St. Cuthbert

Cuthbert of the Cudgel, the Cudgeler

Common Sense, Forthrightness, Honesty, Truth, Wisdom, Zeal, Dedication to the causes of law and good

Lesser God of Aracadia, Lawful Good

Aliases: None
Domain Name: Abellio/The Bastion of Law
Superior: None
Allies: Allitur, Delleb, Heironeous, Mayaheine, Rao
Enemies: Iuz, Incabulos, Nerull, several Abyssal Lords
Symbol: Starburst of rubies on a platinum circle or wooden billet or crumpled hat
Worshipper's Alignment: Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral

Patron of common sense, truth, and forthrightness, St. Cuthbert hates evil and opposes chaos. But his major interest is in law and order and the dual work of conversion and prevention of back-sliding of "true believers." While St. Cuthbert's faithful hold that he once walked in the Flanaess as a mortal man of exemplary character, no evidence exists that the Cudgeler was ever less than a lesser god. St. Cuthbert seldom leaves his realm in the Outer Planes, unless some great duty brings him forth. Unlike most lesser gods, he can enter the Prime Material Plane at will.
St. Cuthbert appears as a stout, red-faced man, with a drooping white mustache and flowing white hair. He wears magicked plate mail. Atop his helmet is a crumpled hat, and a starburst of rubies set in platinum hangs on his chest. In his left hand, he carries a billet of wood, which is known to beguile humans touched by it. In his right hand is the fabled Mace of St. Cuthbert. This is a powerful weapon, being both a Mace of Disruption and capable of reducing a victim’s mental ability. This mace also can be used to bless, to learn a person's alignment, to speak in tongues, to exorcise spirits, and to remove curses (or so the stories go).
St. Cuthbert is stern power who sees the world in black and white. For many folk living with the threat of Iuz to the north, this is a very credible world view. The Cudgeler has little patience for ostentatious displays, frivolous pursuits or idle talk and he accepts no excuses or displays of weak moral fiber.
Great personal enmity exists between St. Cuthbert and Iuz, which adds to the former's popular appeal. The Cudgeler may appear in avatar form to drive the Old One away in confrontations of major import. Whlile the followers of St. Cuthbert and Pholtus maintain a great rivalry, both powers are willing to work together, as needed.

The Church

Clergy: Clerics, crusaders, monks, specialty priests, paladins
Clergy's Alignment: Lawful Good, Lawful Neutral
Turn Undead: Clerics: Yes, Crusaders: No, Monks: No, Specialty Priests: Yes, Paladins: Yes
Command. Undead: Clerics No, Crusaders: No, Monks: No, Specialty Priests: No, Paladins: No

The clergy of St. Cuthbert are known as the Stalwart Host, divided into three orders: the Chapeaux, the Stars, and the Billets. The Chapeaux seek to convert people to the faith. The Stars retain doctrinal purity among the faithful. The Billets, by far the most numerous, minister to and protect the faithful. Relations among the orders are good, although individuals in the Billets and the Stars argue over doctrine. Approximately 70% of the Billets are Lawful Good, while some 70% of the Stars are Lawful Neutral. The Chapeaux are evenly split.
Titles are in strict ascending order:

1. The Untapped (Novices of St. Cuthbert)
2. Club of Justice
3. Devout Flail
4. Mace of Militancy
5. Star of Dawn
6. Stalwart Stave
7. Hammer of Hymns
8. Marshal of the Faithful
9. Herald of the Saint

High priests are known collectively as the Wise, addressed as Revered Father or Revered Mother, as appropriate.
The clergy of St. Cuthbert is almost exclusively human, nearly two-thirds male.
St. Cuthbert's clergy is divided across all three orders: clerics (30%), crusaders (30%), and specialty priests (30%). Monks (5%) and paladins (5%) make up the remainder.
There is a great rivalry between the followers of St. Cuthbert and those of Pholtus of the Blinding Light.

Dogma

The teachings of St. Cuthbert are practical, wise, and sensible. Spread the word of the Cudgeler so that all may receive the benefit of his wisdom. The word is the law, and the law is the word. Neither weakness in faith nor acting against the teachings of St. Cuthbert are tolerable in those who have heard the true word. Be tolerant of those who have not yet accepted the true word, but do not cease in efforts to bring them St. Cuthbert's truths. Be always honest, truthful, and forthright, and do not stray from the reasonable and practical.
The Billets are the most numerous of St Cuthbert’s clerics. They dress in simple brown and russet garments and wear St. Cuthbert’s cudgel symbol in oak or bronzewood. Billets minister to and protect the faithful, most (70%) are lawful good. Beginning at second level, Billets can cast one friends spell per day. The spell is cast at the cleric’s level.

Day-to-Day Activities

Priests of St. Cuthbert are stout, stern folk who speak their minds plainly. It's not that they won't suffer fools gladly—they won't suffer them at all. Honesty and common sense are more prized than book learning and arcane knowledge. Their faith is practical, with attention to detail and concerns of common people. In the aftermath of the Greyhawk Wars, military training and fitness are mandatory. The Chapeaux spend their days wandering the Central Flanaess, visiting villages, proselytizing, and inducting new converts. The Stars typically track down heresies, unmask heretics, and convince them to repent. The Billets, in contrast, assist their congregants, give advice to those who seem lost, and generally make themselves helpful where they reside.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies

St. Cuthbert is worshiped weekly on Godsday with ceremonies lasting a full day and night. Singing, prayer, moral tales, and simple food are common, particularly in the wayside shrines. The fourth day of the annual Growfest festival is observed as the Day of Welcoming. Converts are welcomed into the ranks on this day of buoyant sermons and simple fellowship. The last day of Needfest is celebrated annually as the Day of Trial, when followers fast and atone for the past year's sins.

Major Centers of Worship

St. Cuthbert has a large following in the Flanaess. Many wayside shrines and small, crude chapels dedicated to him are scattered throughout the Flanaess. St. Cuthbert's worshipers are most numerous in the Central Flanaess, in the city of Greyhawk, the Wild Coast, Urnst, Veluna, and Verbobonc. There, his temples are large, elaborate, and well-maintained. The faith is appreciated by most goodly folk, but rivalry exists between St. Cuthbert's followers and those of Pholtus of the Blinding Light.
The Sacred Temple of St. Cuthbert is a grand temple on a low rise in the Garden Quarter of the Free City of Greyhawk. While the Sacred Temple is not the only shrine of the Cudgeler in the city (a humble two-story shrine stands in Shacktown) it is by far the largest. As perhaps the largest religious group in the Free City, the followers of St. Cuthbert erected a temple suited to their prosperity, symbolizing the blessings of their deity. The original shrine has grown into a cathedral lined with golden ornaments, fitted with silver and jeweled symbols of the faith. Outside the temple, white tile paths wind through gardens of roses, exotic flowers, and evergreen shrubbery. Over six hundred penitents can worship together in the rectangular chamber which makes up the temple. The floor is tiled with deep green marble. Huge white marble columns support the 50' high sky blue ceiling painted with white clouds and a blazing sun. A second building is clergy living quarters, all of whom are Billets.
While St. Cuthbert has many large places of worship, wayside shrines and small chapels are more typical. All of his houses of worship, great and small, are dominated by meeting halls notable for their hard pews, simple lecterns, and inspirational homilies woven into wall hangings or inscribed in stone.

Affiliated Orders

The Order of the Mace is the militant arm of the faith, including crusaders and paladins from all orders. Knights of the Mace serve in mid-sized and large temples as elite defenders. Larger bands are sent out as needed, often making extended forays into hostile territory.

Priestly Vestments

The Chapeaux dress in varying garb, but all wear crumbled hats of brown and green tartan with St. Cuthbert's holy symbol in copper, pinned to them. The Stars wear dark green robes with the starburst - again serving as a holy symbol - in copper, gold, or platinum, depending on status. The Billets dress in simple brown and russet garments, wearing St. Cuthbert's cudgel symbol in oak or bronzewood.

Adventuring Garb

St. Cuthbert's priests carry bronzewood or oaken cudgels, although most are skilled in a variety of bludgeoning weapons. Priests favor plate mail.

Specialty Priests (Cudgelers)

Requirements: Wisdom 9
Prime Requisite: Wisdom
Alignment: LG, LN
Weapons: Club, flail, mace, staff, morningstar, staff-sling, warhammer
Armor: Any
Major Spheres: All, charm, combat, divination, healing, law, necromantic, protection, war
Minor Spheres: Animal, creation, guardian, summoning, sun, wards
Magical Items: As cleric
Required Proficiencies: Club, healing
Bonus Proficiencies: Endurance, Religion (Common). Note that "Common" indicates familiarity with human faiths which exhibit common worship in most of the Flanaess.

Granted Powers (Cudglers)

Cudgelers turn undead as a cleric of four levels lower. (A 5th level cudgeler turns undead as a 1st level cleric.) Cudgelers can call upon faith once per day Cudgelers are granted spell-like powers, depending on their order:

• At 2nd level, Billets gain friends once per day.
• At 3rd level, Chapeaux gain shillelagh once per day.
• At 4th level, Stars gain ESP once per day.
• At 6th level, Cudgelers can cast prayer once per day.
• At 9th level, cudgelers can cast dispel evil and true seeing once per day.
• At 12th level, cudgelers can cast holy word once per week.

Additional Spells

Beguiling (Enchantment/Charm) Sphere: Combat Level: 2 Range: Touch Duration: Special Area of Effect: Special Saving Throw: Negates This spell imbues the cleric’s bronzewood or oaken cudgel with the power to charm an opponent by touch. The cleric can opt to attempt a non-damaging touch or a normal melee attack. In either case, the target must save vs. spells when a hit is scored or be charmed. Should the cleric opt to make a damaging attack, however, each point of damage the target suffers from a hit gives a +1bonus to the save (a roll of a 1 always fails).
Charmed creatures regard the cleric as their comrade, friend, or mentor, treating the cleric with love and respect, and trusting him or her implicitly. If communication is possible, the charmed creature will obey the cleric to the best of its ability as long as the instructions seem plausible and do not obviously consign the creature to needless injury, loss, or violation of alignment.
Charmed creatures remain so for 2d10 rounds. This spell is particularly useful for getting incorrigibles to listen to the teachings of St. Cuthbert or to contribute to worthy causes.
If this spell is used in conjunction with a shillelagh spell, the victim saves at -1. The dweomer lasts three rounds plus one round per cast level or until the cleric scores a successful hit with the cudgel, whichever comes first.