Divine Lore

A Gods & Monsters Lorebook

Divine Lore

A Gods & Monsters Lorebook

by Jerry Stratton

Copyright © 2016

godsmonsters.com/Game/Divine

“Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat; neither for the body, what ye shall wear. Life is more than meat, and the body more than raiment.”—Luke 12:22-23

Permission is granted to copy, distribute and/or modify this document under the terms of the GNU Free Documentation License, Version 1.3, published by the Free Software Foundation. A copy of the license is included in the section entitled “GNU Free Documentation License”.

February 13, 2016

Spirits

Causing spirits to manifest requires a special rite. Rites consist of words, gestures, and a focus. When a rite requires words, they must be pronounced clearly and firmly and at least at a conversational volume. They may not be whispered, for example. When a rite requires gestures, the gestures require freedom of movement of arms, hands, and fingers. A focus is some physical thing that the prophet must have in order to cause the spirit to manifest. Rites which require a focus usually do not result in the destruction of the focus. Unless otherwise noted, a focus may be re-used for further rites. Where a rite calls for a focus but none is listed, the prophet’s holy symbol is the focus.

Most spirit manifestations may be ended at any time by the calling prophet. Some manifestations list a duration of “concentration”. This means that the manifestation lasts as long as the prophet continues the rite (which may include gestures, words, and/or a focus, according to the manifestation description).

Where a spirit’s success depends on the target’s faith (usually by a wisdom roll), the prophet may give their wisdom, as a major contributor, as a bonus to the targets’ rolls.

Finally, these spirit manifestations are examples of what each spirit type can do. As a prophet, you can work with the Adventure Guide to create new manifestations and assign them a level and effects relative to the manifestations described here.

You can create a custom prayer book for your character at godsmonsters.com/prayers/.

There are up to twenty levels of spirits, depending on the campaign world. Spirit manifestations in AD&D or other early Dungeons & Dragons games are called “clerical”, “druid”, or “priest” spells. You can usually double the level of any D&D spell less than seventh level, and possibly subtract or add one for the Gods & Monsters level. Seventh level spells in those older games can be thirteenth to twentieth level. The sphere of “all” in AD&D 2 often corresponds to the prophet spirit: all prophets may call spirits capable of these manifestations. However, in Gods & Monsters these are not spells; they are grants of divine power. Clerical spells that in D&D do nothing but duplicate magic spells are inappropriate for prophets in Gods & Monsters. It’s ultimately up to your Adventure Guide.

Spirit types

Animal

Animal Aid

Animal Alertness

Animal Bane

Animal Call

Animal Companion

Animal Revelation

Animal Tracks

Call Animal

Commune with Nature

Divine Courier

Divine Messenger

Druidsight

Easy Catch

Fantastic Servant

Feral Frenzy

Hound’s Breath

Infestation

Ravel

Speed of Horse

Sword to Snake

Track Animal

Unravel

Vermin Bane

Vermin Call

Wildlife Sanctuary

Chaos

Babel

Babel Script

Decadence

Detect Influence

Ethical Invisibility

Feral Frenzy

Pierce the Veil

Protection from Morality

Ritualize

Charm

Aversion

Bravery

Captivate

Command

Courage

Death and Dust

Despondency

Dissension

Distorted Reflection

Divine Peril

Divine Sanctuary

Divine Service

Enthrall

Fantastic Servant

Fear

Indecision

Purpose

Quest

Serenity

Spiritual Hold

Spiritual Torpor

Steady Will

Death

Bloodbath

Curse Crops

Darkness

Deadly Injury

Death Sigil

Death and Dust

Deathmask

Decadence

Deflower

Deplete Vitality

Flower

Foul Air

Foxfire

Freshen Food

Ghostly Faith Warriors

Glory Days

Heal Injury

Infestation

Locate Disease

Nauseate

Paths of the Dead

Protection from Undead

Putrefy Food

Restore Vitality

Spiritual Hold

Spiritual Torpor

Stillness

Undead Servant

Vermin Call

Water of Life

Earth

Anchor

Clay Wheel

Commune with Nature

Desert Sigil

Earth Shot

Earthquake

Part Sand

Part Stone

Quake Sigil

Stillness

Stone Hail

Sunder Stone Structure

Tremor

Volcano

Fire

Aurora

Dry Water

Fire Sigil

Fire Stone

Fire of the Forge

Firewalk

Part Ice

Pillar of Flame

Pure Fire

Sunlight

Volcano

Healing

Aurasight

Cure Nausea

Deadly Injury

Death’s Door

Deplete Vitality

Detect Ailment

Detect Influence

Divine Nourishment

Fresh Air

Heal Injury

Just Sleep

Locate Disease

Nauseate

Paths of the Dead

Restore Health

Restore Vitality

Spark of Life

Water of Life

Hearth

Animal Aid

Bless Crops

Courage

Divine Nourishment

Fresh Air

Freshen Food

Hearthmeld

Home Rule

Just Sleep

Pure Fire

Putrefy Food

Ravel

Unravel

Order

Aura of Truth

Branch of Truce

Command

Divine Contract

Ethical Invisibility

Grave Contract

Major Contract

Protection from Morality

Ritualize

Peace

Branch of Truce

Divine Contract

Grave Contract

Major Contract

Serenity

Speak in Tongues

Summit

Sunder Weapons

Sword to Snake

Understanding

Wisdom

Plant

Bless Crops

Commune with Nature

Curse Crops

Darkness

Deflower

Divine Nourishment

Earthmeld

Flower

Foul Air

Foxfire

Fresh Air

Helpful Hemp

Invisible Passage

Locate Plant

Passage

Plant Growth

Ravel

Speak with Plants

Sunder Stone Structure

Sunder Weapons

Sunlight

Tangle

Thorn Volley

Treeshape

Unhelpful Hemp

Unravel

Verdant Discussion

Verdant Messenger

Prophecy

Animal Revelation

Aura of Truth

Aurasight

Decadence

Detect Ailment

Detect Enemies

Detect Influence

Detect Life

Divine Presence

Glory Days

Know Morality

Locate Disease

Locate Plant

Locate Water

Placement

Safe Passage

Tidings

Track Animal

Worshipful Direction

Prophet

Bless

Defile

Divine Greatness

Divine Guidance

Divine Presence

Faithful Action

Quest

Rebuke Spirit

Protection

Anchor

Aura of Truth

Breathe Easy

Bridge of Faith

Buoyancy

Calm Storm

Council

Courage

Divine Awareness

Divine Custody

Divine Disfavor

Divine Esteem

Divine Favor

Divine Sanctuary

Durability

Endure Extreme Temperature

Ethical Invisibility

Fair Weather Faith

Fear

Fiendish Custody

Firewalk

Fresh Air

Freshen Food

Ladder of Faith

Part Ice

Part Sand

Part Stone

Part Water

Protection from Morality

Protection from Sorcery

Protection from Undead

Safe Passage

Sink

Steady Will

Sunder Weapons

Suppress Sorcery

Unravel Spell

Vermin Bane

Wildlife Sanctuary

Wisp Guardian

Sky

Animal Alertness

Animal Bane

Animal Call

Animal Companion

Animal Revelation

Aurora

Call Animal

Calm Storm

Cyclone Sigil

Darkness

Divine Courier

Divine Messenger

Dust Devil

Know Weather

Lightning

Night Road

Raging Storm

Stone Hail

Sunlight

Windswept

Trickster

Aversion

Curse Crops

Death and Dust

Deathmask

Dissension

Distorted Reflection

Divine Disfavor

Divine Service

Fantastic Servant

Fiendish Custody

Foolishness

Helpful Hemp

Home Rule

Moral Veneer

Night Road

Pierce the Veil

Unhelpful Hemp

Unravel

Unravel Spell

Wisdom

War

Branch of Truce

Bravery

Courage

Despondency

Detect Enemies

Divine Disfavor

Divine Esteem

Divine Favor

Divine Prowess

Elemental Weapon

Fear

Ghostly Faith Warriors

Holy Shot

Holy Weapon

Summit

Water

Anchor

Breathe Easy

Buoyancy

Cyclone Sigil

Divine Courier

Dry Water

Easy Catch

Fog

Foul Air

Fresh Air

Hidden Pool

Locate Water

Obscuring Mist

Part Ice

Part Water

Sea’s Revenge

Sink

Stillness

Warp

Water Walk

Watery Rebuke

Wave Sigil

Weather

Calm Storm

Cyclone Sigil

Dry Water

Dust Devil

Endure Extreme Temperature

Eye of the Storm

Fair Weather Faith

Fog

Fresh Air

Hidden Pool

Icy Prison

Know Weather

Lightning

Lightning Sigil

Obscuring Mist

Raging Storm

Sheet Lightning

Snow Guardian

Stillness

Watery Rebuke

Windswept

Windy Rebuke

Levels of spirit manifestations

First level

Animal Call/Bane

Animal Companion

Animal Tracks

Bless/Defile

Breathe Easy

Courage/Fear

Cure Nausea/Nauseate

Death and Dust

Detect Ailment

Divine Favor/Disfavor

Divine Guidance

Easy Catch

Endure Extreme Temperature

Faithful Action

Fire Stone

Foxfire

Freshen/Putrefy Food

Holy Weapon

Invisible Passage

Know Weather

Locate Plant

Locate Water

Passage/Tangle

Plant Growth

Protection from Morality

Sunlight/Darkness

Track Animal

Vermin Bane/Call

Wildlife Sanctuary

Second level

Babel Script

Buoyancy/Sink

Command

Detect Life

Divine/Fiendish Custody

Divine Presence

Divine Sanctuary/Peril

Earth Shot

Feral Frenzy

Fresh/Foul Air

Helpful/Unhelpful Hemp

Hidden Pool/Dry Water

Infestation

Know Morality

Obscuring Mist

Placement

Pure Fire

Rebuke Spirit

Restore/Deplete Vitality

Safe Passage

Sheet Lightning

Stone Hail

Verdant Messenger

Worshipful Direction

Third level

Animal Revelation

Aurora

Call Animal

Divine Awareness

Divine Courier

Divine Esteem

Divine Greatness

Divine Nourishment

Divine Prowess

Druidsight

Durability

Fair Weather Faith

Fire of the Forge

Flower/Deflower

Holy Shot

Hound’s Breath

Just Sleep

Ladder of Faith

Protection from Undead

Purpose/Indecision

Ravel/Unravel

Speak in Tongues

Speak with Plants

Steady Will

Stillness

Thorn Volley

Tidings

Warp

Water of Life

Windswept

Fourth level

Anchor

Animal Aid

Animal Alertness

Babel

Clay Wheel

Council

Detect Enemies

Detect Influence

Dust Devil

Elemental Weapon

Enthrall/Aversion

Ethical Invisibility

Firewalk

Fog

Home Rule

Locate Disease

Pillar of Flame

Serenity

Speed of Horse

Spiritual Hold

Sunder Weapons

Understanding

Wisp Guardian

Fifth level

Aurasight

Bless/Curse Crops

Branch of Truce

Bravery/Despondency

Bridge of Faith

Captivate

Deathmask

Dissension

Divine Messenger

Divine Service

Ghostly Faith Warriors

Heal/Deadly Injury

Lightning

Lightning Sigil

Moral Veneer

Protection from Sorcery

Restore Health

Sunder Stone Structure

Sword to Snake

Water Walk

Watery Rebuke

Sixth level

Bloodbath

Calm/Raging Storm

Cyclone Sigil

Death’s Door

Divine Contract

Eye of the Storm

Fire Sigil

Spiritual Torpor

Summit

Treeshape

Tremor

Unravel Spell

Verdant Discussion

Wisdom/Foolishness

Seventh level

Aura of Truth

Desert Sigil

Icy Prison

Pierce the Veil

Ritualize

Spark of Life

Windy Rebuke

Eighth level

Commune with Nature

Fantastic Servant

Night Road

Sea’s Revenge

Snow Guardian

Suppress Sorcery

Wave Sigil

Ninth level

Glory Days/Decadence

Paths of the Dead

Quake Sigil

Quest

Tenth level

Distorted Reflection

Earthmeld

Major Contract

Undead Servant

Eleventh level

Death Sigil

Hearthmeld

Twelfth level

Earthquake

Part Water

Thirteenth level

Grave Contract

Part Ice

Fourteenth level

Part Sand

Fifteenth level

Volcano

Sixteenth level

Part Stone

Spirit manifestations

Anchor

Anchor stabilizes the target’s movement and keeps it safe from heavy winds, heavy seas, and buckling ground. Only willing creatures (or objects carried by willing creatures, if carried) may be anchored. The object or creature may still move while anchored, but only at half movement.

Objects or creatures must be smaller than level yards in radius to be anchored.

Animal Aid

Animal aid calls one normal animal in sight (and range) of the prophet to the prophet’s aid. The prophet can task it to do anything within its nature. Once the animal performs the task (successfully or not), the manifestation ends. Animals can be asked to guard, carry a message, attack, or anything else that they can reasonably perform and is normally in their nature to do.

The affected animal cannot be an intelligent or fantastic creature. It also must not be higher level than half the manifestation level.

Hearth spirits may only affect normally domesticated animals, such as domesticated dogs or cats.

Animal Alertness

Animal alertness keeps the target animal or animals awake and alert when they would otherwise need sleep. Animal Alertness allows horses to keep going tirelessly, guard dogs to guard tirelessly, and messenger birds to fly tirelessly for the duration of the manifestation.

The spirit works on normal-sized or smaller animals; large animals count as two normal animals, huge animals as four, gigantic animals as eight, and titanic as sixteen, in regards to the area of effect.

Sky spirits may only affect birds and other sky animals.

Animal Bane

Animal bane empties the area of effect of all animals. Named, hostile animals which wish to stay should be given a reaction roll.

Sky spirits may only repel birds or other sky-living creatures.

See Animal Call for more details.

Animal Call

Animal call gathers all animals within the area of effect. They congregate around the prophet for the duration, and will not harm the prophet or each other, but are not otherwise under the prophet’s control. They will treat others in the area as normal. When the spirit’s duration ends, the animals disperse. Reactions should only be rolled for named individual animals. There is no need to make a reaction for every animal in the area of effect.

Sky spirits will only attract birds and other sky-living creatures.

Animal Companion

If the prophet wishes to befriend an animal, animal companion can help. The prophet must truly wish to be friendly to the animal. For the duration of the spirit, the animal will follow the prophet and be trainable as a dog. When the spirit’s duration ends, the animal is no longer under a compunction to remain with the prophet, but if the prophet returns to the animal’s territories, the animal will remember the prophet fondly and associate with the prophet.

The manifestation’s components are the prophet’s holy symbol and something the animal likes, such as a food or trinket.

Sky spirits may only affect birds or other sky-living creatures.

Animal Revelation

Animal revelation allows the prophet to gain knowledge from any natural animal within hearing range. The animal must be able to hear the prophet, and the prophet must be able to hear the animal.

The conversation is of the most basic kind, and allows the prophet to learn of things that the animal has seen or experienced within the animal’s recent memory. The personality of the animal will also affect the information gained.

Animal Tracks

Animal Tracks gives the recipient the tracks of a normal, natural animal. The focus is fur or a feather from the animal to be imitated.

The spirit causes the target’s tracks to imitate both the feet and the gait of the animal.

Aura of Truth

An aura of truth causes all deceptions to fail within the area of effect. Illusory effects fade, invisible things become visible, and things that have changed shape take their true form. The manifestation doesn’t cancel those effects, it just temporarily counters them. Once a deception moves outside of the area of effect, the illusion, invisibility, shape change, or other deception returns.

The prophet must make a charisma roll for the aura of truth to take effect; this roll is at a bonus of the spirit’s level and a penalty of the highest level deceptive effect within range. If a higher level deceptive effect comes into range during the manifestation’s effects, a new roll is required. Once it fails, the aura ends.

Aurasight

Aurasight grants the target the ability to see the auras of living things. The target may glance around to see the general auras of all visible creatures, or the target may focus their attention on one creature’s aura.

All living things have an aura. The strength of the aura is the strength of the life force. Something dying will have a faint, discolored aura. A deep blue is a healthy aura, and a pale white is a sickly aura.

A perception roll is required to see the auras of invisible things; to determine the kind of physical ailment the thing is undergoing; to see the mental state of something, such as whether it is acting under duress, is nervous, is angry, or some other state; to detect whether the thing itself is magical or natural; or to detect whether the thing is from another world or reality.

Each attempt to see one of the extra things requires one round of focusing on that aura.

Aurora

Aurora causes all living things within the area of effect to glow a very light, pale hair-like outline, as of the aurora borealis.

At night or in low-light conditions, the glow will offset all attack penalties due to darkness.

The glow will affect all living creatures within range if they have physical form. It includes invisible creatures but not insubstantial creatures.

Aversion

Aversion causes the victim to view everything the prophet says as untrustworthy, to consider the prophet an enemy who needs to be opposed, and to disagree with everything the prophet says.

See Enthrall for more details.

Babel

Babel causes those targets who fail their willpower roll to hear things contrary to what was intended. The mistaken meaning applies only to spoken words: signs, writings, or other non-spoken means of communication work as normal. The meanings heard will not necessarily be opposite of what was intended, but they will be contrary, something distinctly unintended.

Babel Script

Babel Script causes the target pages to change meaning. The manifestation occurs slowly, over a period of one week. By the end of the week, the affected pages, while looking as authentic as they ever did, will have changed to mean something other than what was originally written. The new meaning will be contrary, although not necessarily opposite.

As the first and second days progress, the writing seems to dance, as if the author had been shaking while writing. On the third and fourth days, the writing has re-arranged itself to random letters; the letters look like they ought to mean something, but the words are nonsense. On the fifth and sixth days, the writing will have formed into recognizable words, but will be formed into nonsense sentences. On the seventh day, the pages will have their new meanings.

Bless

Bless blesses items of symbolic import to the prophet. Water may be blessed to become holy water, for example, and used against some forms of the undead. The prophet’s holy symbol is blessed.

Bless Crops

Bless crops strengthens a crop or causes a seeded field to take root. The blessing takes effect over twenty-four hours. Within that time, seeds will sprout, existing crops will straighten and grow. While this will not ensure that the crop continues to grow after the duration of manifestation, it drastically improves their chances of survival and their yield compared to an unblessed crop.

Bloodbath

Bloodbath manifests a moment of power in an area where a carnage has taken place. The place of power can have a level of up to half the manifestation level, minus two (this affects casting time).

The moment of power’s level is limited by both the manifestation level and the number of deaths that took place. Five deaths will allow a zero-level place of power. Ten deaths a level 1 place of power, twenty a place of power up to level 2, forty a place of power up to level 3, and so on.

The carnage must be the result of painful deaths. Surprise deaths or cruel deaths count for twice as many toward the maximum power level. The carnage must have occurred within the last hour, plus one hour per level above sixth.

The moment of power will be morally aligned according to the prophet’s moral code. If the prophet has more than one moral code, the prophet can choose to have the moment of power take on either or both moral codes.

If the prophet is morally responsible for the deaths, the place of power must be Evil (though it can also be Ordered Evil or Chaotic Evil), and so the prophet must be Evil also.

Branch of Truce

Branch of truce places the targets under a divinely-enforced truce. There is no reaction roll against this spirit. If any target does not assent to the truce, the truce does not take effect for that target. Once manifested, the truce may not be rescinded, even by the prophet, except by leaving the area. Once all sides have parted, the truce ends in level hours.

Any attacks or damage-causing actions made by an affected creature (or by any weapon or creature under their control) against an affected creature rebound to the attacker.

There is no reaction against the rebound; the only reaction is that made by the attack’s intended victim. The victim may forgo their reaction or defense even to the point of gaining injuries instead of losing survival. If so, the attacker, rather than the victim, gains injury points rather than loses survival. In many circumstances a willpower roll is required to not try avoiding an attack.

Bravery

Bravery aids friendly morale, willpower, and charisma. Bravery must be manifested on a leader, and the effect follows the target. Allies within the area of effect gain a bonus of 3 to morale and willpower, and a bonus of 2 to charisma.

Breathe Easy

Breathe easy adds 2d6 plus level minutes to the length of time the target(s) can hold their breath.

Bridge of Faith

Bridge of faith creates a bridge, up to five yards long per level, which the faithful can walk across. Those who wish to use the bridge must make a wisdom roll to successfully have faith in the power of the prophet’s god(s). If the walker has faith, the bridge holds any weight.

Buoyancy

Buoyancy causes the target to float upon water. The target must weigh less than 100 pounds plus 50 pounds per level.

Call Animal

The prophet can call one species of animal, and up to level of them will arrive as quickly as possible. They are not otherwise under the control of the prophet.

The prophet can add one condition to which animals respond, such as “saw someone pass by recently” or “can carry a burden”; animals will only respond if they meet that criteria.

Spirits of Sky will only attract birds and other sky-living creatures.

Calm Storm

Calm storm creates an area of calm within a storm. Within the calm area, winds are low and precipitation is light.

Captivate

Captivate garners the prophet the undivided attention of everyone in the area of effect who can understand the prophet’s language. Each potential target is allowed a willpower roll to avoid the effects. Targets who are inimical to the prophet, whether for racial or religious reasons, gain a bonus of three on the willpower roll.

Captivated targets will pay complete attention to the prophet, and no attention to anything else happening around them. Victims take no action while the prophet continues to speak.

The captivation continues for as long as the prophet continues speaking loudly to the audience. Sustained, loud, and pervasive opposition to the prophet will grant the victims another willpower roll once.

Once the prophet stops speaking or a captivated victim makes their willpower roll, victims will still make no action for 1d6 rounds afterwards.

Victims who are attacked while captivated, and victims nearby an attacked victim, will no longer be under any of the effects of the captivation, except that they will be very likely to attack or violently oppose whoever so rudely interrupted their listening.

Clay Wheel

Clay wheel takes a clay object sculpted by the prophet and gives it useful properties as if that object were real. The sculpture retains the color and feel of clay, but gains the strength, give, and plasticity of the material that the object normally would be made from.

The prophet spins their still-wet clay sculpture on the small wheel (it need only be big enough to hold the sculpture) and it immediately solidifies, becoming nearly real. When the manifestation ends, the sculpture remains as dried clay. The wheel may be re-used only to sculpt the same kind of object.

The area of effect does not limit the normal expansion of the clay sculpture. A sculpture of a coiled rope can be unwound, for example.

Command

Command forces the target to obey a single-word command to the best of the target’s ability. The command must be easily understood by the target and unequivocal. Commands might include “flee”, “jump”, “dance”, and “sleep”. Commands which cannot be fulfilled, such as “die”, or commands which cannot be understood are ignored.

A target with a wisdom or charisma of 13 or more, or a level of six or more, is allowed a willpower roll.

Commune with Nature

The prophet gains knowledge of nearby happenings in the natural world. If plants are being brushed against, if trees are being chopped, if fruit is being picked; what animals are experiencing and seeing; what trods upon the ground.

As long as it is outdoors and being experienced by a plant or wild animal, the character will also experience it. If it is indoors, but a plant or wild animal is experiencing it, the character can perceive it on a perception roll.

Animal spirits only provide experiences of wild animals.

Plant spirits only provide experiences of plants.

Earth spirits only provide experiences of the ground, rocks, or other natural formations.

Council

Council removes the prophet and up to level minus four companions to a hazy refuge. Outside the council, time does not move, and to outsiders it is as if nothing happened. The council may not affect anything outside of the council. Divination powers may be used as long as they divine an ongoing state that existed before the council and will exist after the council. For example, a spell to location an object would work normally, but the power to read thoughts would not. Thoughts only exist in motion through time.

Spirits may be used in council, if the manifestation affects only those in council. Spells and psychic skills (other than divinations) cannot be used in council.

Those brought into council may speak with each other but may not move from their current location. When they leave council their position is exactly the same as it was when they left.

Courage

Courage grants the targets immunity to non-magical fear, and a bonus of four against magical fear, for the duration of the manifestation. If any target is already under the effects of fear, non-magical fear is dispelled; or a new reaction is allowed for magical fear, with the above bonus.

Cure Nausea

Cure nausea temporarily cures the target of the nausea and stomach aches of minor ailments such as food poisoning and sickness. It also grants a bonus of 1 to reactions against the ailment during the manifestation’s duration.

Curse Crops

Curse crops causes the crop or seeds in the area of effect to fail over the manifestation’s duration. Seeds will die without growing, and grown crops wither. The field itself remains as viable as it was before the curse, but the current crop will fail.

See Bless Crops for more details.

Cyclone Sigil

When the protected area is transgressed, the sigil engulfs the transgressor in a whirlwind that causes one point of damage per level and deposits the transgressor up to twice level yards away. Depending on where this is, it might incur further damage. For example, if the victim is tossed 36 feet into the air, they’re likely to take significant falling damage. The transgressor is allowed a fortitude roll to not be thrown, but will take damage regardless.

The prophet must trace the border in the area of effect, requiring one minute and 10 monetary units of diamond dust for every yard of radius.

The sigils are traced at the entrances to the area and are visible to any who can see divine power.

Any creature touching the protected area without speaking or signing the sigil will trigger the cyclone. Any creature within one yard of the affected creature must make an evasion or fortitude roll or also be taken up by the cyclone.

Water spirits can only manifest a cyclone over bodies of water.

Darkness

Darkness is near pitch black in the area. Creatures within darkness cannot see out of the darkness. The darkness affects normal sight only.

See Sunlight for more details.

Deadly Injury

Deadly injury causes d8 injuries to any living creature. A successful attack is required, and the victim is allowed an evasion roll to avoid injury; on a successful evasion roll, the target loses survival instead (and may not substitute verve).

See Heal Injury for more details.

Death Sigil

When the protected area is transgressed, a void engulfs the transgressor, who gains level injuries. A willpower roll will reduce this to half level.

The prophet must trace the border in the area of effect, requiring 1 minute and 10 monetary units of black diamond dust for every yard of radius.

The death sigils are traced at the entrances to the area; they are visible to any who see divine power.

Any creature touching the protected area without speaking or signing the sigil will trigger the death force.

Death and Dust

The prophet and all things of man appear as dust and skeletons. Every person or domesticated creature in range becomes a ragged skeleton; things the creatures wear or carry disappear, except that clothes become tattered rags. Every man-made creation becomes dust, ash, or stone. Blankets thrown over people appear as a large stone. Gear lying by a tree appear as shattered rocks and pebbles. A blazing fire appears as ancient ash. Buildings appear as scattered stone.

The prophet can apply the manifestation to everyone in range, or only to allies. Once manifested, any entering the area of effect see the illusion and experience uneasiness and fear. Anyone viewing an area of death and dust must make a willpower roll to take any action other than leaving. On a failure, they leave the area in fear and will not return for at least level days.

Domestic creatures will remain still under the spirit’s effect. Intelligent creatures must remain still or the effect is broken for them.

Deathmask

Deathmask causes the target to appear dead. The recipient retains full hearing and smell, but not sight or touch. Damage done to the target will be a tenth what it normally would be, and poisons will not affect them until the deathmask is ended.

The prophet can end the manifestation at any time. Once ended, the target regains mobility and sight in one round.

Death’s Door

Death is not immediate. Creatures remain barely alive following the killing act. Death’s door brings the target back from the precipice of death, and restores the target fully to life. The target’s body must be intact and capable of functioning with moderate healing once restored to life.

The target may not have been more than level rounds dead. While no reaction is allowed to avoid the effects of this spirit manifestation, the target must make a health roll, at a bonus of the spirit’s level, to survive the restoration. If failed, the target may not be brought back except by a higher level spirit.

The target loses one point of endurance, and is extremely weak. The target will be unable to walk without assistance for a number of days equal to half the number of rounds they were “dead”. They have a number of survival points equal to the spirit’s level, or their maximum, whichever is less.

Decadence

Decadence causes an illusory destruction of the structure to its most magnificent decay: the structure will still be recognizable for what it is, but will have fallen into the most shameful disrepair and destruction.

See Glory Days for more details.

Defile

Defile makes an item unusable in divine rite or ritual. If defile is manifested on a blessed item (or vice versa), the prophet must make a willpower roll at a penalty of the level of the bless and a bonus of the level of the defile.

See Bless for more details.

Deflower

Deflower causes all flowers in the area of effect to wither and die.

See Flower for more details.

Deplete Vitality

Deplete vitality causes the loss of d8 survival points, although this is not permanent: such lost survival or injury points return as normal. In combat, a successful attack roll is required. Armor does not affect the target’s defense, although magical bonuses do.

Prophets cause a minimum lost points equal to the spirit’s level (but still no greater than 8).

See Restore Vitality for more details.

Desert Sigil

When the protected area is transgressed, the sigil engulfs the transgressor in a sandstorm that causes d6 points of damage per level and deposits the transgressor up to level feet away. Depending on where this is, it might incur further damage. The transgressor is allowed a fortitude roll to not be thrown, but will take damage regardless. The target, and anyone within one yard of the target, must make an evasion roll or be blinded by sand for d6 rounds.

The prophet must trace the lines of transgression; this requires one minute and 10 monetary units of lapis lazuli for every yard of radius.

The sigils are traced at the entrances to the area and are visible to any who can see divine power.

Any creature touching the protected area without speaking or signing the sigil will trigger the sandstorm.

Despondency

Despondency penalizes enemy morale, willpower, and charisma. Despondency must be manifested on a leader, and the center of effect follows the target. Enemies within the area of effect have a penalty of 3 to morale and willpower, and a penalty of 2 to charisma.

See Bravery for more details.

Detect Ailment

Detect ailment tells the prophet whether or not a creature has been diseased or poisoned. The prophet may make a perception roll to determine the kind of ailment. Once touched, the prophet will know if the creature becomes poisoned during the duration of the manifestation as long as the target remains in sight.

Prophecy spirits may also tell if some drink, food, or object contains poison or disease.

Detect Enemies

Detect enemies tells the recipient the general direction of any creatures of hostile intent within the manifestation’s area. Only the presence of hostility is detected, not the reason for it nor its strength. The hostility must be directed at either the prophet or one of the prophet’s allies.

Detect Influence

Detect influence tells the prophet whether or not the target is under any unnatural mental influence. This includes divine control, magical control, or psychic control. It will not normally detect influence from threats or other natural duress, unless those threats are enhanced by unnatural means on the target.

The prophet may make a perception roll to receive a clue as to the source of the influence.

Detect Life

Detect life allows the recipient to feel the presence of living things in the area. This includes animals, humans, humanoids, and creatures normal and fantastic. If the prophet has seen such creatures before and knew what they were, the prophet can make a reason roll to recognize the life form. Otherwise, only the relative size of the life form is detected. The prophet does not gain information about direction, but does gain information about distance and number.

Dissension

Dissension causes the victims to disagree with one another, and magnifies minor hurt feelings into major arguments. Those under the effects of dissension cannot act as a team. They will avoid any activity that does not involve fighting with, dwelling on the slights of, or otherwise disagreeing with, the other targets of the manifestation.

The targets must all be within twice level yards of the prophet when the manifestation first occurs. Once the manifestation takes effect, moving out of range will not end the manifestation.

The dissension lasts for at least level rounds but can last for as long as the prophet maintains their attention, usually through insinuating remarks aimed at exacerbating dissension.

There is a penalty of half level to the willpower roll to avoid dissension.

Distorted Reflection

Distorted reflection manifests on any mirrored surface; the surface may be larger than the area of effect but only the portion within the area of effect is distorted. The distorted reflection tempts the viewer to do immediate evil. They will not act totally out of character, but will succumb to some temptation they have recently had; at the least, this will distract the victim for at least level rounds, and depending on the temptation it may distract them for longer periods of time, but no longer than the duration of the manifestation.

Distorted reflections affect evil as well as good victims. Evil victims will succumb immediately to temptations they might rather have put off for later. Victims are allowed a willpower roll to avoid the effects. Victims of Good moral code gain a bonus of three on their roll, and those with no moral code have a penalty of two.

Divine Awareness

The target of this manifestation is granted heightened awareness to danger. The target gains a bonus of the spirit’s level to any surprise rolls or perception rolls to detect dangers to the target, such as traps and ambushes.

The divinely aware character is granted a perception roll to automatically notice traps that are about to spring and the signs of invisible or silent creatures stalking them.

Once an opponent is noticed, the target will not lose awareness of that opponent unless the opponent goes more than spirit level times 10 yards away. Thus, once the divinely aware character notices a thief, for example, that thief can no longer sneak up on or surprise the character.

Divine Contract

Divine contract places the targets under a divine contract. Anyone who breaks the contract will lose one of sight, hearing, or speech, chosen at the contract’s signing. There is no reaction against this spirit. If any target refuses to submit to the contract, the contract does not take effect.

Only divine intervention can cure a contract-enforced loss.

If the contract is put in place by a prophet of Evil moral code, the targets are bound by the letter of the contract. If put in place by a prophet of Good moral code the targets are bound by the spirit of the contract. Other prophets may choose at the time the spirit manifests. A copy of the contract must be made for each target.

Divine Courier

Divine courier calls a normal animal to act as the prophet’s courier. The prophet can give the courier simple directions which the creature will follow to the best of its ability. At the end of the directions, the creature will, unless instructed otherwise, wait in that area until the spirit manifestation’s duration ends. The animal will not put itself in unreasonable danger, nor will it attack in an abnormal way for that creature.

The prophet may attach a small note or light, reasonably safe item to the creature, which it will accept and carry to its destination to the best of its ability.

The spirit grants direction-following intelligence to the courier, but no extra knowledge.

Sky spirits may only affect birds or other sky-living creatures.

Water spirits may only affect creatures which live in seas, lakes, or rivers.

Divine Custody

While a prophet has another creature under divine custody, the prophet will know when the target is in danger. If the prophet makes a perception roll at the moment of danger, the prophet will momentarily see an image of the target’s location and danger as well as a continual directional ‘pull’ toward the endangered target. Distance is not a factor, nor is it conveyed by the ‘pull’.

Divine Disfavor

Divine disfavor penalizes friendly morale and combat ability of all enemy creatures within the area of the spirit’s effect at the moment the spirit is made manifest. Willpower and any morale rolls are at a penalty of 1, as are attack rolls.

Prophets using trickster spirits may choose who is unfriendly.

See Divine Favor for more details.

Divine Esteem

Divine esteem affects the rolls of all friendly and unfriendly creatures in the area of effect. For as long as the prophet continues chanting, friendly creatures in the area gain a bonus of one to all rolls, and unfriendly creatures have a penalty of one to all rolls. This includes attack rolls, reaction rolls, and even damage rolls.

Divine Favor

Divine favor aids friendly morale and combat ability of all friendly creatures within the area of effect. Willpower and any morale rolls are at a bonus of 1, as are attack rolls.

Divine Greatness

For the duration of manifestation, divine greatness increases any one ability score except wisdom by one point for every two spirit levels. A barely perceptible aura surrounds the prophet while the spirit manifests.

When the manifestation ends, the prophet must rest for 2d6+level minutes. A successful health roll will reduce this requirement to rounds. Until the prophet has rested, the prophet cannot call spirits or attack, and has a penalty of six to defense and all rolls, and moves at half speed.

Divine Guidance

Divine guidance gives the prophet spiritual guidance. This manifestation may only occur at a shrine or other holy place. The guidance provided is of the deity’s choosing, and may come in any form such as angel, omen, riddle, symbol, and/or animal. Guidance may speak to future actions of the prophet and/or past actions by the prophet.

Divine Messenger

Divine messenger calls a normal animal to act as a messenger. The prophet designates a recipient as well as simple directions to find the recipient. The messenger will follow those directions to the best of its ability. The spirit grants moderate direction-following intelligence to the creature, as well as a general knowledge of the recipient’s location equal to that which might be found by listening to conversations.

The recipient must be known to the prophet. The prophet whispers a short message to the creature. The message must be no more than level times two syllables. The message will be whispered to the recipient once the messenger finds the recipient.

Sky spirits may only affect birds or other sky-living creatures.

Divine Nourishment

Divine nourishment transforms a handful of nuts, berries, or other small natural plant foods into holy foods each of which can nourish as a full normal meal. One such nut or berry is as a full meal for a medium-sized creature, two meals for a small-sized creature, or half of a meal for a large-sized creature, etc. Each berry will also heal one lost survival point.

Overindulging in divine nourishment will result in a lethargic reaction: those who overindulge must make a willpower roll or fall asleep, and will be at a penalty of one on all rolls for each extra nut or berry eaten.

Divine Peril

Divine peril causes the target to be chosen first for any attack made upon a group that could include them. Any time an attacker might choose the victim as the target for their attack, the attacker must make a willpower roll or do so.

See Divine Sanctuary for more details.

Divine Presence

Divine presence allows the prophet to discern the presence of the divine. The prophet may concentrate for one minute on any specific item to learn part of the nature of the divine presence: the most important aspect of its moral code, the lesser aspect of its moral code (if it has one), the type of the spirit (for example, farming, sailing, childbirth) of the deity whose divine presence has been discerned, or the geographical home of the worshippers of the deity whose nature has been discerned (desert, mountain, forest, etc).

Creatures unwilling to have the divine presence within them detected are allowed a perception roll to remain undetected.

Divine Prowess

Divine prowess enhances the target’s combat ability for the duration of manifestation. The target gains a bonus of one to attack and to defense, and to any reaction rolls. The target also gains a bonus of 1d6 plus level temporary survival. Any damage the target takes will first reduce the target’s temporary points. Only when no temporary points remain will the target lose their real survival.

Any remaining temporary survival disappear at the end of manifestation.

Divine Sanctuary

Divine sanctuary places the target under divine protection such that attackers will not attack. The target may safely move through hostile or combative territory and, as long as they do nothing hostile or combative, they will not be attacked.

Any named creature that wishes to target or request action against a creature protected by divine sanctuary must make a willpower roll, at a penalty of the spirit level. If this roll fails, that creature will completely ignore the target for the duration of the manifestation.

If the protected creature makes a hostile or combative action, the protection ends. Divine sanctuary does not protect against incidental area damage, though it does protect against being targeted for such damage.

Divine Service

The prophet can press the target into performing some service. The action must be able to be performed over a period of level rounds, though it may be delayed for up to level hours if the target must travel to perform the service or is somehow obstructed from performing the service. The target will want to perform the service. They will be otherwise perfectly reasonable, but will actively resist any attempt to delay or obstruct performing the service.

The victim is allowed a willpower roll when the command is given. If the action is reasonably likely to cause damage, the victim is allowed a willpower roll when it is performed also. The action must be describable in level times three words. The target must be able to understand the command.

The target must share a moral code with the prophet, and not conflict with the prophet’s, if the target has a moral code. An Evil prophet could press Evil, Chaotic Evil, and Ordered Evil creatures into service, as well as any creature without a moral code. An Ordered Evil prophet could press Evil, Ordered Evil, and non-moral creatures into service.

The target will not remember performing the service unless they make a perception roll at the end of the service. If they do make the perception roll, they’ll remember the voice and performing the action. If they fail the perception roll, they’ll remember the voice but not the action.

Taking damage as a result of the service will also allow one more willpower roll.

Druidsight

Druidsight grants the prophet the ability to see what the target animal is seeing. If the animal is friendly to the prophet (such as an animal companion), the animal will forego the reaction roll. Only normal animals can be affected by this spirit. The target animal can be nudged in certain directions, and may range as far as two miles from the prophet per spirit level.

Dry Water

Dry water destroys up to four gallons of water per level within one cubic yard per level.

See Hidden Pool for more details.

Durability

Durability toughens the target’s skin, making them more difficult to damage. The target gains a bonus of 4 to defense, plus one for every four levels of the manifestation. Durability is not cumulative with normal or magical armor. It grants the full bonus to fortitude rolls, and half that to evasion rolls.

Dust Devil

The dust devil is a tiny tornado, about four feet tall, that moves under the control of the prophet. It will lift leaves, papers, ash, and sand into the air, and it will extinguish small fires such as torches, open lanterns, and campfires smaller than three feet in diameter.

In areas of loose ash, sand, or other particles, the dust devil will whip the dust into a 10-foot diameter dust storm that blinds everyone within. Victims blinded by the dust storm will remain blinded for one round after the storm ends or they exit the storm, if they fail an evasion roll.

Evasion rolls are also required to successfully cast any spell within the area of effect of a dust devil, if that spell requires ingredients that might be affected by the wind.

The dust devil can grab up any item that weighs less than four ounces, such as papers or folios of 20 pages or less, or larger items that weigh more but are able to catch wind, such as hats or articles of clothing. Things caught by the dust devil will remain within the swirling wind unless they’re somehow snatched out of it, and will move with the dust devil.

Earth Shot

Earth shot infuses divine power into pebbles suitable for use in a sling. The pebbles are at +1 to attack. The pebbles cause 1d4+1 points damage. They cause 2d4+2 points damage against any target with at least one moral code opposed to the prophet’s moral code, or that is summoned or created by such a creature or force.

Earthmeld

Earthmeld causes the prophet to meld with the earth, sinking into the ground for up to the duration. The prophet does not age and requires no sustenance while in the ground. The prophet has no physical form and may not be damaged, although large-scale destruction will wake the prophet, whereupon the prophet may choose to go above-ground early. Otherwise, the prophet chooses, on entering the ground, how long they will remain below-ground. The prophet must be touching the ground in order to enter into it.

While in the ground, the prophet heals at normal rates for sleeping.

Earthquake

The earth shears apart down a jagged line 10 yards out from the center of effect and continues quaking for the duration of the manifestation. Man-made structures on the fault line are torn apart. Structures off the fault line need to make a fortitude roll or collapse. Roads, buildings, and underground areas may be destroyed.

Anyone in the area is at a penalty of three for all actions. People on the fault line must make an evasion roll or fall into the shear. Anyone in the fault will take (besides normal falling damage) 1d6 damage every round during the earthquake.

The fault will be twice level yards deep, and may open into underground areas if any exist.

Easy Catch

Easy catch causes the fishhook, when lowered into a body of water, to catch large fish approximately once every other minute.

The hook will catch the best eating and largest normal fish in the area of effect, up to a size that one or two people can reel in with effort.

Elemental Weapon

Elemental weapon calls forth a hand weapon in the shape of a sword or hammer, made of some relevant energy. Worshippers of Yahweh might call forth a flaming sword. Worshippers of Thor might call forth a crackling hammer of lightning. Prophets may not use this manifestation unless some relevant elemental weapon exists. Other elemental forms include cold and light.

The elemental weapon is about one yard long, but its crackling energy can target opponents anywhere in the area of effect. It does level+d4 points damage on a successful attack. The prophet gains a bonus of half level to attack when using the elemental weapon. If the opponent is especially susceptible to the energy, damage is increased by half level. If the opponent has some protection from the energy, damage is halved. If the opponent is immune to the energy, there is no damage from the elemental weapon.

Endure Extreme Temperature

Endure extreme temperature allows the target to endure extremes of heat and cold.

Cold temperatures are as if they were sixty degrees warmer. Hot temperatures are as if they were thirty degrees cooler.

Enthrall

Enthrall causes the target to view everything the prophet says as trustworthy. The victim will tend to agree with anything the prophet says, will be friendly to the prophet, and will reasonably protect the prophet from danger. The victim will not take unreasonably deadly risks, nor will the victim otherwise change their personality, outlook, or morality. Unreasonable requests will allow an additional willpower roll to throw off the enthrall. If the victim does not understand the prophet’s language, enthrall does not grant such understanding.

Enthrall lasts a number of days equal to twenty minus the victim’s charisma. Creatures with twenty or greater charisma cannot be enthralled.

If the prophet directly attempts to cause harm to the victim, the victim is allowed a perception roll to throw off the enthrall, with bonuses or penalties depending on how obvious the attempt was.

Enthrall only affects intelligent, living, non-magical, non-divine creatures. It will not affect demons, undead, or creatures of animal intelligence or less.

Ethical Invisibility

Ethical invisibility makes the target invisible to any creatures of an opposing moral code. The prophet chooses whether the ethical invisibility applies to Order and Chaos or whether it applies to Good and Evil if the target has chosen a moral code that includes both parts. Thus, a Chaotic Good target could be made invisible to Ordered creatures, or invisible to Evil creatures.

The target must have chosen and be living by a moral code. For viewers to be affected, they must have chosen or be living by a moral code. The invisibility affects all senses, and is broken by any attack of the target on an affected viewer.

Eye of the Storm

In an existing storm, the eye is an area of calm for level yards around the target. Outside the area of calm, however, the storm intensifies. Within two yards of the eye’s wall, the wind whips by fast enough to hurl light objects weighing less than level times ten pounds; creatures must make a fortitude roll to penetrate the wind wall without being tossed aside. Large creatures have a bonus of two to the roll, huge a bonus of four, gigantic a bonus of 8, and titanic a bonus of 16. Small creatures have a penalty of two, tiny creatures a penalty of four, and fine creatures a penalty of 8.

A failure means that the creature takes half level d6 damage from being tossed about and from being pelted with sand, dirt, debris, and rain.

Standing within a yard of the wall will result in 1d6 damage for every three levels of the spirit unless a reaction is made as above.

The manifestation will not extend a storm’s duration, and ends when the storm ends if the storm is of shorter duration than the manifestation.

Fair Weather Faith

Fair weather faith protects the recipient from extreme weather conditions. Extremes of temperature (ten plus level degrees Fahrenheit below zero up to 120 plus twice level degrees Fahrenheit above zero) will remain comfortable for the target. Beyond those extremes, temperature will be altered downwards by forty plus twice level degrees, or upwards by eighty plus level degrees. Rain, snow, sleet, and hail will not touch the target, and high winds will not buffet them. The target must make a wisdom roll to successfully accept the fair weather faith.

Faithful Action

Faithful action gives the faithful target an increased ability to perform a task. The recipient (which may include the prophet) must be a faithful follower of the prophet’s religion and religious tenets.

The recipient gains a bonus of three to any one action within the duration of manifestation.

Fantastic Servant

The prophet can call on any fantastic creatures, divine creatures, or dragons (see Encounter Guide for classifications) within range. The prophet can be as specific or as general as desired when summoning the creatures, but must specify the total level(s) of the creatures desired and is limited to creatures within range. If there are no matching creatures within range, the spirit does not manifest.

The total level of the creatures that respond can be no more than the level of manifestation. The creatures must be of average intelligence or lower, must have a moral code, and none of their moral codes can conflict with the prophet’s. A Chaotic Good prophet could press Chaotic, Good, and Chaotic Good creatures into service, but not Evil or Ordered creatures.

Servants must be given a single action to perform. The action must be describable in level times two words, but it doesn’t have to be spoken in a language that the creature understands.

The focus is two or more identical wooden torcs carved with symbols of the prophet’s religion. The prophet wears one, and each creature wears one as well. If the creature fails their willpower roll, they willingly accept the torc from the prophet, and will resist having it removed for the duration of the manifestation. If either torc is destroyed, the charm is ended for that creature. Torcs are reusable, but each torc is specific to one type of creature.

Once the task is completed or the manifestation ends, the target is free to act as they wish (the first thing they’ll likely do is remove the torc). There is no guarantee that they will be friendly to the prophet, though there's also no assumption of hostility either. Treat it as if the prophet had asked the creature to do something and the creature agreed. Any hostility or friendship will be based on how the task turned out.

Fear

Fear causes targets to flee uncontrollably, at their maximum speed, for the duration of the manifestation, if the victim fails a willpower roll.

See Courage for more details.

Feral Frenzy

Feral frenzy turns domestic animals to feral creatures. Horses will not take a saddle and will buck wildly. Dogs will snarl and attack weaker creatures or run frenetically. Smaller animals will become skittish and afraid of closeness. All will snap at offered hands or fingers.

Fiendish Custody

Fiendish custody warns the prophet whenever the target receives great joy, happiness, or relief.

Only Evil prophets may manifest fiendish custody using protection spirits.

See Divine Custody for more details.

Fire Sigil

When the protected area is transgressed, the sigil engulfs the transgressor in a pillar of flame that causes two points of damage per level, plus one injury for every five levels. The transgressor is allowed an evasion roll to avoid the injury, but not the normal damage.

The prophet must trace the lines of transgression in the area of effect; this requires one minute and 10 monetary units of ruby dust for every yard of radius.

The fire sigils are traced at the entrances to the area; they are visible to any who can see divine power.

Any creature touching the protected area without speaking or signing the sigil will trigger the fire. Any creature within one yard of the affected creature must make an evasion roll or be affected by the damage (but not the injuries).

Fire Stone

Fire stone involves stoking a fire around a stone or coal. The stone will maintain an inner heat for the duration of manifestation. The stone has a dull red glow, illuminating with a dim radiance for two yards and causes one survival point loss per round held if no protection is used.

At the prophet’s command the Fire Stone can flare up to ignite any commonly burnable material in one round, provide warmth in a one yard radius (more over time if enclosed), or heat water to boiling (one gallon per round). In this state, it causes a 2d6 survival loss per round held.

If a ruby or diamond is used in the manifestation of the spirit, the spirit’s duration is increased. Instead of one day per level, it is one day per standard monetary value of the gem, with a maximum of one year per spirit level.

Fire of the Forge

Fire of the forge recalls the heat of the forge to any metal forged in heat. The prophet may manifest the spirit on arms and armor of up to one medium-sized creature for every two levels.

The manifestation requires two rounds of concentration, but does have some effect during those two rounds: in the first round, the metal heats; anyone wearing armor will be at a penalty of one to any actions. In the second round, worn armor will become blistering hot, and metal weapons difficult to handle. Victims will take 1d4 points damage from armor, and be at a penalty of either 1 (for using a metal weapon) or 2 (for performing any action in metal armor).

During the third and subsequent rounds, the metal is deadly hot, causing 1d6 damage per round. Victims will be at a penalty of 2 (to use a metal weapon) or 4 (if in metal armor).

The metal’s heat once the spirit fully manifests will be enough that dry, flammable objects in contact with the metal will need to make a reaction roll to avoid bursting into flame.

Firewalk

Firewalk protects the target from fire and ice. The target can walk over hot coals, reach into flame, and withstand extreme cold without problem.

Against massive fire or cold attacks, including magical attacks such as a great ball of fire or a cheimon’s freeze, the target gains a bonus of spirit level to reactions. Damage taken is halved.

Flower

Flower causes a patch of land to bloom in flowers appropriate for the area.

Flower may not be used by death spirits except upon places of burial or death.

Fog

Fog calls a thick, rolling fog to blanket the area around the prophet. The fog covers the ground and twice level yards above the ground.

The fog affects vision and, to a lesser extent, hearing. Sounds are strangely carried on the fog.

Perception in the fog is at a penalty of four.

Foolishness

For foolishness, the target’s wisdom will decrease by 1 for every six levels of the spirit.

See Wisdom for more details.

Foul Air

Foul air completely fouls the air around one person for four rounds per level. Unless the target knows that they will need to hold their breath, they will be at the minimum time period for suffocation.

See Fresh Air for more details.

Foxfire

Foxfire outlines the target(s) in a pale, wispy violet or green luminescence. The glow causes the target to remain visible in the dark even at a distance of up to a hundred yards (fifty yards during daylight or near a bright light). The glow is only enough to outline the target, not enough to illuminate beyond a few feet.

Foxfire makes hard to see targets visible, but cannot affect insubstantial targets such as mists, gasses, or any target that does not have a reasonably solid substance of some kind.

The outline makes the target easier to attack by presaging their movements. At night or in darkness, opponents of a foxfired target are at +2 to attack rolls; or +1 to attack rolls at twilight or daylight, or in brightly lit areas.

Fresh Air

Fresh air completely refreshes the air around the target for the duration of the spirit’s effect. If there is no air around the target, it brings fresh air into existence, but the duration is halved to fifteen minutes per level. It creates or freshens enough air for one creature (per level). Creatures affected may share their air with other creatures. The radius of effect is one foot per spirit level.

Freshen Food

Freshen Food makes rotten, poisonous, or contaminated food (including beverages) edible and as nutritious as when it was fresh and unspoiled.

Ghostly Faith Warriors

This spirit manifestation calls a number of spirit warriors necessary for the target to fight as a group effort of spirit level minus four. A fifth level spirit will call one or two spirit warriors, so that the target plus the warriors are group effort 1. A sixth level spirit will call three to six ghostly warriors, so that the target plus the warriors can form a group effort of 2. A seventh level spirit will call seven to fourteen ghostly warriors, and so on. The target and the ghostly warriors fight together as a group effort controlled by the target, fighting the opponent or opponents that the target is fighting. The base fighting ability is that of the target, modified as for group effort.

The spirit warriors come garbed in clothing appropriate to the prophet’s faith and the battle represented by the focus. They may only fight as a group effort with the target.

The focus must be some bone, armor, or weapons from a battlefield, from a warrior of the prophet’s faith. The number of ghostly warriors called is limited to the number of warriors of the prophet’s faith that took part in that battle. The warriors remain for as long as the prophet concentrates, up to the end of the current battle.

The target must have a charisma of at least 11. The maximum group effort bonus is their charisma minus ten.

Glory Days

Glory days temporarily restores a structure to the height of its glory. The cornerstone or other significant portion of the structure must still be available. Brick, stone, and wood rise back to their places; where the original parts are not available and solid, illusions take their place. Tapestries and furniture all reform. The structure may even be entered and walked upon.

When the manifestation ends, the structure crumbles in one to six rounds, depending on the size of the structure.

Glory days may be manifested only upon a structure created by living, intelligent creatures.

Grave Contract

Grave contract places the targets under a divine contract. Anyone breaking the contract loses sight, hearing, and speech. There is no reaction against this spirit. If any target refuses to submit to the contract, the contract does not take effect.

Only divine intervention can cure a contract-enforced loss.

If the contract is put in place by a prophet of Evil moral code, the targets are bound by the letter of the contract. If put in place by a prophet of Good moral code the targets are bound by the spirit of the contract. Other prophets may choose at the time the spirit manifests. A copy of the contract must be made for each target.

Heal Injury

Heal injury heals 2d8 injury points on any living creature. Prophets heal a minimum injury points equal to the spirit’s level (but still no greater than 16). If the target is about to die but has not died yet, and the target’s injury points are brought to zero, the target is no longer about to die. If the target was about to die and still has injuries, a new reaction is allowed to avert death, at a bonus of the spirit level.

Hearthmeld

Hearthmeld causes the prophet to meld with a home, sinking into the floor and becoming part of the home for up to the duration of effect. The prophet does not age and requires no sustenance while in the home. The prophet has no physical form and may not be damaged, although destruction of the home will force the prophet out. The prophet may see anything happening within the home, and may choose to leave the home at any time, re-appearing where they entered. The prophet must be within the home and touching the floor in order to enter into it.

While in the home, the prophet heals lost survival at normal rates for sleeping.

Helpful Hemp

Helpful hemp makes normal hemp rope into a helpful rope that pretty much knows where it needs to go and will do so on command. Attempts to loop the rope over a stationary object are at a bonus of twice level. Attempts to use the rope as a lasso are at a bonus of level, and attempts to evade the lasso are at a penalty of level.

Helpful hemp, once knotted, can untie itself on command. While it cannot tie itself on command, knots tied into the rope will not unravel unless commanded to do so.

Helpful hemp can increase in size by up to level times ten percent as needed. It also does not encumber as much as normal rope: divide its bulk by the level of the spirit manifestation for the rope’s bulk while under the influence.

Helpful hemp has increased strength. It can hold up to level times twenty percent more than it normally could, and it has a bonus of level to item reactions.

Hidden Pool

Hidden pool calls forth a small pool, spring, or burst of rain which creates up to level times four gallons of water. The water may be called forth into a natural indentation in the ground; or a spring from a large rock. If water is to be called without those, a drop of morning dew is required. The water is clean and pure, as rain water.

Holy Shot

Holy shot blesses a missile, such as a sling shot, arrow, or thrown dagger. The missile gains a bonus of twice level to attack and level to damage the next time it is fired. It must be fired within level hours. The damage bonus cannot exceed twice the maximum damage of the missile.

Holy Weapon

Holy weapon makes the prophet’s personal hand-to-hand weapon act as a magical weapon, with a bonus of one to attack and two to damage. Only the prophet may use the weapon, and the weapon must be in some way representative of the prophet’s faith or culture.

Home Rule

Home rule causes the world to work as it would in the target creature’s home world. For example, if gunpowder works in the target’s home world it will work when used under the influence of home rule, as long as the gunpowder is within the area of effect. In a world where magic doesn’t work, this will let a spellcaster use magic as long as the spell’s target is also in the area of effect.

Hound’s Breath

The hound’s breath gives the target an enhanced ability to track, locate, and perceive a specific quarry. Any roll to track, recognize, or otherwise perceive the quarry are at a bonus of twice level for the duration of the manifestation. Rolls that succeed during the manifestation need not be re-rolled when the manifestation ends.

The prophet must have something of the quarry to focus the manifestation.

Icy Prison

Icy prison surrounds the target with ice and snow in a swirling mini-storm that builds an icy prison around the target from the ground (or water) up.

If on land, the target must fit within a sphere level feet in diameter. In heavy rain, the target must fit within a sphere level yards in diameter, and in a body of water the target must fit within a sphere twice level yards in diameter. If the target does not fit, the target’s movement is reduced by level for one round (if on land) or for the duration of manifestation in a body of water. If the target does fit, movement is completely stopped for the duration and possibly for some time after it; the icy prison melts as normal once the manifestation ends.

Indecision

Indecision causes the victim to vacillate between different courses of action. During conflict, the victim is at a penalty of one to all ability and attack rolls. The victim must also make a willpower roll (at the same penalty) to begin any action without an immediate need.

See Purpose for more details.

Infestation

Infestation calls forth a swarm of tiny crawling, biting insects. It will call beetles, ants, spiders, and whatever other tiny crawling insects are natural in the area.

There must be ground or plants near the targets: somewhere for the insects to come from.

Any concentration or action by an affected target is at a penalty of two while covered by infestation. The infestation will cause d4-1 points of damage per round. A successful evasion roll, which precludes any other action that round, will result in a maximum of one point damage that round.

Once the prophet drops concentration, the infestation will fade in two rounds. During the first round after concentration, the effects are halved.

If the target makes their evasion roll for the first round, the prophet may send the infestation to the same or different targets in subsequent rounds, however, any evasion rolls will be at a bonus of four.

The prophet may reduce a target’s reaction by two for every extra potential medium target they allocate. For example, a prophet causes a fourth level spirit of death to manifest infestation. Normally the infestation could affect two medium targets. If the prophet focuses that onto a single medium target, the target will be at a penalty of two to their evasion roll. The other penalties due to being covered by an infestation are also proportionally increased: any rolls by the target to perform an action or to concentrate will be at a penalty of four, and the target will lose 2d4-2 points per round.

Invisible Passage

Invisible passage hides all traces of the target’s movement through sand, snow, forest, or any other terrain. Within one round of the target’s passing, tracking is impossible through normal means. Footprints are erased, broken twigs mended, fallen leaves re-arranged.

The target must carry the feather for the duration of the spirit’s power.

Just Sleep

A just sleep allows the recipients a full night’s sleep in just an hour. The recipients gain all the benefits of a full night’s sleep, and automatically make their survival/injury renewal roll.

Just sleep may only be used once on the same target in any 24-hour period.

Know Morality

Know morality allows the prophet to know if a character or thing is bound to the moral codes of either Good or Evil. It takes one round of concentration to determine if a creature or object is Evil, or if the creature or object is Good. The prophet must look at the target and think “is this good?” or “is this evil?” The target must be visible and within the area of effect. It takes two rounds of concentration to ask both questions.

Many magical, fantastic, and undead creatures are inherently Good or Evil. Characters won’t be unless they have chosen a moral code and are currently acting on that code. Cursed or blessed objects may also be knowable as Good or Evil.

The prophet will know the general strength of the moral code, and, if Good or Evil is exceptionally strong, the prophet may make a perception roll to know the moral code of Chaos or Order held by the target.

Know Weather

Know weather gives the prophet knowledge of the weather throughout the radius at the present time and for up to six hours away per level, past and present.

For example, a fourth level spirit would give the prophet knowledge of all weather conditions within four miles from the past twenty-four hours and up to the next twenty-four hours.

Ladder of Faith

Ladder of faith creates a vertical ladder, up to twice level yards tall, which the faithful can climb. Those who wish to use the ladder must make a wisdom roll to successfully have faith in the power of the prophet’s god(s). If the climber has faith, the ladder holds any weight.

Lightning

Lightning calls forth lightning from a cloudy or stormy sky. Weather conditions must be such that lightning is possible: rain, storm clouds, muggy and overcast, or tornadoes, for example. The manifestation must occur outdoors.

Once manifest, the prophet can, in addition to acting normally, call forth one lightning bolt every six rounds to any target in the manifestation’s range and the prophet’s line of sight. Anything in the path (and area of effect) of the lightning bolt will take 2d8 damage, plus level additional dice damage. Victims may make an Evasion roll for half damage.

Lightning Sigil

When the protected area is transgressed, the sigil strikes the transgressor with a bolt of lightning that causes two points of damage per level, plus one injury for every five levels. The transgressor is allowed an evasion roll to avoid the injury, but not the normal damage.

The prophet must trace the lines of transgression in the area of effect, which must be open to the sky; this requires one minute and 10 monetary units of amethyst dust for every yard of radius.

The lightning sigils are traced at the entrances to the area; they are visible to any who can see divine power.

Any creature touching the protected area without speaking or signing the sigil triggers the bolt of lightning. Any creature above or touching the affected creature must make an evasion roll or be affected by the damage (but not the injuries).

Locate Disease

Locate disease tells the prophet whether or not there is disease within the area of effect. The prophet will know the direction and kind of the disease. On a perception roll, the prophet will know within a medium-sized target the location of the disease(s).

Locate Plant

Locate plant tells the prophet the direction and approximate number of the desired kind of plant, if any are within the area of effect.

If the prophet moves while the spirit manifests, the prophet will sense any new such plants within the area of effect.

Locate Water

Locate water tells the prophet the direction and approximate size of all bodies of water in range.

If the prophet moves while under the spirit’s influence, they can discover new bodies of water that come into range.

Major Contract

Major contract places the targets under a divine contract. Anyone who breaks the contract will lose two of sight, hearing, and speech, chosen at the contract’s signing. There is no reaction against this spirit. If any target refuses to submit to the contract, the contract does not take effect.

Only divine intervention can cure a contract-enforced loss.

If the contract is put in place by an Evil prophet, the targets are bound by the letter of the contract. If put in place by a Good prophet the targets are bound by the contract’s spirit. Other prophets may choose at the time the spirit manifests. A copy of the contract must be made for each target.

Moral Veneer

Moral veneer makes the target appear to have a different moral code to spirits or other powers that detect morality. The prophet must have hair, nail, or bone from some creature with the desired moral code. The hair, nail, or bone must be worked into a small mask. The target must carry the mask for the duration of the manifestation.

Nauseate

Nauseate gives the target the symptoms of nausea, aching stomach, and dizziness, resulting in a penalty of 1 to agility, attack rolls, and any reaction rolls, as well as requiring a reaction roll to concentrate enough to cast spells. Moving at more than half movement will cause the target to regurgitate for d4 rounds.

See Cure Nausea for more details.

Night Road

The night road may only be called at night. Up to level creatures may walk the night road to their destination. They will arrive at their destination after walking 2d100 miles, divided by level. Their destination may be any open space that the prophet or spirit has been and knows the location of.

Once the walkers arrive at their destination, the manifestation ends. If dawn arrives before they leave the path, the manifestation also ends. Dawn is determined from when they left. When they arrive, they arrive during the night. Their arrival time mirrors their walking time and the time they left. If they left one place at three in the morning and walked for two hours, they will arrive at their destination at five in the morning.

If the walkers do not arrive at their destination before the manifestation ends, or if they leave the path before arriving at their destination, they will find themselves at random points between their starting point and their ending point.

Obscuring Mist

Obscuring mist draws forth a thick, swirling cloud around the prophet. The cloud moves with the prophet, although the cloud is not always centered on the prophet.

Under normal conditions the mist obscures vision completely within the area of effect: anyone in the area or firing into the area are treated as unable to see. Within twice the area of effect, the effect is halved. If there is a strong wind, the mist will provide half protection within the area of effect and no obscurement outside of the area of effect.

Once the mist manifests, the prophet can at any time choose to make the mist stationary even as the prophet moves. If the prophet leaves the mist, it cannot be reattached to the prophet.

Part Ice

Part ice cracks a corridor through an ice field or glacier, on land or sea. The corridor can be as long as it needs to be, but the entire length must be within range. The corridor can be up to level yards deep and half level yards wide. The corridor can be traversed in reasonable safety: if ice or ground remains, the surface will be solid enough to walk on or pull carts. If the surface is water, it may be sailed or otherwise floated through as normal. When the manifestation ends, or when the prophet wills it, the ice comes crashing back.

The corridor cannot tunnel under ice. It can follow the prophet if the prophet moves.

Part Sand

Part sand rolls back a corridor of sand or dirt through dune or hill. The corridor can be as long as it needs to be, if the entire length is within range. The corridor can be up to level yards deep and half level yards wide. The corridor can be traversed in reasonable safety: the surface is solid enough to walk on or pull carts. When the manifestation ends, or when the prophet wills it, the sand rolls back.

The corridor cannot be created underground. It can follow the prophet if the prophet moves.

Part Stone

Part stone cracks open a corridor through stone or mountain. The corridor can be as long as it needs to be, as long as the entire length is within range. The corridor can be up to level times ten yards deep and level yards wide. The corridor can be traversed in reasonable safety: the surface will be solid enough to walk on or pull carts. When the manifestation ends, or when the prophet wills it, the stones come crashing back.

The corridor cannot be created underground. It can follow the prophet if the prophet moves, allowing the prophet and companions to travel through mountain or stony hills.

Part Water

Part water rolls back a corridor of water through river, lake, or ocean. The corridor can be as long as it needs to be, but the entire length must be within range. The corridor can be up to level yards deep and level yards wide. The corridor can be traversed in reasonable safety: the surface (assuming the corridor is deep enough to hit bottom) will be solid enough to walk on or pull carts. When the manifestation ends, or when the prophet wills it, the water crashes back.

The corridor can be created underwater, but width and depth are halved. It can follow the prophet if the prophet moves.

Passage

Passage allows the target and companions easy passage through thick foliage. Tree branches move out of the way, as do hedges, thick weeds, bushes, and any other plant life. The target and anyone in radius may move at normal speed.

Passage may be manifest on a location or on a target creature or object. Creatures are allowed an evasion roll. If the manifestation is attached to something that moves, the manifestation moves also. If the prophet attempts to attach this spirit to a creature and that creature makes its reaction roll, the manifestation takes effect just beyond the target creature.

Paths of the Dead

The dead do not go immediately to their final rest. There are way stations and paths the dead must follow. Paths of the dead opens a way to this path if the target is less than level days dead. The prophet and up to a third level companions may travel those paths to find the dead person’s soul and return it to the land of the living. This spirit manifestation may only be used at a culturally-appropriate gateway, such as a cavern entrance, a holy grove, or a body of water.

If the target had no moral code, the target can only have been dead for up to half level days.

The retrieval usually takes very little time in the world of the living: for every hour that is spent in the paths of the dead, one round passes in mortal lands.

If the soul is successfully extracted, the target must make a health roll. If successful, the target is at full survival or at endurance survival, whichever is lower. If unsuccessful, the target is at one survival. In either case, the target has injuries equal to half the number of days they were dead.

Those who enter the paths of the dead multiple times are likely to attract the attentions of the caretakers of those paths.

Pierce the Veil

Everything is illusion. This spirit manifestation convinces the target of the illusory nature of one concrete, physical item. The item can be as small as a sword or as large as a mountain or as complex as an attacking army, but the item must be reasonably well-defined. For the duration, that item does not exist for the target. The target cannot affect it, and it cannot affect the target. They will not be harmed by the sword or army, may walk through the mountain or army unaffected, or walk across the gorge without falling. Because the sword, army, mountain, or gorge does not exist.

The target must make a willpower roll to successfully pierce the veil. The spirit then affects them for level minutes. After level minutes, they must make a reason roll, and fail the roll. If they succeed at the reason roll, they have succumbed again to the illusion of reality. Wisdom modifies the reason roll as a major contributor. A high wisdom makes them more likely to continue under the effects of pierce the veil, and a low wisdom makes them more likely to succumb to the illusion of reality. This roll must be made every level minutes. The spirit manifestation otherwise lasts for as long as the item remains relevant.

If the target involuntarily succumbs to reality while the item remains relevant, they will be safe to the best possibilities of chance. The character passing through the mountain will find themselves in a cave; the character passing across a gorge will, if at all possible, find themselves hanging to a branch, vine, or ledge. If not possible, however, and their position isn’t untenable (such as realizing that the pit truly does exist) then they will face the consequences as normal. If their position is untenable (such as finding themselves in co-existence with a mountain or a wall) they will gain d6 injuries, be placed in the nearest possible position that is not untenable, and will become catatonic for one hour for every injury gained. A successful willpower roll will reduce that to one minute per injury.

Pillar of Flame

The prophet calls down a pillar of flame upon their enemies. The pillar can appear anywhere in range and, once called, can move at up to level times five feet per round. A pillar can normally attack one medium target at fourth level, two at eighth level, three at twelfth, and so on.

The pillar of flame causes d6 damage for every two levels of the spirit. It also ignites any combustibles within the area of effect. On a successful evasion roll, items carried will not ignite, and the victim will take half damage from the fire.

If clothing catches fire and the pillar moves on, the victim must spend the next round extinguishing the flame or take d6 damage.

Placement

Placement allows the prophet to determine the subject’s placement in the world. The prophet must know the target’s real (given) name, or the target’s time and date of birth. With this information, the spirit relates to the prophet information about the target’s personality, personal life, and personal history. The information will be vaguely specific: the target was born in another country, they recently lost a child, they’ve become engaged to be married, they don’t get along well with others, their profession and how good they are at it, and how those close to the target view the target. Placement shows the target’s current place in the world, but not the future.

If the prophet does not have the correct name or identifying information, the information gained will be as generally specific, but will be incorrect.

Plant Growth

Plant growth causes a plant to grow faster over a period of a day. The plant will grow level times two weeks worth of growth.

This spirit manifestation is mostly useful on very small plants such as vegetables or flowers, as those grow faster than large plants such as trees.

Protection from Morality

Protection from morality may be protection from Evil or from Good. It blocks contact by enchanted, conjured, or summoned creatures, whether part of the opposing moral code or unaligned with respect to Good and Evil. This will include such creatures as demons and elementals. This protection extends about a foot beyond the target’s body. Other creatures, even if Evil, may attack the character, but Evil (or Good, in the second form) opponents attack at a penalty of 2, and reactions against such attacks are at a bonus of 2.

Moving against barred creatures allows them a willpower roll to break through the barrier. The moral code protected against depends on the prophet’s religion.

Order spirits may use this manifestation only as protection from Chaos.

Chaos spirits may use this manifestation only as protection from Order.

Protection from Sorcery

Protection from sorcery reduces the effects of spells and other magical effects cast upon the target. Any spell’s effect level is dropped by the manifestation level of the protection spirit. If the spell’s effect level is dropped to below the spell’s level, the spell is completely blocked. Otherwise, its effects are reduced accordingly.

All effects except range are reduced, including number of mage bolts and fire damage. For area effect spells that use some form of points, such as sleep, you’ll have to judge whether or how the spell would have affected the target if the spell had been cast at the lower level.

Protection from Undead

Protection from undead is made manifest on a piece of yew bark. This bark may then be given to other characters. No undead may enter the area of effect surrounding the bark.

Undead pushed against by the protection may make a fortitude roll to break through.

Pure Fire

Pure fire causes the target fire to burn at twice the normal heat, and to give off twice the normal light, allowing a single log to provide as if it were a full fire. While under the effects of pure fire, the fire does not consume its fuel. Before and after the manifestation, the fuel is consumed as normal.

Purpose

Purpose strengthens the targets’ inner convictions and helps them make decisions. Players may discuss their characters’ tactics amongst themselves without affecting the time it takes their characters to come to a decision. During conflict, they may do this at the beginning of each round. Purposeful characters gain +1 to any ability or attack roll due to their greater ability to take advantage of opportunities.

Putrefy Food

Putrefy food makes food inedible and undrinkable. Putrefied food will be obviously spoiled, and will cause food poisoning as normal if eaten.

See Freshen Food for more details.

Quake Sigil

When the protected area is transgressed, the earth cracks open and engulfs the transgressor, who takes two points of damage per level as the earth grinds them up. The crack can be up to twice level yards deep. Depending on where this is, it might incur further damage. For example, if the crack opens into an underground cavern, they might take falling damage. The transgressor is allowed an evasion roll to avoid falling into the earth, but will still take damage.

The prophet must trace the border in the area of effect; this requires one minute and 10 monetary units of topaz dust for every yard of radius.

The quake sigils are traced at the entrances to the area; they are visible to any who can see divine power. The area to be affected must be fully natural.

Any creature touching the protected area without speaking or signing the sigil will trigger the quake. Any creature within one yard of the affected creature must make an evasion roll or also be sucked into the rent in the earth.

Quest

Quest charges the target with a special quest for the fulfillment of the faith. For prophet spirits, the quest must be a service that fulfills a need of the deity or pantheon that the prophet worships. For charm spirits, the quest may be more general, but must still be somehow related to the fulfillment of the faith. It may, for example, be a teaching quest, one that will (hopefully) cause the victim to learn more about the ways of the religion.

Members of the same faith are at a penalty of three on their reaction roll to avoid the quest. For each moral code that the target shares with the prophet, there is a penalty of one to avoid the quest. For each moral code that the target has in opposition to the prophet, there is a bonus of one to the reaction roll.

The quest must be one that can be fulfilled, and the target must understand it. Open-ended terms of service, or quests for suicide, for example, will result in the spirit manifestation failing. While performing the quest, the target receives a bonus of 1 to rolls that further the quest.

Targets that deviate from, delay, or twist the quest will be punished for their transgressions. For each day that the target does not work to fulfill the quest, they gain a penalty of one to their endurance, until it reaches three. This will happen because of something; for example, because they are stuck in the belly of a whale. Their divine punishment can be as simple as being unable to hold down any food, but for whatever reason the character will lose those points.

Once the character begins moving toward true fulfillment, endurance restores at a point per day.

Raging Storm

Raging storm intensifies an existing storm to triple its intensity: higher winds, more driving precipitation.

See Calm Storm for more details.

Ravel

Ravel causes rope or string to tie itself into a knot. The rope or string must be no more than a quarter level inches in diameter.

For animal spirits, the rope or string must be made from animal material.

For plant spirits, the rope or string must be made from plant material.

Rebuke Spirit

Rebuke spirit ends a spirit manifestation. A prophet may not rebuke a spirit called forth by another prophet of the same deity or pantheon. Other deities within the same pantheon are fair game. A prophet of Thor could not rebuke a spirit called forth by another prophet of Thor; nor could a prophet call on the Norse Gods to rebuke a spirit called forth on behalf of the Norse Gods. But a prophet could call on the power of Thor to rebuke a spirit called forth on behalf of Loki. There may be other limitations on rebuke spirit within a pantheon or campaign world.

Successfully rebuking a spirit manifestation requires a willpower roll with a penalty of the rebuked spirit’s level and a bonus of the rebuking spirit’s level. There is a penalty of one to this roll if the original prophet shares one moral code with the prophet rebuking the manifestation, or a penalty of three to the roll if the original prophet and this prophet share two moral codes.

Restore Health

Restore health grants the victim a willpower roll to throw off any disease or poison. The willpower roll is at a bonus of the level of this spirit.

Recovery then occurs as normal for that ailment. If the target is down on survival points, up to 2d4 survival are restored on the initial manifestation of this spirit.

Restore Vitality

Restore vitality heals d8 lost survival points or injuries on any living creature. Restore vitality can heal the effects of disease or sickness if the ailment causes damage, however, it cannot heal the disease or sickness itself. The manifestation heals at least the spirit’s level, up to eight points. Thus, if the player of a fifth-level prophet calls a fourth-level spirit to heal, and rolls 3 on the die to heal, four points are actually healed. With spirits of eighth level or higher, the player need not roll: the number of points restored is eight.

If the target is dying even after being restored they can make a willpower roll to throw off death. This roll will be at a bonus of the prophet’s wisdom as a major contributor.

Ritualize

Ritualize grants the prophet a bonus of level minus 5 to ritual preparation reason rolls. The entire preparation must take place within the duration of manifestation, and the preparation must not extend beyond the area of effect.

Safe Passage

Safe passage guides the prophet safely around or over traps, both man-made and natural. Knowledge of the kind of trap or where the trap is located is not provided by the spirit, only that the prophet (and anyone following the prophet) must step left, for example, to avoid the trap. If it is not possible to walk around or step over the trap, the spirit will guide the prophet to stop.

While the spirit’s knowledge of what is and isn’t safe passage includes up to level additional followers, those followers are not under the spirit’s power and must follow the prophet’s movements to avoid ill effects.

Sea’s Revenge

Sea’s revenge creates an intense undertow that sucks the target deep underwater and doesn’t let them loose until they are far out to sea. For every round they’re underwater, targets are sucked fifty yards out. Targets will be underwater for the entire duration; suffocation and other effects of being underwater are handled as normal.

This manifestation can only take effect on victims that are already standing in a lake or sea. The duration of the manifestation is treated as an obstacle size for reactions.

Serenity

Serenity temporarily ends hostilities among the creatures affected. The manifestation does not alter hostilities between affected and unaffected targets. It also does not alter the affected creatures’ reactions to other external events.

The targets must all be within twice level yards of the prophet when the manifestation first occurs. Once the manifestation takes effect, moving out of range will not end the manifestation.

The serenity lasts for at least level rounds but can last for as long as the prophet maintains their attention, usually through an oration aimed at ending hostilities permanently.

There is a penalty of level to the willpower roll to avoid serenity.

Sheet Lightning

Sheet lightning calls forth a vertical sheet of lightning between any two objects or creatures. Both targets must be within range. The sheet lightning may be up to level yards tall, but will be no taller than the targets. Unwilling targets that actively choose not to be a target are allowed an evasion roll to avoid being an endpoint.

Objects and creatures between the endpoints suffer d4 points damage, plus one for every level of the spirit. If the endpoints are creatures, they also suffer the damage. Except for the endpoints, an evasion roll is allowed for half damage.

Sink

Sink causes the target to sink in water to a depth of ten feet per level. The target may make a strength roll, at a penalty of the spirit’s level, to stay afloat for endurance minutes, but no action other than frantic swimming is then possible.

See Buoyancy for more details.

Snow Guardian

Until triggered, the snow guardian is a pile of twigs and coal in snow. Once triggered, the snow swirls around the twigs and coal (and heart) and forms into a twisted and amorphous human-like shape. It will attack any intruders in the area. It acts as a divine creature of level equal to the spirit level. It has movement 15. It attacks with its snow fists for d10+1 points of damage. Its defense is 8, and it does not count as a creature for spells, such as mage bolt. Once every three rounds, it can form itself into a bitterly-cold blast of snow which does d8 damage to anyone in its path unless they make an evasion roll. The snow blast’s path is level yards long and 3 yards wide, and at the end of the round the guardian will reform at the end of the blast. During that round it is at a bonus of 4 to defense and reactions.

Any creature entering the protected area triggers the guardian’s attack. It will not follow intruders more than level yards beyond the area it is guarding, but unless defeated it will be able to reform to attack subsequent intruders, up to the end of the duration of the spirit manifestation.

The snow guardian’s heart is some representation of winter, such as a snow globe or ice castle. The heart may be re-used.

Spark of Life

A spark of life remains for several hours in the dead. Spark of life draws forth the life energies that remain in the almost-dead, and restores the target fully to life. The target’s body must be intact and capable of functioning with moderate healing once restored to life.

The target may not have been more than level hours dead. The target must make a health roll, at a bonus of the spirit’s level, to survive the restoration. If failed, the spark of life may not be restored except by a higher level spirit.

The target loses one point of endurance and is extremely weak. They have injuries equal to half the number of hours they were dead. They have survival equal to the spirit’s level, or their maximum, whichever is less.

Speak in Tongues

Speak in tongues ensures that what the prophet says will be understand by everyone in the area of effect. The prophet’s words will be understood as the prophet intends them.

Speak with Plants

Speak with plants allows the prophet to question, in simple language, any living plants within the area of effect. The prophet may learn who or what has passed by the plant and what things have happened within the shade of the plant. Plants have long memories but little sense of time, so that times are likely to be in terms of days and seasons.

A successful charisma roll is required to gain any other than the most general information.

Speed of Horse

Speed of horse increases the target’s movement by level times 10% for the duration of manifestation. At fourth level, the target’s movement will increase by 40%, for example.

A horse with a movement of 14 would have an increased movement of 20 under the effect of a fourth-level speed of horse. A giant capybara with a movement of 9 would move at 14 under the effect of a sixth-level speed of horse.

Spiritual Hold

Spiritual hold binds the targeted creatures motionless. They may not move, but are aware of what is happening around them as they normally would be. They can use any abilities that do not require moving. The spirit manifests itself as a barely visible mist in some form appropriate to the deity or pantheon the prophet called upon to gain the spirit.

Up to two plus half level intelligent, living, flesh-and-blood creatures may be targeted. Larger creatures count as more: large creatures count as two creatures, huge creatures as four, gigantic as eight, and titanic as sixteen.

If the prophet focuses twice as many “points” on a target as is necessary, the target has a penalty of one to their reaction roll. Four times as many points gives the target a penalty of two, six times a penalty of three, etc. For example, a prophet manifesting spiritual hold with a sixth-level spirit could affect up to five creatures. If the prophet targets four of those points to one medium-sized or smaller target, and one to another, the first target will have a penalty of two to their reaction roll to avoid the spiritual hold.

The prophet must maintain an awareness of the target(s). If the prophet directs the majority of their attention elsewhere, for example to manifest other spirits or engage in a conflict or contest, the remaining minutes become rounds. Leaving the spirit’s range or even losing sight of the targets do not trigger the shorter duration.

Spiritual Torpor

Spiritual torpor binds the targeted creatures motionless and senseless. They may not move or speak, and are only vaguely aware, as if far away in a dream. They are defenseless and may not initiate any actions or concentrate on any actions. The spirit manifests itself as a barely visible mist in some form appropriate to the deity or pantheon the prophet called upon to gain the spirit.

Up to one, plus half level, intelligent, living creatures may be targeted.

If the prophet focuses twice as many “points” on a target as is necessary, the target has a penalty of one to their reaction roll. Four times as many points gives the target a penalty of two, six times a penalty of three, etc. For example, a prophet manifesting spiritual torpor with an eighth-level spirit could affect up to five creatures. If the prophet targets four of those points to one target, and one to another, the first target will have a penalty of two to their reaction to avoid spiritual torpor.

The prophet must maintain an awareness of the target(s) for the duration to be measured in minutes. If the prophet directs the majority of their attention elsewhere, for example to manifest other spirits or engage in a conflict or contest, the remaining minutes become rounds. Leaving the spirit’s range or even losing sight of the targets do not trigger the shorter duration.

Steady Will

Steady will protects friendly creatures within the area of effect from mental domination and influence. For the duration of the manifestation, the targets have a bonus of three plus spirit level to reactions against mental effects that affect behavior, such as phantasms, charms, and sleep. It works against magic, divine power, and psychic power.

Stillness

Stillness causes complete silence within the area of effect. Loud sounds are audible within a foot or two from where they were made, but are unintelligibly muffled, as if underwater. Stillness may be cast on an area or a non-carried object (in which case there is no reaction) or upon a creature; if cast upon an object or creature, the effect follows the target. If a creature makes its reaction, the effect manifests on the creature’s location rather than the creature itself.

The still silence means that spells and spirit manifestations that require words cannot be cast or manifested within the area of effect.

Stone Hail

Stone hail calls forth a hail of small stones in the area of effect. Any in the area of effect that fail their reaction roll take d6 points damage for every two levels of the spirit.

The prophet may tighten the area of effect for a penalty to reactions against the hail. For every level yards removed from the radius, there is a penalty of one to evasion rolls to avoid damage.

Summit

Summit causes everyone in the area of effect to understand everyone else in the area of effect. Everyone hears anything said as if spoken in their native tongue. Gestures are understood according to the culture of the gesturer.

Sunder Stone Structure

Sunder stone structure splits and cracks open any stone wall, bridge, or other stone construction, or large rock that is used for structural purposes, for example as a barrier.

The structure or rock must have either a height or width (facing the prophet) of no more than one yard for every two spirit levels. It may be no thicker (deeper) than level minus four feet. The prophet must strike the stone with their staff or other holy symbol.

Sunder Weapons

Sunder weapons destroys or disables any weapon in the area of effect currently being used in an aggressive manner or being prepared for attack.

Metal weapons will shock or heat painfully and shake violently. Thin wooden weapons, such as arrows, will warp and splinter into pieces. Thick wooden weapons, such as spears or bows, will warp and crack. Wooden items are allowed a fortitude roll at a penalty of the spirit’s level.

Weapon bearers lose their next attack and must make a fortitude roll at a penalty of the spirit’s level or drop the weapon.

Affected weapons must fit in the area of effect.

Plant spirits may only sunder plant-based (usually wooden) weapons.

Sunlight

Sunlight may be manifest on a location or on a target creature or object. Creatures are allowed an evasion roll. If the sunlight is attached to something that moves, the manifestation moves also. If the prophet attempts to attach this spirit to a creature and that creature makes its reaction roll, the spirit takes effect just beyond the target.

Light is reasonably bright within the area of effect, and falls off completely outside of the area. The prophet may also command the sunlight to end at any time.

Suppress Sorcery

Suppress sorcery creates a spherical shield that reduces the effects of spells and other magics targeted or cast within the sphere. Any spell’s effect level is dropped by the level of the protection spirit. If the spell’s effect level is dropped to zero or below the spell’s level, the spell is completely blocked. Otherwise, its effects are reduced accordingly.

All magical effects will be reduced, including range if the spell is cast from within the suppression sphere. In the case of spells cast from within the sphere, spell effects are reduced even if the spell is targeted somewhere outside the sphere.

For area spells that use a form of points such as sleep, and are both cast and targeted outside the sphere, you’ll have to judge whether or how the spell would have affected targets in the sphere if the spell had been cast at the lower level.

Sword to Snake

Sword to snake temporarily turns hand-held weapons into snakes. After one round, the snakes return to weapon form. The prophet can have the snakes do one of two things: writhe around and hiss, or slither toward the prophet. They can move up to level yards.

Weapons that are held by a creature gain that creature’s evasion roll. Magical weapons are usually unaffected.

Tangle

Tangle creates an impassable tangle of thicket and plants for one minute per level. Trees, weeds, bushes, even grass will bar passage, twist around legs and arms, and hold the target and any creature in its radius nearly immobile. Tangled creatures may not move. Those within the area of effect are allowed a Fortitude roll to partially avoid the effects of the spirit. Creatures that make their reaction may move at one yard per round. Depending on the plants doing the holding, exceptionally large or strong creatures may be less effected by this spirit manifestation than normal creatures.

See Passage for more details.

Thorn Volley

The focus is a thorn of the same type as the thorn patch. Any plant that bears thorns or sharp prickles may be used, such as hawthorn, roses, cacti, and sharp thistles. The spirit causes a patch of such plants within range to expel a volley of thorns toward any target the prophet desires. The volley can be up to a yard wide per level and ten yards long per level.

The volley causes 1d6 points damage per level; if the target is wearing any armor, the armor’s defense bonus aids their evasion roll. On a successful evasion roll, a target takes half damage.

Tidings

Tidings grants cryptic tidings of the results of some action the prophet is considering. Tidings provides an indication of the likelihood of success or failure and possibly the results thereof. It is up to the Guide how the tidings will be worded. It can be as simple as “dangers await, success likely”, or as cryptic as “Take heart, and face your foes with pride,” or “Even great courage may not surpass all obstacles.” The tidings should in some way let the prophet know that success is either likely or unlikely.

The action must be one for which the results will be known within half an hour per level.

Track Animal

Track Animal tells the prophet the direction and approximate number of the desired kind of animal, if any are within the area of effect.

If the prophet moves while the spirit manifests, the prophet will sense any new such animals within the area of effect.

Treeshape

Treeshape turns the prophet into a tree of up to twice the height of the prophet. The prophet loses all mobility but retains sensory capabilities.

The prophet can end the manifestation at any time. They will switch from being a tree to being themselves after one round.

Tremor

The ground within the area of effect shakes violently. Anything not fastened is likely to fall (reaction of 5 or harder for precarious items, 15 or easier for well-anchored items). Anyone within the area of effect must make an Evasion roll or be unable to act due to having to hug the ground or some nearby support. Otherwise, all actions are at a penalty of four.

Undead Servant

The prophet can call on any Undead creatures (see Encounter Guide for classifications) within range. The prophet can be as specific or as general as desired when summoning the creatures, but must specify the total level(s) of the creatures desired and is limited to creatures within range. If there are no matching creatures within range, the spirit does not manifest.

The total level of the undead that respond can be no more than the level of manifestation. None of the creatures’ moral codes can conflict with the prophet’s. A Chaotic Evil prophet could press Chaotic, Evil, and Chaotic Evil undead into service, but not Ordered Evil or Ordered creatures.

The undead creature or creatures must be given a single action to perform. The action must be describable in level times two words, but it doesn’t have to be spoken in a language that the creature understands.

The focus is two or more identical bone torcs carved with symbols of the prophet’s religion. The prophet wears one, and each creature wears one as well. If the undead fail their willpower roll, they willingly accept the torc from the prophet, and will resist having it removed for the duration of the manifestation. If either torc is destroyed, the charm is ended for that creature. Torcs are reusable, but each torc is specific to one type of undead.

Once the task is completed or the manifestation ends, the target is free to act as they wish (the first thing they’ll likely do is remove the torc). Intelligent undead will probably be unfriendly to the prophet, though they will not unduly endanger themselves. Unintelligent or low intelligence undead will continue with whatever they were doing before pressed into service.

Understanding

Understanding ensures that what the prophet says will be understand by everyone in the area of effect, and that what others say in the area of effect will be understood by the prophet.

Words are understood as the speaker intends.

Unhelpful Hemp

Unhelpful Hemp has nearly the opposite effects as Helpful Hemp: it is more bulky by level times ten percent, it tends to be too short (by up to 25%) just when its length is important, its knots are difficult and time-consuming to unravel, and it breaks at unexpected and dangerous times. Each of the bonuses is turned into a penalty, whereas the Evasion penalty turns into a bonus.

See Helpful Hemp for more details.

Unravel

Unravel causes a knot in rope or string to untie.

See Ravel for more details.

Unravel Spell

Unravel Spell causes one cast spell to “unravel” and fail. The spell is unraveled on a Willpower roll at a penalty of the level the spell was originally cast at. There is a bonus of one to this roll if one of the caster’s moral codes opposes the prophet’s. There is a bonus of three to the roll if two of the caster’s moral codes opposes the prophet. There is a bonus of two if the caster has no moral code.

If the sorceror is still concentrating on the spell they are allowed a Reason roll, at a penalty of the spirit’s level, to maintain it and keep it from unraveling.

Verdant Discussion

The prophet may send a message by way of flower, bush, or tree to a known individual, or a known membership, such as a member of an order or a member of a family. When an individual meeting the requirement comes within level yards of the plant, the prophet and that individual may hold a conversation through the plant.

Individuals who do not meet the requirement do not hear the conversation on the plant side. Anyone near the prophet can hear the prophet speak. The prophet knows whenever someone meeting the requirement comes near the plant.

Verdant Messenger

The prophet may send a message by way of flower, bush, or tree. Each prophet may only speak through three species of plant, appropriate to their religion. A druid might choose mistletoe, oak, and holly, for example, where a christian might choose palm, grapevine, and jerusalem thorn. The player may choose the three species over time, but once chosen they won’t change.

The prophet can send a message to one known plant of an appropriate species within range. The message can take no longer than level minutes to recite using normal speech; it can trigger when any person comes near the plant, or when a specific person named by the prophet comes near the plant. Only the person who triggers the message hears it. Once triggered, the plant speaks and the manifestation is over.

Vermin Bane

Vermin Bane repels all insects, rodents, snakes, spiders, worms, and similar tiny creatures of non-fantastic origin with less than one level. While the spirit will not affect creatures of innately magical origin, it will affect summoned creatures of otherwise non-magical origin.

Vermin Call

Vermin Call causes nearby vermin to slowly congregate in the spirit’s area of effect. The spirit will not cause a massive blanketing of the area but will act more as if food were left out or there were otherwise something attractive to vermin. By the end of the spirit’s duration, there will be ants all over everything, rats and snakes crawling over everything, and spiders building their webs in every nook and cranny.

See Vermin Bane for more details.

Volcano

A volcano level feet wide and level yards tall erupts in an open area of ground at least level yards in radius. The volcano can spew either ash, hot rocks, or lava in any minute, under the prophet’s control.

Ash obscures vision within a radius of ten feet per level. Within half that, seeing is impossible. Otherwise, perception rolls are at a penalty of 10. In the minute after the ash stops, perception rolls are at a penalty of five within a five feet per level radius, unless high winds clear the air.

Hot rocks rain down on everyone within level yards radius. They must make an Evasion roll each round at +4 or take 2d6 damage from hot rocks the size of baseballs. Large structures within the area must make a Fortitude roll at +4 or take 2d6 damage and (if flammable) start on fire.

Lava pours from the volcano, burning everything in its path (4d6 damage per round). In the first minute, the magma spreads to level feet around the volcano; in the second minute, twice level feet; in the third minute, three times level feet, up to eight feet per level in the eighth minute. The magma will follow the natural contours of the area. An Evasion roll each round within the area of spread is allowed to avoid damage. Things not able to make an Evasion roll get a Fortitude roll each round at a penalty of 4.

Warp

The Warp spirit flashes moisture to warp any wooden objects in the area of effect. Wooden wheels will squeak loudly or fail to turn, doors will stick, and spears become unusable.

If a wooden object is carried by a character or creature, they are allowed an Evasion roll to keep their objects from warping.

Water Walk

Water Walk allows the target to walk on water or other shifting watery substance as if it were a normal solid surface. The target may walk on water, mud, quicksand, snow, and ice as normal. The target will leave footprints, although liquid footprints usually fill in immediately.

Targets must weigh under 100 pounds per level.

Water of Life

Water of Life transforms water or any fluid organic liquid into water or a fluid organic liquid. It can, for example, affect or transform into water, oil, fruit juice, alcohol, wine, milk, or blood. The liquid must not currently be alive or part of a living creature, and must be transformed whole: the manifestation may not transform only part of a liquid.

Watery Rebuke

Watery Rebuke raises a great wave from a body of water that can support it. The wave can capsize boats, drown swimmers, and wash far ashore. The wave will rise to a height of twice level yards by the time it is twice level yards from the starting point. At that distance it will also be level times ten yards wide. From then on it will stay at that height and width until it breaks and falls.

The wave travels ten yards every round. If it reaches shore it will lose one yard of height per round. If it is still growing when it reaches shore it will stop growing and start falling.

The wave can cause one point of damage per yard of height to any creatures or items it breaks upon. This damage can be avoided on a successful Fortitude roll.

Wave Sigil

When the protected area is transgressed, a great wave of water sweeps over the transgressor, washing them up to thrice level yards away. Depending on where this is, it might incur further damage. For example, if they’re washed over a waterfall, they might take falling damage. The transgressor is allowed a Fortitude roll to avoid being washed away; this reaction is at a penalty of half the spirit level.

The prophet must trace the lines of transgression in the area of effect; this requires one minute and 10 monetary units of sapphire dust for every yard of radius. Wave sigils are only effective within level yards of a body of water.

The sigils are traced at the entrances to the area and are visible to any who can see divine power.

Any creature entering the protected area without speaking or signing the sigil triggers the wave. Creatures within three yards of the affected creature must make an Evasion or Fortitude roll at the same penalty or also be washed away.

Wildlife Sanctuary

Wildlife Sanctuary allows all recipients safe passage without detection by animals, by any means. Animals means basically any natural creatures of animal intelligence. Magical creatures or intelligent animals are unaffected, though natural animals under magical influence are. The spirit’s protection is such that animals pay no notice of any creature under the spirit’s effect.

Any creature under the spirit’s protection may end their protection by attempting to attack or otherwise contact any animal.

Windswept

Windswept allows the target to grab onto an already-existing natural wind or breeze and be swept away by it. Windswept creatures will move at the same speed as the breeze or wind, and in the same direction.

Targets may move up or down under their own control, as long as at least a breeze is present, at a movement of six. If the air becomes still while a windswept creature is in the air, they will descend at a movement of eight; the fall will not generally be dangerous.

Windswept works best on medium-sized creatures or smaller. Larger creatures will count for twice as many medium-sized creatures for every increase in size. Large creatures count as two medium creatures, Huge creatures as four, etc.

Windy Rebuke

Windy Rebuke creates a gale-force wind that can lift small creatures and objects and send them flying away, and even uproot small plants. The wind is level yards wide and tall at level yards from the prophet, and continues for another level yards beyond that.

Anyone or anything under level times ten pounds caught in the wind must make a Fortitude roll or be uplifted by the wind (items under level pounds may be automatically uplifted at the Adventure Guide’s option). Uplifting causes one point of damage per level, and moves the target to the end of the wind.

Anything in the wind that is not blown away must make a Fortitude roll to do anything other than stand firm.

Wisdom

The target’s wisdom will increase by 1 for every six levels of the spirit.

Wisp Guardian

The wisp guardian takes the form of a hazy, winged, stinging creature, such as a wasp or a tiny dragon. The guardian strikes a transgressor with its stinger; the transgressor must make a Willpower roll or be paralyzed for level minutes or until released by the prophet.

Wisp guardians are visible during the day with a Perception roll at +10; in twilight there is no modification to the roll; and at night the roll is at -10.

The prophet must mark the protected area with incense, taking one minute per yard of radius.

Any creature entering the protected area will trigger the guardian’s attack. The guardian is not dissipated, however, until the duration passes or an attack is successful. The guardian only attempts to hit any transgressor once, at the moment of transgression. It is itself immune to attack, both physical and paranormal.

The heart of the wisp guardian must be part of a home of a stinging insect, such as a honeycomb or a scorpion shell.

Worshipful Direction

Worshipful Direction lets the prophet know the direction to the major site of worship for their religion. For Catholics, it might be the Vatican or Jerusalem. For Muslims, Mecca.

There is only ever one major site for any religion.

Developing your prophet

What is a prophet?

So you’re going to be a prophet? Your heroes are Moses, Joshua, David, Jesus, Joan of Arc, or Joseph Turner? Two words: religious zeal. You believe in a higher power, and that power speaks to you. Literally. It offers you advice and it requires service. You answer to no one but the divine power that called you, and the morals that guide you.

Your deity has goals, and you are the instrument of those goals in the world of mortals. The three basic goals of prophets are to restore the world to right, quest to find a relic, and advise the faithful—or, more likely, warn those who are no longer faithful.

You’re likely to combine those three goals in some way. Your character might go on a vision quest, discover that they need to find the rightful heir of the divine throne, and then restore the heir to the throne.

Or you might be on a quest to discover the reason for a lengthy drought, discover that it was some failure on the part of the faithful, and then restore the faithful to service so that the rain will fall again.

Be steadfast and faithful to the divine: other characters may do one thing today and another tomorrow; they can be different when no one is watching. Your prophet will remain true to their morals in all situations. Be strong in the face of moral equivocation.

Be outspoken when the gods are angered. It is in times of darkness that moral light must shine. Whether it leads to the cross or to wise old age, your prophet has a lesson to impart.

Don’t be afraid to call down the wrath of god when you are in the service of the divine. Preach if your religion expects it. Give moral answers to moral dilemmas. Pray before you go into battle, before you embark on a journey, and whenever you need divine guidance.

Divine specialties

All specialties are described in Arcane Lore. For ease of reference, here are the specialties for which “prophet” is in some way a requirement, or that grant divine power. You may find these useful for developing your Prophet.

Prophet specialties

Alchemical bonding

Alchemy

Exceptional wisdom

Familiar

Familiar’s eyes

Familiar’s form

Familiar puppet

Iconic alchemy

Master’s voice

Priestly circle

Reliquary magic

Sense arcana

Spirit attachment

Spirit channel

Spirit drain

Stout mind

Symbolic alchemy

Topical alchemy

Turn undead

Understand Basic Weapons

Divine grants

Animal form

Aquatic animal form

Charismatic healing

Exemplar

Holy weapon

Nature friend

Spirit bane

Turn undead

Specialty tracks

Druid: Nature Friend, Animal Form, Familiar, Familiar’s Eyes

Font of Ancient Wisdom: Sense Arcana, Contacts, Long Life, Foresight

Warrior-Priest: Multiple Archetype (Warrior), Turn Undead, Stout Heart, Weapon Specialist

Changing your moral code

You can see moral codes. You literally have conversations with god. You know that Good and Evil exists. You cannot ignore moral codes. This is something you know that the rest of the world doesn’t: morality matters. Your moral code isn’t just a set of feelings or a source of vague uneasiness. Your moral code is a promise to the divine that you will act in a certain way and value a certain way of living. Heroes make choices. They act rather than let the world make choices for them.

Changing your moral code is breaking that promise. If you change your moral code, you can no longer call spirits, nor use any specialty for which prophet is a requirement. You have cut yourself off from the divine, and, like Lucifer, you know what it is you are missing. If you wish to atone for your change and return to the fold, you will be given a quest or task to complete, and that task will test your dedication to the moral code you promised to hold. It will be some task that is difficult to complete while holding to your old moral code. During this quest your god or pantheon will choose which spirits to send you.

If changing your moral code meant acting to the detriment of someone or something (as viewed by your old moral code), this adventure will probably involve righting that wrong. Hopefully, your fellow adventurers care enough about you to accompany you on this quest, because it will be difficult to accomplish alone.

Especially if you’ve been blinded until you accomplish it, or had your strength taken from you.

Wisdom is the defining characteristic of the prophet. Wisdom is steadfastly defending what is right, even when the world is hell-bent on convincing you that expediency is the choice of valor in this one little case. You might occasionally fail. And then god will stuff you in a whale until you see the error of your ways. In Gods & Monsters, that whale will be an adventure chosen by your god and designed by your Adventure Guide.

Gods & Pantheons

There are many possible interpretations of any religion’s deities. Many religions also have multiple sects, each according a different level of power to different parts of the pantheon.

Player character prophets receive access to five types of spirits, one of which is always the prophet type. In the listings, demigods and heroes only have three or four spirit types listed; the player and Adventure Guide should choose the others according to the prophet’s purpose and relation to their deity.

Relics and Icons

Religions have many symbols besides their main holy symbol, each for their own special purpose. The bread that is the body of Christ is an example of such a blessed symbol that must be carefully guarded. Many good religions will use blessed holy water; water is the symbol of life.

Relics are blessed by virtue of their existence. They are individual items that cannot be reproduced. The shroud of Turin is an example of a relic, created from the sweat of a dying avatar and the compassion of one of his most devoted followers. Often the bones or prized belongings of avatars or prophets will be considered relics to a religion. Some relics will have special powers, although they do not have to. Relics are their own treasure.

Sample Spirits

Celtic Gods

Arawn: Charm, Death, Healing, Plant, Prophet

Brigit: Charm, Fire, Peace, Prophet, War

Dagda: Death, Prophecy, Prophet, Protection, Weather

Diancecht: Death, Fire, Healing, Prophecy, Prophet

Dunatis: Fire, Prophet, Protection, Water, Weather

Druids: Animal, Fire, Plant, Prophet, Weather

Goibhnie: Fire, Plant, Prophet, Protection, War

Lugh: Animal, Fire, Plant, Prophecy, Prophet

Manannan MacLir: Death, Prophet, Protection, Water, Weather

Math: Charm, Fire, Prophecy, Prophet, Protection

Morrigan: Charm, Death, Prophet, Protection, War

Nuada: Order, Prophecy, Prophet, Protection, War

Oghma: Fire, Hearth, Prophecy, Prophet, Protection

Greek Gods

Hekate (Witches): Charm, Death, Plant, Prophecy, Prophet

Norse Gods

Balder: Charm, Fire, Healing, Hearth, Prophet

Loki: Charm, Fire, Prophecy, Prophet, Trickster

Magni: Prophet, Protection, Sky, War, Weather

Modi: Animal, Prophet, Water, War, Weather

Sif: Animal, Earth, Prophet, Protection, Weather

Thor: Plant, Prophet, Sky, War, Weather

Vidar: Order, Peace, Prophet, Protection, War

Christianity

Christians always worship one God, but may favor one of Jehovah, Jesus, or Mary. They also pray to a specific saint if intercession is required from the saint’s sphere of influence. Saints (and Mary, to some extent even Jesus) are said to intercede with Jehovah on behalf of the petitioner. But the difference between intercession and outright deitical action is often fuzzy.

While a literal reading of Christian theology is that the spirit and son are avatars of Jehovah, they are not treated as such in prayer and daily life. God, Jesus, and the Holy Ghost are the central three figures. Many Christians, to purge evil spirits or evil thoughts, recite “in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost” while touching their right hand to their forehead (father), the chest (son), left shoulder (holy), and right shoulder (ghost). While Christians may worship many beings, they all claim that there is only one God, to the point of calling their god simply “God”, as there is no other.

The beliefs of Christians are recorded in the Christian bible. The bible is considered so holy that its mere existence makes it blessed. Prophets will memorize passages from the bible and use them in holy combat. Believers will write snippets on paper or cloth and place them in their home.

All Christian prophets are ordained with water or oil or both. Often, this ordination will come at the hands of another prophet or priest, but prophets may also be ordained through saintly, angelic, or supernatural intercession.

The greatest Christian festival is the Feast of Easter, with forty days of penitence leading up to it (Lent), eight days of special observance preceding it, and eight days of celebration following it (an octave). Easter is the first Sunday after the first full moon of the Spring Equinox, which vaguely corresponds to the Jewish festival of Passover that marked Jesus’ death and resurrection.

The vampire holds a special place in Christian mythology. It is a mockery of Jesus. The vampire must die before being reborn. Where Jesus gave his blood that others might have eternal life, the vampire steals blood to maintain its own eternal life. Angels are the servants of Heaven, and Demon lords are angels who rebelled against Heaven.

Death

Death commonly appears carrying a scythe and wearing dark robes—brown monk’s robes or black robes. His face and hands may be obscured, skeletal, or pale. Sometimes he wears an hourglass on his belt. Death can appear out of nowhere; disappear at any time; and fly or levitate as he makes his rounds. Sometimes Death appears with wings; other times, he wears a cloak that billows like wings behind him. He can also appear on a pale horse against clouds on the horizon.

When a Christian’s time to die arrives, Death passes his scythe before the victim’s face; the soul exhales from the mouth and follows the scythe, which severs it from the material world. Death then guides the dead to their afterlife.

Especially spiritual Christians will see Death before he takes them. This gives them the opportunity to make their peace and ask for forgiveness from God or perform some last deed. Death will not let them perform final deeds that take more than a few minutes, but it is possible to delay death through riddle contests, games of chance, or feats of mental prowess. The most infamous means of delaying death is to challenge it to a chess game. Death only accepts challenges of mental prowess from people with an intelligence of 13 or more. Challenges of chance require a charisma of 13. Riddle contests require a Wisdom of 13. Death will not cheat, but he will manipulate, intimidate, and trick his opponents—or better, manipulate them into tricking themselves.

Death is destined to die, or be transformed, at world’s end. Then mankind shall be immortal again in the God’s presence.

Saint George

Saint George was the patron saint of the Knights of the Round Table and the Knights of the Garter. He was renowned early in life as a cavalryman and died a martyr after confessing his faith to the Roman emperor. King Richard the Lionheart had a vision of him during the crusades. He is famous as a dragonslayer. In the Libyan city of Selena, the king’s daughter Cleolinda had been chosen by lot to die at the hands of a dragon who demanded tribute. Armed only with a spear and a horse, he confronted and killed the dragon, saving the king’s daughter in Jesus’s name.

Saint George is known for his chivalry. He refused the king’s reward for saving his daughter, asking only that the king remember the Church, the clergy, and the poor. St. George’s shield is silver with a red cross.

The Holy Ghost

The Holy Ghost is the holiest messenger of God, bringing the word of God wherever it is needed. The Holy Ghost brought a child unto Mary, and also brought illumination to the Apostles after Jesus’ death and resurrection (celebrated in the Feast of Pentecost). This was the task that Jesus set for the Holy Ghost at the Last Supper: “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you; not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

One of the seven sacred rituals of Catholics is confirmation, which confirms the call from the Holy Ghost in the recipient’s life.

Prophets of the Holy Ghost are outspoken and glib. They will walk flaming coals, handle venomous snakes, and travel into the deepest uncharted territories to proselytize for the Lord.

Jesus

Jesus was the son of Jehovah and Mary, and the founder of the Christian religion. While his worshippers can come in any form, his basic teachings were the epitome of Chaotic Good. He spent much of his time arguing against the priests of Order:

Then one of them, a lawyer, asked him a question, tempting him, and saying, “Master, which is the great commandment in the law?”

Jesus said unto him, “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it. Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

The legend of Jesus, his works and teachings, are recorded in the Gospels, of which Matthew is generally the first. There are many apocryphal records as well, and different sects work from different translations of the Gospels.

Of the seven sacred rituals of Christians, four emulate various events in the life of Jesus. The first is the baptism, which, while it comes from an earlier ritual, also calls to mind the Baptism of Jesus by the prophet John the Baptist by water in the desert. The second is the holy communion, which emulates the last supper which Jesus had with his 12 apostles. Holy communion is either a divine or a symbolic transformation of a blessed bread into the flesh of the Son of God. Jesus commanded his twelve apostles to “do this in remembrance of me”, and it has become the integral part of the Christian mass.

The third is the ordination of priests. Each priest is ordained in a line of succession from the first ordinations of the apostles by Jesus. He ordained his original twelve apostles, telling them to “preach the kingdom of God and heal the sick”, and commanded them to “take nothing for your journey, neither staves, nor scrip, neither bread, neither money; neither have two coats apiece. And whatsoever house ye enter into, there abide, and thence depart. And whosoever will not receive you, when ye go out of that city, shake off the very dust from your feet for a testimony against them.” But he also said, at the last supper after washing the feet of each of the apostles:

“When I sent you without purse, and scrip, and shoes, lacked ye any thing?” And they said, “Nothing.” Then said he unto them, “But now, he that hath a purse, let him take it, and likewise his scrip; and he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one.”

Fourth is the ritual of contrition, or forgiveness of sins. Ordained priests may, through Jesus’ power, forgive a believer’s sins.

Saint Joseph

Joseph, Jesus’s father, is perhaps best known for trusting his wife, Mary, when she became pregnant before he could have gotten her pregnant. The Holy Ghost visited him in a dream and told him that the child was a holy child begotten of the spirit. Joseph was of the line of the Hebrew king David, which also helped fulfill the prophecy which culminated in Jesus’ birth.

Joseph protected the child Jesus during the trying times surrounding Jesus’s birth, when Rome required them to travel for a census. Soon after arriving in Bethlehem (where Jesus was born) for the census, Herod tried to track down the new-born “king of the Jews” to kill him, so Joseph brought Mary and Jesus into relative safety in Egypt before returning home to Nazareth.

Joseph died before Jesus began his final three years of teaching. He is last seen in the bibles when Jesus was twelve years old, and was almost certainly dead before Jesus died on his cross. It took the Church a long time to recognize Joseph as a Saint. His life, once Jesus was born and his survival relatively assured, was presumably a quiet one and does not enter into the sacred writings. Only after the church’s initial trials, when quiet devotion became more popular, did Joseph’s worship increase.

Lilith

Adam’s first wife who would not lie beneath him, Lilith has been alternately vilified as a punishing demon, pitied as a lonely monster at the edges of the world, or completely ignored and forgotten. Some even worship her as a hero among women. Lilith appears with long red hair, wings, and a beautiful form and countenance. Lilith is a creature of folklore among Christians. Her name appears but once, when the prophet Isaiah describes God’s vengeance upon the enemies of the faithful:

Streams shall be turned into fire, dust into brimstone, and their lands into burning pitch. The flames shall not be quenched night nor day. Smoke shall rise forever, and none shall pass into their lands.

The sea-crow and the bittern shall possess them. The owl and the raven shall dwell among them. Their princes shall fall, thorns shall come up in their palaces, nettles and brambles fill their fortresses. The houses of their sons shall be the home of dragons and a court for owls. The wild beasts of the desert shall meet with the wild beasts of the sea. Lilith shall rest there. Vultures shall gather, every one with her mate.

As a demon, Lilith is a punisher of sins. The children of sinners she binds up; they die in the night. For protection against Lilith, women hang amulets with her name written upon them at the entrance to their homes when infants lie therein, and wear such amulets during child-birth. As Adam’s first wife, Lilith continues to visit men in the night. But those who fall to her charms and who try to possess her she fends off as a fierce female warrior, bearing a sword wreathed in poisonous flame.

Mary

Mary is the mother of Jesus, who took the seed of Jehovah through the Holy Ghost, remaining a virgin. Though she later had children normally, the name “Virgin Mother” was an evocative phrase which lasted. As the mother of Jesus, Mary is often requested to intercede on the petitioner’s behalf with her son. One of the early stories of Jesus’s life tells how Mary successfully requested his divine help for a relatively mundane matter: lack of wine at a wedding. Jesus did as his mother asked, turning water into wine.

Mary appears to followers with prophecies and balms. Many of the most-visited shrines of the Christians are in places where Mary appeared. She appears to the poor and downtrodden, and is more likely to appear personally at the beginning of a hero’s career than after the hero is well known. A prophet of Mary chosen in this way will construct a shrine to her at the first opportunity, in the location where Mary appeared. Mary’s feast day, the Assumption, celebrates her bodily assumption into heaven, preserved free from all stain of original sin.

Saint Michael

Saint Michael the archangel defeated Satan’s rebellion in heaven, and will fight against the dragon again at world’s end. One of his most enduring images is of an angel with a spear triumphing over a snake biting at his feet. Saint Michael is prayed to at the hour of death to preserve one’s soul from Satan. He is the champion of God’s people and patron of many knightly orders. He weighs souls and takes part in the judgment of the dead. In this guise his symbols include scales or the book of life, which records all the deeds of man.

Michael is one of four archangels. Each are parts of the One God. Gabriel (“the strong one of God”) brings dreams and knowledge of the future, as well as retribution. He brought the word of God to Mary, that she was to bear God’s son. Raphael (“God has healed”) heals wounds, diseases, and evil from individuals and the world. Uriel (“My Light is like God”) reveals secrets, and Michael (“Who is like God?”) is Satan’s adversary.

Satan

Satan is a fallen angel, who rebelled against the order of Heaven. Some legends say that he did this because he was jealous of the attention given to Jehovah’s new creation, humanity. Others simply say that his pride led him to believe he could rule Heaven well in Jehovah’s place. His rebellion failed, and he was cast down with his followers to Gehennah, or Hell, with all the damned souls of humanity. He set himself and his followers up as rulers in Hell (or perhaps this was Jehovah’s plan for him all along—some say that angels do not have free will). Satan rules over the demons, some or all of whom were also fallen angels, and ensures the eternal suffering of the damned, those who are not worthy to enter Heaven.

Satan sees himself in competition with Jehovah for the souls of humans. He sends his minions out in his name to tempt good people into pride, and to ensure the continued wickedness of evil people. As the serpent in the Garden Satan tempted Eve to eat of the fruit of the tree of knowledge, resulting in mankind being thrown out of paradise.

In general, Christians do not worship Satan. To do so ensures their eternal damnation well beyond their few years as mortal beings. But the more superstitious will propitiate Satan and his followers, by, for example, placing gourds with evil faces and burning candles on their doorstep the night before All Saints’ Day, or by throwing a pinch of salt over their left shoulder after spilling salt. Many Christians celebrate Hallowe’en, the night before All Saint’s Day, by either dressing as evil spirits and going from house to house to demand tribute, or by staying home and presenting tribute (minor gifts, candy, or food) to Satan’s minions on demand.

Some Christians will go further, however, and attempt to bargain with Satan to gain earthly benefits in return for their soul. That is, upon their death their soul will be Satan’s in Hell. Some do this because they believe that their sins are already unforgivable. Some believe that they are better lawyers than Satan and will be able to find a flaw in the contractual agreement. Others may do so without looking to the future at all. Some may do so in the belief that Hell cannot be as bad as it is said to be. Satan is a master of deception and flattery and will encourage any and all such tendencies. Whether these contracts are entered into with Satan or with one of Satan’s other followers is open to debate.

While few Christians worship Satan, Christians have often believed that many people worship Satan. Some Christians believe that all non-Christian gods are Satan in disguise. To these Christians, all worshippers of those gods are Satanists. In times of chaos and uncertainty, some Christians and their political leaders have manufactured Satanists to further their political ambitions or to fill their coffers with the seized assets of accused Satanists. In Christianity, Satan is the enemy, and when humans do not have a visible enemy they will often create one.

Christian legend has it that at the end of the world, Satan will return to Earth with all his legions, including the damned, to do war with Jehovah and his legions of angels, led by Jesus. The return of Satan (and thus the return of Jesus) will be marked by incredible signs and portents. However, before the true end of the world, Satan will tempt humans to prophesize about ends of the world that never happen.

Satan is associated with the planet Venus, the incredibly bright star that never rises above the Earth for long without falling. Satan is also a gamer, and is rumored to roll dice, play chess, or otherwise challenge Jehovah for the souls of mortals.

Prophets of Satan are in somewhat the same boat as normal worshippers: they have, for some reason, come to believe that Satan will treat them well in the afterlife, or their pride in their own evil is so great that they believe their sins to be unforgivable. Prophets of Satan must be masters of deception—even to deceiving themselves.

Yahweh

Jehovah is the original god of the Christians. He created the world in seven days. On the seventh day, he rested, and for this reason one day out of the week is considered sacred, reserved for worship. Traditionally, this day is Sunday, although the actual day of rest is recognized as Saturday. In the early days of Christianity, Christianity was another (and somewhat heretical) sect of Judaism. Judaic temples were in use by mainstream Jews on Saturdays, so Christians used them on the following day.

Many of Jehovah’s names revolve around the letters “JHVH” or “JHWH”. The name was originally written with only consonants, and later belief held that anyone pronouncing the name of God would be destroyed. The name could just as well have been “Yahu Wahu” (to quote Larry Gonick). As often as not, however, Christians call him simply “God”, because He is the only one.

Elves

When the first Elves came to mortal lands from golden Arlindor they were the sons and daughters of Tirtalien and Alveron. Arlindor begat the gods, who in turn begat the Elves, who taught every leaf to sing, every gem to whisper. The Alvirel, the council of the Elven gods, guide their children through the oracles of leaf, river, sky, and star.

In the beginning the Elves walked in darkness. Within the darkness Tirtalien lit silver candles in the sky, one by one, until the Elves could see the dormant forests and empty lands of the world.

Alveron crafted a great ball of gold, and from Tirtalien’s lights he lit the ball aflame and set it in motion across the sky. The golden light from Alveron’s craft warmed the forests and woke the creatures of forest, water, and sky.

Every night, Alveron’s sun drops into the ground to rejuvenate itself with the gold of the earth, and Tirtalien’s candles again light the land.

Alveron

Alveron was born of the trees of Arlindor. He is ruler of the Elven gods, alongside his companion Tirtalien. He crafted the sun, that the Elven lands might grow lush and green, and the Elves tall and wise.

Alveron enjoys tending to Arlindor in the evening, as his sun casts long shadows in the green wood. He walks in many forms, and as evening falls the shadows of Arlindor spread through all the green areas of the world.

Alveron’s sons and daughters are the princes and princesses of Arlindor, whose magical kingdoms glow at the edges of the forest, and who founded the great Elven cities.

The Dwarfs revere Alveron as Oberon, the king of all secret places.

Arador

Arador is the goddess of memory and learning. Her blessing is inspiration, and her gifts philosophy and the arts. Her song is exquisite. Curiosity is her beckoning. Her teachings bestow the authority to govern wisely and command effectively. Arador’s bright eyes part the mist of time to see both future and past.

Arador is the protector of scholars, bards, and others dedicated to gathering knowledge. Many of the Rivelaelfte call her patron. Her name anoints temporal rulers and is invoked by judges to bless their rulings with wisdom.

The Dwarfs revere Arador as Ergandion, goddess of ancient wisdom.

Arlindor

Arlindor, the forest of the gods, preceded all and bore Alveron and Tirtalien in its trees and rivers. Arlindor is the source of grace, calming all who dwell there. Its natural beauty inspires and strengthens the fey. Arlindor can be felt in the mortal world in groves and grottoes of extreme beauty. All such places are shadows of Arlindor.

Arlindor’s tallest tree, Lerovian, is always visible to the Elven eye.

Arlindor is home to all faerie. The Halflings know Arlindor as Lenerlin, green fields. The gnomes know it as Kirliendol, the autumn hills.

Avieglien

Avieglien, youngest son of Alveron, is Alveron’s most trusted messenger. He bears the wisdom of the Alvirel to the Elves and to all civilized races. Avieglien travels in many guises, as Elf, as child, as man, even as eagle, horse, or donkey. Avieglien assists those in quandaries, but his assistance comes in the form of riddles and tricks. Many are the fools or young Elves who have mistaken Avieglien’s assistance for further troubles.

Avieglien is Alveron’s son by way of the elder race of men, whom men themselves have forgotten. The Elves called the woman Tialnambe, for her golden hair and bright eyes. This greatest of human princesses possessed a strong wit and an Elvish beauty. Avieglien grew to adulthood in her court, but with the impending fall of the elder race turned to the Alvirel for aid. The stories of the great wars of the elders is a book in itself, but in the end mankind diminished, and the greatness of their beginnings faded in memory to legend, and was then forgotten except for snippets here and there in creation myths.

The Dwarfs revere Avieglien as the trickster Obeag.

Iredana

Iredana, the silent spinner, in shape as a great black spider slowly drawing the web of life from living threads. Her eyes shine as a crystal rainbow, and she speaks in a voice so low that it travels forever, so soft that it raises water to waves and shatters glass to fine dust. Iredana bears the thread of life and can read the coincidences that form web from strands.

Iredana is the hand of destiny. She toils in dark caves and tall trees. Her struggle is the struggle between gift and craft. With weaving is the fate of the world created, and the eye of destiny is in every spider’s web. Iredana’s web extends forever in all directions, depressed where it touches on moments, places, and persons of power.

Iredana taught gems to whisper in the heart of all who love beauty.

Morefien

The Lord of lakes and seas, the white steed Morefien bears the weight of the lands and all upon the lands. He bears ships to shore on white-crested waves.

We all ride upon Morefien’s strong back. He leads the Elves into war when war is needed. Alveron or Tirtalien often ride upon the white steed in battle.

Morefien is deadly enemy to goblins and the giant-kin: orcs, ogres, and trolls.

Tialnambe

Tialnambe is a memory, evoked by Elves as protection for humans they have loved. She is long dead, but her sacrifice earned her memory a place in the golden valley of the Alvirel. Elves rarely take humans as lovers. Such a pairing always ends in sadness for one or the other, but the story of Tialnambe, Alveron, and Avieglien is remembered by Elves who pass it to human consorts and their half-Elven children.

When Avieglien returned to Arlindor, he fashioned three golden eyes in Tialnambe’s memory, with Alveron’s aid, to protect the weakened race of man. Those who wear a golden eye of Tialnambe are, according to the legends, watched over by Avieglien himself.

Tirtalien

Tirtalien, born of the rivers of Arlindor, lit the stars on Arlindor’s first morning. From her candle’s flames Alveron lit the sun’s fires and warmed the forests. Elves always walk in Tirtalien’s light.

Tirtalien is mother to most of the princes and princesses of Arlindor. She walks in the morning and under moonlight to visit the edges of the Elven forest and to speak with her children.

Haikiutl

“Two great stories fought, and the world shook,” begins one tale of the Haikiutl. “This story still walks among us,” ends another. The world is a complex web of competing and cooperating stories, told and remembered across nations and generations. For thousands of years they have walked the earth, lighting the world and aiding the tribes. Haikiutl prophets worship the greatest of their stories and through them gain divine power.

The most powerful oath of the Haikiutl is “We shall make a story.” Stories bind brother to brother, husband to wife, hunter to prey, property to owner, food to the hungry, and children to parent. Secret stories give shamans power over spirits, rocks, plants, animals, and men, and are passed from shaman to apprentice across the ages.

A person belongs to a story as much as a story belong to a person—or more so, as a brother belong to a brother. As with people, the oldest stories are the wisest, and the youngest the most nimble.

Stories can be built up, grow too large, and shatter, and new stories built from the fragments. Stories may be rivals, telling different versions of the same event. But the existence of two or more conflicting stories does not signify contention. The Haikiutl believe that all stories have the potential of truth within them, and that history may be shared among many paths.

Lesser stories are wealth, traded for other stories, or for food and clothing, bartered from owner to owner. Stories allow a chief or tribe to lay claim to unused land, which will take on the name and character of the story that purchased it. When a person or group takes a story, the story will change to tie that story to them. And that person will change to tie them to the story.

Night stories, such as lullabies, may not be sold and are passed from mother to daughter, father to son. They may be told only from dusk to dawn. The best night stories ensure a strong lineage.

While stories are often contradictory, there are common elements in the greatest tales. Throughout the oldest run the council of animals. All animals were people in the old days; sometimes they can still be coaxed into unmasking. And there are strange, hidden worlds unreachable except by trickery, magic, or killing monsters.

Creatures

The Xolome are a heartless race of burrowers who travel between the current world and the old world underground. They seek to bring the dust and the dead up from the underworld into the waking world.

Prophets

Prophets of the Haikiutl will choose two or three stories at any one time, to influence their available spirit types.

Bear Daughter

An unmarried woman was stolen from her tribe by Bear: while out picking berries, she steps in bear dung, and curses the bear who left it. From then on she has trouble with her basket. It continually unravels, dropping berries onto the ground. The other women grow tired of waiting for her, and leave her behind. Alone, Bear comes to her and takes her to his den.

She has a son and daughter by Bear. But eventually her five brothers come to rescue her. All but one of the brothers die in the attempt, but the fifth brother does rescue her when the woman tricks Bear into telling her how he can be killed. The brother kills Bear, and brings her and her daughter away. But they leave her son, who is a bear cub. Lamenting her lost son, on the way back she jumps into a lake and swims away as a seal.

Her brother brings his niece back to the camp, where she marries the chief’s son. But she has the hunger of Bear, and her laugh is deadly. She compulsively eats everything she has killed. When her laugh kills the entire village she inhales deeply and eats all of the villagers.

Alone in the empty village, she coughs her husband back up. He is now without legs, and she hangs him in a basket on her wall. She has two sons. She bathes them constantly, with the result being that they grow rapidly to manhood. Their father warns them, from the basket, of their mother’s hunger. So the sons grab their mother by her hair and shake her bones right out of her skin.

The skin becomes a dog, and the dog becomes a stalwart companion in their many further adventures.

Beaver Man

Beaver Man travels among all the tribes by canoe. Beaver fights Bear, Wolf, Sheep, and many giants and defeats them all. When he returns to his home with his friend Raven, Raven continually tricks him at gambling, and steals whenever Beaver does not look. Raven warns Beaver that if Raven ever dies, all humans die as well. Beaver soon grows tired of Raven’s tricks, however, and tosses him in the fire. Then Beaver tosses the bones to the wind.

But it is as Raven said. Slowly humans began to dry up, fade away, and die. So Beaver goes out to the four corners of the world and regains Raven’s bones, breaks wind over them, and returns Raven to life. Beaver and Raven then go to where the river meets the ocean. Beaver takes a bass from the sea, splits it open, and men come out. Raven takes a trout from the river, and from it come women.

Blood Ogre

The chief’s daughter disappeared while picking berries. Her three brothers went in search of her, traveling deep into the mountains to the rainbow’s eastern leg, which was rainbow-colored smoke coming from a cave. The cave was blocked with thorns, which the brothers chopped through, though one of them cut their leg on the thorns.

Inside the cave, they found their sister rocking a little boy. The child awoke and cried and pointed at the injured brother.

“Scrape off the blood, please,” said their sister.

So he scraped the blood onto a stick and handed it to the child, who greedily licked it off like stick candy.

The brothers were frightened, and told their sister they needed to step outside for a moment because of the smoke. But once outside, they fled. When they did not return, their sister cried out, “husband, there was flesh in the house and it is gone!”

Immediately a huge ogre stepped out of the cave, blowing a whistle and crying “hap! hap! hap!” and began pursuing them.

The eldest brother threw down a stone, which became a mountain peak that blocked the ogre’s path. When the ogre finally circumvented the mountain, the brother threw down a comb, which became an impassable thicket. But the ogre tore its way through the thicket, so the eldest threw down his kelp bladder of water, which became a huge lake.

The ogre fell behind, but drank up the lake. Just as they were about to reach their father’s house, the ogre had almost caught up with them again. So the eldest threw down a cedar stick, which became a great tree, and this slowed the ogre enough for them to get into the doorway and bar the door behind them. The ogre pounded on the door, and would have smashed it in, but the chief promised the ogre that, were he to return the next morning with his wife and child, that the chief would kill his sons and make of them a great meal for the ogre and his family. The ogre accepted.

When the ogre returned the next morning, the chief sat the ogre and his son next to a concealed fire pit, and the chief’s sons, served on a great platter, pushed the ogres in. The ogre and its son were burned to ash. Freed from the ogre’s control, their sister fanned the fire to ensure that the ogre would burn. From the ashes that flew into the air, mosquitoes buzzed about.

“You shall be cannibals forever,” said the chief’s daughter, “forever seeking blood.”

After the ogre and child burned, the chief’s daughter found the ogre’s whistle. “Now we may have a winter dance,” she said. And they did.

Bosom of Weasels

After his older brother had braved many trials to gain a wife, the younger brother chooses to ignore the ancient prohibition against wedding the stars. He is lured up a great cedar tree by Squirrel. He defeats many creatures in his climb to the top of the tree, whereupon he enters Sky World. In Sky World, he is rewarded by the stars for his persistence in climbing the ancient ladder. They grant him two beautiful star wives who are also hunters: Bosom of Weasels and Bosom of Mice. “Lay only with Bosom of Weasels and you will be a great hunter,” say the star men.

The younger brother brings his wives back down the ladder and on their return to the tribe they capture many animals. His wives are great hunters, and each day after he lies with Bosom of Weasels in the night, he is the greatest hunter of the three.

After he returns home, he tires of hunting, finding no effort in it. He comes home earlier and earlier in the afternoon and begins to notice how beautiful Bosom of Mice is. Finally, he lies with her in the afternoon. As they lay together in his lodge, he hears a great commotion under ground. Up from the ground come mice, rats, and gophers burrowing through the earth. When they burst through to the surface he is buried alive in the underground, and all manner of vermin now live in the upper world.

Bride Killer

Beaver desired the beautiful daughter of an ugly old ogre. The ogre did not want his daughter to marry Beaver, so he devised dangerous quests to ensure that Beaver would not win his daughter.

When Beaver first came to the ogre, the ogre told him to “go to Thunderbird’s nest and take feathers from Thunderbird to fletch my arrows.”

The ogre was certain that the aerie was to high, and Beaver would fall do his death. But Beaver climbed the highest peak of thunder and stole away with Thunderbird’s feathers.

When Beaver returned to the ogre with Thunderbird’s feathers, the ogre told him that next he should “go to Giant Elk, and take sinew from Giant Elk to bind the feathers to my arrows’ shafts.”

The ogre was certain Giant Elk would crush Beaver, but Beaver enlisted the mosquito, the littlest of creatures, and defeated Giant Elk.

When Beaver returned to the ogre with Giant Elk’s sinew, the ogre told him next to go to the Snake Forest and return with hazel branches to make the shafts for his arrows. Snake’s venom is deadly, and the ogre was certain that this, finally, would kill Beaver. But Beaver went to his brother Raven and discovered how to make an antidote to Snake’s venom. He then filled his arms with hazel branches for the shafts of the ogre’s arrows.

Finally, the ogre sent Beaver to the Lizard Garden, “where you must create the paints to decorate the arrows.” Lizard’s slashing tail could cut through bone and armor, and the ogre was certain it could cut down Beaver. But Beaver tricked Lizard into cutting all of the plants Beaver needed for his dyes, and Beaver returned to ogre with the paints for ogre’s shafts.

With these, the ogre created his arrows and refused to turn his daughter over to Beaver. The ogre threatened Beaver with his wonderful new arrows. So Beaver stole the arrows away. When he tried to take the ogre’s daughter, the ogre tried to kill him. He aimed and shot the arrows into the ogre, but the ogre’s daughter jumped in front of her father and saved his life, and died in the attempt.

Beaver took the daughter’s body back to his home and his brother, Raven. Together, Beaver and Raven went hunting in the north for caribou. They use the cooked caribou meat to draw the ogre’s daughter back to life as a human woman, whereupon she and Beaver married.

Dog Mother

A woman with three brothers was visited in the night by a dog, whom she secretly married. Her dog husband would not hunt and needed to be fed by the woman. She hunted meat herself to provide her dog husband with food.

Her brothers followed her to discover what she was doing with all that meat. When they discovered her secret they killed the dog and drove her into the wilderness. There, in a makeshift cabin she built herself, she bore six pups. These dog-children were no end of trouble. Whenever she turned her back on them they became human, but as soon as she turned back they became dogs.

After much trickery she finally caught three of them in human form. The others she chased into the mountains. The three she caught were two boys and one girl. She sent them into the world to make their names. One of the boys married his sister, and from them were born the leaders of all the tribes. The three dog-men who went into the mountains became the ancestors of all xolome. There to this day they dig in the ground for the bones of their dead father.

First Death

Far in the west, earth and sky touched and birthed all of the first creatures, including the great twins Tavila and Tamho. Tavila built the first house for people, and Frog is his daughter. Frog believes through a miscommunication, perhaps deliberate on her part, that Tavila has made an indecent overture to her, and vows revenge. She sinks to the center of the earth and creates a race of new creatures, hoping that they will become human before the animals can be transformed into animals. But Frog’s creatures are ill-formed and become evil lizards with snaking tongues. Frog takes these creatures and attacks the first house.

Tamho brings all future shamans to the top of the mountain Avikwam as children and instructs them in shamanic dream ritual to strengthen the future race of men against Frog’s lizard creatures. Afterward, in a great battle Tavila and Tamho defeat the lizards, but Tavila sustains deadly wounds and dies. This is the first death among people.

When Tavila is cremated, Tamho calls Coyote to take Tavila’s heart from the fire and eat it. Today the greatest honor a great hero can be given is for, on their death, the shaman to cut out a piece of their shoulder and eat it at the mourning ceremony. Tavila’s ashes rise to the sky as the new moon, and Tamho leaps into the sky with Tavila’s strength to become the full moon.

Moon’s Bag of Words

Hawk brought the people out from the sky and guided them down to the sunset shore. When they left the sky, Hawk told them to be silent so they could sneak past the clouds without waking them.

But when morning came and Hawk tried to tell the people where each of the tribes would live, he discovered that the people could not speak. They could growl, and whine, and use signs and smoke, but had no skill at tongues.

Hawk realized that he had forgotten to bring them words; their words remained in a medicine bag with Moon. Hawk went to Coyote to complain.

“The people have come out of the sky and have forgotten their words,” said Hawk.

“You were responsible for bringing the bag of words from Moon,” said Coyote. “This is on your family.”

“This is true,” said Hawk. “What shall I do? I cannot go to Moon alone and grab the bag of words. The moon is cold as the night. I will freeze and it shall eat me.”

Coyote said, “I can bring the medicine bag back, but I shall need you to help me.”

Coyote told Hawk to go to Moon, and tell him that Coyote was going to steal from Moon.

“But tell him that I have gone to the Shaman, and have only one weakness.”

Coyote then went to the people and told them to wait for the rain of words in the night.

Hawk flew up to Moon, and warned Moon that Coyote would soon try to steal Moon’s treasure.

“You are my friend,” said Hawk, “and I felt I had to warn you.”

“What will he take, and when will he come?” asked Moon.

“I cannot tell you that,” said Hawk. “Coyote is my friend, too.”

“Do I not illuminate your hunts in the night?” asked Moon.

“Coyote is invulnerable,” said Hawk. “He is too strong.”

“Coyote is not invulnerable,” said Moon. “No one is invulnerable. Why do you say he is invulnerable?”

“Coyote has gone to the Shaman, who has bathed him in Salmon Lake,” said Hawk. “Coyote can be hurt by nothing but the words of the people, and the people are wordless.”

“Coyote is not invulnerable to me, then,” said Moon, “for I have the words of the people in my medicine bag.”

“You are stronger than Coyote,” said Hawk. “I thank you for calling me friend.”

When Moon caught Coyote in the sky running toward him, Moon reached into his medicine bag and hurled a barrage of words at Coyote. Coyote dodged them all, and the words rained down as fire upon the people.

The more Coyote dodged, the more words Moon threw from his medicine bag, until finally a word hit Coyote and Coyote turned tail and ran back from the sky.

“Hah!” cried the Moon. “Hawk has no reason to fear you now.”

The people gathered up the words that fell from the sky, and could speak. This is why some tribes have some words, and other tribes have other words and why some words are not yet known.

Salmon Moon

After the animals came to Earth World, two sisters, daughters of the daughter of blind Toad, slept in the open beneath the night sky. They gazed up at the stars, then at the dark world around them, then at the stars. “I wish those bright and beautiful bodies were our husbands,” said one. Her sister agreed.

In an instant, they were drawn into the Sky World, where they married two star men. Soon one of them bore a star baby. This baby was Moon. But the sisters were homesick, bored with their life in the sky. One day while digging roots, they accidentally punched a hole in the sky and saw the Earth Country far below.

The sisters began twisting cedar boughs to make a ladder. When it was finished, they climbed back to Earth World, taking Moon with them. They rejoined their tribe, and the ladder they kept and used as a swing. While they played on the swing, grandmother Toad took care of Moon for them. Old blind Toad sang for Moon, and for her grandchildren. While Toad sang, Dog Salmon came and stole Moon off, carrying him off the edge of Earth World to the Salmon World. Moon grew up among the Salmon and took a Salmon bride, who bore him many sons. The sons of Moon became the tribes of men.

In Earth World, the sisters took Moon’s cedar-bark diaper and rinsed it five times in water. From this came Moon’s Brother. Moon’s Brother sent Bluejay to fetch Moon home, but Bluejay could find Moon neither in Earth World nor in Sky World.

When Moon’s sons came of age, Moon returned to Earth World, driving the Dog Salmon as fish before him, crying “the next generation is coming and you shall be food for the people, Dog Salmon!” Whoever Moon met, he turned people who were fighting into stones, turned people into sandpipers, ducks, and clams.

Deer heard the cries of Moon and began making spear points of bone, singing a war song against the new people. Moon turned the spears into hooves and Deer into deer. On Moon’s journey home, all the people of Earth World became the animals as we know them today. When Moon arrived at his great grandparent’s home, Toad, still blind, did not recognize her great grandchild. She drew him into her warm home and put her arms around him. Moon turned her into the toad, and the sisters became the tree frogs. Moon joined his younger brother and rose into the sky, where Moon became the Moon and his younger brother became the Sun.

Thus was Earth World lit night and day for the new people of the tribes of man.

Sea Mother

The great and horrible Sedna is rightly feared today. But she was not always horrible-looking, with her fish hands and single huge eye. She was once a beautiful young woman who swore she would never marry. She broke her promise after a handsome and suave hunter landed his kayak at her village. This young man promised her many things, and she liked listening to him, and she enjoyed looking upon him, for he was fair of face and figure.

After they married, he took her across the sea to his home, but there she discovered that her husband was not human. He gave her raw fish to eat. He was a bird spirit. He had fallen in love with her from afar and left his island to convince her to marry.

Sedna’s father came to her rescue and snuck her off in his boat beneath a pile of furs. The spurned husband soon discovered his wife missing, and ran to the shore, crying that his love had left him. He cried out that at least she should let her husband look upon her as she left. But Sedna’s father refused, and told Sedna to remain beneath the furs.

Sedna’s husband, screeching in despair, turned back into his bird form. The sky darkened, and the sea boiled, tossing her father’s boat like a leaf.

Now, Sedna’s father realized his danger, and became frightened for what he had done. He tore the furs from where his daughter hid and tossed her overboard, crying to her to go back to her husband who she had chosen. Sedna grasped at the boat trying to get out of the stormy seas, but her father kicked at her face to push her back into the water. Still she tried to clamber back on board, so her father took an axe and chopped her fingers, one by one, knuckle by knuckle, and each bloody bone became the creatures of the sea: seal, walrus, salmon, and whale. Finally, with no fingers left to grasp, Sedna sank into the ocean and the seas calmed.

Sedna’s father reached the shore and fell asleep. That night, the sea rose and took her father and his tent away where they drowned and were never heard from again.

Sedna remains at the bottom of the sea, and when her hair is clean of vermin, she sends her salmon and seals to us in season. When her hair is dirty and filled with vermin, the shaman must travel to the depths to comb her hair for her, for she is fingerless and cannot comb it herself.

Straw House Beneath the Sea

Stories live in the Straw House of Stories beneath the sea waiting to be told.

When the great chief decided to populate the first world, he created four carpenters of mud. These carpenters chiseled the first stories out of wood: animals, mountains, rivers, and trees, stars, moon, and rainbow. The four carpenters went out from the four corners of the Straw House and painted the bright colors of the world onto their carvings.

At the walls of Nusmatta hung animal cloaks and masks, all facing inward. The great chief told the first stories to leave Nusmatta and to take one cloak with them as they left, which they did. The stories took canoes up from the sea, wrapping their cloaks around them, and the first world filled with stories. There were stories of mountains, and of rivers rushing to the sea, and stories of the sea as it cloaked the straw house, and stories of wolf and crow and weasel and mouse, and stories of our ancestors as well.

The masks remained behind and tell the stories of the stories to the great chief; and the masks remained behind and tell the great stories to those who bear the cloaks and who listen for words behind their own masks.

Vacant Empty

In the first world there was only the being called Vacant Empty, which had neither desire nor perception and was not. Vacant Empty was the first world, and the first world was Vacant Empty. The first world died when Vacant Empty split into Vacant and Empty. Within Empty grew the cotton-like tendrils of Pale White and around Pale White the endless body of Not Being grew inward from Vacant.

Pale White felt its existence and rebelled against Not Being and against the Emptiness of the second world,. Neither Pale White nor Not Being could prevail, and from their battles came the third world of Upheaval and Falling Downward.

Upheaval and Falling Downward spiraled together and came to rest on a ledge in the world of worlds, where they became Sky and Earth of the fifth world. Once they were Sky and Earth they became conscious of each other and no longer changed.

Within all hearts is still Pale White and above all reality remains Not Being, in whose twin futures the world sees the oblivion and emptiness to which it shall return.

Vine of the New World

The tribes have climbed through many worlds before reaching the present world of the sun. In the first emergence, the first man came to the surface of the first level. Finding himself in light and pitying those in darkness, he asked the Sun to help him bring his people into the light. The Sun created the twin war gods, who led the people up. It has been their duty to lead the people up whenever the story is ready to begin again.

In the last world, the twin war gods sent rabbit to tell the people that their world was drying up and that they needed to crawl through the tunnel to the new world. But the rabbit told its own kind first, and forgot about the tribes. First the rabbits disappeared, and then the beaver, then the deer, and then the trees and the grass. The old world became a dry, dusty place, and people shriveled until they were thin as leaves.

Finally, the twins came down to ask the tribes what was taking so long. By now the tunnel to the new world had dried and crumbled. So the twins threw down seeds and spit on the seeds. A vine grew up from the desert and through the crust of the sky and into the new world.

“We shall climb this vine into the new world,” said the twins.

The younger twin climbed the vine first, and the people followed. After many men and women had climbed up, but while many men and women remained, a pregnant woman began climbing. The older twin told those who remained to let her climb alone, or the vine might break. But the people were in too much of a hurry to get to the new world. Too many people climbed onto the vine, and it broke.

The people who went up first became the tribes. The people who were stuck in the underworld became the dead, who still scratch at the ceiling of the sky beneath us.

When Men Were Lizards

When people lived under the underground, the world was dark, wet, and cramped between earth and sky. People crawled like water-lizards on webbed feet and hands. They had horns, and tails to carry with.

The twin war gods led them up holes to the underground. “You shall now walk on your feet, and your hands are for carving and making.” For in the underground there was an underground sun, and the sky was far above them. The twins went to each tribesman, cut off their tails and horns, and slit their webbed hands and feet to create fingers and toes.

Some refused humanity. Even after their webbed feet were turned into hands with fingers and feet with toes, they continued to crawl and were afraid of the sun. They stayed inside their huts or their caves and never went into the light. When they had children, they taught their children to crawl as well, and told them stories of the underground beneath the underground. Their stories worked magic upon their offspring. Many of their children, climbing a tree or crossing a river, would suddenly return to lizards and crawl down the holes to the lower levels of the world. Many others, though they remained humans in shape and stature, still live in this world, alone in the caves at the world’s wall, and in the caves at the great sea and under the sea.

White and Black Deer

Before the world, there was Water, and there was Star That Always Moves. A voice called out to Star That Always Moves. It forecast three deer jumping out of the water. The first deer would be white; the second, black; the third, black and white.

Whichever deer escaped would choose whether the world would be night, day, night and day—or nothing. Star That Always Moves had three arrows. His first arrow killed White Deer as it leapt into the sky. His second arrow killed Black Deer as it leapt into the sky. But his third arrow only wounded Black And White Deer.

When Star That Always Moves only wounded Black and White Deer, the voice rose above the waters as the sun. Star That Always Moves continues to chase his last arrow and the black and white deer. Every year he gets closer. When he is finally able to retrieve his arrow he will kill black and white deer, and this world will have its end. When that happens, the moon, stars, sun, animals, plants, and rocks and mountains will become alive again as they were when the story began.

Kari

Hidden away in a great valley, the mysterious Kari live almost in another world. The Kari have relatively few gods, and these gods take little part in the affairs of Coren, preferring to stay in Renton or wherever they live. The gods of the Kari do not have aspects. There is, for example, no god of fire or god of thunder. There is no god worshipped by fishermen, or by farmers. The gods of the Kari are viewed as humans with god-like powers. They have very few worshipers. The Kari, as mentioned in the section on culture, do not worship gods, except for very specific reasons.

There are even fewer prophets, of course, than worshipers. They care little about their influence over mortal lives. The function of prophets in Karian society is much different than in other societies. They do not try and convert others to worshipping their god, for the gods do not need or even wish worship. They do, however, like to have liaisons to the world of Coren, to help them when their machinations or desires happen to cross paths on Coren.

Exemplars are even rarer than prophets. Each deity will have no more than one exemplar, and most often have no exemplar at all. Exemplars are most likely to worship Nila, less likely, Dariveni, and most unlikely to worship anyone else.

In general, prophets worship deities for the prophet’s good, not the deity's. The prophet has a purpose which he or she believes the deity can help with, and the prophet is willing to give service to the deity in exchange for this aid. This service lasts forever. After prophets are guided to Corentin by Rina, their chosen god personally comes to get them, after a wait that can be a long one. They are brought to Renton, where they serve the deity forever. In Renton, they have lost the immortality granted them in Corentin.

The deities of the Kari are said to have been spewed forth from Firtrendrel, the Destroyer Mountains. Only one deity, Aladaken, daughter of clouds, is not supposed to have been born of this mountain.

Most Karian prophets do not have the power to turn undead. Only prophets and exemplars of Kariten or Nila may choose that specialty.

The Creation of the World

In the days before man the Telarch were upon Coren. These beings could assume any living shape they desired. The ruler of the Telarch, Narnia, was unto a god himself.

In the time of the Foren-Kari, the war of the gods, certain Telarch took the shape of man. When Narnia was killed in battle with Linariteni, the Lord of Disharmony, those Telarch not in Rentin, the home of the gods, were severed from the whole of the Telarch. What form they then had became theirs forever.

Those who were men were fortunate. Their form was not too large to be an easy target. Nor too small, and easily defeated. Nor too ugly, to be feared, or too beautiful, to be hunted, or too weak, or too strong, too ordered, or too chaotic. Theirs was the form that survived the ages to become the Kari today. No other form descended from the Telarch has survived so well.

All living creatures are descendants of the Telarch.

Death and the Afterlife

Every creature has two lives. There is life in Coren, this world, and life in Corentin, the other world. Each world is composed of many levels. In Coren, there is Dreltri, the depths of fire. There is Dori-zan, the subterranean passages of the Earth. There is Iltri, the world of water, Dori-gola, the land beneath the mountains, and Sentari, the world of men. Above even this is Golatri, the world upon the mountains, Aladari, the realm of clouds, and beyond all is Sentri, the hold of the stars.

Every creature is placed upon Coren at some level. It is that creature's destiny to remain at that level for the creature's entire life on Coren. Only the greatest, strongest, and wisest may rise above their allotted level on Coren.

Coren is a wondrous place. It is a world of canyons and mountains, of lush flora and myriad fauna, of deserts of sand, water, and ice, of rivers of water, air, and fire. But for all its beauty, Coren is weak.

The weakness of Coren is selatarka, death. All on Coren die eventually. The newly dead, the riarl, are guided by Rina, the goddess who watches over the riarl, across Lendarn, the final desert, to one of the many levels of Corentin. Where a creature is guided to in Corentin is determined by the creature's actions in Coren. The greater the creature's actions in Coren, the higher it is placed in Corentin.

Once Rina leaves the creature in Corentin, that creature cannot be destroyed by any, not even the gods, on that level or lower. And Corentin is a wondrous place to be. It is all that Coren is and more.

Yet there are those who seek to cross the barriers on Corentin, to even higher levels. These souls give up their invulnerability for the continued trials of mortality. It is possible to gain much and to lose much. The legends tell that Nila and Tanen crossed together all the way to Rentin, to forever battle Vedaks the Wizard in his machinations against all Coren and Rentin.

It is for the attempt at crossing that gods are worshipped in Coren and Corentin. Those who do not plan to cross (the majority of creatures) have no need to worship gods. But no creature has ever crossed without the aid, however indirect, of at least one of the gods in Rentin. Death on a higher level than a creature was placed is permanent. Any who die in Corentin are dead. The endless death, Solatiarn, is forever. Only the bravest and most foolish attempt crossing, and only the wisest, slyest, or strongest succeed.

Sentar Den: The Code of the Peoples

The Sentar Den is the closest to a religious statement the Karians have. It is the philosophy of the Kari stated as simply as possible. Here, then, is the Sentar Den:

Toren ara sevina (“Fate is a many-branched tree”)

Implicit in this statement is the belief that the individual, the group, the nation, and the world can choose its own fate. Every moment has innumerable futures growing off of it, like branches from the trunk of a tree. An entity with intelligence and foresight can see some of these possibilities and choose their own future. There is always a choice.

This statement probably also has connections with Vina Toren, the Tree of Fate, which is used by the Kari to measure the passage of time. For the Kari, time is truly slowing.

Vela sarlaten ara sarlaten (“Your honor belongs to you”)

Here, the word for ‘honor’ is also the word that refers to an entity’s life, and how that life is viewed by others. It refers to the person’s honor, to the way that person’s life has been lived, is being lived, and will be lived. The suffix for ‘belongs to’ encompasses the person’s life up to the present. This embodies the Karian belief that only an individual’s actions now can change that individual’s honor. By the double use of the word ‘sarlaten’—of you—emphasis is placed on the belief that only you can change your honor, for better or for worse. Only you can honor yourself, and only you can dishonor yourself.

Torveagh ara tea (“All are one”)

The ‘all’ in this statement means literally that—all. Every man, woman, and child, every plant, every rock, every star in the sky, is one with everything and everyone else. ‘One’ means one entity. ‘Ara’ means now, in the past, and forever. All those living, dead, and yet to be born are encompassed by this statement.

What an entity does to another entity is done to itself. What someone does to you is done to them. Everything that you do, everything that someone else does, affects you, and affects everybody else.

Wasteland: The 33 levels of Solatiarn

The legends of Renton-arn, the endless wasteland, are few and vague.

According to legend, during the Foren-Kari 33 levels of Corentin were laid waste and cut off from Corentin. Vague myths talk of that war’s dead still roaming the wasteland, ruled by Narniavalatila, the dead incarnation of Narnia. In other myths, all who die in Corentin and Rentin find themselves somewhere on the 33 levels of Renton-arn, there to pass eternity amidst desolation.

Aladaken

Aladaken is unique among the gods and goddesses of the Kari. She was not spewed forth by the Firtrendrel. She was created by the clouds of Coren, and welcomed the first gods into Coren and Renton. It was she who angered the Firtrendrel into expelling its divine burden.

When she appears on Coren, she appears as a pure white cloud, small or large. All clouds are her domain, and as a cloud she may not be harmed by any normal attacks. Aladaken is always accompanied by intelligent cloud servants. She may speak with any creature whose home is the air or clouds.

When she takes human form, she appears as a beautiful woman draped in clouds and a light blue robe. In this form her body shifts from mist to flesh and back, her robe from sky to cloth. In this form she is a warrior, wielding a magical scimitar. In either form her winds can lift great weights and transport them for miles. Few can withstand the winds of Aladaken.

Worshipers of Aladaken, practically, do not exist. She is the least visible of the Kari gods, and there is no reason to worship her. Prophets of Aladaken are incredibly rare. Unless Aladaken requires something done for her, these prophets can only gain first through fourth level spirits. Higher level spirits are granted only when on a special mission for Aladaken.

Dariveni

Dariveni appears as a large Djinn. He can form himself into a gigantic whirlwind able to dwarf the tallest towers. He is known for his silence of movement, and can go undetected even by magical wards. Dariveni is often accompanied by Djinn, especially his advisor and friend Moren. Together they roam the planes seeking knowledge.

Dariveni’s magical knives return to him once thrown, and he can catch them with ease. He is also psychic, controlling telepathic and dimensional powers.

Worshipers of Dariveni tend to be thieves, monks, and bards. His worshipers avoid confrontation and rely on skill and stealth. Prophets of Dariveni seek to help the downtrodden and oppressed beneath the noses of their oppressor. While they prefer not to fight, they are willing to do so, but on their terms. The rare exemplars of the Kari occasionally worship Dariveni.

Gel Fedenn

Gel Fedenn was a leading member of the Sentar Sentasi who lost his powers in battle with a renegade order. He continued to teach for many years until Linariteni himself came to invade Coren. Gel Fedenn offered his service to Kariten in return for the ability to defeat Linariteni. Kariten returned Gel Fedenn’s psychic ability and gave him the Wand of Purity (Virannos). Gel Fedenn used this artifact to return Linariteni to Renton. Gel Fedenn now serves Kariten as a messenger and warrior.

Gel Fedenn leads a band of Monks from the Sentar Sentasi, and martial artists from the Sentar Telasi. He appears in simple leather armor wielding a crossbow. His sword, Disetti, is a powerful intelligent weapon which assists him in slaying evil. Disetti can cause any it hits to go temporarily insane. It also allows Gel Fedenn to fly, see invisible creatures, hidden or lost items, and secret doors, as well as understand any written language. Gel Fedenn is a powerful psychic with telepathic and corporeal powers.

Kariten

Kariten is the gardener. He takes care of all plants on Coren, in Corentin, and in Renton. He is aided in each place by dryads, pixies, and sprites. The dryads of Corentin and Renton are Ordered Good, and the pixies and sprites of Corentin and Renton are Chaotic Good. Kariten is always accompanied by hundreds of pixies and sprites.

Kariten may speak with all plants and animals, and all creatures of forests and gardens. His anger can cause any natural plants to wither and die. His favor can cause them to grow to immense sizes. He may command any normal plants, as well as any intelligent plants of a Good moral code.

Kariten appears as a monk wielding a staff. His staff can transform itself into any natural plant upon command.

Worshipers of Kariten are those who wish to expand nature or to be with nature as often as possible. Prophets of Kariten promote forest and plant life, opposing any attempts by civilization to push these back.

Linariteni

Linariteni exists for destruction. He can destroy any inanimate object in sight merely by willing its destruction. His magical mace destroys everything it touches ,whether he wants it to or not.

Linariteni sows discord and argument wherever he passes. Even the gods argue incessantly in his presence.

Worshipers of Linariteni are those who worship destruction. Prophets of Linariteni seek to destroy, and wreak chaos in Coren.

Narniavalatila

Narniavalatila has no shape of its own, and may take any form. It may transport itself physically or mentally to any place in Renton-Arn, the Wasteland. It is dead and must remain there forever. Renton-Arn is cloaked with despair, and all who enter fall to despair.

Worshipers of Narniavalatila have fallen into true despair. Everything ends in permanent death, all will die, and even those in Corentin will be tricked into dying. Prophets of Narniavalatila have no spirits. They seek to prepare themselves for the ultimate doom that must surely face them.

Nila

Nila was the first Monk of the Sentar Sentasi, trained by Tanen to develop her mind in the same way the Telasi develop the body. She appears as a chain-mailed warrior with a bastard sword, a bandolier of daggers, and a longbow across her back. Her sword is especially baneful to sorcerors and magic-wielding creatures. Nila has psychokinetic and corporeal powers. She has a magical rope. It is 60 feet long, but can enlarge itself to 300 feet and entwine any object.

Worshipers of Nila protect others or provide for those in need. She is often worshipped by monks and those attempting to cross. Prophets of Nila wish to protect others, often some subset of the Kari population. Exemplars of the Kari are most often worshipers of Nila.

Rina

Rina guides the dead to their rightful place in Corentin. Her nature is such that anything or anyone that has died cannot attack her. This would even include a god.

Rina’s gaze can cause blindness. Her walking staff is the artifact Rasaran, a magical staff that speaks and understands any language. Rasaran paralyzes anything Rina hits with it. If she waves it, it can either sleep many creatures or create a blinding sandstorm. If any other than Rina attempts to use the latter powers of Rasaran, they are permanently (but normally) blind. Other gods are usually unwilling to grant their prophets spirits of healing for the purpose of overcoming this blindness.

Worshipers of Rina are extremely rare, and there is no real reason why someone would worship her. Prophets of Rina are just as rare. Prophets of Rina are those who wish to kill, and those who wish to preserve life. This is not merely a predilection to kill or a general helping. The wish to kill is the Prophet’s one lone desire. The wish to preserve life is the Prophet’s one lone desire. All else is put aside in pursuit of this desire.

Tanen

Tanen was the rebel who, along with Nila, overthrew Vedaks the dictator. Tanen convinced Nila, then a warrior of the Sentar Rasi, to undertake the path of light and found the Sentar Sentasi. Tanen was then a leader in the Sentar Telasi. Tanen and Nila continue to work alongside each other.

Tanen appears as an unarmed man or as a man armed only with a small stick and a crossbow.

Worshipers of Tanen include those rebelling against tyranny, leaders of men, and teachers. Prophets of Tanen are often those leading fighting orders, or serving as tacticians for other leaders.

Vedaks

Vedaks appears as a dark-robed sorceror with an iron left hand and a wrought-iron staff in his right. He can understand any language, read any spell, and is permanently protected from Good. An invisible servant accompanies him wherever he travels.

Vedaks’s left hand is the Left Hand of Iron. This replaced his fleshly left hand, which he lost in battle with the demigoddess Nila. An attack by the hand causes a stunning shock to his opponents. Vedaks’s daggers rarely miss, and always return once thrown. His crystal ball can view any place in Coren and all normal planes.

Vedaks’s staff lets him cast many spells at the same time, and his magical wand of lightning shoots devastating bolts of lightning. As a god of magic, he has access to many magic items to assist him and his followers.

Worshipers of Vedaks are those who want to be dictators. Prophets of Vedaks work to put these worshipers in power, or to gain power themselves.

Polynesia

While the cultures of Hawaii, New Zealand, Easter Island, and islands between span a geographic space of 4,000 miles, there are many similarities in their mythologies. This section merges many of them, and only mentions a few conflicts.

Maori priests are called “Tohunga”; their methods of calling forth spirits “karakia”, and the tales of their history and religion, “korero”.

The head is the source of many taboos; in some Polynesian cultures no person could step over the head of another. Cutting hair might require special amends or ritual cleansing. Even passing a hand over the head of a king could result in execution.

Rituals are extremely important. Burial rituals placate the hostile dead, which include even those who were loved when alive. Maui was condemned to eventually die for his father’s failure to correctly observe a benediction ritual.

Tiki, images of the gods, are kept for worship and protection (the same thing, often), and made of stone or wood.

The world began when the formless space Atea divided into male and female: heaven and earth. Rangi (heaven) and Papa (earth) became the parents of all the gods. They stayed together after bearing their children, who had to tear the two elder gods apart to make room for themselves and for humans. The lands that the Maori live on were once one land, but were broken into pieces during this primeval war. Waters filled the spaces between when Tawaki, grandson of the thunder goddess Whaitiri, enraged by human evil, broke heaven’s crystal by stomping on it, and the waters of the upper world poured down to the earth.

Night is the time of the gods, day is the time of man.

Hine-Nui-Te-Po

Hine was created by Tane out of sand and clay, and then taken by him as wife. When Hine learned that her husband was also her father, she fled in shame to the underworld and became the ruler there, where she acts to entice the living to her kingdom. Only after Hine fled to the underworld did death enter the world.