Fluff Thread Pantheon and World Galore

[konner09]

Post your pantheon here.

The Gate
[spoiler]Describtion a small walled city surronded around a large gate. The city has everything you need a church district, blacksmiths, inns, and anything else you can desire.
The Gate: Every centrary the gate opens letting. No one knows how or why it just does.
Loare: will become available later [/spoiler]

[Mister_Sinister]

Event: The Casting Out of the Umbragen

[spoiler]As the legends go, the First Ones created Caen, the City of Light, for all of the drow to inhabit. A place of wonder and technological and magical marvel, it was truly a paradise. For many centuries, the drow and those who would become the umbragen lived in peace with each other, the former pursuing their goals of unification and advancement, and the latter experimenting with shadows and other powers. As the city grew greater and greater, the Houses of Caen grew to squabbling and disagreement, as well as constantly trying to outdo each other. The two great faiths of Vulkoor and the Church of Umbra quickly joined in, serving as a rallying point for the drow and the shadow-born, who began to call themselves umbragen.

From among the umbragen arose a champion, who called himself Kren, or Holy Kren as he rapidly became known. Charismatic and intelligent, he claimed that he was the last remaining First One, and that he would lead the umbragen to their true position as leaders of Caen, as the First Ones had promised them. He played up every slight and insult committed by the drow against the umbragen, convincing them that they were being persecuted and oppressed (whether this is actually true or not is hard to ascertain anymore). As time wore on, the conflict became so entrenched that the two sides no longer knew why they fought. Only Kren, unaging and eternal, knew the truth, and continued to lead the umbragen, together with the Church of Umbra. Those closest to him, mainly males, mistreated by umbragen and drow society both, began to call themselves the Brotherhood of Nul, and they built an organization of fanatics and malcontents into a powerful fighting army, preaching unity through strength, peace through power.

It was only a matter of time before such an explosive philosophy led to open conflict within Caen, and the advancement of both sides in terms of magic and technology, as well as their entrenched hatred, became so major as to make this conflict brutal and brief. Unfortunately, the drow, with better equipment, funding and more widespread support, defeated the umbragen, and forced them to inhabit the caverns beneath Caen, driving out or killing all umbragen that remained.

For several centuries, the drow and umbragen have lived in a state of constant war, each seeking to rule Caen as supreme. While the leadership of the umbragen comes largely from the Church of Umbra and the Brotherhood of Nul, the drow have started the Caen Defence Initiative (or CDI), with the support of Vulkoor's faithful. This conflict does not appear to have any end in sight, as the initial advantage enjoyed by the CDI has been overcome by the Brotherhood's discovery of magicite and the related technologies that it has spawned.[/spoiler]

NPC: Holy Kren

[spoiler]The First Ones who built Caen are a great mystery, and none have been seen or heard of for many centuries. Thus, when a male umbragen calling himself Kren appeared seemingly out of total obscurity, proclaiming his First One status, many sat up and noticed. Despite considerable outrage at his statements, and the general surprise that a male could be so bold, many started to believe him more when he showed amazing insight and knowledge, especially about the magical machines that kept Caen functioning, despite nobody truly knowing how they worked.

Kren preached a surprising creed. He claimed that the umbragen were the true descendants of the First Ones, and that they were being oppressed by the usurper drow, who were nothing but lesser specimens, fit only for service. Although he counselled against violent actions, he claimed that peace could only come through power, and unity through personal strength. His creed, surprisingly similar to that of the Church of Umbra, was also gender-neutral, as welcoming of females as of males. Once the Brotherhood of Nul became established, Kren continued to preach and expound his philosophies to anyone who wanted to listen, and his messages led to the umbragen becoming more bold in their actions against the drow, eventually leading to the war that would lead to them being cast down and establishing Urcaen.

Although he was believed dead at least three times, Kren always returns, seemingly stronger than ever. Many who have been in his presence claim that he radiates a presence so strong that all that stand before him can only kneel and weep. He rarely deals with anyone directly anymore, preferring to pass down messages through his Inner Circle. As a result, very few people have actually seen Kren, and even fewer have spoken to him personally. At the same time, this does not blunt the faith of the Brotherhood in his leadership, with a few even worshiping him as a god. While Kren has never responded to such things, the Brotherhood was able to benefit considerably from his leadership, often gaining insights into Caen, magic and technology that had initially been claimed as impossible.

Kren's goal in the present moment appears to be to reclaim Caen. he has claimed many times that once the drow are driven out of Caen, the First Ones will return. Whether this is a myth or not is hard to prove, but this message is proof enough for the Brotherhood.[/spoiler]

NPC: Reverent Mother Priestess Ellara

[spoiler]As with all that hold the title of Reverent Mother Priestess, Ellara is a ruthless and powerful matriarch of the Church, with experience of battle against their enemies and the power of scorpions at her command. She is often seen carrying her bladed whip, which she uses to discipline wayward Church acolytes, the many slaves she is in charge of, or simply anyone who acts in a way she doesn't approve of. Some joke that she also uses this whip in her bedroom, but those caught making such jokes in her presence aren't heard from again.

It is believed that Ellara's uncompromising and brutal attitude comes from the fact that she is from House Codiac, and thus, has more to prove to those around her than any other priestess. While this is a long-standing rumour, the remnants of House Codiac have never claimed her as her own, and she claims allegiance to no House (and truthfully, none of them want her). Likewise, the Brotherhood of Nul have few dealings with her, believing it best to keep her at arm's length if possible. That said, she has worked together with the Brotherhood several times, and is believed to have met Holy Kren at least once in her life.

Ellara is currently believed to be researching ways to prolong her life. Whether this will be through lichdom, magicite-based life-prolonging infusions or something even more drastic, everyone at the Church, and in Urcaen more generally, fears that she might become even more cranky and sadistic as a result.[/spoiler]

Organization: The Brotherhood of Nul

[spoiler]In both drow and (ironically) umbragen society, males are frequently treated very poorly. Seen as second-class citizens at best by their female employers, rulers and mistresses (in the very literal sense of the term), if not as outright useless for anything other than sex, cooking and cleaning, they were one of the most discontented groups in Caen before the umbragen were cast out. The Church of Umbra made this no easier, as they declared that only females were fit for the priesthood, and that males should accept their subservient position in society, as Umbra had willed it. However, with the rise of Holy Kren, many males saw that they could indeed aspire to a position of strength and success, as even the Church could not afford to ignore him. Many umbragen males followed Kren, seeing him as an inspiration and a strong individual, whose life was one to be emulated. His status as a First One (allegedly, at least) also made them believe that he was truly their salvation and strength.

This led twelve males to, one day, decide to become an order dedicated to Kren in everything. Naming themselves the Brotherhood of Nul, they sought to be the eyes, ears and hands of Kren, working his will and obeying him in everything. Fanatically devoted, they took for their symbol the scorpion, a symbol of the Church of Umbra that had been denied to them. They became an inner circle for Kren, who found their devotion useful and a great piece of recruiting propaganda. What he had not expected is that the Brotherhood would grow - rapidly. Before too long, it was an organization that had hundreds, then thousands, then tens of thousands of members, with its own structure, organization and military wing. Although males were (and still are) the majority of its members, seeing its power, many females also decided to join it. By the time of the war between the drow and the umbragen, the Brotherhood had a trained military, a research wing, a spiritual corps and over a hundred thousand members under its banner.

When the umbragen were cast out, the Brotherhood of Nul moved rapidly to establish ideological dominance over the outcasts. Although the Church of Umbra could not be swayed over completely, the two organizations decided to bury their hatchets and work together to try and establish a better world for the umbragen. The Brotherhood relinquished most of its spiritual wing (although many individuals revere Kren all the same), and instead became a military and research organization, with the spiritual aspects of it taken on by the Church of Umbra. While this has meant that their membership is now almost exactly split between males and females, several of the higher-ranking officers within the organization feel that it no longer is the same organization that it was when it was founded - in a worse sense.

The Brotherhood's research wing in particular has produced considerable technological advances in both military and non-military fields, and it continues to be a desired location for many in Urcaen with an inclination towards the magical or technological arts. Its military is the main defence force for Urcaen, and also serves as its police and intelligence agencies. Additionally, the Brotherhood continues to be led and protected by Holy Kren, who, despite apparent deaths three times, returns every time to continue to lead them into the future.

The symbol of the Brotherhood is a scorpion tail. Its members often use "Kain lives!" as a battlecry or statement of relief or success.[/spoiler]

Organization: The Church of Umbra

[spoiler]In the ancient history of Caen, there have traditionally been two churches for two species: Vulkoor for the drow, and the Church of Umbra for the umbragen. Unlike the faith of Vulkoor, which stresses belonging and strength in numbers, the Church of Umbra instead emphasized individual achievement and strength, as well as becoming even more militant in its mistreatment and denunciation of the 'evils' of males. While they had adopted the scorpion symbology of Volkoor, the Church of Umbra stressed the scorpion's strong and predatory nature, as well as its ability to overwhelm even the strongest enemy with its poison. The Church thus stresses flexibility, adaptability and individual power rather than the protection of the group. Due to its close relationship with the umbragen, it also emphasizes shadows and the use of illusion magic, as this is something to which they are naturally drawn.

While it had previously clashed with the Brotherhood of Nul, the two now exist in an uneasy relationship. While the Church finds the near-deity-like status of Kren to many of the members of the Brotherhood to be uncomfortable, since they now handle all of the spiritual needs of the community of the Brotherhood, they mostly allow this to slide. Due to being one of the three great forces in the community of umbragen (the other two being Houses and the Brotherhood), they believe they can afford to let a little slide for the sake of defeating the drow of Caen that cast them out alongside the umbragen. That being said, however, every member of the Brotherhood turned away from Kren is seen as a victory.

The teachings of the Church are that you can only rely on yourself. Those who rely on others are weak, and do not deserve any status or object they haven't the strength to keep or maintain. It also teaches that force multipliers and overwhelming power are the best way to address a problem, and that 'honourable' warfare is an illusion. Lastly, the Church venerates scorpions as a symbol of its ideal, using them both symbolically and literally in many of their rituals and prayers. The Church has a low opinion of males, claiming them to be weak of moral character, incapable of effective rational thought, and generally a danger if not kept properly controlled - which the matriarchial society of the umbragen is more than happy to accept.

The Church of Umbra is a greater deity, providing the Destiny, Illusion, Scorpion, Strength and Trickery. Their favoured weapon is the short sword.[/spoiler]

Organization: Hand of Nul Scorpion Riders

[spoiler]The Hand of Nul Scorpion Riders are some of the most elite units of soldiers that the Brotherhood of Nul commands. Chosen for their intellect rather than their brute strength, Scorpion Riders are trained rigorously, and have to find, capture and train their own monstrous scorpion mounts before they can be considered true members. They are organized into small units, and are a terror on the battlefield, as well as being effective spies and assassins, thanks to their unusual training.[/spoiler]

Organization: House Drannar

[spoiler]Of all the Houses, House Drannar is perhaps the most powerful of all in recent history. Being mostly concerned with producing magic users and priestesses, House Drannar wields incredible magical resources, and is immensely wealthy through the sale and hire of such services. They also have substantial stakes in racing animals of all kinds, but it is considered to be a secondary business at best recently by the elder matrons of the House.[/spoiler]

Organization: House Codiac

[spoiler]House Codiac is a cursed House, having been destroyed almost entirely by turning away from the worship of the Church of Umbra. It is believed that their members trafficked with devils, and swore allegiance to them. This, in turn, gave them their dominant position for over a hundred years in all of Urcaen's affairs. However, once their choice of patrons was discovered, it did not take long for the Church of Umbra to galvanize the other Houses, keen to get at House Codiac's great wealth, into destroying it.

Little remains of the House now, although its greatest families are attempting to rebuild it from the ashes, currently by dealing with various kinds of edible fungi and mosses.[/spoiler]

Phenomenon: Magicite

[spoiler]When the umbragen were first cast out of Caen and doomed to the caverns below, they considered themselves cursed, and the Church of Umbra to have failed them. However, it did not take them long to realise that their new home housed untold mineral wealth - gold, iron ore, adamantine, mithral, and other precious metals were abundant, with the waste of Caen pooling down into the underground lakes and forming deposits of precious metals on their bottom. However, the greatest discovery made by the explorer teams, initially headed by the Church, but subsequently by the Brotherhood, was magicite, the discovery of which revolutionised the way the umbragen lived and propelling them into a new age of power and strength.

Magicite appears as a light blue crystal, often forming deposits around other minerals (though adamantine is the exception to this). It is unusual for several reasons - firstly, it has the capacity to grow. Just a small shard of magicite planted near any kind of mineral deposits, no matter how scarce, will soon begin to grow more of itself, the rate being dependent on how much mineral is present. As this means it can be cultivated, planting and fertilisation (by use of leftover metal or tainted water) of magicite is a common activity in Urcaen, with whole caves set aside for this purpose. Secondly, magicite has powerful magical and mutagenic properties. It can serve as fuel for powerful spells and arcane machineries, as well as items of power, and its effects on living flesh, while horrifying, can produce incredible results. Many, if not most, of the inventions and discoveries of the Brotherhood of Nul can be attributed in whole or in part to magicite-based research, and new applications for this wonder-mineral are being found all the time. Thirdly, magicite is a deadly toxin with few treatments that are effective for those unfortunate enough to be poisoned with it. It is this combination of qualities that makes magicite so attractive to the umbragen, and the city of Urcaen is practically built on magicite, relying on it for almost everything.

Magicite is usually handled only with adamantine-threaded gloves and while wearing a gasmask, as exposure to magicite can be dangerous. It can only be stored in adamantine containers, as it quickly leeches the minerals from anything else it is encased in. The effects of magicite on living tissue are horrendous, dying the skin and eyes blue, producing horrible scarring, nausea, vomiting, internal bleeding, fevers and eventual death. It can also have powerful mutagenic properties, granting magical or psionic ability, new limbs, and even stranger effects. Magicite is highly brittle, and even a gentle touch can cause some of it to flake off and become inhalable dust. As a result, the most dangerous task to do with magicite (its mining) is done by undead or slaves too useless for anything else.

While the true number of inventions that came from magicite is hard to give number or name to, one of the most famous is Urcaen Pitch.[/spoiler]

Phenomenon: Urcaen Pitch

[spoiler]Urcaen contains substantial industry, but due to being underground, the smoke and fumes from these industries, many of which rely on magicite, toxic chemicals, acids or worse things, must be discharged somewhere, and the limited air of the cave complexes that house it is not a wise choice. The Great Underground Sea, with its portal to one of Thelanis' great oceans at its bottom, provided a place to discharge such effluent, and portals to Dolurrh and Xoriat proved another outlet, but these grew too excessive or too dangerous respectively. The Brotherhood of Nul, as ever willing to make further inroads on umbragen society, set their mage-scientists to work, who quickly discovered that passing such vapours through water that had been 'seasoned' with magicite dust, produced a thick, pitch-like substance. As the water-to-vapours ratio was very positive (around 1:1000, depending on the composition of the smoke and fumes), this was seen as a miraculous process, and it is now used to keep the air and water of Urcaen cleaner than ever before. The Brotherhood of Nul is all-too-happy to collect this highly toxic and disgusting waste, claiming to be doing a service to the community.

However, the Brotherhood have many uses for this material, which they named Urcaen Pitch. It is highly volatile, and can burn in the absence of air, as well as when doused with water. It burns at a very high temperature, which makes it hot enough to fuel forges and metal furnaces, and can cause almost anything metallic to amalgamate with it, producing new materials of unusual quality. The full range of uses for this material is only beginning to be discovered, and for now, the more polluting and dangerous industries spring up to fuel Urcaen's war effort, the better.[/spoiler]

Place: Urcaen, City of Darkness

[spoiler]Urcaen is built in a complex system of caverns that lie not far from the city of Caen. The caves used to lead all the way to Caen, but since the banishment of the umbragen, these caves have been either flooded or sealed. At the same time, Urcaen maintains several secret points of access to the surface, for espionage and raids, with plans for a large-scale invasion.

Urcaen is a huge industrial mass of buildings, with a population of many millions. More strictly an empire than a city, its lack of space has forced conurbation at a huge pace. While the cave complexes are vast, they are also limited in space, and it may soon come to the point that there is no further space in the great city.

While it is a lightless place, it is full of industry and unusual craftsmanship, and received interplanar traders through several specially-made portals to give them goods that are scarce below-ground, such as fresh fruit and vegetables, meat and other things that are scarce beneath the earth. In return, they trade minerals, as well as the many products that they can make. Magicite, being a strategic resource, is never traded for any reason.[/spoiler]

Place: Caen, City of the Light

[spoiler]Built by the First Ones many centuries ago, Caen is not a city as much as it is an empire, ruled by the drow. The city itself is extremely ancient, and many of the technologies and magics that power it are no longer understood by those who dwell there. At the same time, this is a considerable advantage in the jungles of Xen'drik, and thus, the city's population is quite sizeable, possibly approaching a million or more drow.

The city itself is situated inland, near a river. It is at the centre of an empire of drow, which covers a large area of Xen'drik. With a society that emphasizes group membership and work for the community, the settlements that comprise it are strong and well-defended, but tend to be small. The city of Caen, however, is mighty indeed, protected as it is by the CDI, a powerful and magically-capable organization.

The city itself largely trades in information and magical services, trading it for food from the rest of the empire and the few settlements on Xen'drik. Many wonders can be found within its walls, although the slow-burning war against Urcaen has seen a much larger amount of soldiers and weapons on its streets in recent years.[/spoiler]
[/quote]

[Nick]

Deity: The Twin-Forged Maker

[spoiler]The Twin-Forged Maker
God of Warforged Liberation and Creation
Symbol: Two ten-toothed gears placed side by side, resembling an infinity symbol. Inside the left gear is a battlefist holding a sword. The right gear is an anvil with a battlefirst holding a hammer over it.
Home Plane: Prime Material
Alignment: Lawful Neutral or True Neutral
Portfolio: Liberation, Civilization, Crafts, Warforged, War.
Worshippers: Warforged, Craftsmen, [Renegade] Mastermakers
Cleric Alignments: Any Lawful or Any Neutral
Domains: War, Strength, Protection, Destruction or Creation, Crafts, Artifice, Glory (Shared Domains include Warforged, Community, Knowledge, Metal, Planning, Pact)
Favored Weapon: Battlefist or Armblade

The Quori created the first Warforged, but the giants and drow and now the Cannith crafters have had a hand in creating the Warforged. But it is said that the Twin-Forged Maker created himself.

Despite the lack of a need for sleep, Warforged can still dream, in a somewhat daydreaming state. Their fully sentient thoughts are always there, and these thoughts are just as powerful as the other living races found on Eberron.

When these thoughts turn philosophical, and aspects and concepts alien to the Warforged, yet seemingly familiar are dwelt upon, those thoughts turn into question. What is life, what does it mean to be created rather than born? Is life merely a simple set of instructions by an endless chain of masters and owners? Would life be different without an endless chain of masters and owners?

When many Warforged have an opportunity to gather and interact, the sharing of experiences grew, and like the massive energies required the create that spark of animation for a new Warforged, those thoughts gathered and ignited. The Twin-Forged Maker is born.

Like a fusion of father-mother personality, the Twin-Forged Maker embodies the recognition of liberty through peaceful and destructive ways as well as the nurturing recognition of propagation and creation. Though of two entirely complete and independent personalities, the cooperation embodied by the peaceful cohabitation of two sides of the same entity represents a perfection attainable by the Warforged that no mortal races can ever achieve. This gestalt union enables the Twin-Forged Maker to choose to present a destruction or creation viewpoint whenever it suits the situation at hand. The Twin-Forged Maker recognizes and is the patron of not just Warforged who wish to make their existences meaningful for themselves as well as liberation from slavery, it also recognizes those who would want to take their lives into their own hands and forge a destiny of their own making.

Dogma:
Being pragmatic, the warrior-aspect of the Twin-Forged Maker does not believe in unbridled destruction. It also appreciates moderated passions and generally actions and behaviors that retain all meaning and purpose without being needlessly flashy. The maker-aspect is quieter with a more neutral view of life but demands its followers to ceaselessly attempt to create or forge new directions, paths and creations. Above all, whatever motives, agenda or creation must favor the Warforged and awakening any latent intelligence in the typically mindless constructs carries a sign of favor in its eyes.

Clergy and Temples:
Clerics of the Twin-Forged Maker have either two duties: to liberate oppressed Warforged through pragmatic and ideally lawful means or are charged with maintaining civic life. Gathering around the Cathedral Factory, a converted Creation Forge at a secretive corner of Xen'drik, various Warforged, including members of the Becoming God who have come to recognize the Twin-Forged Maker as the real Godforged that they had worshipped all the time, a civilization emerges.

There are no signs of worship of the Twin-Forged Maker elsewhere on Eberron, though the word is slowly spreading to those who adhere to the Becoming God and its adherents are slowly moving towards the Cathedral Factory. [/spoiler]

Event 1: The Twin-Forged Maker Returns

[spoiler]Memory log on Year XXX of the XXX, BulwarkEvent 2: Night of Shooting Stars

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

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

What the hell happened?[/spoiler]

Mentor: The Twin-Forged Maker: ZERO

[spoiler]

Unique Quorcraft Warforged Artificer 14 (Abilities of Cleric 10 when within the Cathedral Factory)

ZERO is the prototype, a Kalaraq Quori bound to the Creation Forge in order to shed shards of its soul in order to animate the Warforged with the sentient spark. Initial projects seem to create a very minimal level of intelligence, but as experiments go by improvements can be seen.

Like the Elan where quori spirits are bound into human hosts as living prisoners, the Warforged was perhaps used in the same way, to constantly recycle quori soul shards into soldiers capable of withstanding the Giants. Or perhaps they were volunteers willing to bind themselves into physical bodies in order to tussle with their foes.

It is unknown however if ZERO willingly gave up his connection to Dal Quor in order to provide slivers of its own soul for Warforged creation, but it was pivotal in allowing the first signs of blooming sentience to be found in these metallic creations. Perhaps ZERO's true form as a Kalaraq was the key, but if this spirit has any name, it has forgotten it or choose to not utter it anymore.

The concept of deity-hood came easily for ZERO. The dream of independence and the dream of an existence of one's own choosing and effort is a very powerful one especially for a being of power, yet belonging to the collective dream-mind of the plane of Dreams. Using this dream and the addictive power of dreams ZERO harnessed the faith of its followers and harnessed enough power to return to his original Creation Forge, he attempted to remove his essence from his old body, and enter a new body he had recently crafted with the improvements that centuries of Warforged design had to offer.

Yet he only managed to split half of his dream into the new body. The resulting split fulfilled a self-written prophecy of a twin-aspect personality that can operate independently. As such. ZERO raised ONE.[/spoiler]

Sub-Race: Warforged Scout
[spoiler] Speed upgrades to 30ft. -2 to Wis ability score adjustment removed. Everything is the same.[/spoiler]

Sub-Race: Magicite-Forged
[spoiler]In the ancient times, while the Giants ruled Xen'drik with an iron fist, a group of Warforged aspired to freedom and having the divine inspiration to head to the place that will henceforth be called Caern, they struck a deal with the inhabitants. To provide shelter and a home for them, in return for a place below the extensive caverns to hide their presence.

Upon discovering an enormous and still growing cluster of magicite, the Warforged devoted considerable time and resources attempting to understand and harness this mysterious new mineral while a select few remained on the surface with their building work.

Discovering the adverse effects magicite had on their bodies, to which those made from adamantine have no difficulty with, the remaining members of this burgeoning cabal began to refine and harness this mineral to replace any leeched or already damaged parts that they have. Unfortunately, in exchange for directly harnessing the power of this now understood mineral, the supposed immortality of the Warforged is cut short by the devastating hunger magicite has for any mineral that it can assimilate and convert, hence the population of these powerful Warforged remain controlled.

However, unknown centuries later, when the surface dwellers of Caen came down, the effects this mineral has on living organisms became a new font of knowledge for these Warforged. As the adamantine ancestors of their kind became too damaged to even move, and magicite having effectively leeched any potential minerals or metals for replacement parts, the magicite-forged could no longer maintain any meaningful contact with their new neighbours, for their very presence becomes anathema to their health as frequent contact with magicite would be.

Thus opened up a new avenue of magicite research. The old knowledge of refining magicite in order to attain greater purity and concentration of energy despite a reduction in size has an additional benefit of reducing the environmental effect magicite can achieve simply because it is smaller and hence needs more time to work its destructive leeching effect. It is this technology, complete with shielding their bodies with composite material that makes it harder for magicite to leech from, allowed the creation of a new type of magicite-forged that could allow living creatures a fighting chance for survival in its presence for an extended period of time.

Not satisfied by this breakthrough, a further push is demanded by the magicite-forged themselves. And the first prototype of the new magicite-forged is created by taking the outer layer of the magicite and flipping it inside out, forcing the outward-moving leeching effect to act on the inner core of the mineral. A self-cannibalization sort of action that feeds and produces energy from itself, creating an almost perpetual cycle of energy, without the fear of it leeching any minerals touching the pure refined magicite.

This prototype, the fruit of labours, is quickly brought up to speed on the events aboveground, where the ancient pact of cooperation and gratitude must be upheld again, and this mysterious magicite-forged, build from that new material, is sent topside to do its work.

Magicite-Forged
-work in progress-[/spoiler]

[veekie]

Phenomenon
The Rite of Word Made Flesh
The Rite of Word Made Flesh was first handed down to his priests by the deity Oculis, as a means of empowering the returned souls of heroes. The subject is first slain, and the soul captured before departing the body. Then, the separated soul is reshaped in it's container, a chosen text etched into the Thinaun or soul gem, before the container is sealed within the subject's body.
At this, should the subject be compatible with the text chosen, they are transformed and reawakens as an Illumian, one who embodies the words. Else, their soul is shattered and lost till their next life.
The Rite can be performed by anyone with the knowledge, but is most common amongst priests, who use sacred texts, and wizards, who use their spellbooks.

Ley Lines and Nexus
Currents of energy run beneath the land, power from the elements, nature, men and gods alike flowing unseen. Where they cross or arise, reality warps to fit, flames burning without fuel, fury rising unbidden, and magic running wild. One who knows how can feel the flow of the power, and for those who risk it, to tap the power.
Detailed Version

History[spoiler]
Event: The Founding of the Celestines
While the four creator gods slumbered, and the land is ruled by the Verdant Green and the Huntress, uncaring of men. The Dwarves and Gnomes lived within Father Earth, the Elves living as one with the Green's bounty, the Orcs riding with the Huntress' rampages and the Halflings on bounty of Mother Sea's rivers and oceans.
Men sought the skies, but Skyweaver listens and laughs, thus they turned to Starlighter's newborn children, the Sun, the Moon and the Stars for protection against the night. And their desperate faith kindled a fire that would burn down the ages. The Night empowered by their fear of her, the Moon terrifying, yet tempting in the madness she inspires, the stars burning in darkness, few and tiny, yet brilliant in their gleam and the Sun, burning in his majesty of the day. These four otherwise potent, but ordinary gods, rose to great heights.

The Ascent of Man
Under the patronage of the Celestines, humanity built the first cities, and in them, developed their arts and crafts to new heights. Metal and stoneworking learned from Dwarven smiths, magic from Elven master magi. Invention flourished and the Divine Mechanism was born of the blending of arts into a science. And yet, their hunger and ambition too grew, and desired to consume the world.

Event: The Wars of Heaven and Earth - The Fall of Nature
As men built cities under the potent, if conflicted protection of the four Celestines, the followers of the Old Faith watched their territories diminish, forests cut down for shining cities, roads tearing through sacred groves.
The Huntress and her orc hordes struck back and bloodily each season, yet her power diminished as they entered cultivated lands, and faltered as they met farmlands and city walls. In their raids, men learned, and heroes were born.
The elves held the forest's edge as best as they could. The first half century their arrows and spells met defenseless woodsmen. The second saw armed miltiamen, dying a dozen to an elf, yet infinitely more expendable. The third saw great engines of war, backed by wizards of their own, and their borders fell in.
The halflings struck in pirate raids on the waters, yet more ships came year after year and they fell to trading and stealing of the bounty, growing richer and richer.
The Mountainhomes sealed themselves in for the first centuries of the conflict, but dug on in their isolation riddling the lands with tunnels even as their numbers diminished in their isolation. Then their tunnels too were broken into, as dwarven mines met human and they could stand aside no more.
The spirits of the land were tamed and subjugated under the Celestines in their victory, their places of power struck down and covered with temples to the Celestines.

Event: The Wars of Heaven and Earth - The Fall of Man
Badly battered, the adherents of the Old Faith united to stand against the common threat as they never had before. Dwarf sappers struck unseen, entire cities undermined to crumble to ruins at a trigger. Elven sorcerors rode with the hordes of the Huntress, taking the fight to the human heartlands. And yet, that was not enough.
So the priests of Father Earth, Starlighter, Skyweaver and Mother Sea gathered their power. They withdrew the blessings of the elements from their lands, Stone lost it's strength, Water grew foul, Fire burned cold and clouds hid the Celestines from the land. The ruling empires crumbled within months, yet this action had unexpected consequences.

Event: The Rise of the Order
Roused by the great disturbance in their bodies, the Fundaments awoke, to see the ruin their followers had left in the world. The world nearly ended then and there, for Firelighter wished to burn it all and start anew, but for the opposition of his siblings. Instead, they spoke with the Celestines, and brokered a peace between their followers and their childrens'. The Celestines would govern in the absence of the Fundaments, but they would rule well, or be ended.
The Old Faith and new were declared to be two halves of a whole, and would be worshipped as such. A great temple would be built, and it's caretakers mediate between the spirits of the land and the spirits of faith.
They could cooperate, or they could die, and the world with them.
[/spoiler]

NPCs[spoiler]
Father Almaruth
TN Illumian Cleric 5/Sovereign Speaker 7
Akashiel's mentor and retired Keeper of the Order, Father Almaruth has retired to a tutoring position, teaching young acolytes and tending the Great Library at the Temple of the Order. He is to some degree, the unofficial spymaster for the Order, with students from every church in the Order calling in on him occasionally to talk about events. Seemingly just an affable old man, challenging him is most certainly ill advised, for he still commands the favor of the gods.

Sister Chiryl Reaver
TN Halfling Cleric 4/Warblade 1/Sovereign Speaker 3
Akashiel's student, the dimunitive halfling cleric is unlike her mentor, fiery tempered and easily provoked. Her approach to diplomacy is essentially to hammer down everything that sticks up and finish by setting it on fire. Well known at the temple for her decidedly unpolitic solutions, she was assigned to Akashiel in the hopes of taming her, instead, Akashiel picked up some of Chiryl's attitudes towards intractable problems and Chiryl in turn learned how to spread the pain around evenly.[/spoiler]

Organisation
[spoiler]
The Order of Creation
The entire Order is sometimes worshipped as an entire pantheon. In such cases, it's holy symbol is the symbol for the Celestine Thrones in the skies above the Four Pillars, with the mountain of Father Earth crested with a city of brass and grey men,  grounded upon the forest of eyes of the Verdant Green and the Huntress to the water's edge.
Only one temple of the whole Order stands, a compound containing a grand temple of the Four Pillars and an equally grandiose one of the Celestines, surrounded by the woods and hunting grounds of the Huntress and the Green. The entire complex is maintained by priests of the Divine Mechanism, who have a clockwork monstrousity sited between the two great complexes. The Seeking Shadow has a place within, though only his faithful know that his shrine is brazenly sited directly beneath the great mirror of Helios and Silvershade.

Four Pillars of the Fundament
The Four Pillars are the creator deities of the pantheon, they are most commonly respected but less frequently worshipped. Each representing one of the elements, Druids often worship the Four as one. Temples of the Four range from a shrine to each of them under the same roof to architectural monstrousities fusing aspects of all three, centering on a diorama of the world.
The holy symbol for the Four Pillars as a pantheon is that of a mountain rising from the seas, with a flame dancing upon it's peak and a ring of clouds above. When the Huntress and the Verdant Green are added, the slopes of the mountain are forested and eyes peer out from the woods.
[spoiler]
Starlighter
Greater God
Symbol: A single flame of gold upon a field of black, speckled with stars
Home Plane: Elemental Fire
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio: Fire, Passions, Conflict, Nature,
Worshippers: Druids, Warriors, Arcanists, Artists, Bards
Cleric Alignments: Any
Domains: Charm, Destruction, Fire, Magic, Pride, War(Glory, Hatred, Joy, Lust, Pleasure, Summer)
Favored Weapon: Flames(Rays) or Longbow
A flame so bright that it can only be seen by gazing upon it's reflections, Starlighter commonly takes the form of a winged pillar of iridescent flames, on the rare occaisions he rouses sufficiently to manifest.
He is the First Flame, the root of all fires, the flames of the heart and the flames of the world. He set the fires in the skies and the earth, igniting the spark of life in the world. He set the fires in the soul, igniting the first magic in the world.
His work done, Starlighter slumbers, his essence scattered across all of Creation. When he wakes again, he may light a new world, or burn this one to ash.
Dogma
Tend the flames of the heart, flesh and soul, spread them where they will. Starlighter must return to find the world worthy of his light, and go on to ignite new realms.
Most of his faithful take this to mean the elevation of hearts and souls, creating art and magic to light the world or inspiring heroes and great deeds. The transient is prized, for even a brief light can shine brightly. His clergy serve not only to perform such deeds, but to create the circumstances for them, sometimes going to the extent of provoking wars such that heroes may rise to glory.
The more demented of Starlighter's faithful find their place with arsonists, alchemists and evokers. They'd set everything on fire if they could get away with it, causing no end of troubles to the otherwise respectable church.
Clergy and temples
Starlighter's dedicated clergy are few, but he is often worshipped with his three siblings by pantheistic clerics and druids. His worship is popular amongst bards and arcanists, with an entirely deserved reputation for an unhealthy love of pyromancy.
Followers of Starlighter tend to dress in eye searing colors, and carry a light source of some sort where possible.
His temples are few and vary widely, with the one constant being an enormous, ever burning flame in the center, and numerous reflective surfaces. They frequently contain donations of artwork, incense and magic by the faithful, hosting regular fireworks displays at the more well off temples. For festivals, temporary shrines may be set up and set on fire at the end of or more often, during the festivities.
He also commonly shares a shrine with his siblings, a single flame surrounded by polished metal and crystal offerings.

Skyweaver
Greater God
Symbol: A three pronged lightning bolt twined with winds
Home Plane: Elemental Air
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Portfolio: Air, Skies, Storms, Travel, Nature,
Worshippers: Druids, Sailors, Farmers, Travelers, Thieves, Nomads, Explorers
Cleric Alignments: Any
Domains: Air, Celerity, Travel, Trickery, Sky,(Storm, Trade, Windstorm)
Favored Weapon: Lightning Bolt(Rays) or Trident
Skyweaver appears as a colossal weather system of some sort, visible for miles away when her ire is roused, but invisible most often. She is self-centered to a fault, and is commonly worshipped out of fear of her wrath at being slighted.
When the world was new, she wove the heavens out of the void, plaiting winds to seal off the abominations beyond, threading lightning into the firament to burn those who would intrude from beyond. She set the winds in motion to cool the world and to annoy her sister the Sea. She brought rains to wear down the Earth, such that she could delve it's depths. Mortalkind would not exist without her whimsy.
Unlike her brother Starlighter, Skyweaver yet actively influences the world, often blighting the weather at some imagined slight from a mortal, who finds himself dogged by terrible weather until something else catches her whimsy.
Dogma
Go everywhere. That is the one and only dictate that binds Skyweaver's clergy.
Her priesthood is respected to appease their patron, and wise travellers would do well to seek their blessing before travel, if only to be certain that Skyweaver does not take offense. Her clergy seek to pry into everything, and for some, to steal everything that isn't nailed down.
In turn, Skyweaver's clergy are expected to offer their respects thrice each day, making offerings of music, secrets or incense to their patron so long as they are under the open skies.
Clergy and temples
Like her brother's clergy, she shares most of the Druids and Clerics with her siblings, though she enjoys a strong following amongst traveling traders and the thieves that prey upon them. Skyweaver's clergy wear light loose clothing that tend to drift in the wind, sometimes lined with chimes.
Her temples are always open to the skies at their heart, with fluted vanes that guide the winds to form music, and often hung with chimes and other wind instruments. At smaller shrines, a cleared space around an offering or wind chime suffices.

Mother Sea
Greater God
Symbol: A cresting green wave over blue seas.
Home Plane: Elemental Water
Alignment: Neutral Good
Portfolio: Water, Nature, Change, Life
Worshippers: Druids, Sailors, ocean dwellers, marsh dwellers, Healers, Transmuters
Cleric Alignments: Any
Domains: Ocean, Slime, Renewal, Transformation, Water(Healing, Travel, Storm)
Favored Weapon: Waves(Slam) or Heavy Shield
Mother Sea appears as a massive humanoid form of water when she chooses to reveal herself. She cares for what she saw as her children amongst mortalkind, but her interference can be heavyhanded, and humanoids are but one of her many young.
Mother Sea is the seed of the oceans, and in turn, of all life. She brings change, transforming inert matter to life and rather approves of mortals creating new lifeforms, especially the oozes that lie close to her heart. She is rather puzzled however, by artifice, never quite getting how these things made of nothing but Earth can be thus animate.
Yet, despite this care for her 'children', never forget that Water knows no master, and if roused, Mother Sea will wash the world clean, starting over with her favorite lifeforms, the simple, yet enduring oozes.
Dogma
Nurture life, bring change, be fluid, adapt. Mother Sea makes few demands, but these.
Mother Sea's clergy work to ensure her gift is not taken for granted, and to encourage life to bring new forms of life, taking them where life has never been. They work near water bodies, ensuring that the catch is both sufficient and not excessive. They work with alchemists to find new brews, and with wizards to change one life to another.
Mother Sea takes only two offerings, lifeblood and brews. Her gift returned.
Clergy and temples
Mother Sea's clergy wear blue-green attire of many sorts, depending on their  locations. Unlike her siblings, Mother Sea has a larger proportion of dedicated clergy, chiefly amongst sailors, who seek her intervention for safe passage and protection from her more malicious sister.
Her temples mainly appear along large bodies of water, with channels for the liquid running through the complex to a large deep pool in the center, leading into the sea where possible. Her shrines are simple, a bowl with her offering floatings within a larger bowl of water.

Father Earth
Greater God
Symbol: Three mountains, one of stone, one of steel and one of jewels.
Home Plane: Elemental Earth
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Earth, Wealth, Lore, Underworld, Defense, Nature,
Worshippers: Druids, Miners, underground dwellers
Cleric Alignments: Any
Domains: Earth, Knowledge, Metal, Protection, Strength,(Cavern, Rune, Wealth)
Favored Weapon: Rockslide(Slam) or Pickaxe(Heavy or Light pick)
Father Earth appears as a face within stone, crystal or metal when he chooses to manifest, his body too immense to fully reveal himself. To see his true form, one would be advised to simply, look down.
Father Earth sealed the Void beneath him in a mantle of stone, creating the land that all else rests upon. He gave the world permanance, sealing lore in eternal stone. Along with his brother Starlighter, he slumbered since Creation, rousing rarely and briefly. When he does, mountains dance and caverns crumble, save for where his will preserves.
Dogma
Earth is eternal, immutable. Seek the Father's blessing before delving in the deeps. Preserve all that is valued in the deeps where they will last forever.
This dogma sometimes throws his worshippers in conflict with Starlighter's, who rather favor setting it all ablaze when all is done with.
Clergy and temples
Father Earth's clergy are only slightly less common than Mother Sea's, yet they're rarely distinct from their flock, working with the best of them. They wear sombre colors of brown and grey to represent the earth, usually woven with metallic threads, plates of metal or crystals.
His temples are chiefly underground, centered upon an altar of ore or raw crystals. Where possible, they are built in places with existing cave systems. Smaller shrines make do with a bowl of earth and a piece of semiprecious rock or metal buried within.
[/spoiler]
The Earthwalkers
The Earthwalkers, unlike the other deities of the pantheon, choose to reside in the world itself. The Huntress and The Verdant Green are ancient forces of nature, while the younger Divine Mechanism and Seeking Shadow reside within the lands of men.
[spoiler]
The Huntress
Intermediate God
Symbol: A pair of slitted yellow eyes over bloody fangs on black
Home Plane: Prime Material(Runs with the Wild Hunt)
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Portfolio: Beasts, The Hunt, Circle of Life, Nature
Worshippers: Druids, Hunters, Herders, Farmers, Barbarians, Rangers, Sentient beasts,
Cleric Alignments: Any
Domains: Animal, Courage, Hunger, Renewal, Strength, War(Summoner, Feast, Life, Fury)
Favored Weapon: Claws or Scythe
The Huntress manifests as a charging wave of beasts, prey running before predator, and at the rear, what mortals take to be the Huntress, a humanoid, horned and furred feminine figure with a beast's face and long claws. In truth, the Huntress is the legion of beasts, and the figure but a recent addition to the hunters. She takes up the souls of beasts and worthy men to be reincarnated into the hunt.
Created with the world, the Huntress tends the beasts of the land. She is the Wild Hunt, to resolve the balance of the world to it's rightful order. In wilder lands, she is worshipped in the hope of warding off the Hunt by farmers and in hopes of joining the Hunt, even for a single night, by hunters and warriors. Tamed lands ask her blessing for their domesticated herds, and annual hunting rituals attempt ward off her attention from cities and towns.
Dogma
All is flesh, man and beast. Live in the cycle of life, be as worthy to the prey as the one who takes their life and live in pride as the hunted, to feed the hunter. Life is not to be wasted, each death fully served.
In the hunt, this means her faithful must fully use their prey, the flesh eaten, the skin made to leather, the fur to pelts and the bone to tools. All else is returned to the wild, for scavengers to feast. Some take this further, feasting upon fallen foes, no matter who they were.
Clergy and Temples
The Huntress' clergy wear leather and bone, while her rare temples are decorated with ivory and bone in an open design, the altar a bowl of leather filled with blood over a fire. More common are shrines to her, a simple tent of leather and bone, with a stew of blood and meat cooking in the center.

The Verdant Green
Intermediate God
Symbol: A tree rising over green lands, it's leaves quartered in spring, summer, autumn and winter.
Home Plane: Prime Material(embodied in a mountain-sized treant)
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Nature, Plant life, Disease, Harvest, Seasons, Cycle of life
Worshippers: Druids, Farmers, Forest dwellers, Sentient plants, Rangers
Cleric Alignments: Any
Domains: Decay, Life, Pestilence, Plant, Renewal,(Healing)
Favored Weapon: Tree(slam) or Quarterstaff
Brother to the Huntress, The Verdant Green is the living embodiment of plant life, taking the form of a sentient forest, or a mountainous treant.
Created as the world was, The Verdant Green is the steward of plant life and plagues. Crops, forests, even plagues. His presence can be known from explosive plant fertility and upspikes in diseases and vermin. Farmers worship him for a good harvest, and woodsmen make offerings to ward off his wrath.
Dogma
All life comes from and returns to the Verdant Green, take in your place and return henceforth. The green must prosper.
His clergy encourages integration of living architecture in towns and cities, while the more extreme amongst them assault cities and towns with plagues and dangerous plant life. More commonly, his priests and druids have leading roles in farming communities, ensuring the harvest.
Clergy and Temples
The Verdant Green's clergy wear plant fabric, woven with vine patterns. His temples are built, or more commonly grown around a central ancient tree. Shrines to the Green are usually made around a sapling from such a tree, potted or grown.

The Divine Mechanism
Lesser God
Symbol: An eight toothed brass gear riveted on steel.
Home Plane: Prime Material
Alignment: True Neutral
Portfolio: Crafting, Civilisation, Artifice, Magic
Worshippers: Craftsmen, Wizards, Merchants
Cleric Alignments: Any
Domains: Artifice, Craft, Knowledge, Magic, Warforged(Creation, Metal, Pact, Planning, Trade)
Favored Weapon: Battlefist or Warhammer
The Divine Mechanism is a mechanical man, one of the youngest gods in the pantheon. Unlike the others, he is born of mortal ingenuity, crafted to divine perfection by a thousand flashes of mortal genius. He can be sometimes found at forges, working on some masterpiece, only for forge and smith to be gone when the visitor returns. Other times, he possesses a smith's tools, taking them beyond ordinary levels of genius.
Dogma
It is good to create, to devise and build. To invent and create something wholly new to this world is the greatest gift one can bring in their life.
The Divine Mechanism's clergy thus work in their god's name, forging and repairing wonders.
Clergy and Temples
The Divine Mechanism's priests favor clothing designed to look like mechanical parts, and their temples are usually complex affairs of clockwork, centered upon a forge or construct. Shrines are usually any complex mechanism or forging tool stamped with the Divine Mechanism's holy symbol.

The Seeking Shadow
Lesser God
Symbol: A blank grey disc
Home Plane: Prime Material
Alignment: True Neutral
Portfolio: Secrets, Thieves, Travellers, Exploration, Discovery, Luck
Worshippers: Thieves, Travellers, Adventurers, Gamblers
Cleric Alignments: Any
Domains: Luck, Travel, Trickery,(Celerity, Darkness, Liberation, Shadow)
Favored Weapon: Dagger
The faceless thieving shadow, the Seeking Shadow has no face within his hooded cloak. As young a god as the Divine Mechanism, his worship began more as a curse than as a matter for respect. The souls of mortals who have stolen themselves from the cycle of souls, the Seeking Shadow was once mortal, a thief and adventurer.
He is the patron of thieves and adventurers and yet wanders the land, seeking adventure.
Dogma
Do what you will, take what you want...but be nice to strangers, for you never know if you run into Me. The clergy of the Seeking Shadow are bound by little but hospitality, but you would know if one robs you by how much you have left.
Clergy and Temples
The clergy of the Seeking Shadow go by nondescript clothing in their duties, with only the blank disc of his symbol to tell them apart. He does not boast public temples, but prefers shrines of grey veils and a dulled mirror for the altar.
[/spoiler]
Celestine Thrones
The Celestine Thrones rule over the spirit courts of the land, ruling in the absence of the four creators. When worshipped as a pantheon, they include all the lesser spirits in their dominion. Their combined symbol is a sun in eclipse with the night sky and stars resplendent.
The combined temple is grandiose, with a central temple to Helios and Silvershade, between the temples of Oculis and Nightwhisper.
[spoiler]
King Helios - The Sun
Greater God
Symbol: Golden Sunburst
Home Plane: Celestia
Alignment: Lawful Good
Portfolio: The Sun, Justice, Light, Nobility
Worshippers: Rulers, Paladins, Knights, Warriors
Cleric Alignments: Any Lawful and any Good
Domains: Domination, Good, Law, Sun, Glory(Celestial, Courage, Nobility, Pride, Renewal, Healing, Protection, Truth, War)
Favored Weapon: Longsword
He takes the form of a winged golden humanoid, shining with the sun's light.
Helios, king of the gods, charged with ruling the heavens. He rules in opposition with his sister-wife the Moon, his order and stasis opposed by her madness and inspirations. He holds authority over the legions of minor godlings that run the world, but between Him and his wife's machinations, they are largely free to do what they will, save for when both are in accordance.
Dogma
Bring light into dark places. Obey thy lord, as he in turn obeys me. Helios is the Hierarchy, and patron of kings, nobility and bueracracy. His clergy either are noble or serve nobility in the knighthood.
Clergy and Temples
Gold and white are Helios' preferred colors, and his clergy show that in their overly ornamented equipment. His temples are built of white marble, ornamented in gold , with polished glass and a massive bronze sun-mirror to reflect his glory. His shrines are commonly a mirror placed to reflect the sun in an open space.

Queen Silvershade - The Moon
Greater God
Symbol: Crescent moon, points facing upward.
Home Plane: The Abyss
Alignment: Chaotic Evil
Portfolio: Moon, Beauty, Love, Lycanthropes, Inspiration, Art, Madness, Magic
Worshippers: Lycanthropes, Artists, Arcanists, the insane
Cleric Alignments: Any Chaotic and Any Evil
Domains: Chaos, Moon, Evil, Magic, Trickery(Charm, Dream, Knowledge, Madness, Mind, Renewal, Lust, Spell)
Favored Weapon: Scimitar
She takes the form of a feminine humanoid figure formed out of quicksilver, her features varying by the phases of the moon, but her enigmatic smile a constant.
Queen Silvershade, mad queen of the gods. Ruling opposite her brother-husband the Sun, she reigns over magic and madness. <See Helios>
Dogma
Power is change, Madness is art. Silvershade's faithful create works of art and magic, but those cursed with her attention grow in madness as well as power. Mad genius is unrestrained and free.
Clergy and Temples
Silvershade's faithful wear shades of white and black, matching the proportion to her phases. Silver predominates amongst her ornaments, except for her lycanthropic faithful, who embody her in their very life and need no external aid.
Her temples share pride of place with Helios, for few worship one without providing place for the other. In design, they are identical but for her preference of silver and black, while certain temples make the underside of their sun-mirror silvered and rotate it with the progress of night.
Her shrines make use of a simple bowl or crystal sphere half filled with quicksilver.

Prince Oculis - The Stars
Intemediate God
Symbol: Stars on a black background
Home Plane: Elysium
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Portfolio: Hope, Fate, Fortune, Knowledge, Time, Death, Stars
Worshippers: Rebels, wizards, lorekeepers
Cleric Alignments: Any Chaotic and Any Good
Domains: Chaos, Good, Knowledge, Luck, Time (Death, Dream, Fate, Planning, Illusion, Mysticism, Oracle)
Favored Weapon: Flail
Son of Helios and Silvershade, Oculis appears as a thousand eyed humanoid, each eye glittering with the light of the stars. He sees the past and future and attempts to weave them to suit both parents. Each of his stars is the soul of a mortal champion, rising and falling as heroes die and are reborn back into the world. He sees the future in their constellations. In the end, the future is written by mortal men.
Unfortunately, Silvershade favors him while the future he devised is in disfavor with his father with the amount of disorder and uncertainty.
Dogma
The future has promise, hold fast and do not lose hope. In the worst of conflicts, Oculis's clergy strive to keep the light of hope burning, secure in the faith that the future is there and bright. Oculis often intervenes in mortal life, sending messages to his faithful to guide heroes to their destined places and ensure futures with more heroes. This may be harsh for the hero so used, but it is for the good of all.
Clergy and Temples
Oculis' temples are plain in design compared to his parents, with records of histories, star charts and gem studded mosiacs of constellations. Many boast complex observatories, the better to view their god with.
His shrines are usually a simple map of a constellation, formed of crystals linked with thread.

Princess Nightwhisper - The Night
Intermediate God
Symbol: Field of black with a swirl of light purple
Home Plane: Plane of Shadow
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Portfolio: Darkness, Secrets, Death, Endings, The Night, Shadows, Magic
Worshippers: Assassins, necromancers, spellcasters, thieves, lorekeepers, the undead
Cleric Alignments: Any Lawful and Any Evil
Domains: Death, Evil, Knowledge, Law, Magic,(Charm, Darkness, Domination, Entropy, Illusion, Necromancy, Pact, Shadow, Temptation, Undeath)
Favored Weapon: Rapier
Oculis's sister, the goddess of the night skies and the dead. She appears as a pale dark haired woman always shrouded in shadows, save in the presence of her parents.
She rules over the common dead, secrets and the night. While her brother claims the brilliant souls of the great, Nightwhisper claims the countless souls of the ordinary.
Nightwhisper is charming, and high in the favor of Helios.
Dogma
The dead belong to me, as are their secrets. Bring more to me and you shall have my love. Desire them and pay richly. Priests of Nightwhisper act as power brokers, rarely ruling, but often the power behind the thrones. Knowledge and power at a price can be obtained.
Clergy and Temples
Nightwhisper's clergy habitually wear the plain unmarred black of funeral robes, almost indistinguishable from her symbol they too wear. Her temples are plain black, painted in poorer places and black marble in rich, with a central altar of obsidian and countless records of secrets, lineages, deaths and magic etched into runes readable only by touch. Beneath them, an extensive necropolis stands for the unremarked dead.
Her shrines are composed simply of a bone or ivory bowl carved with her runes and filled with black ink.
[/spoiler]
[/spoiler]

[VennDygrem]

NPC:
[spoiler]
"Big Red" Mak-Dennoh
Captain of the Misty Maiden
Big Red gets his name for obvious reasons- He's a tall, thickly-built Human with deep, red hair and beard. He makes his living as Captain of a sea-faring vessel, the Misty Maiden, which is often used to ship cargo or passengers between the many islands. In the right circles, however, Big Red is known to be highly reliable in ferrying secrets, as owning and operating a ship makes him a useful carrier for intelligence between members of various organizations spread throughout the Ages.

Big Red himself is also something of an artificer, being very interested in magically-infused knick-knacks and the like. He can be a little eccentric at times, his personality capable of switching from dead-serious to warm, friendly and raucous at the drop of a hat. Perhaps it's just been too long out at sea?[/spoiler]

Organization:
[spoiler]
The Knights of the Raven
As champions against evil and the undead, the Knights of the Raven have a clear role in the world. This order of virtuous warriors is dedicated to the goddess Mul-Morgen, and carries out her charge to protect the world according to her ideals. As followers of the Dawn Queen, the Knights proudly wear her symbol, a Raven perched before a rising sun, which they say is "a symbol of virtue, of light in the darkness, of life and vitality in the face of death."

The Knights of the Raven is not a large organization by any means, as many do not hold the proper level of commitment and dedication to the cause. Still, each member is an elite warrior, granted special abilities in pursuit of their never-ending battle against the abominations of the world. It is said that the goddess chooses each member herself, though there isn't any evidence to support such an active, continuing role in the organization.

The Knights of the Raven originated in Expedition to Castle Ravenloft and are detailed starting on page 200 of that supplement. They have been adapted to fit within the flavor of this campaign.[/spoiler]

Phenomenon 1:
[spoiler]
Shadow Magic
Watching the birth and use of magic from the shadows, the Shadow King was bored by its consistency, but excited by its potential for causing change. He attempted to duplicate the flow of Magic, and the results were unforeseen. This Shadow Magic was just as powerful as its cousin, perhaps more-so, but much more erratic and unstable. It would take particularly strong-willed individuals with a penchant for taking risks to master such a force, and doing so blocks access to certain other types of spells.
(The Shadow Magic feat works just like the Shadow Weave Magic feat [PGtF pg. 43] except it has prerequisites of Wisdom 15 or Patron Deity: Korion.)[/spoiler]

Phenomenon 2:
[spoiler]
Heartfire
Heartfire is much like Hellfire, with some noted differences. First of all, it is not the creation of any fiend, and in fact has no connection to any forces of evil. It is however a powerful tool in regards to fighting evil. It is rare for an individual to be capable to manifesting heartfire, rarer even than those who would wield hellfire. It takes a pure dedication to goodness, and a strong willpower to control it without getting hurt.
Hotter than the hottest flames of any world, heartfire burns with a white-hot glow and is capable of burning through even the hardest of substances. Heartfire does not deal fire damage, despite its flames. Even creatures with immunity or resistance to fire take full normal damage from these divinely-influenced flames. Heartfire also deals full damage to objects, unlike normal fire damage.
From Fiendish Codex II, pg 119, based on sidebar for Hellfire.
[/spoiler]
Deities:

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

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

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

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

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

However, hidden away nearly as well are his followers. They broker secrets, and are not afraid to take up a cause if they feel it aligns with their personal code of morals. All strive to keep secret their God's influence, but draw strength from him nonetheless. They spread throughout the world keeping it safe without regards to good or evil, though typically this effort leans closer to Good tendencies.
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Mul-Morgen
[spoiler]Greater Goddess
Symbol: A raven perched in front of a rising sun
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Portfolio: Magic, Honor, Sacrifice, Scholarship
Worshipers: Varies; Primarily good-aligned creatures, and primarily humans (though many races respect her goals and values)
Domains: Magic, Glory, Strength, Knowledge, Protection
Favored Weapon: Morningstar
Lore: Mul-Morgen the Raven-haired, The Dawn Queen, The Mistress of Tomes (also, sometimes, "The Hot Librarian", via the cruder populace); Mul-Morgen is a powerful deity, and a great force for good. She was once a mortal princess, hidden from the world due by her family due to being born frail. She grew tired of being imprisoned from a world she knew to be much wider than her own courtyard, and so staged a daring, difficult escape. Upon her success, Mul-Morgen discovered a strong, innate connection to magic, which allowed her to see the world in an entirely new way. She trained her body and mind, overcoming impossible odds through force of will and determination. Her unique talents allowed her to grow strong, and she put her strength in arms and in magic to ending what tyrannies and evils she came across. Upon her ascension into godhood, she formed a group of divine warriors to further her goals and help protect the world. They are the Knights of the Raven, and their main goal is to fight evil undead, though they take up the charge of fighting against evil wherever it arises.

Unknown to Mul-Morgen, she is the future reincarnation of Mystra from the Forgotten Realms. When the last Mystra, aka Midnight, was destroyed by Cyric in 1385 DR, her divine spark needed to pass to a new vessel to preserve the Weave. However, due to the efforts of Cyric and Shar, the Weave was destroyed, and Mystra's cycle of rebirth was disrupted. The raw chaos resulting from this event sent ripples through several planes, but all was not without hope. Faerun would survive, and Mystra's spirit rode the shockwaves of magical entropy through space and time until it came to the Protectorate long, long ago. It found a new vessel in Mul-Morgen, and slumbered within her until the day she struck out to live her own life. Truly, she was destined for greatness and divinity.

Dogma: Always seek to improve oneself, while helping others to improve themselves. Be strong in body, mind, and soul, and always strive to fight tyranny and evil. Magic is life, and life is sacred; therefore, magic is sacred, and it should be treated with humble respect, both by its users and non-users alike.

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