Priesthood of Agrik
"Lord of the four horsmen, Master of the V'hir, Immortal Warlord of Balgashang, Breeder of plague, squalor and decay, Reasonless Reaper, Tyrant of the Foul Chamber, Knower of the Ten Thousand Ways."
Agrik, the god diametrically opposed to Larani, is the breeder of war for it's own sake. He is the principle deity of warriors who like the dark side of war, rapine, pillage, cruelty and destruction. It is said the pious adherents of Agrik will learn as many of the Ten Thousand Ways (of inflicting pain) as possible.
Agrik dwells in his great flame shrouded fortress of balgashang among his attendant V'hir. Somewhere within the castle is Ak-Syt, the dreaded chamber of tortures. The fortress' location is uncertain; some belive it to be at the center of Kethira. Agrik usually appears to mortals as a great V'hir with two claws missing from his left hand, bearing Gashang, his flaming mace and Sycanus, his ichor dripping sickle. His missing claws have caused him constant pain and anger since the goddess Larani severed them. Never forgetting this ancient indignity, only the terms of the Concordat of the Ilimitible Tome deter AGrik from seeking revenge. Some believe that he will eventually attempt to assassinate the goddess regardless of the consequences; there is certainly no love lost between the fighting orders of the two deities.
The worship of Agrik is concentrated in the Thardic Republic and the Kingdom of Rethem but there are a few followers in Orbaal and elsewhere. In Kaldor, Kanday and Melderyn, it is a proscribed faith carrying the penalty of death by burning; this is ironic since Agrik is, more than any other deity, the god of fire. The ritual garb of Agrik's clergy is predominately of orange and black. Human sacrifice is practiced, often in ritual combat with a champion of a fighting order.
Seven clerical sects are devoted to the worship of Agrik; each sponsors its own fighting order. There are few dogmatic differences between the orders but they constantly squabble, often with fatal consequences for innocent bystanders. Although he has great difficulty maintaining his authority, the Primate of Agrik for Harn is traditionally the grandmaster of the Order of Mamaka, the Master of Steel; his seat is located within that orders compound in Golotha. The clerical orders and their sponsored fighting orders (in brackets) are:
Mamaka the Master (Warriors of Mamaka)
Kukshin (Crimson Dancer)
Octagonal Pit (Demon Pameshlu the Insatiable)
Herpa the Mace (Red Shadows of Herpa)
Pillar of Fire )The Companions of Roving Doom)
Eight Demons (Cohorts of Gashang)
Fuming Gate (Company of the Copper Hook)
Alignment: Any Evil, mostly Chaotic Evil
Ability Scores: STR: 12 CON: 12 WIS: 11
Races Allowed: Human, Morsindar
Weapon Proficiencies: Required: Mace, sickle.
NWP:
Weapon and armor restrictions: none
Other limitations: none
Spheres of Influence: Major access to All, Combat, Elemental, Protection,Summoning
Minor Access to Healing, Guardian, Necromantic
Granted Powers: Spiritual Mace (1st level) same as spiritual hammer Inspire Berserker Rage (3rd level)
Fear (6th level)
Immune to Sleep, Charm,Fear (12th level)
Priesthood of Larani
"Shieldmaiden of the worthy cause, guardian of Dolithor, Protector of the brave, Lady of Paladins, the Unwilling Warrior."
Larani is the good goddess of battle, the reluctant warrior, and the deity of chivalry. Said to dwell in the "Land of the Mighty" in the fortress of Dolithor, she periodically leaves the guardianship of her kingdom to her bannerbearer Mendiz to walk among men. Those who follow Larani must display courage, compassion, and unimpeachable honor. Hence, Larani is the lady of chivalrous knights. While combat is permitted, serious or mortal combat is indulged in with reluctance. Her loyal adherants are loath to take life if there is an honorable alternative. Almost all of Larani's lay-adherants and many of her clerics are warriors of some ability. On rare occasions, Larani looses her patience and appears to men as the "Terrible Lady of the Flowing Red." In this guise she bears her awesome ancient symbols Avarkiel (legendary sword), Hyvrik (red and white checkered shield), and Angcaradina (blood red mail).
In Harn two principle sects worship Larani; each sponsors it's own lay fighting order. There is no real philosophical difference between the orders, which exist partly to provide a degree of competition for honor in time of peace, and partly for geographical reasons. The clerical orders and fighting orders are:
The Order of Hyvrik (The Checkered Shield)
The Order of Hyvrik (The Checkered Shield)
Order of the Spear of Shattered Sorrow (The Lady of Paladins)
The ritual garb of the clerics will vary according to circumstance and need; the predominant colors are red and silver/white. The seat of the Laranian Primate of Harn is in Thay.
Alignment: Lawful Good
Ability Scores: STR: 9 CON 9 WIS 11
Races Allowed: Human
Weapon proficiencies: Longsword
Weapon and armor restrictions: none
Other limitations: none
Spheres of Influence: Major access to All, Combat, Protection, Guardian. Minor access to Healing, Necro
Granted Powers: Turn Undead (1st), Inspire Berserker Rage (3rd), Immunity to Fear (7th)
