Obat - The Dark
Obat (Oh-Bot) {Recently Revived}
Erra / Irr-Obat / Obatighal
The Darkness between the Rocks
The Night Lord under the Moon
Elder Power of Night, God of Shadows and Smoke
Major power on Plane of Shadow
Alignment: NE
Portfolio: Darkness, Death, Shadows
Aliases: The Unnamed
Domain Name: Kleg-Norr (Cidael of Shadow)
Superior: none
Allies: Shahde', Masque, Caen
Foes: Dwarven Pantheon
Symbol: Black Hooded head with gray beard showing
Worshippers Alignment: N, CN, NE
Overview:
Obat is one of the first three Powers of Edus. He was created with Amaro, The Light, and Ertus, The Earth. The three were the first attempt at giving celestial powers to forms created directly by O'hl. Obat is the earliest God of Death and Darkness. His portfolio was vast, containing all the parts of darkness, and the end time of any life. Death, Shadows, Night, Loss: all these encompassed Obat and his rule of control. His followers were solemn priests that helped the elderly rest in consecrated graves, while others were assassins, killers and dark priests focusing on shadow magic. This dour stoicism made him especially venerated by the Dwarves of the old Ages. Obat had become synonymous with dwarves, before their current pantheon was formed.
During the 2nd Age, a large community of Dwarves established a huge kingdom that reached both above and below ground, the massive dwarven kingdom of Kethrin. Kethrin venerated three ancient Gods: Amaro the Light God, Ertus the Earth God, and Obat The Night God. The trio pantheon ruled over this kingdom until the beginning of the 3rd Age, where wars and inner conflict brought the dwarven city to rubble. Followers who took the trip with them, spread across Edus, and the church of Obat was soon lost.
Appearance:
Obat appears as a huge six foot tall dwarf of blackness, a hooded cloak covers all details of his face. The only remarkable detail of this form are his glowing eyes, which change color with the godling's mood. Under the cloak, he wears a full set of jet black plate armor with spikes. Other Manifestations:
Specialty Priest: Nightkeeper
Clergy: Any (usually Dwarf)
Clergy Alignment: CN,NG,G,NE
Turn Undead: no
Cmnd. Undead: YES
Bonus Prof: Religion; Obat(W), Spellcraft: Shadowmagic(I-1), Cosmology(W-2)
Dogma:
The ethos of Nightkeepers seems to be one of embracing the acceptance of the Night and the Shadows. Without them, there is no dawn, there is no balance. A common saying for the Nightkeepers had been "may Obat and the night keep you and hold you in safety." They see and promote activity and growth within night and shadows. The original dogma was to embrace the positive as well as the negative. Other offshoots used the night and shadows to embrace secret actions, assassinations and even killing enemies within the shadows and night as their ethos. Most Nightkeepers are used as guardians of others during the night.
Day-to-day Activities:
Daytime is for resting, cleaning and preparing for the evening and night. Night is when Nightkeepers thrive. Eating in shadow or even complete darkness, followed by walking their temple or town, praying while in the shadows, and seeking to help those who become lost, or even attacked within the shadows, as it is their domain to police. Nightkeepers also use the nighttime to allow others to come and ask for guidance or within the night, able to be more obscured and hidden as they ask for answers to the Nightkeepers. Obat used to gain worshippers as more and more would seek Nightkeepers (and in turn Obat) for guidance in their lives.
The clergy is taught to be Self-reliant, and shadowy in their own actions, using the night to promote their own actions and the word of Obat. The religion did not stand on archaic ceremony or long-droning preaches to the masses. A Nightkeeper who took ten citizens into the night sky, in the shadows of buildings and shown them the path to Obat, was holier than some high cleric lighting candles and praying alone in the church. Alignment for followers was never a strict rule, which is the cause of the dogma splitting and having multiple "views" of how Obat operated and ruled the night sky.
Important Holy Days/Ceremonies:
Most all holidays and holy rituals are celebrated at Night. The moon of Edus is important, as many clerics and Nightkeepers claim the Moon is the throne of Obat.
The opposing phases of new moon and full moon are times of silent prayer and shadowed reverence. The brightest nights when the moon glows over all, Nightkeepers seek shadows and will often go off on their own to commune.
No moon, or sliver moon is a high point in each month, and most Nightkeepers will hold church in the night sky, under the stars, or on rooftop gardens. No moon is also when monthly, Nightkeepers can perform "The Night Ritual". It is an hour long ritual containing, dance, prayer and sacrifice of a life, which allows the Nightkeeper to get closer to Obat and seek answers more directly from their deity, regardless of their concordance. The sacrifice would be of something that thrives in the light, usually sunflowers, fresh cut flowers or even small animals that are not nocturnal. Often times, the Nightkeepers would not get a clear answer, but would see a small nocturnal creature appear within their Ritual area. This was seen as a boon, and a positive answer from Obat.
Major Centers of Worship:
In the First Age, There were hundreds of thousands of Night Temples throughout Edus. Many were lost to the cataclysms or world changing events throughout the Ages.
At this time, there are only two known extant temples of Obat: one is within the North Ward of Kings Watch, in Gothmyr. The other temple is Citadel of Night outside of Ciudal Sahn, in Hepulchor. While not as popular as some of the more "modern" Pantheon deities, these temples do have active congregations.
Affiliated Orders:
There are many different orders within the religion of Obat. Most of them are long forgotten but the names that have been found are as follows:
The Specialty priests are known as 'Nightkeepers.' These are the main clergy that are the prophets of Obat.
Knights that follow Obat don't have any particular title, but they call themselves 'Nightswords.'
Wizards, sorcerers, and Warlocks are simply known as 'Shadowed'. Any master mage or sorcerer is considered 'High Shadowed.'
Thieves, assassins, and bards who work to further Obat are called 'Darkblades', or 'Darksongs', respectively.
As of this writing, there are no established orders that promoting Obat, and no knightly orders claim to ride for the Night Lord. There is no group or organization that works en masse towards promoting Obat and his portfolio.
Priestly Vestments:
Nightkeepers wear blacks and grays, often times wearing blacks in the daytime and finding places to stand out of direct sunlight. Other followers will wear black cloaks with a gray lining. It has been known that old followers of Obat keeping their religion a secret, would weave the holy symbol of Obat into the inside of their cloak, using hairs of a Wight, which glow in the darkness.
Known Priests & Followers: Darwin Micah - Prophet of Obat (deceased)
Akimoto - Samurai and Prophet of Obat (deceased)
Desto - Mage/thief "Shadowed"
Malanhe- Nightkeeper Cleric of Obat.
Rumor has it there is a demon within the Abyss that has been reaching out as a prophet of Obat, demanding adventurers and wanderers "Serve". His scheme is to increase Obat's power base, so Obat can release him from the Abyssal Hell. This demon, named Agrizzog, is trumpeting the word of Obat, trying to gather clerics to further his reach on the new Edus. The demon is using his own demonic power to grant prayers and be the extension of Obat, while he himself serving the Night lord. Followers of Obat seem to be growing, under the helpful hands of the Demon Prophet.
The Darkness between the Rocks
The Night Lord under the Moon
Elder Power of Night, God of Shadows and Smoke
Major power on Plane of Shadow
Alignment: NE
Portfolio: Darkness, Death, Shadows
Aliases: The Unnamed
Domain Name: Kleg-Norr (Cidael of Shadow)
Superior: none
Allies: Shahde', Masque, Caen
Foes: Dwarven Pantheon
Symbol: Black Hooded head with gray beard showing
Worshippers Alignment: N, CN, NE
Overview:
Obat is one of the first three Powers of Edus. He was created with Amaro, The Light, and Ertus, The Earth. The three were the first attempt at giving celestial powers to forms created directly by O'hl. Obat is the earliest God of Death and Darkness. His portfolio was vast, containing all the parts of darkness, and the end time of any life. Death, Shadows, Night, Loss: all these encompassed Obat and his rule of control. His followers were solemn priests that helped the elderly rest in consecrated graves, while others were assassins, killers and dark priests focusing on shadow magic. This dour stoicism made him especially venerated by the Dwarves of the old Ages. Obat had become synonymous with dwarves, before their current pantheon was formed.
During the 2nd Age, a large community of Dwarves established a huge kingdom that reached both above and below ground, the massive dwarven kingdom of Kethrin. Kethrin venerated three ancient Gods: Amaro the Light God, Ertus the Earth God, and Obat The Night God. The trio pantheon ruled over this kingdom until the beginning of the 3rd Age, where wars and inner conflict brought the dwarven city to rubble. Followers who took the trip with them, spread across Edus, and the church of Obat was soon lost.
Appearance:
Obat appears as a huge six foot tall dwarf of blackness, a hooded cloak covers all details of his face. The only remarkable detail of this form are his glowing eyes, which change color with the godling's mood. Under the cloak, he wears a full set of jet black plate armor with spikes. Other Manifestations:
Specialty Priest: Nightkeeper
Clergy: Any (usually Dwarf)
Clergy Alignment: CN,NG,G,NE
Turn Undead: no
Cmnd. Undead: YES
Bonus Prof: Religion; Obat(W), Spellcraft: Shadowmagic(I-1), Cosmology(W-2)
Dogma:
The ethos of Nightkeepers seems to be one of embracing the acceptance of the Night and the Shadows. Without them, there is no dawn, there is no balance. A common saying for the Nightkeepers had been "may Obat and the night keep you and hold you in safety." They see and promote activity and growth within night and shadows. The original dogma was to embrace the positive as well as the negative. Other offshoots used the night and shadows to embrace secret actions, assassinations and even killing enemies within the shadows and night as their ethos. Most Nightkeepers are used as guardians of others during the night.
Day-to-day Activities:
Daytime is for resting, cleaning and preparing for the evening and night. Night is when Nightkeepers thrive. Eating in shadow or even complete darkness, followed by walking their temple or town, praying while in the shadows, and seeking to help those who become lost, or even attacked within the shadows, as it is their domain to police. Nightkeepers also use the nighttime to allow others to come and ask for guidance or within the night, able to be more obscured and hidden as they ask for answers to the Nightkeepers. Obat used to gain worshippers as more and more would seek Nightkeepers (and in turn Obat) for guidance in their lives.
The clergy is taught to be Self-reliant, and shadowy in their own actions, using the night to promote their own actions and the word of Obat. The religion did not stand on archaic ceremony or long-droning preaches to the masses. A Nightkeeper who took ten citizens into the night sky, in the shadows of buildings and shown them the path to Obat, was holier than some high cleric lighting candles and praying alone in the church. Alignment for followers was never a strict rule, which is the cause of the dogma splitting and having multiple "views" of how Obat operated and ruled the night sky.
Important Holy Days/Ceremonies:
Most all holidays and holy rituals are celebrated at Night. The moon of Edus is important, as many clerics and Nightkeepers claim the Moon is the throne of Obat.
The opposing phases of new moon and full moon are times of silent prayer and shadowed reverence. The brightest nights when the moon glows over all, Nightkeepers seek shadows and will often go off on their own to commune.
No moon, or sliver moon is a high point in each month, and most Nightkeepers will hold church in the night sky, under the stars, or on rooftop gardens. No moon is also when monthly, Nightkeepers can perform "The Night Ritual". It is an hour long ritual containing, dance, prayer and sacrifice of a life, which allows the Nightkeeper to get closer to Obat and seek answers more directly from their deity, regardless of their concordance. The sacrifice would be of something that thrives in the light, usually sunflowers, fresh cut flowers or even small animals that are not nocturnal. Often times, the Nightkeepers would not get a clear answer, but would see a small nocturnal creature appear within their Ritual area. This was seen as a boon, and a positive answer from Obat.
Major Centers of Worship:
In the First Age, There were hundreds of thousands of Night Temples throughout Edus. Many were lost to the cataclysms or world changing events throughout the Ages.
At this time, there are only two known extant temples of Obat: one is within the North Ward of Kings Watch, in Gothmyr. The other temple is Citadel of Night outside of Ciudal Sahn, in Hepulchor. While not as popular as some of the more "modern" Pantheon deities, these temples do have active congregations.
Affiliated Orders:
There are many different orders within the religion of Obat. Most of them are long forgotten but the names that have been found are as follows:
The Specialty priests are known as 'Nightkeepers.' These are the main clergy that are the prophets of Obat.
Knights that follow Obat don't have any particular title, but they call themselves 'Nightswords.'
Wizards, sorcerers, and Warlocks are simply known as 'Shadowed'. Any master mage or sorcerer is considered 'High Shadowed.'
Thieves, assassins, and bards who work to further Obat are called 'Darkblades', or 'Darksongs', respectively.
As of this writing, there are no established orders that promoting Obat, and no knightly orders claim to ride for the Night Lord. There is no group or organization that works en masse towards promoting Obat and his portfolio.
Priestly Vestments:
Nightkeepers wear blacks and grays, often times wearing blacks in the daytime and finding places to stand out of direct sunlight. Other followers will wear black cloaks with a gray lining. It has been known that old followers of Obat keeping their religion a secret, would weave the holy symbol of Obat into the inside of their cloak, using hairs of a Wight, which glow in the darkness.
Known Priests & Followers: Darwin Micah - Prophet of Obat (deceased)
Akimoto - Samurai and Prophet of Obat (deceased)
Desto - Mage/thief "Shadowed"
Malanhe- Nightkeeper Cleric of Obat.
Rumor has it there is a demon within the Abyss that has been reaching out as a prophet of Obat, demanding adventurers and wanderers "Serve". His scheme is to increase Obat's power base, so Obat can release him from the Abyssal Hell. This demon, named Agrizzog, is trumpeting the word of Obat, trying to gather clerics to further his reach on the new Edus. The demon is using his own demonic power to grant prayers and be the extension of Obat, while he himself serving the Night lord. Followers of Obat seem to be growing, under the helpful hands of the Demon Prophet.
Type
Religious, Other
Darwin Micah
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