered amongst the clergy and the 
  temples devoted to Ahridaar remain the most 
  beautifully decorated places of worship known 
  (especially the famous painted ceiling of the 
  Odressi Cathedral, where the renowned priest, 
  Parriden Sansill, depicted Ahridaar sending the 
  five Kyseera to inspire the Saahn across the 
  world). 
   
  Doctrine 
  The religion teaches that, when the Saahn 
  were created, their life was empty and without 
  purpose – they had no voice to sing praises to the 
  Gods and no skills to carve divine images to set 
  within their temples.  So Ahridaar created five 
  spirits from his own powerful aura and sent them 
  into the world of Enshar to live as immortal 
  beings and teach the Saahn something of the 
  culture of the Theledai.  
  These were the Kyseera and they are named 
  as follows: 
   
  
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  - 
  Lorne (a male aspect). Lorne is the 
  teacher of art rendered by the hand; his 
  domain 
  is 
  painting, 
  illumination, 
  calligraphy, architecture and sculpting. 
   
  - 
  Damasia (a female aspect). Damasia 
  governs all aspects of music; her 
  domain 
  is 
  song, 
  the 
  playing 
  of 
  instruments and the composition of 
  music. 
   
  - 
  Xarish (a female aspect). Xarish is the 
  mistress of the spoken and written 
  word; she inspires playwrights, poets, 
  chroniclers and skalds. 
   
  - 
  Challidara (a female aspect). Challidara 
  is responsible for physical art; she 
  teaches dancers, thespians, jugglers and 
  acrobats. 
   
  - 
  Orsk (a male aspect). Orsk is a lover of 
  good food and drink and passes on his 
  knowledge of the culinary arts and wine 
  and ale making.  
   
  The Ahridaar faith promotes the theory 
  that Soorael and Chezral, two of the Uushai of 
  Theydori are actually Damasia and Xarish. The 
  Kyseera adopt different names as they go about 
  the business of inspiring mortals and the church 
  claims that theologians who resurrected the 
  Theydori religion may have got some of their 
  references wrong. The priests of Theydori beg to 
  differ and there is a great amount of good-
  natured debate about this. 
  The clergy promote the belief that, by 
  honing an individual’s artistic skills and creating 
  great pieces of art, they will attract the attention 
  of the Kyseera and thus they will be divinely 
  inspired and go on to render works that are a 
  more accurate reflection of Ahridaar’s spirit; by 
  becoming a master in your chosen field, you 
  effectively touch God.  
  Each year, a council of senior Ahridaar 
  clerics meets in Odressi to review and inspect 
  works that are reported to have been divinely 
  inspired. If the council agrees unanimously that 
  the Kyseera’s mark is evident in the art, the 
  creators of such works are blessed and receive 
  high honors amongst the hierarchy of the 
  Ahridaar church. They are guaranteed a place 
  within the Hall of Wonders, a higher tier of the 
  afterlife, where followers of Ahridaar reside.  
   
   
  Organization 
  The church of Ahridaar is ruled over by a 
  pontiff who is based in Odressi. Their title is the 
  Prelate of the Five Arts. The Prelate is supported 
  by a council of five cardinals, each responsible 
  for one of the artistic portfolios. It is the 
  cardinals who canonize the art-works of the 
  clergy, bestowing the honors upon those whose 
  work shows heavenly inspiration. 
  The next level in the hierarchy, after the 
  rank of cardinal is that of a Primate, whose role 
  is that of senior administrator of a temple. A 
  Primate will have five Deans running the affairs 
  of the temple; each Dean being aligned with the 
  domain of one of the Kyseera. Ordained priests 
  and initiates form the lower echelon of the 
  temple. An initiate will only rise to the rank of 
  priest if they can create an art-work that is of a 
  standard acceptable by a Dean.  
   
  Regalia 
  An initiate of Ahridaar wears a white shirt 
  and soft leather britches that is their base 
  uniform. Within a year of serving the church 
  they will choose to follow the path of one of the 
  Kyseera and will wear a head-band of the color 
  associated with that Uushai: 
   
   
  A brooch in the shape of a harp is worn by 
  priests of the Ahridaar faith – often as a 
  clasp on a cloak. 
  
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  - 
  Red represents Lorne (painting and 
  sculpture) 
   
  - 
  Yellow represents Damasia (music) 
   
  - 
  Black represents Xarish (writing) 
   
  - 
  Green represents Challidara (dancing)  
   
  - 
  Blue represents Orsk (cooking)  
   
  When ordained as a priest, an initiate is 
  given a short grey cape with trim about the edge 
  the hem; the color of their chosen path in the 
  arts. This cape is continually embroidered with 
  symbols and images reflecting the achievements 
  of the priest during their career. If a priest 
  becomes a Dean he receives a cape that is the 
  color associated with his patron Kyseera.  
  Primates wear a short multi-colored cape 
  as their symbol of office. The Cardinals of 
  Odressi wear full length grey cloaks decorated 
  with a circle of five colored stars. The highest 
  ranked member of the clergy, the Prelate, wears 
  the linen shirt, britches and a long cloak but they 
  are all black. Five colored bands of the Kyseera 
  are stitched into the lower part of the cloak of 
  office. 
  A decorative brooch in the shape of a 
  harp is worn as a holy symbol, often as a 
  fastening for the cape or cloak worn by all ranks 
  of the priesthood. 
   
  Temple Design 
  Ahridaar temples are hexagonal in shape 
  with doors in each side. Decorative carvings and 
  murals devoted to each of the Kyseera decorate 
  five of the entrances of each of the sides of the 
  building. Representations of Ahridaar adorn the 
  sixth side. It is a tradition that the priests of 
  Ahridaar enter the temple through the door of 
  their Kyseera. Unchosen initiates and secular 
  members of the congregation pass through 
  Ahridaar’s door. 
  Inside the nave is like an amphitheater 
  with rows of terraced seating focusing on a 
  central 
  area 
  where 
  both 
  sermons 
  and 
  performances can be delivered. The interior of 
  all Ahridaar temples are ornately adorned with 
  beautiful paintings, mosaics, statuettes and 
  stained-glass windows. Besides the temple itself, 
  there will be a nearby compound that will 
  include offices, dormitories and a central 
  refectory. In addition, there will be numerous 
  work rooms attached to the compound where the 
  clergy can refine their art. 
  Ritual 
  The best known ritual of the Ahridaar 
  church is that of Carnival which takes place on 
  the Festival Day of the March of Life. Each 
  temple opens itself to the public for a period of 
  three days and presents a program of art and 
  performance to the locals. Carnival allows the 
  temple to showcase the talent of its clergy to the 
  community, but it is also an opportunity for 
  common folk to demonstrate their abilities to the 
  church. 
   
  On the night before Carnival, the initiates 
  strip all the works of art from the temple, 
  covering up those pieces that cannot be removed 
  with plain sheets of muslin. On the first morning 
  of Carnival, hopefuls from the community bring 
  offerings of their art-work to the church and this 
  is displayed about the temple for the duration of 
  the event. 
  
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   That night a great banquet is held with 
  free food and wine being served to commoners 
  by the clergy. The second day of Carnival is 
  devoted to performance art; dancers show their 
  skills, songs are sung, acrobats go through their 
  routines and thespians present new plays. Again 
  a banquet is held at night for the benefit of the 
  community. 
  The last day of Carnival is a more somber 
  affair. There is a sermon given in the morning 
  that praises the artistic contributions of the locals 
  and then the Deans of the church gather in secret 
  to decide if any of the works and performances 
  of Carnival are deserving of attention. Later that 
  day there is a ceremony in which individuals are 
  offered a position as an initiate in the church or a 
  grant of money to allow them to pursue their art 
  for a period of time.  
  All art-works that were displayed in the 
  temple during Carnival are sacrificed to Ahridaar 
  in a great bonfire on the final night. Even the 
  performance artists must offer something to the 
  fire, traditionally giving up items like their 
  costume or a copy of their written works. 
    
   
  Uushai 
  As previously described, the five Uushai 
  of Ahridaar play an important role in the 
  practices and structure of the religion. The 
  Kyseera are immortal and dwell in Enshar, 
  taking the forms of humanoids. They are drawn 
  to the spirits of talented individuals, who they 
  take under their wing, providing a source of 
  inspiration and encouragement. When the artist 
  has reached their full potential, the Kyseera 
  move on, seeking out another soul to enrich with 
  the power of Ahridaar. 
  The afterlife for followers of Ahridaar is 
  called Istilda; being a vast and wonderful temple 
  with galleries of all the works that have been 
  sacrificed to Ahridaar at Carnival. The souls of 
  the dead find their lost works and, under the 
  guidance of the Kyseera they can revisit them 
  and bring them to a state of perfection.  
  In Istilda, the Kyseera appear as tall, 
  beautiful androgynous humanoids, wreathed in 
  silver light. Their voices are melodic and they 
  can create art-works, using their hands alone, to 
  cut stone and shape clay or to place color upon a 
  canvas. 
  The wizard and artist Malvorance combined used his arcane 
  knowledge to make landscapes that were so accurate you 
  were able to enter the painting and be transported to the 
  actual location. 
  
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  Bonus Spell 
  The Ahridaar priesthood seeks perfection 
  in the arts. This spell provides an artist with an 
  insight on how to improve whatever artistic form 
  of expression they are about to engage in. 
  AHRIDAAR’S INSPIRATION 
  School abjuration;  
  Level cleric 1 (Ahridaar) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, S, DF 
  Range personal 
  Target you  
  Duration 1hour/level 
   
  This spell allows the caster to be inspired by 
  Ahridaar’s spirit. The spell grants the subject a 
  +4 competence bonus to any performance or 
  craft checks; with an additional +1 to the bonus 
  for every three levels you have (maximum +10 
  competence bonus at 18th level). 
   
  Assay Spell 
  The Assay spell taught by the Ahridaar 
  religion is Aspect of the Nightingale. The 
  duration of this spell, when cast by a Cleric of 
  Ahridaar is 1 hour per level. 
   
  Artefact 
  MALVORANCE’S 
  DIMENSIONAL 
  LANDSCAPES 
  Strong teleportation; CL 20th; weight 5lb (each)  
   
  Sarnich gestured at the painting and there 
  was a ripple that visibly travelled across its 
  surface. My hair was lifted by a sudden rush of 
  air and I briefly thought that the window had 
  been left open. But I quickly realized that it was 
  coming from the painting and, in addition to the 
  sensation of breeze, I heard the crash of waves 
  on a distant shore and the calling of gulls. 
  The painting had completely lost its more 
  stylized representations and now it was though 
  the frame was a window and I was looking out 
  upon a wide seaside headland that lay just 
  outside my door; in reality I was fully aware that 
  the sea was some 100 leagues distant!  
  I was sure that this must be an illusion; 
  an image conjured up by Sarnich, who stood 
  there beside the frame, gazing at what lay within 
  (or without). Then Sarnich ducked and I saw that 
  he had moved to avoid a white gull that had 
  emerged from the painting and now flapped 
  madly about the room looking for a way to 
  escape. 
    
  These paintings are artefacts of the Pre-
  Redemption Age, created by the legendary artist 
  and 
  wizard, 
  Malvorance, 
  with 
  materials 
  bestowed upon him by Lorne, one of Ahridaar’s 
  Kyseera (muses). His works are large landscape 
  paintings, rendered on the treated hide of 
  displacer beasts and held in Diamondwood 
  frames. The paintings were created with such 
  accuracy and bestowed with enchantments of 
  such potency as to create a one-way portal to the 
  actual location that they depict (in space but not 
  in time).  
  The portal is opened by uttering the 
  command word, located in the bottom right hand 
  corner of each painting; cunningly disguised to 
  resemble the artist’s signature. The portal 
  remains open for 5+1d6 minutes. The painting 
  becomes an open window onto that scene for this 
  duration, 
  allowing 
  individuals 
  to 
  clamber 
  through, arriving at a point where the viewer of 
  the scene would be standing in reality. 
  A portal, the same size as the painting 
  comes into existence at the location depicted. 
  People who travel through the portal can return 
  that way. Note that it is not always obvious 
  where Dimensional Landscapes lead to as much 
  has changed between the time that the paintings 
  were created and today. 
  The Ahridaar religion has three of 
  Malvorance’s 
  Dimensional 
  Landscapes, 
  squirreled away in its church on Eriana (though 
  ten more works are known to have been painted). 
  They works kept by the temple are: 
   
  1. “The Riders on the Plain”, which 
  depicts a group of men riding across a 
  grassy plain, near a long range of 
  mountains (this is the ancient land of 
  Y’sira, when it was green and fertile). 
  The portal opens on a zone five miles 
  south 
  of 
  Rhavizor, 
  near 
  to 
  the 
  Dunewall. 
   
  2. “The Mermaid”, which depicts a 
  Mermaid sitting on the rocks of a wide 
  bay and inlet (this is where the Ruins of 
  Elvenkeep are now situated, on the 
  eastern shores of Ahr-Ganiz). The 
  portal opens some 500 yards off the 
  coast. 
  
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  3. “Sunset Harvest” which depicts a field 
  of wheat being harvested as the sun 
  goes down (this is on the land where 
  Odressi 
  now 
  stands). 
  The 
  portal 
  provides access to a storeroom in the 
  temple of Xullia, in Odressi. 
   
  More paintings may exist, adorning the 
  walls of their unwitting owners across Eldoria. 
   
  Charm 
  HARPER’S BISCUIT 
   
  Description: A small honey-flavored pastry, 
  shaped like a harp. They are normally provided in 
  a small wooden box containing five biscuits. The 
  box is painted with the symbols of the Kyseera 
  (the muses) 
   
  Trigger: Eating the biscuit 
   
  DC: 10 
   
  Effect: The owner will gain a +4 bonus to their 
  next Perfom DC Check (provided this is made 1d3 
  hours after consuming the biscuit 
   
  Cost: 20 gold trades (usually only purchased by 
  wealthier artists and performers) 
   
  Frequency: Rare 
   
  Usage: The biscuits will totally lose their potency 
  10+1d10 days after being created. 
   
   
   
  Harper’s Biscuits are most often seen during the great bardic Carnivals held during the March of Life. 
  Artists and musicians leave them as an offering to the Kyseera and will take a bite of one of the pasteries 
  prior to commencing a work of art or beginning a public performace. Thespians, in particular, believe it 
  is bad luck not to eat a Harper’s Biscuit before stepping upon the stage. 
  
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  FAAR 
  Goddess of Agriculture and the Seasons  
   
  Other Titles:  
  Daughter Spring, Lady Summer, Mother Autumn, Widow Winter. 
  Alignment: 
  Chaotic Good. 
  Domains: 
  Weather/Seasons/Plant/Good/Community 
  Favored Weapon: 
  Sickle  
  Appearance: 
  Faar’s appearance changes with the seasons, from a young girl in Spring to an old 
  woman in Winter. 
  Status: 
  Major church 
  Following: 
  80% male, 20% female 
  Power Centers: 
  Major Human and Halfling religion in Northland, with a strong following in most 
  regional areas of Llan, Sard and Elkia. Major deity of Gnomes. 
  Holy Day: 
  Drydanzar, 6th Day of the First Span of the March of Water. 
  Clerical Dress: 
  Priests attire in a coarse robe that is ochre in color with a belt of woven rushes. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  The holy symbol is a clay tablet divided into sections, within which is the runic 
  symbol for each March of time. 
  Associations: 
  Faar (Goddess of the Seasons) is the wife of Ahridaar. Rhioria (Goddess of 
  Beauty) is their daughter. Recognition agreements are shared with the other 
  religions of the House, with the House of Wisdom, the House of Waters, the 
  Theydori church (of the House of Secrets), the Phelltarian church (of the House of 
  Light) and the Ulliahn Druidical Order. 
  Basic Goal: 
  The preservation of the harvest. 
  Religion Trait: 
  Feel it In the Bones. You have a keen sight for signs in nature that indicate a 
  change in the weather. By the end of a day you know what tomorrow’s weather 
  will be. You get a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge (Nature) which is a Class skill for 
  you. 
  Bonus Spell: 
  Scarecrow 
  Assay Spell: 
  Read Weather 
   
   
  History 
  The religion of Faar never really died 
  with the coming of the Darktime. True, most of 
  its grander temples and libraries that had been 
  established in the great cities of the Pre-
  Redemption era were lost, but a major part of its 
  basic 
  lore 
  survived 
  in 
  isolated 
  farming 
  communities across the northern parts of the 
  Eldorian continent. Information about planting 
  and 
  harvesting, portents of the weather, 
  knowledge of animal husbandry –these were the 
  real secrets known to the clerics of Faar and 
  these secrets never died.  
  This agrarian lore was, at first, passed on 
  to the trust of village wise men and later 
  disseminated to farmers. They passed this 
  information on from generation to generation 
  and so it was that the peasant populace 
  maintained the knowledge of Faar, long after the 
  Pre-Redemption clerical order had all but 
  disappeared. 
   
  Farmers still honored Faar during the 
  Darktime but without the spiritual guidance of a 
  formal priesthood; the rituals and histories 
  concerning Faar were blurred or lost altogether. 
  Instead farmers raised effigies of the Goddess in 
  their fields and celebrated harvest festivals in her 
  name. These effigies became the scarecrows 
  commonly used throughout farmlands in modern 
  Eldoria. They are traditionally rendered in one of 
  the four female forms of Faar, according to the 
  season. 
  After the discovery of the Books of Law, 
  the priesthood of Faar was revived and 
  resurrected by Barlinn Jyers, a Khalastian 
  scholar who visited Jasper and took away with 
  him much of the information on the rituals and 
  knowledge relating to the Goddess. Barlinn was 
  from a farming family and had been sent by his 
  regional community of Tokia to receive an 
  education. On his return to Tokia, he reinvented 
  the Faarian religion based upon a combination of 
  the surviving rural dogma and what he had 
  
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  gleaned from the Books of Law. A seminary was 
  established in 333R in Tokia, the largest 
  Khalastian town at that time and the formal 
  training of Faarian clerics began. 
  The priesthood easily settled itself into 
  the rural communities throughout Khalastia and 
  spread into the northern reaches of Eldoria over 
  the next 300 years. During the horrendous civil 
  war that tore Khalastia apart from 600R, the 
  Faarian Priests followed the lead of the early 
  Phelltar church in encouraging local peasant 
  farmers to deny their lords military service. 
  Along with the Phelltarians, many Faarian 
  priests were sought out and butchered by 
  warlords 
  for 
  their 
  actions. 
  Whereas 
  the 
  Phelltarian priesthood faced the worst of these 
  attacks, many clerics of the Faarian church went 
  into self-exile overseas and many refugees 
  settling in Northland. Here, their teachings 
  flourished amidst the great grain lands of the 
  Human and Halfling settlements. Faar became 
  the dominant deity worshipped in Northland by 
  1200R. 
  The Faarian priesthood resurfaced again 
  in Khalastia, as the nation of Llan emerged from 
  the ashes of a country decimated by war and the 
  Rose Plague. The basic medical knowledge that 
  many Faarian clerics possessed was put to work 
  healing the suffering of the rural communities. 
  The priesthood continued to grow as the 
  Sardellan Empire expanded into the southern 
  parts of Eldoria. Its support base throughout 
  regional farming areas of the north remained 
  strong and was unaffected by the Kinstrife that 
  later broke the Empire apart.   
  A temple was established in Odressi in 
  1799R and the Divine Father who is based there, 
  is recognized as the head of the Eldorian church 
  of Faar. 
   
  Doctrine 
  Faar has four different incarnations that 
  she adopts as the seasons change. As Widow 
  Winter, she is an elderly pale-skinned woman, 
  robed in white fur. Long tresses of ashen hair fall 
  to her ankles and snow swirls about her as she 
  walks. As Daughter Spring, she becomes a 
  young teenage girl with unruly saffron hair. She 
  wears a green slip and runs bare foot in the 
  fields, awakening the flowers from their Winter 
  sleep. 
  In the guise of Lady Summer, she takes 
  the form of a shapely woman with ochre colored 
  skirts. Her hair is long and braided and her face 
  freckled from the sun. She carries a bundle of 
  sheaves and a sickle. Finally, as Mother Autumn, 
  she is a matronly woman with a brown hood and 
  cloak. Her skin is the weathered color of 
  cinnamon and leaves wither and fall from the 
  trees at her passing. 
  The church exists to give spiritual support 
  to farmers and assist with the maintenance of the 
  harvest, which is the backbone of life. Without 
  the bounty of the field, the Saahn are quick to 
  turn upon each other and undo the work of 
  generations. The God Kharic-Ohrm, the Bringer 
  of Famine, is the chief enemy of Faar, for famine 
  brings with it instability and war, threatening the 
  very fabric of society. 
  Faar worshippers are encouraged to work 
  the land and offer sacrifices and praise to the 
  Goddess who will reward them with her rich 
  bounty.  
   
  Organization 
  The Faar church has a loosely structured 
  organization, reflecting its regional roots. Most 
  rural villages will have a single Faarian priest 
  (called a Harvester) who administers the religion 
  of Faar from a building within the community 
  (they call the building the Shrine). Often the 
  
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  Shrine is not purpose-built but a spare structure, 
  such as a stable or storage shed, that is only used 
  for religious purposes when the congregation 
  gathers to celebrate Faarian rites.    
  During their lifetime, a Harvester will be 
  assigned a novice by one of the four major 
  temples in Eldoria. These are based in the city-
  state of Odressi, Tokia in Llan, Eastport in 
  Northland and Denhaven in Elkia. The novice 
  acts as an apprentice to the Harvester and is 
  ordained when the incumbent retires, taking over 
  the religious education the area. 
  The city temples are controlled by a priest 
  who is known as the All Father (or All Mother). 
  They govern their temple and a designated 
  number of regional Shrines with the assistance of 
  an advisory group called a Conclave. Priests who 
  serve a Conclave are known as Elderhands. They 
  will often be required to conduct a circuit of the 
  Shrines in the region to ensure that all is well in 
  their congregation. As part of this ‘tour of duty’ 
  local Harvesters will identify the adolescent sons 
  and daughters of local families who have 
  demonstrated the ability and willingness to 
  become novices in the Faar religion. 
  The Eldermen take these potential priests 
  under their wing and bring them back to the city 
  temples for formal training and indoctrination 
  into the theology of Faar. When they are ready, 
  these novices will return to the regions as 
  apprentices 
  (although 
  they 
  will 
  not 
  be 
  necessarily sent back to their own villages). 
  The four All Fathers (or their proxies) 
  meet every four years at the Congress of Odressi. 
  The temple in Odressi is headed by its own All 
  Father but is also the seat of power of the Divine 
  Father, the overall head of the church, who is 
  elected for life in conjunction with the Congress 
  gathering. 
   
  Regalia 
  Novices of the Faarian religion wear a 
  sleeveless tunic of a green material and small 
  clay tablet bearing the runes of the seasons on a 
  leather thong about the neck. 
  When ordained as priests a robe of an 
  ochre-colored fabric is worn, along with a belt 
  made from plaited reeds. The holy symbol worn 
  is the same as that for a novice, although some 
  priests prefer a wooden tablet to a clay one. 
  Harvesters and temple-based priests both wear 
  similar attire. 
  Elderhands wear a dark brown version of 
  the priestly robe with a green surplice. Their holy 
  symbol is sometimes made from silver or gold, 
  but many favor the simple wood or clay tablets 
  of the lower ranks. An All Father wears the same 
  clerical costume as an Elderhand except the 
  sleeves and hem of the surplice are stitched with 
  gold braid and a biretta is worn at formal 
  ceremonies. 
  The Divine Father wears a white robe and 
  a different colored surplice depending upon the 
  season. At more formal ceremonies a miter is 
  also worn. This is embroidered with the runes of 
  the seasons on the front and has a long plaited 
  ribbon of reeds running down the back. 
   
  Temple Design 
  As mentioned above, most rural Harvester 
  priests make do with ‘borrowing’ existing barns 
  or sheds to perform formal rites of the church. 
  They have no need of a dedicated building. The 
  
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  The holy symbol of Faar is a clay tablet 
  divided into sections bearing the runic 
  device of each March of the year 
  Harvester keeps a small chest in which are held 
  the sacraments of Faar - four large wooden 
  bowls and a fabric coverlet stitched with the 
  symbols of the seasons. At each ceremony the 
  coverlet is laid over a trestle bench and the bowls 
  spaced evenly in a line on top of it. The bowls 
  are then each filled with a different material 
  representing the key elements of the agrarian 
  cycle – water, soil, seeds and ash. This forms the 
  altar of worship to Faar.  
   
  Most of the modern temples based in the 
  cities are small affairs and are similar in 
  appearance and layout to a manorial farm with a 
  shrine on the grounds, usually containing a 
  wooden statue of the Goddess and a small, 
  simple nave, where a fixed stone altar is 
  maintained. 
  There 
  are 
  four 
  bowl-shaped 
  depressions in these altars, used to hold the four 
  agrarian elements. 
  Although these more impressive temples 
  are located in urban environments, they all 
  feature extensive floral and herbal gardens in 
  their grounds and the clergy maintain farm 
  holdings in the countryside nearby. 
   
  Ritual 
  The ceremonies of the priesthood revolve 
  around the seasons and each period is celebrated 
  with scarecrows being placed in fields, dressed 
  to represent the appropriate incarnation of the 
  Goddess. At the end of autumn, farmers donate 
  excess produce and livestock to the Faarian 
  church in return for blessings for a bountiful 
  harvest in the following year. The clergy use this 
  food reserve to ensure that nobody in the local 
  community goes hungry during Winter. 
  At the start of spring, an offering is made 
  to Faar in the form of an animal sacrifice. The 
  blood from the sacrifice is cast upon the first 
  ploughed field of the season along with the ashes 
  of the dead (see below).  
  In death, the followers of Faar are 
  cremated and their ashes kept until spring, when 
  they are spread upon the newly tilled earth. The 
  faith preaches that, during springtime, the path to 
  the afterlife is opened and the radiance of Faar 
  enriches the soil with its potency. The souls of 
  the dead are said to grow with the new crop and, 
  when they make the journey to the afterlife, their 
  spirits take a portion of the harvest with them as 
  tribute, to store in Faar’s great granary, the 
  Golden Fields. Without this tribute, the dead 
  who worship Faar cannot enter Tarrisada and are 
  consigned instead to an eternity in Shadowland. 
   
  Uushai 
  Faar is served by four fey spirits who 
  reside in the Autumn World (also called the Old 
  World), a parallel realm of existence that was 
  created at the Dawn of Time, as a place to 
  experiment with growing flowers, herbs and 
  crops. These were later transplanted to Enshar. 
  The Autumn world is shared by servants of Faar 
  and the God Ulliah. 
  The Autumn World is a quiet, older place 
  of trees and plants, populated only by insects, 
  birds and herds of domestic animals that are kept 
  on the homesteads of the Uushai who dwell 
  there. Faar’s Uushai are: 
   
  Shilvrinn (who changes the seasons of autumn 
  and winter according to Faar’s plan) 
   
  Verdayn (who cares for crops and domestic 
  animals) 
   
  Delmarda (who grows and cares for flowers) 
   
  Trillix (who changes the seasons of spring and 
  summer according to Faar’s plan) 
   
  In the Autumn World, the Uushai are 
  served by a host of willing workers who have 
  been recruited to tend the gardens, grow the 
  crops and act as shepherds. Most of this work is 
  carried out by sylvan creatures, such as Dryads 
  and Satyrs. Delmarda favors Gnomes who tend 
  her gardens and, as a result, many Human 
  worshippers of Faar will leave small effigies of 
  the Faarsown in their yards, in the hope that 
  Gnomes will visit them in the dead of night and 
  cultivate their plants. 
  The Uushai move between Enshar, the 
  Autumn World and Faar’s holy realm in 
  
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  Tarrisada (which is known as the Golden Fields). 
  Here, the souls of the dead bring their harvest 
  offering to Faar’s storehouse. They then spend 
  their afterlife helping the Uushai tend the endless 
  fields of wheat, barley and corn which will be 
  used to feed the Gods and the faithful when they 
  make the final journey to Kalidath, the First 
  Heaven. 
   
  Bonus Spell 
  Faar priests are dedicated to ensuring that 
  their harvest is successful. 
  SCARECROW 
  School abjuration;  
  Level cleric 1 (Faar) 
  Casting Time 1 hour 
  Components V, S, DF, M (any life-size effigy 
  of the cleric) 
  Range Touch 
  Area 100 feet +10 feet/level radius centered on 
  the effigy  
  Duration special see text 
  Saving 
  Throw 
  Will 
  negates 
  (harmless);  
  Spell 
  Resistance 
  yes 
  (harmless) 
   
  This 
  spell 
  protects 
  crops 
  from 
  all 
  non-
  magical 
  pests 
  and disease. The 
  material 
  component is a 
  life-size 
  effigy 
  (a scarecrow) of 
  the cleric costing 
  1 SP of materials 
  and 1 hour for the 
  caster to make.  
  The spell is cast 
  while making the effigy 
  which has to be made within 
  20’ of the site it is to be placed on. 
  To complete the spell the effigy must 
  be erected. The effigy isn’t destroyed with the 
  casting of the spell but slowly falls apart totally 
  collapsing at the end of the spell’s duration.   
  The duration of the spell is a number of 
  weeks equal to the casters wisdom bonus score. 
  While the integrity of the spell is in place all 
  normal creatures that would feed off the 
  protected crops are prevented from entering the 
  area of effect. Moving or destroying the effigy 
  ends the spell. 
   
  Assay Spell: 
   
  The Assay spell known to members of 
  the Faar faith is Read Weather, however when 
  it is cast by a Faar priest it can forecast weather 
  for up to five days. 
   
  Artefact 
  WEATHERVANE OF PELLINA 
  Strong transmutation; CL 20th; weight 4lb. 
   
  Aiden Rhullen stepped down from his 
  wagon and looked upon the parched fields that 
  led away in every direction. This community was 
  on its last legs; it was a dust-bowl and the beaten 
  farmers had given up any hope of raising crops. 
  Most had begun to seek work in the cities. 
  “Time to breathe a little life into this 
  place,” mused Aiden and he brought a 
  casket from the back of the wagon 
  and carefully lifted a curious 
  device from inside. 
   
   It 
  appeared 
  to be a large clock 
  or compass. He 
  placed this on 
  the 
  ground 
  beside 
  the 
  road 
  and 
  brought out 
  a 
  strange 
  looking key from 
  beneath his worn robe. 
   
  Kneeling, 
  the 
  priest 
  inserted this into the ‘clock’ and there 
  was a flash of green light and a whirring sound. 
  Aiden dusted off his hands and stood erect, 
  looking upward into the pale blue sky. With 
  unnatural speed, grey clouds were boiling into 
  existence high above and, within minutes, there 
  were was the first pitter-patter of raindrops 
  across the drought affected land.   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  96 
   
   
   
  The 
  Weathervane 
  of 
  Pellina 
  is 
  documented as being given to the Druid Izrach 
  around 538R, by Pellina, Mistress of Autumn 
  and divine servant of Faar. Izrach used the 
  device against those forces sent to oust his 
  followers from their scared home of Mount Sark; 
  closing the narrow passes of the Stonebrow 
  Mountains with unseasonable snows.  
  Izrach lost possession of the artefact when 
  he was brought to ‘justice’ and exiled to 
  Rhenfara. The device fell into the hands of the 
  Sardian noble family of Darwyd. Eventually it 
  became part of the relics gathered by the 
  Imperial Archivists in Jasper but, sometime 
  during the early attempts to seize control of the 
  Sardellan capitol following the death of Empress 
  Taranae, the Weathervane was stolen and 
  smuggled out of the Homelands, eventually 
  surfacing in the Faarian temple located in 
  Quorull, Llan. 
  The device resembles a large compass, 6 
  inches in diameter. Its face is divided into four 
  equal 
  sections, 
  featuring 
  graphical 
  representations of different natural climatic 
  events. The sections that appear on the face are: 
   
  1. Snow 
  2. Wind 
  3. Sun 
  4. Rain 
   
  These sections are graduated through a 
  scale of one to ten of intensity. There is a small 
  neutral position at the 12.00 point on the face of 
  the Weathervane, marked by a strip of mother-
  of-pearl. The entire face is covered by a 
  Krystarrian Glass ellipse and the main body is 
  made from Diamondwood engraved with the 
  runes of all seasons. A decorative arrow made 
  from Excellium can be rotated to a defined 
  section to generate the corresponding climatic 
  change in a defined region. 
  The arrow indicator is moved to a 
  position by turning a key set into the side of the 
  artefact. The key is shaped like a stylized rose, 
  made of platinum and, when inserted, it is the 
  only instrument that can operate the mechanism.  
  Once a desired climatic condition is 
  selected and its intensity dialed, Tas energy is 
  required to trigger the change in the weather (any 
  spell of level 1 and above, will suffice). The Tas 
  is summoned (but not formed) and bled off into 
  the Weathervane instead.  
  This causes a gradual permanent change 
  in the climate of an area (the effect fully 
  manifests in 1+1d4 hours), the size of which has 
  a radius of miles equal to the level of the spell 
  used to trigger the artefact. The area of effect is 
  centered on the Weathervane. 
  The effect is permanent until the 
  Weathervane’s key is removed from the device. 
  This 
  instantly 
  ends 
  the 
  current 
  weather 
  conditions. 
   
  Charm 
  SHEPHERD’S WARNING 
  Description: A scarf, worn about the neck with 
  protective sigils stitched into the fabric. 
   
  Trigger: The presence of a medium sized (or 
  larger) predatory (non-domesticated) normal 
  land based animal within 500 ft. of the wearer of 
  the scarf. 
   
  DC: 15 
   
  Effect: The scarf causes a ‘prickling’ sensation 
  about the neck of the wearer of the scarf. 
   
  Cost: 5 copper trades. 
   
  Frequency: Common 
   
  Usage: The power of scarf is expended if the 
  wearer has any damage inflicted on them by the 
  predator it detects. 
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  97 
   
   
  RHIORIA 
   
  Goddess of Love and Beauty 
   
  Other Titles: 
  Lady of 1,000 Faces, the Dancer at Dawn, Heart-Stealer. 
  Alignment: 
  Chaotic Good. 
  Domains: 
  Charm/Love/Good/Liberation/Freedom 
  Favored Weapon: 
  Short Bow 
  Appearance: 
  A young woman wearing a short shift of white and gold cloth. Her face and body 
  change as she moves but she is always appears as the epitome of beauty.  
  Status: 
  Minor cult. 
  Following: 
  20% male, 80% female. 
  Power Centers: 
  Odressi, Trith, Ghardon and Sharruck Island. 
  Holy Day: 
  Tabiazar, 10th Day of the Third Span of the March of Life. 
  Clerical Dress: 
  Clergy wear short robes belted with a length of gold cord. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  The unicorn. Clerics wear a circular amulet inscribed with the image of a rampant 
  unicorn. 
  Associations: 
  Rhioria is the daughter of Ahridaar (God of the Arts) and Faar (Goddess of the 
  Seasons). Recognition agreements are shared with the other religions of the House, 
  with the House of Wisdom, the House of Waters, the Theydori church (of the 
  House of Secrets) and the Phelltarian church (of the House of Light).  
  Basic Goal: 
  Perfection of the Human form and the shifting of power from established 
  conservative control to a younger, more dynamic base. 
  Religion Trait: 
  Alluring. You have the art of turning a passing glance into love. Benefit: You 
  receive a +1 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks, limited to those who would find 
  you attractive This is a class Class Skill for you. In addition, on those who do find 
  you attractive, you can use Daze once per day as a spell-like ability, with a caster 
  level equal to your character level. 
   
  Bonus Spell: 
  Eternal Youth 
  Assay Spell: 
  Tap Inner Beauty 
   
   
   
  History 
  Rhioria gained a following on several 
  islands in the Sea of Souls in the 12th century R. 
  It is not really known who originally renewed 
  interest in the Goddess during the Post-
  Redemption era, but the first major cleric who is 
  mentioned in the church records is the priestess, 
  Paleen Haradin, who established a large temple 
  on the Holy Isle, prior to the drafting of the 
  Agreement of Odressi.  
  In its earlier days the religion emphasized 
  perfection of the physical form as one of its core 
  philosophies. Rhioria was the personification of 
  excellence, combining elements of health, vigor, 
  youth and beauty. Followers of Rhioria were 
  expected to also embody a similar concept of 
  perfection; the church dogma requiring that its 
  clerics be magnificent anatomical specimens.  
  In order to ensure that only the best 
  individuals 
  became 
  priests, 
  acolytes 
  were 
  required to pass a series of ritual feats to test 
  their strength and endurance before being  
   
   
  accepted into the temple proper. One of these 
  tests was known as the Haradin Run, a footrace 
  covering a distance of thirty miles, which is still 
  held each year on the Holy Isle. 
  If attaining a physical peak wasn’t 
  enough, acolytes also had to conform to 
  predetermined standards of what the church 
  considered a gestalt appearance. This 
  is 
  summarized in an old rhyme that is attributed to 
  the Rhiorian priesthood: 
   
  Clear eyes of crystal blue 
  Hair of gold or copper hue 
  Fair skin, fair face; a spine that’s true  
  This form the Lady asks of you 
   
  If you weren’t blonde haired and blue 
  eyed (or close to that appearance), the church of 
  Rhioria was not interested in you joining their 
  cult. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  98 
   
   
  Of course, these principles led to the 
  religion being described as egocentric and 
  shallow by its detractors. The Rhiorian cult 
  became an institution that was considered 
  excessively elitist and, as a result, they did not 
  easily attract a wide audience of worshippers. 
  However, this was not a concern to the core 
  priesthood at the time; a small elite cadre was 
  what they wished to maintain. 
  For centuries, the priesthood remained 
  small, however the religion saw a dramatic rise 
  in numbers between the 12th and 17th centuries, 
  after the priestess, Margell of G’Jiira introduced 
  church laws appealing directly to a younger 
  audience, seeking freedom from some of the 
  more restrictive dictates of the Ormocean church. 
  Margell promoted the concept that vitality was 
  the essence of youth and, for an institution to 
  remain creative and dynamic, it had to ensure 
  that the conservatism of age did not entrench 
  itself in the system. Important decisions of the 
  faith were shifted to be the responsibility of the 
  younger clerics of the temple. This was known 
  as the Margellan Movement. 
  Margell attracted a swathe of young 
  followers, mainly from the disaffected children 
  of middle and upper class families who dwelled 
  on the islands of the Sea of Souls. The 
  charismatic priestess rapidly became one of the 
  more prominent Rhiorian clerics of her time and 
  Margell’s influence was reinforced in 1456R, 
  when a Rhiorian summit was held in Odressi, 
  which elected Margell as the leader of the 
  church. 
  Debate at the summit re-wrote existing 
  church canon to include doctrine that prevented 
  the stagnation of the faith. The views of youth 
  were to play a significant part in the future 
  direction of the Rhiorian religion. The summit 
  introduced laws that made it compulsory for all 
  senior officials within a Rhiorian temple to 
  resign their position upon their twenty-seventh 
  birthday.  
  While this revitalized the faith, making it 
  popular with a growing young congregation, it 
  also caused it to become even more insular; its 
  clergy and followers becoming devoted to an 
  increasingly hedonistic life style, free of the 
  complications of long-term political agendas. 
  Margell was the first senior member of the 
  church to resign her position as high priestess, 
  upon her 27th birthday, in 1461R. 
  The new age provisions that the church 
  adopted also had a darker side. In 1668R, 
  members of the Rhiorian church were brought 
  before a hearing at the Congress of Odressi to 
  answer for the actions of their priests and 
  followers who were involved in a massacre that 
  occurred in the previous year.  
  Lael Ghelliad, the high priest of a 
  Rhiorian commune on the island of Bassamar, 
  led his flock on a bloody series of attacks on all 
  local residents who were aged over twenty-seven 
  years. This was in a bid to ‘rescue’ the children 
  of these ‘sinners’ and bring them into the grace 
  of the Goddess. The zealous followers of 
  Ghelliad managed to seize most of Bassamar and 
  killed 106 locals who resisted them. Order was 
  eventually restored by the Ormocean church of 
  Odressi, which dispatched a detachment of the 
  Paladin Order of the Silver Swan, to restore 
  peace on Bassamar, after the Ormocean temple 
  there requested aid.  
  Ghelliad was captured and hanged and, in 
  the following year, the Rhiorian faith was held 
  accountable for the incident on Bassamar at the 
  subsequent 
  Congress. 
  Following 
  this, 
  the 
  Rhiorian faith was forced to instigate a number 
  of reforms to diffuse the more controversial 
  elements of their elitist manifesto. 
  These changes are reflected in the modern 
  dogma of the Rhiorians. The current Order calls 
  itself the Post-Ghelliad church of Rhioria and its 
  theology has been greatly changed from the 
  practices 
  introduced 
  by 
  the 
  Margellan 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  99 
   
   
  Movement. The church has abandoned its 
  restrictions on physical appearance and health, 
  although it still maintains the policy regarding 
  the limitation on age of any officials within the 
  church. However, this age limitation was raised 
  to thirty-six and retirement was considered 
  voluntary (although it is thought of as being bad 
  etiquette not to withdraw from office at the 
  designated age). 
   
  Doctrine 
  Rhiorian theology has always taught that 
  the younger a person is, the less susceptible they 
  are to being turned away from the path of 
  devotion to the Goddess. As we age we become 
  cynical and are more easily lead down darker 
  paths. Rhiorians believe that true enlightenment 
  comes from living a simple, uncomplicated life-
  style free of contaminants to the body and mind.  
  Diet and exercise form an integral part of 
  the rituals of the church. Equally important is the 
  rejection of what the priesthood considers 
  ‘subversive’ literature, which consists of many 
  accepted scientific and philosophical works of 
  the Pre-Redemption era. For this reason, 
  Rhiorians are often looked on as being self-
  obsessed and ignorant by other major religions. 
  At the heart of Rhiorian religious belief is 
  the concept of the perfect being, which Rhioria 
  represents (in any of her twenty-seven beautiful 
  incarnations). To cross the void and reach the 
  Ivory Dome (Rhioria’s palatial residence in the 
  afterlife) true followers must aspire to achieve 
  their physical peak and be judged by the 
  Goddess on their thirty-sixth birthday, a day on 
  which they make a sacrificial offering to Rhioria 
  and achieve a place in the Ivory Dome. This 
  judgment ceremony is called Unification. 
  In addition to the demand for physical 
  perfection, the Rhiorian faith preaches a strict 
  code of spiritual love. The religion states that 
  perfection comes from the balance of the male 
  and female aspect of the Saahn. Originally there 
  were no sexes, until Gaien created women and 
  the souls of the Saahn were divided and 
  diminished into two aspects, in order to 
  procreate.  
  For every two people born into the world 
  there is but one soul. When a man is born, he is 
  incomplete, because his feminine essence has 
  been lost (and vice-versa for women). Upon 
  conception, that soul is divided in two, between a 
  male and female. Spiritual harmony is only 
  achieved when the divergent souls are reunited in 
  love. 
  Members of the faith are encouraged to 
  seek out their Kaselle (or soul mate). The ideals 
  of physical perfection upheld within the faith 
  promote strict virginity (both male and female) 
  as being a highly desirable commodity for the 
  Unification ceremony. Therefore, most devout 
  couples of the Rhiorian church form non-sexual 
  relationships and take long-term pledges to 
  remain faithful and marry once they have passed 
  the 
  age 
  of 
  Unification 
  and 
  (preferably) 
  discovered their Kaselle. 
  Under Ormocean Law, a Rhiorian is 
  allowed an annulment of marriage from a partner 
  who is not their soul mate if, at a later date, their 
  true Kaselle is found (as judged by the Seervati 
  of the Rhiorian church). 
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  100 
   
   
  Organization 
  The Rhiorian cult has always had a loose 
  organizational structure. During the 1100’s R, 
  individual followings sprang up across idyllic 
  island communities in the Sea of Souls, the 
  doctrine of the Goddess being carried by word of 
  mouth. 
  Although the 
  cult 
  formalized 
  its 
  existence by establishing a temple in Odressi, the 
  separate churches that had arose before that time 
  remained 
  insular, 
  although 
  attendance 
  at 
  subsequent Congresses by senior priests led to 
  similar practices and regalia being adopted by 
  the 15th century R. 
  The cult does not actively recruit acolytes 
  but many young people who face problems with 
  elders often seek sanctuary with the Rhiorians 
  and thus become a full-time cultist; the 
  priesthood providing them food, shelter and 
  spiritual guidance (of course you may need to 
  conform to the Rhiorians standard of the ideal 
  form to successfully claim sanctuary). 
  Above the rank of acolyte is that of priest. 
  Only four priests are allowed in a Rhiorian 
  temple and their role revolves around reinforcing 
  the dogma of the Goddess and maintaining the 
  health and well-being of the acolytes through 
  rigorous physical activity.  
  The head of a temple is known as the 
  Guide and has total control of their followers, 
  although most Guides govern affairs with the 
  advice of a council made up of the other temple 
  priests. When a Guide reaches the age of thirty-
  six they give up their position to the youngest of 
  their temple priests and join the ranks of the 
  acolytes.  
  The head of the temple in Odressi is 
  called the First Guide. They have authority over 
  the other Guides at the Congress of Odressi but 
  otherwise can only make requests of other 
  temples to conform to practices and decisions of 
  the temple on the Holy Isle; the other temples are 
  not compelled to follow the orders of the First 
  Guide. As a result there are many differences in 
  the rituals and beliefs of the different followings 
  across the Sea of Souls. 
   
  Regalia 
  The acolytes of the cult, both male and 
  female, wear a short, sleeveless tunic that is 
  white in color. Their holy symbol is a miniature 
  spiral horn on a necklace. This is obtained from 
  the unicorn crab that is prolific across the Sea of 
  Souls, being a crustacean with small protective 
  horns growing from its shell). Priests wear the 
  same tunic with a gold-colored belt. Their holy 
  symbol is an arm-band, displaying an etching of 
  a rampant unicorn.  
  Guide priests are identified by a gold 
  circlet that they wear across their brow and a 
  gold brocade stripe down the left side of their 
  tunic.  
  The First Guide wears similar regalia to a 
  temple priest Guide except their tunic is bright 
  red in color. 
   
  Temple Design 
  Rhiorian temples have a central great hall, 
  surrounded by a circular cloister. The hall is 
  made of stone or wood painted white in color, 
  with a high peaked roof of thatch. The interior of 
  the hall is kept simple with no furniture except 
  for the altar, which usually features a statue of 
  Rhioria, depicted nude. The Goddess is often 
  shown performing some athletic feat (e.g. aiming 
  with a bow, running or hurling a javelin). She is 
  sometimes portrayed riding a unicorn. 
  Worshippers seat themselves on prayer 
  mats that are stored in wooden chests each side 
  of the entry. The walls of the great hall are often 
  hung 
  with 
  tapestries 
  featuring 
  various 
  incarnations 
  of 
  the 
  Goddess 
  or 
  with 
  representations of unicorns. The cloister that 
  encircles the hall is basically a roofed colonnade 
  with a recessed floor filled with sand. The 
  cloister is always constructed so that its 
  circumference is the same distance. This serves 
  as a place to walk and contemplate the divine 
  and to perform the daily ritual of Kesaerill (see 
  below). 
  Most Rhiorian communities dwell within 
  a walled compound, with the great hall and 
  cloister at its center. Other buildings, including 
  dormitories, a refectory and the Guide’s 
  residence are usually contained within the same 
  compound. 
   
  Ritual 
  The most common ritual of the Rhiorian 
  cult is that of Unification. This takes place when 
  a worshipper of Rhioria reaches the age of thirty-
  six. They withdraw from playing any active part 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  101 
   
   
  in the cult’s administrative affairs and are 
  reduced to the status of acolyte. The Unification 
  ceremony is held in the great hall with the 
  subject being divested of their clothing by the 
  Guide priest. They then stand naked before the 
  congregation and recite a litany that tells of the 
  virtues of youth and how, by returning to the 
  roots of the cult they will re-learn what they have 
  lost in growing older. Many Rhiorians marry as 
  part of the Unification ceremony.  
  If this marriage is to their Kaselle (their 
  soul-mate as determined by the Guide priest) 
  they receive a blessing from the cult, which 
  includes a monetary consideration or grant of 
  property.  
  A daily ritual of the cult is the Kesaerill, a 
  physical test which all members of the cult must 
  perform. The ritual takes place at sunrise and 
  involves completing twenty seven circuits of the 
  temple cloister. Anyone who fails to complete 
  the Kesaerill must leave the cult and remove 
  themselves from the compound by sundown that 
  day.    
   
  Uushai 
  The Uushai of Rhioria are unicorns of the 
  Sacred Herd, They dwell in the fields that 
  surround the Ivory Dome in Tarrisada and travel 
  to the mortal world to answer the prayers of the 
  faithful. Chief amongst the Sacred Herd are the 
  stallion Astrellin and the mare Star-fire, the most 
  powerful of the unicorns. They are Kaselle. 
   
  Bonus Spell 
  The 
  religion 
  idealizes 
  youth 
  and 
  perfection of the physical form. Although this 
  spell was banned by the priesthood in the late 
  1800’s, Seervati of Rhioria continue to secretly 
  use Eternal Youth. 
  ETERNAL YOUTH 
  School transmutation (polymorph);  
  Level cleric 1 (Rhioria) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, S, DF 
  Range touch 
  Target living creature touched 
  Duration permanent 
  Saving Throw see text; 
  Spell Resistance yes  
  This spell transforms a willing creature by 
  reversing their aging process; the spell has no 
  effect on unwilling creatures. You make the 
  target reverse their aging by up to 1 day per level 
  of the spell-caster. The target's appearance 
  doesn’t change other than those directly 
  associated with aging (for example, gray hair 
  returns to its original color). The target cannot 
  regress pass the point that it reached maturity. If 
  cast on a creature that is not fully grown, it has 
  no effect. In addition, the target must make a 
  fortitude save (DC equal to the number of days 
  their age was reversed) failure results in a 
  percentage chance equal to the DC that the 
  creature will die from heart failure. 
   
  Assay Spell 
   
  The religion of Rhioria teaches Tap 
  Inner Beauty as its Assay spell; however a 
  Rhiorian Cleric provides a +4 insight bonus 
  when casting this spell. 
  Artefact 
  CIRCLET OF THE UNICORN 
  Strong abjuration, healing, charm, teleportation; 
  CL18th; weight 1lb 
   
  The youth laughed and ducked under the 
  blow directed at him by the guard. He nimbly 
  avoided a second blow from the guard’s 
  companion, before out-maneuvering his pursuers 
  and putting his back to a tree. He plucked an 
  apple from the branches above. The guards split 
  up to flank him and closed in with deadly 
  intention. In the blink of an eye the youth 
  vanished, leaving his half-eaten apple tumbling 
  to the ground.   
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  102 
   
   
  This is a thin head ornament made of 
  platinum wire intertwined with Excellium. It 
  features a small ornamental unicorn that rests on 
  the wearer’s brow. It is almost indistinguishable 
  from the circlets worn by most followers of the 
  Rhiorian faith. However, this particular circlet 
  was once worn by Helda, divine Mistress of 
  Rhioria’s unicorn herd, and is empowered with 
  the following powers. 
  The Circlet of the Unicorn can only be 
  used by characters of a Good alignment. Evil 
  characters suffer 1d6+1 points of damage each 
  round they are in direct contact with the artefact. 
  The circlet provides a similar magic that 
  gave those legendary unicorn’s their powers. 
  The wearer of the circlet is granted traits 
  of a unicorn, including: 
   
  - 
  Magic Circle against Evil 
  - 
  Cure Light Wounds (three times a day) 
  -  
  Cure Moderate Wounds (once per day) 
  at 5th level ability 
  - 
  Detect Evil (at will) 
  -  
  Wild Empathy (as per the Druid ability) 
  with a +6 racial bonus 
  - 
  Teleport (once per day) but within a 
  limit of one mile 
   
  Charm 
  ASCENDANCY RINGS 
  Description: A pair of matched gold 
  rings. Ascendancy Rings are blessed and their 
  magic created as part of a marriage ceremony 
  officiated by a Rhiorian cleric. Both partners 
  wear a ring and both receive the benefits of 
  doing so. 
   
  Trigger: Extremes of emotion by either 
  wearer of one of the matched rings. 
   
  DC: 10 
   
  Effect: Each partner can sense any extreme 
  emotions of the other, anywhere in the world 
   
  Cost: 10 gold trades per matched set 
   
  Frequency: Uncommon 
   
  Usage: Permanent, unless a Ring from a set 
  is ever removed; then both become useless 
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  103 
   
   
  TARIMTH 
  God of the Moon and Stars 
   
   
   
  Other Titles: 
  The Lost God, Elf-friend, Emperor of the Stars. 
  Alignment: 
  Lawful Neutral. 
  Domains: 
  Law/Darkness/Night/Luck/Fate. 
  Favored Weapon: 
  Longsword. 
  Appearance: 
  A winged elf with ebony skin and silver hair. 
  Status: 
  Major Elven religion, with a small Human following in Odressi. 
  Following: 
  35% male, 65% female. 
  Power Centers: 
  Leezeria, Odressi and Llan. 
  Holy Day: 
  Gadwyzar, 7th Day of the Third Span of March of Shadows. 
  Clerical Dress: 
  A dark blue tunic with black piping about the sleeves and silver studs sewn about 
  the chest and upper arms. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  A silver circle with ebony wings.  
  Associations: 
  Phelltar (God of Sentience) is the wife of Tarimth. Pharidor (God of the Sun) is 
  their son. The Tarimth church has Recognition agreements with the other religions 
  in the House of Light, the House of the Waters, the House of the Land and the 
  Theydori church (only) of the House of Secrets.  
  Basic Goal: 
  To guide Tarimth back to Enshar through prayer and faith. 
  Religion Trait: 
  Starchild. You have knowledge of the position of the stars in the night sky. 
  Benefit: You can automatically determine where true north is. You gain a +2trait 
  bonus on Profession: Navigator. This skill allows you to know where you are and 
  avoid becoming lost by checking the position of the stars in the night sky. This is a 
  Class skill for you. 
  Bonus Spell: 
  Guiding Light. 
  Assay Spell: 
  Embrace Destiny. 
   
   
  History 
  Tarimth is the main deity worshipped by 
  the Elves of Leezeria, with the religion tracing its 
  ancestry back to the earliest days of creation; 
  when the Emperor of the Stars beheld the second 
  born mortal race and claimed them as his very 
  own. The Elvish Bards tell of a paradise on 
  Enshar, where the Leezari dwelled within the 
  court of Tarimth, long years before they came to 
  Mount Heliphera and beheld the full might of the 
  Theledai in Godshome.  
  During the Twilight Years, Sirrith’s theft 
  of the Rune of Making precipitated an escalation 
  of disputes between the Gods that threatened the 
  ruination of the world they had made. To resolve 
  this, the Gods agreed to the Great Concordance, 
  whereby they removed themselves to the realm 
  of Tarrisada and govern the affairs of Enshar 
  from afar.  
  In doing so, the Gods encountered the 
  Ravening Horde, a race of Demons, with 
  aspirations to be Gods. The Horde threatened the 
  boundaries of the universe and the Gods began a 
  series of great battles to prevent the Demons 
  from encroaching upon their domain. Tarimth 
  had reservations about leaving Enshar and was 
  the last to depart, because he perceived that some  
  of these Demons had secretly entered the world 
  and were waiting to assail his beloved Elves, 
  once all the Gods departed. But Siritar called 
  Tarimth to war and he eventually left to journey 
  through the firmament and aid his kin with their 
  struggle. 
  Soon after Tarimth’s departure the 
  Demons revealed themselves on Enshar, leading 
  Goblinkynd hosts against the other mortal races. 
  The Elves were at the forefront of the battle 
  against these creatures and took great losses in 
  defending the world. But Tarimth learned of the 
  plight of his beloved Elves and abandoned the 
  defense against the Ravening Hordes, returning 
  to Enshar to drive out the Demons and destroy 
  the armies they commanded. 
  
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  In doing this, Tarimth had abandoned his 
  duties to the Theledai and broken the rules of the 
  Concordance. Ormocea summoned Tarimth to 
  appear before his peers for judgment. Fearing 
  that he would face imprisonment, in the manner 
  of Sirrith, Tarimth chose to flee deep into 
  Talyssar, to places that even he had never 
  explored, hiding himself from the face of 
  Ormocea. He has never been seen by God or 
  mortal since that time. 
  The clerics who practice the worship of 
  Tarimth call him the Lost God, for they believe 
  that he is truly lost amongst the stars, seeking a 
  way back to the world. They believe that he will 
  be guided back to Enshar by the power of their 
  belief and that the more followers they can get to 
  worship Tarimth, the greater will be the light that 
  will shine to guide Tarimth home. 
  The largest monument to Tarimth is the 
  Eternal Lantern, which stands in the Elven 
  capitol of Tarimthol-Irl. This is a vast beacon 
  that is lit each night to guide the Lost God back 
  to Enshar. It is one of the few permanent 
  structures erected in the praise of the Gods in 
  Pre-Redemption times which have survived to 
  this day. The Lantern received minor damage 
  when the city was sacked during the Third War 
  of Tears, after the building that houses it was set 
  ablaze. 
  Worship of Tarimth has recently attracted 
  a Human following. This order arose in the late 
  1900’s R as a result of scholarly traffic through 
  the Elven University at Pharidor’s Watch. After 
  the Third War of Tears, the Elves of Leezeria 
  allowed Humans to study at Pharidor’s Watch, in 
  recognition of their alliance and help in defeating 
  the Goblinkynd of Ahr-Ganiz. The Theydori 
  priest and renowned linguist, Lyann Paldan, 
  visited the Watch and was granted the rare 
  privilege of traveling to Tarimthol-Irl and gazing 
  upon the ancient city of the Elves. Here he spent 
  a great deal of time with the Elven priests of 
  Tarimth and, upon his return to the Human 
  realms, abandoned his old faith in favor of 
  Tarimth. He spent the rest of his life translating 
  Elven documents and songs about Tarimth into 
  Sardellan and seeking wealthy patrons to fund 
  his bid to establish a temple to the Lost God in 
  Odressi. This was not achieved in Paldan’s 
  lifetime but his grandsons lived to see a domed 
  temple built on the south-side of Odressi, which 
  incorporated an observatory.  
  When Paldan sought to generate interest 
  in a Human following of Tarimth, he had 
  managed to attract a number of his colleagues 
  from the Theydori church. Because of their 
  familiarity and expertise with machines and 
  devices, they constructed telescopes to watch the 
  night sky and seek signs of the Lost God. In 
  doing so, they learned about the moon and the 
  planets encircling Pharys.  
  Telescopes are now a feature of all 
  temples to Tarimth, including those of the Elves. 
  The telescope in Odressi remains the largest 
  example of this relatively new technology. 
   
  Doctrine 
  Tarimth is the Lost God and needs 
  mortals to guide him back to Enshar. The rise in 
  prayer and meditation will eventually become so 
  powerful that his followers will be heard across 
  the universe and this will help Tarimth return 
  home. 
  Both Elven and Human worshippers of 
  Tarimth maintain that Tarimth has made a new 
  afterlife for his loyal followers, in a distant part 
  of the universe, on the other side of Talyssar. In 
  dying, the soul remains in stasis, unsure of the 
  path to that new realm. Only when the Lost God 
  finds Enshar will he summon the souls of the 
  dead to him and lead them across the universe to 
  their final place of rest.  
  The Elves consider that this as one of the 
  reasons why their kin undergo Priatharia, the 
  deathless sleep. The bodies remain intact and 
  living, and the soul travels to the Holy Glade in 
  the Unending Sea to await Tarimth’s return. The 
  
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  soul and the original body will be reunited when 
  Tarimth returns. 
   Human doctrine has it that the body 
  decays and the soul is transplanted into a new 
  body that sleeps eternally on the dark side of 
  Tarimshar, the moon. When Tarimth returns to 
  Enshar, he will turn the moon so that the sun will 
  awaken all the resting souls that lie there. The 
  souls of the dead will be restored and they too 
  will make the final journey with their God. 
   
  Organization 
  The Elves who follow the Tarimth 
  religion recruit acolytes exclusively through 
  related families. A priest will invite potential 
  acolytes into the church by bestowing a gift upon 
  a relative on their 16th birthday. With the gift will 
  be a holy symbol of Tarimth and a formal scroll 
  (known as a Pelentheea) that grants the bearer 
  entry into the priesthood if they so desire. It is 
  considered a great tribute to have received a 
  Pelentheea, especially amongst Elven clans. 
  Those who enter the priesthood serve as 
  acolytes for five years before becoming eligible 
  to be ordained as priests. A temple will have a 
  number of high priests, referred to as Tellers. 
  They run the administration of the temple and 
  are skilled astrologers, interpreting future events 
  through signs in the stars left for them by 
  Tarimth. The head of a temple is known as the 
  Seer, who has usually risen through the ranks to 
  become the most expert amongst the Tellers. 
  There is no senior pontiff who governs all 
  temples in Leezeria. Each temple is essentially 
  part of a specific clan, representing the interest of 
  a number of aligned families. Therefore, each 
  Seer is the religious head of his clan.   
  The 
  Human 
  following 
  of 
  Tarimth 
  borrows the titles used by the Elves and has a 
  similar structure to its Elven counterpart but does 
  not draw its membership exclusively from its 
  allied families. There is no presentation of the 
  Pelentheea to a relation, as is the Elvish 
  tradition; anyone can strive to become an acolyte 
  of the Human church.  
  The Human version of the religion also 
  recognizes a single leader who has authority over 
  all temples. This is the Tarimshar-Rell (Elven for 
  the Light of the Moon; often simply called the 
  Rell, The Rell is appointed for life during the 
  Congress of Odressi by the Seers in attendance. 
   
  Regalia 
  Acolytes of Tarimth wear a knee-length 
  robe of midnight blue, with black trim and silver 
  studs worked into the shoulders and chest. The 
  holy symbol is a silver disc from which project 
  two black wings. Tellers are identified by a dark 
  grey surplice worn over the blue robe and the 
  device of the silver circle and wings embroidered 
  into the cuffs of the surplice. Seers wear a very 
  similar costume except they also don a tall miter 
  bearing the winged disc and a black stole sewn 
  with stars in silver thread. 
  The Tarimshar Rell wears the midnight 
  blue robe and a heavily embroidered black cope 
  bearing runic symbols of the known worlds. The 
  cope is fastened by a chain of silver stars. In 
  formal ceremonies he carries a tall staff with a 
  small silver lantern fixed to its head. 
   
  Temple Design 
  A typical Tarimth temple features a large 
  open nave flanked by aisles that are separated 
  
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  from the nave by decorative screens that usually 
  feature depictions of Tarimth or symbols 
  representing the known planets. The screens are 
  about four feet tall. A statue of Tarimth is 
  usually featured on a podium, positioned within 
  the choir, facing the congregation in the nave. 
  Seating, in the form of low wooden pews 
  occupies most of the central nave. The aisles 
  have individual seats set on a raised gallery. 
  These seats are reserved for important dignitaries 
  or more senior priests. The most distinctive 
  feature of a Tarimth temple is the observatory 
  tower. This is a tall steeple built into the apse 
  with a winding stair leading to the top of the 
  structure.  
  Early temples maintained an open air 
  viewing platform at the top of the observatory 
  tower, where priests gathered at night to study 
  the heavens and sing hymns to Tarimth. 
  However, since the introduction of the telescope, 
  many temples have undergone renovations to 
  include an enclosed dome at the top of the 
  observatory, housing the temple telescope.  
  Tarimth temples are built on high ground 
  with the living quarters and administrative 
  buildings of the church located on nearby land at 
  a lower level to the place or worship. 
   
  Ritual 
  On the final day of each March, the 
  Tarimth temple holds a ceremony called the 
  Sending. The congregation gather and are led in 
  ritual prayer by the Seer. The Sending 
  culminates in an hour long hymn, called “The 
  Lay of the Lost God”. This is a song originally 
  written in Pre-Redemption times and has 
  remained relatively intact through the ages. 
  Traditionally it is sung in the tongue of the 
  Uushai.  
  The Sending seeks to bring Tarimth back 
  to Enshar. The priests of Tarimth go to great 
  lengths to calculate the time that the Sending is 
  performed, so that the ritual is held at the same 
  time in each temple across Eldoria.  It is thought 
  that the power of the faith can be heard across 
  the vast distance of Talyssar if all worshippers 
  sing the same song at the same time. 
   
  Uushai 
  Tarimth has no Uushai. It is said that, 
  when Tarimth fled into Talyssar to avoid the 
  wrath of Ormocea, his Uushai remained to 
  defend the Elves against any further threat from 
  the Demons of the Ravening Horde.  
  Siritar and Trezkillian returned to the 
  world to take Tarimth’s Uushai into captivity. 
  Some of those Uushai assumed mortal form to 
  escape and their bloodlines became mixed with 
  true mortals. Occasionally children are born into 
  the world with supernatural powers. People with 
  precognition, such as oracles are often referred to 
  as having “The Mark of the Lost God”. 
  Those Uushai who were taken into 
  bondage by Ormocea’s decree were cast into the 
  prison of Shadowland, where they came under 
  the dominion of Sirrith. Many theologians and 
  masters of arcane science believe that this is how 
  the race of Vampires came into being. 
   
  Bonus Spell 
  Tarimth wandered away from the world 
  and is lost in the stars. The priesthood seeks to 
  guide him back to Enshar. This spell is a symbol 
  of the goals of the Tarimth church. 
  GUIDING LIGHT 
  School evocation [light];  
  Level Cleric 1 (Tarimth) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, DF  
  Range touch 
  Target an area of 5 foot square 
  Effect tiny sphere of light 
  Duration 1 hour/level 
  Saving Throw none; 
  Spell Resistance no 
  The winged device of the Tarimth church, 
  emblazoned upon their holy symbol. 
  
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  Guiding Light is cast on a target area of 5 
  square feet. At any time after the initial spell is 
  cast and the duration is still active, the caster can 
  invoke a secondary effect whereby a small 
  sphere of dim light appears five feet in front of 
  the caster at their head height. The sphere moves 
  slowly toward the target site that the spell was 
  originally cast upon at half the movement rate of 
  the caster, but never travelling more than five 
  feet from the caster. 
  The sphere will take a navigable path.to 
  the target that was originally used by the caster 
  (i.e. it will not take a direct path and travel 
  through intervening obstacles such as walls etc.). 
  once the sphere reaches the target site it will 
  wink out of existence and the spell is negated. 
   
  Assay Spell 
  The priests of Tarimth are taught 
  Embrace Destiny as their Assay Spell. This is 
  spell is usually only available to the Oracle 
  Class. 
   
  Artefact 
  STARGLASS 
  Strong divination; CL 20th; weight 6lb 
   
  Lady Fleyana had the distinct impression 
  that someone was watching us and she motioned 
  everyone at the table to silence. As her 
  bodyguard, I stood to her left side, behind the 
  high-backed chair, my hand upon the hilt of my 
  sword. I studied the faces of the assembled 
  council and my eyes quickly glanced about the 
  room…nothing; only the silence of their 
  compliance to my Lady’s command. 
  “Perhaps  you are being a bit too 
  cautious,”, said the chamberlain but, as the 
  words left his mouth, we all heard it; a crackling 
  sound centered above the table, followed by the 
  sound of the tearing of an enormous leaf of 
  parchment.  
  In an instant, I pulled Lady Fleyana 
  upright and away from the table, just as a bright 
  flash of arcane light illuminated the room. An 
  arc of lightning had struck from out of thin air 
  and blasted a hole, the size of a fist, through the 
  heavy wood of my Lady’s chair. Chaos followed 
  as the council erupted in panic. 
   
  A Starglass is a powerful scrying device 
  created by Tarimth’s followers after the God’s 
  departure from Enshar into the Void, so they 
  could still maintain contact with him across the 
  vast distances of Talyssar. Nine were said to 
  have been made and placed in towers across 
  Leezeria, homeland of the Elves.  
  With the fall of their lands in the east, the 
  location of only three of the devices is now 
  known – one is in Tarimthol-Irl (the capitol), one 
  is in the University of Pharidor’s Watch and the 
  last is kept by the Leezerian ambassador in Port 
  Lyrie. 
  A Starglass is a black sphere of 
  Krystarrian Glass, six inches in diameter. Its 
  dark surface appears to have the stars of the night 
  sky twinkling within its depths. The artefact 
  possesses the magical functions of all types of 
  crystal balls and, in addition, it is possible for the 
  user of a Starglass to direct spells over great 
  distances.  
  This is achieved by targeting characters 
  and locations that can be seen within the device; 
  a spell is simply cast at the target visible within 
  the glass and the spell’s effects take place at the 
  physical location that is being viewed.  
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  The GM should use their discretion as to 
  where they believe the point of origin of the spell 
  would be at the ‘destination’ site. 
  Note that casting a spell through a 
  Starglass is a hit and miss affair, the Tas energy 
  sometimes being dissipated or altered by the 
  translocation process.  
  Roll a d20 and consult the following table 
  when casting any spell via the Starglass: 
   
  d20 
  Result 
  Result 
  Effect 
  1-5 
  Rebound 
  The spell is deflected, 
  with the user of the 
  Starglass becoming 
  the target of its effect 
  6-10 
  Failed 
  spell-form 
  The spell fails to take 
  form and is lost in the 
  ether 
  11-15 
  Weakened 
  spell-form 
  The spell loses power 
  by a factor of 50% - 
  all range, duration, 
  damage etc. is halved 
  16-20 
  Perfect 
  spell-form 
  The spell cast into the 
  Starglass functions 
  perfectly at the 
  viewed site 
   
   
  The user adds their Spellcraft bonus to the 
  roll, but subtracts the level of the spell cast 
  through the Starglass (the higher the spell the 
  more difficult it is to send). The Starglass also 
  becomes inert after a spell is cast through it and 
  the device cannot be used again for a number of 
  days equal to the level of the spell that was cast 
  (or was attempted to be cast) through it. 
   
  Charm 
  KEEPSAKE 
  Description: A small coin with a device of a 
  winged star pressed into the metal. This is 
  usually kept in a money purse but may be placed 
  or fixed into other possessions. 
   
  Trigger: If the object the Keepsake is attached to 
  is stolen or lost. 
   
  DC: 18 
   
  Effect: Five seconds prior to the potential loss of 
  the protected item, the owner is instantly aware 
  that the item is about to be stolen or lost. 
   
  Cost: 5 silver trades 
   
  Frequency: Uncommon 
   
  Usage: Permanent; once the DC roll is failed, the 
  Keepsake cracks and the trigger item is lost.  
   
   
   
   
   
  A Keepsake Charm is attached to a specific item and forms a precognitive bond with its owner. Five 
  seconds before the warded item would be stolen or otherwise lost the owner is given a brief flash of 
  the possible future and can act to prevent the loss of the item. 
  
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  PHELLTAR 
  God of Mortal-kind 
   
   
   
  Other Titles: 
  The Rune-Maker, Lord of Men and Elves, Giver of Life 
  Alignment: 
  Lawful Neutral. 
  Domains: 
  Community/Family/Knowledge/Protection/Liberation/Revolution 
  Favored Weapon: 
  Staff 
  Appearance: 
  A female humanoid with skin like polished chrome   
  Status: 
  Major Human religion across all Eldoria, especially popular in the lower to middle 
  classes. A small following amongst the Elves of Leezeria. 
  Following: 
  65% male, 35% female. 
  Power Centers: 
  Llan, Elkia, Sard and Northland 
  Holy Day: 
  Festival Day, Holy March of Fire 
  Clerical Dress: 
  A knee-length robe of white linen trimmed with green piping about the neck and 
  sleeves. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  A small mirror, commonly made of polished steel, is worn as a holy symbol. 
  Associations: 
  Tarimth (God of the Moon and Stars) is the husband of Pharidor. Pharidor (God of 
  the Sun) is their son. The church of Phelltar shares Recognition agreements with 
  the other member churches of its House, the Houses of the Waters, the House of 
  Life and with the Theydori church (only) of the House of Secrets and the churches 
  of Tarimth and Pharidor (only) of the House of Light. 
  Basic Goal: 
  The creation of a classless society. 
  Religion Trait: 
  Patient Optimist. You know that all things come to pass in time, and are used to 
  having to repeat arguments over and over to convince even the most stubborn 
  believer. Benefit: You gain a +2 trait bonus on Diplomacy checks to influence 
  hostile or unfriendly creatures, and if you fail at such an attempt you may retry it 
  once. This is a Class Skill for you. 
  Bonus Spell: 
  The Power of Three 
  Assay Spell: 
  Cultural Adaptation 
   
   
  History 
  In modern day Eldoria, after the centuries 
  of dominance, the Ormocean church is facing a 
  real threat from the rapid rise of the Phelltarist 
  movement, as are the many institutions of 
  government that have their roots in feudalism or 
  a similar elite hierarchical control structure. 
  Recent changes in church dogma by the 
  Phelltarians and evangelical crusades by their 
  charismatic preachers have had great influence 
  on the hearts and minds of the common-folk in 
  many realms.  
  In 
  2012R 
  the 
  Ormocean 
  church 
  introduced a policy of not entering any 
  Recognition agreement with the Phelltarians and 
  has remained steadfast in isolating the church. 
  However this has only led to many of the 
  Ormocean 
  church’s 
  disenchanted 
  followers 
  simply abandoning the teachings of Ormocea on 
  a daily basis. 
  For centuries the church of Phelltar was 
  regarded as an obscure, intellectual religion with 
  a belief system bordering on heresy (according to  
   
  the senior clergy of the Congress of Odressi). 
  However, all this changed when Rhaelan Sunder 
  introduced the revisionist gospel of Edra Claarin 
  and created a large following of Phelltarists 
  throughout most of the Human realms.  
  The Phelltar church originally emerged in 
  Llan around 200R and had early successes in 
  acting as a mediating force in the terrible civil 
  war that tore Llan apart between 600R and 800R 
  (despite attacks on the church by some Llanish 
  noble 
  Houses). 
  However 
  the 
  formal 
  organizational structure of the Phelltar church in 
  Llan was reduced in size by rival noble houses of 
  Llan and snuffed out when Sardell invaded that 
  country. Phelltarism continued only in isolated 
  parts of Llan after that; the teachings being 
  passed on from one cleric to another, as a form 
  of apprenticeship. Its revival in Llan came 
  centuries later, when Edra Sunder visited the 
  country on a crusade in the last century. 
  
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  Back in the 1300s R a totally separate 
  faction to the Llanish Phelltarist movement was 
  established in Odressi.  
  This was a group of monks, known as the 
  League of Light who sought to practice both 
  mental and physical disciplines to cleanse the 
  spirit of mortal distractions. These monks came 
  from a reclusive monastery on Joffa, an island 
  off the coast of Baladara (the Holy Isle). They 
  claimed the League had existed since Pre-
  Redemption times and their views on the world 
  and the Gods were very different from the 
  mainstream line of theological thought.  
   
  While they held Phelltar in reverence as 
  their spiritual talisman, they did not deify the 
  God but considered Phelltar to be a mortal who 
  had achieved the perfect balance of body and 
  spirit, a state that any mortal could achieve in 
  time.  
  The threat of persecution for heresy by 
  the Ormocean church kept the League of Light in 
  quiet seclusion on Joffa for centuries. Joffa was 
  considered a territory of the Holy Isle and the 
  ruling factions of Baladara had known of the 
  existence of the League of Light for years before 
  the Treaty of Odressi came into being. They 
  were particularly impressed with the fighting 
  skills of the monks, who taught a martial art 
  similar to the Trell-Korr style of the Esmian 
  Order of the Relenting Hand. At times, the 
  monastery on Joffa provided the nobles of 
  Baladara with monks to serve as body guards or 
  tutors to their families. 
  During the formative years of the Charter 
  of Odressi, there were frequent disputes between 
  rival 
  religious 
  factions 
  resulting 
  in 
  the 
  destruction of church property, bodily harm and 
  even the deaths of priests. The Congress of 
  Odressi voted to establish a secular authority to 
  administer justice and maintain the peace. The 
  nobles of Baladara were invited to select a leader 
  to fulfill the role of Citylord and create a 
  permanent force to keep order in the city. This 
  was not so easy when you considered that most 
  of the senior Seervati of a multitude of religions 
  were present in Odressi and could (in theory) use 
  their magical powers in defiance against any of 
  the city-watch that were sent to deal with inter-
  denominational squabbles.  
  Inviting the League of Light to fulfill the 
  role of a peace-keeping force in Odressi seemed 
  to be a solution to this problem. The monks were 
  adept at disarming and capturing opponents 
  without inflicting a great deal of harm. They 
  were also known to be exceedingly resilient to 
  the effects of spells, particularly those that target 
  the mind.  
  However, the appointment of the monks 
  as a special force to deal solely with the clergy 
  managed to unite the feuding temples in 
  expressing their outrage to the Citylord. The 
  Ormoceans and their allies considered the 
  League’s dogma as heretical and argued that the 
  monks should be banned from Odressi (if not 
  burnt at the stake). Other religions were 
  
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  concerned that the Citylord was appointing an 
  order to police the affairs of the temples that had 
  clear links to the Phelltar religion and that this 
  was not the ‘independent’ secular authority that 
  had been requested.  
  After a year of protracted debate, most 
  parties agreed to a compromise. The League 
  would train a secular force of monks but would 
  not instill any beliefs considered theological in 
  nature. Thus a separate order, called the Monks 
  of Light evolved, divorced from the League of 
  Light. The League, itself, was invited to establish 
  a small temple in Odressi by the Citylord, 
  although a number of churches, led by the 
  Ormoceans, still objected to this. 
   In the centuries that followed, there has 
  been criticism leveled at the Monks of Light 
  concerning favoritism toward certain religions 
  but, in reality, they have remained an impartial 
  force and were instrumental in defeating the 
  powerful Seervati Zykanthar and his followers 
  from the cult of Sadir during the Rhull uprising 
  of 2100R. 
  The Joffa monastery governed the chapter 
  of the League of Light that had based itself in 
  Odressi until divergent factions caused the 
  Odressi temple to separate from the ‘home’ order 
  and declare its independence as the Reformed 
  church of Phelltar. The main change was that the 
  Reformists shifted their core beliefs more in line 
  with the ideology of the rest of the temples in 
  Odressi, proclaiming Phelltar a God, who would 
  always be above and beyond the grasp of 
  mortals.  
  This appeased the Ormocean church who 
  had continued a campaign against the League for 
  years after the Citylord allowed them residence 
  in Odressi. Some cynics claimed that the 
  Phelltarists received a handsome amount of 
  sponsorship from circles connected to the 
  Ormocean church to rethink their dogma. 
  The Reformed Phelltarist church based its 
  beliefs on the established creation myth, saying 
  that Phelltar raised the consciousness of the 
  Saahn above that of the Nender-Saahn (the 
  animals) so that there would be minds (other 
  than the Gods) to marvel at what the Theledai 
  had created. The clergy took the line that Phelltar 
  had created the divine spark of intelligence and 
  that to worship Phelltar, one had to pursue 
  scholarly activities and perfect the mind in order 
  to pay homage to the God. In doing so, the 
  Phelltarists appealed to a small clique of 
  intellectual 
  elitists, 
  mainly 
  from 
  wealthy 
  backgrounds (as education was costly).  
  In 1521R, Edra Claarin, the ward of a 
  noted architect and scholar was accepted into the 
  clergy and brought new debate to the church. She 
  argued that a person did not need an astounding 
  intellect to appreciate the Gods. Their work was 
  evident in the majesty of the mountains and the 
  depths of the sea. Both the lowliest mind and the 
  highest could see the wonder in a rainbow. The 
  views she expressed were a source of amiable 
  arguments amongst the priesthood until Claarin 
  also began sermonizing her belief that all souls 
  were equal in the afterlife and that those who 
  controlled wealth and power on the prime 
  material plane were not necessarily appointed by 
  the Gods, as many theocracies and monarchies 
  proclaimed.  
  This was dangerous talk and when 
  Claarin refused to recant her principles, she was 
  cast out of the church and eventually found her 
  way to Maedori on Southwind Island at a time of 
  crisis. 
  Claarin established a temple to Phelltar in 
  the Swampnest, a sprawling quarter of the city of 
  Maedori, populated by urban poor. At this 
  juncture in history, the Empires of Sard and 
  Y’sira were both vying for the allegiance of 
  Southwind in a looming war. A movement arose 
  in the Swampnest demanding a relaxation of 
  taxes and a more equitable distribution of 
  farming land to the poor. Claarin became the 
  spokesperson for this movement and wrote the 
  Saahn Manifesto, a short document that outlined 
  her doctrine concerning equality, in relation to 
  the needs of the folk of the Swampnest. She 
  marched on the royal palace in Maedori with a 
  10,000 strong crowd and presented the document 
  to the king who (remarkably) agreed to 
  implement her demands.  
  For the next ten years Claarin’s reforms 
  resulted in sweeping changes that improved the 
  lot of the poor but, with the conquest of Y’sira 
  by Sardell and the subsequent decline of the 
  Empire after Taranae, many of the changes 
  brought about by Claarin were revoked. Finally, 
  Claarin 
  was 
  murdered 
  in 
  mysterious 
  circumstances.  
  She had failed to create a clerical order on 
  Southwind during her busy political life and, 
  with her demise, her following declined and the 
  Faarian church filled the void of Phelltarism on 
  Southwind. The Priesthood of the Reformed 
  Phelltar church in Odressi continued to preach 
  their original gospel of intellectualism and 
  remained an elitist organization in the centuries 
  that followed. The brief rise of the Phelltar 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  church under Edra Claarin ended as swiftly as it 
  had begun. 
  In 2100R, the Five Years Doom swept 
  Eldoria, causing civil upheaval across many 
  Human cities. During the Rhull uprising in 
  Odressi, the clergy of Phelltar temple sealed 
  themselves in the temple during the riots. The 
  followers of Sadir subsequently burned the 
  complex to the ground in response to their 
  leader, Zykanthar being taken prisoner by the 
  Monks 
  of 
  Light. 
  The 
  entire 
  Phelltarian 
  priesthood in Odressi perished.  
  After the carnage across Eldoria subsided 
  in 2105R and law was re-established in most 
  regions, the Congress of Odressi moved to 
  rebuild all that was lost. In the case of the 
  Phelltarian church, civil funds were allocated to 
  build a new temple and, as the clergy had been 
  devastated, a new pontiff was sought to resurrect 
  a following in Odressi. 
  The task fell to Rhaelan Sunder, a scholar 
  in religious history, with an interest in 
  Phelltarism. Finding that most of the documents 
  of the church had been destroyed in the fire of 
  2100R, Sunder compiled a new bible based on 
  readings from the Books of Law and whatever 
  sources he could find.  
  He was delighted to discover a copy of 
  the “Saahn Manifesto”, by Edra Claarin, and 
  incorporated this into his new theology. It is 
  thought that Sunder was selected for the task of 
  resurrecting the Phelltar church because he was 
  an ‘ivory tower’ scholar and would simply 
  promote the dogma of elitism that the Reformists 
  had maintained for so many centuries. The 
  ‘powers 
  behind 
  the 
  throne’ 
  were 
  taken 
  completely by surprise by the new doctrine that 
  Sunder had cobbled together and the evangelistic 
  approach he took to spreading the word of 
  Phelltar across Eldoria. 
  After establishing a large congregation 
  amongst the lower classes of Odressi and 
  creating a devoted priesthood from their ranks, 
  Sunder left the Holy Isle on an arduous trek to 
  both the cities and regional areas of Sard, Elkia, 
  Llan and Northland, talking to the masses and 
  setting up devoted ministries wherever he went. 
  The Phelltarist movement swept through Eldoria 
  between 2110R and 2116R, with dissatisfied 
  worshippers 
  dropping 
  out 
  of 
  established 
  religions in droves to join Sunder’s church.  
  In many places those flocking to the 
  Phelltarist banner were persecuted by local 
  authorities, fearing that the priesthood would 
  incite the populace to rebellion. However, after  
   
   
   
  Sunder returned to Odressi he delivered a speech 
  to the Congress clearly stating that it was against 
  the tenets of the church to condone violence in 
  any form.  
  Gradually 
  opponents 
  to 
  the 
  new 
  movement relaxed and relented from direct 
  attacks upon the Phelltarists, although they still 
  discouraged the worship of the God. Rhaelan 
  Sunder was assassinated in 2122R during a 
  second convocational tour and became the 
  second of two personalities canonized by the 
  modern church of Phelltar, the other being Edra 
  Claarin. The perpetrators behind Sunder’s death 
  escaped and remain unknown. There is also 
  worship of Phelltar amongst the Elven clans of 
  Tarimthol-Irl who simply venerate the God as 
  the maker of the Elven race. 
   
  Doctrine 
  The 
  modern philosophy of Human 
  Phelltarist belief is that all persons are equal and 
  you should treat your neighbor, as you would 
  expect them to treat you. Their afterlife in 
  Tarrisada, the Holy Realm of Elphora, is exactly 
  like the mortal world except there are no social 
  classes – all the faithful live a life of splendor 
  and have nothing to want. Material goods and 
  titles are stripped away, so all become equal.  
  Phelltarists believe in a limited non-
  violent code of civil disobedience toward those 
  who would subject people to unjust laws and 
  dictatorial rule. Their sermons promote the belief 
  that Phelltar will intercede on behalf of the 
  downtrodden, if they remain pious and faithful to 
  their God. However, they do not expect their 
  followers to simply allow others to wreak havoc 
  and destruction upon their heads.  
  A polished piece of steel serves the church 
  as their holy symbol. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  113 
   
   
  The Law of Three is an important part of 
  the Phelltarian scriptures. It basically states: 
   
  Let the tyrant strike you once and show you 
  mean to stand 
  Let the tyrant strike you twice, forgive their 
  bloodied hand 
   
  Let the tyrant strike again, show that you are 
  bold 
   
  But do not let them strike once more, serve them 
  back three-fold 
   
  This creed instructs the followers of 
  Phelltar to relent in the face of adversity but also 
  to hit back with a vengeance against those who 
  continue to harass them. 
   
  Organization 
  Acolytes of Phelltar are recruited during 
  the evangelical crusades that are organized from 
  the temple of Odressi every five years. Priests 
  travel throughout Eldoria, particularly the 
  regional areas, holding sermons to massed 
  crowds to convert worshippers to their cause.  
  The Phelltarian crusade is likened to a 
  travelling 
  carnival, 
  with 
  many 
  musicians, 
  performers and artisans being employed to 
  provide entertainment to encourage people to 
  attend their rallies. An acolyte is given a holy 
  symbol and a cassock and they immediately join 
  the crusade and are fed and cared for until they 
  are ‘dropped off’ at a Phelltar temple that lies 
  along the route of the procession. Then their 
  education begins in earnest. Acolytes are heavily 
  involved in preaching to the community and 
  providing their services to the community.  
  During their training at the temple they 
  learn a trade and use their skills to assist local 
  people for no fee. This practice has caused much 
  friction with the powerful merchant guilds in 
  Llan, where the Phelltar religion has had great 
  success in recent decades. 
  After four years of service to the 
  community, acolytes are sent to preach as part of 
  a crusade, under the guidance of priests. Every 
  crusade ends in Odressi, where the acolytes are 
  ordained and become priests. They are then 
  assigned to an established temple.  
  The head of a Phelltarian temple is called 
  a Caretaker and governs a community of twenty 
  priests and twenty acolytes (no more and no 
  less). The Caretaker is assisted by two senior 
  priests known as the Ministers, whose tasks are 
  mainly centered around organizing the training 
  of the acolytes and liaising with the heads of the 
  local community to arrange projects for acolytes 
  to work on. The Caretaker acts as the 
  administrator of the temple, responsible for its 
  day to day operations and the delivery of a 
  service given to the congregation on the first day 
  of each span. 
  Temples are grouped into regions called 
  Gatherings, which usually contain ten places of 
  worship. Each Gathering will have a central 
  temple that has authority over the others and is 
  run by a High Caretaker. High Caretakers are 
  appointed at the Congress of Odressi and must 
  have led a minimum of two crusades. The pontiff 
  of the Phelltarian religion is called the Redeemer 
  and resides in the temple in Odressi. The 
  Redeemer formulates Phelltarian policy with a 
  council of six senior 
  priests called the 
  Consensus. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  114 
   
   
  Regalia 
  The Phelltarian religion does not approve 
  of the ostentatious displays and all clerical 
  costumes consist of the same plain white robe, 
  with green piping about the hem and neckline. 
  Ranks are indicated by colored horizontal stripes 
  on each sleeve; 
   
  - 
  Priests have a single black stripe 
  - 
  Caretakers have a single red stripe 
  - 
  High Caretakers have two parallel red 
  stripes 
  - 
  Members of the Consensus have two 
  parallel blue stripes 
  - 
  The Redeemer has three stripes; red, 
  blue and black    
   
  Lay worshippers and priests alike wear a 
  holy symbol in the form of a small rectangular 
  mirror (usually made from polished steel). 
   
  Temple Design 
  The design of the typical Phelltar temple 
  reflects the austere attitude of the priesthood. 
  The main building is a large hall made from 
  stone and wood. Regional temples are often 
  made of wattle and daub with a thatched roof. 
  The hall is provided with plain wooden pews for 
  the congregation to sit at and the altar takes the 
  form of a raised stage. A large mirror is usually 
  positioned on the wall behind the altar.  
  Unique to the temple design are two 
  change rooms that flank the main entrance to the 
  temple; one for men and the other for women. 
  The change rooms are referred to as the 
  “divesteries” by the clergy. All members of the 
  congregation must appear equal in the eyes of 
  Phelltar. Those who wish to enter the temple 
  must pass through the divestery and change their 
  clothing and remove any jewelry. They disrobe 
  and wear a plain unadorned tunic provided by 
  the church. A door provides access from the 
  divestery to the inner temple and priests are 
  assigned to approve of all those who pass into 
  the great hall. Personal clothes and belongings 
  are kept safe and looked after by those priests. 
   
  Ritual 
  The Holy Crusade is a ritual that all 
  priests must participate in as soon as possible 
  after their ordination. The church organizes a 
  Holy Crusade to commence on Festival Day of 
  the Holy March (Claarin’s Day) from the temple 
  in Odressi. Priests from all over Eldoria will 
  make a pilgrimage to Odressi to attend a 
  ceremony on that day, presided over by the 
  Redeemer. The entourage is blessed and the 
  hierarchy of the Crusade is established (having 
  been previously agreed to and ratified at a 
  Congress Meeting). The Crusaders are given a 
  stipend by the Redeemer and set forth on a pre-
  planned tour of the realms to spread the word of 
  Phelltar.  
  Every participating priest will be required 
  to hold sermons to the faithful and to those the 
  church seeks to convert to Phelltar. A Holy 
  Crusade is usually undertaken by around 100 
  priests and takes about one year to complete. 
  They can be quite arduous (and hazardous) with 
  many priests leaving the Crusade along the way.  
  In turning aside from a Crusade, a priest 
  is cast out of the church. A Holy Crusade also 
  attracts a great number of non-clerical lay 
  pilgrims who travel with the priests to provide 
  their services and protection. Many bards and 
  performing artists make their fortunes by 
  travelling on a Holy Crusade, providing 
  entertainment to the crowds that are drawn to the 
  church sermons. The Phelltar church actively 
  encourages this, realizing that many people in 
  backwoods regions are initially attracted to see 
  the entertainers and then listen to what the priests 
  have to say. 
  One of the common rituals held in the 
  temple is that of Forgiving. At the conclusion of 
  the weekly gathering and sermon, the members 
  of the congregation form a line and take turns in 
  receiving a ritual blessing from the Caretaker of 
  the temple before the altar mirror. Each person 
  can confess any wrong-doings to the Caretaker 
  and those sins are said to be transferred to their 
  reflection in the altar mirror. Worshippers then 
  move to aisles down the sides of the great hall 
  and exit via the divesteries, reclaiming their 
  clothes and possessions.  
   
  Uushai 
  The Uushai of Phelltar are called the 
  Phellari and dwell in the realm of Pharaxor, in 
  Tarrisada. There are twenty Phellari in existence, 
  all being equal in rank and power. The Phellari 
  are humanoid beings with no distinguishable 
  features, however when they communicate with 
  any sentient humanoid they immediately take on 
  the features of that person or being.  
  Souls of the dead arrive in Pharaxor 
  through the Mirror of the True Goddess, a great 
  artefact that stands at the heart of the realm. All 
  souls are equal in Pharaxor and the Phellari 
  assign them tasks to complete regardless of their 
  station in their mortal life. It is said that the 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  115 
   
   
  reflective skin of the Mirror of the True Goddess 
  is actually the sleeping form of Phelltar and that 
  when the Awakening comes the Uushai shall 
  gather and sing the Goddess into life again.  
  The faithful will pass before the Mirror 
  and the Goddess will take the form of the one 
  person who best epitomizes the virtues of the 
  religion. In that form she will lead her followers 
  to distant Kalidath.  
   
  Bonus Spell 
  Phelltarians are patient optimists but no 
  fools. They preach a creed of the Law of Three, 
  which basically says they will turn the other 
  cheek only three times before striking back. 
  POWER OF THREE 
  School transmutation; Level cleric 1 (Phelltar) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, S, DF 
  Range close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) 
  Targets one creature/level, no two of which can 
  be more than 30 ft. apart 
  Duration 3 rounds + 1 round/level or until 
  discharged 
  Saving Throw Fortitude negates (harmless); 
  Spell Resistance yes (harmless) 
  The target of the spell must take no 
  combat actions other than movement for the 
  duration of the spell or the spell ends (they can 
  fight defensively so long as they do not actually 
  attack).. While the spell is active, if the target is 
  damaged in melee combat by the same opponent 
  in three successive turns; the target may 
  immediately (on resolving the third amount of 
  damage) make three melee attacks in one round 
  using its full base attack bonus, plus any 
  modifiers appropriate to the situation. Their 
  Critical threat range for those three attacks 
  becomes 15-20 regardless of what weapon they 
  are using. 
   At the end of the attacks the spell is 
  ended and the target of the spell is staggered 
  until the end of its next turn. 
   
  Assay Spell 
  Phelltarians learn Cultural Adaptation 
  as an Assay spell. A Phelltarian priest is not 
  limited 
  to 
  casting 
  Cultural 
  Adaption 
  on 
  themselves; they can cast this spell on up to four 
  other creatures 
   
  Artefact 
  THE SIMULACRUM MIRROR 
  Strong summoning; CL 18th; weight 15lb 
   
  I took a deep breath and strode through 
  the frame of ancient wood, never hesitating. 
  Instead of meeting the hard resistance of the 
  silver mirror, I felt it give; like a viscous liquid. 
  As I continued through the space formed by the 
  frame, I felt a sensation of icy coldness all over 
  my body and a distinct feeling that I was trailing 
  a mantle of fine silk in my train. 
  I was through and standing on the 
  opposite side of the artefact and, all at once, I 
  was seized by an overbearing desire to claw off 
  my skin; it burned and itched unbearably, as 
  though worms were burrowing just below the 
  surface. 
  I gasped and tore at my left shoulder but, 
  just as soon as the unpleasant wave of irritation 
  had begun, so did it pass. I turned and was 
  amazed to find the mirror was devoid of its silver 
  surface; the frame stood empty. Instead, there 
  was a humanoid figure standing beneath the 
  frame, its features indistinct, its form made of 
  flowing quicksilver. As I gazed at this apparition, 
  its features changed and took on a shape; silver 
  gave way to the hue of flesh and a face softly 
  coalesced. It was my face and I was looking at 
  my identical twin.  
    
  The Simulacrum Mirror is a free standing 
  frame of Diamondwood, the frame being carved 
  about with runic devices and inlaid with 
  decorative threads of Excellium steel. Suspended 
  inside the space encompassed by the frame is a 
  membrane of, what appears to be, magical 
  quicksilver. The quicksilver acts like a mirror, 
  but it only reflects the image of any sentient 
  being (i.e. a being with INT of 5+ which stands 
  before it, all other background imagery does not 
  appear. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  116 
   
   
    It is said that, when Phelltar sought to 
  improve on the form of Humans and so make the 
  Elves, she made the Simulacrum Mirror, to 
  create temporary subjects to experiment with. 
  When she was finished, the Mirror was given as 
  a gift to the church of Phelltar, on Kordass. Over 
  the centuries, the priests came to understand the 
  making of the Mirror and fashioned six replicas 
  of the artefact.  
  The original and three of the replicas 
  where destroyed in the wreck of Kordass, but the 
  others found their way into Eldoria. Today, one 
  is hidden away at the Monastery at Joffa and one 
  is kept at the Elven University of Pharidor’s 
  Watch. The whereabouts of the third mirror 
  remains a mystery. 
  If a sentient being passes through the 
  quicksilver membrane of the Simulacrum Mirror, 
  their form is coated with the material and, as 
  they emerge from the other side, the quicksilver 
  coating pulls away and a perfect copy of them is 
  formed, the silver quickly dissipating to become 
  natural flesh and bone. The frame is now empty. 
  The frame creates a perfect simulacrum of the 
  being which passed through the frame. Only one 
  copy can be in existence at any one time.  
  When 
  the 
  simulacrum 
  dies, 
  the 
  quicksilver membrane is magically restored to 
  the frame.   
  The simulacrum has all abilities of the 
  being that has been copied – including class, 
  skills, feats and hit points. The simulacrum has 
  the personality and foreground knowledge of its 
  creator; enough to converse and use their skills 
  and abilities and to pass as the creator.  
  However, it has no access to distant 
  memories of its creator and its life-span is very 
  short. It will lose 1 CON point every 24 hours 
  from the time of its creation until it expires at 0. 
  The simulacrum acts in all other respects 
  like the racial/creature type that has been 
  duplicated, except that it bleeds silver blood. It is 
  friendly toward its creator but not under any 
  charm or compulsion to obey orders. When its 
  CON reaches 0 it dissolves and the quicksilver is 
  magically restored at its source, the mirror-frame 
  of the artefact 
   
  Charm 
  TOILER’S CHARM 
  Description: A piece of melted glass twisted into 
  a spiral 
   
  Trigger: Making a Craft or Profession Skill 
  Check 
   
  DC: 15 
   
  Effect: Gives the owner a +2 bonus to the Skill 
  Check roll 
   
  Cost: 5 copper trades 
   
  Frequency: Common 
   
  Usage: Permanent, unless any unmodified DC 
  roll is a natural 20. In this case the magic is 
  extinguished. 
   
   
  The Simulacrum Mirror can create temporary copies of a person. The Toiler’s 
  Charm (above right) helps tradesmen with their daily work. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  117 
   
   
  PHARIDOR 
  God of the Sun 
   
  Other Titles: 
  Lord of Light, the Golden Serpent, Nightbane  
  Alignment: 
  Lawful Neutral 
  Domains: 
  Sun/Light/Law/Strength/Knowledge 
  Favored Weapon: 
  Bolas 
  Appearance: 
  A great winged serpent with shining scales of burnished gold and the head of a 
  male elf. 
  Status: 
  A major Elven religion; minor Human religion. 
  Following: 
  40% male, 60% female. 
  Power Centers: 
  The Elven center of power is Pharidor’s Watch and Odressi. There are Human 
  temples Y’sira and there is totemistic worship amongst tribes of the Bloodmane 
  barbarians of Llan. 
  Holy Day: 
  Pharianzar, 13th Day of the First Span of the March of Light. 
  Clerical Dress: 
  Short white toga and a yellow sash, worn with sandals and a turban-like head 
  covering (called a sheeris). Where social customs and climate permits, the clergy 
  wear as little as possible, often preferring just a short kilt and sandals. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  A polished steel or glass disk with a serpent running about its circumference. 
  Followers of Pharidor also paint stylized serpent and sun symbols upon their brow 
  and body. 
  Associations: 
  Tarimth (God of the Moon and Stars) is the father of Pharidor. Phelltar (Goddess 
  of Sentience) is his mother. The Pharidor church has Recognition agreements with 
  the other religions within its House, the House of the Waters, the House of the 
  Land and the Theydori church (only) of the House of Secrets.  
  Basic Goal: 
  To bring praise upon Pharidor so that the sun (Pharys) continues to ride the sky 
  each day. 
  Religion Trait: 
  Power of the Sun. While the light of Pharys shines, you are instilled with courage 
  and confidence. Benefit: During the day, you gain a +3 trait bonus on all saving 
  throws against fear-based attacks. At night, you incur a -1 saving throw penalty 
  against all fear based attacks. 
   
  Bonus Spell 
  Sundrop 
  Assay Spell: 
  Mastery of Pharos 
   
   
  History 
  The religion of Pharidor has its largest 
  following amongst the Elves of Leezeria, with 
  some worship amongst human settlements in 
  Y’sira. Of course, a temple also exists in 
  Odressi.  
  Due to the longevity of the Elves, the 
  religion was largely preserved intact from the 
  Dawn of Time to present day, with little 
  influence from the references contained within 
  the Books of Law. Even the Human clergy 
  devoted to Pharidor derive their doctrine from 
  Elven traditions. 
  Elves tend to worship at small family 
  chapels so there are few grandiose temples 
  dedicated to the God, that are typical in Human 
  cultures. Each clan or community usually has a 
  person who is their spiritual guide (a High Priest)  
  and that person has a small retinue of assistants 
  (priests), who are instructed in the traditions of 
  the Pharidor faith.  There is less rigid 
  organization and training than comparative 
  religious orders in Human realms. All Elven high 
  priests and their selected attendant priests are 
  Seervati, which is to say they are able to cast 
  spells. 
  Pharidor’s Watch, the center of all Elven 
  learning, contains one of the two major formal 
  temples to the sun god. This temple was founded 
  in 7R, when four clans, each with high priests 
  devoted to the Pharidor faith, settled the 
  southwest region of Leezeria. There was such a 
  high concentration of devout followers of the 
  God living in the one place, their elders agreed to 
  establish a permanent place or worship. The 
  Priests of the Watch were also entrusted with the 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  literary records and works of craft and art of the 
  Leezari 
  community 
  and 
  they 
  created 
  an 
  extensive library to house this collection. Many 
  of the ancient relics in the capitol Tarimthol-Irl 
  were destroyed during the Second War of Tears. 
  Most of the surviving documents were sent to 
  Pharidor’s Watch for safe-keeping for future 
  generations. 
  The Watch became a place where Elven 
  scholars came to study, regardless of their 
  religious backgrounds. By 1100R there were so 
  many visitors that a permanent residence of 
  formal 
  learning 
  was 
  established 
  by 
  the 
  priesthood in conjunction with a number of 
  renowned Elven seers.  This became the 
  University of Pharidor’s Watch. Although 
  resourced primarily by the church, its teachers 
  were mainly sages and sorcerers (principally 
  experts in divining). The clergy took a 
  background 
  role 
  and 
  provided 
  religious 
  knowledge to those who sought it and retained 
  control of the great library.  
  After the Third War of Tears, the 
  Elvenking made Leezeria more receptive to 
  commerce 
  with 
  Human 
  realms 
  and 
  the 
  University opened itself to allow foreigners to 
  reside and study at the Watch. At the bequest of 
  the King, the Pharidor Priesthood, along with the 
  church 
  of 
  Tarimth, 
  also 
  sent 
  religious 
  ambassadors to Odressi and, in 1956R, a temple 
  was established in that city. 
   
  In 2017R, H’zuur Rajeen, a physician 
  from Y’sira came to the University to learn about 
  Elven medicines and became intrigued by the 
  doctrine of Pharidor and sought permission to 
  become ordained as a priest. He was allowed 
  access to its scriptures and sacred rituals and 
  became an adept Seervati.  
  There was a great deal debate amongst 
  Elven theologians over allowing a Human to be 
  an official within the Pharidor church but, in the 
  end, it was agreed that Rajeen would be fully 
  indoctrinated into the religion and that he would 
  return to his homeland and teach the gospel of 
  the sun-god to his people. 
  Rajeen sailed back to Byalliz in 2023R, 
  accompanied by two Elven clerics and began 
  spreading the word of Pharidor. His efforts were 
  met with harsh opposition from the established 
  Daugron 
  theocracy. 
  His 
  two 
  Leezerian 
  compatriots were arrested and executed on 
  charges of spying for the Elvenking; Rajeen only 
  escaped the same fate because he was the son of 
  a wealthy merchant and instead was flung into 
  the K’luud’s dungeons for five years. 
  After his ordeal, Rajeen continued to 
  preach the religion of Pharidor but in more 
  regional areas, where the Daugron priesthood has 
  less influence. He had particular success with the 
  Sumari tribesmen of Ikle’s Head, who had been 
  persecuted by the authorities in Byalliz for 
  centuries and had no love for the Daugron faith.  
  A temple was built at Terl and Songarch 
  Reach and, despite periodic visits from soldiers 
  of the K’luud to defile the buildings and arrest 
  the clerics, the religion continues to prosper and 
  grow, uniting the Sumari against the regime in 
  Byalliz, much to the consternation of the 
  priesthood of Daugron. 
   
  Doctrine 
  Pharidor is the bringer of life to the 
  world, for without Pharys (the sun) the Saahn 
  would soon perish. Sunlight brings health and 
  healing to Pharidor’s faithful; the power of the 
  God being felt as warmth upon the skin.  
  Followers wear clothing that leaves the 
  arms and legs bare, so as to provide maximum 
  exposure to the sun’s radiance. Where the 
  cultural restrictions and prevailing climate 
  permit, ardent disciples attire themselves in short 
  kilts and go bare-chested (male and female 
  alike). 
  All of the clergy must be Seervati and 
  capable of casting spells. The belief in the power 
  of sunlight is carried through into their teachings, 
  
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  in that priests ritually greet the dawn to absorb 
  Tas energy that they use in performing miracles. 
  In addition to the dawn ceremony, prayers are 
  also offered to Pharidor at midday and sundown.  
   
   
  The ceremonies at that time are meant to 
  keep the sun performing its daily circuit in the 
  sky. The priesthood believes that Pharidor sleeps 
  to gather his strength for the return to Kalidath, 
  when the Awakening comes. While he sleeps it 
  is the faith of Pharidor’s worshippers that keeps 
  the sun on its path. 
  The testaments of Pharidor regarding the 
  afterlife follow along the lines of the common 
  Elven belief in the Holy Glade, which lies 
  beyond the Undying Sea. Since only Elves walk 
  that hallowed realm, when H’zuur Ranjeen 
  wished to create a Human following of the God, 
  there was much theological debate amongst the 
  Elves of Pharidor’s Watch over the fate of non-
  Elves who worshipped Pharidor. The testament 
  of Pharidor proclaimed, “The gateway to the 
  afterlife is within the light and that by passing 
  into its radiant glory a true believer will find a 
  place beside the Shining Lord”.  
  This was interpreted to mean that a 
  person could find their way to Pharidor by 
  entering the light of Pharys itself. Rajeen taught 
  his followers to cremate their dead and that their 
  souls would rise up as smoke and touch the sun, 
  crossing over into Silver Hall of Perpetual Light. 
   
   
   
  Organization 
  The Elven following of Pharidor has been 
  imbedded in the Leezari clan system for 
  centuries. Family members of clans are invited to 
  become priests of the order through tradition, 
  providing they have an affinity for magic. Each 
  clan has a High Priest and attendant priests who 
  serve the religion and the clan. Often, a clan head 
  is also a High Priest of Pharidor. 
  Understandably 
  the 
  organizational 
  structures of each clan-based order are fluid and 
  very different from each other. They base much 
  of their administration and hierarchy on the 
  traditions of the clan they are part of. No clan has 
  seniority over the other and the High Priest of a 
  clan owes no fealty to a High Priest in another 
  clan or to Pharidor’s Watch or Odressi. 
  The orders established at Pharidor’s 
  Watch and Odressi are the only two groups with 
  a more formal structure. Although each of those 
  temples maintains similar principles to the 
  Leezerian clans (e.g. all officials of the religion 
  must be Seervati) they have a defined hierarchy 
  within their priesthood. The head of the temple is 
  called the Pharysundai (Guardian of the Sun) and 
  is supported in the administration of their duties 
  by three High Priests, called Consuls. Each 
  Consul has a specific duty: 
   
  - 
  The Consul of Rituals ensures that the 
  daily prayers to Pharys are performed at 
  dawn, midday and sundown. 
   
  - 
  The Consul of the Seervati is in charge 
  of selecting new priests and maintaining 
  the arcane lore of the temple. 
   
  - 
  The Consul of Prosaic Affairs runs the 
  day-to-day common needs of the temple 
   
  The priests of the temple are all divided 
  into three chapters, each under the watchful eye 
  of a Consul. 
   
  The Human order based of Ikle’s Head, 
  Y’sira, recruits new priests by an annual testing 
  that takes place on the Holy Day of Pharianzar 
  (the 13th Day of the First Span of the March of 
  Light). Young hopefuls come to show their skills 
  at casting orisons and, if they impress the High 
  Priest, they are accepted into the order. The 
  Y’siran order is integrated into the Sumari tribe 
  structure and its High Priest, who is the superior 
  of all other priests, sits on the sacred council of 
  the Sumari chiefs as an advisor. 
  The serpentine holy symbol of the 
  Pharidor church is used by both Elven and 
  Human followings of the Sun God. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Regalia 
  Although the colors may differ according 
  to clan traditions, most priests of Pharidor wear a 
  short sleeveless toga and a yellow sash about the 
  waist. Sandals are the preferred footwear. High 
  Priests wear a headpiece called a sheeris that 
  resembles a turban. This has a flowing length of 
  material that is attached to the rear of the turban 
  and falls to the waist.  
  The temples of Pharidor’s Watch and 
  Odressi 
  both 
  have 
  additional 
  regalia 
  to 
  distinguish the roles of the Consuls. Each Consul 
  has a different colored piping added to the hem 
  of their toga and they wear a stole of the same 
  color: 
   
  - 
  The Consul of Rituals’ color is yellow 
  - 
  The Consul of the Seervati’s color is 
  blue 
   
  - 
  The Consul of Prosaic Affairs’ color is 
  red 
   
  The Pharysundai wears a gold-brocade 
  sheeris and three stoles, the colors of the 
  Consuls. 
  The Elves of the Diasmari and Elenthian 
  clans of southern Leezeria wear a short kilt and 
  no other clothing, painting their bodies with 
  stylized symbols of the sun and snake sigils, 
  representative of Pharidor. During their ritual 
  Sun-Ceremonies they disrobe so that Pharidor’s 
  power touches every part of their body. 
   
  Temple Design 
  The priesthood believes that the closer 
  you are to Pharys, the more at one you become 
  with the God. Temples are constructed in high 
  locations – many Elven places of worship are 
  located on wide platforms in the tree-tops.  
  The Human Sumari priesthood has its 
  main temple in a cave positioned on the highest 
  cliff face in Ikle’s Head. Most of these temples 
  are very different if design, although they all 
  have an altar where the three daily Sun-
  Ceremonies are held. 
  The temple in Odressi and Pharidor’s 
  Watch are identical and their design is based 
  around a great hall where the congregation can 
  gather enmasse. A tall spire is located at the 
  center of the hall with a spiral stair leading to its 
  lofty heights. At the top is a small prayer room 
  with a protective metal dome, which can be 
  opened by means of mechanical pulleys. The 
  altar is positioned at the heart of the tower top 
  and is usually enchanted with Continual Light as 
  a beacon against the dark of the night. All 
  lighting within a Pharidor temple also is 
  provided by magical luminescence. 
  Pharidor temples are also known for their 
  intricate sun-dials, essential to determining the 
  exact time for holding the Sun-Ceremonies each 
  day. These are usually mounted on top of the 
  altar in the tower. The temples in Odressi and 
  Pharidor’s 
  Watch 
  possess 
  mechanical 
  chronometers, in addition to the sun-dials, to 
  ensure that time is accurately kept on days when 
  the weather compromises the daylight. 
   
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Ritual 
  The daily Ceremony of the Sun is the 
  most important ritual of the Pharidor church. The 
  Consul of Rituals is responsible for scheduling 
  an on-going roster of priests who must sing the 
  prayers that will keep Pharys travelling through 
  the heavens. There are three ceremonies (the 
  Dawnsong, the Noonsong and the Nightsong) 
  and a cadre of six priests performs the service, 
  reciting an hour long dirge at the appointed time. 
  The group who performs the service is called the 
  Pharancia-Tahl (Singers to the Sun). 
  It is a great honor to serve with the 
  Pharancia-Tahl, 
  for 
  the 
  priesthood 
  firmly 
  believes that it is only through their prayers that 
  Pharys continues to provide its life-giving 
  warmth to Enshar. It is crucial that the services 
  are performed at a specific allocated time so that 
  all ceremonies across the world are held 
  simultaneously.  
  A relatively new position within a 
  Pharidor temple is that of the Timesayer, who is 
  an expert in reading the chronometers of the 
  church and signaling the commencement of each 
  Pharancia-Tahl service. 
   
  Uushai 
  Pharidor is served by Kalath and Sarafir, 
  two great Nagas who dwell in the afterlife, which 
  is called Pharendia. This is a region of Tarrisada 
  that is bathed in perpetual light, where darkness 
  never reaches. At its heart is the Tower of the 
  Sun, a high spire, at the top of which, Pharidor 
  sleeps. It is said that he hears the prayers of his 
  worshippers and so dreams of Pharys and his 
  dreams keep the Sun travelling in the heavens. 
   
  Bonus Spell 
  Pharidor priests are devoted to the 
  worship of the sun. Sundrop causes a light with 
  attributes of the sun to burn upon the caster’s 
  palm. It can be used as a light source and it has 
  flame properties which ignite combustibles and 
  inflict damage on opponents. 
  SUNDROP 
  School evocation; Level cleric 1 (Pharidor) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, S, DF 
  Range touch 
  Target one creature or object 
  Effect tiny globe of light 
  Duration 1 round/level or until discharged (D) 
  Saving Throw none; 
  Spell Resistance yes 
   
  Sundrop causes a tiny globe of light with 
  attributes of the sun to burn upon the caster’s 
  palm, shedding normal light in a 20-foot radius 
  and increasing the light level for an additional 20 
  feet by one step, up to normal light (darkness 
  becomes dim light, and dim light becomes 
  normal light).  
  It can be used to make an unattended 
  flammable object catch on fire. Sundrop can also 
  be used as a touch attack and inflicts 1d4 points 
  of damage per caster level (maximum 5d4).  
  An undead creature takes 1d6 points of 
  damage per caster level (maximum 5d6), and an 
  undead creature particularly vulnerable to bright 
  light takes 1d8 points of damage per caster level 
  (maximum 5d8).  
  A construct or inanimate object takes only 
  1d3 points of damage per caster level (maximum 
  5d3).  
   
  Assay Spell 
  The priests of Pharidor are adept at the 
  spell Mastery of Pharos. This is the same as the 
  spell Marid’s Mastery but the bonus of +1 
  applies to targets in direct sunlight and the 
  penalty of -4 applies to targets in darkness. 
   
  Artefact 
  THE LAMP OF PHARYS 
  Strong evocation (Sun Domain); CL 20th; 
  weight 6lb. 
   
  Diarmor was wounded in several places, 
  his breast-plate spattered with the black-ichor of 
  at least twenty ghouls. Something with red eyes, 
  wreathed in shadow, came at him from the rocks 
  but he managed to bring his holy symbol to bear 
  and cursed the creature in the name of Pharidor. 
  There was a glow of radiant light and it 
  retreated back into the dark. The other men, who 
  could still stand, formed a loose cordon about 
  Diarmor, facing outward, looking into the night, 
  where our enemy marshalled their forces.  
   Five figures crested the rise, defiant and 
  gaunt, their tall bodies wreathed in leather and 
  tattered lace. They exuded a confident power; a 
  pall of fear that eroded the will of the surviving 
  warriors. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  “Hold your ground!” cried Diarmor and, 
  as he did so the creatures erupted into violent 
  action. They charged into the defenders, 
  scattering them, tearing out throats with their 
  talons and revealing fangs that sought out the 
  necks of the unwary. 
   
  During the initial fury, Diarmor had 
  thrown his shortsword to the ground and drew 
  from his backpack a strange device, like a 
  lantern set atop a short rod. As the first of the 
  unstoppable creatures leapt to attack him, he 
  drove the base of the strange device into the 
  ground. White light engulfed us all, blinding 
  everyone. When at last our sight was restored, 
  we saw that the things that had opposed us were 
  no more; only piles of ash and pieces of 
  splintered bone marked where they had met their 
  end.  
    
  In the time before Ormocea commanded 
  Trezkillian and Siritar to set Enshar turning upon 
  its axis, the dark side of the world was lit by the 
  Phreleen, the seven angels who served Pharidor, 
  creator of Pharys, the sun. Each of the Phreleen 
  bore a Lamp that contained the light of Pharos 
  and they took turns at illuminating the dark 
  places from the high mountains of the world. 
  Five of the Phreleen perished in the War 
  of Powers and their Lamps were lost and claimed 
  by mortals. Two are known to be held by the 
  Elves: one at Pharidor’s Watch and the other at 
  Tarimthol-Irl. The K’luud of Byalliz is reputed 
  to have one of the artefacts in his treasure vault. 
  The other two have been lost over the ages. 
  The Lamp is a short, thick rod of 
  Diamondwood, two feet in length and decorated 
  with Excellium wire and emerald heartstones. At 
  its head is a sculpted piece of Krystarrian Glass, 
  shaped to resemble a stylized sun symbol. The 
  Lamp has the following unlimited spell-like 
  abilities, activated by command words: 
   
  - Endure Elements 
  - Heat Metal 
   
  In addition, its key power of Sunburst 
  (as per the spell) can be activated every 24 hours 
  by striking the heel of the rod on the ground.  
   
  Charm 
  SNAKE SIGIL 
  Description: A serpent painted on the forehead 
  or arm with a gold stain, blessed by the Pharidor 
  church. 
   
  Trigger: Any saving 
  throw that is made 
  against a source that 
  causes cold damage 
   
  DC: 15 
   
  Effect: Gives the owner a +2 bonus to the saving 
  throw 
   
  Cost: 8 copper trades 
   
  Frequency: Uncommon 
   
  Usage: The Sigil will fade away in 2+2d6 days 
  after it was applied and it will then be rendered 
  useless. 
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  ULLIAH 
  God of the Forests 
   
   
   
  Other Titles: 
  King of Trees, the Green Walker, the Old One 
  Alignment: 
  Neutral 
  Domains: 
  Plant/Growth/Decay/Strength/Protection 
  Favored Weapon: 
  Staff 
  Appearance: 
  A tall spindly humanoid with elongated features and a mane of leafy hair. His skin 
  is marked and knotted so as to resemble bark. 
  Status: 
  Minor church 
  Following: 
  90% Male, 10% Female 
  Power Centers: 
  Druidical order amongst the Elves. The major Human religion in Rhenfara, with a 
  cult Human followings in Llan and parts of Sard and Elkia. 
  Holy Day: 
  Xarizar, 5th Day of the Second Span of the March of Gold. 
  Clerical Dress: 
  Differs between orders but tends to be a variation on a hood and cloak, worn over 
  a long robe. Colors are usually earth and forest tones. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  An equilateral cross formed by the joining of intertwined twigs. 
  . 
  Associations: 
  Ulliah is the senior male deity of the House of the Land. His spouse is Yhancia 
  and their offspring is Hirath. There is no real Recognition Agreement between the 
  churches of the House of the Land, although each has agreements with the House 
  of Light and the House of Waters. The Ulliahns (alone) have an agreement with 
  the Faar church of the House of Life. 
  Basic Goal: 
  The protection of sacred forest sites said to be the homes of the Malantha, nature 
  spirits made by the Gods as part of the Creation process. 
  Religion Trait: 
  Child of Nature. The wild places are your home, and provide everything you need 
  to be happy. Benefit: You gain a +2 trait bonus on all Survival checks, and it 
  becomes a class skill for you. 
  Bonus Spell: 
  Fire Sanctuary 
  Assay Spell: 
  Tree Shape 
   
   
  History 
  Several druidical orders arose in the 
  Darktime, as a result of contact with the 
  Malantha, nature spirits that sought mortal aid to 
  prevent the destruction of their domains during 
  those cataclysmic times. The Malantha evolved 
  indirectly from the magic used by certain Gods 
  in shaping the world; they are a personification 
  of a vast amount of Tas energy used to instill an 
  area with living material. Most of the modern 
  day druidical orders are servants of Malantha 
  associated with the God Ulliah; other smaller 
  groups worship Hirath, Gurthor, Liraan and 
  Yhancia. 
  The orders that were established in the 
  Darktime can still be found across modern 
  Eldoria, existing in most racial groups and in 
  most realms. They maintained their unique lore 
  and rituals throughout the Darktime; this 
  knowledge being taught to them by the 
  individual Malanth each order associated with.  
  In providing protection to the Malantha, 
  Ulliahn druids learned extensive knowledge of 
  how the natural world works. Although there 
  was also similar knowledge contained in the 
  relevant chapters concerning Ulliah in the Books 
  of Law, the druids that survived through the 
  Darktime had a far greater understanding of 
  nature and passed on their secret lore from 
  generation to generation. 
  One of the earliest Human orders, the 
  Druids of Mount Sark, claimed to possess 
  documents of Pre-Redemption origin, written by 
  the hand of Ulliah himself. That particular order 
  came to blows with the early kings of Sardell 
  and, for nearly a century, they fought a savage 
  guerrilla war against the king and his followers 
  across the forested heights of the Stonebrow 
  Mountains. Eventually, their most influential 
  leader, Izrach, was captured and sent into exile.  
  After this, the Druids of Mount Sark were 
  diminished in the north. However, many 
  members of Izrach’s order followed him into 
  
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  exile overseas and, after visiting the natural 
  wonders of the world, they settled in Rhenfara. 
  Here, the druids came to have a lasting influence 
  on the indigenous Ziaddan people, and formed 
  the Council of the Dead Tree; eventually ruling 
  over all of Rhenfara. The druids made contact 
  with the powerful Malantha that dwell deep 
  within the Jungles of Po-Ka and devoted 
  themselves to the protection of that rainforest. 
  The Council of the Dead Tree continues to rule 
  in Rhenfara today. 
  Another significant Ulliahn order is the 
  Sisterhood of the Diamond, who serve the 
  Malantha of Ironbranch Wood, on Southwind 
  Island (also known as Londar’s Land). They are 
  an offshoot of the Order of Mount 
  Sark and their spell-casters are 
  exclusively female.  
  They are the only 
  druids able to meld and 
  shape 
  the 
  prized 
  building 
  material, 
  called 
  Diamondwood 
  that comes from a 
  tree 
  sacred 
  to 
  their order. They 
  undertake 
  the 
  periodic 
  culling 
  of Diamondwood 
  on 
  behalf 
  of 
  secular 
  sources, 
  in 
  return 
  for 
  important 
  concessions. 
  The 
  most important of 
  these is the gaining of 
  rights 
  for 
  Ulliahn 
  worshippers to return to 
  their beloved Mount Sark in 
  Llan. 
  An Elven order that is active in Leezeria 
  is the Shaedarfyn (Woodguard). In 95R they 
  were invested by their king with the duties of 
  protecting the immense forest of Eldarwood, in 
  Leezeria’s south and did so loyally for 
  generations. However, in the last two centuries 
  they have become a law unto themselves, 
  preventing the current Elvenking from taking 
  any wood from the forest and driving out Elven 
  communities from its glades. Members of the 
  Shaedarfyn were suspected of the recent theft of 
  the Elvenking’s royal vessel, “The Ashen Angel” 
  (aka “The Ashen Avenger”). 
   
  Doctrine 
  When Ulliah created the greater forests, 
  the living energy he imparted into each one 
  became a being; the personification of that 
  forest. These creatures (collectively called 
  Malantha) were bound to the location of the 
  forest they were created in and could manifest 
  themselves in various demi-human forms. As 
  their life force was provided by the forest, when 
  the Saahn came to the world and began clearing 
  land to build their realms, so were the Malantha 
  reduced in potency. 
  The word of Ulliah was given to mortals 
  through those Malantha who survived the 
  ravages of the Saahn, saying that they should 
  guard the remaining Malantha otherwise the 
  very fabric of the natural world would be 
  unraveled and Enshar would become 
  desolate and barren.  
  The Ulliahn orders, though 
  different in their individual 
  ways, are united in their code 
  to protect designated areas 
  from intrusion by outsiders, 
  who 
  would 
  destroy 
  the 
  remaining 
  forests 
  and 
  threaten the Malantha with 
  extinction.  
  To an Ulliahn, the 
  forest is a living entity, to be 
  defended at all costs. There 
  is no compromise and those 
  who defile the trees in the 
  region they protect must be 
  dissuaded from their actions. If 
  they persist, they must die.  
  The God Ulliah is said to 
  sleep in Eldergaren, an immense 
  forest in the plane of Tarrisada. When 
  they die, the souls of worshippers of 
  Ulliah do not travel to Eldergarren; instead their 
  life-force is bound to that of the Malantha which 
  they serve. They exist as wandering ghost like 
  entities that can sometimes be seen in the quiet 
  hours just before dawn. They are the eyes and 
  ears of the Malantha and summon the spirit of 
  the forest when they deem their realm is 
  threatened. 
   
  Organization 
  The organization of each order differs 
  from the others and is decentralized; however 
  there are a number of commonalities. Each order 
  has an extended clan structure that has evolved 
  over the centuries.  
  
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  Acolytes are not recruited as such; 
  children of the clan grow up to serve the druids 
  passively, or become a part of the Secret Circle. 
  Members of the Secret Circle are all Seervati, 
  having been tested for potential at the age of ten 
  years.  
  The Circle will have a number of 
  hierarchies and the druids must past various tests 
  of power and physical challenges to rise within 
  the group. An Arch-Druid is the leader of the 
  Circle and is the most adept and knowledgeable 
  of the druidical order. It is the Arch-Druid who 
  has personal contact with the Malantha of the 
  region and acts as the voice between the spirits 
  of nature and the community. 
   
  Regalia 
  Again, costumes worn by druids differ 
  between orders. Most simply wear a hood and 
  cloak, dyed in natural tones, over their regular 
  clothing. The holy symbol of all Ulliahn orders 
  is an equilateral cross made of intertwined twigs 
  however some orders do have other icons that 
  they use to distinguish their uniqueness.  
  These are often displayed on cloaks and 
  on banners. Some examples are: 
   
  - 
  The Brotherhood of the Dead Tree use 
  the device of a withered tree 
   
  - 
  The Sisterhood of the Diamond use the 
  device of white diamond on a green 
  field 
   
  - 
  The Shaedarfyn use the device of three 
  stylized trees joined at the roots 
   
  Temple Design 
  Ulliahn druids meet in designated sacred 
  sites within the forests they protect. They do not 
  raise buildings as places of worship, although 
  their artisans often erect dolmen to mark areas as 
  sacred sites. The most famous (and oldest) 
  construction of this type is the stone circle of 
  Yarandarg at the summit of Mt. Sark, in Llan.  
  Animal skulls decorate the trees that 
  surround sacred circles, having been placed high 
  in branches over the years after each Wild Hunt 
  (see ritual). 
   
  Ritual 
  Common rituals of the Ulliahn druidical 
  orders include the Spring Blessing and the Ritual 
  of Izrach. On Drydanzar, 6th Day of the First 
  Span of the March of Water (the beginning of 
  spring in northern Enshar) the druids offer a 
  blood sacrifice to their God. Most times this is an 
  animal sacrifice but Human orders have been 
  known to sacrifice captives at the Spring 
  Blessing. These are usually persons who have 
  transgressed the laws of the order and brought 
  harm to the forest in some way.  
  The blood of the sacrifice is gathered in a 
  basin. The Arch-Druid then proceeds to daub 
  each tree that borders the sacred circle where the 
  rite is performed with the sacrificial blood.  
  Spring Blessing culminates in the Wild 
  Hunt. A forest beast, usually a stag or boar, is 
  trapped and kept caged in the months prior to 
  Spring Blessing. The beast is set free after the 
  sacrificial rites and those druids who have put 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  themselves forward for the Hunt pursue the beast 
  on foot. They are allowed a single melee 
  weapon.  
  The druid who slays the beast is awarded 
  great honor and recognition for the new year and 
  officiates with the Arch-Druid at the next Spring 
  Blessing. 
   
   
  Ulliahn burial rituals involve purifying 
  the corpse with various plants and herbs (each 
  order has its own particular selection). The body 
  is then buried in a vertical grave dug between the 
  roots of a tree. Within a year of burial a 
  ceremony takes place whereby the corpse is 
  exhumed and the skull removed and hung 
  amongst the skeletal remains of the animals of 
  the Wild Hunt, so that their spirits can watch 
  over the sacred site of Ulliah. 
   
   
  Uushai 
  The divine beings that serve Ulliah are 
  the Malantha, spirits of nature that draw their 
  power from the great forests that remain in the 
  world. Unlike many other Uushai, the Malantha 
  are bound to the prime material plane and do not 
  dwell in Tarrisada with Ulliah. Instead they 
  linger in the “Autumn World”, a realm that exists 
  between the Planes; a place that was made by 
  Ulliah and Faar at the beginning of creation to 
  plant and nurture the seedlings that would later 
  be planted on Enshar.  
  The Autumn World is covered by a single 
  great forest, devoid of creatures other than 
  insects and small birds. Sylvan beings that serve 
  the Malantha also dwell there and move between 
  that realm and the world of Enshar on errands for 
  their Uushai.  
  There are two kinds of Malantha – the 
  Lordaryth Tau (the living lords) and the 
  Vorgraath (the dead ones). The Lordaryth Tau 
  still govern sizeable tracts of forest on Enshar 
  and can move between both worlds. The 
  Vorgraath are bound solely to the Autumn 
  World, their forests having been cut down over 
  the ages, to such an extent that their power has 
  become completely diminished on the prime 
  material plane. They have come to hate the 
  Saahn. The Autumn World can be a very 
  dangerous place for many races of the Sahn. If 
  the Vorgraath sense the intrusion of Saahn, they 
  may rise from their dark sleep and destroy those 
  mortals who dare show their faces in their 
  domain.  
  The Uushai of Ulliah are shape-shifters 
  and can adopt many different forms but they 
  usually have a favorite that they use when 
  communicating with the worshippers of Ulliah.  
   
  Some Malantha who walk the world are 
  known 
  in 
  popular 
  culture, 
  having 
  been 
  documented in histories and songs of bards.  
   
  They include: 
   
  - 
  Valardis (who dwells in Eldarwood and 
  takes the form of a Centaur). 
   
  - 
  Sareescha 
  (who 
  dwells 
  in 
  the 
  Westerwood of Llan and takes the form 
  of a middle aged woman). 
   
  - 
  Gnaar (who dwells deep in Po-Ka and 
  takes the form of a Treant). 
   
  Tales 
  also 
  mention 
  the 
  powerful 
  Vorgraath known as Witherwood. For centuries 
  parents in Llan and northern Sard and Elkia have 
  warned their children about the dangers of 
  straying into the woods by spinning stories about 
  Witherwood.  It is told that the Vorgraath lord 
  has skin like blackened bark and a mane of hair 
  made of entwined twigs. His eyes are a piercing 
  blue in color. He sends his minions into the 
  world to lure away unsuspecting children, where 
  they are planted in his garden and harvested at 
  the time of the Spring Blessing.  
   
   
  The simple holy symbol of the Ulliahn 
  druids consists of twigs bound together to 
  form an equilateral cross 
  
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  127 
   
   
  Bonus Spell 
  The greatest enemy of the priest of Ulliah 
  is fire, to protect their forests they need to put 
  fires out before they get out of control. 
  FIRE SANCTUARY 
  School transmutation [fire];  
  Level cleric 1 (Ulliah) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, S, DF 
  Range Touch 
  Target one creature or object  
  Area a circular area with a diameter of 10 ft. per 
  level of the caster 
  Duration 10 min per level of caster 
  Saving Throw Reflex half;  
  Spell Resistance yes 
   
  The spell creates a zone that is immune to 
  non-magical fire. Nothing in the zone can burn 
  or catch fire while the spell lasts. The area of 
  effect has a diameter of 10 ft. per level of the 
  caster and is centered on the target of the spell. 
  Creatures of the Fire subtype receive a -
  4 attack penalty if they enter the Fire Sanctuary. 
  Their fire-based attacks still inflict damage but 
  they cannot ignite combustibles with such 
  attacks. 
  Similarly, spells such as Fireball will 
  cause heat damage in a Fire Sanctuary but the 
  effect will not cause combustibles to ignite. 
   
  Assay Spell 
  The Assay spell of the Ulliahn faith is 
  Tree Shape. Ulliahn Druids are able to use Tree 
  Shape as a 1st level spell and can maintain the 
  spell for 2 hours per level. 
   
  Artefact 
  THE PENDANT OF THE SYLVAARI 
  Strong transmutation/summoning (plant); CL 
  20th; weight .25 lb.  
   
  Turnill rallied the group before him, 
  imploring them to charge the gatehouse one 
  more time. The defenders of the keep were on the 
  point of breaking. But so were Turnill’s 
  companies, the siege had gone on much longer 
  than anticipated and it was rumored help was 
  being sent by Baron Tharlen. The keep had to 
  fall by sundown.  
  Seeing the look of tiredness borne by his 
  men and, knowing they needed something to stir 
  them into action, Turnill relented and finally 
  went to see the druid, who had watched the 
  battle from the eaves of the nearby wood. 
   
  “My men are too weary to continue the 
  attack this day and I fear tomorrow will bring 
  reinforcements. Is there nothing you can do to 
  help us? I will grant you domain of all the forest, 
  east of the river, if you can lend us aid”.  
   
  The old druid smiled and leaned upon 
  his staff, “Come with me”, he said. “I will lend 
  you a soldier for your battle”.  
   
  Turnill was confused by the response 
  but followed the druid anyway, into a small vale.  
  Much of the place was taken up with saplings 
  and coarse bushes, but a large rowan tree 
  leaned over the whole area, shading the 
  vegetation from the setting sun. The druid stood 
  before the rowan and placed his hand upon its 
  ancient bark. His other hand clutched a small 
  glass pendant, on a leather thong about his neck. 
   
  There was a rush of wind and leaves 
  that suddenly blew through the vale, obscuring 
  the druid and the tree. The branches of the 
  rowan groaned in the wind, but as the leaves 
  blew away and the wind died, Turnill saw that 
  the groaning came from the main trunk of the 
  tree. Two deep-set eyes regarded him from a 
  rudimentary face, just visible, high up before the 
  branches spread out.  
  There was a crack and a splintering sound and 
  two knotted arms parted from the trunk and the 
  whole tree uprooted itself to stand fully upright 
  on its massive, twisted legs. 
   
  “A good enough soldier for you?” 
  queried the druid, a twinkle in his old eyes. 
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  When Ulliah invested a major part of his 
  life force in the creation of the great forests of 
  the world, he inadvertently created sentient life, 
  long before Phelltar brought forth the Saahn. 
  These were the spirits of nature, the Malantha, 
  bound to the world of Enshar and independent 
  from the Gods. For many ages, the Malantha 
  were hidden from the Gods and during that time, 
  they created many servants of their own to guard 
  over the natural world; these were the Sylvaari, 
  who took many forms (dryads, sylphs, satyrs 
  etc.) 
   
  In later ages, the church of Ulliah came to 
  pay homage to the Malantha and had commerce 
  with the Sylvaari. Chief amongst these were the 
  dryads of Western Leezeria, who bestowed upon 
  the Leezari Lords, twelve magical gifts in the 
  form of enchanted pendants. Four of these are 
  still kept by influential Elven families, the rest 
  have been scattered during the Wars of Tears; 
  taken as booty by Goblinkynd. 
  A Pendant of the Sylvaari is a circular 
  device of Excellium steel with an iris of 
  Krystarrian Glass. Contained within the glass is a 
  single seed, taken from the heart of a dryad.  
  While wearing the Pendant, its user has 
  the following permanent spell-like abilities: 
   
  - Entangle  
  - Speak with plants 
  - Tree shape 
   
  They can also use the following spell-like 
  abilities once per day; 
   
  - Animate Plants 
  -  Control Plants 
   
  Finally, once per day they are able to 
  summon and control a Treant that exist within a 
  mile of the Pendant. The summoning lasts for 1 
  hour + 1 hour per level of the person using the 
  Pendant to summon the creature. Only one 
  Treant can be summoned at any one time. 
  The Treant will obey the person who 
  summoned it as though it was under the effects 
  of a Charm Spell. 
   
  Charm 
  FEY BRACELET 
  Description: A bracelet made of entwined 
  strands of bark stripped from Balsian oak trees (a 
  native species of Llan and Northern Sard).  
   
  Trigger: The presence of a Fey creature within 
  50’ of the owner. 
   
  DC: 12 
   
  Effect: +2 save against any spells or spell-like 
  abilities of Fey creatures  
   
  Cost: 5 copper trades 
   
  Frequency: Rare 
   
  Usage: The bark strands have a life of 10+1d10 
  days. 
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  YHANCIA  
  Goddess of the Mountains and Underworld 
   
   
   
  Other Titles: 
  Queen of the Stonekin, Delver in the Deep, the Iron Maiden 
  Alignment: 
  Neutral 
  Domains: 
  Earth/Caves/Metal/Travel/Exploration 
  Favored Weapon: 
  Pick 
  Appearance: 
  A muscular woman whose flesh appears to be white marble She has a third eye in 
  her forehead.  
  Status: 
  Major Dwarven religion practiced by a mendicant clergy. Some following amongst 
  Humans, especially miners. 
  Following: 
  95% Male, 5% Female 
  Power Centers: 
  Odressi and Llan  
  Holy Day: 
  Samrozar, 2nd Day of the First Span of the March of Earth. 
  Clerical Dress: 
  No set ceremonial clothing is worn today by most Dwarven clerics. Old drawings 
  show that the Dwarven priests used to dress in a black high-collared shirt over 
  which was worn a quilted surcoat displaying an insignia of a triangle. The Human 
  priesthood in Odressi has adopted this style of dress. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  The Dwarves display an emblem of a triangle with an eye at each apex - the 
  Thrynn. Humans have a similar insignia except they use an inverted triangle with a 
  single eye at its center.. 
  Associations: 
  Hirath (God of the Nender-Saahn) is the husband of Yhancia. Ulliah (God of the 
  Forests) is their son. Because of the great racial divide between the three religions 
  of the House of the Land, there is no Recognition agreement between them. The 
  religions do have individual agreements with the House of Light and the House of 
  the Waters. 
  Basic Goal: 
  The Dwarves hope that by offering devotion to the Goddess, she will lead them 
  back to their lost city of Dwarvenhold. Human worship tends to seek protection for 
  those who work beneath the earth. 
  Religion Trait:  
  Wanderlust. You have a strong desire to visit the distant homelands of the 
  Dwarves and are used to travelling great distances and delving into ancient ruins. 
  Benefit: you gain a +1 trait bonus to Knowledge (Dungeoneering) and Knowledge 
  (Geography). You may pick one of these as a Class skill. 
  Bonus Spell: 
  Gemfire 
  Assay Spell: 
  Magic Stone 
   
   
  History 
  The Goddess of the earth and mountains 
  is a deity mainly worshipped by the Dwarves. 
  They brought the religion with them out of the 
  west, when they sailed across the Sea of Five 
  Winds and settled on the island of Karashar-
  Zahl. From here, they sent out envoys that made 
  initial contact with the lands of Humans, often 
  including priests of Yhancia in their diplomatic 
  missions.  Few amongst those who made the 
  journey from the Dwarves’ forgotten homeland 
  knew of the origins and the history of the 
  Yhancian church before that time so what 
  knowledge there is starts with the priesthood that 
  was established on Karashar-Zahl. 
  Only one temple was ever built on the 
  island but it was a mighty compound that 
  featured an immense place of worship with 
  associated 
  libraries, 
  scriptoriums 
  and 
  dormitories. It was called Kaskor Durghaz (the 
  Portal to the West) because it was built high into 
  a mountainside that looked back across the Sea 
  of Five Winds to their ancient homeland. The 
  Dwarven kings were crowned in the great hall of 
  the temple and, while the clergy did not rule the 
  Dwarves of Karashar-Zahl, they still wielded 
  great influence behind the throne. The High 
  Priest of Yhancia officiated over the coronation 
  ceremony of the Dwarven Kings, so it was 
  important to garner the support of the clergy 
  when making a bid for the throne during a time 
  of succession.  
  
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  In 1605R, the Dwarves fled Karashar-
  Zahl after an unspecified disaster on that island 
  and the power of the priesthood was weakened. 
  Most of the Yhancian clergy perished in the 
  conflagration that engulfed Karashar-Zahl and, 
  in the eyes of the Stonekin, the prayers of the 
  priests had failed to protect them from a 
  catastrophe of monumental proportions.  
  The royal line was severed and, with no 
  clear contender for the throne, many Dwarven 
  clans divided and relocated to the Grand 
  Escarpment in Sard, to found several separate 
  underground colonies, each with their own king.  
   
  None of the surviving clergy came to the 
  colonies of Sard, so formal worship of Yhancia 
  died out there, although the Goddess was 
  celebrated in song and in works of art. 
  Other clans sailed from the wreck of 
  Karashar-Zahl and left the region altogether, 
  never setting foot in Sard. Instead they sailed 
  east around the Horn of Sard and on into the Sea 
  of Souls.  
  It was with this group that a number of 
  surviving Yhancian priests journeyed, taking 
  with them the tomes and reliquarium that they 
  had rescued from the temple of Kaskor Durghaz.  
  Just south of Londar’s Land, they 
  encountered a titanic storm that dispersed the 
  fleet. The vessel that the clergy sailed aboard 
  was wrecked upon the coast of far western 
  Rhenfara, 
  where 
  the 
  surviving 
  Dwarves 
  established a new colony in the Razorspine, a 
  narrow mountain range separating the coastal 
  wetlands of Khromah from the deserts beyond.  
  The priesthood constructed a temple deep 
  within the Razorspine featuring a magnificent 
  statue of the Goddess, cut from green marble. A 
  new king was crowned and the colony thrived 
  for around three hundred years, mining veins of 
  silver that they found throughout the mountains. 
  They remained a secretive kingdom but had the 
  occasional contact with merchants in Rhenfara 
  and Y’sira, trading silver for grain and livestock.  
  Then in 1777R, an earthquake rocked the 
  area and the statue of Yhancia cracked. At the 
  same time, the silver mines of the Dwarves 
  became depleted. The priests read this as a bad 
  omen and convinced the colony to migrate to 
  another location. After much deliberation, the 
  Dwarves traveled across the sea to Leezeria, 
  after hearing of Dwarven kingdoms rumored to 
  have been established in the east of that land.  
  Here, they were reunited with clans 
  thought lost in the storm of 1605R and learned 
  that the Elvenking of Leezeria had granted his 
  eastern territories to the Dwarves, in return for 
  the Stonekin’s allegiance in defending the east 
  from the Goblinkynd threat in Ahr-Ganiz. Four 
  separate Dwarven kingdoms had been built in the 
  Kallid Zahl Mountains, in a region known as the 
  Crownless Lands. 
  Although shrines had been erected to pay 
  homage to the Goddess throughout the Four 
  Kingdoms, there was no Yhancian priesthood 
  that had arisen to take the place of the clergy that 
  had been lost during the voyage from Karashar-
  Zahl. The reintroduction of a formal church from 
  the clans of the Razorspine was initially well 
  received by the Stonekin who dwelled in eastern 
  Leezeria. The Yhancian priests rapidly acquired 
  sites to locate new temples.  
  However, despite their best efforts, the 
  Yhancian ministry found it difficult to nurture a 
  large congregation. The reasons were complex 
  and not wholly related to issues of faith. A well-
  
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  known belief held by the Dwarves was that they 
  originated from the Kingdom of Zarradanza (the 
  Dwarvenhold) in the far west of Eldoria; a place 
  only remembered through legends, where myth 
  and history blurred. The Goddess was said to 
  have dwelled in Zarradanza and, when they died, 
  the souls of the Stonekin made the journey back 
  there and dwelled in the deepest mine, a vast 
  sacred place where Yhancia had her holy halls. 
  The location of Zarradanza had been a 
  guarded secret and entrusted only to a few 
  custodians of Dwarven lore in ancient times. 
  After the fall of Karashar-Zahl, that knowledge 
  was lost and all Stonekin kingdoms that had been 
  founded since then were looked on as a pale 
  shadow of the majesty of Zarradanza. Although 
  the clergy tried to preach otherwise, most 
  Dwarves believed that, as the path to Zarradanza 
  was lost, so in death the way to the afterlife was 
  lost.  
  Many Dwarves began to abandon their 
  traditional lifestyles, opting to seek their fortunes 
  in the world of Humans and adopting other Gods 
  as their patrons over Yhancia. In addition, 
  Dwarven priesthoods representing the other 
  Gods began to emerge to rival the Yhancian 
  Order. The Gods of the Holy Trinity had a 
  special appeal and a strong Ormocean following 
  arose in Taliz-Zahl, the most easterly of the Four 
  Kingdoms of the Crownless Lands.  
  The final death knell for the clergy came 
  with the Third War of Tears that saw the Four 
  Kingdoms destroyed at the hands of a massive 
  Goblinkynd invasion out of Ahr-Ganiz. After 
  that time, the Dwarves were a scattered people, 
  with even their mines in Sard going into cultural 
  decline.  
  Religion amongst the Stonekin became a 
  dying tradition passed on amongst the few 
  remaining clerics, from father to son. They 
  traveled the world as 
  mendicant 
  priests, 
  preaching to those of their brethren that they 
  encountered, always seeking knowledge of the 
  whereabouts of lost Zarradanza. 
  A Human following of Yhancia emerged 
  in Llan around 1681R, as a form of luck 
  totemism practiced amongst members of the 
  mining guild. The miners adopted a simple 
  symbol of Yhancia (an inverted triangle with an 
  eye at the center) that they painted on the walls 
  of the shafts and galleries that they worked in. 
  Many miners also had this image tattooed on 
  their arm after their first year of service with the 
  guild as the symbol was supposed to invoke the 
  protection of Yhancia. 
  In 2001R the Llanish Mining Guild 
  financed the building of a chapel in Odressi and 
  the establishment of a small clergy. In 2006R, 
  the temple in Odressi was visited by Sharder 
  Stonethrall, a wandering Dwarven priest. He 
  provided the Human order with a wealth of 
  traditional Stonekin lore about the Goddess and 
  he was invited to become their High Priest. 
  Stonethrall continues to officiate at the temple 
  which has attracted a further four Dwarven 
  clerics into the mostly Human following.  
   
  Last year the Yhancian church released 
  “The Revised Testament of the Twin Faiths”, a 
  bible that fused the beliefs of both Human and 
  Dwarven cultures toward Yhancia. 
   
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Doctrine 
  According to “The Revised Testament of 
  the Twin Faiths” which is the official doctrine of 
  the Odressi chapter of Yhancia, all who worship 
  the Goddess will find salvation in the afterlife in 
  the great underground realm of Deepmine. This 
  exists beneath Tarrisada, where Yhancia is the 
  light by which all her faithful see.  
  All reference to Zarradanza has been 
  removed from the new bible and many 
  traditionalists are at odds with those changes. 
  The religion requires its followers to value the 
  land and give thanks for the bounty that Yhancia 
  provides in the form of stone, metal and precious 
  gems. A true follower of Yhancia will work in 
  harmony with the land just as a worshipper of 
  Ulliah works in harmony with the forests. 
   
  Dwarven purists still talk of the mystical 
  realm of Zarradanza and that the Goddess never 
  entered the Eternal Sleep but remained on Enshar 
  after 
  the 
  Last 
  Battle, 
  protected 
  in 
  her 
  underground fortress. Dwarven priests encourage 
  their followers to seek knowledge of lost 
  Zarradanza or even to travel into the distant west 
  to find the ancient realm. For this reason, many 
  of the old guard are ostracized by Stonekin who 
  have settled in the cities of Men. They are 
  accused of putting the lives of the young and the 
  foolhardy in danger by sending them on 
  impossible quests, when they should be learning 
  the skills of a blacksmith or similar trade. 
   
  Organization 
  As mentioned, the Dwarven priests who 
  spread the original word of Yhancia are 
  individuals who pass their lore on from father to 
  son. They have no strict organization as such but 
  all preach from a book called “The Secrets of 
  Stone”. Similarly the Human Priests who base 
  themselves in mining communities of Llan and 
  Sard are individuals who have gained lore from 
  interaction with the church in Odressi or from 
  wandering Dwarven priests.  
  The hybrid Dwarven/Human church in 
  Odressi is the only order with a formal structure. 
  The pontiff is referred to as the High Priest and 
  is served by five senior priests called the Synod 
  who control the administration of the temple. 
  The rest of the clergy are made up of ordained 
  priests and acolytes. Acolytes are usually 
  sourced from local families and, since the temple 
  has aligned itself with a Dwarven hierarchy, 
  many important clans scattered all over Eldoria 
  have been sending their offspring to the Odressi 
  as prospective priests. 
   
  Regalia 
  The Odressi order of Yhancia bases its 
  clerical costume on drawings of traditional 
  clothing worn by priests at the time that the 
  Stonekin occupied Karashar-Zahl. Acolytes wear 
  a black shirt with a high stiff collar and charcoal 
  grey britches. When they become priests, a 
  quilted surcoat is worn over the shirt, the surcoat 
  being the same color as the britches. Senior 
  priests are identified by a white surcoat and the 
  High Priest wears a similar costume except for 
  the addition of an intricate head-piece of gold, 
  set with precious stones. 
   
  The holy symbol of Yhancia is usually 
  made from salamite, a rare stone that is 
  impervious to heat. The device is triangular and 
  is inscribed with a single eye on the front and 
  three eyes on the reverse side. 
   
  Temple Design 
  There is only one temple that has been 
  built in modern times that is devoted to Yhancia; 
  the cathedral in Odressi. The Dwarven priests 
  who continue to spread the old doctrine act as 
  individuals and have no need for a formal 
  setting, preaching from “The Secrets of Stone” to 
  congregations gathered about mountainsides or 
  in the deep caverns of the world. 
  Most of the temple in Odressi is housed 
  beneath the ground and consists of a labyrinth of 
  chambers and halls used for religious services 
  and as living quarters for the clergy. Above 
  ground there is a wide area of paving, sheltered 
  by a triangular stone roof that is supported by 
  The holy symbol of Yhancia is made of 
  salamite, a rare mineral that is resistant to 
  heat. It features one eye on the front and 
  three eyes on the back. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  three massive columns; one at each apex. The 
  columns are 50’ in height and each has a 
  circumference of 10’. Hanging from the center of 
  this construct is a huge stone bell, carved all 
  about with scenes from the ancient travels of the 
  Dwarves. This is the Karashar Bell; a relic saved 
  from the fall of Karashar-Zahl and eventually 
  brought to the Dwarven mines in the Four 
  Kingdoms of the Crownless Lands. After the fall 
  of the Four Kingdoms to the incursions of the 
  Goblinkynd out of Ahr-Ganiz, the Karashar Bell 
  was moved and eventually brought to Odressi by 
  the Stonethrall Clan. 
  Many decades later, members of that 
  Clan, led by the legendary Shale Stonethrall, 
  mounted an expedition to retrieve the Bell and 
  successfully brought the relic out of Leezeria and 
  across the sea to Odressi. Here he made the 
  Karashar Bell a gift to the Human following of 
  Yhancia and became their High Priest. 
   
  Ritual 
  Upon death, followers of Yhancia are 
  buried in the earth or preferably beneath a cairn 
  of stones or a stone marker, often decorated by 
  the Thrynn, a triangular device featuring the 
  three eyes of the Goddess, said to possess the 
  sight of low-light vision, darkvision and far-
  sight.  
  Worship of Yhancia includes principles 
  such as the allocation of a plot of a tenth of the 
  land that you own to the Goddess. This land 
  remains unused except for the purpose of hosting 
  all family ceremonies (such as Recognition, 
  weddings and funeral rites). Those who are not 
  wealthy enough to own land, keep an urn of 
  earth, blessed by a Yhancian cleric. This earth is 
  sprinkled to mark the boundary of family 
  ceremonies taking place on land that is not 
  owned and dedicated to Yhancia, when such 
  ceremonies take place. 
   
  Uushai 
  The Uushai of Yhancia are powerful 
  stone elementals who reside either in Deepmine, 
  beneath Tarrisada or in the mortal realm of 
  Zarradanza (depending if you follow the old faith 
  or the new faith). They are known by the names 
  of 
  Karak, 
  Crackenrock, 
  Gemsoul 
  and 
  Stonehewer.  
  If you summon an elder stone elemental 
  in Eldoria, you are calling upon one of the 
  Uushai of Yhancia. 
   
   
  Bonus Spell 
  Priests of Yhancia are devoted to 
  discovering the ancient roots of the land and the 
  bounty beneath it. They have learned to use the 
  treasures of the deep to create unique spells. 
  GEMFIRE 
  School transmutation; 
   Level cleric 1 (Yhancia) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, S, M (1 or more gem each of at 
  least 100gp value) 
  Range touch 
  Targets 1 gem / three levels 
  Area 10 feet radius burst 
  Duration up to 1 round/level  
  Saving Throw Will negates (harmless, object); 
  Spell Resistance yes (harmless, object) 
   
  The caster imbues the gem(s) with 
  Gemfire. The duration of the spell can be varied 
  and must be decided at the time of casting.  
  The gem will explode at the end of the 
  duration doing 1d6+1/level fire damage to all 
  targets in a 10’ area. 
   
  Assay Spell 
  The Assay spell of the priesthood of Yhancia is 
  Magic Stone. When this spell is cast by a 
  Yhancian priest the enhancement bonus to hit 
  and damage is +2. 
  Artefact 
  MALIGRANT’S HAMMER 
  Strong evocation/abjuration; CL 18th; weight 
  10lb. 
   
  The line of cavalry swept across the 
  grassed plain; lances began to lower as they 
  neared the position held by Stonesinger and his 
  company of Dwarven soldiers. Most of the other 
  Sardian regiments had withdrawn from the field, 
  but Stonesinger held his ground so that the King 
  could reach the safety of the river crossing. 
   Onward 
  thundered 
  the 
  horsemen; 
  lances all now pointed forward. The Dwarves 
  locked shields and readied themselves. With the 
  enemy a hundred yards away, Karne Stonesinger 
  
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  leapt out from behind the shield wall and raised 
  his mighty hammer high in the air.  
  With a guttural yell, he brought it down 
  on the ground. Where it struck, there was a flash 
  of sparks, like flint on steel. The ground around 
  the hammer split…and kept on splitting; huge 
  cracks opening up, snaking outward toward the 
  charging cavalry.  
   
  Malagrant was one of the Dwarven Lords 
  who survived the destruction of Karashar-Zahl 
  and 
  founded 
  a 
  Kingdom 
  in 
  the 
  Grand 
  Escarpment of Sard. His family was said to have 
  been given a mighty warhammer in ages past by 
  the Uushai of Yhancia. The hammer has a head 
  of enchanted marble, encased in Excellium steel, 
  which is set onto a shaft of Diamondwood. The 
  shaft is inlaid with precious stones. It is a +3 
  weapon with the following spell-like abilities: 
   
   
  - 
  Automatically conveys the effects of the 
  spell Stoneskin on the user, while the 
  user wields the hammer 
   
  - 
  Earthquake (useable once per day). This 
  is invoked by striking the hammer on 
  the ground and calling a command 
  word. Note everyone inside a 10’ radius 
  of the wielder of the hammer is 
  protected from the effects of the 
  Earthquake. 
   
  Charm 
  IRON EYE 
  Description: A small token shaped like a stylized 
  eye, made from iron. This is usually fixed to a 
  personal item made of metal or stone that weighs 
  no more than 50 lb.  
   
  Trigger: Any Break Roll made against the item 
   
  DC: 12 
   
  Effect: Temporarily increase the Break DC by +4 
  for the break roll  
   
  Cost: 5 silver trades 
   
  Frequency: Uncommon 
   
  Usage: If the Break Roll fails, the Iron Eye 
  cracks and is useless 
   
   
  (Below Left) An Iron Eye Charm is most effective against 
  breakage. (Below Right) The powerful artefact, Maligrant’s 
  Hammer, can invoke earthquakes 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  HIRATH 
  God of the Nender-Saahn (the Animals)  
   
   
  Other Titles: 
  The Dragonking, Lord of Beasts, the Celestial Hunter 
  Alignment: 
  Neutral 
  Domains: 
  Animal/Fur/Strength/Ferocity/Travel 
  Favored Weapon: 
  Spear 
  Appearance: 
  A large muscular man with long black hair and a full beard, striped like a badger. 
  He wears a heavy cloak of furs and carries a large hunting spear. 
  Status: 
  Minor church with cult following amongst small Druidical orders and ranger 
  cadres. 
  Following: 
  95% Male, 5% Female 
  Power Centers: 
  Minor religion in Char-Endl and Druidical following in Odressi. A cult following 
  amongst the Elves of Leezeria and with isolated groups of Druids and Rangers in 
  Western Sard. 
  Holy Day: 
  Drydanzar, 6th Day of the Third Span of the March of Earth. 
  Clerical Dress: 
  A robe of patchwork animal hides and a head-piece made from a wolf pelt is the 
  official costume of the Odressi order. The Char-Endl order wears a black cassock 
  and a red stole emblazoned with dragon motifs. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  A rampant lion is the main symbol of the Odressi druids, while the Char-Endlese 
  order use the dragon icons, associated with clan chieftains. 
  Associations: 
  Hirath is the son of Yhancia (Goddess of Mountains) and Ulliah (God of the 
  Forests). Because of the great racial divide between the three religions of the 
  House of the Land, there is no real direct cooperation between them. The Hirathian 
  church has individual Recognition agreements with the House of Waters and the 
  churches of Pharidor and Tarimth (only) from the House of Light 
  Basic Goal: 
  The protection of wildlife so that souls of mortals may pass on to the afterlife. 
  Religion Trait: 
  Eyes of the Hunter. You have learned how to make yourself unseen and unheard 
  by animals. Benefit: You gain a +2 trait bonus to Stealth Checks against animals 
  only. You gain a +1 trait bonus to Handle Animal checks. You can select one of 
  these as a Class skill. 
  Bonus Spell: 
  Mercy Killing 
  Assay Spell: 
  Hold Animal 
   
   
  History 
  The religion of Hirath has both a Human 
  and Elven following. The latter, like most Elven 
  faiths, survived through the Darktime due to 
  senior members of clans passing on the doctrine 
  from one clan member to the next. So long as the 
  clans survived, the lore of Hirath was passed on.  
  The Human following of Hirath arose after the 
  Redemption and, like the majority of Human 
  versions of the Twenty-Seven religions, it based 
  itself on dogma drawn from the Books of Law.  
  Hyass Forlonsar, a native of Khalisant, 
  viewed the Books of Law in Jasper in 707R, 
  while seeking refuge from the civil wars in his 
  homeland. He was a scholar interested in 
  dragons and their demise from the world and the 
  texts devoted to Hirath, contained within the 
  Books of Law, were a valuable source of 
  information on the great Wyrms. Forlonsar later 
  went to live in the borderlands between 
  Khalisant and Sardell and had regular contact 
  with the druids who worshipped Ulliah and 
  dwelled in the Stonebrow Mountains. He 
  eventually joined the Order of Mount Sark. 
  In 725R, Forlonsar left the Order to 
  establish his own druidical group devoted to 
  Hirath. He drew a number of his brethren from 
  Mount Sark, who also had an interest in the 
  animal aspect of the natural world. They called 
  themselves the Order of the Wyrm and their 
  main goal was to seek out all that they could 
  concerning dragonkind.  
  Following references from the Books of 
  Law, Forlonsar put together an expedition into 
  the frigid north. This was a journey to the last 
  
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  known bastion of the dragons in the Darktime 
  before a terrible malady called the Wasting 
  wiped them all out. 
  The expedition wound its way through 
  southern Khalisant to the shores of the Greater 
  Inner Sea and, from there, they traveled along 
  the coast and into Char-Endl, crossing the 
  treacherous glaciers of the Plains of Ice and 
  entering Midwaine Headland on the 1st Day of 
  Spring in 731R. The arduous journey claimed the 
  life of Forlonsar and only five of the original 
  thirty people who set out on the quest made it to 
  Midwaine, 
  where 
  they 
  were 
  immediately 
  captured as slaves by local Char-Endlese clans. 
  Leadership of the Order of the Wyrm fell 
  upon the shoulders of Forlonsar’s young niece, 
  Heriosta. She was intrigued by the usage of the 
  dragon as a decorative motif by the Char-Endlese 
  clansmen and, once the language barriers were 
  overcome, she discovered that the dragon was a 
  mark of strength and importance in the region, 
  only to be used by chieftains and their immediate 
  hierarchy of warriors.  
  The clans had no organized religion, 
  although each group usually had a learned skald 
  who recounted tales of the ancient times. These 
  included many stories that concerned dragons 
  having discourse with the Humans of the North 
  and forging alliances with the great chieftains 
  and mythological characters of old. 
  Heriosta was freed from slavery by one of 
  these skalds who recognized both her beauty and 
  her intelligence. The man was named Duragand 
  the Firegazer and, through him Heriosta was able 
  to garner interest in Hirath, weaving the God into 
  existing Char-Endlese stories. Before her death 
  in 766R she had managed to free all the other 
  druids who had accompanied her uncle from 
  Khalisant and establish a solid following of 
  Hirath amongst the Char-Endlese. This dogma 
  was spread through the clans between 750R and 
  950R.  
  When the first envoys from the Sardellan 
  Empire arrived in Cetairi in 1051R they were 
  amazed to find a druidical Order negotiating for 
  the chieftains, who were able to speak their 
  tongue. The Order of the Wyrm had a firm 
  political base and continued its activities in 
  seeking 
  out 
  knowledge 
  about 
  dragonlore, 
  managing to gather an important collection of 
  Pre-Redemption records, fossils and art from the 
  Sixteen Tribes of Char-Endl. This collection was 
  housed in Cetairi, the principal meeting place of 
  the Hirathians of the North.  
  The Order of the Wyrm still seemed to be 
  infected with a wanderlust and a number of 
  expeditions continued eastward into the Northern 
  Outlands and westward, into the Barren Plateau, 
  home to the Bloodmane barbarians. They struck 
  up a rapport with the Bloodmane shamans, who 
  practiced their own beliefs, investing animals as 
  representatives of deities. Although they were 
  unable to convince the shamans of the divinity of 
  Hirath and the pantheon of Twenty-Seven 
  Theledai, the druids were able to have the dragon 
  included amongst the sacred animals of the 
  Bloodmane.  
  In addition, the Bloodmane told the 
  druids of a people who dwelled on the island of 
  Revertoll, across the western sea. They had 
  embraced aspects of the Bloodmane beliefs. 
  They offered to lead the druids to the shores of 
  the Sea of Five Winds and across to the island of 
  Revertoll. The expedition never returned but 
  centuries later, stories from merchants plying the 
  Sea of Five Winds spoke of a highly organized 
  society based on Revertoll. It was divided into 
  strict clans, each with a different animal as their 
  totem. A druidical order governed spiritual 
  affairs on the island and it is thought that some 
  of the druids did make it to Revertoll and 
  influence its culture. 
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  The Order of the Wyrm, based in Cetairi, 
  was responsible for negotiating a formal end to 
  the Char-Endlese practice of raiding coastal 
  settlements and island communities across the 
  Greater Inner Sea. As a result, many merchant 
  captains of the North looked to Char-Endl to 
  trade both in produce (mainly furs and 
  ambergris) 
  and 
  services 
  (the 
  hire 
  of 
  mercenaries).  
  Representatives of the Order of the Wyrm 
  visited southern cities to negotiate trade 
  agreements and some came to Odressi, where 
  they were encouraged to establish a temple. 
  After much debate amongst the Sixteen Tribes at 
  the Na-Tagwah (an annual clan meeting) held in 
  Cetairi in 1734R, it was agreed that a permanent 
  temple would be built in Odressi and a number 
  of druids moved south to take up residence there. 
  The Odressi Order was fascinated by the 
  diverse wildlife of the southern lands of Eldoria 
  and came to establish a large menagerie on a 
  grant of land outside of the city. Here, they 
  collected a great variety of creatures and created 
  a renowned library of scholarly and artistic 
  renderings of the animals that passed through 
  their collection over the years.  
  Realizing that their theological and 
  political paths were becoming divergent, the 
  Odressi druids formally became a separate sect 
  from the Order in Char-Endl in 1864R, acting 
  against the wishes of their kinfolk. They 
  renounced the concept that dragons were even a 
  real creature and adopted the lion as their new 
  symbol, changing their name to the Society of 
  the Lion. There has been bad blood between both 
  druidical followings ever since, especially after 
  the Society of the Lion was accepted as the true 
  representatives of the faith at the Congress of 
  Odressi. 
  Because of this, the Order of the Wyrm 
  has been accused of actively manipulating 
  politics between Char-Endl and other realms in a 
  bid to have the Lions ousted. The recent 
  resurgence of attacks on shipping by rogue 
  Dragoncarls is rumored to have been encouraged 
  by the northern druids in a bid to bring pressure 
  to bear on the Congress of Odressi to reassess 
  the legitimacy of the Society of the Lion 
  representing the Hirath church.  
  Last year, the Order of the Wyrm 
  declared a blood feud against the Society of the 
  Lion and, as a result, Char-Endl druids are 
  expected to attack members of the Odressi 
  following on sight. 
   
   
  Doctrine 
  Common to both Human orders of Hirath 
  is the concept that Hirath made the Nender-
  Saahn (animals) of the land and that, given time, 
  the Nender-Saahn would have evolved spiritually 
  and come to achieve sentience in their own right. 
  Phelltar, in creating the Saahn, bypassed the 
  vision of Hirath and populated the world with 
  destructive races, gifted with reasoning minds 
  but not mindful of the natural world. 
   
  The druids of Hirath act as guardians of 
  wild beasts. This does not mean that they do not 
  believe in hunting, for the predator is a natural 
  part of the animal world. They do object to 
  hunting for pure sport; what a mortal slays 
  should be sufficient to feed the individual and 
  their family. They also believe that animals slain 
  for food should receive a ritual prayer of thanks 
  for the provision of its sustenance, for the spirit 
  
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  of the dead animal may be a mortal soul, 
  revisiting the world. 
  In the afterlife, Hirathians believe that the 
  souls of Humans are reincarnated into the bodies 
  of animals and only, after living a full life in this 
  form in the mortal world, can they pass into 
  Avalar, the paradise set aside by Hirath. In 
  Avalar, the Nender-Saahn are born again and can 
  evolve into the true forms that Hirath wanted for 
  them. By saying a ritual prayer over an animal 
  that has been slain before its time, its spirit is 
  bound to the world and reincarnated again for 
  another chance to gain entrance to Avalar. 
  The souls of animals who are killed by 
  hunters and not consecrated become the prey of 
  Sirrith and are consigned to Shadowland. 
  Hirathian druids will not eat unconsecrated meat. 
  Similarly, they will not touch the flesh of 
  domesticated animals as they consider the animal 
  damned, referring to the meat as Shadowflesh; 
  already bearing the taint of Sirrith.  
  Note that the Elven druids who follow 
  Hirath are strict vegetarians. They believe in the 
  common Elven afterlife concept of the Holy 
  Glade but consider that once you make that final 
  journey to the afterlife the only way you can ever 
  return to the mortal world is in animal form. 
   
  Organization 
  The Order of the Wyrm in Char Endl has 
  three circles of hierarchy, with a Grand Druid at 
  its head. The First Circle is made up of 
  neophytes and people who support the Order but 
  are not adept at magic. The Second Circle is 
  made up of Adepts, those druids who have 
  achieved 6th level of experience. The Third 
  Circle is made up of Masters, being those druids 
  who have exceeded 6th level. 
  The Grand Druid acts from an autocratic 
  position 
  and 
  determines 
  the 
  dogma 
  and 
  administration of the Order, nominating talented 
  individuals to specific roles on an ad-hoc basis. 
  These are usually drawn from masters of the 
  Third Circle but there have been instances of 
  neophytes being given important administrative 
  roles due to their exceptional skills. 
  The Order is centered in Cetairi, where it 
  has its only permanent temple. Each Char-
  Endlese clan has a Master of the Third Circle 
  assigned to it to provide its leader with spiritual 
  guidance (and to keep an eye on the rivalries 
  between Clans). A Master who serves a Clan 
  usually has a small cadre of neophytes to support 
  them. New neophytes are recruited from the 
  Clans and inducted into the service of the Order. 
  Those who show promise are sent to Cetairi for 
  further training. 
  The Society of the Lion operates out of 
  Odressi. Their structure is based upon the Order 
  of the Wyrm, from which they are descended but 
  there are a number of significant changes to the 
  upper levels of their hierarchy. The Society has 
  three Circles and the First Circle of neophytes 
  operates much the same as the Order of the 
  Wyrm. However, the Second Circle has four 
  permanent positions that are appointed by a 
  council made up of Masters of the Third Circle. 
  The positions (referred to as Keepers) are: 
   
  - 
  The House Keeper (responsible for the 
  administration of the temple). 
   
  - 
  The Den Keeper (responsible for the 
  administration 
  of 
  the 
  Society’s 
  menagerie). 
   
  - 
  The Far Keeper (responsible for liaison 
  with sub-groups across Eldoria who 
  follow the teachings of the Society). 
   
  - 
  The Word Keeper (responsible for the 
  evolving dogma of the Society). 
   
  The overall direction of the Society is 
  determined by the Synod of the Lion, a council 
  made up of ten Masters of the Third Circle. The 
  head of the Synod, who is simply called ‘the 
  Lion’, acts as the pontiff of the Hirath religion. 
  The position on the council is permanent unless 
  the individual dies or wishes to retire. That 
  individual has the right to nominate three druids 
  from the Third Circle as a replacement and the 
  council votes on who will become a member of 
  the Synod. The Lion serves for seven years and 
  then must retire from the Synod, which then 
  elects a new Lion from their current ranks. 
   
  Regalia 
  All circles of the Order of the Wyrm wear 
  a black cassock with various insignia that 
  differentiate the hierarchies. The neophytes wear 
  a plain cassock with a dragon motif emblazoned 
  upon their sleeves. The Adepts add a red stole to 
  the costume that has the names of the dragons of 
  legend stitched upon it. The Masters of the Third 
  Circle wear a head-piece of black hardened 
  leather with stylized dragon wings sweeping 
  backward on either side, 
  The Grand Druid wears a long cape of 
  red-stained leather, which is embroidered with a 
  large dragon motif. This is a relic of the order, 
  
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  having been made and worn by Heriosta 
  Forlonsar and passed on to successive Grand 
  Druids. The holy symbol of the order is a dragon 
  shaped amulet. The amulet worn by Masters who 
  serve a Clan chief bears the personal rune of that 
  chief, in addition to the dragon. 
  The neophytes of the Society of the Lion 
  wear a patch-work robe of animal hides. Adepts 
  add a head adornment in the form of a stylized 
  wolf head and a pelt that covers their shoulders. 
  Masters wear a similar head adornment and 
  shoulder cape but theirs is based upon a lion 
  head design. The pontiff adds a hood and cloak 
  fashioned from a bearskin, with rampant lions set 
  about the hem. The holy symbol used by the 
  Society is an amulet of a rampant lion. 
   
   
   
  Temple Design 
  There are only two recognized temple 
  structures – that of the Order of the Wyrm in 
  Cetairi, Char-Endl and the Society of the Lion in 
  Odressi, on the Holy Isle. Due to the nomadic 
  life of the Clans of Char-Endl, the Masters of the 
  Third Circle who serve chieftains, operate out of 
  large tents. Similarly the smaller groups that 
  worship according to the teachings of the Society 
  of the Lion hold ceremonies in natural settings. 
  The temple in Cetairi is a blend of fixed 
  building and a traditional nomadic tent. It is a 
  large stone roundhouse, crowned with a hide 
  dome stretched over whale-bones. Inside is one 
  large chamber with polished wooden panels for 
  flooring. The walls are hung with thick furs, 
  antlers and the skulls of large animals of the 
  region. There is a great circular fire-pit in the 
  middle of the chamber. A number of chests 
  positioned about the walls hold sacred texts, 
  ancient relics and druidical regalia. The inside of 
  the hide roof is painted with the image of a great 
  red dragon. 
  Surrounding the temple proper is a tent 
  community that provides housing for the local 
  druidical community; places to eat and to hold 
  meetings. The whole area, including the temple 
  building and tent compound is surrounded by a 
  wooden stockade, located on a rise of ground on 
  the western outskirts of Cetairi. 
  The temple in Odressi is a very different 
  building being designed and rendered by local 
  builders. Its features incorporate the traditional 
  architectural styles of the Sardellan Empire, 
  which continued to influence Human urban 
  design even after the collapse of the Empire. The 
  temple consists of a large central hall with a high 
  roof, supported by two rows of internal columns 
  and an external flying buttress. 
  A massive altar of polished white marble 
  supports a statue of a lion fashioned from solid 
  gold, the lion being twice the proportions of an 
  actual beast. The main temple holds no pews for 
  seating, other than a series of benches around the 
  interior walls. There are eight large locked grates 
  positioned in the floor between the colonnades 
  and the outer walls. These block ramps that 
  descend to a series of underground tunnels that 
  connect to the menagerie maintained by the 
  Society of the Lion.  
  Animals can be moved securely between 
  the menagerie and the temple, using these 
  tunnels. A number of the columns in the temple 
  are fitted with stout collars and chains to secure 
  beasts when they are used in Hirathian rituals. 
  Two separate complexes are linked to the 
  temple by ornate arcades, renowned for the 
  beautiful work on the columns supporting each 
  walkway. Each column was carved with a capital 
  in the form of a different beast and the feature of 
  the temple is considered a modern masterpiece of 
  architecture amongst scholars.  
  Many lore-masters and travelers come to 
  visit the temple in Odressi and walk the length of 
  the Arcades of the Beasts (as they are known). 
  The arcades connect to an administrative 
  compound positioned to the east of the temple 
  and the large menagerie compound to the west. 
  The administration compound is made up of a 
  central chapter house, refectory, dormitories and 
  an extensive scriptorium (where drawings of the 
  animals in the menagerie are made and bound 
  into exquisitely detailed reference books). 
  The menagerie occupies a wide tract of 
  open land and consists of a series of purpose-
  built structures to house and care for all kinds of 
  animals and an open-fenced area where beasts 
  Holy symbols of the two rival Orders of 
  Hirath – the Lion and the Dragon. 
  
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  can roam free. All manner of exotic animals (and 
  a few monstrous beasts) are maintained at the 
  menagerie. 
   
  Ritual 
  Both the Order of the Wyrm and the 
  Society of the Lion have a common core belief. 
  This is that animals evolve spiritually and that 
  their souls eventually become Saahn (sentient 
  Humans and Demi-Humans). Therefore it is a sin 
  to slay an animal without offering a ritual prayer 
  over the dead body; the prayer ensuring that the 
  slain soul is not lost but can be reborn as an 
  animal and continue the path to enlightenment. 
  If a worshipper of Hirath slays an animal, 
  whether through the need to provide food or self-
  defense, they must perform a prayer over the 
  dead creature and make an offering of their own 
  blood. This is achieved by using a small sharp 
  sacred dagger, called a krivv. Blood is drawn and 
  smeared on the forehead of the dead animal 
  while the ‘Song of Forlonsar” is uttered. 
  The Order of the Wyrm cremate their 
  dead on funeral pyres while the Society of the 
  Lion performs last rites over the dead and later, 
  remove the body to the wild. Here it is set on a 
  small raised bier of intertwined branches and left 
  for animals to consume.  
   
  Uushai 
  Both Orders recognize a number of 
  fantastic mythic were-creatures as the servants of 
  Hirath. They dwell in the wild realms of 
  Tarrisada, running free with the spirits of 
  animals who roam there. The Uushai guide those 
  spirits back to the mortal world and see that 
  those who have achieved enlightenment enter the 
  bodies of new born mortals. The Uushai are 
  named; 
   
  - 
  Korvaxx (Lord of the Wolves) 
   
  - 
  Bastaar (The Bear King) 
   
  - 
  Tarimaz (The Tiger Spirit) 
   
  - 
  Magagdori (The White Boar) 
   
  - 
  Skabatanta (Queen of the Rats) 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Bonus Spell 
  Hirath priests believe that an animal that 
  is suffering should be dispatched as quickly as 
  possible. 
  MERCY KILLING 
  School necromancy;  
  Level cleric 1 (Hirath) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, S 
  Range touch 
  Target living animal touched (land mammal) 
  Duration instantaneous 
  Saving Throw Will negates;  
  Spell Resistance yes 
   
  This 
  spell 
  allows 
  the 
  caster 
  to 
  instantaneously remove a suffering creature’s 
  remaining life force.  
  The target must be of the normal animal 
  sub-type and also must be a land mammal. The 
  creature does not have to be helpless but must 
  have only 10% of its initial hit points remaining.. 
  The spell is delivered by a touch attack that 
  removes the animal’s soul and, if successful, 
  instantly kills the creature.  
   
  Assay Spell 
  Hold Animal is the Assay spell of the 
  Druids who serve Hirath. Hold Animal is treated 
  as a level 1 spell by Hirathian Druids and can be 
  maintained for 2 rounds per level. 
   
  Artefact 
  THE SPEAR OF THE SLAYER 
  Strong necromancy; CL 20th; weight 10lb. 
   
  The rogue mammoth had trampled 
  through the encampment and killed seven of the 
  porters in its first charge. Arrows were sticking 
  out all over its hide but they only seemed to drive 
  the beast mad. It crested the snow-covered 
  embankment and turned, ready to charge again.  
  Seasoned hunters scattered, not wanting 
  to face such a dangerous opponent, but Forjen 
  Narn, our shaman, stood his ground, unafraid. 
  He was swathed in a battered old coat of fur that 
  had seen many winters and he carried a long 
  spear, which looked more ceremonial, than 
  functional. 
  
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   As the mammoth bellowed and pawed 
  the ground before it, Forjen plucked something 
  from one of the bodies left in the trail of ruin 
  which the beast had cut across the camp.  
  It was a long strand of mammoth hair that 
  was caught on the axe of one of our fallen 
  comrades. Forjen seemed to be trying to wind 
  this about the shaft of his fancy spear, just below 
  its polished head. He continued to fiddle with his 
  weapon as the mammoth charged down toward 
  him, intent on claiming the shaman’s life. 
   
  Our arrows buzzed about the beast or 
  struck it and broke. Forjen raised his spear and 
  stood poised. As the mammoth bore down on 
  him, he flung the spear and rolled away to one 
  side. The weapon flew true and struck the 
  creature low in its body. Then there was a light, 
  like the green glow of sunlight in the canopies of 
  the deep forest. The mammoth bellowed and fell 
  forward, crashing onto its side in the heart of the 
  camp. It was dead, killed by Forjen’s single 
  blow.  
   
  In the First Age, Hirath sent abroad his 
  Uushai to bring game to the table of the Gods in 
  their hall on Mount Heliphera. He equipped his 
  servants with enchanted spears that would make 
  their hunt quick and painless for the animals they 
  hunted. Some of these spears were lost during 
  the hunt and, currently, two have been 
  discovered in the mortal world, both possessed 
  by the Order of the Wyrm, a druidical order 
  based in Char-Endl. 
   The Spear of the Slayer has a 
  Diamondwood shaft, seven feet in length and a 
  solid razor-sharp head of Excellium steel. Where 
  the head meets the shaft is a small cavity, 
  covered by a metal collar; the collar can be 
  rotated to expose the cavity. If a part of a non-
  sentient creature (a piece of fur, bone, skin or 
  even droppings) is sealed inside the cavity, the 
  spear becomes a +2 Spear of Slaying of that 
  creature type. It takes a standard action to equip 
  the spear.  
  The target creature is killed outright if the 
  Spear inflicts any damage on it and the creature 
  fails a FORT Save at DC 20. The material placed 
  inside the cavity is consumed if the creature is 
  slain by the power of the Spear. 
   The Spear functions as a standard +2 
  weapon against all other targets.  
    
   
  Charm 
  DRAGON’S FANG 
  Description: A boar’s tusk inscribed with 
  mystical letters, attached to a leather cord. 
   
  Trigger: The owner of the Charm is attacked by 
  a normal land animal subtype 
   
  DC: 15 
   
   
  Effect: If the player is in a group, then the animal 
  will target another character. If the owner of the 
  Charm is the only viable target, the animal is 
  automatically flat-footed on round 1 of combat 
  and has a -4 adjustment to attack rolls against the 
  owner of the Charm. 
   
  Cost: 1 gold trade 
   
  Frequency: Uncommon 
   
  Usage: If the owner is ever damaged by a normal 
  animal (mammal) the Charm is rendered useless. 
   
   
   
   
  
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  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  GURTHOR  
  God of the Seas and Oceans 
   
  Other Titles: 
  Lord of the Bottomless Deep, King of the Merfolk, Keeper of the Tide 
  Alignment: 
  Chaotic Neutral 
  Domains: 
  Water/Oceans/Travel/Animal (aquatic) 
  Favored Weapon: 
  Trident 
  Appearance: 
  A muscular merman with a head resembling that of an octopus. 
  Status: 
  Minor Human religion with a limited following amongst the Elves. Major temples 
  in Odressi, Fairhaven, Tempest and Tritonia. 
  Following: 
  90% Male, 10% Female 
  Power Centers: 
  Major temples in Odressi, Fairhaven, Tempest and Tritonia. 
  Holy Day: 
  Draelinzar, 1st Day of the First Span of the March of Water. 
  Clerical Dress: 
  Dark blue robe offset with green and gray trim. A belt of shells is worn by senior 
  clerics. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  The holy symbol is a shell on a leather cord. The type of shell denotes their rank. 
  Associations: 
  Se (Goddess of Storms) is the daughter of Gurthor and Liraan (Goddess of the 
  Rivers and Lakes) is his wife; they all share Recognition agreements. Gurthor also 
  has Recognition agreements with the House of the Land and the House of Light. 
  Basic Goal: 
  The appeasement of Gurthor who would otherwise flood the last remaining land 
  masses. 
  Religion Trait: 
  Salt Heart. You are used to travelling by sea. Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus on 
  Profession: Sailor and Swim. You may choose one of these as a Class skill. 
  Bonus Spell: 
  Sounding 
  Assay Spell: 
  Air Bubble 
   
   
  History 
  The worship of Gurthor was carried on 
  throughout the Darktime by mariners who 
  feared, rather than revered the sea God and 
  sought to appease him by making offerings 
  before they set sail. This fear was fueled by the 
  cataclysmic destruction of the continent of 
  Kordass and subsequent tsunami that destroyed 
  many islands of the equatorial oceans of Enshar 
  at the end of the First Age. 
  There was no formal church during the 
  Darktime, just prayers and ritual practices passed 
  on by word of mouth, from captain to crew. The 
  dogma and traditions associated with Gurthor 
  had a number of core common themes, mainly 
  revolving around the great flood but there were 
  such a diverse number of regional beliefs and 
  mythological tales that made the religion very 
  different in each port of call.  
  The formal religion of Gurthor was not 
  recognized until many centuries after the 
  Redemption. The Llanish scholar, Druelan Hald, 
  who sailed on an extensive voyage about the seas 
  of 
  Eldoria 
  between 
  1098R 
  and 
  1100R, 
  painstakingly compiled most of the tales and 
  beliefs of sea-going folk that he met along the  
   
   
  way. Hald reworked these stories that he had 
  gathered from all over the length and breadth of  
  the known world and combined them with the 
  knowledge or Gurthor that existed within the 
  Books of Law. The result was a great tome of 
  work that became known as the ‘Lexicon of the 
  Seafarer’.  
  Hald died in 1113R and his work may 
  have just been left as a notable, but forgotten, 
  academic work. As luck would have it, a copy of 
  the Lexicon was presented as a gift to the king of 
  Llan. The king was said to be so impressed by 
  the Lexicon that he ordered a shrine dedicated to 
  Gurthor to be built in the harbor of Quorull, in 
  order to bless all the ships built in the dockyards 
  there. Subsequently, sailors came to make 
  offerings at the shrine and a clergy arose to 
  administer to their needs. 
  A requirement of the training of Gurthor 
  novices was that they must sail five seas of 
  Eldoria before being ordained as priests. As 
  Llanish and Sardellan ships extended the trade 
  routes of their respective countries between 
  1120R and 1300R, novices of the Gurthor faith 
  sailed with them, spreading the word of the 
  Lexicon and settling in far-flung ports to 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  establish temples there as well. The financial 
  cost of founding these new churches was quite 
  an easy exercise as the church was equipped with 
  a number of innovative ways to raise revenue 
  amongst the nautical fraternity. These usually 
  revolved around forging strong links with the 
  local seamen’s and shipwright’s guilds and 
  taking a share of their fees in return for providing 
  sailors with sacred tokens to save them from 
  denizens of the deep. In addition tithes were paid 
  to the church for blessing ships prior to them 
  putting out to sea. 
  By 1600R, the Gurthor religion 
  had established itself in all major 
  ports throughout Eldoria and 
  had entered into the Charter 
  of Odressi, building a major 
  temple on a small island 
  outside the harbor of the 
  holy city.  
  Since the 1100s 
  the 
  center 
  of 
  ecclesiastical power for 
  the Gurthor church had 
  remained in Quorull but 
  with the occupation of 
  Llan by Sardell and the 
  wars that followed the 
  collapse of the Empire, the 
  senior clergy chose to relocate 
  to the Odressi temple and this 
  became the new seat of power 
  through to the 22nd century R. 
  With the rise of the city state of Tempest, 
  the mercantile giant of the Great Inner Sea, the 
  Guild of Gold provided funds for the building of 
  a magnificent cathedral dedicated to Gurthor. 
  The merchant fleet of Tempest had become the 
  largest in Eldoria by 2000R and the Guild 
  thought it prudent to invoke the protection of 
  Gurthor on their investment. Following the 
  founding of the cathedral, there was a gradual 
  shift of the more important Gurthor priests to 
  Tempest, from Odressi.  
  The Guild of Gold also sponsored priests 
  to take up a permanent position on their vessels, 
  acting in the role of spiritual advisors to their 
  captains. Seervati priests were particularly 
  encouraged to fulfill this role and were well paid 
  by the guild. 
  As a result of the lucrative relationship 
  with the Guild of Gold, there has been a recent 
  backlash amongst the churches in southern ports, 
  which feel that their northern counterparts have 
  lost their way and are overly concerned with 
  their purse strings rather than their devotion to 
  the God and the protection of the faithful who 
  sail upon his waters. Although there has been no 
  official division within the church, it is rumored 
  that the topic will be hotly debated at the next 
  Congress of Odressi. 
  There is limited worship of Gurthor 
  amongst the Elves of Fairhaven who build the 
  Quesiri, ocean-going trimarans used to hunt the 
  Merdathian Maelstrom and thereby gain entry to 
  the tween-world of the Undying Sea. There is a 
  single temple maintained at Fairhaven that gives 
  guidance and solace to those Elves traveling or 
  transporting kinfolk to the Holy Glade. 
   
  Doctrine 
  Gurthor’s realm is the 
  oceans and he once dwelled 
  in 
  the 
  great 
  undersea 
  palace of Oceandeep, said 
  to lie beneath the depths 
  of the Unending Sea, 
  between 
  the 
  prime 
  material 
  plane 
  and 
  Tarrisada.  
  The God and his 
  Uushai can manifest as 
  any large sea creature and 
  therefore 
  the 
  religion 
  forbids the hunting of sharks, 
  dolphins and whales. This is 
  one of the reasons why the 
  Gurthor church has failed to make 
  an inroad into Char-Endl. Its people are 
  amongst the most intrepid of mariners and the 
  harvesting of whales remains an important part 
  of their economy.  
  The basic belief of the church is that, in 
  the ages before the Darktime, the Saahn lived in 
  paradise with the Gods on the continent of 
  Kordass. When mortals were deceived by 
  Dhamikohn the Usurper, the Saahn stole from 
  the powers reserved for the Theledai alone, 
  challenging the divinity of the Gods. Gurthor 
  was so angered that he drowned the land of 
  Kordass with an enormous tsunami.  
  “The Lexicon of the Seafarer” states that 
  Gurthor continues to harbor resentment toward 
  the Saahn and his wrath is only assuaged by the 
  dedication of the priesthood in performing daily 
  ceremonies to honor him. In a sense, the clergy 
  of Gurthor see themselves as protectors of 
  Eldoria. Should they fail in their duties the seas 
  will rise and swallow the known world. 
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Organization 
  Acolytes of the church are called Selkidai 
  (a slang term for small fish). They are usually 
  recruited from the families of sailors or guilds 
  with a vested interest in transporting their goods 
  by sea. In Tempest, many acolytes are drawn 
  from poorer families who live in the Underquay, 
  the floating community that lies beneath the 
  massive platforms of the city. 
  Acolytes are housed at a regional temple 
  and go through a one 
  year period of 
  indoctrination into the mythos of the religion. 
  During this time Seervati are identified and sent 
  to separate temples specializing in teaching the 
  spells of the clerical Order. The Seervati schools 
  are based in Quorull, Tempest and Odressi. 
  When it is deemed that their training is 
  complete, acolytes are apprenticed to a sea 
  captain and serve for a period of five years with 
  a vessel as its Serandai (spiritual guide). 
  Although they are given the title of priest, their 
  domain is only that of the ship they serve. Only 
  when their apprenticeship as a Serandai is 
  complete 
  does 
  an 
  apprentice 
  attain 
  true 
  priesthood and is received into the church as a 
  Selkidar (big fish). As priests, they either serve a 
  temple directly or can opt to be assigned to the 
  Order of the Seafarer, where they continue to 
  travel with a ship and provide spiritual guidance 
  for the captain and crew.  
  Whereas 
  the 
  Serandai 
  are 
  usually 
  apprenticed aboard smaller vessels and are 
  billeted below decks with the crew, seafarer 
  priests command greater respect and are afforded 
  a private cabin and a small chapel on the vessel 
  that they serve. 
  Selkidar advance in the priesthood to take 
  on the management of various administrative 
  roles within each regional temple. Most temples 
  have a hierarchy of six senior Selkidar who 
  govern local affairs in conjunction with the High 
  Priest. The High Priest must be a Seervati and 
  besides being responsible for the religious affairs 
  of his or her domain, they also identify the 
  potential Seervati amongst the acolytes. The 
  High Priests also attend the Congress held in 
  Odressi every four years. 
  The supreme head of the Gurthor religion 
  is called the Sea-Lord and resides in Odressi. 
  The Sea-Lord serves until their death or 
  retirement from office. The succession is dealt 
  with at the next Congress. Until that time, the 
  Sea-Lord’s nominated proxy assumes control of 
  the title. 
   
  Regalia 
  Acolytes of the church of Gurthor wear a 
  light blue sleeveless, knee length robe, girdled 
  by a belt of grey leather. Their holy symbol is a 
  periwinkle shell strung on a leather cord. 
  As priests they wear a dark blue robe 
  trimmed with grey and green leather. The holy 
  symbol is a cockle-shell. Senior priests add a belt 
  of small shells to their clerical costume. 
  Seervati are identified by a dark green 
  version of the priestly robe and priests of the 
  Order of the Seafarer wear a dark grey robe. 
  The Sea-Lord wears a dark blue robe with 
  a green cope embroidered with a motif 
  resembling entwined tentacles. His holy symbol 
  is a polished cowrie. 
   
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Temple Design 
  There was no formal temple design until 
  the construction of the cathedral in Odressi, 
  which was built upon a small islet in the harbor. 
  A few decades after the cathedral was finished, 
  pre-established Gurthor temples across Eldoria 
  began renovations, copying aspects of the design 
  used in Odressi. New temples followed the 
  Odressi cathedral design to a tee.  
  The Odressi cathedral is square with a 
  large stone dome. There are four main entrances 
  that provide access to the place of worship. This 
  is a sizable area only adorned by a statue of 
  Gurthor, mounted on a raised dais. The floor of 
  the temple is beautifully decorated with a mosaic 
  of lapis-lazuli and polished shells, featuring 
  depictions of sea creatures. The dome ceiling 
  features 
  similar 
  work 
  depicting 
  Gurthor 
  destroying the continent of Kordass.  
  The southern side of the cathedral has a 
  series of stairs that descend to three stone 
  groynes. Structures that provide accommodation 
  and places of learning for the priesthood are built 
  along the two outer groynes. The inner groyne 
  serves as a pier for vessels bringing worshippers 
  to the cathedral and as a place for certain 
  ceremonies. 
   
  Ritual 
  Priests of Gurthor perform a ceremony at 
  the turning of the tide, whereby they sing praises 
  to their God. The ceremony is performed upon a 
  floating platform, moored close to their temple. 
  They launch miniature boats made of plaited 
  reeds from the platform, into which they place 
  writings dedicated to the God and his domain. 
  On special holy days, offerings include precious 
  gems and works of scrimshaw that are sent away 
  on the tide. 
  As part of their daily routine, bathing in 
  the sea is essential to devotees of the religion 
  and, in cases where a priest knows they will be 
  traveling inland for an extended period, they will 
  often take a quantity of seawater with them, 
  contained within a sealed chalice called a 
  Taurine. As long as they wash the hands with 
  this water, it is considered that they have met 
  their daily bathing obligations. 
  Gurthor tolerates the intrusion of mortals 
  into his realm only because of the prayers of the 
  priesthood. He is a temperamental God and will 
  often work with his daughter, Se, to create great 
  storms to destroy ships at sea. Those who are not 
  amongst the faithful and have not paid homage 
  to Gurthor before they enter his realm are at 
  peril. If they leave the fragile safety of their 
  vessels, Gurthor will pull them below the waters 
  to drown or send his servants to devour them. 
  The most popular token sold by the priesthood to 
  those setting to sea, is a green or blue ribbon, 
  often threaded with seashells and blessed by the 
  clergy.  
  Known as ‘Gurthor’s Garter’, the ribbon 
  is tied around the calf of one leg so that, in the 
  event of falling overboard, the God and his 
  creatures will know those who have paid their 
  due tribute…and those who have not. 
   
  When they die, Gurthor worshippers are 
  buried at sea; their bodies wrapped and bound in 
  a weighted canvas. It is believed that the merfolk 
  (considered to be ‘angelic’ servants of Gurthor) 
  unwrap the funeral shroud and draw the spirit 
  from the corpse and guide then southward to the 
  equator. Here, the spirits are caught up in the 
  Merdathian 
  Maelstrom 
  and 
  so 
  enter 
  the 
  Unending Sea. 
   
  Uushai 
  Gurthor slumbers in Oceandeep, waiting 
  for the time of the Awakening. Oceandeep is a 
  vast underwater fortress located in the deepest 
  part of the Unending Sea, the realm that divides 
  Tarrisada from the mortal world. Here also dwell 
  the Kelipiri, the twelve Sirens, who are the 
  Uushai of Gurthor. They take the form of 
  merfolk and often visit their mortal cousins in 
  the oceans of Enshar. 
  The leader of the Sirens is named Uella 
  and, then in order of rank, there is Carriasa, 
  Wennith, Rosara, Delendar, Sarrith, Golwyn, 
  Oon, Valandiath, Trynn, Pelindor and Aelas. 
  All souls who worship Gurthor find their 
  way to Oceandeep rather than Ascending to 
  Tarrisada. Their new physical form is that of the 
  A simple periwinkle shell is worn by 
  priests of Gurthor as their holy symbol 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  147 
   
   
  merfolk and they serve the Sirens. They often aid 
  those souls who get lost in the Unending Sea and 
  it is said that they, of all mortals, can return to 
  the world for a brief time, in their merfolk form. 
  For this reason it is a mortal sin for a person who 
  has Gurthor as their patron to bring harm to 
  merfolk – they are considered the angels of the 
  sea. 
  Bonus Spell 
  SOUNDING 
  School divination;  
  Level cleric 1 (Gurthor) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, S, M (shell) 
  Range touch 
  Target single target 
  Duration 1 hour per level 
  Saving Throw  No 
  Spell Resistance no 
   
  The material component for this is a small 
  shell (typically a conch or cowrie). The caster 
  places a spell on the shell and is able to clearly 
  hear anything within 10’ of the shell, during the 
  spell’s duration. 
  The caster can be up to100 ft. per level 
  distant from the shell and still hear what the shell 
  hears. In order to do so, the caster must 
  concentrate and perform no other action. The 
  spell is broken if the caster moves out of the 
  maximum range for hearing. 
  Note that Gurthor priests are taught how 
  to use this spell to check the depth of water at 
  sea. There is an ambient background noise from 
  beneath the ocean and, if the shell strikes the 
  bottom, the cleric senses this and by reciting a 
  litany can estimate the depth at which the shell 
  struck the bottom. 
   If the water is deeper than their 
  maximum hearing range, the spell ends and the 
  caster can also estimate the depth at which this 
  occurred. 
  Assay Spell 
  The Gurthor religion uses Air Bubble as its 
  Assay spell. When a Gurthor priest casts Air 
  Bubble the duration is increased to 5 minutes per 
  level. 
   
  Artefact 
  SHIP IN A BOTTLE 
  Strong transmutation; CL 20th; weight 2lb. 
   
  It was such a wonderful little ship, 
  trapped inside a bottle - truly a testament to 
  some sea-dog’s skills at whittling. I was curious 
  to learn how the little ship was kept suspended 
  inside its glass container, as I could see no fine 
  wires when I studied it up close; it just seemed to 
  just float there. I decided to have a poke about 
  inside and unstopped the silver cap that sat 
  firmly on the bottle’s fluted neck. 
   Instantly there was a resounding crash 
  somewhere outside; the sound of splintering 
  wood and falling masonry echoed across the 
  street; my house shuddered and the walls 
  cracked. Earthquake! It must be an earthquake! 
  But the sounds of calamity ended as 
  abruptly as they had come, except for the odd 
  sound of a smaller crash, here and there, and the 
  cry of someone in pain. 
   I dared to go to my door, which looked 
  out onto the main street and gazed upon an 
  incomprehensible site; the wreck of a sailing 
  ship lay across the building opposite mine. It 
  seemed to somehow have ploughed through the 
  house, destroying most of it and splintering its 
  own hull in the process. Split planks lay 
  everywhere and the broken bowsprit had 
  penetrated my second-storey wall. Its mast was 
  still intact and a colorful red and yellow sail 
  fluttered in the breeze.  
  Red and yellow…just like the ship in the 
  bottle. I had a sinking feeling and turning, I saw 
  that the bottle still stood on my table but the 
  miniature boat was missing.  
   
  In ancient times Gurthor provided his 
  faithful with ships to sail the seas and so explore 
  the wonders of his demesne. These vessels were 
  enchanted with a powerful magic so that they 
  could be stored and easily transported across the 
  land so one could set to sail from the further 
  shores. A single ship is known to have survived  
  today and is kept in the vaults of the Gurthor 
  temple in Odressi; however, the records that 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  escaped the wreck of the First Age mention four 
  such vessels that were used to evacuate priests 
  from the sinking of Kordass. 
   This artefact is a bottle shaped from 
  clear Krystarrian Glass that appears to contain a 
  miniature replica of a single masted sailing ship. 
  The ship is actually a full-sized vessel, with a 
  beam of 80’ that is shrunk and held in a 
  containment field within the enchanted bottle. 
  The bottle has an ornate stopper of Excellium 
  steel connected to the neck of the bottle by a 
  length of fine chain. 
   If the stopper is removed, the ship 
  vanishes from the bottle and is translated to full 
  size 50 feet away from the bottle, in the direction 
  that the bottle neck is pointing. If the stopper is 
  replaced, the ship is returned to miniature form 
  in the bottle. The bottle must be within 50’ of the 
  vessel to translate it back inside. Note, that any 
  person aboard the ship, when it is translated back 
  to the bottle, is not miniaturized  
  If the ship is damaged or destroyed when 
  outside the bottle, it is completely repaired if 
  summoned back into the bottle. Again, the bottle 
  must be within 50’ of the ship to work the 
  translation. Once summoned back into the bottle, 
  the artefact cannot be used again for 24 hours. 
  Charm 
  GURTHOR’S GARTER 
  Description: A short length of blue ribbon 
  blessed by a Seervati of Gurthor.  
   
  Trigger: Entering any seawater with a depth 
  greater than 10’. 
   
  DC: 15 
   
  Effect: The garter acts like a Sanctuary spell 
  against normal sea-creatures, if there is no other 
  viable target for the creature to attack. If the 
  wearer of the garter is the only viable target, all 
  attacks are made at -4. 
   
  Cost: 5 copper trades 
   
  Frequency: Common 
   
  Usage: If the owner sustains damage from a sea 
  creature 
  the 
  Charm 
  is 
  rendered 
  useless.
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  LIRAAN 
  Goddess of the Waterways 
   
   
   
  Other Titles: 
  The River Queen, Watcher in the Reeds, Lady of the Crystal Waters 
  Alignment: 
  Chaotic Neutral 
  Domains: 
  Water/Travel/Flotsam 
  Favored Weapon: 
  None 
  Appearance: 
  A young woman with a pale body and long hair, wreathed in river reeds. Water 
  continually cascades down her form. 
  Status: 
  Minor church 
  Following: 
  25% Male, 75% Female 
  Power Centers: 
  Minor Human religion with a moderate following throughout Sard, Elkia, 
  Rhenfara and Y’sira. Some limited following amongst Elven and Halfling clans. 
  Holy Day: 
  Draelinzar, 1st day of the Second Span of the March of Waters. 
  Clerical Dress: 
  Pale grey robe with wide sleeves and green tassels. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  A vial of fresh water on a cord. 
  Associations: 
  Se (Goddess of Storms) is the daughter of Liraan and Gurthor (God of the Sea) is 
  her husband. The church holds Recognition agreements with the other religions in 
  the same House and with the House of the Land and the House of Light. 
  Basic Goal: 
  The protection of the fresh water sources from the incursions of mortals. 
  Religion Trait: 
  River Dweller. You have always lived beside a waterway and are used to 
  intricacies of river life. You gain a + trait bonus to Profession: Boatman and 
  Knowledge Nature (freshwater ecologies). Choose one of these as Class skill. 
  Bonus Spell:  
  Enquiring Taste 
  Assay Spell; 
  Marid’s Mastery 
   
   
  History 
  Liraan has a minor following amongst 
  Humans, with some Elven clans of western 
  Leezeria also holding the Goddess of the Waters 
  in high esteem. The Human sect traces its origins 
  back to the Llanish highlands where Pre-
  Redemption 
  rituals 
  and 
  ceremonies 
  were 
  practiced in the latter years of the Darktime, well 
  before the discovery of the Books of Law. The 
  ancient temple at Lake Revelation is said to be 
  the birthplace of the theology of the Liraanian 
  movement and remains a hallowed site for 
  pilgrims to visit, although the temple based in 
  Odressi has become the center of its theological 
  dictates. 
  Holy men from Lake Revelation traveled 
  to Jasper in the century that followed the 
  translation of the Books of Law and scribes 
  copied matters of relevance from those tomes to 
  embellish their existing doctrine. They returned 
  to their temple and the religion remained in 
  isolation in the Llanish wilderness for many 
  centuries after that. 
  In 1278R a charismatic priestess named 
  Ilswynn Ersenwyll took over the position of head 
  of the Liraanian order at Lake Revelation and her 
  first act was to write a holy scripture that was  
   
  called the “Ersenwyll Compendium”. This 
  document became the foundation of the modern 
  Liraanian church. In a matter of twenty short 
  years Ersenwyll spread the religion of Liraan 
  across Eldoria after delivering an inspiring 
  speech to her adherents, in which she said, “The 
  Goddess has left us many roads to travel the 
  world and deliver unto all Saahn the word of the 
  Compendium. Go forth with tome in hand and 
  follow Liraan’s waters and wherever your life’s 
  journey takes you, tell all you meet of the pure 
  blood of the Goddess that flows as water in the 
  world and gives life to everything it touches”. 
  During Ersenwyll’s lifetime there was an 
  exodus of priests from Llan who followed the 
  waterways of Eldoria to spread the religion of 
  Liraan, preaching from the Compendium. Where 
  there was sufficient support for the religion to 
  flourish amongst a community, they settled and 
  built temples beside (and sometimes amidst) the 
  rivers and streams they traveled, forming a new 
  chapter of attendant priests. This boom petered 
  out in the decades following Ersenwyll’s demise 
  but the missionaries who went forth in those 
  years were able to take the word of Liraan to 
  places as distant as Y’sira and Maritaan and, 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  although there was never a large congregational 
  following of the Goddess, the mythos of the 
  priesthood was deeply imbedded into the culture 
  of the river-side communities that they visited. 
  In 1561R, a group of Liraanian clerics 
  from south Elkia (with the financial support of 
  the Gurthor Priesthood) were able to establish a 
  major temple in Odressi. Besides Odressi and 
  Lake Revelation, five other major temples were 
  built between 1300R – 1500R. Two of these 
  were 
  in 
  Llan; 
  at 
  Lake 
  Arrowhead 
  and 
  Clearbrook; one was at the headwaters of the 
  Foaming Gauntlet, in Y’sira; one in Sunhillow, 
  Elkia; and the most magnificent in Gablehead, 
  Sard.  
  The religion continues to grow slowly in 
  popularity, especially in regions where great 
  rivers wind through the land. Five years ago, a 
  deal was struck between the Guild of Llan and 
  the Liraanian church in Odressi to build chapels 
  at the many way-houses that the Guild finances 
  throughout that kingdom. The way-houses 
  provide accommodation and protection for 
  people travelling the regions by Llan’s extensive 
  river and canal system. The church now has over 
  thirty chapels spread across Llan. 
  Doctrine 
  Both Human and Elven beliefs in Liraan 
  acknowledge that the Goddess’s lifeblood is the 
  clean, fresh water that flows in the rivers, 
  streams and lakes of the world and that to dam or 
  pollute these waters is an affront to the Goddess. 
  Water is essential to all life and every cup that is 
  downed cleanses the soul and brings the true 
  believer closer to Liraan. Thus many rituals of 
  the church revolve around water, requiring the 
  ceremonial drinking of or bathing in water. 
  Alcohol and beverages are forbidden to a 
  true follower of Liraan, being considered tainted 
  water. With regards to the recent establishment 
  of chapels throughout Llan, the church had to 
  agree not to openly criticize the alcoholic 
  beverages served up at the Guild way-houses in 
  return for the Guild providing building and 
  infrastructure. There has been division between 
  the clergy over this decision.  
  Similarly, the church has proscribed the 
  preparation of many magical potions and certain 
  medicines in a liquid form as an affront to the 
  Goddess. In areas where the water quality is 
  poor, ale is acceptable so long as no more than 
  four cups are drunk per day. 
  Humans believe in the afterlife of the Last 
  Lake, a realm in Tarrisada where Liraan dwells 
  on an island at the center of a vast body of still 
  water.  
  Followers of Liraan bury their dead in the 
  ground but the body is placed in a water-filled 
  container; in northern realms this usually 
  consists of a wooden coffin sealed with pitch. 
  Y’siran worshippers of Liraan prefer the use of 
  large urns made or terracotta or brass to bury 
  their dead. 
  It is believed that the soul emerges into 
  the waters that surround the body and is thereby 
  translated to the Unending Sea. Following 
  Ascendancy the renewed physical form travels 
  via the River of Salvation, a vast and turbulent 
  watercourse, ending in an immense waterfall that 
  pours into the Last Lake. Only the faithful 
  survive the deluge, buoyed by their trust in 
  Liraan.  
  Common with most religious lore, is the 
  belief that the souls that do not survive are 
  delivered to the shores of Shadowland, where 
  Sirrith dwells. Elven clerics teach that the Last 
  Lake forms part of the Holy Glade and that 
  living Elves can also reach that realm from the 
  Unending Sea. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  The clergy of Liraan make it their 
  personal 
  quest 
  to 
  bring 
  fresh 
  water 
  to 
  communities that do not enjoy this basic 
  necessity. Their Seervati are adept at locating 
  springs and sinking wells and their services are 
  often called upon by secular authorities. They 
  also 
  seek 
  to 
  punish 
  those 
  who 
  would 
  contaminate a water supply through intention or 
  ignorance; their Seervati being ordained to use 
  their powers to deliver retribution to such 
  defilers.  
  This has often caused friction between the 
  church 
  and 
  merchants 
  that 
  control 
  such 
  commercial enterprises as tanneries, smelters and 
  other similar polluters of waterways. The recent 
  agreements that have been struck between the 
  church and the Llanish Guilds resulted from 
  previous feuding between both groups. 
   
  Organization 
  Liraanian Orders are very small; most 
  usually consist of a High Priestess, two ordained 
  priests and up to twelve acolytes. The temple in 
  Odressi and the sacred site of Lake Revelation 
  have a larger clergy, with ten ordained priests 
  and up to twenty acolytes serving in each Order. 
  Acolytes are recruited from the local 
  community with most of the ordained priests 
  being trained in Odressi or Lake Revelation and 
  then given an appointment in one of the regional 
  temples or Llanish chapels (the latter being 
  manned only by a priest and an acolyte).  
  The High Priest of the temple at Lake 
  Revelation has administrative control of the 
  clergy based in Llan, while the High Priest in 
  Odressi controls all Human chapters outside of 
  Llan (except the Elven followings in Leezeria).  
  In theory, the High Priestess of the 
  Odressi chapter is the supreme head of the 
  Liraanian church but there is a division in the 
  clergy with many priests believing in the sanctity 
  of Lake Revelation. Nothing has arisen (to date) 
  that has forced the issue of dominance, although 
  clerics are watchful of the emerging relationship 
  between the Llanish chapter houses and the local 
  guilds. 
  High priestesses in both Lake Revelation 
  and Odressi are elected to their position by a 
  council of priests for a period of ten years. 
  Positions at smaller regional temples are 
  appointed by the councils of the two major 
  temples, with final approval by the relevant High 
  Priestess. 
  Elven followings of Liraan use the 
  traditional 
  clan 
  mode 
  of 
  decentralized 
  organization, with affairs being governed by a 
  hereditary 
  religious 
  leader 
  and 
  ordained 
  followers within each clan. Their belief system is 
  very different to the Human version of the 
  religion (although there are a few common 
  threads, such as the sanctity of water).  
   
  Regalia 
  The clergy all wear a robe of pale grey 
  linen with wide sleeves. Tassels hang from the 
  ends of the sleeves and from the hem of the robe.  
  The colors of the tassels indicate the 
  ranks of the priesthood; 
   
  - 
  Acolytes are identified by brown tassels 
   
  - 
  Ordained priests are identified by green 
  tassels 
   
  - 
  A High Priestess is identified by dark 
  blue tassels 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Priests in senior positions (such as serving 
  on a council or in a specific role within a temple) 
  may also wear additional colors to indicate their 
  position. For example, the clergy of Lake 
  Revelation who serve the council of the High 
  Priestess wear a combination of green and gold 
  tassels. 
  Priests also don an alternate version of the 
  traditional clerical costume when performing 
  ceremonies that require them to enter the waters 
  of a river or stream. This is a much shorter 
  version of the grey robe and has no sleeves. It is 
  called a lirinn and is made of a woolen fabric 
  spun from the fleece of the marandoc sheep; the 
  wool has the property of not retaining water. 
  The holy symbol of Liraan is a vial of 
  water. Most Priests keep a polished wood or clay 
  phial on a cord about their neck and refill this at 
  a morning ceremony. More senior priests have 
  known to possess a silver or glass phial. 
   
  Temple Design 
  There are three large complexes that have 
  been raised to honor the Goddess; the churches 
  already mentioned at Lake Revelation and 
  Odressi, plus the Laughing Shrine that is built 
  atop Mount Pyrred in Gablehead.  
  The temple at Lake Revelation is a large, 
  single storey stone structure built upon the shore 
  of the lake. This houses the functional parts of 
  the complex, including council chambers, 
  libraries, living quarters and refectories. The 
  place of worship, referred to as the Chamber of 
  the Waters, is a separate circular structure built 
  out on the lake and connected to the shore by 
  groyne of earth and stone.  
  The Chamber of the Waters has a 60’ 
  high ceiling and a circular well in its cobbled 
  floor that the lake waters fill. Tapestries hung 
  about the walls depict images of the Goddess and 
  display cabinets spread evenly about the walls 
  contain relics and sacred documents of the 
  church. 
  The temple in Odressi is a three storey 
  rectangular building that extends from the shore 
  into the waters of the Tal-Uhrl River. The lower 
  level is devoted to worship and contains a larger 
  than life statue of Liraan that rises from the river 
  and through an opening built into the floor at the 
  southern end of the temple. A fountain 
  mechanism allows water to be drawn from the 
  river and to pour from the extended hands of the 
  statue into a silver ceremonial basin. The second 
  storey of the Odressi temple is devoted to living 
  quarters, while the third story contains libraries, 
  scriptoriums and council chambers. 
  The third major temple is located in 
  Gablehead, Sard. The city is built around a small 
  mountain with an aquifer at its summit. The 
  Liraanian temple was constructed to consecrate 
  those waters that fed the capitol and ensure they 
  remained untainted. The building features a high 
  colonnaded dome that has hundreds of small 
  fountain outlets crafted into its circumference.  
  Water falls continuously to a wide 
  channel that surrounds the structure, forming a 
  curtain through which the faithful must pass. 
  Although this is considered the most beautiful 
  and intricately constructed building devoted to 
  Liraan, the priesthood here is small and has no 
  real influence in Liraanian affairs. 
  The majority of other temples to Liraan 
  are very small and usually have no more than 
  four or five attendant clerics. They are of plain 
  wooden construction and tend to be built on stilts 
  and located out in the middle of watercourses or 
  lakes, accessible only by boat. The recent deal 
  with the Llanish Guilds has seen the building of 
  small two room buildings as part of the existing 
  way-houses, with one room devoted to worship 
  and the other a bunk-house for the attendant 
  clergy. 
  In western Leezeria, the Elves who revere 
  Liraan tend to worship in natural grottoes or in 
  the vicinity of picturesque waterfalls. Here they 
  set up statues of the Goddess and sometimes 
  altars carved from local stone or wood. As with 
  most Elven religions, following a deity is an 
  individualistic affair and a small group of 
  spiritual guides exist within each clan, devoted to 
  the Goddess.  
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Ritual 
  The imbibing of fresh water every 
  morning is an important part of daily ritual for a 
  worshipper of Liraan. Shortly after daybreak 
  they fill their holy symbol with water and recite a 
  prayer before drinking half the contents. At 
  sundown they repeat the same ritual and drink 
  the rest of the water. 
  Water also performs a part of a 
  worshipper’s Recognition Day celebration. The 
  common practice is for the person to host a 
  dinner in honor of the Goddess on that day and 
  to pour each guest a cup of water that has been 
  blessed by the church. 
  As described above, the bodies of the 
  dead are contained in coffins sealed with pitch 
  and filled with water, so that their souls become 
  part of the waters of the River of Salvation and 
  thereby make their way to the Afterlife. 
   
  Uushai 
  There are hundreds of Uushai who serve 
  Liraan in her realm of the Last Lake in distant 
  Tarrisada and also are active in the waterways of 
  Eldoria. They take many varied forms but mainly 
  manifest as water-nymphs or nixies. The most 
  famous of these 
  is 
  the nymph Landira 
  Silverheels, the Uushai of Lake Revelation, who 
  makes an appearance at the Liraanian temple 
  every seven years. Hundreds of devotees make a 
  pilgrimage to the lake to witness her rising from 
  the waters when the holy year falls due. 
  Bonus Spell 
  ENQUIRING TASTE 
  School divination;  
  Level cleric 1 (Liraan) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, S 
  Range touch 
  Target self or single other person 
  Duration 1round per 3 levels 
  Saving Throw no 
  Spell Resistance no 
   
  This spell allows the caster to drink one 
  sip of any mundane liquid and determine what its 
  properties are while receiving a +4 save against 
  all ill effects of the liquid (including poison or 
  acid). They instantly are aware of what the liquid 
  is and what its effects are.  
  In the case of a magic potion the target of 
  Enquiring Taste does not instantly know the 
  properties of the potion but can make a Spellcraft 
  Check at DC15 with a +2 bonus. A successful 
  roll indicates the caster knows what the potion is 
  and what its effects are. 
  Assay Spell 
  The 
  Assay spell practiced 
  by the 
  Liraanians is Marid’s Mastery. When used by a 
  Cleric of Liraan this spell provides a +2 bonus to 
  attack and damage. 
   
  Artefact     
  SILVERHEEL SLIPPERS 
  Strong evocation, transmutation; CL 18th; 
  weight .25lb. 
   
  Not to be deterred, Naora gathered up 
  her skirts and stepped from the bank into the 
  cool water. Her slippers glittered in the shallows 
  as the sun caught their metal skin. She spread 
  her arms wide, inadvertently dropping her gown 
  into the water. As she did so, a line of bubbles 
  erupted across the breadth of the river, in a line 
  from where Naora stood.  
  Fountains suddenly gushed upwards, 
  combining, into a wall of water, then the river 
  waters parted, seamlessly and effortlessly, 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  moving backward, so that a muddy path was 
  revealed, strewn with river plants, stones and the 
  flopping bodies of fish that had been too slow to 
  avoid the dividing of the waters. 
   Naora looked over her shoulder and 
  signaled for her sister to lead their herd of sheep 
  through.  
    
  At the Dawn of Time, Liraan was served 
  by the nymphs of the streams and lakes, so that 
  they could travel the land and bring the mortal 
  races to worship her. So that they would not be 
  discomforted in their travels away from the 
  waters that they loved, she gave them slippers 
  made from the silver scales of the fish that 
  spawned in the pristine waters of the Lake 
  Revelation. 
   When their task was finished and they 
  returned to their homes, the nymphs gave their 
  slippers to those mortals who became the first 
  priests of the church of Liraan. In doing so, they 
  blessed them with their own powers, adding to 
  the enchantments already woven about them. 
   Silverheel Slippers appear to be made 
  of fine silver metal scale mail and are flexible 
  enough to fit any small to medium humanoid 
  foot.  
  Two Slippers must be worn in order to 
  use their powers, which include: 
   
  - 
  Water Breathing (this provides the 
  wearer the ability to breath underwater 
  (as per the spell Waterbreathing, except 
  it is not limited by duration) 
   
  - 
  Beauty of the Nymph (increases the 
  wearer’s CHA modifier by +4)  
   
  - 
  Stunning Glance (as a standard action, 
  the wearer can stun a creature within 30 
  feet with a look. The target creature 
  must succeed on a DC 17 Fortitude save 
  or be stunned for 2d4 rounds. The save 
  DC is Charisma-based. This ability can 
  be used four times a day. 
   
  - 
  Divide Water (this allows the wearer to 
  create a passage through water, based 
  on their level).  
   
  - 
  The base dimensions for the passage are 
  as follows: 
   
  - 
  2 feet wide x 5 feet deep x 20 feet in 
  length. Each dimension is multiplied by 
  the level of the person wearing the 
  slippers (e.g. a 6th Level character 
  could construct a passage across a river 
  that is a maximum of 12ft wide x 20 
  feet deep x 120 feet in length). 
   
  The Waterbreathing, Charisma Increase 
  and abilities are all permanent while the user is 
  wearing the slippers. The Stunning Glance 
  ability is limited to four times per day. The 
  Divide Water ability is useable once per day and 
  is invoked by a command word, while the user is 
  in contact with the body of water that they wish 
  to affect. The passage that is created collapses as 
  soon as contact is broken. 
   
  Charm 
  SWEETWATER REEDS 
  Description: 
  A 
  short 
  length 
  of 
  plaited 
  sweetwater reeds, worn around the waist. 
   
  Trigger: 
  Drinking 
  any 
  liquid 
  that 
  is 
  contaminated (including poisons) 
   
  DC: 12 
   
  Effect: Provides a +2 save vs poison 
   
  Cost: 5 gold trades 
   
  Frequency: Rare 
   
  Usage: If the owner sustains hit point damage or 
  ability reduction from a contaminated liquid or 
  poison, the Charm is rendered useless. 
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  SE 
  Goddess of Storms 
   
   
   
  Other Titles: 
  Wind-Dancer, Stormbringer, Lady of the Clouds. 
  Alignment: 
  Chaotic Neutral. 
  Domains: 
  Weather/Storms/Air/Cloud/Wind 
  Favored Weapon: 
  None 
  Appearance: 
  A young girl clothed in a translucent shift. She rides upon swirling clouds, her hair 
  a wild unruly mane and coils. Electricity snakes long her forearms and arcs 
  outward to nearby objects. 
  Status: 
  Minor church. 
  Following: 
  80% male, 20% female. 
  Power Centers: 
  Minor Human religion with a moderate following throughout Sard, Elkia, Vharizia 
  and Llan  
  Holy Day: 
  Festival Day, March of Air 
  Clerical Dress: 
  Dark blue chasuble with a vertical white stripe running down the front. Senior 
  priests wear a ceremonial headdress of feathers (similar to those of American 
  Indian Chiefs). 
  Holy Symbol: 
  A circular ring of steel or bone from which hang bird feathers. 
  Associations: 
  Se (Goddess of Storms) is the daughter of Liraan and Gurthor (God of the Sea). 
  The Se church has Recognition agreements with the other religions within its own 
  House, the House of the Land and the House of Light. 
  Basic Goal: 
  To summon the power of the Goddess and draw it from the heavens. The 
  protection of avian creatures. 
  Religion Trait: 
  Bird Lore. The church maintains aviaries in honor of the Goddess and you have 
  great familiarity with avian creatures. Benefit: you gain a +1 trait bonus to the 
  Handle Animal (Avian Creature) skill and a +2 trait bonus to Knowledge (Avian 
  Creature) and can take one of these as a Class skill. 
  Bonus Spell: 
  Lightning Shield 
  Assay Spell: 
  Air Walk. 
   
   
  History 
  The religion of Sé totally vanished from 
  all Eldorian realms during the Darktime and its 
  revival as a formal institution for the worship of 
  the Goddess took place in Jasper in 981R.  
  King Alladan II, who was the ruler of the 
  Sardellan kingdom at that time, was known for 
  his excesses and decreed the creation of a 
  menagerie. Merchants, dealing in livestock, 
  procured animals from all over Eldoria and the 
  most successful of these was a man called Tarrid 
  Norr, who specialized in the capture and taming 
  of both hunting birds and more exotic avian 
  creatures. 
  Norr brought a diverse number of bird 
  species to the court of Alladan and the king’s 
  daughter, Delesara, adored them to such an 
  extent that a separate aviary was built for her on 
  the 
  grounds 
  of 
  Greenridge 
  Palace, 
  near 
  Denhaven. Norr became the permanent caretaker 
  of Delesara’s aviary and spent a lot of his spare- 
   
   
   
  time in the library housed in the palace, where he 
  was allowed to reference ornithological tomes  
  and illustrative works, procured from all over 
  Eldoria.  
  It is here that he first came across copies 
  of the original Books of Law that were part of 
  the regal collection and became intrigued with 
  the sections relating to the Goddess Sé and the 
  practices of her religion. Although primarily, 
  Se’s domain was viewed as being rain and 
  storms, Norr’s attention was drawn to the fact 
  that she was the deity of all birds and creatures 
  of the sky.  
  Norr became thoroughly conversant with 
  the religious writings devoted to Se and was 
  determined to bring the deity to the attention of 
  people in Sardell. He was influential enough to 
  have Delesara build a shrine on the grounds of 
  Greenridge and, for most of his later years, Norr 
  devoted himself to the offering of prayers to the 
  Goddess and in compiling a religious tome 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  dedicated to Se. He was supported in this by 
  Delesara and her husband, Lord Khannin, who 
  became the first patrons of the new church of Se 
  and who were instrumental in the spread of the 
  religion in its formative years, after Tarrid Norr 
  passed away in 1017R. 
  Over the next forty years, seven major 
  temples 
  were 
  established 
  throughout 
  the 
  Sardellan 
  Homelands 
  and, 
  although 
  the 
  congregations they attracted were small, the 
  clergy enjoyed the privilege of its royal 
  connections and wanted for nothing. The 
  patronage of the Se religion by the 
  royal family of Sardell ended 
  with King Xerdon, who was a 
  religious fundamentalist and 
  refused 
  to 
  provide 
  financial support to any 
  church except for the 
  Ormocean faith.  
  The temples 
  in 
  Sardell 
  went 
  through a period 
  of reorganization 
  but 
  most 
  had 
  accumulated 
  sufficient wealth 
  and 
  lands 
  to 
  sustain 
  themselves 
  in 
  their own right 
  without continued 
  funding 
  by the 
  monarchy.  
  They 
  also 
  were 
  able 
  to 
  generate their own 
  income by providing 
  an efficient messenger 
  service to local lords and 
  guilders.  
  The various temples of 
  Se were separated by great 
  distances but had always kept in 
  regular contact by using twin-tail falcons, a 
  particularly intelligent migratory bird that could 
  be easily trained to carry messages with great 
  reliability and speed. The temples of Se always 
  maintained an extensive aviary of these falcons 
  and found their services constantly in demand as 
  the Empire of Sardell expanded across the face 
  of Eldoria and communication became an issue. 
  The military leaders of Sardell actively 
  encouraged and financed the establishment of 
  small 
  Se 
  temples 
  in 
  strategic 
  locations 
  throughout the Empire to create a most effective 
  communication 
  network. 
  When 
  Sardell 
  collapsed, many of the Se temples remained 
  intact and the clergy continued to preach the 
  gospel of the sky Goddess.  
  Today, there are fifteen major temples 
  remaining; four in Sard , three in Elkia, two in 
  Llan, two in Maritaan, and one in Northland, 
  Y’sira, Londar’s Land, Tempest and Odressi. In 
  addition, there are numerous smaller abbeys and 
  shrines to Se dotted across the Human realms, 
  especially in mountainous regions. The church 
  continues to provide a winged courier service to 
  those who can afford the ‘appropriate 
  donation’ to the glory of Se. 
   
  Doctrine 
  Se is the mistress 
  of the sky and bringer of 
  storms. The religion 
  preaches 
  that 
  the 
  Goddess invests her 
  clerics 
  with 
  spiritual energy by 
  channeling it from 
  her 
  domain 
  in 
  Seeriss, 
  a 
  heavenly 
  realm 
  that exists within 
  the clouds. This 
  energy 
  is what 
  mortals 
  call 
  lightning and Se 
  temples 
  often 
  feature a number 
  of 
  elaborate 
  lightning rods across 
  their tall roofs.  
  The 
  electrical 
  discharge 
  is 
  carried 
  down 
  into 
  a 
  special 
  chamber beneath the temple 
  where the power of Se is 
  harnessed. 
  church 
  structures 
  incorporate open platforms on their 
  roofs, where priests offer praises to Se during 
  storms. It is not an uncommon occurrence for a 
  Se cleric to be killed during a severe lightning 
  storm and this is considered a particular holy 
  sacrifice, referred to as being ‘kissed by the 
  Goddess’. 
  Se clerics are devoted to the protection of 
  bird-life, as birds are the sacred heralds of the 
  Goddess. They do not eat any kind of domestic 
  or game bird but their values do not extend as far 
  as being offended by the caging of birds, so long 
  as they are well treated. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  In addition, the gospel that is taught, 
  regarding the afterlife prepared by Se, reinforces 
  a respect for bird-life. When a follower of Se 
  dies, the body is cremated and, during the 
  subsequent funeral ceremony, a bird is anointed 
  with consecrated oil that is mixed with some of 
  the ashes. It is released and takes the soul of the 
  dead person to Seeriss.  
  Here they can choose to remain in the 
  world and reside in a paradise within the clouds 
  that float over Enshar. Alternately they can seek 
  the Unending Sea and achieve Ascendancy. If 
  they decide to return to the prime material plane 
  in the form of a bird, they face a doom. The soul 
  of someone who is killed while in bird form 
  becomes the property of Sirrith, Goddess of the 
  Undying. Understandably, followers of Se are, 
  particularly 
  careful 
  about 
  harming 
  avian 
  creatures. 
   
  Organization 
  There are four hierarchies in the Se 
  clergy: 
   
  - 
  Novice 
  - 
  Priest 
  - 
  Storm-Priest 
  - 
  Temple-Lord 
   
  Novices are traditionally recruited from 
  influential families who have contact with the Se 
  church. Those families usually make a payment 
  to the church for their children to study for five 
  years at a local temple – the curriculum being a 
  mix of secular learning and religious dogma. At 
  the end of five years, a novice can opt to be 
  ordained as a priest or return to society. 
  Priests are usually assigned to specific 
  duties within a temple or to a distant temple in 
  the same diocese that they studied in. They 
  continue in service and can rise through 
  administrative ranks. One of the commendable 
  duties that can be assigned a priest is that of the 
  Keeper of the Cages; a person who administers 
  the temple aviary.  
  The Keeper is both responsible for the 
  well-being of the birds kept by the church and 
  for the incoming and outgoing messages sent via 
  twin-tail falcons to all parts of the world. The 
  messenger birds of Se temples are used by many 
  noble families and the Keeper takes an oath 
  never to divulge the messages that pass across 
  his or her desk. Any Keeper who would betray 
  the oath is disgraced and cast out of the church. 
  Seervati priests can achieve the special 
  rank of Storm-Priest which is an honorary title 
  that gives them great status in the church. The 
  major churches of Se capture lightning and 
  channel its energy into magical storage devices 
  housed deep below their temples. These are 
  called Lightning Wells. 
  Upon achieving 5th level, a Se cleric is 
  tested to see if they can understand, access and 
  manipulate the raw power of Se. This special 
  training takes one week and the cleric must make 
  a successful Spellcraft check at DC 20 to 
  understand the power of Se. If they are 
  successful, they gain the ability to harness 
  electrical energy from the storage device in a Se 
  temple.  
  They gain the ability to cast the wizard 
  spell Lighting Bolt but only under the following 
  circumstances: 
   
  - 
  To cast Lightning Bolt they must draw 
  power from the Lightning Well. 
   
  - 
  They must make a Fortitude saving 
  throw at DC 15. If successful they draw 
  energy that will allow them to cast 1d4 
  Lightning Bolt spells. If they fail they 
  take 5d6 electrical damage and no spell 
  ability is gained. A cleric can only store 
  a maximum of 4 x Lighting Bolt spells 
  at a time. Any attempt to draw more 
  energy simply causes an additional 5d6 
  damage regardless of the saving throw 
  made. 
   
  - 
  A Se cleric can hold the Lightning Bolt 
  spells as long as they want but every 24 
  hours that passes since they absorbed 
  the power of the Lightning Well, there 
  Se temples incorporate bird feathers from 
  species unique to their region into their 
  holy symbols. The lightning bolt is also 
  often used to denote rank. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  is a 10% cumulative chance that all the 
  power will discharge automatically and 
  strike 
  the 
  nearest 
  target 
  (GMs 
  discretion). If the cleric is holding 
  multiple charges at this time, the GM 
  will determine the target of each spell. 
   
  If the cleric fails to learn the art of casting 
  Lightning Bolts upon reaching 5th Level, they 
  must take damage as though they failed to draw 
  energy successfully. In this case the Fortitude 
  save is DC 20 and the cleric cannot attempt 
  training again until they reach the next level. 
  Storm-Priests usually are given positions on 
  advisory councils and are called upon for 
  important assignments by the Se church. 
  A Temple-Lord is the supreme authority 
  of a Se temple and makes policy with the aid of a 
  circle of more senior priests, although the 
  Temple-Lord can ignore any suggestions of that 
  circle. Se Temple-Lords tend to be headstrong 
  and are powers in their own right. The church in 
  Odressi supposedly has authority over all other 
  temples in Eldoria but, in reality, the larger 
  temples in Sard, Elkia, Vharizia and Llan retain a 
  great deal of independence and control the 
  smaller temples within their region. 
   
  Regalia 
  The Se clergy all wear variations of the 
  same basic costume, being a thigh-length 
  chasuble of dark blue wool with a vertical white 
  stripe running down the front. This is worn over 
  a lighter linen alb that is grey in color. The blue 
  and white colors represent the sky and clouds.  
  The chasuble of a novice features two 
  small parallel stripes, off-set to the right. An 
  ordained priest wears a chasuble with a single 
  solid white stripe down the center. Priests 
  appointed to positions of seniority in a church 
  wear head-pieces adorned with bird-feathers – 
  each church incorporating the specific birds 
  native to their region into the design. 
  A Storm-Priest is distinguished by a 
  collar adorned with black raven feathers with a 
  small stylized lightning bolt at the center, 
  rendered from polished bone or silver. 
  A Temple-Lord wears a skull-cap made 
  of silver that is decorated with feathers, sapphire 
  and lapis-lazuli. The stripe that runs down the 
  center of his robe is also lined with the same 
  stones. 
   
  Temple Design 
  Most traditional temples devoted to Se 
  take their basic design from the first place of 
  worship that was erected at Greenridge Palace. 
  Their architecture encompasses a large central 
  nave with a lofty roof to create a sense of open 
  space. The walls and ceiling are painted with 
  frescoes to resemble the sky, often with circling 
  storm clouds at the center of the depiction. A 
  statue of Se, rendered in white marble or silver 
  hangs from the eye of the storm, suspended by 
  fine wire that is almost invisible.  
   
  The outer roof of a Se temple is decorated 
  with a forest of tall lightning rods, often wrought 
  in the likeness of birds. These connect to the 
  Lightning Well in the deepest cellars of the 
  temple structure. Functional buildings that 
  accommodate living quarters, libraries and work-
  rooms for the novices and priests are always 
  
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  located in a separate compound at least a mile 
  away from the temple. There is a small series of 
  chambers located beneath the temple that is the 
  abode of the senior priests and Stormpriests. 
  They maintain the Lightning Well and the aviary 
  which is usually an extensive structure located 
  on the east side of the temple and accessed via 
  the atrium. The aviary can take many forms – the 
  Odressi temple has a long rectangular walk-in 
  cage structure that encompasses that entire 
  eastern side of its structure; the temple located in 
  Yarcia, Sard, has a tall tower with cages built 
  into its outer walls and on its summit. 
  Most regional temples to Se are built in 
  high places, at the top of high cliffs or on 
  mountain summits, making them difficult places 
  to access. In addition to the traditional layout 
  they also make use of the surrounding landscape 
  and have complex networks of halls and 
  chambers leading into the mountains on which 
  they are located. Many Dwarven masons have 
  praised the Se temples located across the Grand 
  Escarpment in Sard and the Stonekin traveling 
  through that region are frequent visitors and 
  friends of the church.  
   
  Ritual 
  Dawn prayers are an important ritual of 
  the Se church. Priests and their congregation 
  make their way to the temple the hour before 
  sunrise and as the chorus of birds greets the 
  dawn, songs of praise to Se will be sung in 
  unison. Birds are said to embody the souls of the 
  dead and that they fly between the mortal world 
  and the heavenly realm of Seeriss, when the dead 
  wish to visit the world again. By performing the 
  morning prayers, the faithful send messages back 
  to Seeriss via the birds, confirming their faith in 
  the Goddess.  
  The Storm Offering is another key ritual 
  of the Se church. If a storm approaches, the 
  priesthood and congregation will gather in the 
  nave of the temple and offer up songs to the 
  Goddess. The priest conducting the service will 
  offer the protection of Se to the faithful who 
  have gathered. This protection will be provided 
  by three blessed members of the clergy who will 
  appease Se.  
  The trio of Priests is referred to as the 
  Sireeda-Se (the Witnesses of Se). They ascend to 
  the roof of the temple during the storm and take 
  up positions at three ceremonial platforms, 
  positioned at the perimeter of the lightning rod 
  assembly. Their task is to encourage Se to direct 
  her lightning into the rods, using chants and 
  songs of praise and defiance.  
  Each time there is a strike one of the 
  Sireeda-Se may retire from the rooftop to the 
  safety of the inner temple. In many cases, more 
  zealous members of the priesthood prefer to ride 
  out an entire storm. Sireeda-Se are often killed 
  when taking part in the Storm Offering. This is a 
  particular holy occurrence and the priests ‘kissed 
  by Se’ are cremated with great reverence. 
  Also, during a Storm Offering, the Storm-
  Priests and the Temple-Lord will gather about 
  the Lightning Well to witness to power of the 
  Goddess as her life-force empties into the 
  chamber beneath the temple.  
   
  Uushai 
  Se is served by two Uushai who take the 
  form of the giant eagles, Kezrinn and Far-Eye. 
  They are the king and queen of all birds and they 
  hold court in Seeriss, granting the dead passage 
  back to the mortal world if they so desire. If the 
  dead wish to depart the mortal world, the Uushai 
  migrate twice a year and take their flock to 
  Tarrisada where they are granted Human form 
  once 
  more 
  and 
  dwell 
  in 
  Hydarra, 
  the 
  mountainous realm of Se in Tarrisada. 
   
  Bonus Spell 
  Se priests harness and handle electrical 
  energy. This spell helps prevent damage from 
  such sources. 
  REDIRECT LIGHTNING 
  School transmutation [electricity];  
  Level cleric 1 (Se) 
  Casting Time immediate action 
  Components V, DF 
  Range personal 
  Target you 
  Duration instantaneous 
  Saving Throw none;  
  Spell Resistance no 
  You can redirect any form of electrical 
  damage in another direction if you are standing 
  on solid dry ground. You may direct it 
  harmlessly into the ground (you cannot damage 
  other targets this way). Ten points of damage per 
  level may be redirected this way. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Assay Spell 
  The Assay spell of the Se priesthood is 
  the 2nd level spell Air Walk. Se Clerics use 
  Airwalk as though it was a level 2 spell and the 
  duration is 2 minutes per level. 
   
  Artefact 
  LIGHTNING GAUNTLETS 
  Strong evocation (electricity); CL 18th; weight 
  4lb. 
   
  At the head of the formation of horsemen 
  was their captain, attired in dark armor and 
  wearing a helm that covered his face. His 
  standard unfurled in the wind behind him, 
  displaying a skull, pierced cross-wise by two 
  bolts of lightning.  
  He uttered a loud battle-cry, to inspire his 
  men to charge into the bloody fray in the valley 
  below. As he did, his horse reared and the rider 
  raised an arm into the air, stabbing at the bleak 
  sky with a fist encased in a steel gauntlet. A 
  streak of white lightning pierced the air and 
  struck down out of the heavens to meet the 
  captain’s raised gauntlet.  
  A crack of thunder followed in its wake, 
  causing all the horses to rear and move uneasily. 
  Miraculously, the captain was unharmed and, as 
  his horse broke into a furious gallop toward the 
  melee, he pointed ahead with his left hand and a 
  long white bolt of energy flew from it, crashing 
  into the enemy ranks and scattering men like 
  dolls. The lightning had come from the steel 
  gauntlet and not from the sky. 
   
  Before the Last Battle, Se instructed her 
  priests in the art of manufacturing devices to 
  harness the power of lightning, so that they 
  would be formidable opponents in that climactic 
  engagement. Most effective of these were the 
  Lightning Gauntlets. At least five sets of the 
  Gauntlets are known to still exist in the world 
  today; three held by the church, one by the 
  College of Arcane Science and the last by the 
  charismatic Sardian warlord, Baron Khanis 
  (whose personal emblem is a skull set above 
  crossed lightning bolts). 
  Lightning 
  Gauntlets 
  are 
  made 
  of 
  Excellium with an inner lining of soft hide. 
  Stylized lightning bolts decorate the backs of the 
  Gauntlets, surrounding heartstone rubies. The 
  artefact can only be used by a spell-user and 
  converts any spell of level 1 or greater that is 
  cast while wearing the Gauntlets into the spell 
  Lightning Bolt.  
  The lightning bolt that is created is 
  always 5d6 (regardless of the character’s level or 
  the spell level used to create the effect). 0 level 
  spells will not activate the gauntlets, nor will 
  spells cast from scrolls or other magic devices. 
   
  Charm 
  KEZRINN’S FEATHER 
  Description: An eagle’s feather, blessed by a 
  Seervati of Se. 
   
  Trigger: Any form of natural or spell-generated 
  lightning that strikes the owner. 
   
  DC: 15 
   
  Effect: Negates the first 6+1d6 points of damage 
   
  Cost: 5 copper trades 
   
  Frequency: Rare 
   
  Usage: If the owner sustains 10+ points of 
  damage from the source of lightning, the Feather 
  is incinerated and rendered useless. 
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  TREZKILLIAN 
   God of War 
   
   
   
  Other Titles: 
  Master of Battle, the Serpent Lord, Keeper of the Black Sword. 
  Alignment: 
  Lawful Evil. 
  Domains: 
  War/Blood/Tactics/Destruction/Rage. 
  Favored Weapon: 
  All martial weapons. 
  Appearance: 
  A reptilian humanoid with four arms. He is usually depicted wearing black plate 
  armor and holding four different weapons - a sword, a mace, a battle-axe and a 
  spear. His eyes radiate prismatic light.  
  Status: 
  Major church 
  Following: 
  92% Male, 8% Female 
  Power Centers: 
  Major Human religion in Sard with moderate followings in Maritaan and Char-
  Endl. Trezkillian is also the chief deity worshipped by most organized Goblinkynd 
  tribes, especially those native to Ahr-Ganiz. 
  Holy Day: 
  Zharazar, 8th Day of the First Span of the March of Fire. 
  Clerical Dress: 
  The attire of war. Black clothing, offset with silver ornamentation is most common 
  amongst Human followers. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  An amulet in the form of a skull pierced by a spear. Goblinkynd shamans adorn 
  themselves with real skulls. 
  Associations: 
  Immar (God of Magic) is the son of Trezkillian. Daugron is his spouse. There are 
  no Recognition agreements between the religions of the House of Power. The 
  Trezkillian church does have a Recognition agreement with the Tiean religion. 
  Basic Goal: 
  The domination of the weak by a strong ruling warrior faction and the perpetuation 
  of war in the name of the God. 
  Religion Trait: 
  Battle Veteran. You have fought in several battles, and each time felt the presence 
  of Trezkillian guiding your sword-arm, making you ready to act at a moment’s 
  notice. Benefit: You gain a +1 trait bonus on Initiative checks, and if you are able 
  to act during a surprise round, you may a draw a weapon (but not a potion or 
  magic item) as a free action during that round. 
  Bonus Spell: 
  Battlecry 
  Assay Spell: 
  Magic Weapon 
   
   
  History 
  Trezkillian has a popular following 
  amongst 
  many 
  organized 
  martial 
  orders 
  throughout the Human realms. The God is also 
  the chief deity worshipped by the Goblinkynd of 
  Ahr-Ganiz. Such is the strength of the 
  Goblinkynd following, that there are seven major 
  temples 
  devoted 
  to 
  Trezkillian, 
  strung 
  throughout the Mountains of Terror. Their 
  warrior-priests are leaders of a number of 
  important tribes, including the Orcs of Death-
  Hold.  
  The dogma of the Goblinkynd does not 
  exist in any written form but has been passed on 
  from shaman to shaman across the ages and 
  certainly through most of the Darktime and into 
  the modern age. Their core beliefs are not too 
  dissimilar to those of the Human church and  
   
   
   
  their followers even display a certain code of 
  honor in battle, a far cry from most of their ilk.  
  The Human chapter of Trezkillian 
  evolved at the time of the Sorcerer Kings, during 
  the most bloodthirsty wars of the Darktime. 
  Erason Snakesoul, one of the more powerful 
  sorcerers of that age maintained a large honor 
  guard for protection. Erason used his knowledge 
  of Pre-Redemption times to raise their morale 
  before battle, inspiring his followers with tales of 
  Trezkillian, the God of War. It was not long 
  before his men were offering sacrifices before 
  going forth to conquer territory in Erason’s 
  name; singing hymns and battle-songs upon their 
  return.  
  They represented Trezkillian as a 
  serpent headed humanoid, attired for combat, in 
  deference to Erason, whose personal symbol was 
  that of an asp. When Erason was ultimately 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  defeated and slain by Vyle the Necromancer, the 
  men who served in Erason’s guard were left 
  without purpose, having become disenchanted 
  with waging war in the name of rival magicians.  
  They were instrumental in leading the 
  movement that opposed the remaining Sorcerer 
  Kings, saying that it was those individuals who 
  craved the power of the Tas who had led the 
  Saahn away from the Gods and brought an end 
  to the glory days of the world. They advocated 
  that Trezkillian would protect truehearted 
  soldiers from the power of the master magicians 
  and their most charismatic leaders became the 
  first true priests of the order.  
  The Sorcerer Kings were usurped by the 
  sheer number of people who came to oppose 
  them and their territories were divided up 
  amongst a great many 
  warlords 
  who 
  had 
  forgotten 
  their 
  differences and rallied 
  their tribes against the 
  common enemy.  
  Many of these 
  warlords were either 
  already 
  numbered 
  amongst the hierarchy 
  of 
  the 
  Trezkillian 
  church or had taken up 
  the 
  worship 
  of 
  Trezkillian during the 
  campaign against the 
  Sorcerer 
  Kings. 
  Although 
  their 
  new 
  kingdoms were made 
  up of diverse cultures, 
  they shared a common 
  religion at the time.  
  This brought a 
  period 
  of 
  relative 
  stability to the Human 
  realms in the early 
  centuries 
  of 
  the 
  Darktime. 
  However, 
  the very ethos of the 
  Trezkillian faith promoted the virtues of battle 
  and the priesthood yearned to serve their God by 
  showing their prowess in war. It was inevitable 
  that peace could not reign for long. A continual 
  series of protracted wars, actively encouraged by 
  the priesthood, hampered any attempt by leaders 
  to civilize the region of Akalastia until the 
  Prophet Samroth convinced Balagar to take up 
  the worship of Ormocea and break the cycle of 
  war. 
  The Trezkillian church did not see the 
  Ormoceans as much of a threat to their 
  superiority in Akalastia, viewing Samroth and 
  his followers as weak and unable to defend 
  themselves if it came to a battle for control of the 
  realm. Being a militaristic order, Trezkillian 
  priests respected the law and they considered the 
  work of the Ormocean church in establishing 
  common secular laws throughout the kingdoms 
  of Akalastia to be a benefit to their own faith in 
  the long run. They believed that they could 
  sweep aside the Ormoceans any time they 
  wanted.  
  Indeed there were a number of struggles 
  that arose again across the Akalastian kingdoms, 
  especially following the demise of Samroth, but 
  the Trezkillians underestimated the power of the 
  spoken word and the 
  unseen effects of a 
  number of the laws that 
  were introduced that 
  limited their ability to 
  raise 
  funds 
  for 
  a 
  Trezkillian war chest.  
  Many of the 
  nobles 
  who 
  ruled 
  fiefdoms in the outer 
  regions 
  forsook 
  the 
  Trezkillian cause and 
  rallied 
  around 
  the 
  banner 
  of 
  the 
  Ormocean 
  faith, 
  especially those in the 
  east who were fortunate 
  to 
  be 
  offered 
  the 
  protection 
  of 
  the 
  emerging Siritar church 
  based 
  in 
  Castle 
  Thungar.  
  Through 
  conquest and alliances, 
  the 
  many 
  kingdoms 
  that made up Akalastia 
  gradually 
  coalesced 
  into two nations; Sard 
  that was predominantly ruled by nobles sworn to 
  Trezkillian, and Elkia, where the Houses of the 
  Holy Trinity ruled.  
  War between the two looked inevitable 
  until a meeting took place in 427R between the 
  Grand Marshall of the Trezkillian church and the 
  Archbishop of the Ormoceans, in which they 
  mapped out the vision for a great empire that 
  would be built on the foundations of both 
  religions.  
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  It was agreed that the Ormoceans would 
  maintain their control over the laws of the land 
  and the Trezkillians would have supreme 
  command of all military affairs and would be 
  allowed to pursue a policy of expansion in order 
  to bring Ormocean law to the rest of the world. 
  Thus the Sardellan Empire was born. 
   
  Despite having to share power with the 
  Ormocean church, the Trezkillians thrived as 
  Sardell expanded and its wealth increased, 
  allowing the central church in Jasper to outfit its 
  own military orders, commanded by senior 
  members of the priesthood. By 1100R two elite 
  units had been formed, the Legion of the Red 
  Sword and the Legion of the Sundered Skull. 
  They were based in Jasper and Denhaven 
  respectively and had their own chapter houses, 
  which were basically small, fortified manors.  
  In theory, the Trezkillian Legions’ 
  ultimate loyalty was to the King of Sardell but 
  many wondered if their connection to their faith 
  would ever compromise their allegiance. It is 
  interesting to note that, as the legions grew in 
  number, the royal house allocated more funds to 
  the Holy Trinity, so that it could raise the 
  prowess of its paladin orders (as an insurance 
  policy against the Trezkillians). 
  By 1500R, 
  four other permanent 
  Trezkillian military Orders had come into being; 
  the Legions of the Black Wolf, the Serpent’s 
  Mace, the Broken Spear and the Raging Dragon. 
  In a bid to limit the power of the church, King 
  Galdehar decreed that all his armies were to be 
  commanded by secular captains and not the 
  clergy. The Trezkillian Grandmaster in Jasper 
  did not take this change lightly and argued that 
  inexperienced men would be given command 
  over the Imperial forces and that these 
  unseasoned generals would lead Sardell’s forces 
  to destruction. He convinced Galdehar into at 
  least allowing Trezkillian priests to act as 
  military advisors to the captains of all of 
  Sardell’s legions.  
  In the short run, this seemed to defuse 
  any potential threat of an attempted coup against 
  the throne but, in the long run, it gave even 
  greater power to the Trezkillian church. The 
  priests who took on the role of military advisors 
  were often highly charismatic, highly motivated 
  individuals with exemplary careers in battle. 
  They instilled regular troops with a sense of 
  worth and converted many soldiers to the 
  worship of Trezkillian.  
  In several engagements between 1500R 
  and 1560R, a number of regular commanders of 
  Sardellan troops faltered in battle and the day 
  was won only because their Trezkillian advisors 
  took control of the situation. The regular 
  commanders of the Sardellan legions were put on 
  notice and, after that time, the role of the 
  Trezkillian attaché was to act not in the capacity 
  of an advisor, but more as a watchdog on the 
  competence of the secular leaders. The priests 
  were ready to replace them if they failed in their 
  duties to the Empire. 
  After the collapse of Sardell and the 
  civil war that followed, the Trezkillian church 
  relocated its main temple to Odressi until the 
  Treaty of Four Swords ended the conflict in the 
  Homelands in 1677R. The land was divided into 
  Sard and Elkia once again and the church then 
  based itself in Gablehead and began the 
  fortification of its northern borders.  
  Under the leadership of High Cardinal, 
  Paldar Zharne, the Trezkillians established a 
  theocracy and attempted to prevent the worship 
  of all other religions in Sard. Between 1695R 
  and 1790R they forcibly removed clerics of 
  several religions established in the country and 
  seized their temples and valuables, handing them 
  over to nobles with allegiance to the Trezkillian 
  church.  
  The Lord Protector of Elkia accepted 
  refugees across the border and imposed a trade 
  embargo on the Sardian regime, eventually 
  soliciting support from Llan and Tempest. This 
  caused a tense situation between Sard and Elkia 
  and many skirmishes occurred between troops 
  based along the northern border, as well as 
  engagements between warships in the Lesser 
  Inner Sea. The situation improved in 1891R, 
  when Kyneth Xalidori became the head of the 
  Trezkillian church. He was a moderate and 
  believed in a separation between the powers of 
  church and state.  
  Xalidori allied himself with the more 
  powerful noble families and was able to create 
  the parliament of Khazilin, made up of thirty-two 
  nobles and four of the Trezkillian church’s senior 
  Cardinals. Due to resentment within the ranks, 
  he resigned his position from the church and 
  became the first elected Chancellor of the 
  parliament.  
  The Khazilin Parliament remains the 
  current form of government in Sard today. In the 
  years that followed, the parliament has relaxed 
  the laws preventing the building of other temples 
  other than those of the Trezkillian faith and other 
  religions have slowly flowed back into Sard. In 
  particular, Phelltarism has swept through the 
  northern reaches of the country, while the Sirrith 
  church has been allowed to explore the Grand 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Escarpment in order to locate its ancient temples 
  that were destroyed long ago by the Ormoceans. 
   
   
  Doctrine 
  Trezkillian invests his worshippers with 
  strength and power so that they may conquer 
  other Saahn and bring them all to the fold of 
  their God. The strong have the right to rule over 
  the weak and guide them to the faith. Only by 
  victory on the battlefield can followers of 
  Trezkillian earn a place in the Legion Eternal, in 
  Khallarghad, the Citadel on the Edge of the 
  Universe. Here they take their place and defend 
  the Realms of Tarrisada from the Ravening 
  Horde, creatures from the Great Shadow who 
  continually seek to bring down existence.  
  Trezkillians believe there is no greater 
  honor than death in battle and those 
  warriors who die in the service 
  of the God are guaranteed 
  passage to Khallarghad. 
  Those 
  who 
  are 
  not 
  suited to battle, but 
  still swear obedience 
  to 
  the 
  Trezkillian 
  faith, 
  are 
  also 
  rewarded. They may 
  also find an afterlife 
  in 
  Khallarghad, 
  where they serve and 
  support 
  those 
  numbered amongst the 
  holy warriors of the 
  Legion Eternal. 
  Those who fight in 
  battle and who worship Trezkillian 
  bear the coat of arms of their local temple, 
  regardless of their station in life. These arms are 
  typically displayed on an embroidered patch, 
  along with the name of the wearer. The patch is 
  blessed by a Trezkillian priest, and then sewn 
  onto the owner’s tunic, usually over the heart.  
  These patches are called Mandannen 
  (spirit bearers) and the soul of the wearer is 
  transferred to them when they die. It is then up to 
  their comrades to remove the Mandannen and 
  return it to its church or origin, where it is sewn 
  onto a tapestry of remembrance and rites are 
  performed to release the soul to Khallarghad. 
  Other forms of Mandannen are displayed by 
  persons in the higher echelons of military orders 
  and can take the form of an emblazoned surcoat 
  or even a breastplate decorated with the coat of 
  arms. These Mandannen usually become part of 
  the holy relics of the temple to which the wearer 
  belongs. 
   
  Organization 
  The organizational structure of the Trezkillian 
  church is based strictly on military rank from the 
  lowest level of a Legionnaire Regular to the 
  Holy Commander. Above the rank of Knight 
  Commander is that of Cardinal. Cardinals serve a 
  non-military function and have no jurisdiction 
  over the Sardian army. Instead, they control the 
  administrative and religious affairs of specific 
  regions and serve on one of four positions on the 
  Khazilin Parliament. Cardinals also serve the 
  Grandmaster, the head of the Trezkillian church. 
   
  In its most early incarnation, Orders of 
  the Trezkillian church existed as a legion 
  consisting of 1,100 men, all devoted to 
  the God. The hierarchy of the 
  priests was based on an 
  extensive 
  military 
  rank 
  structure. However, after 
  King 
  Galdehar 
  dissolved 
  the 
  autonomy 
  of 
  the 
  Trezkillian 
  Legions 
  in 1501R, the church 
  went 
  through 
  a 
  radical 
  restructure, 
  curtailing the number 
  of 
  ranks 
  in 
  its 
  drastically 
  reduced 
  orders. 
  The modern Trezkillian 
  Order consists of 202 warrior 
  priests, the revised ranks being as 
  follows (lowest to highest): 
   
  - 
  Legionnaire Regular (each legion 
  supports 150 regulars) 
   
  - 
  Sergeant (an Order supports 3 sergeants 
  each assigned to a company of 50 
  regulars). 
   
  - 
  Captain (an Order has 1 captain who 
  has command over his sergeants and 
  regulars). 
   
  - 
  Knight (an order has 45 mounted 
  knights who are independent from the 
  command chain of the foot soldiers). 
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  - 
  Knight Commander (a single Knight 
  Commander leads the knights of the 
  Order). 
   
  - 
  Holy Commander (head of a Trezkillian 
  Order) 
   
  - 
  The Invigilator (a position independent 
  of the ranks who serves the Holy 
  Commander. He is an expert in military 
  command and law and his role is to 
  observe the performance of officers in 
  the regular army when they are engaged 
  in battle. He has the authority to replace 
  the command structure of a Sardian 
  legion with knights and officers from 
  the attached Trezkillian order if deemed 
  necessary).   
   
  Each order maintains its own fortified 
  compound and is responsible for providing 
  compulsory martial training to the towns and 
  villages within its diocese. In times of war, an 
  Order will be attached to a regular Sardian legion 
  and it will fight as a company with that legion, 
  taking orders from its higher ranked officers.  
  However, if the officers in the regular legion 
  are responsible for questionable decisions in 
  battle, the Trezkillian Invigilator can remove 
  them and replace them with officers of the 
  Trezkillian order on a temporary basis. 
  Sard currently maintains a standing army of 
  ten legions that each has its associated 
  Trezkillian order that shares its name. They are 
  the Legion of the Red Dragon, the Legion of the 
  Sundered Skull, the Legion of Doom, the Legion 
  of the Black Sword, the Legion of the Winter 
  Wolf, the Legion of the Checkered Shield, the 
  Legion of Terror, the Legion of the Reaper, the 
  Legion of the Crimson Shield and the Legion of 
  the Widow. 
   
  Regalia 
  Clerics of Trezkillian wear the livery of 
  war being various styles of armor, combined 
  with surcoats and/or cloaks that distinguish the 
  ranks within their orders. The armor and clothing 
  are colored black with silver ornamentation. 
  Legionnaires of Trezkillian typically wear black 
  leather armor with a black and white checked 
  surcoat. Sergeants wear black chainmail and are 
  identified by a silver star on each shoulder. 
  Captains are attired in a similar fashion to 
  sergeants except they display the insignia of a 
  silver star and silver skull on their shoulders. 
  Most tend to wear a long dark cloak that has 
  earned them the name of ‘Blackcloaks’ in most 
  parts of Eldoria.  
  Knights of Trezkillian wear plate armor 
  on most occasions, believing that a true 
  Trezkillian warrior must live in his metal skin 
  and be ready for battle at all times. Their rank is 
  indicated by a silver skull encircled by a serpent, 
  shown on the upper arms and often on the breast-
  plate.  
  Knights 
  also 
  display 
  extravagant 
  ornaments on their helmets, inspired by the 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  legions they are attached to. Some even have 
  special helmets created for this purpose; for 
  example the knights of the order that serves the 
  Legion of the Winter Wolf all wear a helm 
  shaped to resemble a snarling wolf.  
  Knight Commanders dress in a similar 
  fashion to the men they lead into battle, however 
  they are easily identified by armor stained a 
  bright red in color and the insignia or three silver 
  skulls pierced by a spear. The Holy Commander 
  is attired in black armor and wears the device of 
  the three pierced skulls circled by a wreath of 
  silver. 
  Invigilators, who are attached to Holy 
  Commanders are the only clerical ranks of 
  Trezkillian who do not wear armor. They dress 
  in a black shirt and britches and wear a long coat 
  with an upright collar. The collar bears a silver 
  skull on the right and a silver star on the left.  
  When an Invigilator exercises their right 
  to replace a military command structure in the 
  heat of battle, they will don a face mask wrought 
  in the form of a silver skull as an indication of 
  their authority over all ranks. All worshippers of 
  Trezkillian wear a holy symbol in the form a 
  single skull pierced by a spear. Most are wrought 
  of bone and iron. Senior clerics prefer silver 
  versions. 
   
  Temple Design 
  Temples devoted to Trezkillian are 
  usually fortifications set aside for the use of the 
  religious Orders. These may be purpose built 
  garrisons or parts of established castles. The 
  main place of worship will usually house a life-
  size garish statue of the serpent-headed God, its 
  four arms holding the traditional weapons 
  associated with the deity. Hanging on the wall 
  behind the statue will be the Tapestry of 
  Remembrance that will contain the Mandannen 
  patches retrieved from the fallen in battle. They 
  are sewn onto the tapestry by the Widows (a 
  special group of revered women who serve the 
  church and officiate at funeral rites). They are 
  the only women allowed inside a Trezkillian 
  temple and are usually invited into the role due 
  to their relationship to heroic Trezkillian clerics 
  or other followers of the God who have died in 
  battle. 
   
  Ritual 
  There are three main rituals that 
  devotees of Trezkillian observe – First Blood, 
  the Mandannen Rite and Call to Arms. First 
  Blood is celebrated when a Trezkillian slays his 
  first opponent in real battle. A real battle is 
  determined as an ‘official’ action fought by an 
  Order attached to a Legion. A high ranking cleric 
  who participated at the action (usually a captain 
  or above) holds a ceremony after the battle 
  whereby individuals announce their claim to a 
  first kill. This claim is supported by comrades 
  and/or sergeants who survived the action. If the 
  officiating captain accepts their word, the names 
  of the First Blood claimants are entered into the 
  records of their Order. They now receive an 
  annual stipend of money, arms and armor to 
  serve the will of the God for the rest of their life. 
  The Mandannen Rite is the funeral 
  celebration of a Trezkillian worshipper, slain in 
  battle. The bodies of the dead are usually 
  cremated within a few hours death; the dead 
  body not being seen as important. There is no 
  ceremony connected with the disposal of the 
  body, all rites revolve around the Mandannen 
  token. The Mandannen usually takes the form of 
  an embroidered patch, worn by followers of 
  Trezkillian. It is sacred, as it is believed that the 
  souls of the dead are mystically transferred and 
  contained within its embroidered runes when its 
  owner dies.  
  The Mandannen is removed by clerics 
  whose task it is to ensure that the patch finds its 
  way to the temple where the deceased received 
  Recognition. There it is sewn onto the Tapestry 
  of Remembrance, maintained by the Widows of 
  the Order, with a ceremony performed by the 
  head of that Order. 
  The third Trezkillian ritual of note is the 
  Call to Arms rite. Before battle, clerics of the 
  rank of captain or above will invoke the power of 
  the God to instill power and protection upon 
  Trezkillian’s true servants. They ride before the 
  assembled ranks and sprinkle the men with holy 
  water conveying the blessings of Trezkillian 
  upon them. Trezkillian followers are very 
  superstitious and Orders have been known to 
  have refused battle because a Call to Arms rite 
  had not been performed. On the other hand, 
  those troops who have received the correct rites 
  have been known to fight to the last man. 
   
  Uushai 
  The Uushai that serve Trezkillian are two great 
  Lizardmen 
  who 
  command 
  the 
  forces 
  of 
  Khallarghad in the eternal struggle against the 
  Ravening Horde. They are the generals Sesh and 
  Ssarras. Their role is to provide the Reborn with 
  the training, weapons and armor to do battle 
  against the creatures of the Ravening Horde and 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  they are aided in this by a host of minor-divine 
  creatures who are the officers of the Legion 
  Eternal. 
  Sesh, in particular, is worshipped as a 
  deity in his own right by Goblinkynd tribes in 
  Ahr-Ganiz, particularly by the Ironskin Orcs of 
  Death-Hold. 
   
  Bonus Spell 
  Trezkillian priests support legions in 
  battle. Battlecry is a blessing that is bestowed 
  upon allies within 50 ft. of the priest casting the 
  spell. 
  BATTLECRY 
  School enchantment (compulsion) [mind-affecting]; 
  Level cleric 1 (Trezkillian) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, S, DF 
  Range 50 ft. 
  Area The caster and all followers of Trezkillian 
  within a 50-ft. burst, centered on the caster 
  Duration 1 min./level 
  Saving Throw none;  
  Spell Resistance yes (harmless) 
   
  Battlecry fills followers of Trezkillian 
  with his power. Each follower gains a sacred 
  bonus of +1 per four caster levels (maximum +5 
  at 20th level). on attack rolls and on AC.  
   
  Assay Spell 
  The Trezkillian church teaches Magic Weapon 
  as its Assay spell. A Trezkillian priest enchants a 
  weapon with a +2 bonus. 
   
  Artefact 
  SPELLBANE ARMOR 
  Strong abjuration, CL 18th; weight 20lb. 
   
  The Elven archers parted their ranks 
  upon the command of their marshal. Feanarill 
  stepped forward and spread his arms, his robe 
  billowing out behind him majestically in the 
  wind. He was one of their most adept sorcerers 
  and was trained in the ways of battle. The 
  Goblinkynd warband surged forward, the orcs 
  and hobgoblins hungry for an easy victory. 
   
  Feanarill brought his arms down and a 
  bright star sped forward from between his hands, 
  a haze of heat marking its passage. It reached 
  the front ranks of the Goblinkynd and exploded 
  into a blaze of fire and radiant white heat. There 
  were screams and cries of fear from the 
  Goblinkynd; more than thirty lay dead or dying. 
  Smoke and tendrils of flame rose from the center 
  of the blast. 
   
  Suddenly, a tall figure leapt through the 
  smoke. It was a huge half-orc, attired in plate 
  mail and carrying a blood-stained cleaver. A cry 
  went up from the survivors of the fireball. 
  “Ukkas! Ukkas!” they called and, as one, they 
  rallied and surged forward again.   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Feanarill assessed the threat before 
  him. The big half-orc was attired in armor that 
  was obviously beyond the skill of the Goblinkynd 
  to fashion; it must have looted the body of some 
  former victim. But that was still no match for 
  Feanarill’s magic. He would take down this 
  ‘hero’ and break the morale of the remaining 
  fighters of the warband. 
  The creature in the armor bore down on 
  Feanarill who stood his ground and pointed at 
  the half-orc’s metal-clad chest. There was a 
  flash of blue light from the sorcerer’s fingertips 
  and thin lines of energy cut through the air, 
  heading unerringly at the half-orc. At the last 
  minute, the bolts of blue, veered away from their 
  target and petered out into nothingness. 
   
  Still the half-orc came on and swung its 
  cleaver at Feanarill’s head, before the sorcerer 
  could react or the first archer could loose a shot. 
  Thus perished the last adept of the House of 
  Varnelle and thus began the rise of Ukkas, who 
  would unite the scattered tribes of the 
  Goblinkynd. 
   
   
  Trezkillian forged armor for his loyal 
  captains to aid them in the defense of Baladara 
  from the armies of the Faithful. These were 
  enchanted so that the wearers would be immune 
  to magical attacks in the Last Battle.  
  Ten suits of armor were made and three 
  are known to exist today; one is in the reliquary 
  of the Trezkillian temple in Odressi, one is an 
  heirloom of Baron Xorl of Yarcia, in Sard, and 
  the last is worn by King Ukkas of the Iron-Skin 
  Orcs of Ahr-Ghaniz. 
  Spellbane armor is +2 half-plate and 
  each set is made of shaped Excellium steel, 
  trimmed with decorative line-work in platinum. 
  The armor is distinguished by its motif of a skull, 
  encircled with the words (inscribed in Uushai); 
  “No hex shall quell my hungry heart, no charm 
  shall stay my bloody sword”. 
  The armor is made for medium sized 
  humanoids and is not suitable for smaller races 
  such as, Halflings and Gnomes and even 
  Dwarves. 
   
  Spellbane armor is enchanted with its 
  own Antimagic Field (as per the spell) but (of 
  course) the field does not negate the armor’s 
  power and is a permanent effect. The spell effect 
  is activated once all pieces of the armor are in 
  contact with an individual’s Aura, so it is most 
  important never to lose any of the component 
  parts. Unless complete, the armor’s magical 
  powers are rendered inert. 
   
  Charm 
  MANDANNEN 
  Description: A small cloth badge embroidered 
  with the crest of the owner’s temple and the 
  owner’s name. It is sewn onto the owner’s 
  clothing, usually their tabard or cloak. 
   
  Trigger: The death of the owner. 
   
  DC: 12 
   
  Effect: The owner’s life-force becomes trapped 
  within the Mandannen. The body cannot be 
  possessed or raised as Undead. If the Mandannen 
  is returned to its temple of origin, a Seervati can 
  perform a ritual to release the soul and allow it to 
  travel to Tarrisada (Heaven). 
   
  Cost: 1 gold trade 
   
  Frequency: Rare 
   
  Usage: Permanent, unless the Mandannen is 
  damaged or the owner is slain and is not wearing 
  the clothing that the Mandannen is sewn onto. 
   
   
   
   
  A Mandannen patch is of special significance to a worshipper of Trezkillian. It captures the soul 
  when the owner dies. Trezkillian devotees are honor bond to return the Mandannen of a slain warrior to 
  its temple of origin so that rituals can be performed to release the soul and send it on its way to Tarrisada. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  DAUGRON 
  Goddess of Fire 
   
  Other Titles: 
  The Searer of Souls, Firebringer.  Queen of the Eternal Fire. 
  Alignment: 
  Lawful Evil. 
  Domains: 
  Fire/Ash/Smoke/Law/Destruction 
  Favored Weapon: 
  Scimitar 
  Appearance: 
  A skeleton wreathed in flame with long tresses of blazing fire  
  Status: 
  Major church 
  Following: 
  90% Male, 10% Female 
  Power Centers: 
  Y’sira, Tempest and Odressi 
  Holy Day: 
  Balanzar, 4th Day of the Second Span of the March of Fire. 
  Clerical Dress: 
  A gaudy robe of red silk and cloth of gold, emblazoned with stylized flames. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  A rectangular piece of salamite, inscribed with the wards of protection against fire. 
  Associations: 
  Immar (God of Magic) is the son of Trezkillian and Daugron. There is no 
  Recognition agreement between the Daugron faith and the other religions of the 
  same House or any other religion. 
  Basic Goal: 
  The appeasement of the Goddess who would otherwise rain fire upon the world. 
   
  Religion Trait: 
  Adept of the Flame. Fire plays a great part in the ceremonies of Daugron and you 
  have come to have great knowledge and respect for fire. Benefit: You receive a +2 
  trait bonus to all saving throws from fire-based damage. Given access to tinder you 
  are always able to start a fire within 1d3 rounds (subject to GM’s discretion). 
  Bonus Spell: 
  Extinguish 
  Assay Spell: 
  Sun Metal 
   
   
  History 
  While the discovery of the Books of 
  Law influenced a great many revivals of 
  contemporary religions, it is apparent that they 
  had little to do with the emergence of the 
  Daugron priesthood. The distinctive brand of 
  uncompromising fundamentalism that typifies 
  the faith is not reflected in any of the passages 
  dedicated to the Goddess within those Holy 
  Books. The religion of modern times was 
  revived in ancient Tariz, an early Y’siran 
  kingdom that existed in the century prior to the 
  Redemption. Migrations of Zurandi tribesmen 
  from the Outlands at that time brought the faith 
  to the region, where it prospered and became an 
  influential political force in the west of Y’sira.  
  The religion remained centralized in the 
  west and only spread eastward after the 
  destruction of the major cities of Tariz by a 
  series of natural disasters, precipitated by a large 
  meteor falling in Zuvinar Bay. In the power 
  vacuum that followed the fall of Tariz, the more 
  zealous and opportunistic factions of the 
  priesthood made claims that the loss of the 
  western cities was a sign of Daugron’s wrath. 
  They used the cataclysm to scare the people of 
  the east into giving their priesthood inroads into  
   
  their cities and by 285R they were the dominant 
  force in Byalliz, which became the new capitol.  
  Although Byalliz was supposedly ruled 
  by a secular leader (known as the K’luud) the 
  Daugron church rapidly became the real power 
  and maintained a theocracy that ran all 
  administrative affairs on the K’luud’s behalf. 
  The church encouraged the institution of slavery, 
  in order to maintain a supply of victims for its 
  rituals, which included Human sacrifice.  
  Huge festivals were held annually in 
  high summer, whereby scores of people were 
  burned alive at the stake or cast into giant 
  braziers of fire. The clergy demanded absolute 
  obedience of its subjects, banning the worship of 
  other Gods. They ruled with an iron-fist, which 
  is to say they controlled the cities (only), for they 
  were despised by those tribesmen who lived a 
  more carefree lifestyle in the remote parts of 
  Y’sira. Here worship of other deities such as 
  Liraan, Phelltar and Pharidor continued. 
  In 300R, the first contact was made 
  with the Keljak barbarians from the Outlands and 
  the Daugron church was quick to recognize their 
  worth as great fighters. The Keljak were 
  recruited as mercenaries in a campaign to 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  subjugate the outlying parts of Y’sira. Despite 
  the fact that they worshipped Kavast (a God not 
  numbered amongst the divine Twenty-Seven), 
  Daugron missionaries who travelled to the 
  Outlands had been able to convince the Keljak 
  holy men that Kavast was an aspect of Daugron 
  and had told their leaders that their people would 
  be welcome in Y’sira.  
  So it was that in 489R, when a great 
  migration of Keljak left their traditional 
  homelands for Y’sira, they made a pact with the 
  church and virtually became the new power in 
  Byalliz overnight, going on to conquer all 
  of Y’sira by 500R.  
  The original Zurandi 
  people became second-class 
  citizens 
  in 
  their 
  own 
  country but the Daugron 
  priesthood still retained 
  its position of power, 
  indoctrinating 
  the 
  holy men of Kavast 
  in the basic dogma 
  of their religion and 
  winning the hearts 
  and minds of the 
  more powerful of 
  the 
  Keljak 
  chieftains.  
  The 
  church 
  and 
  the 
  Keljak 
  retained 
  control for the next 
  900 years and the 
  religion of Kavast 
  was assimilated and 
  forgotten. But not so 
  in the Outlands, where 
  the Rhajeer movement 
  had arisen, deposing the 
  traditional chieftains of the 
  Keljak.  
  The Rhajeer were a 
  hardline version of the Kavast faith 
  and, when a prolonged famine devastated the 
  Outlands in 1515R, their religious leader, 
  Viritath, led a second great migration into Y’sira. 
  The Daugron priests welcomed the new influx of 
  Keljak, being confident of their abilities to 
  ‘convert’ the Rhajeer to their faith. But they did 
  not count on the tenacity 
  and political 
  shrewdness of Viritath, who rejected their 
  theological arguments and deposed the Daugron 
  church, replacing it with the religion of Kavast. 
  This was the low-point for the faith of 
  Daugron. Many of their senior clerics were 
  executed after an abortive attempt to assassinate 
  Viritath and the clergy found that the dominant 
  population of the Zurandi had no love for their 
  priesthood, since they had made them a lower 
  social caste in favor of the Keljak. The surviving 
  hierarchy of the Daugron church was forced 
  overseas to seek sanctuary in their temple in 
  Odressi. However, the Zurandi’s celebration of 
  the ousting of the Daugron priesthood was short-
  lived. The Rhajeer proved to be even worse in 
  restricting the freedom of the people and 
  instilling a new regime of fear. 
    
  It was not until 1534R, with the 
  defeat of Viritath by the armies of 
  Sardell, that the Keljak’s long 
  reign over Y’sira was broken. 
  Most of the desert warriors 
  made the great trek back 
  to their home territories 
  in the Outlands. The 
  Daugron 
  faith 
  emerged as the most 
  unlikely of allies of 
  the 
  Sardellan 
  Empire, supporting 
  the Ormocean and 
  Trezkillian 
  churches in ousting 
  the 
  followers 
  of 
  Kavast, whom all 
  factions 
  agreed 
  were heretics. The 
  Daugron 
  priests 
  even agreed to the 
  introduction 
  of 
  Ormocean law to the 
  land, so long as the 
  followers 
  of 
  Kavast 
  were driven out.  
  Of course, when 
  the Sardellan Empire went 
  into decline and the Kinstrife 
  depleted the military garrisons of 
  Y’sira, the Daugron priests were also 
  the first to incite the local population to rise up 
  against the Sardellan ‘oppressors’ and their 
  religious institutions (although many of the 
  Ormocean laws brought to Y’sira remained 
  intact afterward). 
  The Daugron church again managed to 
  attain control in Byalliz and effectively ruled 
  Y’sira after the Sardellan occupying forces 
  withdrew. It was still a dogmatic and aggressive 
  order and had learned little from its past 
  mistakes. The church reinstated the line of the 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  K’luud and for three centuries, successive rulers 
  in Byalliz remained puppets of the priesthood.  
  However, in 1978R, Jazeer K’pora 
  became K’luud and proved to be both a 
  charismatic and capable leader. He demanded 
  that the church make a number of social reforms, 
  particularly with regards to slavery. In response, 
  the priesthood tried to have him arrested but the 
  royal guard sided with the K’luud and in a 
  bloodless coup, K’pora gained real control of 
  Y’sira. 
  The Daugron church was purged of its 
  zealots and a more moderate faction governed 
  affairs in Byalliz in conjunction with a secular 
  authority created by the K’luud. But the 
  fundamentalists were still a force to be reckoned 
  with and in 2101R, during the Five Years Doom, 
  a powerful Seervati priest called Kasinn led them 
  back into power. Kasinn deposed the existing 
  regime and made himself both K’luud and High 
  Priest of the Daugron faith, reintroducing ritual 
  sacrifices to the Goddess and maintaining 
  authority with a new guard made up of Black 
  Keljak, warriors exiled from their tribes in the 
  Outlands. He imprisoned and slaughtered most 
  of the existing Daugron clergy, installing his 
  own followers in their place. 
  Kasinn and his faction were eventually 
  ousted by the efforts of a small but dogged 
  resistance led by a young Daugron priest who 
  had survived the carnage. Simply known by his 
  followers as ‘the Avatar’ the priest managed to 
  infiltrate the sanctum of Kasinn and kill the 
  despot, with the aid of a band of elite warriors. 
  Without the powerful magic of their leader, most 
  of Kasinn’s supporters fled or surrendered.  
  The enigmatic Avatar was offered the 
  title of High Priest but declined, preferring to 
  devote his life to other personal goals. Once he 
  had overseen the formation of a new, unified 
  priesthood and given stability to Y’sira, the 
  Avatar left on a quest to explore Enshar and try 
  to cross the Sarkoshian Ocean. His fate is 
  unknown. 
  In the wake of the Five Years Doom, 
  the church has consolidated the eastern lands of 
  Y’sira but there has been civil unrest in the west. 
  The old heretical religion of Kavast has arisen 
  again and grown strong in Tariziach. An army 
  sent to restore control of the eastern cities to the 
  Daugron faith met with disaster on the 
  battlefield. This has been a blow to the 
  priesthood in Byalliz. All efforts of the church 
  are focused on the west and on ways of 
  undermining belief in Kavast. 
   
  Doctrine 
  Fire is the gift of Daugron and is 
  evidence of her power in the mortal world. Fire 
  is a cleansing medium that can be used two-fold; 
  to both destroy the enemies of the faith and to 
  cleanse the souls of the true believers and so 
  bring them to the divine realm of Scorah, the 
  Inferno, which exists as part of Tarrisada. 
  Every Daugron temple is consecrated 
  by the lighting of a brazier, using a holy torch lit 
  from the sacred fires of Daugron’s own realm. 
  This torch has been kept burning over the 
  millennia. It is said that this torch was brought 
  from the Outlands by the earliest settlers of Tariz 
  and that it traces its original source back to the 
  first fire given by Daugron to the Saahn, a flame 
  that has never died. It is the solemn duty of the 
  clergy to maintain the fire of their temple brazier 
  and to never let it be extinguished. It is a great 
  portent of doom if this occurs, necessitating the 
  closure of the temple. 
  Most rituals and ceremonies of the 
  church include fire. As a test of ordination, a 
  priest must walk a pit of hot coals unharmed and 
  clergy who aspire to higher ranks within the 
  church must face other fire-related ordeals, 
  including branding and holding aloft white-hot 
  artefacts of the temple.  
  Human sacrifices to the fires are still 
  conducted but only on the high holy day of 
  Z’charazar, that occurs in the March of Fire. 
  These sacrifices draw their victims from 
  convicted criminals or enemies of the state (such 
  as heretics of Kavast). 
  The firestorms that occur in the March 
  of Fire hold specials significance for the 
  priesthood. The teachings of the church describe 
  how Daugron reveals those who are enemies of 
  the faith by reigning down fire upon them. If 
  someone is lucky enough to survive a fireball 
  strike in Y’sira, they find themselves ostracized 
  by others; their possessions seized by the 
  Daugron church. These unfortunates are often 
  offered as sacrifice to Daugron at the Z’charazar 
  festival. 
  Naturally, those sworn to Daugron are 
  cremated when they die. Their ashes are kept in 
  small decorative phials that are housed in 
  traditional family storage chests (called Kanz-
  Saludars, ‘heritage boxes’). It is an important 
  part of Y’siran culture to maintain the ashes of 
  the family and the heritage boxes are often 
  displayed as a centerpiece of pride during 
  important family gatherings such as high feasts, 
  weddings and funerals. 
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  172 
   
   
  It is believed that, during a Daugron 
  funeral rite, when the last flames of the 
  cremation pyre die, the soul journeys to the 
  threshold of Scorah and stands before the Inferno 
  to be judged by the celestial servants of the 
  Goddess. Those who are deemed to be among 
  the faithful pass through the walls of fire that 
  surround Scorah without harm, while those who 
  are not are devoured by the flames that feed the 
  eternal appetite of Daugron, their soul ultimately 
  being consigned to Shadowland. 
   
  Organization 
  There are four ranks of office in the Daugron 
  faith; 
  - 
  an Initiate of the Divine Flame 
   
  - 
  an Adept of the Searing Fire 
   
  - 
  a Master of the Inferno 
   
  - 
  the Flame of Daugron 
   
  Formal temples are established in major 
  cities, although smaller shrines are maintained in 
  regional areas and lands foreign to Y’sira. A 
  temple is ruled over by a Master of the Inferno 
  who has supreme authority over the religious 
  affairs of a city located in Y’sira, even to the 
  extent of intervening in the religious affairs of 
  other faiths. The Master also sits on the supreme 
  judicial tribunal of their city. 
  Each temple has a minimum of fifty adepts 
  who administer the ceremonies and policies of 
  the Daugron faith and from their ranks are drawn 
  the temple hierarchy, known as ‘the Eternal 
  Twelve”. There are always twelve adepts (no 
  more, no less) who have specific responsibilities 
  in each temple. They report on an individual 
  basis to the Master of the Inferno and there is 
  often rivalry between the Eternals, resulting in a 
  high attrition rate. Most Eternals are Seervati, 
  although there have been a few exceptions over 
  the centuries. 
  Initiates are recruited from the families of 
  existing clerics or from the wealthy and receive 
  training for a period of three years before 
  attempting to pass a series of theological exams 
  and physical tests, which include the ability to 
  handle fire and resist its effects. The acceptance 
  as an adept culminates in an attempt to walk over 
  a twenty foot long bed of hot coals while reciting 
  the rites of passage.  
  As part of their service to the church, a 
  recently appointed adept will usually spend five 
  years of service at a shrine located in some 
  forsaken part of Y’sira or at an overseas 
  appointment (Odressi and Tempest are key 
  places where adepts serve their time). 
  To rise to a Master of the Inferno, involves 
  having your abilities and talents recognized by 
  one of the Eternals who will that cleric as a 
  confidante and apprentice. An adept in this 
  position is referred to in the church ranks as an 
  “Aspirant of the Twelve”.  
   
  In time, an aspirant will be put forward to 
  the Master of the Inferno as a replacement by an 
  Eternal who wishes to retire from their position. 
  If the master agrees, the aspirant assumes the 
  position and duties of the outgoing Eternal. 
  The supreme pontiff of the faith is the Flame 
  of Daugron who is appointed by a synod held in 
  Byalliz every twelve years. It is basically a vote 
  of faith in the reigning Flame of Daugron by the 
  masters of each city. There is rarely any 
  challenge to the pontiff as historical attempts to 
  depose incumbents have resulted in bloodshed 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  173 
   
   
  between rival factions. Only a master who 
  believes they have overwhelming support would 
  attempt to unseat the Flame of Daugron as they 
  could find themselves and their followers facing 
  severe retribution if they were unsuccessful. 
   
  Regalia 
  The following clothing is worn by clerics of 
  the Daugron religion: 
   
  - 
  Initiate: a black knee-length cloth robe 
  with stylized flames embroidered about 
  the hem. 
   
  - 
  Adept: a red full-length silk robe with 
  cloth of gold stole that circles the neck 
  and is pinned by a holy symbol so as to 
  fall centrally down the front of the robe. 
   
  - 
  Master: a full-length red silk robe with 
  golden flames embroidered into the 
  shoulders and a do-rag with a short train 
  that covers the back of the head and 
  neck 
   
  - 
  Flame: a full length red silk robe with 
  golden wire embroidered into the arms 
  and hem in the form of stylized flames. 
  The Flame of Daugron also wears a 
  crown of gold with twelve points 
  wrought into the semblance of flames. 
  In formal high ceremonies a skull mask 
  of gold is worn and a heavily 
  ornamented staff that burns with a pale 
  blue flame is carried. 
   
  The holy symbol worn by the priesthood is a 
  rectangular piece of salamite, a black stone 
  found in deep caverns, which is highly resistant 
  to heat. It is usually inscribed with runes of 
  protection from fire and attached to a leather 
  thong or fine chain. Clerics who are part of the 
  Eternal Twelve wear the robes of an adept but 
  their role within the temple is distinguished by a 
  badge of their authority embroidered onto their 
  ceremonial stole. 
   
  Temple Design 
  Daugron temples take the form of a four step 
  circular ziggurat.  There is a main entrance at the 
  base of the structure with stairways and/or 
  inclined planes, positioned both outside and 
  inside the walls, providing access to the upper 
  levels. 
   
  The 
  ground 
  level 
  houses 
  the 
  administrative and domestic halls of the temple 
  complex, where day-to-day mundane activities 
  are performed. The general public that have 
  business with the church, rarely visit any other 
  parts of the ziggurat 
  The second level houses the general 
  living quarters of the temple for all ranks other 
  than the Eternals and the Master of the Inferno.  
   
  The refectory, reliquarium and meeting 
  chambers are also contained on the same level. 
  The third level of the temple has rooms for the 
  hierarchy of the priesthood and guest rooms for 
  visiting dignitaries, such a senior clergy from 
  other cities. A private chapel for the priesthood is 
  located on the same level. The chapel is an 
  austere room with no seating, the only 
  adornment being a skeletal statue of the 
  Goddess, who stands inside a wide brazier kept 
  burning at all times. It is the duty of one of the 
  Eternals to maintain this fire and failure to do so 
  is punishable by death. 
  The fourth level is a small domed 
  structure that stands at the center of the open flat 
  roof of the ziggurat. It contains a private altar for 
  the master of the temple and is a store-house for 
  religious paraphernalia used for large public 
  ceremonies, including formal clerical attire, 
  braziers and combustibles. There is usually a 
  cage positioned within the dome to keep 
  prisoners who are to be sacrificed to the fires of 
  Daugron.  
  The holy symbol of the Daugron 
  faith, like that of the Yhancians, is made 
  of salamite – a rare mineral that is 
  impervious to fire. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Regional 
  shrines 
  devoted 
  to 
  the 
  Goddess take the form of a single rectangular 
  hall in which an eternal flame burns in a brazier. 
  The Daugron faith has taken on a 
  special role as ‘fire-caretakers’ in a number of 
  northern cities in Eldoria, especially those that 
  have a high fire risk, such as Tempest and 
  Quorull. Here, local laws prevent the owners of 
  commercial businesses (e.g. bakers, smiths, 
  taverns) from lighting fires. They must pay for 
  an initiate of the church to light any fires and for 
  them to ensure they are properly extinguished at 
  the end of the day. 
   
  Ritual 
  One of the more important ceremonies of the 
  Daugron church is the Sanctification Rite, which 
  formally establishes a new temple or is used to 
  honor a great secular supporter of the faith. At 
  the Dawn of Time, fire from Tarrisada was 
  brought to the mortal world and given in trust to 
  the Daugron church that existed at that time. 
  That fire has been used to light all ceremonial 
  braziers since and has never been extinguished. 
  All braziers that burn within a Daugron temple, 
  burn with a flame that can be traced back to the 
  original fire from Tarrisada. 
  Fire from an existing temple is used to 
  light a small censer containing blessed oil. A 
  master transfers the fire to the new brazier and 
  performs the Sanctification Rite. With the gift of 
  fire comes great responsibility. During the Rite, 
  a Keeper of the Flame is appointed. This is 
  usually a role of great honor that is awarded to 
  one of the temple Eternals. The sacred flame 
  must be fed forever once lit and if the fire ever 
  fails, the life of the Eternal is forfeit – they must 
  be sacrificed as part of a new ritual to re-ignite 
  the sacred flame. 
   
  The best known rites of the church in 
  the public arena are the sacrificial offerings to 
  Daugron held as the culmination of the 
  Z’charazar festival, a three day event held at the 
  start of the March of Fire. The masters of the city 
  temples ask for the protection of the faithful 
  from the firestorms that occur at that time of 
  year. On the last day of Z’charazar, human 
  sacrifices take place before massed crowds, the 
  unfortunate victims being covered in holy oil and 
  set ablaze. Most sacrifices are criminals 
  languishing in local dungeons who have received 
  a sentence of being offered up to Daugron for 
  their crimes. However some sacrifices are 
  willing zealots who offer themselves to the 
  church for the Z’charazar festival.  
   
  Uushai 
  Daugron is served by two echelons of 
  Uushai. The first are the fire elementals who 
  dwell on the boundaries of Scorah, in Tarrisada. 
  They are the guardians of that realm and 
  incinerate any who would intrude and do not 
  wear the mark of the Goddess. At the heart of 
  Scorah is the Burning Palace, which is built upon 
  the shoulders of an active volcano. Here dwell 
  the fire giants who look after the affairs of the 
  Goddess in the mortal world and are commanded 
  by their king, Kaziraad Flameheart. 
   
  Bonus Spell 
  Daugron priests often work with fire and need to 
  quickly extinguish flames if they get out of 
  control. 
  CONTROL FLAME 
  School transmutation [fire];  
  Level cleric 1 (Daugron) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, S, DF  
  Range close (25ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) 
  Target one area of fire up to 10 cu. ft. + 1 cu. 
  ft./level 
  Duration concentration, up to 1 min./level (D) 
  Saving Throw none;  
  Spell Resistance no 
   
  You can control the flames of one non magical 
  fire source. As a move action you can completely 
  extinguish the flames in the target area or move 
  the area of your control. As a standard action you 
  may alter the shape or color of the flames. As a 
  full-round action you may raise the height of the 
  flames to within the spells area limit or direct the 
  spread of flames to your will.  
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  175 
   
   
  Assay Spell 
  Sun Metal is the Assay spell of the Daugron 
  faith. When cast by a Daugron Cleric it has 
  duration of 2 rounds per level and does 1d6 fire 
  damage. 
  Artefact 
  THE ETERNAL FLAME 
  Strong transmutation (fire); CL 20th; weight 
  20lb. 
   
  Da-Neputah 
  and 
  his 
  battalion 
  of 
  spearman had been assigned the defense of the 
  west tower, which was built on a small 
  promontory that projected into the river. As 
  such, it was closer to the Keljak positions and 
  first came under attack from ballista that the 
  enemy had brought in their train. 
   
  Stone and fire rained down on the fort 
  all morning and Da-Neputah and his men coped 
  well, with minor losses. The militia kept the fires 
  under control, while Da-Neputah repulsed an 
  assault by about one hundred men in make-shift 
  boats, in the late afternoon. Just on sundown, I 
  heard from my terrace the sound of chanting 
  from across the river and Toh-Hakko, being 
  well-versed in the Keljak tongue, told me that 
  they were making offerings to Kavast and 
  celebrating the arrival of the Eternal Flame. 
   
  I joined Da-Neputah a short while later, 
  to assess the damage and he was confident the 
  walls of Bhiritaan would stand forever. As he 
  said this, the Keljak began another series of 
  attacks with their ballista. A fireball arced over 
  the wall where we stood and crashed down upon 
  the roof of a house in the street behind. More 
  followed. The ever-efficient militia moved in with 
  their bucket brigades to douse the flames but, 
  after a short while, it became apparent that they 
  were experiencing difficulty. No matter how they 
  tried, they could not quench the fires. They were 
  spreading with alarming voracity, consuming 
  everything they touched. I watched a man pour 
  an entire bucket over a small ember that had 
  floated onto the straw of a nearby stable. It had 
  no effect at all and the straw burst into flame.  
   
  At a ceremony in the First Age, Razeer 
  and Skara, twin elemental avatars of Daugron 
  gave the gift of fire to mortal priests. To each 
  they gave a crucible in which burned a fire that 
  could never be extinguished by mundane or 
  magical means. These artefacts were lost during 
  the War of Powers and it was only when the 
  Keljak crossed the Dunewall from the Outlands 
  that they were discovered again. The Keljak had 
  seven ancient urns kept by their priests but no 
  fire burned within them and it was prophesized  
  that they would ignite with flame, when the time 
  of the Keljak was at hand and their people would 
  bring fire and sword to all nations. When their 
  priests brought the sacred relics into Y’sira, each 
  urn burned again with an unquenchable fire and 
  the Keljak horde was poised to conquer all of 
  Eldoria.  
   
  An Eternal Flame burns within a crucible that 
  resembles a cooking pot, with no handles. It is 
  made from salamite, glazed with a white 
  exterior, which is painted with stylized flames. 
  Its lid is made from the same material and can be 
  fixed firmly shut by means of two Excellium 
  clamps. Inside burns a white hot flame that 
  cannot be extinguished by water, by smothering 
  or any known magical spell. This fire needs no 
  fuel source to burn and if an object is set alight 
  from the Eternal Flame, it too cannot be 
  extinguished and will burn until it utterly 
  consumes all fuel that it touches. The damage 
  that can be inflicted by the Eternal Flame can be 
  quite devastating and the Keljak used the 
  crucibles to great effect during the siege of 
  Bhiritaan, when the Rhenfarans lost over 10,000 
  people to the all-consuming fires that were 
  hurled into their city in fire-pots 
   
   
  Charm 
  BURNING SKULL 
  Description: A miniature skull made of salamite, 
  painted with stylized flames.  
   
  Trigger: Any damage from a natural or magical 
  source of fire. 
   
  DC: 12 
   
  Effect: Provides a +2 save against fire-based 
  damage 
   
  Cost: 1 gold trade 
   
  Frequency: Uncommon 
   
  Usage: If the owner sustains damage from a fire-
  based source the Charm is rendered useless. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  176 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  The powerful artefact, ‘The Eternal 
  Flame”, (above) was brought to Y’sira by 
  Keljak shamans. Seven are known to exist. 
  The Burning Skull Charm (right) is used to 
  ward off the effects of fire. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  177 
   
   
  IMAAR 
   God of the Tas  
   
  Other Titles: 
  Lord of True Magic, the Spirit Incarnate, Master of the Tas 
  Alignment: 
  Lawful Evil 
  Domains: 
  Magic/Arcane/Divine/Knowledge/Rune 
  Favored Weapon: 
  All simple and martial weapons 
  Appearance: 
  A pulsating sphere of blazing energy  
  Status: 
  Minor cult 
  Following: 
  80% Male, 20% Female 
  Power Centers: 
  The following of Imaar is limited to a small cult which operates out of Odressi, on 
  the Holy Isle. 
  Holy Day: 
  Tabiazar, 10th Day of the Third Span of the March of Shadows. 
  Clerical Dress: 
  Black close-fitting shirt and britches over which is worn a loose orange robe 
  resembling a short kimono. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  Averaach is the holy crystal used by the cult to cast spells. A Tas-Catcher (a gold 
  stylized lightning bolt) set with a piece of averaach is the Imaar holy symbol. 
  Associations: 
  Trezkillian (God of War) is the Father of Imaar and Daugron is his mother. There 
  is no Recognition agreement between the cult and other religions of the House of 
  Power. 
  Basic Goal: 
  The elimination or conversion of all non-Imaarite magic practitioners. 
   
  Religion Trait: 
  Arcane Depth. You have studied the great masters of Spellcraft, and your 
  knowledge is exceptional. Benefit: You gain a +1 on Spellcraft checks and +1 
  on Knowledge (Arcana) checks. You may choose one of these as a Class skill. 
  Bonus Spell: 
  Arcane Purge 
  Assay Spell: 
   
  Magic Missile
   
   
  History 
  Along with the worshippers of Priath, 
  the Imaar Cult is one of the most secretive orders 
  in Eldoria. The modern day version of the cult 
  traces its origins back to the Twilight Years, 
  when the Gods still dwelled in the world and a 
  secret Human order (known as the Pedagogues 
  of the Tas) worshipped Imaar, whom they called 
  the God of True Magic.  
  The current hierarchy of the cult claims 
  that these early Human followers of Imaar were 
  the first Saahn to understand the real powers of 
  the Tas, honing their skills long before the 
  Darktime. The priesthood maintains that they 
  knew of magic before the other Gods taught 
  priests how to bridge the gap to the Tas and 
  weave its energy to a desired shape. The 
  Imaarites insist that their lineage makes them the 
  true sorcerers of the world. This is based on their 
  belief that the Pedagogues practiced the arcane 
  arts millennia before petty magicians usurped the 
  powers of the Tas and waged war against the  
   
   
   
   
  Theledai eventually turning on their own kinfolk. 
  In addition, they steadfastly believe the cult itself 
  wields far greater power than the reviled 
  ‘schooled’ wizards who are trained at the 
  pathetic College of Arcane Science. 
  The Pedagogues of the Tas were in 
  decline prior to the Darktime, many of their 
  masters having fallen in the great battles meant 
  to return the world to rights, after Dhamikohn 
  and his usurper sorcerers defied the divinity of 
  the Theledai. The most powerful of the surviving 
  Pedagogues asserted their dominance again 
  during 
  the 
  Darktime, 
  becoming 
  powerful 
  ambitious rulers. They became known as the 
  dreaded Serpent Kings, and waged terrible wars 
  against other magicians and even those from 
  their own Order.  
  The Serpent Kings were figures that 
  wielded such power, the populace deified them 
  and a religion arose that was devoted to them. It 
  preached that the Serpent Kings were the new 
  Gods who had come to sweep away the memory 
  of the old Theledai. As powerful as they were, 
  the Serpent Kings proved not to be Gods and, in 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  178 
   
   
  time, a general uprising against all who used 
  magic ended their reign. The Pedagogues were 
  finally destroyed but their lore lived on in the 
  teachings of the new order that had worshipped 
  them. 
  The priesthood that devoted itself to the 
  Serpent Kings went into hiding and had to 
  reinvent itself, as its ‘deities’ proved to be 
  nothing more than flesh and blood. Instead, they 
  argued that it was the Tas that defined the 
  powers of the dead Kings and that the Tas and 
  Imaar were one and the same. The Serpent Kings 
  were simply extensions of Imaar wearing a 
  mortal guise in order to restore magic to 
  the world. However, the Sorcerer 
  Kings had been led astray by 
  their own mortal weaknesses 
  and 
  so 
  the 
  God 
  had 
  abandoned them.  
  A 
  new 
  religion was needed 
  to bring Imaar to the 
  world again. 
  This religion was 
  made up of petty 
  spell-casters, 
  attempting 
  to 
  emulate the power 
  of 
  the 
  Serpent 
  Kings who went 
  before them. They 
  were but a shadow 
  of 
  those 
  mighty 
  magicians but this 
  still did not stop the 
  brash and brutal ethics 
  of the Serpent Kings 
  being used as a defining 
  part of the new Imaarite 
  principles, as is still evident 
  within Imaar Cult circles in modern 
  times. 
  About the time of the discovery of the 
  Books of Law, the cult had its center of power in 
  northwest Sard where it maintained a small 
  temple in the isolated heights of the Grand 
  Escarpment. They had remained in hiding 
  because of the fact that they practiced a form of 
  magic that was based upon the lore of the 
  Serpent Kings. They were, in essence, a band of 
  sorcerers united by a common religion.  
  Practitioners of the arcane arts were 
  universally despised and hunted down by most 
  people at that time. It was the Ormocean church 
  that did much to restore some faith in those 
  skilled in magic (especially as it needed learned 
  people to translate the Books of Law and most 
  sorcerers of the day were the only ones who  
  could read the texts).  
  The Imaarites slowly made their Order 
  better known to the general community and used 
  their religious façade as an added means of 
  protecting their sorcerers from persecution. They 
  even sent a delegation to Jasper with an offer to 
  assist with deciphering sections of the Books of 
  Law, cementing good relations with the 
  Ormoceans.  
  Sometime between 150R and 600R, the 
  Imaar cultists discovered the properties of 
  averaach, many centuries before the 
  College of Arcane Science. It is 
  not 
  known 
  where 
  they 
  learned this but the better 
  theories suggest it was 
  either sourced from an 
  ancient Uushai site in 
  the 
  Stonebrow 
  Mountains or that 
  the 
  Vollardi 
  people, of the 
  Canyon of the 
  Stone 
  Giants, 
  imparted 
  the 
  knowledge. The 
  net result was 
  that, 
  in 
  a 
  relatively 
  short 
  space of time, the 
  cultists 
  became 
  adept 
  in 
  the 
  manipulation 
  of 
  certain 
  destructive 
  forms of magic using 
  averaach and, emulating 
  the legacy of the Serpent 
  Kings, they threatened to wage 
  war on the emerging Kingdom of 
  Sardell. 
  Fate stepped in to deal the Imaarites a 
  blow that was to set them back for centuries to 
  come. Firstly, the Rose Plague swept through the 
  lands of Sardell and Llan and the cultists were 
  decimated, with several influential priests of 
  Imaar succumbing to the deadly disease. In the 
  confusion that followed, there was a struggle for 
  the position of head of the Order and at some 
  point in the dispute a cache of averaach, stored in 
  the temple, was detonated (by intention or 
  accident it is not clear). There were only a few 
  survivors from the lower echelons of the church 
  and they gathered together what they could of 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  179 
   
   
  the remaining records and artefacts from the 
  ruined temple and then faded into obscurity. 
  The cult reemerged in 1173R when a 
  woman named Talmira Foror petitioned the 
  Congress of Odressi to build a temple to Imaar in 
  the city.  Her request was granted and basic 
  funding was provided by the Congress for Foror 
  to construct a place of worship. It became an 
  imposing piece of architecture, the city funds 
  being supplemented by a wealthy alchemist from 
  Elkia, who was a patron of the cult. It was made 
  of tigerstone, a black marble, flecked with gold 
  striations and resembled an enormous trapezoid, 
  tapered inward at the top and devoid of 
  windows. 
  The cult had little to do with many of 
  the other religions, even those of its own 
  Aercharn. They rarely had a representative at the 
  Congress of Odressi unless it was of crucial 
  importance to their own interests and those 
  interests remained largely insular. Little was 
  known about them or their activities except that 
  they were continually sending clerics abroad and 
  that they had an elitist attitude, being particularly 
  scornful of any person able to channel Tas 
  energy other than the members of their own 
  church. They treated the use of magic as though 
  it was the God given right of the Imaar cult alone 
  and that nobody outside their circle should be 
  allowed access to the arcane arts. 
  Between 1400R and 1470R, cultists 
  were active across Eldoria and were found guilty 
  of several attempts on the lives of notable 
  Sorcerers and Wizards. This extended to the cult 
  developing a burning hatred for the College of 
  Arcane Science and all it represented. In 1467R, 
  there were a number of minor acts of violence 
  against apprentices billeted in the city of 
  Vharizia, where the College is based. The Imaar 
  followers, who were responsible, were caught 
  and dealt with. Then in 1468R, the Archmage of 
  the College was assassinated and the College 
  petitioned the Congress of Odressi to address the 
  situation. 
  The Imaar priesthood was brought to 
  account 
  before 
  the 
  Congress 
  and 
  their 
  representatives claimed that the attack was the 
  work of independent zealots and was not an act 
  instigated by the church hierarchy. As a result, 
  the Imaar Cult was not banned but was made to 
  make repatriations to the Guild of the Magi in 
  Odressi. 
  After 
  the 
  assassination 
  of 
  the 
  Archmage, the cult kept a low profile. Isolated 
  incidents 
  of 
  violence 
  toward 
  magicians 
  (particularly Wizards from the College of Arcane 
  Science) still occurred, but the attacks were well 
  planned with little evidence available that could 
  be traced back to the church in Odressi.  
  The assailants carried vials of Garridia 
  (a deadly poison) and were quite prepared to 
  commit suicide in the event of an arrest. In the 
  rare instances when suspects were apprehended 
  alive and found to have a connection to the cult, 
  they were always persons who had supposedly 
  been outcast by the cult years before and had no 
  ‘apparent’ link to the Imaarite movement 
  anymore. 
  During the Five Years Doom, there was 
  another attempted attack upon the College of 
  Arcane Science itself, with a sizable quantity of 
  averaach being smuggled onto the grounds of the 
  institution for an undisclosed purpose. The 
  averaach has discovered and seized before any 
  damage could be done and this time there was 
  sufficient evidence to implicate the church in 
  Odressi.  
  A further inquiry into the cult’s 
  activities was undertaken by the Congress in 
  2105R but, again, the Imaarites escaped severe 
  penalties. This was due to the sheer number of 
  hearings and tribunals being held in the wake of 
  the Five Years Doom; there were insufficient 
  resources available to bring the instigators of 
  rebellion to account. The actions of the Imaar 
  cult seemed less important than the multitude of 
  other brutal uprisings and civil wars that were 
  tearing apart the world at that time. The cult 
  were reprimanded and made to pay financial 
  restitution to the College but, again, they escaped 
  a ban of practicing their religion. 
  Since that time, the cult has been 
  relatively quiet, although no love is lost between 
  the temple in Odressi and the College of Arcane 
  Science on the nearby island of Ghardon. 
   
  Doctrine 
  The God Imaar was the only Theledai 
  able 
  to 
  fully 
  perceive 
  and 
  master 
  the 
  manipulation of the Tas; the energy form that 
  permeated the world of Enshar. It was Imaar who 
  performed the ritual that allowed the Gods to 
  align themselves with the Tas and, in doing so; 
  he became one with the Tas and vanished from 
  the world.  
  In the view of the Imaar cult, Imaar 
  does not dwell in Tarrisada alongside the other 
  Gods, instead he is part of the fabric of Enshar 
  and will always remain there, even after the other 
  Gods awaken and set sail for long lost Kalidath. 
  Accordingly, the followers of the God do not 
  believe that their souls travel to Tarrisada when 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  they die. Instead they become one with the Tas 
  and increase the power of Imaar. Many zealots 
  who follow Imaar have been known to have 
  connected themselves to the Tas and deliberately 
  withheld from creating a form with the power, 
  allowing themselves to be consumed by the 
  energy. 
  Imaar cultists are proud and arrogant, 
  having a strong belief that they are the chosen 
  ones of the Gods. Although they acknowledge 
  the existence of the other Theledai they believe 
  that the Gods are weak and in decline. The 
  Theledai slumber in Tarrisada and plan to travel 
  home, forsaking the world that they created. 
  Imaar however, has bound his spirit to Enshar 
  and remained active if inconspicuous. Imaar 
  theology states that the worshippers of the other 
  Theledai have been fooled into thinking that their 
  Gods will take them on the return voyage to 
  Kalidath, the First Heaven. They will be left 
  behind and will have to fall into line under the 
  authority of the Imaar church and give 
  themselves to the Tas, lest their souls be left to 
  wander the world forever. 
  Above all others, Imaar cultists have 
  disdain for Sorcerers and Wizards who they 
  consider to be uncouth miscreants who meddle 
  with the Tas and have no true understanding of 
  its power. Imaar cultists believe that it is their 
  divine right to change the way that magic is used 
  in Eldoria. They are grudgingly accepting of the 
  Seervati of other churches being able to perform 
  spells (after all, Imaar grants his devotees power) 
  but do not tolerate anyone else using magic. 
  They consider that, unless you pay devotion to 
  Imaar, you have no right to ‘steal’ energy from 
  the Tas, which is Imaar incarnate. 
  Cultists are intolerant of Sorcerers and 
  Wizards but more so of the latter, whom they 
  hold in utter contempt. They are also competitive 
  within their own cult and to rise through the 
  temple hierarchy, a priest needs to defeat his 
  superior in a magical duel.  
  By ridding the world of those who 
  continue to drain the power of Imaar without 
  paying the God due homage, the cult will 
  empower their deity to such an extent that he will 
  return to the world and raise his true believers 
  above all others. There is no traditional form of a 
  utopian afterlife in Imaar teachings; all souls of 
  the faithful feed the Tas and, in doing so, further 
  the ends of Imaar and the cult. 
  Whereas the Sorcerers and Wizards of 
  the modern world rely on a combination of vocal 
  vibrations, ritual gestures and the presence of 
  organic and inorganic materials to draw Tas 
  energy and give it form, all that an Imaar cultist 
  needs is averaach. They had learned far more 
  than the Wizards of the College of Arcane 
  Science about the nature of averaach, especially 
  how to balance the exact amounts of gold and 
  crystal to make a device they called a Tas-
  Catcher. This is all that is required to connect 
  them to the Tas and allow them to achieve 
  magical forms. What’s more, Imaar cultists use 
  averaach without consuming or flawing the 
  crystal (although overzealous cultists sometimes 
  abuse their Tas-Catcher and ruin the averaach it 
  contains). 
  Every Imaar cultist is a Seervati 
  (although their defined character class by the 
  Pathfinder Rules set is that of a Magus – see 
  Pathfinder Ultimate Magic). They usually wear a 
  Tas-Catcher as a holy symbol and this takes the 
  form of an averaach gem set in a piece of gold 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  jewelry, shaped like a lightning bolt (the emblem 
  of Imaar). This allows the cultist to cast spells as 
  a magus but without any other material 
  components or gestures being required.  
  In addition, cultists who achieve the 
  rank of Master (level 5 in game terms) are given 
  a Rod of Power when they return to the temple in 
  Odressi 
  and 
  their 
  acquired 
  powers 
  are 
  successfully tested by their peers. This is a 
  weapon, resembling a short metallic rod tipped 
  with an averaach stone. The rod can be used to 
  direct an explosive burst of Tas energy and has a 
  range of 50 ’.  
  The Tas-Catcher and the Rod of Power 
  both have a weakness, in that if they overused 
  there is a danger of the averaach fracturing and 
  consuming its user in a fiery blast but this seems 
  to be risk Imaar cultists, in their arrogance, are 
  willing to take. 
  Further details about averaach are 
  detailed 
  in 
  the 
  culture 
  Section 
  of 
  the 
  ‘Encyclopedia Eldoria’. 
   
   
  Organization 
  Overall, the cult is very loosely 
  organized. The religion only exists as a 
  centralized group in the city-state of Odressi. All 
  cultists are Seervati and there are no ranks other 
  than that of the Tasanlaar (Keeper of the Tas). 
  The Tasanlaar is the recognized leader of the cult 
  and has achieved that position by being cunning 
  and the most powerful of the Magi. 
  The more dominant Magi who serve the 
  Tasanlaar are given roles within the temple for 
  the 
  governance 
  of 
  various 
  administrative 
  functions. Those roles are often contested, with 
  rival Magi making claims that they are the best 
  for the position. All disputes are settled by 
  magical combat in an arena, in the chambers 
  beneath the temple. 
  In their quest to understand the Tas and 
  gain more knowledge and control of magic, 
  many cultists travel the world and seek out 
  ancient lore and artefacts stored in forgotten 
  repositories or lost in labyrinths beneath the 
  earth. 
   
  Regalia 
  The vestments of an Imaar cultist 
  consists of a tight fitting shirt and britches, black 
  in color. A bright orange, loose-fitting robe with 
  wide sleeves is worn over this. Those cultists 
  who control one of the administrative functions 
  of the temple are identified by a runic device 
  embroidered on the robe. The Tasanlaar dresses 
  in a similar fashion, except his robe is black, in 
  addition to his other garments. 
  All cultists wear a Tas-Catcher as their 
  holy symbol, consisting of a stylized lightning 
  bolt, in which is set a piece of averaach. As well 
  as being the symbol of their God, the Tas-
  Catcher is the device that connects them to the 
  Tas. It is all that a Seervati of Imaar needs to cast 
  spells. Without it they are powerless. 
   
  Temple Design 
  The temple in Odressi is a large 
  windowless trapezoid made of tiger marble. It 
  has a main entrance facing the street on which it 
  is located. Two small postern doors at the rear 
  provide an entrance for tradesmen and merchants 
  having business with the cult. 
  The ground level of the cult is a wide 
  open area with illumination provided by a 
  pulsating globe of blue energy that hovers at the 
  apex of the ceiling, 50’ above the floor. This is a 
  permanent link to the Tas and was created by an 
  ancient artefact called the Fororian Aperture 
  (named after the founder of the Odressi chapter 
  who discovered the device and had it built into 
  the heart of the temple). 
  There is little ornamentation in the 
  Odressi temple; all rituals are performed around 
  the Thraad, an altar-like device that contains a 
  great amount of averaach, used to channel 
  energy into the Rods of Power, magical weapons 
  carried by masters of the order. 
  The Fororian Aperture is a complex 
  mechanism that appears partly constructed and 
  partly organic. It is positioned at the center of the 
  
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  temple and a stream of scintillating energy 
  connects it to the globe above it.  
  Around the middle of the Aperture is a 
  gold band that encircles the mechanism. This 
  band has fifty narrow shafts that are used as 
  receptacles to charge the Rods of Power. The 
  Rods are weapons that are awarded to Magi who 
  prove that they have attained a certain level of 
  mastery over magic or by Magi who have 
  defeated rivals in duels sanctioned by the cult. 
  There were originally fifty Rods that were part of 
  the Aperture when it was discovered but, over 
  the centuries, many have been lost or destroyed. 
  Only thirty-two Rods of Power remain and are 
  coveted by cultists. Details of the Rods can be 
  found in the Encyclopedia Eldoria. 
  Two staircases lead to a sub-level 
  beneath the main temple. This level contains the 
  individual living quarters of the cultists (which 
  are small austere cells), the more expansive 
  suites of the Tasanlaar and functionary rooms 
  such as a refectory, library and store-rooms. 
  Located beneath this level is a large open hall 
  with a high ceiling supported by a circle of 
  twenty stone columns. This space is used as an 
  arena where rival priests fight duels to advance 
  through the temple hierarchy. 
   
  Ritual 
  The cult of Imaar promotes the strength 
  of the individual and as such there are few 
  formal ceremonies designed to unite the 
  priesthood as a congregation.  
  The most notable ritual is known as 
  “Dalcarith” – the winning of a Rod. This 
  involves the presentation of a Rod of Power to a 
  Magi by the Tasanlaar. The ceremony takes 
  place in the main chamber of the Odressi temple 
  before the Fororian Aperture. 
  The cult gathers and recites a litany 
  honoring the God and demanding that the Magi 
  who is receiving the Rod uses it to destroy those 
  practitioners of magic who do not serve Imaar or 
  one of the other Theledai. The initiate then 
  swears an oath before the Tasanlaar that they 
  will use the Rod for such purposes and the 
  Tasanlaar completes the ritual by removing a 
  Rod from the Aperture, discharging its power 
  into the radiant sphere, located high above the 
  ancient artefact. The Rod is then handed over to 
  the Magi. 
  If a cultist is challenged to duel by 
  another Magi, he can accept the challenge or opt 
  to give himself over to the Tas. If he chooses the 
  latter path, he takes part in a ceremony presided 
  over by the Tasanlaar that honors him. Then the 
  candidate must immolate himself by casting a 
  spell but not allowing it to take form. 
  A cultist who chooses to do this is said 
  to have given his soul to Imaar to enrich the 
  power of the God. Their name is recorded in the 
  annals of the temple and their image placed in a 
  chamber of remembrance that is maintained on 
  the lower levels. 
   
  Uushai 
  Imaar has no Uushai. He became one with the 
  Tas millennia ago and whatever beings served 
  him at that time have allied themselves with 
  other Theledai or on passed into obscurity. 
   
  Note on Character Class 
  Imaar Cultists are considered the Magus 
  Character Class and not the Cleric Character 
  Class. They are still priests who are devoted to 
  Imaar. They use a combination of weapons, 
  magical devices and spells in combat.  
  Bonus Spell 
  Imaar 
  priests 
  hate 
  Wizards 
  and 
  Sorcerers and anyone who is an arcane spell-
  caster other than other clerics (who they 
  grudgingly tolerate). 
  ARCANE PURGE 
  School enchantment [mind-affecting]; Level 
  cleric 1 (Imaar) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, S, DF 
  Range touch 
  Target creature touched 
  Duration instantaneous 
  Saving Throw Will negates; 
  Spell Resistance yes 
  You cause the target to temporarily lose 
  one arcane spell slot (as if they had cast the 
  spell) up to any level of spell you can cast. The 
  target chooses which spell they lose but it must 
  be of the highest level possible.  
   
   
   
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Assay Spell 
  The Imaar Cult teaches Magic Missile as their 
  Assay Spell. When cast by an Imaar Cleric, 
  Magic Missile inflicts 1d6+1 points of damage 
  per missile. 
   
  Artefact 
  NULL STONE 
  Strong transmutation; CL 20th; weight 2lb. 
   
   
  I watched helplessly; held fast by the 
  two swordsmen who had fought alongside the 
  cultist. Master Randyll was being pinned on the 
  stony ground by two other burly men; they had 
  gagged him and had taken his staff. Beside him 
  knelt our chief protagonist, dressed in a close-
  fitting tunic, all of one piece and dyed as black 
  as the night sky. In contrast, a short loose-fitting 
  coat of some light material was worn over the 
  black garb; this was a lurid orange color, 
  stitched here and there with sigils of a most 
  arcane nature. A gold amulet hung from a chain 
  about his neck and set into this was a red gem 
  that flickered with an inner light. 
   
  With care, the cultist produced a small 
  golden box and placed it beside Master 
  Randyll’s head. He pulled a weathered leather 
  glove onto one hand and opened the lid. With the 
  gloved hand he withdrew a curious thing; a 
  piece of rock, looking like it had been dipped in 
  treacle. Its glossy surface caught the light like a 
  pool of oil. As Randyll struggled, the cultist 
  seized his fine white hair in a cruel grip and 
  prevented him from moving. He placed the black 
  stone against Randyll’s brow and moved it in a 
  circular motion, quietly uttering words in a 
  foreign tongue. 
   
  The stone seemed to become semi-liquid 
  and tendrils of the black material oozed 
  downward and seemed to burrow into Randyll’s 
  forehead. He convulsed, his back arching, and 
  gradually his tortured form relaxed. Although he 
  now seemed at ease, Randyll’s eyes bore a 
  terrible sadness and I could not but help feeling 
  that something had been lost. 
   
   
  The cultist stood up, still holding the 
  evil-looking stone in his gloved hand. He looked 
  directly at me and grinned; the smile of a 
  dangerous predator. 
   
  “Now, it is time for the apprentice”, he 
  said coldly, “Bring her here”. 
   
   
   
  The Imaar church uses a unique method 
  of casting spells, by means of averaach, crystals 
  that channel the destructive threads of Tas 
  energy. They have always abhorred the magic 
  practiced by Wizards and Sorcerers and tolerated 
  the divine magic of clerics. Only the power of 
  Imaar is pure and true; any other magic is a 
  perversion. 
   
  When Sadir destroyed the Weirding 
  Stone and ended the reign of the Gods on 
  Enshar, some fragments of the arcane device 
  remained and survived the destruction of 
  Kordass. Fifteen pieces of the Stone were 
  brought to Eldoria by mortal servants of 
  Daugron, who had been part of the attack upon 
  Godshome, at the time of the Last Battle. In a bid 
  to unite the House of Power, in the turbulent 
  power struggle that followed the passing of the 
  Gods, the Daugron faith divided the fragments of 
  the Weirding Stones amongst its Aercharn; five 
  each to be shared by the churches of Trezkillian, 
  Imaar and Daugron. 
   
  The 
  churches 
  of 
  Trezkillian 
  and 
  Daugron lost the stones that they possessed 
  during the Darktime, but the Imaar Cult, 
  unlocked the power that lay within them and 
  kept their artefacts safe, renaming the relics the 
  Null Stones. In modern times they still possess 
  three of the five they were given, which are kept 
  in the temple in Odressi. It is thought that some 
  of the missing artefacts ended up in distant 
  Vheridane. 
   
  A Null Stone appears as a piece of 
  rough uncut stone, about as big as plum. It has 
  the luster and color of wet tar. The reason they 
  are so prized by the Imaar church, is that they 
  
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  have the ability to permanently disrupt the Aura 
  of spell-users and magical constructs, so that 
  they can no longer translate the Tas into a spell-
  form. 
   
  If a Null Stone is placed in contact with 
  a magic item, after a short while (1+1d4 rounds), 
  it connects to the Tas energy of the device and 
  begins to drain it. The item receives a standard 
  saving throw for magic items at DC25, once the 
  process of draining begins. If the save is 
  successful that item cannot be affected by the 
  Null Stone and is permanently immune to any 
  further attack from that source. 
  Failure results in the item losing one 
  quarter of its power over four rounds until it is 
  rendered useless. If the drainage process is 
  interrupted the magic item will be left 
  permanently weakened. This means a device will 
  have all of its functions and powers reduced 
  accordingly (e.g. a Staff of Charming that is 
  depleted of three-quarters of its Tas energy 
  would have the quality of its Charm Person and 
  Charm Monster spells affected. Their range, 
  duration and saving throws would all be adjusted 
  by -75%. A +3 suit of plate armor would only 
  have an armor bonus of 0.75 (3 – 75%). 
  A Null Stone affects a spell-caster in a 
  similar way, leeching their Aura and draining 
  their potential to connect to the Tas. The saving 
  throw to avoid this is a special roll based upon a 
  standard WILL save but with the target’s CHA 
  bonus also added to the roll as well. The DC is 
  25. Failure means the character loses a quarter of 
  their level per round of contact with the Null 
  Stone, but only as it pertains to the casting of 
  spells (e.g. an 8th level Wizard, drained of two 
  quarters of their power would still have the 
  skills, feats and hit points of an 8th Level wizard, 
  however they would cast spells as a 4th Level 
  wizard. Round down fractions of character 
  levels). 
   
  The effects of a Null Stone can be 
  reversed by a Restoration or a Wish Spell, unless 
  the effective casting level is reduced to 0. In this 
  case the magic item or spell-user can never cast 
  spells again. In the case of spell-users this often 
  instils a terrible craving for magic, whereby they 
  feed off the Tas Aura of other wizards and 
  clerics, as a form of magic vampirism. 
   
  Charm 
  AVERAACH CIRCLET 
  Description: A small crystal of clear Averaach 
  worn about the brow on a thin circlet of gold.  
   
  Trigger: Any spell cast by a non-Imaar magic user 
  at the owner of the Charm 
   
  DC: 10 
   
  Effect: Provides a +4 save against the spell  
   
  Cost: 500 gold trades 
   
  Frequency: Unique 
   
  Usage: If the Charm fails to prevent a spell 
  affecting its owner, the crystal is converted to a 
  Red Averaach Gem (see Encyclopedia Eldoria). It 
  no longer functions as a Charm. There is a chance 
  of immediate detonation of the crystal equal to 5% 
  + 1% per every level of the spell that caused the 
  conversion. Treat damage as a coup de grace. 
   
   
  The zealous priests of Imaar wear a charm of clear averaach designed to fend off the effects of 
  spells cast at them. In doing so, they risk death as the averaach may become unstable and transform 
  into the dangerous explosive variety of the crystal, which may detonate and take the head clean off 
  its wearer! 
  
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  XULLIA 
  Goddess of the Dark 
   
   
  Other Titles: 
  Lord of the Shadows, Mind-Flayer, King of the Night 
  Alignment: 
  Neutral Evil 
  Domains: 
  Evil/Darkness/Night/Fear 
  Favored Weapon: 
  Dagger 
  Appearance: 
  An area of intense shadow, within which gleam two baleful green eyes and images 
  that the observer is afraid of.. 
  Status: 
  Major religion of the Goblinkynd; minor Human cult 
  Following: 
  50% male, 50% female 
  Power Centers: 
  Ahr-Ganiz , Odressi and the Haunted Isles 
  Holy Day: 
  Festival Day, March of Shadows. 
  Clerical Dress: 
  A thick black hooded robe, worn with black leather gloves and a full-face mask or 
  veil. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  The holy symbol of Xullia is a four-pointed star made of black iron with an 
  emerald at its center  
  Associations: 
  Sirrith (Goddess of Death) is the wife of Xullia and Tiea is their daughter. 
  Although the three religions form a voting bloc in the Congress of Odressi, they do 
  not share Recognition agreements between each other. The Xullians do have their 
  own Recognition agreement with the banned religion of Kharic-Ohrm. 
  Basic Goal: 
  To confront mortals with their most dreaded fears and so bring their souls before 
  Xullia. 
  Religion Trait: 
  Resistant Mind. You are used to dealing with illusionary forces, Benefit: You gain 
  a +2 trait bonus on saves against Illusions and fear effects. 
  Bonus Spell: 
  Aura of Fear 
  Assay Spell: 
  Darkness 
   
   
  History 
  While perhaps the smallest of Eldoria’s 
  Human cults, the religion of Xullia traces its 
  roots to the Goblinkynd races of Ahr-Ganiz. 
  Here, it had a large following amongst the many 
  light-sensitive breeds that dwell beneath the 
  mountains of that region. However, there are few 
  records kept by Goblinkynd shamans so it is 
  unclear who actually originated the worship of 
  Xullia and for how long the practice has been 
  going on. General knowledge of the religion 
  begins 
  when 
  the 
  Human 
  prophet, 
  Islan 
  Whitemane, set up a temple in Northland in 
  1336R. 
  As a teenager Islan was captured by a 
  raiding party of Orcs striking out of the Ruby 
  Ranges at the farmlands along the Iriss River 
  valley. This was in the days before the Treaty of 
  the Blue Feather, which forged an alliance 
  between the people of Northland and the 
  Lizardmen, for the protection of the northern 
  realm. Islan was put to work as a slave in the 
  mines of Rivenhill, deep in Ahr-Ganiz and 
  would have been worked to death by Orcish 
  taskmasters was it not for the fact that the boy  
   
   
  was an albino. A shaman of Xullia who saw 
  Islan declared that he bore the ‘stigma of Xullia’ 
  and had him taken from the mines to serve as a 
  slave to the Xullian temple of Utterdark, deep 
  below the lowest grottoes of Rivenhill.  
  For thirty long years Islan served in the 
  temple but not solely in the role of a menial. His 
  quick wits and ability to read the languages of 
  Humans earned him a place as an acolyte and, in 
  time, he became quite respected amongst the 
  Orcish shamans. When word came to Utterdark 
  that the ore deposits of Rivenhill were exhausted 
  and that all slaves were to be butchered and 
  made into food supplies, the shamans spirited 
  Islan away and eventually placed him into the 
  hands of a Lizardman tribe, who in turn, saw him 
  safely to the trading post of Fort Thoris, in the 
  Fervent Downs, near the Ruby Ranges. Here he 
  was immediately known as Whitemane, due to 
  his colorless hair, which had grown long during 
  his service to the temple of Utterdark.  
  He became a well-known figure in Fort 
  Thoris. His already light sensitive skin had 
  become even more susceptible to damage from 
  
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  the sun due to his long years spent below the 
  earth and he took to wearing dark clothing that 
  covered all his body, along with a leather mask 
  and gloves. Clothed as such, he appeared a 
  sinister character and this was not helped by both 
  his public declarations that the Goblinkynd were 
  a misunderstood race, and by his religious 
  convictions concerning the Goddess Xullia.  
  He became isolated in the community 
  and was eventually driven out of Fort Thoris. He 
  lived his life as a religious hermit and created a 
  makeshift temple to Xullia in a cavern, located in 
  the hills east of the fort. 
   
  In the years that followed, the officials 
  in the region began a long process of negotiation 
  with the Lizardmen to strengthen their mutual 
  pact against the Goblinkynd of Ahr-Ganiz. 
  Whitemane was called upon to assist them as he 
  had intimate knowledge of the Goblinkynd 
  language, which was also spoken by the 
  Lizardmen.  
  Because of his treatment at the hands of 
  the locals, he initially refused to provide any 
  help. Finally he was persuaded by the promise of 
  a reward of considerable recompense for his 
  skills. He used this fortune to have a formal 
  temple constructed and to outfit a small 
  priesthood that that he recruited over the 
  following years.  
  The beliefs of the Xullian Cult that 
  emerged under Whitemane’s guidance were very 
  different from the church that exists in Odressi 
  today. He basically preached reconciliation 
  between the Goblinkynd and Human races, 
  which is a far cry from the obsession with fear 
  that was to evolve much later under the doctrine 
  of Kallin Morde, who was later to have a great 
  influence on the church.  
  Whitemane’s cult continued to be 
  ostracized by the common-folk of Northland. 
  The people who did express an interest to join 
  the cult were usually misfits and social outcasts. 
  This reinforced the opinion that the Xullians 
  were part of a lunatic fringe. After Islan 
  Whitemane died in 1360R the Northland 
  following of Xullia continued on under the 
  direction of a succession of lackluster leaders, 
  gradually losing members. Then Kallin Morde 
  assumed the role of High Priest in 1499R.  
  Morde joined the cult as an orphan after 
  his foster parents abandoned him in the woods 
  near to the Xullian temple (either hoping the 
  priests would take him in or sacrifice him). The 
  youth possessed natural latent psionic abilities 
  that manifested in his late teens and he concealed 
  these powers for many decades, using them to 
  dominate and control others. He had the ability 
  to delve into a person’s mind and draw out their 
  most dreaded fears. He used these against his 
  victims in a physical manner or by the creation 
  of terrible illusions. 
  Under Morde, the cult of Xullia became 
  an institution of fear in the Fervent Downs. 
  People no longer joked about the ‘funny masked 
  priests’; they locked their doors and windows at 
  night and prayed to their patron God to protect 
  them. But if you made an enemy of Kallin 
  Morde, hiding yourself away was not a sufficient 
  means to escape his wrath. Kallin Morde could 
  send his nightmare visions anywhere he wanted 
  to invade a person’s dreams.  
  The cult even practiced rituals whereby 
  Morde tested his priests in a bid to have them 
  confront and overcome their worst fears. In 
  addition, locals were abducted and used in 
  ceremonies where they were virtually scared to 
  death by the things they feared most. Whereas 
  Whitemane had preached that the cloak of 
  darkness protected the faithful and hid them from 
  their enemies, Morde taught that evil dwelled in 
  the dark waiting to be summoned and used by 
  those who dared. 
  In 1505R, the people of Fort Thoris 
  banded together and a group of fifty of them 
  marched upon the Xullian temple to express their 
  
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  discontent with Morde. They all vanished except 
  for two people who were found wandering in the 
  woods, totally insane. The residents of Fort 
  Thoris called upon the Sardellan forces that 
  occupied Northland at this time to provide 
  assistance. A company of Trezkillian infantry 
  was sent to the Fervent Downs to deal with the 
  problem.  
  Seeing that the writing was on the wall, 
  Morde pulled up stakes and he and most of his 
  clergy traveled to Odressi and petitioned the 
  Congress for a position within the Holy City. 
  This was granted after a brief debate with a 
  number of the more conservative religions, 
  including the Ormocean and Esmian churches. 
  Morde suffered a stroke, shortly after the Odressi 
  temple was completed and the rest of his time 
  spent in the City of Temples was comparatively 
  quiet compared to his years in Northland. He 
  devoted himself to the writing of ‘The 
  Compendium of Fear’, the bible of the cult, and 
  he began work on a special tactile runic system 
  called Darkscript, prior to his death in 1546R.  
  A female Priestess, Naehar Srell, who 
  continued and perfected Darkscript, succeeded 
  him. By 1900R, this writing style had spread 
  beyond the Xullian cult and had, ironically, been 
  adopted by the Esmians in their efforts to assist 
  the blind. The cult continued practicing the 
  rituals outlined in ‘The Compendium of Fear’ 
  but, as nobody with natural psionic talents akin 
  to the fearful Kallin Morde arose in the ranks of 
  the priesthood to replace him, the Xullians began 
  to forge links with Sorcerers and Wizards 
  specializing in illusionary spells. They paid 
  handsome wages to those magicians who were 
  willing to attend the high festivals of the temple 
  and use their powers to frighten sacrificial 
  victims to death.  
  Because of these practices, the cult 
  often ran afoul of the Congress of Odressi, which 
  was restrictive of sacraments involving sacrifice 
  of Human victims (they subsequently banned all 
  such activities in 2002R). However, the Xullians 
  avoided any severe retribution by setting up a 
  special monastery on a deserted island chain, 
  located in the Sea of Souls. These islands soon 
  earned the title of the Haunted Isles from 
  mariners who observed the black clad priests 
  from afar and heard the horrific screams of their 
  victims. Slaves purchased from markets in Y’sira 
  and from pirates were imprisoned at the 
  monastery and, twice per year, the hierarchy of 
  the Xullian faith conducted mass sacrificial 
  ceremonies in concert with the illusionists they 
  had employed.   
   
   
  The Xullians were very nearly involved 
  in the uprising in Odressi that occurred in 
  2100R, after making an early alliance with the 
  Sadir church in their bid to take religious control 
  of the city. But the Xullians betrayed them at the 
  eleventh hour and thus managed to weather the 
  Congressional inquiry of 2105R relatively 
  unscathed.  
  In recent times, the cult has become 
  enemies with the church of Pharidor, ever since 
  that Order ignited a perpetual beacon atop the 
  spire of their temple in Odressi. The Xullians see 
  this as an affront to the Goddess, as the radiance 
  illuminates the city and keeps the cloak of 
  night’s darkness away. They have challenged the 
  Pharidor priests over this issue before the 
  Congress but, to date, there has been no 
  resolution. 
   
  Doctrine 
  Followers of Xullia believe that their 
  patron God dwells in the darkness where no 
  masks are worn and all are equal. Only by 
  blotting out the riot of confusion created by the 
  other Theledai can mortals hope to have 
  Pirates of the Sea of Souls often sold 
  their captives to the Xullian Cult. They 
  prisoners were held in dungeons on the 
  Haunted Isles, awaiting sacrificial rituals 
  that would virtually scare them to death! 
   
  
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  tranquility of mind to perceive the presence of 
  Xullia. In the shadows lies solace and beyond 
  that is the realm of the Uhgaroth, a place ruled 
  over by the bane of each person, an individual 
  demon that clouds the mind and prevents mortals 
  from passing from the Small Shadow to 
  Talysaar, which is the universe that Enshar exists 
  in. 
  Only 
  by 
  entering 
  Uhgaroth 
  and 
  overcoming your greatest fear can you hope to 
  transcend the world of Enshar and become at one 
  with the Small Shadow in death. Those who fail 
  the test of the Uhgaroth die or lose their minds; 
  those sworn to Xullia, who never aspire to the 
  test prior to death, are lost to the Great Shadow 
  or 
  consigned 
  to 
  the 
  twilight 
  world 
  of 
  Shadowland, Sirrith’s domain. 
  Xullians believe that the radiance of 
  Pharys (the Sun) is an unclean taint and avoid 
  exposing themselves to daylight wherever 
  possible. 
   
  Organization 
  There are four levels of hierarchy in the 
  Human ordering of the Xullian religion: 
   
  - 
  Neophytes (newcomers to the cult who 
  carry out menial duties and aspire to 
  become Shadows (Xullian clerics). 
   
  - 
  Shadows (ordained priests who have 
  learned the lore of ‘The Compendium 
  of Fear’ and passed ritual tests set by 
  the cult. 
   
  - 
  The Enlightened (priests who have 
  passed the test of Uhgaroth and 
  assumed a more senior role in the cult). 
   
  - 
  The Dark One (the supreme pontiff of 
  the cult) 
   
  The Dark One resides at the temple in 
  Odressi and is responsible for determining the 
  theological direction of the religion. The overall 
  administration of the temple is the responsibility 
  of one of the Enlightened, who is given that 
  position by the Dark One. That person goes 
  under the title of the Appointed.  
  There are only two Appointed clerics in the 
  Xullian religion – one residing in Odressi and the 
  other in the Haunted Isles. Other clerics who 
  have received Enlightenment serve under the 
  Appointed as functionaries of the temples. 
   
  Regalia 
  All cultists wear clothing designed to 
  limit their exposure to daylight. They don a 
  black hooded robe that covers them from head to 
  toe. If they are forced to engage in outside 
  activities, during the day, they will also wear 
  gloves and a black face-mask or veil. 
  Shadow priests are identified by green 
  embroidered trimming to their sleeves and the 
  edge of their hood; the Enlightened have stylized 
  green eyes sewn about the cowl of their robes.  
  The Appointed clerics of Odressi and 
  the Haunted Isles wear an amulet set with a large 
  emerald as a mark of their office. 
  The Dark One dresses in a hooded robe 
  that is dark green in color with emeralds sewn 
  into the cowl. While other clerics go unmasked 
  when out of the reach of daylight, the Dark One 
  wears a black velvet mask at all times. The mask 
  is decorated with green metallic thread that 
  highlights the facial features.  
  
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  Cultists wear an iron four pointed star 
  as their holy symbol. Neophytes wear a plain 
  version of the star while higher ranked cultists 
  wear emeralds of varying sizes and value, set at 
  the heart of their holy symbols. 
   
  Temple Design 
  The temple in Odressi is a large 
  featureless rectangular structure made of black 
  granite. There is no ornamentation and no 
  windows, although there are a number of discreet 
  vents that channel air into the complex, set high 
  in the walls under the eaves of the roof. Entrance 
  to the temple is via a single locked portal. A bell-
  pull summons a door-keeper who allows 
  admittance to those who know the passwords of 
  the temple or have official business with the cult. 
  The entry door opens into a large foyer which 
  has a second inner door that provides access to 
  the temple proper. The outer and inner doors are 
  constructed so that neither door can be open at 
  the same time; only when the outer door is 
  closed and locked can the inner door be opened. 
  This is to prevent the intrusion of unclean 
  sunlight into the temple. 
  The foyer leads into the main sanctum 
  of the cult where religious ceremonies take 
  place. It is a cavernous empty space that is dully 
  illuminated by a green radiance that comes from 
  squidlights* positioned within two large recesses 
  above the altar. These recesses are shaped in the 
  form of two eyes, the whole effect made to give 
  the appearance of two glowing green eyes 
  suspended in the darkness. 
  The altar is a low plinth of black marble 
  on 
  which 
  rests 
  a 
  large 
  copy 
  of 
  ‘The 
  Compendium of Fear’ bound with jade plates 
  and brass wire. Standing directly before the altar 
  is a font, consisting of a wide basin that rests 
  atop a waist-high column. It contains a green, 
  glowing liquid that is the holy water of the cult. 
  The liquid imbues a cultist with Darkvision for a 
  period of 1d4+4 hours if drops are applied to the 
  eyes. 
  The temple has no seating but there are 
  numerous prayer rugs laid about the floor. There 
  are several side rooms that run off the main 
  chamber; many of these are for the storage of 
  tables, chairs and other paraphernalia used in 
  temple 
  ceremonies. 
  Other 
  rooms 
  contain 
  numerous items used in the Enlightenment ritual; 
  items designed to invoke abject terror in a 
  subject and assist them in overcoming their fear 
  and becoming one with Xullia.  
  Two staircases, located either side of 
  the entry to the temple provide access to a sub-
  level where the living quarters and functional 
  rooms of the cult are maintained. There is also a 
  secret section in the sub-level used for holding 
  kidnapped victims to be used as sacrifices on the 
  holy days of the church.  
  The temple on the Haunted Isles 
  follows the same internal layout as the one in 
  Odressi but is built into a mountainside rather 
  than being constructed as a free-standing 
  building. 
   
  * squidlights are lamps filled with the ink from the grey 
  mottled squid. If fresh water is added to the ink the liquid 
  glows with a green radiance for 4+1d4 hours. 
   
  Ritual 
  The main ceremony that is performed in 
  the cult is that of the Rite of Uhgaroth (or 
  Enlightenment). Sometime within six years of 
  ordination, a Shadow priest is expected to ask to 
  be initiated into Enlightenment via the Uhgaroth 
  ceremony. One March prior to the rite being 
  undertaken, the initiate will undergo a series of 
  ‘confessionals’ with one of the senior priests 
  who have already passed the rite. The meetings 
  are designed to draw out what are the true fears 
  of the subject, much the same way a psychiatrist 
  identifies the hidden phobias of their patients. 
  On the day of the rite, the initiate is 
  brought before the assembled congregation and a 
  litany is performed by the Dark One and 
  attendant Enlightened Ones. The litany is 
  consummated by the initiate drinking a dose of 
  Ryzill from a ceremonial bowl; Ryzill heightens 
  awareness to the senses of sight, sound and 
  smell.  
   
  
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  The Initiate is usually restrained in a 
  high backed chair by means of iron manacles and 
  is subjected to the source of their worst fears. 
  This part of the ceremony can use physical props 
  and items; for example, if the initiate’s main fear 
  is something simple like spiders, live spiders 
  would be placed upon their person.  
  With more complex fears, the temple 
  may engage the services of a local Wizard or 
  Sorcerer who is adept at creating masterful 
  illusions to induce the required fear response. 
  While the initiate attempts deal with their fears 
  and so by pass the veil of Shadows and become 
  Enlightened, the priests performing the rite by 
  reading from ‘The Compendium of Fear’ and 
  encouraging the initiate to steel their mind and 
  cast aside all mortal distractions.  
  Two things will happen in the Rite of 
  Uhgaroth. The initiate will not conquer their 
  fears and the ritual will be ended (it is up to the 
  presiding senior priest to make that decision after 
  asking the initiate if they wish the rite to be 
  stopped). Alternately, the initiate will reach 
  Enlightenment and demonstrate that they are in 
  control of themselves and have passed the 
  Shadow of Uhgaroth and are now Enlightened.  
  Priests who have undergone the rite and 
  failed can attempt it three more times. If they fail 
  a fourth rite they are sacrificed to Xullia at the 
  next Holy Day. Many priests who survive the 
  rite are often driven insane by the ordeal and, if 
  unable to function effectively within the cult, 
  they are also sacrificed. 
  Sacrificial victims from outside of the 
  cult are also sought for celebrations held on the 
  Holy Day of Xullia. The rituals invoked on these 
  Holy Days follow a similar format to the Rite of 
  Uhgaroth; however illusions are always used to 
  induce fear, not mundane processes.  
  There is no premature end to the 
  sacrificial ceremonies; the victim is terrorized 
  endlessly until they die from heart failure, lose 
  their mind or come through the ordeal unscathed. 
  Regardless of the outcome, the surviving victim 
  is sacrificed to Xullia. This involves the top of 
  the skull being surgically removed and the Dark 
  One cutting away small pieces of the exposed 
  brain while the victim is still alive. The cultists 
  come forward in order of hierarchy and are 
  blessed by the Dark One before a piece of the 
  victim’s brain is placed into their open mouths 
  and devoured. 
  All ceremonies of this nature are 
  supposed to only take place on the Haunted Isles 
  after the banning of Human sacrifice by the 
  Congress of Odressi in 2002R. Despite the ban, 
  it is rumored that the cult residing in Odressi still 
  performs sacrificial rituals in secret and the 
  Ormocean and Pharidor churches have been very 
  vocal in voicing their suspicions to other 
  religions at meetings of the Congress over the 
  past decade. 
   
  Uushai 
  Xullia has a single Uushai, which takes 
  the form of a large humanoid shadow with 
  burning red eyes. This is Uhraas, the Gatekeeper 
  of the Lesser Shadow who dwells in Xullia’s 
  domain in Tarrisada. That realm is called 
  Evernight, where the rays of Pharys have never 
  shone.  
  
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  Uhraas guards the borders of Xullia’s 
  resting place and accepts the souls of those who 
  have 
  reached 
  Enlightenment. 
  Only 
  the 
  Enlightened will have the strength of mind to 
  cope with the terrors that dwell in the Great 
  Shadow, when the ships of the Theledai set sail 
  for Kalidath after the Awakening. 
   
  Bonus Spell 
  Xullian priests often force their converts to face 
  their deepest fears.  
  AURA OF FEAR 
  School necromancy [fear, mind-affecting]; Level 
  cleric 1 (Xullian) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, S, DF 
  Range persona area 10-ft.-radius emanation 
  around the caster 
  Duration 1 round/level  
  Saving Throw Will negates;  
  Spell Resistance yes 
  This spell creates a radius of fear 
  around the cleric. Each living creature in the area 
  with HD equal to or less than the caster level 
  becomes shaken at the start of its turn unless it 
  succeeds on a Will save. Fear effects are 
  cumulative. A shaken character who is made 
  shaken again becomes frightened, and a shaken 
  character who is made frightened becomes 
  panicked instead. A frightened character who is 
  made shaken or frightened becomes panicked 
  instead. 
  Assay Spell 
   
  The priests of Xullia are able to cast the 
  2nd level spell Darkness as their Assay spell. 
  They cast the spell as though it was a 1st level 
  spell. Its duration is increased to 2 minutes per 
  level and it covers a 30’ radius. 
   
  Artefact 
  NIGHTMARE BOX 
  Strong necromancy/illusion (phantasm); CL 
  20th; weight 6lb. 
   
   
  In the deserted chamber I found a 
  wooden box, sitting on a tall plinth of granite. It 
  had a simple hasp and did not appeared locked. 
  Being ever-cautious, I searched its surfaces and 
  inspected the opening mechanism very carefully 
  for a good five minutes. 
  Convinced the box was not trapped, I 
  proceeded to open it and find what riches lay 
  within…only to find nothing; it was totally 
  empty. 
   I could not reason why the priests had 
  squirreled this box away here for safety. Perhaps 
  the treasure it contained was elsewhere, being 
  polished or counted. Just my luck! 
  Suddenly, I felt the distinct sensation 
  that something was watching me; something that 
  wanted me dead. I looked about the room but I 
  was alone. Still the sensation of being scrutinized 
  continued and I thought I saw a movement in the 
  shadows to my left.  
  Was that a tentacle that coiled quickly 
  back into the darkness there? I stepped 
  backward and let out a small cry, as a slithering 
  sound came from behind me. I spun around but it 
  was too quick for me. 
  There was a dull clunk and, turning 
  back, I saw the last vestiges of something black 
  and shapeless sliding into the box on the plinth. I 
  stood frozen and heard the wet impact of its 
  weight inside; a thud as it rearranged its 
  appendages. I plucked up the courage to see 
  what was there, slowly edging closer and closer 
  to get a view of the thing in the box.  
  I was about three feet away, almost in 
  view, when a keening, mewling sound came from 
  within. There were a number of understandable 
  words in that horrible cry, including my name. 
  I turned and fled as fast as I could, not 
  bothering to seal the secret door I had come by, 
  running blindly down the tunnel and hoping to 
  the Gods that the thing in the box was not 
  following. 
   
  This is a featureless box, 12 inches 
  square, made of black Diamondwood, with a 
  hinged lid and simple hasp and latch to close it. 
  It is said that Uhraas, the Shade that serves the 
  dark God, Xullia gave three of these artefacts to 
  shaman of the Goblin Tribes in the First Age, so 
  that they could instill terror in their folk and so 
  have some degree of command over their affairs.  
  The prophet Islan Whitemane brought 
  one of the Boxes out from Utterdark in 1335R 
  and the artefact has remained within the Xullian 
  church since then, currently kept by the temple in 
  Odressi. The other two are lost, perhaps held as 
  relics still by Goblinkynd tribes.  
   
  The Nightmare Box has a permanent 
  power, a minor power (usable once per day) and 
  a major power (usable once per week). If the lid 
  
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  is opened, the permanent power is manifested. 
  This is a form of Fear (as per the spell) except it 
  radiates from the box in a 100 foot diameter 
  circle. It is negated by closing the lid. 
  The secondary power is the creation of a 
  Phantasmal Killer (as per the spell). This can 
  only be activated if some piece of the subject (a 
  hair, or nail clipping) is placed into the open box. 
  This creates the Phantasmal Killer spell, which 
  will seek out the person from whom the personal 
  components were obtained from. The Killer is 
  negated by the death of the subject, their 
  successful save or by the removal of the item 
  from the Nightmare Box and the closing of the 
  lid. 
  The third (and most powerful) effect is 
  activated by casting a Darkness spell into the 
  Nightmare Box. The simple spell is augmented; 
  the artefact creating a sphere of Darkness, 
  centered on the Box, with a diameter of 500 
  yards for every level of the spell-caster who cast 
  the Darkness spell.  
  The sphere of Darkness remains in 
  place for a number of hours equal to the level of 
  the spell-caster using the Box or until the lid is 
  closed. In addition to the Darkness effect, the 
  Box unleashes a number of Phantasmal Killers 
  equal to the level of the spell-caster who 
  activated the major power of the artefact. They 
  will attack anyone, other than the caster. They 
  move through the Darkness to prey upon the 
  fears of others who remain within the sphere of 
  Darkness. The Phantasmal Killers are only 
  revoked by the closing of the lid. If saved against 
  and disbelieved, they simply withdraw and seek 
  out someone else. They can only exist within the 
  Darkness and are dispelled when it goes. 
   
  Charm 
  BAT WING TOKEN 
  Description: A bone taken from a bat’s wing, 
  broken into three smaller pieces and bound 
  together with cord.  
   
  Trigger: Any fear-based spell or ability that 
  targets the owner 
   
  DC: 15 
   
  Effect: Provides a +4 save against the spell or 
  ability 
   
  Cost: 50 silver gold trades 
   
  Frequency: Rare 
   
  Usage: If the Charm fails to prevent a fear-based 
  spell or effect it is rendered useless 
   
  
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  SIRRITH 
         Goddess of Death  
  Other Titles: 
  The White Lady, the Pale Queen, Prisoner of the Gods 
  Alignment: 
  Neutral Evil 
  Domains: 
  Death/Undead/Repose/Ancestors/Darkness 
  Favored Weapon: 
  Mace 
  Appearance: 
  A gaunt woman with white skin and long black hair. Her head is crowned with 
  ram’s horns. 
  Status: 
  Minor cult. 
  Following: 
  95% male, 5% female 
  Power Centers: 
  Odressi and Gablehead (Sard), 
  Holy Day: 
  Pharianzar, 13th Day of the Third Span of the March of Shadows. 
  Clerical Dress: 
  A black cassock, over which is worn a surplice divided vertically into black and 
  white halves. Senior priests wear a face mask rendered in the form of a skull. 
  . 
  Holy Symbol: 
  The holy symbol of Sirrith is an amulet in the form of a miniature upside down 
  Human figure. Bones are used extensively as decoration and blood is considered 
  sacred. 
  Associations: 
  Xullia (God of Darkness) is the husband of Sirrith and Tiea is their daughter. 
  Although the three religions form a voting bloc in the Congress of Odressi, they do 
  not share Recognition Agreements with each other. 
  Basic Goal: 
  The destruction of Shadowland (the prison within which Sirrith is trapped) and the 
  preparation of Sirrith’s new realm in Enshar.
   
  Religion Trait: 
  Friend of the Undead. You are familiar with dealing with the undead and know 
  ancient rituals that allow you to negotiate with them. Benefit: You gain a + 2 
  Diplomacy bonus (when dealing with intelligent Undead). You gain +1 
  Knowledge (Undead). You may take one of these skills as a class trait. 
  Bonus Spell: 
  Negative Energy Ward. 
  Assay Spell: 
  Restore Corpse 
   
   
  History 
  The church of Sirrith existed as a cult 
  since the Darktime, with most of its members 
  being active in the isolated regions of the Grand 
  Escarpment, in Sard. It is not recorded how the 
  word of Sirrith was delivered to her followers 
  and no prophet is credited with the writing of 
  ‘The Book of Shadows’, the bible of Sirrith. 
  Most of the clergy attribute the contents as the 
  work of Sirrith herself. However, there are 
  numerous tales that date back to the Darktime 
  that tell of the older history of the church 
  although this information is only known to a few 
  learned clerics. 
  Legends within the cult tell of a time 
  when Sirrith, having learned that the Gods had 
  departed the world of mortals, strove to use all 
  her might to break the wards of her prison in 
  Shadowland. She used every reserve of energy 
  she possessed and was diminished for many 
  centuries afterward by her efforts. In the end her  
   
  attempt to free herself from Shadowland bore no 
  fruit; she failed to break the wards. But her 
  exertions were not totally wasted. Sirrith 
  indirectly caused a weakening in the fabric of the 
  universe that separated her realm from the prime 
  material plane.  
  These were small temporary fissures 
  that came and went with little way of predicting 
  their occurrence. This did not allow Sirrith to 
  pass into Enshar herself but, at times, she was 
  able to communicate with the world of the Saahn 
  and send her servants back and forth between 
  Shadowland and the world.  
  During the early formative years of the 
  Kingdom of Sardell, an ageing nobleman, Lord 
  Varren, ruled over a mountain community in the 
  Grand Escarpment. He became the first mortal to 
  follow the Pale Lady of his own free will. She 
  promised him immortality in return for his 
  service and invested him with powers of the 
  
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  Shadow. Lord Varren was made a vampire at 
  Sirrith’s command and she gave him knowledge 
  and devices to harness the weak points in the 
  fabric of existence and create the first permanent 
  doorway between the worlds, not sufficient to 
  allow a God to pass through but effective enough 
  to allow Lord Varren and similar less powerful 
  beings entry and egress to Shadowland.  
  The portal was known as the Well of 
  Shadow and resembled a bottomless shaft 
  plunging into ground. It was the first of thirteen 
  Wells that Varren and the Sirrith Cult later went 
  on to contract to join Shadowland to sites across 
  Eldoria. 
  Lord Varren entered the realm of Sirrith 
  and was made aware of her great design. He 
  returned to the Grand Escarpment and brought 
  with him ‘The Book of Shadows’ which 
  espoused the basic dogma of the Sirrith religion. 
  The vampire coerced a number of mountain 
  communities into paying homage to Sirrith and 
  had them build a temple honoring her name at 
  the site of the first Well.  
  At the direction of Lord Varren, the 
  cultists began the practice of waylaying travelers 
  in the mountain trails. A clergy arose amongst 
  them, instructed in the rituals demanded by 
  Sirrith. They offered sacrifices in her name and 
  infused the corpses of their victims with the 
  Shadowlife granted to them by the Goddess. The 
  Grand Escarpment became a place that people 
  feared, a region of villainy where the Undead 
  walked. 
  In 500R, the noble lords who governed 
  lands to the east of the Escarpment petitioned the 
  King of Sardell for aid in dealing with the evil 
  that lurked on their borders. A large force of 
  troops, headed by three senior Seervati of the 
  Ormocean church was dispatched to deal with 
  the problem. Amongst the Seervati was Farwic 
  Stormwatch, a blood and thunder cleric, 
  considered to be the most powerful miracle 
  worker of his day. After a three-year struggle, 
  Stormwatch claimed to have cleansed the 
  mountains of the followers of Sirrith and to have 
  defeated their vampiric leader. Following their 
  victory, the Ormoceans returned to the king’s 
  court in Jasper and, in a bid to outmaneuver their 
  political opponents, Stormwatch made a solemn 
  public vow to act as the guardian of the realm 
  against the incursions of the Undead. Since then, 
  the faiths of Sirrith and Ormocea have become 
  mortal enemies, devoted to the downfall of each 
  other’s churches.  
  For centuries, the Sirrith Cult remained 
  dispersed and weakened. Most of its followers 
  had been killed or driven out of the Grand 
  Escarpment; one Seervati priest survived and 
  relocated to the Horn of Sard, taking with him a 
  few followers. Here, he maintained a secret 
  temple that remained the focal point of worship 
  for the cult until news of the founding of the 
  sanctuary city of Odressi became known to them.  
  With the power-brokers behind Odressi 
  throwing the doors open to all religions, the 
  Sirrith High Priest of the day became a signatory 
  to the Treaty of Odressi and the cult moved to 
  the Holy Isle. The Holy Trinity was infuriated 
  about the acceptance of the cult but the Congress 
  of churches voted in favor of allowing them 
  residential status (albeit by the narrowest of 
  margins).  
  The cult was far less openly aggressive 
  in its stance toward the Ormocean church and 
  instead, operated subversively against their old 
  enemy. After the arrival of the Yaarneyan and 
  Sadir priesthoods in Odressi, the Ormoceans had 
  
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  more immediate and direct threats to concern 
  them and lost interest in the Sirrith church for 
  many centuries. 
  The cultists established contact with 
  Sirrith once more via her minions, after they 
  were guided to a second weakness between 
  Shadowland and the mortal world. This existed 
  in the countryside due east of Odressi and the 
  cult was quick to buy the lands from a farmer 
  and establish a seminary there. Here they went 
  through the rituals to open up another Well of 
  Shadows.  
  In the years that followed, priests of 
  Sirrith were gradually directed to a total of 
  thirteen separate locations across the face of 
  inner Eldoria and opened up the portals that they 
  found, creating a network that allowed both 
  travel between the worlds and a most effective 
  means of moving across Eldoria. A priest of 
  Sirrith simply entered a Well in one location in 
  the world, traveled to Shadowland, returning to 
  the world via a different Well. 
  The areas where the Wells were located 
  became places that Sirrith’s servants came to 
  quickly control. Fell creatures crossed over from 
  Shadowland and by 1500R, reports concerning 
  the proliferation of Undead across Eldoria 
  reached the concerned ears of clerics in the 
  Ormocean church.  
  Following up on tales of an Undead 
  village in a remote part of Maritaan, they 
  discovered a Well of Sirrith and, after a brief 
  struggle, secured the area and managed to 
  capture a senior Sirrith cleric. They placed wards 
  about the Well to prevent the intrusion of any 
  more servants of Sirrith and subsequently 
  learned a great deal from the captured cleric 
  concerning the nature of the Wells and activities 
  of the cult. 
  By 1800R, the Sirrith clergy in Odressi 
  became bolder in its practices and encouraged 
  the ritual of ‘purification’ amongst its acolytes. 
  In this ceremony, zealots offered themselves up 
  to be bled dry and to have their dead body 
  reanimated with the power of the Shadow. Even 
  more audacious was the public display of these 
  Undead followers in street processions, during 
  Holy Days.  
  The 
  general 
  populace 
  of 
  Odressi 
  became nervous at having these shambling 
  creatures in their midst but the Congress was 
  slow to rule against the Sirrith church, as death 
  and the Undead were the domain of the cult’s 
  deity and it was argued that the priesthood were 
  merely expressing their devotion to Sirrith.  
  The Treaty of Odressi precluded the 
  members of a religion from bringing harm to the 
  persons or property of another religion or to 
  citizens of the city itself but as the Undead were 
  created from willing volunteers who were 
  members of the cult, it was not clear if the cult 
  was in violation of the Treaty. 
   
  However, when a number of children in the 
  Eastside district of Odressi vanished, it was 
  discovered that they had been abducted and 
  devoured by a ghoul, who dwelled in the sewers 
  beside the river and wore the tattered robes of a 
  Sirrith 
  priest. 
  The 
  cult 
  faced 
  severe 
  condemnation before the Congress and was 
  almost banned from Odressi. But, following days 
  of deliberation, the affair ended with the cult 
  being forbidden to continue its purification 
  rituals and having to pay a heavy amount of 
  repatriation to the families who had lost children.  
  
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  Understandably, the cult curtailed its 
  activities and also began to assume a lower 
  profile both in Odressi and in areas where the 
  Wells were located, especially after the cult’s 
  elders learned of the capture of its Maritaani site. 
  There were several attempts made to 
  reclaim the Well in Maritaan but the Ormoceans 
  maintained a highly trained and well-provisioned 
  force there and it proved beyond the means of 
  the Sirrith Cult to secure it. Even worse, shortly 
  after the Five Years Doom, the Sirrith church in 
  Odressi received information that three Wells in 
  the north of Eldoria had become inactive and 
  those servants of Sirrith who guarded the Wells 
  had been slain or had simply vanished.  
  The crisis continued with more Wells 
  being attacked and shut down, despite the best 
  attempts of the cult to hide and protect them. 
  Today only five portals remain operational and 
  the Sirrith cult in Odressi is desperately trying to 
  find out how the portals are being rendered 
  useless and who is behind these attacks.  
  Of course, they suspect the Ormoceans 
  and have gone to great lengths to infiltrate the 
  ranks of their enemy and learn more about their 
  agenda.  
  A major schism rocked the Odressi 
  temple to Sirrith in 2148R. News reached the 
  priesthood of a war in Shadowland itself. Sirrith 
  had been deposed by the Nethergrim, powerful 
  Demons who served as the guardians of her 
  borders. They drove her from her Keep of 
  Thirteen Towers and thereby captured the nexus 
  of the portals into Eldoria.  
  The agents of the Grim traveled to the 
  prime material plane and demanded the loyalty 
  of the Sirrith cultists to the new order in 
  Shadowland. There was division and bloodshed 
  amongst the priests but those who supported the 
  Nethergrim won the day and took control of the 
  temple in Odressi. 
  Since then, the loyal supporters of 
  Sirrith have been trying to learn more of the 
  events in Shadowland and have been gathering 
  allies in regional areas, from the last remaining 
  communities that have grown up around the 
  Wells. The loyalist faction has consolidated itself 
  in Sard, where the Chancellor of that country has 
  managed to convince the entrenched Trezkillian 
  church to allow the cult to establish a temple in 
  Gablehead and explore its old sacred sites in the 
  Grand Escarpment. 
   
   
   
  Doctrine 
  True Sirrith cultists live only to serve 
  the Queen of the Dead. They work toward 
  gaining knowledge that will lead to the removal 
  of the wards that encircle the realm of 
  Shadowland, the prison that contains the 
  Goddess. 
  Whereas 
  the 
  other 
  Gods 
  have 
  withdrawn from the world, Sirrith has vowed to 
  return and make Enshar her personal domain, 
  flooding the world with the power of the Shadow 
  so only those instilled with Shadowlife can dwell 
  there. By serving this cause in life and beyond, a 
  true follower of Sirrith is guaranteed an immortal 
  place in the new order to come. 
  Because of the past actions of the House 
  of Wisdom in trying to have the Sirrith Cult 
  removed from Odressi and declared a banned 
  religion, the cult instills its members with a 
  fierce hatred of the priesthoods that serve 
  Ormocea, Esmia and Siritar.  
  Any cultist who is able to bring harm to 
  their followers (without attracting the attention 
  of the Congress of Odressi) is highly regarded by 
  the hierarchy of the cult. Elves are equally hated 
  by Sirrith cultists for, in death, they enter the 
  state of Priatharia, denying Sirrith any claim 
  upon their souls. 
   
  Organization 
  The structure of the Sirrith clergy, detailed 
  here, is based upon the loyalist faction that 
  remained faithful to Sirrith during the recent war 
  in Shadowland. They are based in Gablehead, 
  Sard. Little is known of the faction that now 
  controls the temple in Odressi and has pledged 
  its support to the Nethergrim. The loyalists plan 
  to challenge the right of the Nethergrim faction 
  to continue to occupy the temple. They will take 
  their case to the next Congress of Odressi, when 
  all the religions meet.  
  The cult in Sard maintains four ranks 
  amongst its followers; 
   
  - 
  Tyro (responsible for menial tasks of 
  the temple. A talented Tyro can become 
  a Novice and be instructed in the formal 
  doctrine of the cult). 
   
  - 
  Novice (Novices receive tutelage under 
  the priests; those who are tested and 
  display a penchant for magic join the 
  ranks of the Camarilla). 
   
   
  
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  - 
  Priest (Novices graduate to the level of 
  priesthood after four years of training 
  and after passing the initiation rites of 
  the cult). 
   
  - 
  High Priest (the High Priest of Sirrith is 
  the supreme leader of the cult and is 
  elected by a council of senior priests 
  and members of the Camarilla). 
   
  There are two special Orders within the cult, 
  that of the Camarilla and the Keepers of the 
  Dead. The Camarilla are those cultists adept at 
  magic. They are equal to priests in rank but their 
  role in the temple has an outward focus. They are 
  tasked to wage an unseen war against the House 
  of Wisdom and are the equivalent of the 
  Ormocean Order of the Stormwatch. They are a 
  secret society and often undertake activities that 
  the High Priest is not even aware of. 
  The Keepers of the Dead specialize in 
  communication and control of the Undead 
  creatures that are servants of the temple and 
  those Undead who are free agents; those who are 
  allied to the cult and come and go as they please. 
   
  Regalia 
  A Tyro wears a plain white cassock 
  with a black Roman collar. Upon being accepted 
  as a novice they wear the reverse – a black robe 
  with a white collar. Upon being ordained, priests 
  wear a surplice over the black cassock, the 
  surplice being divided lengthways into black and 
  white. 
  Priests who have been appointed to an 
  administrative or theological position within the 
  cult wear face masks in the form of skulls when 
  attending formal ceremonies. The Keepers of the 
  Dead wear a mask made of jade, while the 
  Camarilla wear a blood red mask.  
  The High Priest of the cult wears a robe 
  similar to those of the priests, except the cassock 
  is red and the surplice all black. The High Priest 
  dons a gold skull mask at ritual ceremonies. 
  Upon becoming a priest, a cultist is 
  presented with a blessed holy symbol, in the 
  form of an upside-down man, hung from a cord. 
  A small, sharp blade in sheathed within this holy 
  symbol and is used to draw blood necessary for 
  rituals and spell-casting.  
   
  Temple Design 
  The Sirrith temple in Odressi is a large 
  gothic structure. It features a high vaulted roof 
  and two narrow towers located on the shoulders 
  of the transept. There is a limited amount of 
  clerestory that brings dim illumination within the 
  nave and choir, most light being provided from 
  great ornamental lanterns that hang throughout 
  the temple, suspended from the high ceiling by 
  chains. 
  The main entry is by the ‘Screaming 
  Portal”, two enormous doors carved with a 
  thousand skeletal faces, shrieking in agony. They 
  give way to an alcove that is screened off from 
  the temple proper, where Tyros tend to visitors 
  and escort them to other rooms within the Sirrith 
  complex to meet with officials of the cult. 
  The main temple has rows of pews 
  about the walls and a large altar and pulpit 
  positioned at the intersection of the nave and 
  transept. A wide bowl shaped depression is 
  carved into the stone floor in front of the altar 
  and is used to catch blood that is spilt during 
  rituals. This is called the Purification Pit. The 
  altar itself is fashioned from hundreds of Human 
  bones bound together and coated with a 
  translucent red varnish. 
  Stairs at each end of the transept 
  descend to a lower level and there are a number 
  of buildings that surround the main temple, such 
  as a dormitory, a bath-house, a lecture hall and a 
  refectory. The Sirrith complex in Odressi is 
  surrounded by a high fence of black iron railings. 
  Beneath the temple are the private 
  rooms of the High Priest, the Camarilla and the 
  Keepers of the Dead. The latter also maintain a 
  labyrinth of chambers and caverns secreted away 
  below the sub-level, which are used to house 
  Undead who serve the cult.  
  The loyalist faction that has retreated to 
  Sard currently occupy an old Ormocean 
  
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  monastery that was abandoned during the 
  Kinstrife. A temple modeled on the building in 
  Odressi is being built at a location in the Grand 
  Escarpment, where the original Well of Sirrith 
  still exists. 
   
  Ritual 
  Blood plays a significant part in the 
  sacraments of Sirrith; their Seervati have orisons 
  that preserve blood so that it can be kept fresh 
  for use in ceremonies. In addition, any spell in 
  excess of level 4 that is cast by a cultist of the 
  Sirrith faith, also requires blood in addition to 
  any other listed material components. For these 
  purposes, Seervati priests often carry a small 
  razor sharp knife or a long needle on their person 
  (or incorporated into their holy symbol).  
  An unholy font rests atop the altar in the 
  temple and cultists donate blood to the font as 
  part of the ‘Giving Rite’. After the recitation of a 
  long benison by the presiding priest, the gathered 
  cultists approach the font one by one and their 
  blood is drawn using a consecrated dagger.  
  Spells woven about the font keep the 
  liquid fresh. A ‘Giving Rite’ is called at the 
  discretion of the priest whose duty it is to 
  maintain the supply of blood in the font. This is 
  the ‘holy water’ of the cult and is often carried in 
  silver vials by priests and used to control 
  Undead. 
  On Sirrith’s Eve (the last night of 
  winter) the High Priest of the temple totally 
  immerses their body in a bath of blood in 
  emulation of the Goddess, who is said to bathe in 
  the Crimson River of Shadowland when she has 
  need 
  of 
  greater 
  power. 
  The 
  ‘Ritual 
  of 
  Purification’ is also performed on this night.  
  Priests who seek to embrace the power 
  of the Vorg and become Undead undergo a 
  ceremony whereby they are hung upside-down 
  over the temple Purification Pit and bled dry. 
  The High Priest officiates and imbues the dead 
  body with the energy of the Shadow, using the 
  Skull of Vargranda (an ancient artefact said to 
  have been given to the cult at the Dawn of Time, 
  by Sirrith herself. Cultists resurrected this way 
  become a Zombie Lord.  
   
  Uushai 
  Naturally, there is no afterlife, as such, 
  for followers of Sirrith. If they have not already 
  undergone the ‘Ritual of Purification’ and 
  become Undead, last rites performed as part of 
  the funeral service binds the soul to the mortal 
  world where they become spirits that dwell on 
  and continue their service to the Goddess, 
  awaiting the time when Shadowland is undone 
  and the world becomes Sirrith’s new domain, 
  shared with her servants.  
  Sirrith’s Uushai are the Drusadi, the 
  most ancient of vampires. Over the centuries, the 
  Drusadi have been the ambassadors of Sirrith, 
  moving between the prison of Shadowland and 
  Enshar, manipulating affairs in the mortal world. 
  Varren is the head of their Order but he was 
  made a vampire by the Drusadi at Sirrith’s 
  command.  Although he is their master in the 
  eyes of the Goddess, the Drusadi secretly despise 
  Varren.  
  When the Nethergrim seized control of 
  Sirrith’s realm, it was the Drusadi who led the 
  Undead hordes in battle. As a result, many were 
  slaughtered or captured and only eleven 
  managed to escape to the lands of Eldoria via the 
  Wells. 
  The war against the Nethergrim is now 
  directed by the Clave, a council of three 
  vampires, made up of Lord Varren and his two 
  senior lieutenants, Maedranna and Koall. 
   
  Bonus Spell 
  Priests of Sirrith deal with the Undead on a 
  regular basis. This spell prevents energy level 
  drainage. 
  NEGATIVE ENERGY WARD 
  School necromancy; Level cleric 1 (Sirrith) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, S, DF 
  Range touch 
  Target living creature touched 
  Duration 1 round/level 
  Saving Throw Will negates (harmless);  
  Spell Resistance yes (harmless) 
  The subject is immune to energy drain and any 
  negative energy effects, including channeled 
  negative energy. This spell does not remove 
  negative levels that the subject has already 
  gained. 
  Assay Spell 
  The Sirrith Cult uses Restore Corpse as its 
  Assay spell. When a priest of Sirrith casts this 
  spell, they can restore up to one corpse per level 
  instead of one only (regardless of level). 
   
   
  
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  Artefact 
  DREADSTEEL 
  Strong necromancy; CL 18th; weight 8lb 
   
  The leader of the group was attired in 
  crimson-stained armor and, as I fought my 
  attackers, I saw him strike his black sword 
  against Hallen’s gorget; the evil blade giving off 
  a hideous metallic scream as it bit into the metal. 
  He had pierced Hallen’s armor and my comrade 
  fell, blood gushing from the wound. 
  I dealt quickly with my two opponents, 
  driving my blade through the midriff of one and 
  hamstringing the other. I turned, in time to 
  defend myself from an attack launched by the 
  crimson knight and managed to catch his terrible 
  weapon on my own sword. As we tested our 
  strength against each other, I saw Hallen, slowly 
  recovering and standing up behind my foe. He 
  was alive and planning to strike our enemy a 
  mortal blow from behind! 
  Suddenly the crimson knight mouthed 
  the words, “Kill him!” and I saw the awful, 
  vacant look upon Hallen’s face. He had risen as 
  some creature of the Undead, controlled by my 
  enemy and now intent on helping him dispatch 
  me. 
   
  This is a legendary blade, forged of 
  Vurgonmir iron, once wielded by the Wraithlord 
  Ikaradis during the Wars of the Serpent Kings. It 
  is a +2 shortsword with the ability to animate the 
  dead (as per the Level 3 CL spell). Any 
  intelligent humanoid that dies as a result of a 
  killing blow caused by Dreadsteel rises as a 
  zombie, under the control of the wielder of the 
  sword. The sword’s power allows the wielder to 
  control a maximum number of zombies equal to 
  their charisma score. 
  Dreadsteel 
  suffers 
  the 
  penalties 
  common to all weapons made from Vurgonmir. 
  Humanoids killed by Dreadsteel rise as zombies 
  within 1d4 rounds. Apply the zombie template 
  when creating them (Refer Pathfinder Bestiary 
  Book One). 
   
  Charm 
  VORGIAN CHARM 
  Description: A small ram’s head made of 
  Vorgian Steel. It is usually worn on a cord or 
  chain beneath a tunic. 
   
  Trigger: An attempt to drain energy on the 
  owner of the Charm. 
   
  DC: 14 
   
  Effect: Prevents the drainage of one energy level 
   
  Cost: 100 gold trades 
   
  Frequency: Unique 
   
  Usage: The Charm is only useable once. The 
  negative energy destroys the Charm instead of 
  draining a level from the wearer. 
   
   Also if the Charm is exposed to sunlight, it is 
  rendered useless (in the latter case it turns to 
  metallic dust). 
  
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  TIEA 
  Goddess of Thieves 
   
   
  Other Titles: 
  The Trickster, Mistress of the Six Fates, Daughter of Deceit 
  Alignment: 
  Neutral Evil 
  Domains: 
  Trickery/Thievery/Luck/Curse/Fate 
  Favored Weapon: 
  Stiletto dagger 
  Appearance: 
  An innocent maiden of early teenage years, often depicted balancing a stiletto 
  dagger on one finger. 
  Status: 
  Minor Human cult 
  Following: 
  75% Male, 25% Female 
  Power Centers: 
  Odressi 
  Holy Day: 
  Samrozar, Second Day of the Third Span of the Holy March. 
  Clerical Dress: 
  A smock-like robe of white linen, embroidered with the symbols of the Six Fates. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  The Cult of Tiea uses a number of icons, including a child at prayer and the glyphs 
  representing the Six Fates. Their holy symbol is a small cube, with each side being 
  emblazoned with a different Fate Glyph. 
  Associations: 
  Tiea occupies the House of Shadows with Sirrith (her mother) and Xullia (her 
  father). There are no Recognition agreements within the House, although the 
  Tieans have a solitary agreement with the Trezkillian church. 
  Basic Goal: 
  Tiea shapes the known universe through acts of randomness. Mortals try to shape 
  their world in defiance of the Goddess. The cult attempts to correct this by 
  subverting the goals of those who obtain too much power in the eyes of Tiea.  
  Religion Trait: 
  Backstabber. Pledging your faith to Tiea gives you the skill to make a brutal attack 
  against an opponent who cannot fully fend you off. Benefit: When you hit a foe 
  you are flanking, you deal an additional 1 point of damage (this damage is added 
  to your base damage, and is multiplied on a critical hit). This additional damage is 
  a trait bonus. 
  Bonus Spell: 
  Lord Fate’s Bane 
  Assay Spell: 
  Murderous Command 
   
   
  History 
  References in the Ormocean Books of 
  Law clearly show that the Goddess Tiea was 
  actively worshipped in the Pre-Redemption Age 
  and she continued to be remembered through the 
  centuries that followed, during the Darktime, 
  long after the original Tiean clergy had vanished 
  from history. As the patron Goddess of Thieves 
  and Mistress of the Six Fates, her name was still 
  invoked every time a cutpurse needed the 
  confidence to steal a money-pouch or a gambler 
  drew a hand of cards. It was a superstitious ritual 
  that many used to bring them luck, even though 
  most who whispered a prayer to Tiea had no real 
  idea of the exact theology that surrounded the 
  Goddess. 
  Although thousands of people spoke the 
  name of Tiea on an almost daily basis, it was not 
  until Odressi was established that there was 
  sufficient interest in Tiean lore and beliefs, to 
  enable a cult following of the Goddess to build a  
   
   
  permanent temple in her honor. In the years that 
  followed the founding of Odressi, two people  
  emerged who preached the word of Tiea. They 
  were Kanazar and Hielda Tormos, a husband and 
  wife from the Sardellan city of Zaramoor; high-
  ranking members of a noble house, whose family 
  were embroiled in a long-standing feud over the 
  fortune and lands owned by their clan.  
  After an attempt to poison him, 
  Kanazar’s life hung by a thread and he claimed 
  to have experienced divine revelations during the 
  delirium he suffered, Upon recovering, he took 
  to living in isolation with his wife Hielda, so that 
  he could not easily be targeted by those who 
  would see him dead.  
  Kanazar devoted a great deal of his time 
  in solitude to studying old myths and lore 
  concerning the Six Fates, a cabal of demonic 
  creatures said to influence the destiny of mortals. 
  The Fates were considered a rustic piece of 
  folklore, attributed to stories told by the Nalarian 
  
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  people in their wanderings across Eldoria. The 
  Fates were not mentioned in the Books of Law 
  and were considered an interesting, though 
  fictitious piece of work. 
  Kanazar became obsessed with finding 
  means of summoning the Six Fates and began to 
  invite strange scholars and like-minded people to 
  his manor. It was said that forbidden rituals were 
  carried out in secret by Kanazar in his bid to 
  contact the Fates. Some of his followers were 
  spies of his rival kinfolk and they reported these 
  activities to Kanazar’s enemies and they, in turn, 
  denounced the couple to the Ormocean church in 
  Jasper.  
  Kanazar and Hielda fled Zaramoor and 
  went into hiding, disappearing for a number of 
  years. Although never proved, it is thought that 
  Kanazar made contact with senior members of 
  the Cult of the Withered Blade, after his flight 
  from his estates in Zaramoor. The Withered 
  Blade was a notorious Assassins’ Guild of Y’sira 
  that had made many enemies in their home 
  country and had secretly relocated to the 
  Homelands of Sardell. 
  The story goes that Kanazar used part of 
  his personal fortune to have the Withered Blade 
  assassinate key members of the House of 
  Tormos, whom he suspected of being ring-
  leaders in plots against him. Certainly there were 
  several mysterious deaths of six senior nobles of 
  the Tormos clan during the years 1012R and 
  1013R. The official judicial inquiries determined 
  death by misadventure in each case, giving rise 
  to the belief in a Tormos family curse that is still 
  feared today.  
   
  
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  In 1018R, Kanazar and Hielda surfaced 
  in Odressi and petitioned the Holy Congress for 
  the right to establish a temple devoted to the Six 
  Fates. Of course, their request was denied 
  outright. The Six Fates were not an accepted part 
  of the pantheon according to the Books of Law 
  and Kanazar was either overconfident or simply 
  naïve in expecting his ‘religion’ to be accepted 
  under terms of the Charter. 
  However, this did not deter him. Four 
  years later, when the Congress met again, he was 
  back, but this time preaching belief in Tiea, 
  Goddess of Trickery and Fortune. He presented a 
  long oration that managed to convince the 
  authorities of his sincerity (though it was only by 
  a handful of votes). Afterward, there was some 
  evidence that bribes and threats have been made 
  to certain delegates of the Congress in order to 
  obtain these votes, but nothing could be traced to 
  Kanazar. So it was that a modest temple was 
  erected and completed in 1020R and Kanazar 
  and Hielda began the teachings of Tiea to a 
  small, but devote group of followers.  
  Of course, many clerics at the Congress 
  had argued that Kanazar’s doctrine was a 
  fabrication, blending aspects of Tiean lore, 
  gleaned from the Books of Law, to justify his 
  incorporation of the Six Fates into the religion. 
  ‘The Tome of Fate’, the core religious book read 
  by Tiean novices and written by Hielda Tormos, 
  includes many concepts not detailed in the 
  Ormocean Books or from any other recognized 
  source.  
  The most drastic change to established 
  Tiean lore was Kanazar’s claim that, in ancient 
  times, Tiea made a bargain with the Demons 
  who are the Six Fates, whereby she could spread 
  her influence in the world once more, upsetting 
  the plans of mortals. In return, the Demons 
  became one with Tiea, sharing her God-like 
  powers and residing in her heavenly paradise of 
  Talishra, the Hall of Thieves. Hielda claimed that 
  Tiea herself had visited Kanazar in his dreams 
  and told him that this was so. 
  Regardless of the validity of Kanazar’s 
  philosophies, they became the accepted doctrine 
  of the cult and were adhered to after his death in 
  1034R. The followers of Tiea practiced in 
  Odressi for the next century without any real 
  incident of change to their gospel. They believed 
  that Tiea asked her followers to strive to undo 
  the social order of mortals that were an affront to 
  the divinity of the Gods. They were to achieve 
  this by spreading lies and mistruths, undermining 
  the strength of people and institutions who tried 
  to gain some degree of control of the world 
  order. In extreme cases they were to take the life 
  of individuals who held the reigns of too much 
  power or to destroy the works of such people.  
   
  On the basis of this philosophy, you would 
  consider that the authorities of Odressi would 
  have quickly ended the activities of the Tiean 
  Cult but, for centuries, they were able to keep 
  their core beliefs a secret and the other religions 
  in Odressi saw them simply as an obscure half-
  baked religion, perhaps having an unsavory 
  connection with some of the thieves’ guilds of 
  the Holy City, who gave Tiea their patronage.  
  The cult itself was very careful in keeping its 
  many nefarious activities a secret and their past 
  actions have only come to light in recent times at 
  the inquiry that followed the assassination of the 
  Citylord of Odressi in 2012R. 
  In the 14th century R, long after the 
  passing of Kanazar and Hielda, the Tiean cult 
  suffered an internal schism, when several female 
  elders of the cult fought to establish permanent 
  matriarchal control of the temple. The priestesses 
  were tired of the male dominance of the religion, 
  put into place during the time of Kanazar 
  Tormos. They believed that the true founder of 
  the temple was Hielda Tormos, as she was the 
  one who wrote the sacred texts of Tiea. They 
  suspected that Kanazar had used his position 
  over Hielda to set up the religion.  
  The rebel priestesses were led by Ioerth 
  S’cora; a talented Seervati. She united a number 
  of other female Seervati and they slew all who 
  opposed them in a midnight coup. Ioreth put into 
  place a bizarre form of matriarchal succession 
  for the position of Cleric Magister (the highest 
  rank in the cult), based on some of the more 
  obscure passages of ‘The Tome of Fate’.   
  Ioreth and her supporters perpetuated 
  the belief that Tiea, not only sought to influence 
  the world spiritually, but desired to do so in 
  person and could manifest herself in the world 
  within a mortal shell. To this end, Ioreth created, 
  what is referred to as, the ‘Tiean Crèche’. The 
  cultists kidnapped or, alternately, bought young 
  girls from destitute parents and identified if any 
  of the girls had Seervati potential. Those found 
  to be gifted were raised within the Crèche, a 
  special part of the temple devoted to the 
  accelerated teaching of the cult’s rituals. Those 
  unfortunates who showed no affinity for divine 
  magic or failed to master the higher Rituals of 
  the Seercandum were sold into slavery (or 
  worse). 
  The Children of the Crèche were the 
  Chosen of Tiea and from their numbers, a new 
  
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  Cleric Magister was selected to guide the cult 
  whenever the 
  incumbent died or sought 
  retirement. Up until this time, it had been 
  difficult to maintain control of the temple for any 
  significant length of time. The creed of the 
  religion endorsed the destabilization of anyone 
  who achieved some degree of power and 
  authority. To survive for at least a short time at 
  the top, a Cleric Magister had to rule the cult 
  through fear and ruthlessness. There was always 
  someone in the wings plotting to usurp the 
  leader, once the new Cleric Magister started 
  building a ‘loyal’ following - such was the very 
  nature of the cult and the philosophies at its 
  heart.  
  When Ioreth managed to change the 
  cult into a matriarchy, she also shifted the 
  hierarchy so that the Seervati dominated the 
  senior ranks. This, at least limited the number of 
  rivals who continually contested the top position. 
  Since a new Cleric Magister could only be 
  selected from the ranks of the Crèche, it also 
  defused direct conflict between rivals; instead, 
  rival factions worked to nurture and support a 
  claimant to power from the members of the 
  Crèche. 
  Over time, two distinct circles of 
  influence emerged in the cult. The first were the 
  young, female candidates for Cleric Magister 
  who were of the Crèche; adept with magical 
  power but inexperienced. The second group was 
  the older manipulative women’s circle which 
  was responsible for teaching the members of the 
  Crèche. Although they lacked magic, they 
  excelled in persuasive tricks and deceit. They 
  were known as the Matrons. In true Tiean 
  tradition, shortly after she had the new regime 
  installed, Ioreth was ordered executed by the first 
  of the Children she groomed to take up her reins 
  of power. 
  It is hypothesized that the Withered 
  Blade renewed its acquaintance with the cult of 
  Tiea sometime after it became well-established 
  in Odressi, probably in the 15th century R, as 
  mention is made of the assassins taking control 
  of one of the major thieves’ guilds in Odressi in 
  1451R.  
  The exact extent of the relationship that 
  emerged is not clearly understood but documents 
  seized from the temple, during the tribunal 
  hearings in 2012R indicated that the Cult of the 
  Withered Blade were given the divine protection 
  of the Tiean church and, in return, assisted the 
  Tieans in achieving some of their goals; carrying 
  out killings, threatening key individuals and 
  gathering information that could be used to bribe 
  or blackmail public figures.  
  The two organizations complimented 
  each other and may have been a greater threat 
  than they were if the Tieans had maintained a 
  more stable administration.  
  But, with a different Cleric Magister 
  coming and going in rapid succession, the cult 
  found itself often without a clear direction. 
  Despite this, the two organizations did still instill 
  fear and manage to corrupt officialdom, 
  wherever and whenever it did decide to take 
  action against some person or institution.  
  In addition to countless murders and 
  other criminal acts, some of the more infamous 
  deeds the cult has been responsible for (or 
  suspected of) include the assassination Harlan 
  Medarra II, the Citylord of Odressi and the 
  repeated attacks on Wizards of the College of 
  
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  Arcane Science (that have mostly been blamed 
  on the Imaar cult). Some theologians even say 
  that the Tieans orchestrated many of the 
  rebellions that occurred during the Five Years 
  Doom and were successful in laying the entire 
  blame upon the Unholy Trinity. 
  Since 2140R the Tieans have had a 
  Recognition agreement with the Trezkillian 
  church. The Trezkillians see an advantage in 
  using the extensive spy network that the Tieans 
  have access to, in order to give them an 
  advantage in the rivalry between Sard and Elkia. 
  The Tieans simply see a benefit of being 
  associated with the Trezkillians because it 
  affords better protection to their agents who are 
  abroad in that region. 
   
  Doctrine 
  Two brothers played beside the ocean, 
  shaping castles from the wet sand. The more 
  talented of the pair made a beautiful sculpture, 
  spending many hours making his castle just 
  right, using shells and jetsam in its decoration. 
  The other brother made a shapeless lump, barely 
  recognizable as a castle. But when the talented 
  brother went to the rock-pools to find some 
  seaweed to add to his work, he returned to find 
  his castle destroyed. 
  “Why did you do this, my brother?” 
  said the talented child, grief-stricken. 
  “Because you strived so hard to make it 
  perfect, my brother. Such pride you must have in 
  your skill; so much so that it has attracted the 
  contempt of the Goddess”. 
   
  Lesson Forty-Two, from the ‘Tome of Fate’. 
   
  To 
  understand 
  this 
  lesson 
  is 
  to 
  understand the core basis of Tiean philosophy - 
  if someone or something ‘shines’ sufficiently to 
  draw the attention of the masses, then it 
  diminishes the attention that should be devoted 
  to the Goddess and should be undone or 
  otherwise diminished. This can be as simple as 
  an entertainer gaining a strong following at a 
  local tavern where he or she performs or as grand 
  as a King who unites several warring factions 
  and averts a full-scale conflict. In each case, Fate 
  is affected by the machinations of mortals and 
  power must be restored to Tiea, the Mistress of 
  the Six Fates. 
  The Fates are six Demons who made a 
  pact with Tiea, sharing her power in order to 
  allow Tiea to awaken from her divine slumber 
  for a short time and enter the mortal world in the 
  form of a twelve-year old girl.  
  Certain circumstances arise that precede 
  Tiea’s ability to do this (e.g. the demise of an 
  existing Cleric Magister of the cult, an eclipse, a 
  falling star or similar dramatic natural portent). 
  Tiea’s powers are diminished when she takes 
  mortal form and she can only occupy the host 
  body for three Eldorian Marches, before her 
  powerful spirit consumes the mundane form and 
  she returns to sleep in Tarrisada, until the 
  portents are right for her return. 
  The Six Fates have distinct attributes 
  that are said to guide the cultists in their 
  activities. The names of the Demons, the signs 
  they go by and their nature are described below: 
   
  Kax 
  (the Hammer) Kax signifies physical 
  destruction of an object, building or 
  similar work of mortal design. 
   
  Lurn 
  (the Blind Man) Lurn spurns knowledge 
  and requires that some form of new 
  teaching or finding is discredited or is 
  somehow erased from the world. 
   
  Taslaz (the Broken Crown) Taslaz defies 
  authority and requires the overthrow of 
  an influential person or institution. 
   
  Zaira 
   (the Crow) Zaira demands blood; 
  nothing less than the murder of a person 
  of prominence will placate Zaira. 
   
  Yurgh  (the Cup of Gold) Yurgh pertains to 
  wealth and requires the transfer of 
  prosperity between factions, so that the 
  wealthy are bereft of their valuables. 
   
  Hidion  (the Jester) Hidion is the purveyor of 
  K’turah, the Divine Joke. It demands an 
  act of (what is best described) as ‘black 
  irony’.  For an Ormocean priest to be 
  set-up so that it appears he has broken 
  the law is an act of K’turah. For a 
  famous bard to lose his tongue is 
  K’turah. 
   
  When a new Cleric Magister is 
  declared, according to the rituals of the cult, she 
  is revered as being the eyes and ears of the 
  Goddess Tiea, as well as being empowered by 
  one of the Six Fates to give the cult new 
  direction. The first act of the Cleric Magister is 
  to invoke one of the Fates by the drawing of a 
  random lot (using cards or a die bearing the 
  symbols of the Fates). Whatever the result, it is 
  that Fate which determines the machinations of 
  
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  the cult until a new Cleric Magister assumes 
  power.   
  As an example, an inquiry by the 
  Congress into the affairs of the cult, held in 
  2012R, clearly determined that, at the time the 
  Citylord of Odressi was assassinated, the Tiean 
  temple was devoted to the auspices of Zaira, 
  demanding the death of someone in a position of 
  prominence. Fate had demanded death and the 
  cult had pursued the appropriate path.  
  In summation, although the beliefs and 
  activities of the Tieans may seem bizarre, the 
  cultists do not act like a bunch of crazed 
  terrorists, killing people in the streets. It is 
  considered a heinous act against Tiea for a cultist 
  to attract attention to their temple in Odressi, 
  when engaged in subversive operations. To 
  avoid this, Tieans go to great lengths infiltrating 
  institutions that they wish to bring down, 
  creating false organizations and setting up others, 
  outside of the cult, to take the blame from the 
  authorities for the acts of the Tieans. 
  Members of thieves’ guilds across 
  Eldoria continue to invoke the name of the 
  Goddess when they commence a robbery, 
  burglary or similar act of larceny. A statuette or 
  image of Tiea is usually kept beside the entrance 
  to the thieves’ hideout along with a bowl. 
  Offerings, in the form of coins, are tossed in the 
  bowl as the cutpurses and footpads leave the 
  premises. This money funds the Tieans and is 
  collected, on a regular basis, by representatives 
  of the Cult of the Withered Blade. In effect, it is 
  a form of ‘protection money’ extorted on behalf 
  of the Tiean temple in Odressi. 
   
  Organization 
  The factional rivalry within the Tiean 
  religion, combined with its doctrine of adopting 
  a random theological direction every time a new 
  Cleric Magister seizes power has made the Tiean 
  religion an unstable organization. As such, its 
  structure is loose and changes at the whim of 
  each new Magister. 
  The only real person of rank is the 
  Cleric Magister; all other cultists are of equal 
  status but have power within the temple on the 
  basis of their allegiances to the factions that 
  constantly vie for control. The key to this control 
  is in forging pacts in support of one of the 
  aspiring young Seervati of the Crèche. The 
  Matrons that serve and teach the children of the 
  Crèche have some degree of influence over their 
  charges and, as such, are the more dominant of 
  the factions and have an entrenched position. 
  However, other cultists are often able to curry 
  favor with individual members of the Crèche as 
  well and, if that Seervati becomes Cleric 
  Magister, the stranglehold of the incumbent 
  Matrons is broken and new cultists are appointed 
  as Matrons. Often, the accession process of the 
  new Magister can result in a bloody purge of 
  rival factions.  
  New recruits into the Tiean religion 
  come as a result of direct invitation from an 
  existing cult member. The new inductee usually 
  joins the cause of the faction that invited them 
  into the temple (at least until they find their feet 
  and learn how to scheme their own way to the 
  top). 
   
  Regalia 
  All cultists dress in a loose linen 
  garment that resembles a smock or apron that is 
  white in color. This is worn over their clothes 
  when they are in the temple or formally 
  representing the cult. At all other times they wear 
  no adornment that would give away the identity 
  of their religion, especially as they are often 
  undertaking subversive activities.  
  The 
  Seervati 
  of 
  the 
  Crèche 
  are 
  identified by a dark blue smock. The Cleric 
  Magister wears black. The holy symbol of the 
  religion is a die that features the runic devices of 
  each of the Six Fates. These can be made from a 
  range of materials, from bone to the purest gold. 
   
  Temple Design 
  When the Congress of Odressi provided 
  the Tieans with funds to build a temple, the cult 
  used the money to acquire a block of connected 
  tenement buildings in the poorer quarter of the 
  city. They then commissioned an architect to 
  arrange for the interior of the buildings to be 
  gutted in such a way that the exterior remained 
  the same, while inside a series of purpose-built 
  chambers and rooms were constructed for use by 
  the cult. 
  The tenement buildings have thirty-six 
  doors and one hundred and eighty shuttered 
  windows. Only three doors actually give 
  
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  entrance to the temple; the rest have been sealed 
  shut from the inside and plastered over. 
  Similarly, there are only twenty functioning 
  windows and these are mostly on the second 
  storey. This served the secretive and subversive 
  purposes of the Tieans, in that their temple was 
  hidden from plain sight of the public. 
  Over two thirds of the interior on the 
  ground floor is devoted to the nave. It has 
  polished wooden floors and walls of white 
  plaster. The ceiling and upper rooms of the 
  original building where the nave stands was 
  removed to give the area height. The nave 
  features a raised dais at one end on which is 
  mounted an ornate high-backed chair.  
  This is where the Cleric Magister sits to 
  officiate at ceremonies and hold court with the 
  rest of the cultists. The dais is flanked by two 
  wall hangings with depictions of Tiea nimbly 
  balancing a dagger on her fingers. There is a 
  small plinth made of black wood that stands in 
  front of the dais. On this rests an oversized silver 
  die, each face engraved with one of the signs of 
  the Six Fates. This is actually rolled along the 
  polished floor of the nave as part of the 
  Accession Rite. 
  There are benches arranged along the 
  left hand side of the temple, where the Seervati 
  of the Crèche sit during official meetings. 
  Benches directly opposite them are used by the 
  Matrons of the cult. All others stand in the open 
  area between them. 
  Most of the remaining third of the 
  ground floor consists of a foyer and rooms that 
  guards and functionaries use when dealing with 
  persons seeking an audience with any of the 
  leaders of the factions or the Cleric Magister. 
  Stairs from the foyer provide access to the 
  basement level where the common dormitories, 
  refectory and wash rooms are located. Stairs also 
  lead upstairs from the foyer, providing access to 
  the private chambers of factional leaders, the 
  Crèche and the Matrons The apartments of the 
  Cleric Magister are also located here and are 
  heavily guarded by cultists with unwavering 
  loyal to the Magister. 
   
  Ritual 
  The Accession Rite is perhaps the most 
  formal ceremony of the Tiean religion. The 
  records of the cult describe a series of portents 
  that occur on a predetermined schedule, spanning 
  thousands of years. Each time one of these 
  portents is determined to have occurred, they 
  signify that a change in leadership of the temple 
  is imminent. This usually triggers one or more of 
  the existing factions into making a challenge 
  against the authority of the reigning Cleric 
  Magister and her supporters. The Magister may 
  step down and offer the position to one of the 
  challengers but most often there are a series of 
  violent 
  clashes 
  between 
  rivals 
  groups, 
  culminating in the murder of one or more of the 
  claimants from the Crèche and their key 
  followers. 
  When the outcome is finally clear, the 
  cult swears fealty to the new Magister and that 
  person recites a litany that calls upon the Six 
  Fates to guide the future direction of the Tieans.  
  A ceremonial silver die is rolled and the 
  symbol that lands face up determines the nature 
  of the activities that the cult will engage in until 
  the accession of the next Cleric Magister. For 
  example, if Taslaz (the broken crown) is rolled, 
  the cult will devote most of its resources to 
  toppling monarchs or high officials from office.  
  One of the most divine rituals of the 
  religion revolves around K’turah, the dark will 
  of Tiea. K’turah involves an act that results in an 
  ironic twist of fate (e.g. a famous cavalryman 
  being killed by a loose horseshoe thrown by a 
  compatriot’s steed). Tieans see K’turah as being 
  the evidence of Tiea’s presence in the mortal 
  world and a major act of K’turah is often a 
  portent for an Accession Rite. 
  Members of the cult will attempt to 
  fulfill their goals by creating circumstances that 
  create an incident that can be recognized as 
  K’turah. If the Cleric Magister is impressed by 
  their achievement they can be rewarded and 
  invited into the reigning faction. All such acts are 
  documented before an assembly of the cult and 
  the person seeking to be rewarded, dramatically 
  describes the K’turah to the gathering. If the 
  cultist fails to impress the Magister, they often 
  find themselves discretely dealt with by means 
  of a beating or worse.  
  Tieans cremate their dead and reserve 
  the ashes in a leather pouch in a mausoleum. 
  Cultists will later scatter the ashes at a specific 
  location, at the direction of Magister. They 
  believe that the spirit of the dead Tiean will 
  cause mischief at the place where the ashes were 
  scattered, furthering the causes of their religion. 
  Only when the spirit has served the cult in life 
  and in death, may it find acceptance in the Hall 
  of the Thieves, in Tarrisada, where their worth is 
  judged by the Six Fates. 
  Uushai 
  As described above, Tiea is served by six 
  Demonic creatures known as the Fates. They 
  were originally part of the Ravening Horde and 
  
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  found sanctuary from the eternal war with the 
  Gods by making a pact with the Goddess. They 
  now dwell in the Hall of Thieves, in Tarrisada, 
  and can briefly visit the prime material plane in a 
  weakened state. 
   
  Bonus Spell 
  Tiean clerics often leave decisions to Fate. 
  LORD FATE’S BANE 
  School divination; Level cleric 1 (Tiea) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, DF 
  Range 50 ft. 
  Area All enemies within a 50-ft. burst, centered 
  on the caster 
  Duration 1 round/level 
  Saving Throw Will negates;  
  Spell Resistance yes (harmless) 
   
  Your enemies have a 50% miss chance 
  on all attack rolls, however, if their attack 
  succeeds in hitting while the spell is in effect, it 
  automatically becomes a critical. 
   
  Assay Spell 
  The Cult of Tiea teaches initiates Murderous 
  Command as its Assay spell. When cast by a 
  Tiean Cultist the duration is equal to a number of 
  rounds per level. 
   
  Artefact 
  THE CHARMS OF ILL FORTUNE 
  Strong evocation; CL 20th; weight 2oz 
   
   
  “Do not say you are my friend,” said 
  Gywnfarrah, “for I am cursed and should you 
  seek my acquaintance I would lose you ere the 
  span was complete”. 
   
  I looked at the lady and was moved by 
  the earnest look upon her countenance and the 
  melancholy in her eyes. I responded, “I wish 
  more than to be your friend Gywnfarrah; you 
  know that. I would pledge my troth and ask that 
  you marry me ere the year has passed”.  
  Tears welled in Gwynfarrah’s eyes, a 
  mixture of joy but also of pain and grief. 
   
  “I know your mind sir and that I cannot 
  sway you from this, but know that, by your suit, 
  you have doomed yourself and nothing can 
  prevent your untimely death. Come to my 
  chamber this evening if you will - if love we 
  must, we cannot tarry with this affair”. 
  With that, she took my hand and I 
  noticed that, in addition to the symbol of Esmia 
  suspended on a chain about her neck, she also 
  wore a simple silver bracelet, from which hung a 
  delicate charm in the shape of a bird. I wondered 
  if she also paid homage to Se, Mistress of the 
  Sky. 
   
  The Six Fates, bound as servants to the 
  Goddess Tiea, gave cursed tokens to her 
  priesthood in ancient times, so that they would 
  experience betrayal and downfall and pass that 
  lesson on into the world. Of the Six Charms, the 
  Tiean church now holds none, indeed having let 
  the cursed artefacts pass on beyond the church to 
  work their evil.   
  There are Six Charms, each being 
  miniature objects crafted from Excellium and 
  made to fix to a bracelet. If the charm is worn for 
  a period of six consecutive days, it will manifest 
  its curse. Each Charm carries a different curse, as 
  follows: 
   
  Kax (the hammer) 
  The Curse of Kax works to bring about 
  the loss or ruination of a physical object or 
  possession, treasured by the cursed owner of the 
  Charm. 
   
  Lurn (the blindman) 
  The Curse of Lurn works to corrupt or 
  destroy existing knowledge so that the cursed 
  person is disaffected (e.g. any documents that 
  prove their claim to an inheritance may all 
  mysteriously vanish). 
   
  Taslaz (the broken crown) 
  The Curse of Taslaz works to usurp the 
  cursed wearer’s position. If an aristocrat, they 
  will be cast out of society to the status of a slave; 
  if a thief, they may lose their hands and become 
  a beggar. 
   
   
   
  
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  Zaira (the crow) 
  The Curse of Zaira causes great harm or 
  death to someone close to its wearer. 
   
  Yurgh (the cup) 
  The Curse of Yurgh works to lose the 
  wearer all wealth and monetary gain. 
   
  Hidion (the jester) 
   
  The Curse of Hidion works to create the 
  K’turah, a Tiean concept that views ‘dark irony’ 
  as a form of divine manifestation. It would be 
  K’turah for a Bard to be afflicted with deafness 
  so they could no longer hear music; or for a 
  charcoal burner to be killed in a house fire. 
  It is up to the GM to bring down an 
  appropriate curse on those who wear any of the 
  Charms but, whatever is concocted should be a 
  significant challenge for the affected character, 
  considering the Charms are divinely wrought 
  artefacts.  
  Note that the curse is triggered in a 
  cycle, every six days. So if a character, who 
  wears the Charm of Zaira, loses their brother in 
  an accident one day, in six days’ time the Charm 
  will be seeking another victim.  
  The Charms are masked by a permanent 
  enchantment of Misdirection, so that their true 
  nature is hidden. True Seeing however will 
  reveal the Charms for what they are. Remove 
  Curse will neutralize the existing curse on a 
  wearer but on the sixth day of the cycle, a new 
  Curse will commence. 
   
  The Curse will be active again, if the 
  Charm is still worn. If all six Charms are found 
  and put together on a bracelet, the wearer gains 
  the ability to call down any of the six Curses on 
  an entire region of six square miles, where the 
  same calamity affects everyone. When this 
  power is exercised, the Charms used are 
  consumed. 
   
  Charm 
  LUCK COIN 
  Description: A silver trade with the face of Tiea 
  on one side and a curved dagger on the other. 
   
  Trigger: Tossing the coin 
  and invoking the name of 
  Tiea for aid. 
   
  DC: 15 
   
  Effect: If the coin comes 
  up heads (Tiea) the bearer 
  will receive a 20 on the next die roll (excluding 
  to-hit and damage rolls). The bonus must occur 
  in the round following the coin toss. 
   
  Cost: 5 gold trades 
   
  Frequency: Uncommon 
   
  Usage: If the coin comes up tails, then the 
  Charm is rendered useless and, by tradition, must 
  be given to the first person the owner sees or 
  meets. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  SADIR 
  God of Destruction 
   
   
  Other Titles: 
  The Destroyer of Worlds, the Crystal King, Lord of Oblivion 
  Alignment: 
  Chaotic Evil 
  Domains: 
  Chaos/Destruction/Death/Madness/Evil 
  Favored Weapon: 
  Dagger 
  Appearance: 
  A humanoid made of crystal. The fingers on his left hand are missing and black 
  acidic blood drips from the stumps. 
  Status: 
  Minor Human cult 
  Following: 
  80% Male, 20% Female 
  Power Centers: 
  A proscribed religion that once had power centers in Odressi, Zaramoor and Trith. 
  Holy Day: 
  Farazar, 11th Day of the Second Span of the March of Life. 
  Clerical Dress: 
  A sleeveless hardened leather vest with a wide belt and a knee-length kilt of 
  leather strips, studded with black iron. 
  . 
  Holy Symbol: 
  A sliver of crystal on a leather cord is the holy symbol of the cult. 
  Associations: 
  Kharic-Ohrm (God of Pain) is the son of Sadir and Yaarneya (the Goddess of 
  Entropy) is Sadir’s spouse. There is a Recognition agreement between the Sadir 
  cult and the church of Kharic-Ohrm but not with the Yaarneyans. 
   
  Basic Goal: 
  To bring about the end of existence. 
   
  Religion Trait: 
  Vandal. You can easily identify the weak points in objects. When you make a 
  Sunder roll in combat treat the target item’s hit points as having half the indicated 
  amount (rounded down). When trying to break an item with force, using a strength 
  check, the DC is reduced by a -2 trait bonus. 
  Bonus Spell: 
  Fracture 
  Assay Spell: 
  Shatter 
   
   
  History 
  The cult of Sadir of the modern age was 
  born in 1350R in Karhaven, then part of the 
  Sardellan Homeland. Its philosophies and dogma 
  all originate from the deranged mind of a man 
  called Sylander Khriss, the son of the famous 
  Trezkillian captain, Kalasyre Khriss. 
  At 
  the 
  age 
  of 
  ten, 
  Sylander 
  accompanied his father on a series of bloody 
  campaigns across occupied Llan, the intention 
  being to root out pockets of rebellion and 
  dissuade the populace from mounting further 
  resistance against Sardellan rule of their country.  
  The terrible slaughter and acts of 
  unbounded cruelty ordered by his father, deeply 
  affected the mind of young Sylander Khriss; so 
  much so that he became comatose after 
  witnessing the systematic torture and execution 
  of over five hundred captives after the siege of 
  Slaarn. Sylander was sent back to the family 
  estate of Far towers, near Karhaven and spent the 
  next thirteen years glassy-eyed, under the care of 
  an Esmian healer.  
   
  Sylander is said to have made a 
  miraculous recovery during a violent storm, after 
  which he came out of his long sleep and claimed 
  that he had visited ‘places in his mind’ where no 
  one had walked for generations. Sylander said 
  that he had been awakened to be the prophet of 
  the God Sadir and went on to spend the next five 
  years recovering his strength and putting down 
  his thoughts on paper. 
  During this time he was known to fly 
  into terrible rages. His father had him restrained 
  on several occasions and was forced to make 
  repatriations to a number of noted members of 
  the local community of Far Towers, after two 
  separate incidents.  
  The first occurred at a local inn and 
  involved a frenzied, unprovoked attack by 
  Sylander on a young man. Sylander bit off the 
  man’s nose and ears during the struggle. He was 
  only spared the retribution of the law because of 
  the respect the community had for his father. The 
  second incident occurred a year later when, as 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  part of some obscure ritual, Sylander put out the 
  eyes of serving girl, reputed to be his lover 
  In 1382R Kalasyre Khriss died in 
  mysterious circumstances at Far Towers and 
  Sylander inherited the family estate and fortune. 
  Now, as lord of the family fortune he was free to 
  do as he liked, no longer controlled by his father. 
  Over a period of three years, Sylander 
  systematically 
  destroyed 
  the 
  magnificent 
  ancestral home of the Khriss family and let the 
  surrounding farmlands go to waste. He dismissed 
  all of his servants and attracted a motley band of 
  followers, drawn from vagrants, thieves and 
  psychopaths of the region. 
   
  Amidst the shambles of Far Towers’ 
  former glory, Sylander consecrated the first 
  church of Sadir in the ruined Trezkillian chapel 
  on the grounds of the estate. The locals feared to 
  go anywhere near Far Towers; people went 
  missing in the area, never to be heard of again. 
  Sometimes ‘pieces’ of locals were found 
  scattered about the fields or hung upon 
  scarecrows. In the end, there was so much hue 
  and cry about evil goings-on, that the Ormocean 
  church acted to have Sylander arrested. They 
  sent a deputation to Far Towers only to find the 
  ruined hall ablaze and nobody (alive) at the 
  estate. The Ormoceans uncovered evidence that 
  captives had been held in the rooms and they had 
  been thrown into pits containing starving wolves 
  or boars. Of Sylander Khriss and his followers 
  there was no trace. It was assumed they had died 
  in the fire, as several skeletons were recovered in 
  the ashes, days later.  
   
  What was discovered was a bound copy 
  of Khriss’s religious work, ‘The Tabernacle of 
  the Oblivion’. It was a five-hundred page 
  document reputed to have been written in blood 
  on parchment made of Human skin, the cover cut 
  from the finest crystal and inlaid with runes 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  213 
   
   
  made from the delicate finger bones of infant 
  children. It was a testament to an evil that lies 
  beyond the comprehension of sane minds. 
  Nothing was heard of regarding Khriss 
  or the Cult of Sadir until 1451R, when an 
  advocate addressed the Congress of Odressi in a 
  bid to establish a temple devoted to Sadir in the 
  Holy City. Despite the reservations of several 
  Houses, there was sufficient backlash against the 
  excesses of the church of Ormocea, at this time, 
  to garner support for a Sadir church. It was 
  perceived that the temple would be a small 
  affair; after all, what financial backing could 
  such an endeavor have?  
   
  However, an imposing temple was 
  erected that put some of the places of worship of 
  other major religions to shame. The Sadir Cult 
  that set up in Odressi was financed by a 
  mysterious benefactor and many said that the 
  new High Priest bore a striking resemblance to 
  old family portraits of Sylander Khriss; although, 
  if it was Khriss, he hadn’t aged a day for a man 
  who would have been over 100 years old. 
   
  The Sadir Cult that was established in 
  Odressi rapidly attracted the worst examples of 
  humanity imaginable. They immediately became 
  perpetrating vile acts against the other churches 
  of the Holy Trinity and anyone else who fell 
  afoul of their followers, late at night in the dark 
  alleys of Odressi.  
  Worshippers of Sadir were accused of 
  attacks on clerics and of attempting to desecrate 
  and destroy the property of other temples. 
  Individuals of the House of Wisdom struck back 
  and a senior figure in the Sadir cult was cut 
  down in the streets, in broad daylight by two 
  vengeful paladins of the Siritar faith. The inter-
  denominational feuding reached such a level that 
  the Citylord of Odressi moved to create a secular 
  body to enforce the laws pertaining to the 
  churches. Thus, the Monks of Light were born to 
  keep order between the religions. 
  In the aftermath of this infighting, the Sadir cult 
  faced being proscribed by the Congress of 
  Odressi. Its priesthood was not the best at 
  diplomacy and the cult only survived because of 
  an appeal by the Yaarneyan temple.  
  Valeira, their High Priestess, managed 
  to persuade those gathered at the Congress to 
  show clemency, saying that these were early 
  days and that all should learn a lesson in 
  tolerance. The famous historian, Cannard Ghull, 
  remarked at the time that, “In allowing the Sadir 
  church to continue to exist in Odressi, the 
  members of the Congress allowed themselves to 
  be influenced more by Valeira’s revealing robes 
  rather than by her rhetoric”. 
  It was unclear what the motivation of 
  Valeira was in assisting the Sadir Cult. Many 
  believed the Yaarneyans saw the unruly 
  followers of the Sadir as allies, as their deities 
  were aligned in the same Aercharn. But the truth 
  was documented in the memoirs of Valeira 
  where she revealed that the Yaarneyans had been 
  under scrutiny by the Holy Trinity for decades 
  before the Sadir cult emerged in Odressi.  
  She believed the activities of the Sadir 
  Cult helped turn the focus away from the 
  Yaarneyans so, by supporting the continued 
  existence of the Sadir Cult, Valeira hoped to 
  continue to deflect attention away from her own 
  indiscretions.  
  The Yaarneyan church had some 
  influence amongst the religions of the House of 
  Darkness and made a number of deals with them 
  Sylander Khriss was a deeply disturbed 
  individual whose madness created a doctrine 
  embraced by insane and violent outcasts of 
  society. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  and other factions to ensure that the Congress 
  votes went against those who would ban the 
  followers of Sadir. In later years, the Yaarneyans 
  also acted as a calming influence over the 
  appetite for destruction that the Sadir cultists 
  pursued. Despite this, the Sadir Cult still 
  managed to attract attention and, every time that 
  they came under threat of expulsion, the 
  Yaarneyans used their web of political blackmail 
  to get them off the hook. The Yaarneyans were 
  greatly assisted in these activities by the 
  priesthood of Kharic-Ohrm, when it was granted 
  a temple within Odressi in 1444R 
  One of the problems faced by those who 
  claim to follow Sadir is that the ‘Tabernacle of 
  Oblivion’ does not really inspire any long-term 
  goals. It proposes that there is no afterlife to look 
  forward to and that Sadir commands his 
  followers to hasten the destruction of the world.  
  Zealots of the faith follow the dogma of Sylander 
  Khriss, which encourages the mutilation or total 
  destruction 
  of 
  ‘perfection’. 
  This 
  includes 
  anything from the disfigurement of a beautiful 
  woman to the burning of a work of art.  
  For centuries the Sadir temple remained 
  directionless and in danger of self-destruction; 
  the kind of people that the cult attracted were not 
  considered the most stable of individuals. Then 
  in 1816R, the Mount Hallberg Scrolls came into 
  the hands of the priests of Sadir. These were a 
  Pre-Redemption document that revealed much of 
  the ancient tales of Sadir and gave a detailed 
  account of the loss of four crystal fingers from 
  the God’s left hand, as a result of a battle fought 
  against Siritar at the Dawn of Time. It was 
  claimed that each finger held baleful power and 
  that when all four were brought together, the 
  world of mortals would end. 
  This was the kind of direction that the 
  Sadir Cult needed and they sent many of their 
  dark flock out into the wide world to seek for the 
  lost crystal shards, which were the fingers of 
  Sadir. To date, only one of the crystal fingers has 
  been known to have been discovered and was 
  smuggled out of the temple in Odressi before 
  most of the cult was rounded up and executed 
  after the Five Year’s Doom. The quest continues 
  for the other fingers. 
  As a result of the search for the Fingers 
  of Sadir, some of these wandering priests ended 
  up founding their own churches outside of 
  Odressi, although most were short-lived. The 
  local people would drive the cultists out as soon 
  as they began to perpetrate atrocities in their 
  region. The only places where the cultists 
  founded long-term temples were in Zaramoor 
  and on the island of Trith. 
    
  In 2100R, the revolutionary, Erlwick 
  Rhull, recruited the Sadir Cult, during his 
  abortive attempt to seize power in Odressi. They 
  were promised supreme religious control over 
  the city, to do with it (and its population) what 
  they pleased. In return, their Seervati were to 
  deal with any spell-casters that opposed Rhull’s 
  forces during his attempt to defeat the local 
  militia of Odressi. It is doubtful that Erlwick 
  Rhull would have kept his word if his coup was 
  successful; he would most likely to have 
  betrayed the priesthood once he had consolidated 
  power. However, the uprising was defeated and 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  215 
   
   
  the cult could not escape the wrath of the 
  Congress that met in 2105R to dispense justice.  
  The Sadir Cult was proscribed and 
  removed from the Treaty of Odressi, along with 
  the churches that had close associations with 
  them, namely the temples of Yaarneya and 
  Kharic-Ohrm. The edict of the Congress had a 
  flow on effect and within the year the temples in 
  Zaramoor and Trith were closed and the worship 
  of Sadir and the Unholy Trinity banned in most 
  realms of Eldoria. 
   
  Doctrine 
  ‘The Tabernacle of Oblivion’ contains 
  the core beliefs of the cult and is written in an 
  obscure and rambling style that makes it both 
  difficult to understand, yet easy to interpret what 
  you want from its esoteric passages. One of its 
  ‘philosophies’ that diverge from the writings of 
  other prophets is the concept that there is no 
  afterlife to share with Sadir. The souls of the 
  dead dwell on in the world as spirits, condemned 
  to an existence of watching the endless repetition 
  of the folly of mortals. Only by working to bring 
  about the Final Oblivion, the end of the mortal 
  world, can the cycle be broken and these spirits 
  finally are eradicated from existence. 
  How to go about achieving the Final 
  Oblivion is ‘glossed over’ but Sylander Khriss 
  made it clear that Sadir detests all that is ordered 
  and flawless and demands that his followers put 
  an end to examples of this in the mortal world. 
  Hence the preoccupation amongst cultists with 
  burning down grand buildings, destroying works 
  of art and disfiguring and sacrificing charismatic 
  captives.  
  The Mount Halbarg Scrolls may have 
  given the cult a higher goal to aspire to, in 
  seeking the lost Fingers of Sadir, but the basic 
  drive to wreak havoc and injury on the world is 
  still ingrained upon its perverse clergy. Finding 
  the crystal fingers will only make the end come 
  at a quicker pace. 
   
   
  Organization 
  There has never been a formal structure 
  to the Cult of Sadir. Following the disappearance 
  of its founder, Sylander Khriss, the priests who 
  have led the cult have always been powerful and 
  charismatic 
  Seervati. 
  They 
  usually 
  were 
  entrenched as High Priests until they died and 
  preached their own 
  interpretation of the 
  Tabernacle of Oblivion to their deranged 
  followers. They handed over the reins of power 
  to the next rising star who served Sadir and, if 
  one of their own children displayed natural 
  talents for magic, it was most often their son or 
  daughter who took their place. If you trace the 
  history of the High Priests of Sadir, three main 
  families appear to dominate the position – the 
  Paelarians, the Sundars and the Krolls. 
  The High Priest runs all aspects of a 
  temple and has a circle of trusted henchman who 
  are given more important tasks. These henchmen 
  also act as bodyguards to the High Priest and 
  protect the leader from attacks by his own 
  demented followers. Other lesser Seervati who 
  serve the temple are called priests, all others are 
  referred to as the Damned. 
   
  Regalia 
  Clerical 
  clothing 
  is 
  rarely 
  worn. 
  Individual priests may don the old costumes that 
  were popular around the time that the temple 
  existed in Odressi.  This consisted of a hardened 
  leather tunic and a kilt of leather straps. The 
  costume was often decorated with iron studs. 
  The High Priest may wear the exact same garb at 
  ceremonies, with nothing to distinguish higher 
  rank. Clerics wear a sliver of crystal on a leather 
  thong as a holy symbol. The Damned wear a 
  shard of iron. 
   
  
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  Temple Design 
  In stark contrast to their beliefs about 
  destroying all that is beautiful or perfect in the 
  world, the Sadir temple in Odressi is a 
  magnificent architectural structure, constructed 
  from the finest materials that incorporate marble 
  from Elkia, jade from Y’sira and gold 
  ornamentation from distant Rhenfara. 
  This is because of the Sadir belief that 
  there is no afterlife; the spirits of the dead 
  continue to live, unfulfilled, in the mortal world, 
  until the world ends. Therefore the temple is 
  their heaven and everything within must remain 
  intact and unsullied. Some of the finest art-works 
  of the Sardellan Empire hang within the glorious 
  temple to Sadir; looked upon only by the eyes of 
  mad-men. 
  The temple is a long rectangular 
  building with a tall spire at its front, which 
  towers over the large entry doors. The outer 
  walls are made of blood sandstone, which was 
  quarried from Ghardon and overlaid with the 
  finest white marble. The doors that provide entry 
  to the main place of worship are made of 
  Diamondwood and are valued in excess of 
  200,000 gold trades. However it is the inside of 
  the temple that is the most breathtaking as every 
  surface of the nave is covered with panels inlaid 
  with Krystarrian Glass, a most rare and valuable 
  material. The reflections from the crystals create 
  a dazzling rainbow effect in the air about the 
  nave. 
  Positioned around the walls of the 
  temple are paintings, sculptures and other works 
  of classic art. At the opposite end of the nave 
  from the doors is a statue of Sadir, being a 10’ 
  tall figure of the God, depicted with its arms 
  upraised. A shaft that descends to the sewers 
  beneath the temple is positioned at the base of 
  the statue of Sadir. This is kept sealed with a lid 
  made from iron with crystal and platinum inlay. 
  The shaft is used to dispose of sacrifices, 
  following the terrifying and bloody Shadaar 
  rituals that the cult refers to as their formal 
  ‘ceremonies’. 
  There is a small basement to the temple 
  that is accessed by a stairway located to one side 
  of the statue. The basement contains a series of 
  functional chambers that are used to store 
  furniture and equipment, house the small library, 
  and to hold sacrificial victims. There are also 
  more secure areas for the temple treasury and 
  reliquarium. 
  The living quarters and associated 
  rooms such as a refectory and bath-house are 
  separate from the temple. They are a series of 
  ramshackle and ill-maintained structures located 
  on the grounds but hidden away from the 
  magnificence of the church building, by a high 
  wall of stone. A covered cloister connects the 
  residential compound from the temple. 
  Note that the Sadir religion was 
  proscribed after 2105R and the temple in Odressi 
  was sealed, with all of its treasures intact. The 
  College of Arcane Science did approach the 
  Congress of Odressi to make an offer for the 
  abundant supply of Krystarrian Glass and 
  Diamondwood contained within the structure. 
  There is a dwindling supply of these materials in 
  the 
  world, 
  which 
  are 
  essential 
  for 
  the 
  construction of premier magical devices. To 
  date, the Congress has not approved the removal 
  of the materials. 
  The cult was disbanded after 2105R and 
  its leaders executed. Many other followers were 
  also executed or imprisoned. Those who escaped 
  the round up continued to go on and create new 
  secret cells devoted to Sadir. 
   
  Ritual 
  The cult only has one real ceremony; 
  that of Desecration. This takes two forms, that of 
  the ritual killing of a living creature or person 
  and that of the destruction of inanimate objects. 
  The former ritual is called Shadaar and the latter 
  Kordarra.  
  The Shadaar Rite is most often 
  performed on a person who has achieved some 
  form of perfection. This is often physical beauty 
  or physique but can also include someone who 
  has achieved recognition of some excellence in 
  skill, such as being the best dancer or wisest man 
  in the local community. 
  In the Shadaar ritual the sacrifice is 
  tethered to a post or similar fixture. At the 
  temple in Odressi, they were left hanging in the 
  air, tied to the outstretched arms of the crystal 
  effigy of Sadir. The gathered members of the cult 
  are provided with razor sharp knives and one by 
  one they advance upon the sacrifice and offer a 
  ritual prayer to the God before slashing at the 
  victim. 
  The Shadaar  rite demands that the High 
  Priest, officiating at the ceremony delivers the 
  final blow that kills the sacrifice. All other 
  cultists are encouraged to inflict as much damage 
  as possible but without delivering a killing blow. 
  A cultist who inadvertently denies the High 
  Priest this privilege must offer themselves as a 
  replacement sacrifice. Zealots have been known 
  to deliberately kill the official sacrifice so they 
  may give themselves up to the glory of Sadir. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  The second rite of Desecration (that of 
  Kordarra) 
  is 
  less 
  terrifying, 
  yet 
  still 
  disheartening. This involves the destruction of a 
  unique work of art or piece of literature that the 
  cult has acquired, often through legitimate means 
  or sometimes by theft. The ‘sacrifice’ is burned 
  in a brazier before the altar or destroyed under 
  the blows of iron hammers. 
  The Shadaar Rites are performed on the 
  last night of every March. The Kordarra rites are 
  held on every Festival Day. 
   
  Uushai 
  Sadir is served by no Uushai and sleeps 
  alone in Tarissada. 
   
  Bonus Spell 
  Priests of Sadir are devoted to the 
  destruction of everything. 
  FRACTURE 
  School transmutation; 
   Level cleric 1 (Sadir) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action  
  Components V, S, DF 
  Range touch 
  Target one living creature touched per three 
  levels  
  Duration 1 round/level or until discharged 
  Saving Throw Fortitude negates (object);  
  Spell Resistance yes (object) 
  You can attempt to break medium or smaller 
  objects by succeeding in a touch attack - doing 
  so discharges the spell. If the target fails its 
  FORT saving throw, it gains the broken 
  condition. If a broken item is affected by the 
  spell that item is destroyed on a failed save. 
  Assay Spell 
  The Sadir Cult uses the 2nd level spell Shatter as 
  its Assay spell. When a Sadir priest casts Shatter 
  it affects a radius of 10’ and it inflicts 1d8 points 
  of sonic damage per level to crystalline 
  creatures. 
  Artefact 
  FINGER OF SADIR 
  Strong transmutation; CL 20th; weight 1oz 
   
  The youth hammered upon the glass 
  wall, demanding to be released but no matter 
  how hard he struck the pane, it would not 
  splinter. The leering audience that gathered in 
  the darkness beyond 
  watched silently in 
  anticipation as a narrow steel cylinder rose 
  upward from the floor behind young man who 
  was trapped inside the chamber. He was 
  oblivious to its presence. 
   
  A small dome atop the cylinder divided, 
  revealing a gleaming crystal shard within. A 
  sickly violet light pulsed at its heart and, when 
  the youth struck the glass again; his fist simply 
  exploded into gobbets of flesh and shivered bone. 
  He screamed shrilly and, as he did so, the sound 
  took on a terrible guttural, wet sound; his whole 
  head was distorting and beginning to run like 
  overheated wax, melting in rivulets down his 
  muscular body. 
    
  Four of these artefacts of the Sadir religion exist 
  but only one has ever been found. During the 
  War of Powers Sadir’s left hand was struck by 
  Siritar, 
  wielding 
  his 
  mighty 
  sword, 
  “Worldsblade”. Four fingers were cut from 
  Sadir’s crystalline hand and were lost on the 
  battlefield. The finger that was recovered 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  resembles a slim piece of clear cut crystal some 
  four inches in length, one end of which is jagged 
  and broken. A pale violet radiance pulsates in its 
  depths. The crystal emanates a powerful 
  destructive Aura that warps all organic matter 
  within 10 feet of it; flesh slides of bones like hot 
  treacle, wood rots and turns to splinters, linen 
  rapidly deteriorates.  
   
  Any organic object that is within 10 feet 
  of the Finger of Sadir takes 3d6 damage per 
  round (a successful FORT save against DC20 
  halves this). For every 6 points of damage 
  suffered in this way, a character suffers 1 point 
  of permanent CON and CHA reduction. If all 
  CON is lost, the character is dead. 
  The Finger of Sadir that was discovered 
  by the cult was found inside a clear container of 
  Krystarrian Glass, which effectively blocked its 
  emanations. Once its properties were determined, 
  the crystal shard was incorporated into Sardian 
  rituals, being reserved for special religious days 
  and festivals. Sacrificial victims were placed in a 
  cubicle of Krystarrian Glass and the Finger of 
  Sadir introduced by mechanical means; the 
  cultists would look upon the horrific results and 
  work themselves up into a religious fervor.  
  The 
  artefact 
  was 
  seized 
  by 
  the 
  Ormocean church after the Five Years Doom and 
  is currently kept under lock and key in a secure 
  part of their temple in Odressi. 
  The only way to handle the crystal 
  outside the safety of a Krystarrian Glass 
  container is to cast Dispel Magic upon it. This 
  will counteract they crystal’s emanations for 2d6 
  rounds.  
   
  Charm 
  OBLIVION DIAMOND 
  Description: A small diamond blessed by a 
  Seervati of Sadir. This is inserted under the skin, 
  through an incision, so as to be kept hidden from 
  prying eyes. 
   
  Trigger: Any magic from a spell or device that 
  would read the owner’s mind or force them to 
  divulge information. The Sadir cultists are very 
  protective of their knowledge and this Charm 
  prevents outsiders from learning anything about 
  them. 
   
  DC: 12 
   
  Effect: Immediately links the owner’s Aura to the 
  Tas and causes immolation as a result of drawing 
  in too much magical energy  
   
  Cost: 500 gold trades 
   
  Frequency: Unique 
   
  Usage: Permanent until the Charm successfully 
  activates. It is consumed by the magical 
  immolation. 
   
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  YAARNEYA 
  Goddess of Pleasure 
  Other Titles: 
  The Green Lady, the Divine Temptress, Whore of Heaven. 
  Alignment: 
  Chaotic Evil. 
  Domains: 
  Charm/Lust/Chaos/Liberation/Revolution. 
  Favored Weapon: 
  Stiletto dagger or long hairpin. 
  Appearance: 
  A voluptuous woman with the torso of a worm from the waist down. 
  Status: 
  Minor cult (banned by the Congress of Odressi) 
  Following: 
  95% Female, 5% Male 
  Power Centers: 
  Llan and Maritaan (Llan is the only realm where the religion is allowed to practice 
  openly).  
  Holy Day: 
  Balanzar, 4th Day of the Second Span of the March of Air. 
  Clerical Dress: 
  There is no distinct clerical robe. In public, the clergy tend to wear exquisite 
  clothing of the finest materials. Within their temples, they wear alluring, often 
  provocative attire of semi-transparent silks. Green is a favored color. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  The sacred symbol of the cult is the K’yundah that takes the form of two inverted 
  triangles. One overlaid over the other. . 
  Associations: 
  Sadir (God of Destruction) is the spouse of Yaarneya and Kharic-Ohrm (God of 
  Pain) is their son. Collectively, the three religions are often referred to as the 
  Unholy Trinity. Although the Yaarneyan church often conspires with the other two 
  religions of its House, it has no Recognition agreement with them. 
  Basic Goal: 
  The pursuit of pleasure in all its forms and the abandonment of the mundane life. 
  Religion Trait: 
  The Art of Seduction. You know how to bend individuals to your will through the 
  arts of seduction. Benefit: you can use your sexual allure to gain a +2 trait bonus 
  on Diplomacy Checks. Diplomacy is a Class skill for you. This trait can only be 
  used on humans and demi-humans of the opposite sex unless the GM determines 
  the target’s sexual orientation is otherwise. 
  Bonus Spell: 
  Bad Influence 
  Assay Spell: 
  Enthrall 
   
   
  History 
  The origins of the modern cult of 
  Yaarneya predate the discovery of the Books of 
  Law. Indeed, the registers contained within the 
  records of the Ormocean church would indicate 
  that it is unlikely that any of the scholars who 
  came to study the holy books, in the years that 
  they remained available to the public, would 
  have been responsible for creating the existing 
  theology of the Goddess of Unending Pleasure. 
  It is surmised that the religion existed 
  prior to the Darktime and its appeal allowed it to 
  survive that period of chaos relatively intact, 
  similar to the way that the worship of 
  Trezkillian, God of War, never faded during the 
  same era. Mention of the existence of the cult 
  first appears in the histories of the Y’naari 
  people who populated the eastern Outlands of 
  Eldoria (northeast of Maritaan) in the Darktime. 
  The Y’naari eventually migrated west and 
  established the legendary city of Tai-Kaiyan on 
  the shores of the Opal Sea.  
   
  The lords of Tai-Kaiyan raided the Sea 
  of Souls and many islands east of Eldoria to 
  bring slaves to their city. One of these slaves was 
  a statuesque woman called J’taal. She was a 
  devotee of the Goddess Yaarneya and a native of 
  the distant isle of Suvveal, where she had been 
  High Priestess over a small cult of primitive 
  islanders. On Suvveal, J’taal did not have the 
  power or resources to bring the masses to the feet 
  of the Goddess, as demanded by the doctrine of 
  her church. However, once she was enslaved and 
  brought into the opulent surroundings of Tai-
  Kaiyan, she was able to sow the seeds of 
  corruption that were to eventually bring down 
  the Y’naari society. 
  J’taal was sold to a wealthy merchant of 
  Tai-Kaiyan and within ten years she had bought 
  her freedom and created the first temple to 
  Yaarneya. She used her personal allure to 
  ensnare followers of both sexes into the cult. Her 
  temple was an unimposing building but it served 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  its purposes in hosting sumptuous banquets, 
  divine entertainments and orgiastic rituals. From 
  that point in time, the High Priestess set her 
  sights upon the ruling noble families, providing 
  them with forbidden acts, hallucinogenic drugs 
  and sensual rewards, in return for their patronage 
  and money.  
  She also recruited many acolytes from 
  the poor quarters of the city, educating them and 
  training them in the arts of seduction and lore of 
  her religion. Gradually, her priestesses became 
  accepted as tutors within the households of the 
  nobles, where they preyed upon the families they 
  were placed with, bringing more followers into 
  the fold.  
  The wealth that flowed into the coffers 
  of the religion allowed the priestesses who 
  followed after J’taal to increase their hold upon 
  the city. By 400R the Temple of Yaarneya in 
  Tai-Kaiyan was a massive affair of jade and 
  marble, its interior rooms decorated with the 
  finest furnishings and erotic works of art. The 
  priesthood numbered fifty and three quarters of 
  the nobility of Tai-Kaiyan attended the regular 
  Feast of Indulgence, which was notorious for its 
  provocative and often lewd entertainments.  
  Over the next six centuries, as the 
  Y’naari spread westward into Maritaan, and 
  regional towns were established; clerics of the 
  cult attempted to bring the word of Yaarneya to 
  the wider community. However, their efforts 
  were in vain. The people who had left the 
  confines of Tai-Kaiyan for the new settlements 
  did so because the old regime was corrupt and in 
  decay. 
  The 
  nobility 
  had 
  neglected 
  their 
  responsibilities and a deep divide had set in 
  between the common folk and the aristocrats. 
  Outside the rich houses of the nobles, life had 
  become unbearable and the city of Tai-Kaiyan 
  had become a place of squalor. The Yaarneyans 
  were blamed for the decadence that had 
  descended upon the Y’naari and their clergy 
  were not made welcome in the outlying 
  countryside.  
  However the corrupt city of Tai-Kaiyan 
  still had life in it and continued on for a few 
  more centuries, taking a darker turn as it did so.  
  In the beginning, the pleasures that the cultists 
  indulged in were simple and were to no-one’s 
  detriment other than their own selves. However, 
  as time progressed, the clergy continually sought 
  to fulfill the wishes of worshippers that wanted 
  to continually go beyond the standards that had 
  been set; they wanted to pursue wilder fantasies 
  and more perverted pleasures.  
  Ultimately they wished to break every 
  moral restraint, bringing pain and, humiliation 
  and even death to innocents. The clergy of 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Yaarneya saw it as their solemn duty to help 
  their flock achieve these goals regardless of how 
  morally bankrupt they had become. Tai-Kaiyan 
  became an evil place, shunned by the Y’naari of 
  the western lands. They began to differentiate 
  themselves from their corrupted kinfolk and 
  renamed themselves the Y’naari-Su.  
  The regime in Tai-Kaiyan could not 
  sustain itself indefinitely and it would most 
  likely have eventually collapsed into complete 
  anarchy. However, before that occurred, the 
  Sardellan Empire invaded the western Maritaani 
  coast in 1235R and found little resistance from 
  the small force of militia that guarded the 
  approaches to Sinkhole Deep, the default 
  capitol of the Y’naari-Su nation.  
  In fact, the Y’naari-Su quickly 
  formed an alliance with the invading 
  force and, in return, the Sardellans 
  agreed to depose the regime in Tai-
  Kaiyan. 
  A 
  campaign 
  began 
  against 
  the 
  eastern 
  nobles 
  commencing in 1240R but it met 
  stiff resistance and only after a 
  good five years of determined 
  fighting was Tai-Kaiyan taken 
  and its treasures plundered. 
  The Yaarneyans were 
  dealt with harshly by the 
  Knights of Glory, a Siritar 
  Order who were active in 
  Maritaan. They hunted down 
  and executed most of the 
  Yaarneyan 
  hierarchy 
  and 
  totally destroyed the temple of 
  Yaarneya in Tai-Kaiyan. The 
  Yaarneyans 
  that 
  survived 
  documented the slaughter of 
  the priesthood and the zealotry 
  of the Knights of Glory and 
  later the cult developed a special 
  hatred for paladins of any of the 
  orders 
  that 
  serve 
  Siritar. 
  A 
  particularly divine act that was 
  instigated amongst Yaarneyans in 
  later years was the corruption of a 
  paladin, bringing him to the worship of 
  the Goddess. 
  After their expulsion from Maritaan, 
  some of the few male clerics that served the 
  priesthood fled to Rhenfara and had some 
  limited success in establishing the cult there. It 
  was popular among young males where it 
  became a following based on machismo, 
  diverging from the underlying principles of 
  Yaarneya (i.e. that of the abandonment of the 
  mundane world).  
  Most of the surviving female clerics 
  came to Odressi, via Dormos, and eventually 
  established a temple there under the terms of the 
  charter of religious tolerance. The temple thrived 
  in Odressi and reasserted itself over the next two 
  centuries, amassing wealth and redefining its 
  long-term strategies.  
  Priests and priestesses were 
  trained and indoctrinated and sent 
  out to establish new temples 
  throughout the Human realms. 
  They 
  had 
  greater 
  success 
  wherever there was money to 
  be had, for many amongst 
  the wealthy were easily led 
  into 
  new 
  avenues 
  of 
  pleasure, 
  and 
  their 
  fortunes 
  were 
  often 
  required to pay for the 
  lavish 
  entertainments 
  and 
  feasts 
  that 
  the 
  Yaarneyans were happy 
  to provide.   
  By 
  1800R 
  there 
  were 
  major 
  temples to the Goddess 
  in the cities of Odressi, 
  Tempest, Byalliz and 
  Gablehead and more 
  covert 
  followings 
  in 
  Sinkhole 
  Deep, 
  Vharizia, Denhaven and 
  Darringmoor. 
    
  In Odressi, the 
  temple allied itself with 
  the priesthoods of Sadir 
  and Kharic-Ohrm and thus 
  became part of the infamous 
  Unholy Trinity. However, the 
  Yaarneyans did this for the 
  purpose of forming a voting 
  block at the Congress of Odressi 
  and to sequester arcane secrets and 
  lore from the other two priesthoods.  
  Although they were part of the same 
  (Above) Narees Tarkenmoor, High Priestess of the Yaarneyan Church in Quorull is the most senior 
  member of the modern day cult. The religion was proscribed following the Five Years Doom but found a 
  home in the northern country of Llan, where the church was accepted by rich mercantile guilds. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  hierarchal House, as defined by the Books of 
  Law, the Yaarneyans quickly found that they had 
  little in common with the other two cults that 
  made up the House of Doom. The Yaarneyans 
  believed that you created paradise in the mortal 
  world by indulging all the senses and fulfilling 
  every desire and fantasy. Only by achieving this 
  state could you be prepared for an existence in 
  Nivaar, the Palace of Dreams, where the 
  Goddess dwelled  
  The Sadir and Kharic-Ohrm cults 
  seemed obsessed with pain, ruination and the 
  ultimate destruction of the mortal world and thus 
  were often at odds with the aspirations of the 
  Yaarneyan priesthood. 
  During the 17th century R, the 
  Yaarneyans were able to obtain seedlings of the 
  Megallion 
  flower 
  from their contacts 
  in 
  Maritaan. At the height of their activities in the 
  city of Tai-Kaiyan, they had formulated a 
  powerful psychotropic drug to use in their 
  rituals. They called this Illixia and it imbued the 
  user with an intense sensation of energy and 
  euphoria. The downside was that it was 
  extremely addictive, although the clerics within 
  the cult saw this as a valuable asset; a means of 
  assuring continuing loyalty to Yaarneya.  
  The priesthood was able to propagate 
  the Megallion seedlings and introduce Illixia to 
  their temples once again; ensuring that the lesser 
  circles within the cult had an ample supply of the 
  drug. At some stage in the mid-1600’s R, the 
  formula for Illixia was made known to the 
  notorious assassin’s guild, the cult of the 
  Withered Blade, who began to distribute the drug 
  throughout the north of Eldoria, where it became 
  a social problem in certain areas of Sard, Elkia 
  and Llan. 
  In 1922R the cult achieved one of its 
  greatest goals when they were able to corrupt Sir 
  Morlon Erdyss, the Grandmaster of the Order of 
  the Knights of the Holy Sword, and have him 
  accept Yaarneya as his patron deity. Despite the 
  refusal of the Siritar Order to agree to a formal 
  transfer of his Recognition, this still created a 
  serious scandal for the churches of the Holy 
  Trinity, who had maintained a continual attack 
  on the morals of the Yaarneyan cult for 
  centuries.  
  The High Priestess of Yaarneya, Isa 
  Kisarra, had made Sir Erdyss her lover and 
  caused a great spectacle in Odressi, by having 
  the once noble Grandmaster appear in public 
  places, fawning over her every whim and desire. 
  This infuriated the stoic clergy of the churches of 
  the Holy Trinity and the cult saw this as fitting 
  retribution for the slaughter of their clergy at the 
  hands of Siritar followers in Maritaan. 
  In 1924R the affair between Sir Erdyss 
  and High Priestess Kisarra had an almost 
  theatrical ending, when a devout, young knight 
  of the Holy Sword attacked and slew the lovers 
  as they cavorted at the “Gray Unicorn”, one of 
  Odressi’s finer dining establishments.  
  The Charter of Odressi meant that the 
  Siritar Order in the city was found guilty of 
  transgressing the laws of non-violence between 
  religions and they were made to pay financial 
  recompense to the Yaarneyans. In addition they 
  were made to hand over the knight responsible 
  for the slayings for justice to be administered by 
  the Yaarneyan church. The knight committed 
  suicide, 
  rather 
  than 
  becoming 
  the 
  new 
  ‘plaything’ of the Yaarneyans.  
  Hostilities between the Yaarneyan Cult 
  and the Order of the Knights of the Holy Sword 
  flared up at the Congress of Odressi in 1925R, 
  when the Ormocean church tried to argue the 
  case that the seduction of Sir Morlon Erdyss was 
  itself an act that was in contravention of the 
  Charter and that action should be taken against 
  the Yaarneyans. When brought to a vote, the 
  Ormoceans’ case was rejected, 16 votes to 11. 
  The churches of the Holy Trinity were asked to 
  let the issue rest.  
  However, there were six documented 
  instances of the murder of Yaarneyan cultists 
  between the years 1926R and 1930R and, despite 
  a thorough investigation by the Monks of Light; 
  no evidence was found that connected the Siritar 
  Order or its associated religious allies with the 
  murders. 
  In 2100R, Eldoria went through a 
  period of widespread civil unrest, called the Five 
  Years Doom. In 2105R, the Ormocean church 
  successfully accused the cults of the Unholy 
  Trinity of having been responsible for much of 
  the behind-the-scenes plotting and of supporting 
  factions who sought to establish a new world 
  order across Eldoria. Although there was no 
  direct evidence that implicated the Yaarneyan 
  temple in any of these affairs, the clergy of the 
  Sadir and Kharic-Ohrm Cults were proved to be 
  allied to the military that had attempted a coup in 
  Odressi.  
  By guilt of association, the Yaarneyans 
  were dragged in with the other two priesthoods 
  of the House of Doom and they were outcast 
  from the Charter of Odressi. A special meeting 
  of the Congress saw the worship of Yaarneya, 
  Sadir and Kharic-Ohrm proscribed throughout 
  the realms. This was known as the Ban of 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Odressi. The senior clergy were executed, the 
  lesser priests imprisoned and their temples in 
  Odressi sealed, in accordance with the Charter. 
  Overseas, most countries followed the 
  lead of Odressi in religious affairs and city 
  officials ordered the arrest of cultists serving the 
  Houses of the Unholy Trinity. Their property 
  was seized and their temples and shrines 
  destroyed. A few countries chose to ignore the 
  Ban of Odressi and allowed refugee priestesses 
  to relocate within their borders. The Yaarneyan 
  temple found a new home in Quorull, Llan, in 
  2130R. It has continued to prosper and grow, 
  despite the presence in the city of the Ormocean 
  fighting order, the Swords of Justice. The 
  Yaarneyans have become popular with the 
  merchant guildsmen of Quorull and have also 
  attracted a following among the many artists and 
  thespians of the city. 
  The current High Priestess is Narees of 
  Quorull who maintains contact with the much 
  smaller underground cells that still exist 
  throughout the lands of Eldoria. 
   
  Doctrine 
  The core belief of a Yaarneyan cultist is 
  that, when they die, they will spend eternity in 
  the most pleasurable paradise ever imagined, the 
  Palace of Unending Delights; the home of the 
  Goddess. In order to prepare themselves for this, 
  they must cast off the illusion of the mundane 
  mortal world, indulging all their senses in a 
  continual haze of realized desires and fulfilled 
  fantasies. The achievement of this often requires 
  considerable access to finance and a prime 
  consideration of any Yaarneyan temple is to 
  maintain a healthy treasury by establishing a 
  network amongst the more wealthy and powerful 
  parts of the social system that it becomes 
  established in. 
  No pleasure or desire is denied a true 
  follower of Yaarneya and the pursuit of 
  hedonistic delight is held above the laws of any 
  institution. There are six distinct areas of 
  pleasure that are to be indulged in by a cultist, 
  whenever and wherever possible, They are 
  referred to as the Six Gifts of Yaarneya and the 
  following is a section taken from the Yaarneyan 
  Lexicon of Ritual that describes them: 
   
  1st Gift (The Pleasures of the Eye) 
  “I will forever surround myself with 
  beauty, wonderful works of art, the shape and 
  form of the sensuous and the blaze of discordant 
  color. Nothing should be drab or plain; 
  everything 
  should 
  appear 
  surreal 
  and 
  otherworldly”. 
   
  2nd Gift (The Pleasures of the Ear) 
  “I will dwell in a state of constant 
  auditory stimulation, whether it is by music, 
  poetry, witty conversation or even simple 
  birdsong. The world should never be a place of 
  silence or mundane conversation”. 
   
  3rd Gift (The Pleasures of the Feast)  
  “Food and drink should never be 
  something taken lightly and treated as mere 
  sustenance. Food should be of the best quality, 
  heavily spiced or flavored with herbs and served 
  with the most fragrant wines. Eating should be a 
  ritual”. 
   
  4th Gift (The Pleasures of Aroma) 
  “The body should be washed and 
  scented with fresh herbs and potent perfumes. 
  The air should remain free of noisome odors and 
  be aired with the smell of flowers and the vapors 
  of sweet incense. Even if blinded and struck deaf 
  the world would still seem a place of pleasure 
  unending”. 
   
  5th Gift (The Pleasures of the Flesh) 
  “I will indulge in those private 
  pleasures found from intimacy with others; from 
  the delicate caress of skin upon skin, to acts most 
  carnal, using others as I want and allowing 
  myself to be used in return”. 
   
  6th Gift (The Pleasures of the Soul) 
  “I will go beyond the limitations of the 
  mortal world, abandoning the conventions, 
  morals and laws of the uninitiated in pursuit of 
  that which brings fulfillment. I abandon my soul 
  to the Goddess and allow her to show me 
  pleasures I would never have conceived”. 
   
  The Yaarneyan cult would normally 
  have been dismissed by other institutions as a 
  bunch of orgiastic pleasure seekers - immoral 
  perhaps, but harmless. But there are key parts of 
  the doctrine of the cult that makes them very 
  dangerous to any society. The fact that they 
  believe they are allowed to go beyond normal 
  laws and conventions in the pursuit of pleasure, 
  combined with their practice of infiltrating the 
  wealthy (and often the ruling) elements of 
  society in order to fund the excesses of their 
  temples, is what makes them one of the more 
  insidious and evil cults in Eldoria. 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  Their theology leads to 
  slow corruption and moral 
  decline of those communities 
  that the religion is allowed to 
  become 
  entrenched 
  in. 
  Civilization 
  eventually 
  collapses under the influence of 
  the Yaarneyan church and, 
  when this occurs, the clergy 
  simply pull up roots and seek 
  another place to grow anew. 
   
  Organization 
  The religion once had 
  a pontiff who ruled over all 
  temples but since the Ban of 
  Odressi, the cult has become 
  fractured and the affairs of each 
  secret group are governed by 
  the most powerful Seervati in 
  their ranks. The High Priestess 
  based in Quorull is looked on 
  as the leader of the religion but 
  the regional cults owe no 
  formal allegiance to that branch 
  of the church. 
  The head of a cult is 
  called the High Priest/Priestess 
  and they govern affairs with the 
  aid of the Senechaus, six senior 
  cultists (usually Seervati). The 
  hierarchy 
  in 
  the 
  cult 
  has 
  traditionally been dominated by 
  women, although there have 
  been a few (in)famous male 
  priests holding senior positions 
  throughout 
  history 
  (notably 
  Pharruk Naed of Byalliz who 
  was said to have a personal 
  harem of over 500 women).  
  Each 
  Seneschal 
  is 
  responsible 
  for 
  the 
  administration and provision of 
  one of the divine gifts of 
  Yaarneya. 
  It 
  is 
  their 
  responsibility 
  to 
  provide 
  entertainments and diversions 
  requested by sponsors of the 
  cult that fall within their 
  portfolio. A High Priestess and 
  her Senechaus will establish the 
  cult in a specific region which 
  they believe will allow them to 
  thrive. They will use their 
  existing treasury to purchase an 
  abode, usually a large house or 
  manor.  
  This will be done in a 
  clandestine 
  manner; 
  the 
  High 
  Priestess portraying the group to the 
  local community as an extended 
  family 
  or 
  guild 
  (such 
  as 
  seamstresses or tutors). 
  The cult then begins to 
  entrench itself amongst the rich 
  and more influential families of 
  the area, usually by providing 
  services to those families. A 
  typical method of infiltration is 
  to install a governess or tutor to 
  the children of a targeted family. 
  The cultist then begins to learn 
  the secret wants and desires of 
  the members of a household and 
  slowly 
  encourages 
  them 
  to 
  pursue their dreams.  
  Often, Illixia or similar 
  drugs 
  are 
  introduced 
  to 
  strengthen 
  control 
  over 
  individuals. Once individuals 
  have been persuaded to indulge 
  in unlawful or immoral acts and 
  activities, the cult reveals itself 
  and seeks to indoctrinate that 
  person into the religion and to 
  act 
  as 
  a 
  sponsor 
  of 
  the 
  priesthood. They are asked to 
  provide an agreed stipend to the 
  treasury of the temple. In most 
  cases, the individual has become 
  so besotted with the indulgences 
  provided by the Yaarneyans that 
  there is no argument about 
  formally accepting the Goddess 
  as their patron.  
  In cases where a 
  potential 
  initiate 
  rejects 
  becoming a sponsor, the 
  cult ‘leans’ on the person 
  with threats of blackmail. 
  If this does not work, 
  they will make threats 
  against other family 
  members. 
  If 
  the 
  threats fail, they will 
  resort to murder; 
  the favorite method 
  being poisoning. 
  The 
  cult 
  will also recruit new 
  acolytes 
  into 
  the 
  church by approaching 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
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  the poorer parts of the community and 
  pretending to be a charity devoted to helping 
  unfortunates. They provide handouts of food, 
  clothing and money and ingratiate themselves 
  with peasant families, especially those with 
  adolescent children. When they have their 
  confidence they will make a deal with certain 
  families for the children to be educated and serve 
  the ‘charitable’ institution, removing the children 
  to the temple. 
  These children are rarely ever seen by 
  their parents again. As acolytes they are tested 
  for potential as a Seervati. Those who 
  demonstrate an affinity for magic are taken under 
  the wing of a senior cleric and receive a 
  complete education. The remainder are referred 
  to as the Galderen (Trinkets of the Goddess) and 
  have no status in the cult other than to serve and 
  obey without question. Galderen receive training 
  in specific talents that will further the interests of 
  the cult; skills as diverse cooking, dance, 
  embroidery 
  and 
  seduction. 
  Galderen 
  are 
  expected to perform any task demanded of them, 
  no matter how abhorrent to the individual 
  concerned. Galderen who refuse to obey are not 
  tolerated and are subject to relentless abuse 
  designed to bend their will to the cult.  
  Galderen are often sent as a tutor to the 
  households of the wealthy with the task of 
  corrupting families and converting them to the 
  will of the Goddess. Those who are successful 
  may gain the favor of the High Priestess and be 
  granted status of Lector. As a Lector they have 
  the protection of a senior member of the cult and 
  only have to obey the directions of that person or 
  the High Priestess. 
  A cult will keep its activities secret at 
  all costs and all non-cultists, who become 
  involved with the activities of the church through 
  sponsorship ties, are sworn to an oath not to 
  reveal the existence of the temple or those who 
  serve the Goddess. Cultists who break the oath 
  are excommunicated and marked for death. With 
  a cadre of obedient Galderen at their disposal, 
  not many people who have crossed the cult 
  survive long; those who are wise flee the 
  community.  
  A cult will remain active in an area until 
  it bleeds the local hierarchy of money and 
  resources. Once the High Priestess determines 
  that the region they are based in has gone into 
  decline the cult will arrange to pack up bags and 
  move on to another more prosperous community. 
   
   
  Regalia 
  The only distinct clerical clothing of the 
  cult is worn by the Galderen. They wear a plain 
  green robe and a metal torc about the neck. The 
  torc is usually made of brass, inlaid with silver 
  decorations and is fashioned so that it can only 
  be removed with a special key, kept by the High 
  Priestess or an individual member of a  temple 
  Senechaus. Galderen who attain the status of 
  Lector will wear a token on their torc that 
  denotes the protection of a specific cleric within 
  the cult. 
  There is no distinct dress style for 
  senior members of the Yaarneyan clergy other 
  than a penchant for rich and opulent clothing. 
  Priests and priestesses robe in the finest silks and 
  brocade gowns. They wear jewelry on every part 
  of their body and their hair in intricate braids. A 
  common color favored by clergy is green. A 
  High Priestess or priest will always dress in 
  shades of that color. In private ceremonies 
  priestesses are notorious for dressing in alluring 
  costumes that reveal just enough flesh to play to 
  the fantasies of their sponsors. 
  The holy symbol of Yaarneya is the 
  K’yundah. This is a gold pendant that takes the 
  form of two upside-down triangles, one laid over 
  the top of the other. 
   
  Temple Design 
  The cult in modern times has no 
  established temple design. They acquire real 
  estate that suits their needs, however there will 
  always be one room set aside as an altar. This 
  will feature a raised dais or table with a statue of 
  Yaarneya flanked by two K’yundah symbols. 
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  226 
   
   
  As many of the activities of the temple 
  revolve around the fulfillment of sexual fantasies 
  of the clergy and their sponsors, there will be 
  many rooms set aside for various liaisons, often 
  in secret parts of the building that the cult is 
  operating from. 
  The church of Silent Pleasures in 
  Odressi is the only remaining example of ancient 
  Yaarneyan temple design. The church based its 
  construction on sketches of the original temple 
  of Tai-Kaiyan in Maritaan (the Maritaani temple 
  having been sacked and destroyed in 1241R by 
  the Knights of Glory. The Odressi church 
  consists of a central circular structure with a high 
  domed roof. This is the main place of worship 
  where all rituals and ceremonies are carried out. 
  A 50’ tall statue of Yaarneya made from jade 
  dominates the center of the temple. The walls are 
  covered with intricate murals depicting the 
  eighty-nine ‘forbidden acts’ of pleasure. 
  The temple is surrounded by an outer 
  ring that contains the living quarters, meeting 
  halls and administrative areas of the temple. A 
  courtyard, covered with a stained glass ceiling, 
  joins the outer ring to the inner temple. Beneath 
  the church is a maze of rooms and dungeons that 
  were once used for every imaginable purpose 
  that the cult employed for the entertainment and 
  fulfillment of their senior priesthood and their 
  wealthy sponsors. 
  The church of Silent Pleasures was 
  sealed by the authority of the Congress of 
  Odressi in 2007R after the Yaarneyan cult was 
  ostracized and their assets seized. Most of the 
  treasures and opulence that decorated its halls 
  and chambers were removed at that time. 
   
  Ritual 
  Marriage and child-birth is forbidden to 
  members of the cult. Yaarneyans believe that any 
  form of permanent relationship prevents a 
  worshipper from fulfilling the pursuit of 
  unfettered pleasure. Sponsors who come to join 
  the cult, and who are already married or in a 
  relationship, must go through a ceremony where 
  they break those ties. This involves a long liturgy 
  where an oath of allegiance is sworn to the 
  Goddess, culminating in sexual congress with a 
  Galderen who is dressed in a ceremonial costume 
  for the purposes of the ritual, 
  The most famous ritual of the cult is the 
  Festival of J’taal, which is a six day celebration 
  dedicated to the priestess who founded the 
  Yaarneyan religion. In the build up to the 
  festival, the Seneschals of the temple prepare 
  specific entertainments to please the most 
  important and wealthy sponsors that they are 
  responsible for. No expense is spared for the 
  festival and no indulgence goes unfulfilled. 
  The Ormocean church has condemned 
  the festival, declaring it to be nothing more than 
  a series of lewd erotic entertainments and drug-
  fueled orgies. In actual fact the majority of 
  Yaarneyan temples conduct a highly cultured 
  event, which includes a sumptuous banquet, fine 
  music and dance. However, there is no denying 
  that erotica plays a part in many of the 
  entertainments provided at individual festivals 
  and that works of art that are presented to the 
  High Priestess as part of the celebrations are 
  largely paintings or sculptures of nudes.  
   
  Uushai 
  The Uushai of Yaarneya is six Succubae 
  who are the Senechaus of the Palace of 
  Unending Delights. They are each responsible 
  for one of the Gifts of Yaarneya and are named 
  (in order of rank): 
  Soorael (The Tattooed Seductress ) 
  Zeelish (The Siren with the Silver Tongue) 
  Daelangar (The Souleater)  
  Kiish (The Scented Lady) 
  Xana (Mistress of a Thousand Lovers)  
  Valara (Queen of the Seven Unspeakable Acts) 
  The Uushai are known to move between 
  Tarrisada and the mortal world where they 
  assume a more Human appearance. Old records 
  kept by the cult document visitations by Uushai 
  to the temples of Tai-Kaiyan and Odressi as 
  recently as 1990R. 
   
   
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  227 
   
   
  Bonus Spell 
  Yaarneyans believe in total indulgence of all 
  senses and the corruption of the pious. 
  BAD INFLUENCE 
  School 
  enchantment 
  (compulsion) 
  [mind-
  affecting];  
  Level cleric 1 (Yaarneya) 
  Casting Time 1 round 
  Components V, S 
  Range touch 
  Target one humanoid 
  Duration 1 round/level 
  Saving Throw Will negates;  
  Spell Resistance yes 
   
  You can control the actions of any 
  humanoid creature through spoken commands. 
  If you and the subject have a common 
  language, you can generally force the subject to 
  perform as you desire, within the limits of its 
  abilities. If no common language exists, you can 
  communicate only basic commands, such as 
  “Come here,” “Go there,” “Fight,” and “Stand 
  still.” 
  When you cast the spell you may give 
  the target a command and the target will attempt 
  to carry out the command to the best of its ability 
  in its next turn.  
  Each round is a move action, the caster 
  must issue a new command otherwise the target 
  is free to act as it sees fit.  
  Subjects resist this control, and any 
  subject forced to take actions against its nature 
  receives a new saving throw with a +2 bonus. 
  Obviously self-destructive orders are not carried 
  out.  
  The target also receives a +4 save from 
  the same spell from the same caster for the next 
  24 hours. 
  Protection from evil or a similar spell 
  can prevent you from exercising control while 
  the subject is so warded, but such an effect does 
  not automatically dispel the compulsion. 
   
  Assay Spell 
  Yaarneyans learn the 2nd level spell 
  Enthrall as their Assay spell. When cast by a 
  Yaarneyan priestess this is treated as a1st level 
  spell. 
   
   
   
  Artefact 
  THE CHAMELEON MASK 
  Strong Transmutation; CL 18th; weight 1lb 
   
  The Lady Isaya was held fast by two of 
  the acolytes while the priestess leaned over her 
  and produced a curious alabaster mask. Despite 
  her struggles, the mask was placed over Isaya’s 
  face, eclipsing her features beneath. There was a 
  momentary gleam of white light from beneath its 
  porcelain surface and Isaya felt a strange 
  sensation of pins and needles. 
  The priestess raised the mask to her 
  own face and again there was that strange flash 
  of light. When she removed it, Isaya stared 
  disbelievingly at her own countenance now 
  transposed onto her hated rival. It was her face, 
  exactly, only the long auburn hair was different. 
  “Now let us see how loyal that husband 
  of yours is, Isaya”, spat the priestess. “Do you 
  think he will be able to tell the difference when I 
  am in his arms, this evening”. 
   
   
  The outside face of the Chameleon 
  Mask is made from fine white porcelain, its 
  inside surface appears to be made of living 
  tissue. The mask is designed to cover the whole 
  face. The outer face that is depicted is generic 
  and could be any of the core humanoid races.  
  Legend has it that the mask was made 
  by the High Priestess J’taal, who refounded the 
  Yaarneyan cult after the Darktime. It was said 
  that she had relations with Veth, the divine spirit 
  Naga that guards Yaarneya’s realm. It was Veth 
  who gave J’taal her clerical powers and made a 
  gift to her of the Chameleon Mask in her later 
  years, so she could steal the faces of the young. 
  By holding the mask to the face, the 
  device magically conforms to the contours of the 
  subject, removing the facial features and 
  bestowing the user with those of the last person 
  who used the mask. This effect is permanent.  
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  228 
   
   
  Unless the last identity of the mask’s 
  user is known, you may wish to consult the 
  following table to randomly determine the basic 
  facial characteristics of the person who last used 
  the device.  
   
  Roll a d20 on all three tables to create the person. 
   
  Race 
  Die Roll 
  Result 
  1-17 
  Human 
  18-19 
  Half-Elven 
  20 
  see Sub-table 
  Sub-table 
   
  1- 15 
  Elven 
  16-17 
  Halfling 
  18 
  Gnomish 
  19 
  Dwarven 
  20 
  Half-Orc 
   
  Sex  
  Die Roll 
  Result 
  1-14 
  Male 
  15-20 
  Female 
   
  Charisma modifier 
  Die Roll 
  Result 
  1-4 
  Increase CHA +1 
  5-8 
  Increase CHA +2 
  9-11 
  No Change 
  12- 15 
  Decrease CHA -1 
  16-19 
  Decrease CHA -2 
  20 
  See Sub-table 
  Sub-table 
   
  1- 4 
  Increase CHA +4 
  5-9 
  Increase CHA +6 
  10-14 
  Decrease CHA -4 
  15-19 
  Decrease CHA -6 
  20 
  Reduce CHA to 1 
   
  Charm 
  CHILDBANE LILY 
  Description: A small white lily that is blessed by a Yaarneyan Cleric. It is usually worn in the hair. 
   
  Trigger: Conception. 
   
  DC: 12 
   
  Effect: The Charm prevents conception of a child by the wearer 
   
  Cost: 1 silver trade. 
   
  Frequency: Common 
   
  Usage: The Charm is only effective as long as the lily remains fresh (1+1d4 days) 
  
  RELIQUARIUM ELDORIA 
   
  229 
   
   
  KHARIC-OHRM  
  God of Pain and Disease 
  Other Titles: 
  Prince of Pain, Plague Lord, Tormentor of Souls. 
  Alignment: 
  Chaotic Evil. 
  Domains: 
  Evil/Devil/Death/Magic/Chaos. 
  Favored Weapon: 
  Dagger. 
  Appearance: 
  A bloated reptilian humanoid with bat wings and a insectoid head.  
  Status: 
  Minor Proscribed Human cult. 
  Following: 
  95% Male, 5% Female. 
  Power Centers: 
  Though proscribed the cult secretly operates still in Odressi. 
  Holy Day: 
  Tabiazar 10th Day of the Third Span of the March of Water. 
  Clerical Dress: 
  Purple velvet surcoat trimmed with white leather. A broad belt of white leather is 
  worn along with white gloves. 
  Holy Symbol: 
  A white rose is the main symbol of the cult. Their holy symbol is a rose, often 
  carved from the bone of their little finger. 
  Associations: 
  Kharic-Ohrm is the son of Sadir (the God of Destruction) and Yaarneya (the 
  Goddess of Entropy). A Recognition agreement exists solely between the churches 
  of Kharic-Ohrm and Sadir. 
  Basic Goal: 
  To seek the word of Kharic-Ohrm by passing the boundaries of pain. 
  Religion Trait: 
  Oblivious to Pain. Cult initiation rites have given you a high tolerance for pain. All 
  non-lethal damage inflicted on you by each attack is reduced by 1. You are not 
  unconscious when you go below 0 hit points. You may still function as normal for 
  a number of rounds equal to half your Constitution (rounded up). You are still 
  dying and lose 1 hit point per round. 
  Bonus Spell:  
  Old Wounds 
  Assay Spell: 
  Advanced Scurvy 
   
   
  History 
  The worship of Kharic-Ohrm was 
  revived in the late 15th century by Zharen Vharl, 
  a noble lord and captain assigned to a legion of 
  the Sardellan Empire. Vharl was captured by 
  Llanish rebels, during a tour of duty in the north 
  and was brutally tortured for several days, 
  having the little finger on his left hand cut off by 
  his tormentors during the ordeal. Eventually the 
  camp in which he was held was discovered by 
  Imperial troops, attacked and taken. Vharl was 
  rescued. 
  In his memoirs, Vharl relates how, 
  during his torture, he surpassed his threshold of 
  pain and reached a state of divine tranquility in 
  which he walked the blessed realm of Stavilor, 
  the heaven set aside by the God, Kharic-Ohrm.  
  Here he received enlightenment and 
  perceived something of the true nature of the 
  universe. But his sojourn into Stavilor was brief 
  and he returned to mortal consciousness after he 
  was rescued and nursed back to health. After that  
   
  time, Vharl remained unfulfilled and traveled to 
  Odressi to consult the Books of Law on the faith  
  of Kharic-Ohrm. He dedicated most of his 
  subsequent years to amassing a great wealth of 
  ancient knowledge concerning the Lord of Pain, 
  both from the Books of Law and other sources. 
  Eventually he founded a small cult devoted to 
  the God and built a modest temple in Odressi, 
  where he undertook a series of terrible rituals, 
  performed in order to commune with Kharic-
  Ohrm.  
  Vharl and his religion soon came under 
  the criticism of the churches of the Holy Trinity 
  and a number of other faiths. At the Congress of 
  Odressi in 1499R, the cult was attacked over its 
  practice of ceremonial torture. Vharl managed to 
  garner the support of the churches of Sadir and 
  Yaarneya in order to defend this practice as 
  being integral to the core beliefs of its followers. 
  In the end, it was ruled that the torture of people 
  could continue as long as those who took part in 
  the ritual were followers of the cult and did so of 
  their own free will. 
  
   
  230 
   
   
  Vharl died in 1506R and the cult 
  continued, although its appeal was limited. Up 
  until the time that it was eventually banned (after 
  the Five Years Doom) only two other temples 
  were raised outside of the Holy Isle, one in 
  Tempest and the other in Rhavizor, Y’sira. Both 
  had small followings numbering less than twenty 
  cultists. 
  During the 18th century R, the priests of 
  the cult became excessive in both the number of 
  tortures being performed on ‘willing victims’ 
  and their severity, many of these resulting in the 
  deaths of their followers. Even their more 
  zealous initiates declined to get involved in 
  ‘communing with Kharic-Ohrm’ and the officials 
  of the church began to secretly source subjects 
  from the chapter in Y’sira, where slavery was an 
  institution. In 1767R, the priesthood ran afoul of 
  customs authorities when a vessel carrying 
  slaves to take part in its high ceremonies was 
  discovered and impounded. 
  The Congress ruled that a slave could 
  not be considered a willing participant in any 
  religious ceremony and that the church of 
  Kharic-Ohrm was in breach of its agreements 
  under the Charter of Odressi. Their temple 
  treasury and reliquarium were seized and the 
  temple was closed for ten years. It reopened 
  under the strict scrutiny of the Monks of Light 
  (Odressi’s authority that enforces Congressional 
  law). They were also issued with a directive that 
  forbade the church to “draw the blood, bruise the 
  skin or break the bones” of any person 
  participating in its rituals.   
  Unfortunately, this only resulted in the 
  priests becoming more ‘inventive’ in their torture 
  methods, culminating in the formulation and use 
  of Saritol by the 1900s R; Saritol being a drug 
  that amplifies the nerve endings, causing a 
  subject excruciating pain at the merest touch. 
  In the 22nd century R, the church of 
  Kharic-Ohrm, under the leadership of High 
  Priest Fendiss Vharl, joined with the other two 
  faiths of the Unholy Trinity in supporting 
  Erlwick Rhull, after he usurped power in Odressi 
  in 2100R. Unfortunately they were unable to 
  sway the House of Darkness and the House of 
  Power to their side in the conflict and, as a result, 
  they were eventually defeated in the brief civil 
  war that followed.  
  The Congress of Odressi had the 
  Houses of the Unholy Trinity proscribed from 
  worship for all time and their churches in 
  Odressi and most parts of Eldoria were closed;  
  their property seized by local authorities. The 
  senior clergy of Kharic-Ohrm were executed, 
  although Vharl himself escaped and went into 
  hiding; reputedly he is still rumored to be acting 
  as the head of the cult (at the age of 95) and 
  officiates at secret meetings. 
   
  Doctrine 
  Fundamental to the religion of Kharic-
  Ohrm is the belief that Stavilor (the afterlife) is a 
  paradise that exists in unison with the prime 
  material plane and that the gifts and pleasures 
  bestowed upon the world by the other Gods are a 
  distraction, that prevent true followers of Kharic-
  Ohrm from seeing and entering the realm of 
  Stavilor. Unless a devotee sees Stavilor during 
  their lifetime, they will never be able to find their 
  way to paradise and will be claimed by Sirrith as 
  one of the Lost. 
  Only under great duress can a mortal 
  being hope to glimpse Stavilor. When subjected 
  to intense pain, there is a threshold that is 
  reached whereby the subject will either lose 
  consciousness 
  or 
  transcend 
  their 
  physical 
  limitations and enter the blessed realm. There are 
  key descriptions of Stavilor, as originally 
  documented by Zharen Vharl.  
  These are a closely guarded secret of 
  the church hierarchy. When, under torture, a 
  subject utters anything that remotely sounds like 
  one of the required responses that describe 
  Stavilor, it is deemed that the tortured initiate has 
  truly seen that realm and can be admitted to an 
  inner circle of senior clergy. Besides willing 
  
   
  231 
   
   
  initiates, the priesthood of Kharic-Ohrm will also 
  torture people who are not associated with the 
  cult, in ceremonies designed to simply establish 
  divine contact with the Uushai of Kharic-Ohrm. 
  The victim is usually sacrificed at the conclusion 
  of the service.  
  As well as being associated with 
  domain of pain, Kharic-Ohrm is also the deity of 
  plague and sickness. The Brotherhood of the 
  Wasted, a special Order within the cult, reveres 
  this aspect of the God. A member of the Wasted, 
  upon hearing of a region afflicted with a disease 
  will travel there, in the guise of a healer and 
  deliberately seek to contract the illness.  
   
  They will then go from town to town 
  spreading the infection, until the malady 
  overcomes them and they see Stavilor in their 
  final delirium.  
  The Wasted were notorious for their 
  spreading of the Rose Plague in 694R and 
  1303R. One of the theories concerning the 
  origins of the name of that plague is that 
  members of the Wasted left a rose on the 
  doorstep of those they had infected, as a mark of 
  their work.  
  The Brotherhood holds the followers of 
  Esmia in contempt due to their doctrine of 
  charitable healing and they will often engage in 
  subversive attempts to bring harm to clerics of 
  that faith and their hospices. 
   
  Organization 
  The cult has a strict hierarchy that 
  consists of three ranks as well as two distinct 
  Orders. A person who undertakes mundane tasks 
  as part of the cult is called a Witness. They take 
  no part in the formal ceremonies of the church 
  and live to serve the priests. Witnesses who wish 
  to learn the secret doctrine of the cult must 
  undergo a rite of passage called Rumination.  
  Completion of the rite allows a Witness 
  to rise into the ranks of priest and enter either the 
  Order of the Wretched or the Order of the 
  Wasted. The heads of the Orders are known by 
  the title of Rector. The former concentrates on 
  communing with Kharic-Ohrm by means of 
  torture; the latter is dedicated to the spread of 
  disease. 
  The cult is ruled with an iron-fist by a 
  High Priest who is the descendant of its founder, 
  Zharen Vharl, whose line has been unbroken 
  since the 1400’s. The High Priest usually 
  performs all of the major ceremonies of the 
  temple and is supported in his work by the two 
  heads of the orders. Often those senior priests are 
  also members of the Vharl family. Most of the 
  direction and theology of the cult is formulated 
  by the High Priest and the Rectors. 
   
  Regalia 
  Priests of Kharic-Ohrm dress in a long 
  robe made of purple velvet. The hem and sleeves 
  are trimmed with white leather and a broad belt 
  of the same material is worn about the waist. The 
  Rector of the Order of the Wretched is 
  distinguished by a black yoke embroidered with 
  stylized purple rose at the throat.  
  The Rector of the Wasted wears a 
  similar accessory to his clerical robe except the 
  yoke is white with a red rose embroidered at the 
  throat. The High Priest wears a black velvet robe 
  with white leather trim and a black yoke 
  embroidered about with alternating red and white 
  roses. 
  All priests wear a small rose made of 
  polished bone as their holy symbol; the bone 
  used to make the holy symbol is that of the 
  finger bone from their small left finger, removed 
  during their ordination.  
   
  Temple Design 
  The temple in Odressi is a squat 
  structure made from basalt bricks with a square 
  tower at its center. Small effigies of Kharic-
  Ohrm line the gables along the roof. The main 
  entrance is via a set of tall wooden doors carved 
  
   
  232 
   
   
  with a repetitive pattern of stylized roses. 
  Directly inside is a foyer in which a statue of 
  Zharen Vharl stands. A small area devoted to the 
  administration of the temple is located in the 
  foyer and doorways lead to the private 
  apartments of the senior clergy and to the nave. 
  The 
  temple 
  has 
  an 
  extensive 
  underground complex, housing living quarters 
  for cult members and several chambers devoted 
  to ritual torture. A special area that is sealed 
  away from the rest of the temple is used by the 
  Order of the Wasted. It contains a dormitory for 
  the sick and an alchemy laboratory used to 
  propagate disease. A tunnel runs secretly 
  underneath the streets of Odressi with a guarded 
  exit located in the sewer outlets of the city, in the 
  poorer quarter, known as Gurthor’s Lap. 
  The temple in Odressi was sealed by 
  city officials in the aftermath of the Five Years 
  Doom. 
   
  Ritual 
  Starting with the amputation of the little 
  finger on the left hand (as a tribute to Zharen 
  Vharl), followers of Kharic-Ohrm undergo a 
  series of painful ritual tortures designed to 
  prepare them for Hannicarsa, the communing 
  ceremony. This is a terrible ordeal of pain that 
  claims the lives of many who undergo it. The 
  ceremony can last up to twelve hours and the 
  High Priest who officiates, repeatedly asks a 
  litany of questions of the God, using a 
  combination of scourging, hot irons and the rack 
  to elicit an answer.  
  An important ritual of the Order of the 
  Wasted is known as the Sharing. Once known 
  symptoms of a serious disease have manifested 
  in a cultist, they will undertake a pilgrimage to 
  infect as many people as possible, as far afield as 
  possible. The Sharing involves the recitation of a 
  passage 
  from 
  their 
  holy 
  tomes 
  before 
  approaching a victim and offering them a 
  blessing, which usually involves a kiss upon the 
  lips.  
  Often, one of the Wasted will go in 
  disguise as a priest of another religion, a practice 
  which has often brought the cult into conflict 
  with the other priesthoods, especially at the 
  Congress of Odressi. 
   
  Uushai 
  Two semi-divine beings watch over the 
  sleeping form of Kharic-Ohrm in Tarissada; 
  Drakalass and Torth.  
  Drakalass takes the form of a bloated 
  humanoid, pieced all over by sharp thorns. Blood 
  continually seeps from his wounds and he 
  baptizes those souls who come to Stavilor with 
  the blood as he passes them into Kharic-Ohrm’s 
  realm. Drakalass also bears witness to those 
  souls who make a temporary translation to 
  Stavilor as part of Hannicarsa. He whispers 
  secrets to them that they can reveal to their 
  temple priests and prove that they have reached 
  true enlightenment. 
  The mate of Drakalass is a gaunt 
  woman whose body is covered in festering sores. 
  She receives those souls who have reached 
  Stavilor after dying from self-inflicted illness. 
  Her embrace cleanses them of all disease and 
  they are made well and whole before being 
  admitted into paradise. 
   
   
  Bonus Spell 
  Priests of Kharic-Ohrm are masters at inflicting 
  pain. 
  OLD WOUNDS 
  Level cleric 1 (Kharic-Ohrm) 
  Casting Time 1 standard action 
  Components V, S 
  Range touch 
  Target living creature touched 
  Duration instantaneous 
  Saving Throw Will (negates)l 
  Spell Resistance yes 
  Priests of Kharic-Ohrm are masters at inflicting 
  pain. This is a touch attack that causes the target 
  to immediately receive damage equal to half the 
  total damage sustained over the past 24 hours. 
   
   
  
   
  233 
   
   
  Assay Spell 
  The Cult of Kharic-Ohrm learns Advanced 
  Scurvy as its Assay spell. When a priest of the 
  faith casts this spell it creates a -2 STR and DEX 
  penalty. 
   
  Artefact 
  RING OF PAIN 
  Strong necromancy; CL 18th; weight .25lb. 
   
  After gazing upon the unspeakable acts 
  of savagery that had been inflicted upon the 
  prisoner, Merrith was taken by surprise when he 
  found 
  that 
  the 
  poor 
  creature 
  still 
  lived…somehow, despite the removal of all her 
  skin and the exposure of her working organs. 
  The priest mistook Merrith’s lingering 
  attention for admiration of his work. 
  “You will see that it takes superlative 
  skill to maintain the life-spark, and I must say, 
  without meaning to appear conceited, that this one 
  has lasted a full two days. But alas she still cannot 
  reach our Lord; my efforts have been in vain.” 
    
  That was too much for the paladin, 
  despite the command on him to bring the priest to 
  trial, alive and whole. He drew his longsword and 
  strode across the floor of the large room, 
  scattering neophytes before him. 
  As he strode up the steps of the dais, the 
  priest wavered and implored Merrith to turn aside, 
  putting his hands out to protect himself. As the 
  paladin approached and raised his naked blade, 
  the priest stretched out his right hand and touched 
  Merrith’s chest.  
  There was a glint of golden light from a 
  ring on the priest’s finger and Merrith recoiled in 
  agony, falling to his knees, his sword clattering 
  away down the stair.  
  He stood and staggered down the stair 
  to retrieve the lost blade, each step an effort. 
  Finally, he picked up his weapon and tried to 
  charge the priest, who still maintained his position 
  on the dais.  
  After three steps Merrith cried out loud, 
  again dropping his sword and clawing at his chest. 
  A rictus of pain distorted his face and he slowly 
  sank 
  into 
  unconsciousness. 
  The 
  cowering 
  neophytes gradually gathered the courage to 
  approach. 
  “Bring him and bind him to the rack,” 
  said the priest. “I do believe that this one may 
  have the fortitude to see our God” 
     
  When Zharen Vharl founded the church 
  of Kharic-Ohrm in the 15th century R, he 
  produced five rings that he claimed had been given 
  to him in Stavilor, the Heaven set aside by Kharic-
  Ohrm.  
   
  He kept one and promised to give the 
  remaining rings to those first four individuals who 
  undertook 
  (and 
  survived) 
  the 
  Hannicarsa 
  ceremony of Pain and, in doing so, could 
  accurately describe to him the sights of Stavilor. 
  Many men and women perished in their bid to 
  claim one of the five Rings of Pain. 
  
   
  234 
   
   
  By 1990R, the Rings 
  had 
  been 
  distributed amongst the senior clergy of the church 
  in Odressi. However, when Cult of the Kharic-
  Ohrm participated in the attempt to seize control of 
  Odressi in 2100R, three of the rings were 
  confiscated by the Ormocean Inquiry into the Five 
  Years Doom.  
  Of the two that went missing, one was 
  in possession of the High Priest, Fendiss Scarle, 
  who went into hiding just before the Inquiry and 
  whose whereabouts remain a mystery. The other 
  belonged to the senior cleric, Hallen Morling who 
  was captured and executed, but managed to send 
  the Ring overseas. 
  The Ring of Pain is made of Excellium 
  and 
  features a circle of 
  miniature roses, 
  surrounding a face screaming in agony. The ring 
  provides protection from all forms of mundane and 
  magical diseases while it is worn. In addition it has 
  the following powers: 
   
  Lingering Pain 
  The Ring permanently radiates a field 
  with a diameter equal to 10’ x the level of the 
  wearer. All hit point damage inflicted in that field 
  receives +3 damage bonus. Any damage inflicted 
  in the area of the field cannot be restored by 
  healing checks, binding wounds or rest. Only 
  magic will restore the lost hit points. 
   
  Touch of Pain 
  Usable three times per day. By invoking 
  the ring’s power with a command word, the wearer 
  can deliver a touch attack. This must be done 
  within a number of rounds equal to the level of the 
  wearer. A successful touch delivers 1d6 damage x 
  level of wearer (to a maximum of 5d6). 
   It also places the victim in a condition 
  of agonizing pain for a number of rounds equal to 
  the wearer’s level x 3. It also places the victim in a 
  condition of agonizing pain for a number of rounds 
  equal to the wearer’s level x 3.  
  While in this condition, any strenuous 
  action (such as combat or spell-casting) as judged 
  by the GM, causes an additional 1d6 damage). The 
  initial touch and any subsequent damage can be 
  halved by a successful FORT roll at DC 22. 
   
   
   
   
   
   
  Charm 
  BONE BRACELET 
  Description: A bracelet made from Human finger 
  bones. 
   
  Trigger: Any damage that would reduce the owner 
  to negative hit points 
   
  DC: 15 
   
  Effect: The Charm maintains consciousness for the 
  owner. The owner can take normal actions while 
  in negatives, however, every time they do so they 
  incur a point of damage (in addition to standard hit 
  point loss). 
   
  Usage: Permanent, however, once the wearer 
  enters negative hit points, the Charm becomes 
  useless once they are restored to positive hit 
  points. Also, the Charm is useless if any form of 
  healing spell is cast upon the owner, while wearing 
  the Charm. 
   
  Cost: 25 gold trades 
   
  Frequency: Rare 
   
   
  
   
  235 
   
   
   
  VESTMENTS 
   
  Alb An alb, called a lightweight, ankle-length 
  tunic with long sleeves.  
   
  Amice An amice is a rectangular piece of cloth 
  with religious sigils embroidered upon it. It is 
  worn around the neck like a scarf or muffler. 
   
  Cassock A cassock is a plain, lightweight, 
  ankle-length garment with long sleeves. It is an 
  undergarment for vestments,  
   
  Chasuble A chasuble is an ornate circular 
  garment with a hole in the center for the wearer’s 
  head. It usually reaches to the wearer’s waist and 
  is often worn with a stole. Generally, the stole is 
  under the chasuble. Chasubles are usually highly 
  decorated and used in more formal ceremonies. 
   
  Cincture A cincture is anything worn around 
  the waist to gather or hold up the vestments. 
  They can be made of cloth, rope or leather or 
  even bone or metal chain. 
   
  Cope A cope is an ornate outer garment or cloak 
  used worn senior priests.  
   
  Crozier A staff often used in formal processions 
  in public by a high priest leading a group of 
  clergy.  
   
  Miter A miter is a distinctive head-piece worn 
  by the senior clergy and heads of churches.  
  They are often adorned with religious symbols 
  and reinforced with stiffened leather so as to 
  retain their shape. 
   
  Skull Cap A skull-cap is a close-fitting head-
  piece worn by ordained priests and above and 
  can be made from many material, including 
  linen, metal and leather. It usually only covers 
  the top of the skull. 
   
  Stole A stole, is a long, narrow rectangular 
  garment that is worn around the neck so that it 
  hangs down in front of the wearer, Ordained  
   
   
   
   
  priests use stoles to signify their rank in their 
  Order or a specific Office that they hold. 
   
  Surplice A surplice is a very lightweight shirt 
  with sleeves. The surplice is actually a type of 
  alb that is designed to be worn over a cassock.  
   
   
  ARCHITECTURE and MISCELLANEOUS 
   
  Altar The ceremonial table which forms the 
  central focus for most rituals in a temple.  
   
  Aercharn A grouping of three allied religions of 
  the Eldorian pantheon – basically a father and 
  mother figure and their offspring. 
   
  Belfry The highest point of a church tower in 
  which bells or chimes are usually hung to 
  summon the priesthood and/or congregation to 
  ceremonies.  
   
  GLOSSARY  
   
  
   
  236 
   
   
  Candelabrum A large branched candlestick. 
  They are often hung from the ceiling or can be 
  free-standing.  
   
  Cellarium A storehouse for provisions. 
   
  Chalice A formal cup used in rituals. 
   
  Chapel An area of a church that is sectioned off 
  with its own individual altar. Usually used for 
  more private ceremonies. 
   
  Chancel The part of the church where the altar 
  stands and where the more important clergy are 
  seated during ceremonies. 
   
  Choir Stalls running along the sides of the 
  chancel or nave where more important visitors to 
  the church ceremonies are seated. 
  . 
  Clerestorey The upper storey of the nave wall 
  that contains windows to light the main temple. 
   
  Cloister A covered system of walks or passages 
  that connects the place of worship to domestic or 
  ancillary buildings. It is often used for priests to 
  use to meditate while walking the perimeter of 
  the temple. 
   
  Diocese The territory or area of administration 
  controlled by a church, as governed by a senior 
  official. 
   
  Font Container used for the holy of the church. 
  It can take many forms such as a basin, a 
  fountain or even a well. 
   
  Garde-robe Lavatory. 
   
  Lavatorium A room containing basins and tubs 
  used for personal cleaning. 
   
  Lectern A raised, often inclined desk that is 
  used to hold books and scriptures from which a 
  priest reads to the gathered congregation of 
  priesthood.  
   
  Liturgy The documented rituals of the church, 
  including 
  its 
  ceremonies 
  and 
  procedures 
  regarding religious belief. 
   
  Nave The main section of a temple where the 
  congregation and clergy stand or sit to listen to 
  sermons.  
   
  Mendicants A religious Order that operates 
  largely with no fixed place of worship. Many 
  Dwarven Yhancian priests are mendicants, as are 
  Esmian missionaries. They are largely dependent 
  on the goodwill of locals they encounter for their 
  survival.  
   
  Ordination Rites whereby an acolyte is 
  accepted into the church and is able to formally 
  practice as a ‘certified’ member of the religion.  
   
  Pews Seating provided in the Nave for the 
  congregation/clergy.  
   
  Plinth A base on which something is displayed, 
  usually an artefact or relic of the temple. 
   
  Recognition A ceremony that most Eldorian 
  children undertake before their first birthday, 
  whereby a recognizable symbol is incorporated 
  into their aura by a priest, identifying them as a 
  patron of a specific God. Seervati can see a 
  recognition symbol via means of a spell.  
   
  Scriptorium 
  A 
  room 
  dedicated 
  to 
  the 
  transcription of religious and scholarly works. 
   
  Seercandum A group of senior priests (not 
  necessarily Seervati) who maintain the reliquary 
  of a church and its magical rites. They are 
  responsible for the training of potential Seervati. 
   
  Seervati Any ordained member of a church who 
  is able to connect to the Tas and form spells. 
   
  Synod A gathering of representatives of the 
  church to discuss specific religious and political 
  matters.  
   
  Vestry A room in which the formal robes and 
  implements used in ceremonies are kept, usually 
  near the chancel. 
   
   
  
   
  237 
   
   
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  15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE 
  Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, 
  Wizards of the Coast, Inc. 
  System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, 
  Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan 
  Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, based on 
  material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson. 
  Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. Copyright 2009, 
  Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, 
  based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte 
  Cook, and Skip Williams. 
  The Book of Experimental Might. Copyright 
  2008, Monte J. Cook. All rights reserved. 
  Tome of Horrors. Copyright 2002, Necromancer 
  Games, Inc.; Authors: Scott Greene, with Clark 
  Peterson, Erica Balsley, Kevin Baase, Casey 
  Christofferson, 
  Lance 
  Hawvermale, 
  Travis 
  Hawvermale, Patrick Lawinger, and Bill Webb; 
  Based on original content from TSR. 
  Encyclopedia Eldoria Copyright 2005, Keith 
  Done and Comstar Media LLC 
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  240 
   
   
   
  “Be it known that the Realm of Talysaar is the abode of many beings of great power but only the Divine Twenty-Seven are the creators; the 
  children of Kalidath, who travelled far from their sacred home to make our world.  
  Beware imitators and interlopers lest they sway you from the true path” 
   
  Chapter Ninety-Seven, Verse Six of the First Book of Law. 
   
  “The Reliquarium Eldoria” contains source material on the twenty-seven religions that form the 
  recognized pantheon of the fantasy campaign setting of Eldoria. The information presented here provides a 
  wealth of detail on each religion, their history, practices, church architecture and motivations. Also included 
  are details of major holy artefacts kept by the principal temple of each church and a series of new minor 
  magic items called “Charms” (these are low powered tokens blessed by their respective priesthoods and given 
  to their followers and allies). 
   
  While this book is written as a supplement for a GM who is running a campaign based in Eldoria, there 
  is nothing stopping you from transplanting any of the religions contained in this book to your own alternate 
  setting 
  , or using the artefacts and Charms in your own campaign settings.  
  “The Reliquarium Eldoria” has been written using the Pathfinder RPG but it is light on rules and is 
  easily adaptable to other systems. Its companion book, “The Encyclopedia Eldoria” is also available and 
  containing the history, geography and cultural aspects of the continent of Eldoria. 
   
  
SOURCE: textdata/thevault/Pathfinder/1st Edition/3rd Party/Friends of Eldoria/Reliquarium Eldoria.pdf