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Religion Table of Contents
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In the sample setting for Guilddom Adventures Made Easy religion serves three purposes. Foremost it is a background of myths rooted in fact. The people of Arlinac City know many stories of ages past that grant them a sense of identity and purpose. Although these stories may have details that are inaccurate, overall they are trusted because they involve Divine Beings and Powers that are still active today. Religion is also a part of the lives of the people of Arlinac City. Many are actively devout. Their motivations for giving devotion, service, and/or worship arise from the core of who they are. Through religious activity individuals find comfort, experience joy, and receive guidance. Religion gives groups identity and purpose, and occasionally reasons for conflict. Thirdly, religion allows for monsters that must be fought with more than arms and armor. The Undead, Dragons, cave creatures, ice creatures, and the reptiles of the Serpentine Swamp have religious origins and are thus best battled with guidance, gifts, or other aid from the Divine Beings or Powers. |
The Divine Beings remain active in shaping destiny. The Creator's voice is heard by many, but in deeds he prefers to remain subtly hidden. His hand is typically only recognized in hindsight. Victor and Vigor embody conflicting philosophies about how to develop the world according to the Creator's plan. Only because their actions are restrained by structures established by the Creator does their rivalry not affect living creatures too directly or alter the world too quickly.
Unlike the Powers, the Divine Beings use no visible forms. They are neither seen when awake nor with form in dreams or visions. They can observe any place, although Victor and Vigor can only focus their attention on one location at a time.
All three Divine Beings are reffered to with masculine pronouns, although they have neither masculine nor feminine identity or traits.
In one sense, the Creator is a typical Jewish perspective of God, Victor is Jesus according to Ephesians 3:10-11, and Vigor is the Adversary portrayed in the book of Job. But that would be an terribly incorrect oversimplification.
The Creator is undeniably active and often even chatty. Arlinac City has no athiests.
Victor is much more interested in virtue than people. He neither protects his followers nor spends time with them as a friend.
Vigor is not evil. In no way does he see himself as opposing the Creator. His created purpose is to slow down the pace of the Creator's plans. He never tries to thwart those plans or establish an alternative. Nor does he promote vices as the opposites to virtues. The only vice he encourages is an attitude of selfish individualism: self-loyalty, entitlement to the fruits of one's own labor, and protection of one's own property and legacy.
These differences result in a world that is planned yet uncertain, noble yet corrupt, overseen yet dangerous. It is a setting ripe for heroism and adventures.
The Creator has ultimate authority and patience. He is the most friendly of the Divine Beings or Powers, and the one with a clearest sense of humor. He is the source of all prophecies.
His plan for the world will inevitably be fulfilled in every detail. But his plan is his own secret, and questions abound. Which events and circumstance are among the plan's details? When will prophesied events unfold? At what pace will the plan progress?
The Creator enjoys when his creations speak to him aloud or through art. He may reply privately, using a quiet tone that seems very like normal thought except that it could never be mistaken for anything but the Creator's voice. Most often he replies when his message is a humorous truth the hearer could never have otherwise deduced or imagined.
The Creator abhors temples, shrines, or altars built in an attempt to serve or worship him. He knocks them down with lightning, small meterors, or a well-aimed giant watermelon.
The Creator chooses no champions, maintains no dungeons, and gives no gifts besides an occasional conversation.
Victor attempts to finish creating the world, bit by bit, by creating experiences that prove how virtues are superior to vices.
According to Victor the reason this troubled world exists is so the superiority of virtues in both good and evil situations can be sufficiently demonstrated. Once this is complete the world will end and be replaced by a new world that is a paradise of unblemished virtues untroubled by vices.
Once each year Victor may appoint another champion. This person is under a geis to act virtuously in a certain way. The champion usually only have a vague idea about his or her mission, knowing which virtue is under Divine scrutiny but now when or how. Yet there is a confidence that Victor will arrange circumstances to allow the geis the maximal chance of successful fulfillment.
Victor maintains no dungeons and gives no gifts.
Vigor attempts to prevent completion of the world through destruction, ruin, and decay.
Vigor agrees that when the world is in some sense "finished being created" then the Creator will immediately replace it with a new world. But Vigor believes that this world is valuable and should be sustained as long as possible. What is important is to establish one's self in this world during the time granted. According to Vigor, his own existence and calling prove that the new world, even if it will be considered a paradise by its people, should wait for its turn.
Once each year Victor may give a gift. These gifts are the most powerful of items, with potency beyond any enchantment, and each aids either conquest, destruction, or protection. They can only be destroyed by another of Victor's gifts.
Vigor maintains no dungeons but does watch over ruins. Many of his deeds manifest at ruins. Many of his gifts are the final reward of quests that eventually lead to ruins.
Vigor appoints no champions.
The Powers are unique creatures that have more than mortal power and status. Although very different from one another, they share three similarities: they choose champions to represent them, they give gifts to those who serve or please them, and they maintain one or more dungeons to protect treasure and offer challenge to bold adventurers.
Unlike the Divine Beings, the Powers have physical bodies. Each can only observe the location in which it is present. However, using teleportation they can instantly travel to any place they have previously been.
The Powers are never fought and seen very seldom. They are among the forces that shape the world, not among the world's curiosities and obstacles.
The Powers allow the teaching of spiritual truths and pondering of virtues through a fantasy setting: issues such as contentment, temptation, pride, faith, and doubt can be woven into adventure plots and background stories. This cannot be done with the Divine Beings, for the realities of knowing and following the Divine Beings contradict the types of suspense and uncertainty necessary for a fun RPG adventure.
Most Powers have authority over a type of geography, not a type of person. Moreover, Arlinac Mountain is a convergence of many types of geography and has ancient religious importance. This results in the Powers vying for influence over the mountain, city, and its inhabitants. The result is helpful for teaching spiritual truths: PCs should be alert because different Powers are trying to convince, manipulate, trick, or coerce the PCs to further their own plans and goals.
The Powers described below exist in pairs, although often the pair did not appear at the same time historically, and the current list is not intended to be exhaustive. Not all pairs are opposites, nor do the alliances and emnities among the Powers correspond to the pairs.
- The Lamia guides those who are violent yet repentant.
- Gnash promotes violence within the unrepentant.
- The Griffin rules over animals.
- Big Blackie rules over dragons, the historic enemies of animals.
- Speleoth the Grin celebrates the joy in freedom, discovery, and seeing new things.
- Frosty Kostkey relishes the despair caused by monotony and confinement.
- Old Man River exposes lies and protects the oldest habitations.
- The Archeologist investigates legends to label, catalog, and store ancient relics.
- Kitsunay brings resolution and wholeness through unplanned gifts of refreshment and illusion.
- The Pooka causes complications and degeneracy through theft and trickery.
The Lamia appears as a very beautiful woman. She may turn her lower body into that of a snake. She watches over the Serpentine Swamp, a long east-west region of swamp, marsh, and wetland forest. She is able to grant intelligence to some serpents.
The Lamia is worshipped by the Mer, who offer her the loot they obtain from their raiding and banditry. In exchange, the Lamia creates cenotaphs and gives them to the Mer who please her. The Lamia is also worshipped by outcasts of any intelligent race who in repentance seek to turn from violent to virtuous lives, some of which the Lamia changes into the Hiss.
The Lamia's worshippers build her Temples to guard her relics. Most relics are one of her scales, but some are pieces of her scintillating shed snake-skin or a cenotaph of legendary power or historical importance.
The Lamia is an ancient enemy of Big Blackie, and is opposed to his Dragon Dominion, whose dragons call her intelligent serpents "false dragons" and hunt them. The Lamia is also an frequent opponent of the Pooka, for his brash deeds often encourage people to greater violence and estrangedness, the traits Lamia seeks to help heal. She is bothered by Gnash, who promotes violence among the unrepentant, but she does little to actively oppose Gnash because she has no authority over the unrepentant and because Gnash always acts in secret.
The Lamia is a loyal ally of the Griffin.
The Lamia appoints females as her champions and gives them an intelligent reptile as a companion. Usually these champions have the task of fighting a dragon. Those appointed need not be her worshippers.
The Lamia is best known for giving her Mer worshippers cenotaphs. Occasionally she gives other enchanted items that help communicate with or control serpents.
Her huge and sprawling underground dungeon is deep in the Serpentine Swamp. Some stories say that the Lamia is the Serpentine Swamp personified in humanoid form; other stories claim her dungeon is the embodiment of all that the Serpentine Swamp means.
The PC could be one of the Lamia's champions, appointed to fight a dragon. This could happen without the PC's knowledge if the PC receives anonymous help from the Lamia.
The PC could also be one of the Lamia's outcasts, someone who had lived a selfish and violent life but "hit bottom", is genuinely repentant, and with the Lamia's aid is trying to turn over a new leaf. However, it would be difficult to run adventures with the PC being one of the Hiss, because the Hiss are not accepted in Arlinac City and have trouble disguising themselves.
The Lamia, like all Powers, is not omniscient and cannot teleport to any place she has never been. Thus she might need assistance locating and apprehending a formerly-repentant criminal whom she had been mentoring but who has recently backslidden into violent deeds and unsavory habits.
There might be a member of the Upward Hiss in or under Arlinac City for an important reason, whom the Lamia asks the PC to protect and help.
Perhaps the PC needs to enter the Lamia's dungeon to retrieve an item that helps fight dragons. Alternately, the PC must earn the aid of a group of Mer, and a prerequisite to receiving the help is for the PC to prove himself or herself by entering the Lamia's dungeon to retrieve one of the Lamia's scales for that group of Mer to posess as a new relic.
The Lamia is loosely based on a Greek myth, but without the theme of child-eating that is central to that myth.
Gnash is a being worshipped by Ogres. Ogre mythology describes Gnash as having come from another star, only to be entrapped by a rival power until Gnash has consumed enough ruthlessness through its worshippers' sacrifices to be powerful enough to break free. Ogres show their devotion to Gnash by sacrificing ruthless intelligent creatures (including other Ogres) in an attempt to please and empower their deity.
Some non-Ogres believe Gnash is actually a fictitious creation of the oldest Grand Ogres, invented as part of their complex game to control Ogre society in which the winners feast upon the losers.
Ogre legends describe Gnash's lair as an enormous mansion that can appear or vanish like a mirage. Within are huge rooms decoreated with shining artwork and dark rooms furnished with grim instruments of terror and pain. The only books in Gnash's mansion are cookbooks for which reading even a single page causes irrepairable madness.
Gnash is only worshipped at the altars that Ogres build for him. These altars are usually kept secret, hidden inside buildings or caves. Adventurers sometimes discover that a ruin is actually an Ogre old altar site whose owner has moved away or been killed.
Gnash has no use for alliances and holds no grudges. Gnash has no interest in the other Powers, and is aware of them but seldom considers them.
Ghash's champions are the Horrors that he sometimes creates from the spirits of deceased Grand Ogres.
Gnash grants energy in destruction to those who are devout in following and serving him. His worshippers immediately receive a free attack each time they defeat a foe in combat.
Gnash has many dungeons, which are prison camps of slaves. Some stories say that these are people kidnapped by Ogres; other tales say that ruthless people "sacrificed" on Ogre altars are not killed but teleported by Gnash into these prison camps. These dungeons may be aboveground or underground. No non-Ogre has seen one and returned to share the story.
Because of Gnash, Ogres are manipulators as well as devourers. Ogres appear in adventures not only as disguised assassins and kidnappers, but as "helpful" advisors and friends who encourage the moral decay of influential people.
Gnash is normally a force of evil, but Gnash's help might be needed to overthrow a ruthless tyrant.
Gnash is based upon the Great Old Ones of the Cthulhu: an evil creature from outer space who thrives on devouring and destruction. However, Gnash prefers experiencing that devouring and destruction second-hand by enticing normal people to "accumulate" deeds of ruthlessness before metaphorically consuming them. However, adventure plots can still center around a group of fanatic followers of Gnash (either Ogres or non-Ogres) who are planning an evil and maddening ritual they are convinced is necessary to either release Gnash or keep Gnash imprisoned.
Gnash allows philosophical musing on the "otherness" of ruthlesness and harmful consumption: people's inclinations towards actions their own consciences know are overly merciless, self-interested, or gluttonous can sometimes resemble an external influence rather than an internal desire.
The Griffin is the queen over all animals. Her influence and reign extend most clearly over the Heraldic beasts (the "biggies" and wyrms) although her authority is over all animals except the dragons and the Winter creations of Frosty Kostkey. In special situations the Griffin will cause animals to grow especially large and powerful: these creatures are called Fell Animals.
In appearance the Griffin has the body of a huge lion with the head and wings of a huge eagle. She flies faster than a normal eagle can fly. Her voice is deep and keen, a vivid screech when angered. She cannot lie.
The Griffin is very fond of gold, but not other treasure. In most stories she has a hoard of gold, but in some stories she does not keep gold herself but instead protects miners and traveling merchants from robbery.
Many stories describe the Griffin as a good creature that defends the helpless against hungry monsters. But all stories agree that the Griffin loves to eat horse flesh, so ranchers do not call the Griffin good.
Sometimes the Griffin gives gifts. She has long ears shaped like those of a horse, but tufted with thick feathers. These ear feathers are sometimes given to adventurers as gifts. Such a feather grants boldness to whomever carries or wears it, and will (only once) restore sight to a blind person.
A few legends say the Griffin's front claws can cure any disease, and the creature will sometimes scratch someone to heal them.
The Griffin's name is used to enforce a vow. People swear by saying, "If I do not do such-and-such may the Griffin punish me." This vow, if broken, can cause monsters to travel and attack.
Those few, reviled Therions who are obsessed with creating new monsters try to distract the Griffin's attention away from their bizzare breeding experiments.
Speleoth and the Lamia follow the Griffin's counsel, and oversee their animals with her blessing. Big Blackie and Frosty Kostkey are her enemies: their creatures are the enemies of all other animals.
The Griffin's appoints hunters for a short time to be her champions, usually when a Fell Animal goes mad and suffers fits or rampages that are abnormally dangerous to other animals. To aid them on their mission, the Griffin gives these champions an annotated map and uniquely enchanted arrows or crossbow bolts that lose their power after a single use.
The Griffin's champions are also given the ability to speak with animals and detect lies. This ability is lost the first time the champion tells a lie or otherwise purposefully speaks so that a listener reaches false conclusions.
The Griffin gives its Pixy worshippers animal features, in exchange for their offerings of wealth or personal treasures.
The Griffin sometimes gives her non-Pixy worshippers her ear feathers that provide boldness and one instance of restoring sight.
The Griffin's dungeons are cave complexes under snow-covered mountain peaks. They is empty of traps and monsters, but still guarded. Those who enter must overcome their own fears and desires to find what they seek. According to some stories, the wealth offered by hunters to the Griffin is stored throughout her dungeons wherever hher servants can best enjoy it.
Politicians and judges often send an adventurer looking for one of the Griffin's champions, hoping the champion will be willing to help resolve a crime or mystery by detecting who is lying. Alternately, the PC might need to help one of the Griffin's champions who has gotten stuck in a tricky social situation because he or she refused to lie.
The PC might quest for a Griffin ear feather, to restore sight to a blind person or help a new, young ruler or military leader have boldness. Alternately, someone wealthy may be dying of a disease and offering a reward for any adventurer that can find and speak with the Griffin to humbly petition for the disease to be cured.
The PC could temporarily become one of the Griffin's champions, tasked with slaying or administering an alchemical potion to a rampaging animal.
Perhaps the PC needs to find and explore one of the Griffin's dungeons, so that penetrating its challenges will remove a curse or answer a question.
The Griffin is a traditional heraldic creature, often called king of the beasts. I have changed the Griffin's gender but not the old legends about ear feathers or claw scratches.
Note that "completing" one of the Griffin's dungeons is the closest thing to an Oracle among what the Powers do.
The Griffin represents truth: she cannot lie, her champions can detect lies and must avoid lies, her name makes a vow binding, and her dungeons allow adventurers to seek truth.
As a teenager I switched for a few years from Dungeons and Dragons to RuneQuest. My favorite RuneQuest setting was Griffin Island with its large player's map delightfully annotated with handwritten rumors. Although there was no actual competition between the two game systems (I was happy to play whatever game my friends wanted to play) it still amuses me to create a rivalry between a dragon and a griffin as part of the GAME mythology, and to keep annotated maps related to griffins.
Big Blackie is the greatest of all dragons, the only black dragon, and the only dragon to normally use humanoid posture. Its gender is not known.
Big Blackie, although majestic, is cruel and ruthless: it personifyies all that is greedy and terrible about dragons (and nothing that is grand or noble).
Some stories say that Big Blackie can do anything that any dragon can do. Other stories describe its size as comparable to a mountain. One story claims that Big Blackie sleeps at the root of a wide mountain and all other dragons are merely its dreams--and thus all dragon treasure hoards are really part of one hoard owned by Big Blackie.
Big Blackie is seldom worshipped by members of the intelligent races. Those who claim to do so are usually insane and their "religion" suspect as an imagined excuse for depraved actions.
Most dragons belong to the Dragon Dominion led by Big Blackie. These are the greedy dragons who seek more wealth for their hoards. Usually the dragons of the Dominion lead solitary lives. But they create works of literature for newly hatched dragons as birthing day presents, to grant the new Dominion member intelligence. Sometimes Dominion dragons work together to accomplish larger goals, such as sacking a city or hunting a Grim Animal. The Dragon Dominion hunts the Griffin's Fell Animals and the Lamia's serpent servants because the Dragon Dominion seeks to be the only intelligent creatures; it especially hates the Lamia's intelligent serpents, which it views as false pretenders to dragon-ness.
Big Blackie and the Dragon Dominion are opposed by the Griffin and the Lamia. Big Blackie has no allies.
When Big Blackie chooses someone to be one of his champions, that person is given a specific task to accomplish. Champions are often given demi-dragon help, which makes many people leery of anyone with a demi-dragon pet. If successful, the champion is rewarded by becoming a half-dragon, gaining a dragon's wings and a breath attack.
Big Blackie's gifts are appropriate items from his enormous hoard.
The dungeons of Big Blackie are sprawling cave-lairs that Big Blackie makes for faithful and active members of the Dragon Dominion. These lairs are much larger and more elaborately guarded than typical dragon lairs. Most are in remote and dangerous areas, such as mountain peaks or the middle of the Ognost Frontier, with false trails leading potential dragon-slayers on wild goose chances through these dangers. These lairs also have traps, oozes, and other hazzards not normally found in dragon lairs. Multiple sleeping-rooms prevent trespassers from knowing where the dragon, if alseep, would be sleeping. Secret passages hide the hoard, and hidden escape routes allow a beseiged dragon to flee and get help from other Dominion dragons (legends warn of "successful" treasure-hunters being killed during the return trip across that remote area as multiple dragons swoop down from the sky). Additionally, Big Blackie donates much gold to the dragons for whom it makes these lairs, often attracting treasure-seekers despite the enhanced peril: thus Big Blackie's apparent generosity actually leads to the Dominion collecting more new treasure, from the captured gear of slain treasure-seekers.
Although Big Blackie is far to powerful for a PC to confront directly, an adventure might require the PC to oppose on of Big Blackie's champions, either before or after the champion becomes a half-dragon.
The PC or a friend of the PC could have a demi-dragon pet, and struggle with the prejudice directed against people with demi-dragon pets.
A PC might be hired as a scout, to locate and explore a dragon's lair: the PC should avoid meeting the dragon and instead create maps and strategies for a larger group to use.
Big Blackie is in some sense a tribute to the Dungeons and Dragons I played as a child, in which dragons were the ultimate opponents, representing both the greatest danger and the largest treasure.
Speleoth is the embodiment of the joys and thrills of exploration, especially exploration that is not searching for anything in particular but only follows curiosity. He is associated with caves and caverns for in those places every passage, formation, and gem is unique and potentially beautiful.
Speleoth appears visibly as a huge grin, the universal grin of joyful discovery. He watches over those intelligent races that live in caverns, caves, or tunnels. He also aids miners. However, Speleoth's spontaneous and disorganized perception of the world often makes his aid difficult to apply.
He is honored or worshipped by Dweorgs, Bergtrolls, and Kobalts. Racial tensions and even hatred during warfare is dulled between Dweorgs, Bergtrolls, and Kobalts because they remember their shared values and their shared devotion to Speleoth. Before the Trooping War he also watched over the Unseemly and was worshipped by them, but they have now turned their backs on each other.
Many merchants worship Speleoth and raise their prices when a customer does not. All banks are part of a network of Speleoth worshippers who only charge interest to outsiders.
Speleoth is worshipped in "temples" that are large rooms and caverns in the underground dwellings of his followers. The Dweorgs are especially fond of building rooms dedicated to him: these are often the first completed in a new excavation. Dweorg temples usually have rows of pews facing an altar and/or dias at the front of the room. Kobalt temples normally have circular floorplans and are focused around a central pit for ecstatic dancing.
Speleoth has no allies among the Powers. His main rival is Frosty Kostkey. Sometimes he also has conflicts with the Archeologist when the latter desires to collect items from old and abandoned Dweorg, Bergtroll, or Kobalt settlements.
Speleoth has one champion at a time, chosen to defend a cave from the minions of Frosty Kostkey. The person Speleoth appoints as his champion is able to walk through earth and does not need to sleep.
Speleoth sometimes gives his most devout worshippers a dungeon of their to explolre. Some underground ruins are remnants of these dungeons that have already been explored and looted. Speleoth also gives his followers alertness: all Perception skill attempts to avoid surprise are Easy.
The dungeons of Speleoth are many, for he delights in constructing for his cave-exploring followers new challenges with new rewards. Perhaps he also has a primary dungeon greater and older than any other, but if so it is only known in fables.
Speleoth's dungeons inherently have a goal or purpose, can be of any size and complexity, and can be be found underground nearly anywhere the GM desires. They are useful locations for adventures!
The PC could temporarily be one of Speleoth's champions, tasked with fighting the creatures made by Frosty Kostkey.
The word speleology means the scientific study of caves and the cave environment. I could not think of a suitable name for this power based on the word caving, and the work spelunker has acquired negative connotations.
Speleoth is one of the few Powers not based upon any traditional creatures from myth or legend. However, a being that oversees cave-like dungeons is simply too useful to not include in the religion of a fantasy RPG!
Frosty Kostkey is in many ways the opposite of Speleoth. Its domain is above ground. It embodies the bleak despair of freezing cold, the morbid uniformity of a snowstorm, and the frantic search not for something new but merely for a means of survival. Its common visible appearance is a huge pair of wicked fangs or eyes that hover in wind-blown snow; quite rarely it appears as a towering giant made of snow. Therions have nicknamed the fangs "Biting Cold" and the eyes "Winter Glare".
Frosty Kostkey is served by all sorts of wicked and cold monsters: ice dragons, huge winter wolves, grumpy and growly white bears, carnivorous deer, cunning ermines, ambushing porcupines, and short, malicious creatures that build deadly machinery. In defiance of the Griffin, Frosty Kostkey not only creates these Winter creatures but grants them some intelligence.
Frosty Kostkey is itself the most skilled of machinists. It sends its servants forth in well-armed platoons: sturdy caribou with seige equipment strapped upon their back, pale lynxes with sonic devices, silky foxes with lasers, and waddling penguins wearing mind-control helmets.
Frosty Kostkey is not normally worshipped by members of the intelligent races. Certainly no one would admit to such depravity.
Its temples create regions of Winter around them. Some ruins are its destroyed temples, which no longer cause this effect.
The Frosty Kostkey has no allies. It is often opposed by Speleoth, and sometimes opposed by Kitsunay.
Frosty Kostkey's champions are those rare members of the intelligent races that have dedicated their lives to its service. They are tasked to lead Frosty Kostkey's troops in war. These champions cannot be harmed by normal weapons and their proximity bestows an unnatural high morale to their troops (all the underlings fight as if each skill attempt involves personally cooperating with the champion as well as any actual companions).
All of Frosty Kostkey's worshippers are given the ability to construct its temples. They can also walk across snow and ice without sinking or slipping and are immune to cold and snow. Furthermore, its most devout followers and many of its creatures are unnaturally stealthy (all Sneak/Hide skill attempts are Easy).
Frosty Kostkey may also give physical gifts to its followers, most commonly one of the deadly machines built by its minions, but sometimes an enchanted, flying sleigh.
Frosty Kostkey's dungeons are ice castles or fortresses that eventually from near its temples if the local spread of Winter is not countered.
The PC might need to stop a temple of Frosty Kostkey from being built, or find a hidden, newly built temple to halt the spread of Winter. Either task may involve fighting one of Frosty Kostkey's champions.
Alternately, a PC might need to sabotage one of the potent mechanical items Frosty Kostkey has given one of its followers.
Frosty Kostkey's dungeons (which are near or around its temples) can be of many sizes and shapes, and are suitable locations for a powerful PC to raid.
Frosty Kostkey is obviously a parody of Santa Claus, Jack Frost, and other winter characters. Also, most stories of wolves or bears that prey upon people happen during the hungry winter months, leading me to categorize "Winter" as a category of evil similar to undead or dragons.
Frosty Kostkey is also based on Koschei the Deathless, a villain in Russian fairy tales with some ties to Winter.
Frosty Kostkey's two themes of winter and machinery allow exploration of how machinery can become bad when its uses are cold, impersonal, and monotonous.
Frosty Kostkey is normally a force of evil, but its technological expertise might be required to bring down a mad scientist.
Old Man River cares for and has authority over the Arlin River. The guild called the Navigators follows his rules and receives his protection when on or near its waters.
Normally Old Man River only rewards or punishes those who have covenanted with him and vowed to follow his Code of Harmony (such as the Navigators). However, Old Man River is also blamed when people disappear after committing a crime against the Arlinc River, such as badly overfishing or polluting it.
Old Man River is the only Power to decree certain calendar days are holy days. These days are both appointments for worship and instructions for optimal fishing, agriculture, and animal husbandry. For example, the Day of Flax Planting is a day when all farmers know to plant their flax, although only Old Man River's followers congregate to pray for a good harvest.
Those who worship Old Man River always build a home that touches the Arlin River. Whether the home is a boat, house, or even temporary encampment these homes always include a shrine to Old Man River on a small dock. (Ususally this is a "ritual dock" too small for actual boat use.) If any of Old Man River's worshippers has committed an unconfessed crime then during the night Old Man River takes the person away.
Old Man River is the only Power to appoint animals as his champions. These grow to the size of small islands and defend Arlin River or the sea around the river's mouth.
Old Man River gives his followers favor in fishing and navigating the Arlin River, and additional guidance in local agriculture. His most devout worshippers are granted additional good fortune: after the morning's devotional time the worshipper receives a Reroll that is lost if not used that day.
Old Man River accumulates the wealth of all those whom he has punished, but has no use for this wealth. Whenever this hoard has grown substantial, Old Man River creates a new dungeon so that brave and capable adventurers may claim it. These dungeons are small versions of Arlinac Mountain: hills near the Arlin River full of tunnels and rooms that resemble catacombs. Traps, monsters, and treasure are dispersed throughout.
Holy days are always opportune times for adventures, as many people are busy with rite or celebration. Before the holy day the preparation might include challenging tasks, and during the holy day devout merchants may need hired help to guard their shops.
The PC could be one of many adventurers exploring Old Man River's newest dungeon.
Old Man River takes his name from a famous song, but unlike most of the GAME setting is not otherwise based upon older fairy tales or myths.
His protectiveness for the Arlin River and its inhabitants allows exploring when group loyalty is virtuous and when it masks prejudice or greed.
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The Archeologist has written religious texts that explain how to worship it and receive relaxation, household tranquility, and peace of mind. These texts are an odd yet pleasing blend of proverbs with instructions for careful archeological procedures.
He is primarily worshipped with personal shrines, at which his followers dedicate to him recovered items of historical value. Usually the Archeologist will then appear in a dream or vision, telling the worshipper what to do with the item.
Allies and Enemeis...
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Kitsunay is a thousand-year-old fox with nine tails. She can change her form to appear as any human. She is protective of grain fields and any poor farmer treated unfairly by wealthier neighbors. She does not fight directly, but creates illusion and throws glowing orbs that contain fire or lightning. Her touch gives refreshment. She values beauty in contentment, health in relaxation, refreshment in serenity, and the virtue in feeling ready to care for others.
Many stories tell of Kitsunay's desire to shed her powers and live humbly as the wife of a Therion farmer. In these stories she is able to enjoy a few months or years of happy matrimony but eventually her identity is reaveled by her idealism or immortality.
On nights with a new moon Kitsunay becomes dangerously mischevous--never towards a family she has joined, but often frightening or harming others in that village or town. She later regrets this behavior. Her lack of self-control on these nights is often described as part of her desire to become a Therion.
Kitsunay is very fond of noodles. She dislikes dogs, which are able to smell her foxish nature and usually attack her.
Many Therions treat any woman they meet alone in farming land as Kitsunay: speaking very respectfully and offering her aid while remaining a safe distance away. Some Therions build small shrines to Kitsunay in their homes, in which are fragrant candles and a steamy bowl of savory noodles. A large city may have a hospital staffed by her followers.
Kitsunay grieves for the Undead, which she views as a distortion of a humbly peaceful domestic life.
Allies and Enemeis...
Kitsunay's champions are selected to help restore harmony after a civic trauma such as fire, flood, or seige. They are granted the ability to heal minds of emotional injuries. A willing recipient can be freed of even deeply rooted bitterness, anger, denial, doubt, prejudice, false understandings, and other mental burdens.
Sometimes the curse of necromobility flows from an emotional pain the deceased suffered and cannot escape from through death. When this is true, Kitsunay's champions can use their ability to heal minds to remove the curse of necromobility.
With her most devout worshippers Kitsunay shares her gifting of refreshment. Once each day these worshippers can restore someone else's FP to the maximum amount.
Kitsunay's dungeon is a peaceful village that only exists in dreams. Both men and women suffering from broken hearts have dreamt of a refreshing afternoon when a fox-like woman acts as their guide and host in a soothing and hospitable village. Some stories describe children accidentally visiting the village when exploring a home's dark cellar or armoire.
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Kitsunay is obviously based on a blend of the various Asian stories of kitsune fox-spirits.
Her nature prompts questions about the extent to which contentment and rest are achievable or virtuous in a setting with villians to fight and heroic deeds to be done.
The Pooka is a chaotic force created during an interrupted Bergtroll musing attempt. The project was a large tapestry that would be powerful not only because of the enchantment of Bergtroll musing but also containing threads made using an ear feather of the Griffin and dye made from a scale of the Lamia. The tapestry depicted a strange humanoid breeding monsters in unusual ways.
The tapestry was comissioned by a secret society of Therions who were attempting to change the laws of animal breeding. But a party of Mer, furious at a stolen Mer relic being used by Therions, interrupted the Bergtroll artist during her musing. In a great flash of light and thunder the tapestry burst aflame, and the strange humanoid it depicted came to life.
The Pooka is dangerous and often frightening. It is often malevolent, but even more fond of mischief. Its natural appearance is strange blend of chicken and horse, with bat wings. But it is a shape-changer and takes the forms of many animals to help it play tricks on non-Pixies. As a horse it takes riders far away and abandons them. As an eagle it blows out the candles and lanterns of hikers and merchant caravans. As a donkey it feigns distress in a pit or thornbush, only to become a pest to the traveler who helps it. In some tales the Pooka can also take the form of a floating ball of torch flame.
The Pooka is thought to be the reason Zooks exist.
Awakens enchanted dreamers...
Allies and Enemeis...
The Pooka's champions are Zooks promoted to be Zook chieftains. These are larger and more powerful than others of their kind.
The Pooka gives his few worshippers sacrifical daggers. These powerful items eventually betray whomever carries them.
A person depserate for revenge can call on the Pooka for aid. If the Pooka appears it kisses the petitioner, who becomes a Zook.
The Pooka's dungeon is a bizzare dream-world in the Pooka's mind, accessable through the tapestry that created the Pooka.
The Pooka can be the source of small adventures for a new PC. For example, the PC might be asked to resuce a child from the woods after the Pooka kidnapped it or lured it away.
The Pooka is built from the many versions of a Puck, Pooka, or Hobgoblin: the most active or the king among fair folk.