Babylon (Bab-ah-lon)

Overview

Son of Mehena and twin brother to Sune. He is the evil and malicious deity of guilt, hatred, servitude and tyranny. Preferring to scheme and plot with those bound under him, Babylon rarely appeared to act in a direct manner before the Calamity; instead acting through his worshipers and other various agents bound to him as he does now that he is locked away. When his servants sit upon the throne of every land, when commoners serve their masters in fear for their very lives,, and when all chaos and disorder has been crushed under the rule of his law, only then will Babylon rest. Until that dark day, however, the Dark Prince has eternity to hatch demented plots and vile intrigues. Eventually, he will rule all Aralla, but there's no hurry. Getting there will be half the fun.

Portfolio and Responsibilities

He is a god whose portfolio includes strife, hatred, tyranny, guilt, but also contracts, oaths, and servitude. Babylon orders his clerics and followers to achieve positions of power within their society, either through force, blackmail, or contracts, and to use that power to further the cause of hate, law, order, and strife. The Dark Prince much prefers that his clerics subvert governments and carry out their agendas under the cover of the rule of law, but he tolerates a limited amount of discord and debauchery. Torture, beatings, and calculated assassinations frequently come into play in such operations, and rare indeed is the initiate of the King in Black who does not possess at least rudimentary skill in such enterprises. The church operates under a strict hierarchy--questioning or disobeying the orders of a superior is an insult to Babylon’s supremacy, and is punishable by torture, disfigurement, or death. Within his sphere, any and all oaths give lip service to Babylon, as it is said that any who break an oath will face his wrath.

Divine Domains

Evil (Including Fear and Devil), Destruction (Including Hatred and Torture), Law (Only Legislation, Devil, Tyranny, Sovereignty, or Slavery), Nobility (Including Leadership)

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Holy Weapon - Morningstar
Holy Animal - Vulture, Black Dog
Holy Colors - Dark Red, Black, Grey
Holy Mineral - Iron
Holy Symbol - Red rays squeezed forth from a black fist

Tenets of Faith

Edicts - Serve no one but Babylon. Fear him and make everyone fear him more than you do. Defy Babylon and die, in death you will be loyal to him. Codify contracts and oaths, every promise belongs to Babylon.
Anathema - Let power slip from your hands. Break any oath or contract. Go easy on someone when they break a contract.

Holidays

Their religion recognizes no official holidays, though servants give thanks to the Black Hand before and after major battles or before a particularly important act of subterfuge. Senior clerics often declare holy days at a moment's notice, usually claiming to act upon divine inspiration granted to them in dreams. Rites include drumming, chanting, and the sacrifice of intelligent beings (this is almost always hidden in places were Babylon's worship is civilized), usually upon an altar of black basalt or obsidian.

Meta Information

Obedience

Using a ruby-bladed knife, inscribe symmetrical cuts into the flesh of another creature—preferably an unwilling sentient being you own or hold dominion over. The blade may be solid ruby or forged of metal and edged with serrated ruby fragments. Devout priests of Babylon take pride in crafting elaborate daggers made entirely of ruby. Drain the victim’s blood into a bowl of bone made from the skull of a sentient humanoid. The amount of blood drained is up to you; you don’t have to drain so much that you make the creature weak or too useless to serve you. Use the bowl of blood to draw a large pentagram on the ground. Kneel within the pentagram and concentrate on the glory you will bring to the Prince of Darkness’s name. Gain a +4 profane bonus on saving throws against fire effects.

Divine Boon

1: Darkfire (Sp) burning hands 3/day, darkness 2/day, or deeper darkness 1/day
2: Embersight (Su) Your eyes take on the appearance of red-hot, glowing embers, granting you the ability to see in darkness much like devils. You gain darkvision to a range of 60 feet. If you chose either darkness or deeper darkness as the spell-like ability granted by your first boon, you can also see perfectly through both darkness and deeper darkness. If you already have darkvision to a range of 60 feet or more, instead increase the range of your darkvision by 10 feet. Your eyes make you extremely distinctive, causing you to take a –4 penalty on Disguise checks.
3: Hellfire Blast (Sp) You can use delayed blast fireball once per day as a spell-like ability to throw a sphere of soulscouring hellfire. The hellfire is a distinctive mixture of black and crimson flames in which screaming devilish faces can be seen twisting and writhing. Half the damage from this spell is fire, while the other half is unholy. This damage modification applies only to the delayed blast fireball you create through this boon, not to any other spells, effects, or attacks.

Example Antipaladin Code

Antipaladins serving under Babylon, the Dark Prince, are not the typical champions of justice and righteousness found serving other deities. These antipaladins are unyielding agents of order, enforcing tyrannical rule, and using whatever means necessary to accomplish their goals. The Oath of the Dark Prince emphasizes unquestioned loyalty, the power of contracts and oaths, and the spread of Babylon's influence to every corner.

• A antipaladin of Babylon never questions the commands of their superiors. Their will is an extension of the Dark Prince's designs.
• I always seek to further the ambitions of those above me in the hierarchy, for in doing so, I further Babylon's dominion.
• I punish those who dare break their promises, for they defy the Dark Prince's domain.
• I will rule through fear and terror, the masses should serve me trembling with reverence.
• Not all battles are won with a blade. I understand manipulation and intrigue are powerful tools.
• Every action, word, and thought should be in service to showcasing the might of Babylon.
• Reject equality, for in life there must always be a master and a servant.

Unique Spellcasting Rules

Cleric/Warpriest

Geas, Lesser can be prepared as a 4th-level spell Geas/Quest can be prepared as a 5th-level spell [variant, allows a Will saving throw]

Physical Description

Body Features

He is often depicted as a cloaked, armored, and hooded figure, never showing his face, often gripping a terrible and bloody morningstar and clutching green energy in his black gauntleted hand.

Divine Classification

Rank 18 Greater Deity

Religions

• Church of the Dark Promise

Alignment

Lawful Evil

Realm

The Black Fortress

Church/Cult

Children of Mehena

Honorary & Occupational Titles

“The Dark Prince” or “The King in Black”

Parents

Mehena

Pronouns

he/him

Aligned Organization

Church of Babylon

Other Affiliations

• Church of the Dark Promise
• Cult of the Black Prince
• Hellknights

Ruled Locations

• The Black Fortress