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View Full Version : 4e, elaborating on the gods!



Zaeron
2008-08-07, 02:56 AM
Well, after a long absence from D&D, I've returned to play 4th edition, and I've been really liking it. One of the things I really like about the system is how easy homebrew seems for it.
My first project has been to create a world that stays true to the core premise of 4e - that the world is dotted with small patches of light in seas of darkness. However, by the same token, I want to create an interesting world, not just individual, embattled cities. Along the way, I've discovered a number of other areas of 4e that.. could use elaboration. What I would like to present to you all now is an expanded Church of Pelor. This particular write up has a fairly extensive amount of world-specific flavor, but it should be easy enough to change the names and dates and use the church in your own world if you'd like, or take a few bits and pieces and add them as flavor. Mostly, I'd just like to hear reactions - if I get positive feedback, I'll consider posting additional content from the world, in the form of nations, regions and other religions, and the like. If you like what you read, or have any comments, I'd love to hear what you've got to say.

Anyway, without further ado, here's what I've got.

Overview of Pelor

Widely worshipped on Coralon, especially among the Kahrasi, but frequently among common folk of all the lands, Pelor is one of the most widely known deities. He is known by many titles, but chief among them are “The Sun King”, “The Radiant Protector” and “The Keeper of the Seasons”. His churches can be found across Coralon, in nearly any city. In Kahras, his worship is practically assumed (a common greeting in Kahras would be "May the sun grace you"), and many people wear his symbol (a bright yellow sunburst) openly on clothing or around their neck. Missionaries of Pelor, following his commandment to bring light into the dark places of the world, can be found in nearly every corner of the earth. They are often healers, and many can be found in the hospitals of cities besieged, caring for the wounded and dying with no concern for which side of the conflict they have come from.


Common prayers

Protection prayer - “Pelor protect me from evil, that I may bear the light in your name!”
War cry - “Let the light cleanse this place of evil!”
War cry - “With dawn comes hope, and with hope, victory! Stand fast, friends, Pelor has not forsaken us!”
Prayer of Blessing - “Pelor, may your light bless this land, may your grace shine down on it, and make it plentiful. May the people who tend it suffer no ill fortune, bear healthy children, and reap bountiful harvests under your protection.”
Request for Aid - “Pelor, I beg you, come to our aid! Our faith is true and our need great, guide us to safety with your light!”
Other prayers – imagery of the sun is very common, references to the light cleansing things and so forth. The prayers are very straightforward, and often are addressed directly to Pelor.

The Church of Pelor (Kahras)

In the year 1743, a blind man came to the village of Xansiar, claiming he had seen the truth in the light of the sun. He was sheltered for a time in the village, and his stories captivated all who heard them. He spoke endlessly of a world without suffering, where men helped other men to rise from misfortune and end suffering. He taught that the lifeblood of the earth was the sun, and that no evil could stand before the righteousness of men who sought to end pain. In time, the village built him a home, and people came from neighboring villages to hear him speak. Over time, the crowds became larger, until his sermons were attended by hundreds. Disciples came to him for teaching, and when he died in 1789, he had already laid the groundwork for what would become the Church of Pelor. Kahras at the time was a land torn by petty infighting and squabbles over scraps of land. His teachings swept over the country like a wave, transforming the land. Warmongering lords were thrown down by their own people, and peace swept over the countryside. Temples to Pelor were raised on the battlefields, mourning the dead and tending the wounded, always teaching peace. When Kahras was unified at last, it was not under a king, but a priest.

The church of Pelor considers Kahras to be its homeland (similar to the Catholic Church in Rome). The largest temple to Pelor can be found in the capital of Kahras, Xansiar. High ranking priests of Pelor are extremely influential in Kahras, to the point that much of the nobility are widely considered to be figureheads. Pelor directly opposes Asmodeus, in fact, the war between the people of Kahras and the tieflings of the Agarond Chain can be directly traced back to the conflict between their dieties.

Common titles

Child – An acolyte, novice or squire, anyone still in training (first level paladins/clerics, etc)
Brother/Sister – Generic term for any full member of the church with no special titles. (A paladin of Pelor, a standard cleric)
Father/Mother – Another generic term, showing respect for someone of high office within the church. (A bishop, a captain of the army)
Great Father/Mother – Used only with very high ranking members of the church (a paladin commanding an army, a cardinal of Pelor)

Organizations within the Church

The Dawnbringer Chapter
The Dawnbringers were founded in 1924, shortly after Kahras was unified under the Church of Pelor. Their stated mission was to spread the word of Pelor beyond the confines of Kahras, and by all accounts, they were wildly successful. Dawnbringer Chapterhouses can be found all across Coralon, and even on the other continents, in major cities. They are well known as places of sanctuary – where anyone, believer or not, can find shelter, food and healing. Membership in the Dawnbringers brings many benefits, including more rapid advancement in the regular church. Also, many titles can be earned, the most notable of which are listed below.
Seeker of Hope (shortened version 'Seeker') – Fresh recruits into the Dawnbringers are frequently granted this title.
Dawnbringer (or “I am of the Dawnbringers”) - any full member of the Dawnbringers can use this title.
Champion of the Rising Dawn (“I am a Champion of the Dawnbringers”) - This title is granted to any who do a large service for the Dawnbringers, and carries great weight within the church.


Other titles and stations (for future use, or for your own use)

Paladins
Miniras
Sun Warden
Radiant Guardian
Dawnlord

Clerics
Acolyte of the Radiant Protector
Priest of the Rising Sun
Priest of Blazing Glory
Radiant Servant

While a lot of the stuff I wrote above is world specific, I think that a few sections - especially the "Example church" section, the "Organizations within the church" section, and the sections on titles could be of use to pretty much anyone interested in adding a little flavor.

If anyone is interested, I'd be more than willing to do posts like this for some of the other gods of 4e, or provide some more background on the world this was created for. Feel free to ask if you're interested, otherwise, thanks for reading this far.

-Z

Lyndworm
2008-08-08, 09:19 PM
It looks good. Very good, actually. I like it.

Though I don't have any actual requests, I'd certainly like to read any related topics you wrote.

Zack

Mando Knight
2008-08-09, 08:54 AM
A Question (or more, with explanatory notes). You mention that 1st level Paladins/Clerics are called "Child." However, one of the assumptions of 4E is that heroes are rare, enough so that even a 1st level cleric is above and beyond what most village priests could ever hope to attain (unless, of course, such a priest is the village's only line of defense against a constant threat of the undead, or really an arch-sage living out the rest of his life as a hermit...). Why, then, is a 1st-level hero considered a novice, or a hero-in-training? Is it just a your-campaign-world-specific thing?

Also, you may want to consider changing your world's name: Coralon is quite similar to Corellon, one of the core deities in 4E... you wouldn't (or at least shouldn't) want your players to get too confused about what you're talking about...

Zaeron
2008-08-09, 02:58 PM
Thanks, Mando.

I have a tendancy to work off of pronunciation, so I didn't draw the link between how closely Coralon and Corellon sound alike. I'll definitely have to change the name of the continent - thanks a lot.

On a second note, that's something I hadn't really considered. More a legacy of time spent in 3.5 than anything else. You're right though - a first level character would definitely have the right to be called "Brother" or "Sister". I suppose that novices probably have no real combat statistics to speak of. Maybe stat them as first level minions in a combat situation, or something like that.