The Peering Eye

Why Worship

Why would I want to be a follower of a particular god?

Why would I want to follow any god?

Why would you want to be the follower of any God?


1. The Afterlife:
Those who follow no god have a particularly terrible time in the afterlife. They end up as the most wretched and miserable creatures on the lower planes.

2. The Church:
The clergy constantly put pressure on unbelievers to convert

3. The Culture:
Most members of society in all cultures on Radharc believe in the gods and put pressure on unbelievers to convert. Most people will respect others belief in any god (they will often tolerate Risen worshipers and they will fear Fallen worshippers). Anyone who doesn't worship any gods is generally considered to be a mad. At best they have a terrible eternity to look forward to, at worst the Church or even the Gods themselves will actively work against them.

4. The Gods:
The Gods of The Peering Eye demand worship. They take a very dim view of agnostics. Some sages believe that their power, while not dependent on mortals, is greatly increased by their worship. They created the mortals and mortals live by their sufferance, they demand respect and worship for this. (Risen and Fallen gods are not supposed to actively encourage worship...this is the least adhered to of the great restrictions)

5. The Benefits:
The Churches and sometimes even the gods themselves respond well to enthusiastic worship from followers. In times of need, the Church will always provide for members of the flock far more quickly than to members of other churches or unbelievers.

6. Protection:
The Church of the Moons protects the common man, King and Country from the dangerous influence of The Risen & The Fallen and their followers. The flock do well to realise that an increase of the power of either the Risen or The Fallen would mean terrible hardship for all.

The attitudes below are as a result of the indoctrination of The Church of the Moons.
It is quite obvious why almost everyone fears the return of The Fallen, but why does "the common man" (anyone who is not a priest) fear or distrust The Risen?
Merchants dislike their belief that wealth should be equally distributed among everyone and that all work should be done for the good of all rather than for profit.
Leaders great and small fear their advocacy that everyone has equal rights and that all wealth (and power) should be divided amongst the people.

The Common people are happier in a world where not everything that is fun and enjoyable is considered to be sinful and wrong. They also do not want to be involved in assaults against The Fallen the whole time, The Risen constantly war against the Fallen and drag the common folk into the dangerous wars.

Adventurers are wary of inviting The Risen to join them, as they are likely to demand that the treasure be distributed among the poor. They often insist that the treasure not be taken from monsters that deserve better treatment, that no monsters are killed but instead they are taken prisoner and eventually released when they have seen the error of their ways. The Risen will not tolerate the rogues and the assassins doing their job and they will not let the druids and the deepwood snipers use their natural venoms. They will not allow the casting of certain spells or the summoning of certain allies and they are generally very hard to deal with.

Theology of Polymorph

Theological Discussion between Acolyte and Maaji Master

‘So you can become any creature in the universe!’ exclaimed Nian the Acolyte, novice of the Moons.
The Master smiled, he enjoyed the exuberance of this youth. ‘Not exactly. You must remember, young Nian that we are the servants of the Gods, not their equal. All comes to the deserving and the faithful.’
‘But I saw you become a Dragon, a Demon, an Arch-Angel, you could be anything!’
‘Ah yes but there are limits to the Polymorph spell as is fitting a balanced magical world, if there wasn’t we would tumble into oblivion…

PS I wasn thinking that a good limitation on polymorph would be that you can polymorph into any creature that has a challenge rating up to your INT bonus. Sounds reasonable, though some sort of knowledge would also be required.Knowlegde Monsters & Spellcraft rolls against DC 5 + CR. You get one additional form per level these forms can be a challenge equal to your level plus INT bonus. If you don't know the form then you must make either a Spellcraft or a Knowledge Monsters check DC 10 + CR. Both, one to know the creature one to see if you can translate to yourself. If you have examined no roll required. Examination of a creature: Knowlegde,Monsters & Spellcraft rolls of 10 + CR required. Rolls can be made after 1hour of study per CR. Examination must be completed in a fully stocked library/laboratory. [Monster Lore = Knowlegde, Monsters] The water wheel was always a part of that thing, I wonder how ye would have handled it at 5th level? (probably more cautiously) hmm...a thought the polymorph: Constantly changing form might draw the attention of champions of law/chaos...

The Cycles God of Forms Cruthana, granted Shapechange to the Druids, Wereform to Charon and Shadowform to Shale. Cruthana monitors the abuse of shapechanging and polymorphing and ensures that The Balance of Forms is kept. The balanced alignment of the creatures changed into by the faithful must be neutral.
Athrú seeks to corrupt the pureness of forms, creating mutations and hybrids. His specialities are evil outsiders, hybrids and Aberrations. These are balanced against Constructs and Good Outsiders. Athru would prefer to grant flashy, garish and obvious mutations rather than simply improving a creature. He would consider such an improvement an enhancement to a pure form.

Transmutation specialists had better take note... I'm thinking I like the 'disturbance in the force' idea... This would only be obvious to transmuters and Priests of the appropriate Deities though.
Most of the disturbances in the Force would be Skill (psioinc) or Talent (Sorcery) and would be detectable by other users of that 'wavelength', using Charisma checks to detect them. (New Skill: Sense disturbance). Arcane or Divine would be less apparent, but specific spell highlight magical activity.

The Bonum Letter

To my immortal beloved, those who stole this letter and those I wanted to steal this letter,

 

I have put into your grasp words that will change the world. To me, thus spake Stiuradh:

 

“I saw the answer to our dread question: Talamh has become too Risen. Neither The Fallen nor The Risen are truly to blame, in fact it is The Chosen who have caused this problem. And there is proof.

 

Perched on the shoulder of Aer on the night of The Peering Eye, while others watched the pantomime of King Edgar’s abduction, I gazed deeply upon the world. 

 

Consider the domains of Man: The Kingdom of Bigany and the Empire of Torland are both at peace, too well protected and too stable. Nothing of significance changes, there is no conflict and nothing drives The Cycles of the world. 

 

Consider The Church: Unification has been an unprecedented success. There are few pockets of religious defiance but none openly challenge The Church. Even the hordes that once followed The Fallen have been shackled to Chosen Gods. There are no schisms with any substance, there are no rival religions, the Fallen and Risen Gods have little support. The Inquisition is everywhere.

 

Consider The Chosen Gods: They bicker and snipe on occasion but they are committed to upholding the edicts of The Great lest they be destroyed. Even the primordials are at peace. 

 

So nothing changes.

 

If this Risen Aspect is not addressed, the cosmic pendulum will swing back into Balance but then surge through, into a Time of The Fallen as it did once before. But The Great will not forgive a second time.

 

What must be done?

 

The Primordials must be nudged to follow their unruly ways. Uisce wants to break free. I will help her. Aer is not of a mind to seize back control of her power over thunder and wind and storm. I will embolden her. She is far stronger than she remembers. Tine needs little encouragement.

 

Hyacinth Crimsontide wants to move the seat of Uisce’s Temple to Stormhaven. Make that happen.

 

Jurius Kinnett has preserved his Empire for centuries and has earned his immortailty. I will grant it to him. But there will be a final and terrible price. He must end his guardianship of his realm. He must leave the horn mountains and join The Chosen of Shale.

 

To end his guardianship, The Crown must be taken from Bigany. Freeing the lands from it’s tyrannical domination. Freeing the Five Families from submission. Freeing the beasts and hordes and powerful in The Crown’s domains from their incarceration. The King of Bigany will stand on his own merits or not at all.

 

Suluuk Poten wishes to become The Arch Duke of Stormwatch, head of The Sixth Family. A misguided dream but a potent symbol for change. Pull the appropriate strands of your looms to make this come to pass. The followers of Áisnéis sense it. Inform Yaardrigg that his time has come.

 

The Church, the mortal realms and the Chosen will be shaken from their Ivory Towers. Victory will be in doubt. It will be a time for heroes.

 

Rejoice, for you live in interesting times!”

 

This is the Word of Stiuradh.

 

Arch Vedic Maius Bonum of Stiuradh E.O.T.A.W.

 

Enter. Observe. Think. Act. Win.