Ubtao

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A central figure in Chult’s history is the greater god Ubtao, who long protected the land and Chultan civilization. But Ubtao grew angry over his worshipers’ endless warring and their reliance on him to solve all their problems. More than a century ago, Ubtao simply abandoned Chult, and his influence hasn’t been felt there since that day. When he left, the Chultans suffered a crippling spiritual blow, but eventually the disunited, warring tribes learned to put aside their petty conflicts and unite as one people. To this day, the dinosaurs of Chult are still revered as Ubtao’s sacred children by many Chultans, even though Ubtao himself is no longer popular.
With Ubtao gone, the Chultans turned to other deities, including ones introduced to them by missionaries from distant civilizations.
Besides spreading word of their deities, however, too many foreign missionaries also exploited the Chultans and their land for profit, which led to many conflicts. The temples and shrines persist, but most of the clergy are now Chultans. Foreign clerics who proselytize too energetically aren’t welcomed in Port Nyanzaru.

Cosmological Views

During the Blue Age, when Toril was still a new world, the gods and the primordials fought for dominance. This Age came to a sudden stop when the primordial known as the Dendar the Night Serpent took the sun out of the sky. Eventually, the Elder Gods won the fight when the primordials were betrayed by one of their own: Ubtao the Deceiver.
Ubtao made an agreement with the rest of the Faerûnian pantheon to guard the Peaks of Flame for the day when Dendar the Night Serpent enters Toril and ends the world. As reward for this service, the other deities granted him sole control over Chult and agreed to leave his lands alone and never to spread their own religions there. Over time Ubtao's essence began to split into many nature spirits which now are spread across the jungle, one of these was the shadow entity Eshowdow.

Worship

The Church of Ubtao is split among three wholly independent sects, all based in the jungles of Chult among the various clans of the humans. Many of the church multiclass as rangers.
Both clerics and druids pray for their spells at noon, when Ubtao's majesty hangs over all of Chult. There are scores of ceremonies and holy days, most particular to dead ancestors, the season or locations that are to be visited. Many of these rituals are necessary before performing certain activities, such as hunting special animals or burials. The small, moveable stone altars which are used for these ceremonies are treated just like any other rock in the jungle, at the times they are not in use.

Sects

Mazewalkers

Mazewalkers are found only in the city of Mezro. They take care of the general spiritual welfare of the clan, and try to prepare the faithful for their trek through the maze of life. They teach history and lore of Chult to both children and adults. Mazewalkers also provide council about important life decisions, such as marriages. They are the mediators when inter- and intraclan disputes break out, and they are the caretakers of Mezro's laws. Mazewalkers are usually clerics.

Spiritlords

Spiritlords live outside the city and seek to ensure a safe passage for their clan through the spirit-infested world. Their main goal is to ensure the clan does not offend ancestor spirits or elemental deities by missing sacrifices and rituals. They also aim for favors from the spirits. Spiritlords are usually adepts.

Jungle druids

Jungle druids teach the clans to fit in as best as possible into the web of life in the jungle. Most of the time they function as clan healer. Outside this they also collect and teach knowledge about plants, animals (including dinosaurs) and their behavior. Jungle druids also train the very few domesticated animals kept in Chult. Jungle druids are, as the name suggests, druids.

Spearbearers of Ubtao

The Spearbearers of Ubtao made it their duty to protect the world from Dendar. Their goal was to give Ubtao the necessary strength to defeat the Night Serpent, when she finally came to eat the sun. Towards that end, they conducted a large number of rituals, many of these involved sentient sacrifices.

Type

Religious, Pantheon

Alternative Names

The Father of the Dinosaurs, Creator of Chult, Founder of Mezro, and The Deceiver