Rao (RAY-oh)

The Mediator, The Calm God, The Peacekeeper

Reason, intellect, and peace

Greater God of Celestia (Seven Heavens), Lawful Good

Aliases:
Domain Name: The Halls of Peace and Serenity/Celestia
Origin: Flan
Superior: None
Allies: Heironeous, Pelor, Zilchus, and St. Cuthbert
Enemies: Iuz, Incabulos
Symbol: a heart-shaped mask with a calm expression, or a simple white heart crafted of metal or wood
Worshipper's Alignment: Lawful Good
Rao is the serene, detached god of reason, intellect, and peace. This deity does not act on the Prime Material directly, but he is known to have created several powerful magical artifacts which are highly potent against evil (notably the Crook of Rao), possibly with the aid of Boccob.
Rao is always depicted as a dark-skinned, white-haired old man with bright, dark brown eyes and long, slender hands; and a smile that radiates his inner peace. Any time an offering of peace is made, Rao grows a day younger. Rao's faith is one that does not appeal much to common folk; he has always had more followers among rulers, diplomats, sages, scholars, and philosophers. Clearly, his church is not exactly overpopulated at present. Those who seek to find powerful magic to aid the cause of good make him valuable offerings and meditate on Rao's sacred texts. Services to Rao involve discussions of theology and group meditations.
Because he is the god of peace, Rao has few enemies among the gods; it is said that even Nerull has stayed his hand when faced with Rao's beatific calm. He rarely interferes directly in the affairs of Oerth, instead working through his worshipers to bring an end to the wars that rage across the Flanaess.

The Church

Clergy: Clerics (90%), Specialty Priests (10%), Paladins, Mpnks
Alignment: Lawful Good
Turn Undead: Yes, as cleric 4 levels lower
Command Undead: No
The clergy of Rao is relatively small, perhaps less than 100 all told. Rao's priesthood urges their followers to reject strong emotion for the calm and serenity of inner peace. Only when the foundations of law and good are threatened should they take to the battlements. When Raoans are stirred to battle, however, their foes find them a difficult challenge: calm, implacable, and utterly convinced through the power of reason of the righteousness of their cause. Though slow to act, Rao's followers act surely, carefully, and with great force.
Rao's priesthood seeks knowledge, and prefers peaceful solutions, though they are not above using violence when the situation calls for it. They are mediators and negotiators, and they search for new schools of thought, fabled places of peace and quietude, and powerful magic to use to further Law and Good. The most powerful cleric of Rao in the Flanaess is Canon Hazen, the current ruler of Veluna.
The Raoan clergy is predominantly male. They are quiet, studious people. Their motto is There is a time to think, and more rarely to act; but in that time, action is wisdom.
Monks and spellcasters who seek uninterrupted meditation also venerate Rao, but for monks, they maintain a readiness to fight, honing their minds and bodies to act as weapons of Rao, if needed. Many gurus admonish their fidgeting pupils to "be as Rao."

Dogma

Rao expects clerics and other worshipers to reject strong emotion for the calm and serenity of inner peace. Only when the foundation of good and reason are threatened should Rao's followers take to the battlements.
Reason is the greatest gift. It leads to discourse, which leads to peace, which leads to serenity. If all could be convinced to reason with each other, the world would enjoy the harmony of benign order. Some refuse to use reason and instead resort to violence, at which time action — governed by reason and wisdom — is required to counteract their deeds and restore peace.
Regretably, sometimes this action is violence.
When such direct action is required, evildoers find Rao's soldiers a difficult challenge: calm, implacable, and utterly convinced of the righteousness of their cause. Though slow to act, Rao's followers act surely. carefully, and with great force.

Holy Texts

The Word of Incarum, said to be written by one Incarum, a deva servitor of Rao's, is regarded as the primary religious text of the faith.

Day-to-day Activities

Clerics of Rao spend much of their time in meditation and teaching. Some are gifted counselors and negotiators, and many warring noble clans only bury the hatchet after a cleric of Rao bids them sit down and talk of peace.
Temples to Rao are generally stately, open-air affairs filled with incense, quiet chanting, and earnest philosophical discussion. Many have extensive libraries and learned sages on hand to answer even the most esoteric questions.
Those who seek to find powerful magic to aid the cause of good make him valuable offerings and meditate on Rao's sacred texts. Services to Rao involve discussions of theology and group meditations.
Raoan services are long, including periods of quiet prayer and lamentation over the many evils of the world.

Important Ceremonies/Holy Days

Raoan holidays are on nights of astrological importance, such as times of eclipse and comet sightings.

• Breadgiving Day. On this day, taking place on the 4th of Needfest (the Winter Solstice), Greyhawk's clerics of Pelor, Rao, and Saint Cuthbert distribute food to the poor.
• The Feast of Edoira, a major Raoan holiday within the City of Greyhawk, is celebrated on the fourth of Growfest.
• The Holy Day of Serenity, on Reaping 10, is celebrated in Veluna as a holy day of Rao, though it's actually the anniversary of Veluna's secession from Furyondy in 476 CY. It is celebrated with religious singing and worship.
• The Night of Hopeful Judgement, called Dark Night by most peoples, occurs on the night of Goodmonth 11. This night is a particularly holy time for the faith of Rao, as the Book of Incarum states that Rao will cleanse the world of evil on a night when neither moon shines in the sky. Raoans believe that it is during this night that Rao leads the souls of the righteous to salvation or damns the unrighteous to their eternal punishment. Those without faith in Rao call this holiday the Night of Hopeful Dawn.
• Midsummer's Night is, in the lunar calendar, the opposite of Dark Night, for it is on this night that both moons shine full in the sky. As such, this is another important time for the faith of Rao.

Major Centers of Worship

Rao is most popular in Veluna, where Raoism is the official state religion. Worship of Rao is also heavily concentrated in Furyondy and Bissel. The church of Rao is a significant force in Greyhawk City, though far from the most popular faith. Temples of Rao also exist in Keoland, Gran March, and on the Wild Coast.
The teachings of Rao have never made great inroads among the Aerdi in the lands of the Great Kingdom, though wandering Raoan paladins occasionally venture into the nation to help the oppressed. Priests of Rao exist in secret in Rel Deven, where they are forced to lurk in the shadows like the clergy of evil cults.

Affiliated Orders

The Holy Knights of Rao include the paladins, who are supported by hundreds of fighters and retainers.
Paladins of Rao are called Envoys or Heralds. Their motto is Peace through Strength of Words and Weight of Reason, but they know that peace must often be won by strength of arms, and do not fear to use their martial as well as their intellectual abilities to bring about the ends they seek.
Rao's paladins generally go lightly armed and armored, unless expecting the worst. They are serene, patrician figures with spotless manners and erudition. They typically wear gray or blue-gray tunics trimmed in white and gold, and sometimes wear cowls. Rao's symbol is emblazoned on their chests.

Rao's Secialty Priests (Diplomats)

Requirements: Wisdom 16, Charisma 13
Alignment: Lawful Good
Weapons: flail, mace, morningstar, staff, staff-sling
Armor: none, or magical chain
Raiment: white robes
Major Spheres: Astral, Charm, Divination, Guardian, Healing, Law, Thought
Minor Spheres: Necromantic, Numbers, Protection, Wards

Granted Powers

1) cast Friends once per day
4) receive a +2 to all saving throws versus illusions and mind-affecting spells
7) Emotion (calm) 3 times per day 9) True Seeing once per day

[Adapted from From the Ashes sourcebook, The Living Greyahawk Gazetteer and Beings of Powerby David Noonan in Dragon Magazine #294]