Vardin, The Avenger

Description: All strongholds to Vardin have both a courtroom and an execution room. Their temples are all places where justice is served, whether a King's hall, or a commoner's gallows. Vardin's priests are often the only hope for those desperately seeking justice or revenge.

Priests and priestesses of Vardin may use spells from the Healing sphere only on beings who have been wronged (for example, if a man was flayed for a crime he didn't commit, a priest of Vardin may heal him fully). In addition, priests of Vardin may heal themselves fully if they are on a quest for revenge or pursuing justice. Finally, the Vardin's followers may also heal any who are aiding in the vengeance or justice.

Sects: There are no sects of Vardin's priests. Any priest may be called upon to seek justice or revenge.

Adjudication. The priest must act as a judge whenever requested to do so. The only exception to this is when the priest herself is involved on one side of the judgement. In such situations, the priest may call on the nearest temple to Vardin for another priest, or she may designate someone else as judge.

Guidance. Priests of Vardin must offer guidance and teaching to those who break laws. They must put forth an effort to rehabilitate wrong-doers, provided that any crimes committed by the offender do not warrant a death sentence.

Marriage. The priests may be called upon to perform marriage ceremonies. Usually, such ceremonies will be marriages of state.

Missions. The priest must achieve justice whenever justice has been thwarted.

Vigilance. The priests must keep their ears open and keep track of those who try to avoid the consequences of their actions.

Investigation. Priests of Vardin must investigate any stories of injustice unless another priest of Vardin has already (or is in the process of) investigated the matter. If the priest finds evidence of wrong doing, he or she must also act to correct the injustice. The priest does not need to act immediately to address the wrong doing.

Vengeance quest. Priests of Vardin also avenge those who have been wronged. They will pursue a malefactor to the ends of the world and beyond, if possible, to exact revenge. Vardin often takes a direct hand in bestowing these quests. When the God of Vengeance gives a task, it will be done.

Followers & Strongholds:

Role-Playing Notes:

Diaunese Shaman

Description: Diaunese Shamani are unique among the priesthoods. They do not follow a god or goddess; instead, they practice ancestor worship. A Diaunese Shaman is a terrible opponent, for they can call on the aid of their entire tribe in addition to their own magical abilities. The Shamani flow with the spirit world, dancing their way among the eddies and currents of the spirits around them. This order is arguably one of the more powerful, as well as being more dangerous to its followers.

The Shaman's role among her people is one of protection. Where the Chieftain leads the people, it is the Shaman's duty to ensure that no harm comes to them. At times, it is possible for the Shaman to overrule the Chieftain, but this is an extremely rare occurrence, and never happens more than twice in a lifetime. Shamani also care for the bodies of the slain, enemies and allies alike, for this is the source of their greatest power.

Sects: There are no sects among the Diaunese Shamani. They are as tribal and savage as any Diaunese barbarian. Evil Shamani will collect the spirits of the dead for their own personal power. Other Shamani will gather spirits to benefit their tribe. Different Shamani can work together, usually when their tribes are allied.

Communion. Every tribe has a totem animal. On every night when the greater moon, Acravar, is half-full or during any conjunction of the moons, the Shaman must commune with his totem. The full ritual takes four hours to perform and requires burning incense, a sacrifice hunted by the Shaman alone, and a portion of the Shaman's blood (5hp, must heal naturally). During this communion, the totem spirit will visit the Shaman and allow the Shaman to ask one question. The chances of gaining an answer are the same as for an Augury spell. However, the answer received does not necessarily address the original intent of the question. Furthermore, the spirit may assign the Shaman a task - anything from slaying a particular enemy to gathering special items to be used at the next communion. The spirit will not answer any further questions, even at succeeding communions, until the task is completed. See Missions below.

Dress. A Diaunese Shaman must bear his tribe's totem at all times. For every hour the Shaman is separated from his totem, he or she loses one spell point.

Guidance. The Shaman must advise the Chieftain on a proper course of action for the tribe. Normally, the Shaman will do this in private. Additionally, the Shaman must advise any tribe member who requests aid. In the latter case, the Shaman is free to assign any task he or she sees fit in payment for the aid.

Missions. Every Shaman will at some point be given a task by her totem spirit during a communion. This task must be performed or the Shaman will not be able to fully commune with her totem, including by such spells as Commune, Contact Other Plane, Divination, etc. See Communion above for more details.

Ritual Suicide. If a Shaman fails to save his or her tribe from a great calamity, the Chieftain may demand the Shaman's life. In this case, the Shaman must commit ritual suicide, becoming a spirit imprisoned at the site of his death. Alternatively, the Shaman may refuse to die. Instead, he or she will immediately lose all bound spirits and be unable to bind any others for a full year.

Sacrifice. Every Shaman, as preparation for the Communion ritual, must hunt and kill a sacrifice. This sacrifice must be a prey animal or a tribal enemy's totem.

Tithe. Shamani do not keep any wealth beyond that needed to support themselves and any family they may have. All excess wealth is distributed equally among the tribe.

Spell Casting. All casting times, except for spells from the Spirit sphere, are doubled.

Holy Symbol. As mentioned before, the Shaman must keep a piece of his totem animal on his person as a holy symbol. Failure to do so results in the loss of 1 spell point for every hour of separation. Should the Shaman's symbol be destroyed, her strength is immediately reduced to 6 until it is replaced.

Sense Spirit. Gained at 3rd level. By closing his eyes and concentrating for one round, a Shaman can sense spirits around him. Spirits can be seen as powerful (high level/hit die) or weak (low level/hit die). This ability will only work on living creatures.

Shapechange. Gained at 5th level. A Shaman can shapechange into the form of his totem once each day. All of the equipment carried by the Shaman becomes part of the new form. Furthermore, the Shaman is healed of 1/3 of any damage he has taken and has access to all of the natural abilities of the totem. The Shaman retains his own thoughts and feelings.

Summon Totem Spirit. Gained at 12th level. A Shaman can summon his totem's spirit once every new moon to perform one service. The Shaman must be in very good standing with his ancestors to use this power. The totem spirit has as many hit dice as the shaman has levels, and maximum hit points (8hp/die). It has twice the number of attacks per round as a normal animal of the same type, inflicts double damage with each attack, an AC of -3, can be hit only by magical weapons, and moves twice as fast. Its other stats are the same as for its animal type.

The spirit will obey only the summoning Shaman. It will not perform any action to benefit any other being, except indirectly. Typical services include: carrying the Shaman to safety, slaying an attacker, guarding the Shaman. If a totem spirit is slain while performing a service, the Shaman immediately loses all current spell points, is reduced to 10 hit points (if not at 10 or less already), and cannot summon a totem spirit again for a full year.

Followers & Strongholds: At any time after 9th level, a Shaman may seek out a student, although such students will usually find the Shaman first. The Shaman may seek out one such follower-student for every level she has above 8th. Only these students are treated as followers, and they will be loyal and trustworthy unless maltreated.

Role-Playing Notes: As can be gathered from the history of Diaun, Diaunese Shamani hate wizards with a passion. Their people have been enslaved and nearly destroyed too many times by wizards for them to tolerate the presence of mages well. In fact, Diaunese Shamans have, down through the centuries, bound fully half the spirits they've captured to the task of protecting Diaun from magi, ordering them to seek out and destroy any mage who violates the borders of their land. This is one of the reasons why it is so dangerous for wizards to even scry into Diaun - spirits will come and attack that mage. Even after death, nearly all shamani are bound to this task as spirits themselves.

For roleplaying purposes, the Diaunese Shaman should target enemy spellcasters first and foremost, if only for the simple reason that a captured wizard's spirit grants the shaman a servant with mage spells. A shaman will never call any wizardly spell caster "friend." At best, a shaman will barely tolerate a wizard when travelling outside of Diaun. Inside of Diaun, a known wizard will be killed. Elves are regarded as being demonic (they've mixed up ancient legends of Drow, demons, and the Witch King Atu'an), but are preferred company to wizards. (The Elves of Peacewood have wisely been extremely circumspect in practicing magical arts around these people.)

Generally speaking, the only time a Diaunese Shaman will be encountered outside of Diaun will be on a quest given by his or her totem, or for revenge against some wizard who dared trespass into Diaun. As a result, they will be irritable and angry, most of the time.