Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 deadletter Dec 18, 2008 10:13:52	This is an old creation of mine which I am revising for a ravenloft/shadowfell realm (a sand wasteland with a steampunk western train themed nightmare city known as grand central in its core). The god is true neutral being who is based around the concept of void and the contemplation of that emptiness. Originally he was situated in a pocket of the plane of dust. Which if I am correct does not exist anymore in the current model. So need to figure where to put him now.....or possibly leave him there. As what better is a god of nothing better suited to then a plane that doesnt exist. Though the old version has some slightly mixed up ideas. Due to some rewrites and the age at which I created it. So if anyone has any ideas to improve or tighten some of the ideas in this post, it will be greatly appreciated. The main idea is a religion based on Tibetan Buddhism, with strong nihilistic overtones in some brances of the faith. Worhsiping the absence of things rather then the prescence of them which most faiths do. Anyway on with the original idea: Name: Baelus the Wheel Alignment: True Neutral Symbol: An 8 spoked Wheel, or simply 0 Home Plane: The Desert of Turning Worshippers: Monks, Clerics, Sand Shapers Cleric Alignment: TN Domains: Undeath, Earth, Knowledge, Time "The Wheel turns once, and then everything goes back to Baelus" Baelus (Bae-lus), god of deserts and the wastes is a True neutral god. Baelus is a deity of the act of belief itself. A lord of philosphers and hermits, he has no form or a tangible existance except the idea which is Baelus. Appearance: Baelus is a concept made manifest, the only proof of his existance is in the spells he grants, and within the sands themselves. He has no form which can be defined by mortal definition, or any form that can be defined by any immortal one. It is Baelus, and that is the only description of its form which is correct. Nature: Baelus is lord of the wastes, and sees the dessert as the truest form of order. A desolate landscape where there is no taint. No existance to even think of sin. Therefore it is order, and it is good. Followers: The followers of Baelus follow a simple set of rules. We believe in Baelus, so Baelus exists. Baelus believes in the world so the world exists. The world believes in us, so we exist. His followers are beings lost in eternal thought. Known as the silent ones, they wander the deserts in rags ringing a but a bell endlessly, as a symbol of the eternal medititation. Till the moment the bell stops ringing, and they are mumifed alive. As a grim testement to there belief. (Idea of one item, is a bell which makes no sound. When rung it cancels all sound in the vicinity. Stopping the casting of all spells and all communication) Some take to tying a giant Urnwood wheels to there back. Bearing the curse of existance upon them. Using there belief to believe the wheel is not there, and not slowly killing them as they make there pilgrimage. Followers of Baelus, see the desert as a personifcation of there god, and believe the world desires to be like Baelus. For the desert is order, and the desert is without sin, and thefore the desert is perfection. Baelus has no church, accept random piling of stones, dotted across the desert. The followers of Baelus, dont believe in fine robs and ornamental jewerly. Believing that the plainer one is, the more closer to Baelus the follower will be. But like any religion there exists factions who have perverted the beliefs of Baelus.
#2 deadletter Dec 18, 2008 10:23:08	The Paladins of the Sand Is a lawfull good extreme of the faith of Baelus. Taking the idea of existance being sin to the extreme. Not content with meditating and waiting out existance, They believe force must be acted to wipe clean its taint. A paladin of Baelus is an odd mix of rogue paladin and gunslinger. Using only a selection of clothes and leather, they prefer to strengthen there body through the ravages of sand and time. Through there meditation some also achieve a state of undeath. A type of lich who does not rely on a Phylactery but the sands and thought to sustain its existance. These beings of sand are deadly creatures bent on there cruscade of purification that many good creatures meet there fate as the bad. Many take to the worship of Theddais, the eyes of the father. Name: Thaddais Alignment: Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral Symbol: silhoutte of a man holding two revolvers crossed over his chest with eyes glowing between the two barrels Home Plane: Your ballgame worshippers Paladins, Clerics, Gunslingers Cleric Alignment LG, LN Domains Destruction, Law, Travel appearance Theddias travels the world's to uphold the laws and defend those unable to protect themselves. He travels under many names and appearances, but always as a gunman clad with a travelworn duster and a battered missionary hat. In his true form, he is a short, elderly human male, his weathered, wrinkled face caught in a permament little smile beneath the well trimmed sand white beard. Despite the kind appearance, Theddias is notorious for his unwavering and at times extreme in his administering of the law. It is said when He-who-watches-the-night is angered, his eyes will tell the fate of those around him. If they are blue, like a calm, cloudless sky, the arbiter's wrath has been directed elsewhere. When they are gray, like the color of a storm broiling in the distance, then the arbiter is a danger. And when they are the color of old bruises, of a sky broken with the violence of a fierce storm, Baelus' eye will kill. history: Theddias was born from Baelus to act as Baelus eyes, and in some cases his arms, in the earthly affairs of the world. He has travelled many planes and pursued multiple crusades to ensure the principles of his father are upheld. Nature amiable and kind. tries to give each man what he is due regardless of race, or religious belief. if spurred to violence, theddias believes the best approach is a scortched earth policy. He doesnt condone instigating violence, but he is a firm believer in finishing it, and finishing it alive. followers: Vigilantes, lawmen, paladins and clerics flock to the banners of Theddias.
#3 deadletter Dec 19, 2008 15:57:54	Any opinions on this god?
#4 deadletter Dec 22, 2008 4:57:51	Is the idea really that dull?
#5 Grimbus Dec 22, 2008 5:51:51	I'm not familiar enough with the planes and stuff, but why not stick the god on the material plane. As a god of void, he can live in an empty desert, a frozen waste or on top of the highest peak. Whereever there is a void, there is this god. There will be hermits who seek to live in the wilderness to hear the god speak to them. Of course some have heard god speak, others have gone mad in their loneliness.
#6 earanhart Dec 23, 2008 15:10:02	"Everything goes back to Baelus" This would seem to be more of a concept than a god on his own. I could see it as an overgod or some such thing, (think old Divine Rank around 25). Ignoring that line, why does he have Undeath? Death I could see a god of desolace/desolated places., but why Undeath? Undeath has the feel of continuing forever, which seems to be counter-productive for this guy.