Trithereon (tri-THEER-ee-on)

The Summoner, The Hunter, The Inescapable, The Vengeful One

Individuality, Liberty, Retribution, Self-Defense, Protection, Revenge

Lesser God of the Beastlands, CG

Aliases: None
Domain Name: Arborea/Olympus/Hunter’s Hall
Origin: Common (Unknown)
Superior: None
Allies: Kord, Rudd, Krovis (quasi-deity)
Enemies: Pholtus and other strictly lawful deities, including St. Cuthbert, Bralm, Allitur, and Wee Jas; slave-owners, dictators, and those who deprive others of their freedom
Symbol: The rune of pursuit
Worshiupper's Alignment: Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, Neutral, Chaotic Neutral

Trithereon “The Summoner” is the power of individuality, self-protection, and freedom. His symbol, the rune of pursuit, illustrates the deity’s, and his servant’s, dedication to strive for freedom and to destroy those who seek to curtail the freedom and liberty of others. He is a vengeful god to whom the end justifies the means.
Scholars suspect that originally he was of Oeridian origins. It is thought in learned circles that his worship stems from the time of the Bakluni/Suel conflict from which the Oeridians fled into the central Flanaess. Some scholars go further than that; theorising that Trithereon was at one time a hero-god in the way that Kelanen is now.
“The Chronicle of Secret Times”, penned by Uhas Neheli, records several myths told to the author by the peasant folk of central Keoland relating the deeds of an Oeridian hero called Trithenon, who fought against tyranny and oppression several centuries before the Oerid’s migration into the Sheldomar Valley. One tale relates how Trithenon was instrumental in delivering the Oerids into present-day Ull after fleeing a great enemy or conflict. Uhas notes, however, that he believes this tale to have no basis in fact. Other myths surrounding Trithenon include tales of monstrous animals fighting alongside him. Uhas theorised that if Trithereon and Trithereon were one and the same then this would explain why he is known as “The Summoner.”
Trithereon’s faith is currently the fastest growing in the Flanaess, apart from St. Cuthbert’s which is also enjoying a considerable influx of converts. His worship is concentrated in disputed areas and borderlands such as the Geoff/Gran March border, Sunndi, the Highfolk, northern Furyondy, and in the Ulek states where humans fight alongside dwarves and elves to hold back the might of the humanoid armies of teh Pomarj. Most of these converts are found amongst exiles displaced from their homes.
Although open warfare between Trithereon’s followers and lawful good sects is unknown, isolated acts of violence against those deemed to be tyrannical or overly repressive are not uncommon. His priests are renown for whipping small bands of followers into a frenzy and then turning them loose to find those who oppose their deity’s values. Among the faithful this is referred to as “street justice”. Authorities of areas in which this is practiced almost always take a dim view of this practice. Indeed, in the City of Greyhawk the faith is on the brink of being banned unless it modifies its activities quickly.
The only lawful sect that priests of Trithereon are cordial to is the fledgling church of Mayaheine, demigoddess of protection, justice and valor. This sect has done much to defend those in peril in borderlands, and this has impressed many priests of Trithereon although they still find the Sons and Daughters of Mayaheine stuffy and overly regimented.

Other Manifestations

Trithereon manifests himself to his followers during times of oppression or danger. During these times he can cause the bells of his temples to ring, preferably when there is no wind so that the faithful know that it is a sign from him. During the fall of Geoff it is said that the bell of the Halls of the Hunter (the foremost church in Gorna) rang continuously for a week.
He has also been known to manifest his sign, the Rune of Pursuit, in the middle of the ceremonial flames of the faithful. This is normally taken to be a sign of approval from the Hunter. Any worshipper putting his weapon hand into the flames and not suffering burns is seen as particularly blessed. This is seen as a sign of Trithereon’s favor and marks the one so exposed as a “favored one”.
Very rarely weapons normally displayed in the halls of worship move under Trithereon’s instruction, dancing through the air in a form of aerial combat. The skill with which they are “wielded” and the ferocity of the “combat” are seen as omens and clues by his priests. Weapons so affected are viewed as religious artifacts by the faith and if lost will be recovered at all costs. Weapons used by Trithereon in this manner are recognisable by the pursuit rune burnt into their tip. A rare few of these weapons have thereafter exhibited magical abilities, including vorpal properties and the ability to “dance” as the sword of the same name.

The Church

Clergy: Cleric (20%), Crusader (35%), Specialty Priests (40%), Paladins (5%)
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Turn Undead: Clerics: Yes, Crusaders:No, Spexialty Priests: No, Paladins: No
Command Undead: No
All clergy of Trithereon receive the Religion non-weapon proficiency for free.
The hierarchy of the faith is quite simple. Positions of power within the church are all reserved for those who gain spells from their god, specifically members of the priest class. Lay worshippers can be of any class, but many are conjurers, good- or neutrally-aligned thieves, and rangers.
As befits a chaotic clergy the hierarchy of the church is relatively simple. It consists of 4 basic levels, the lowest of which are the Hopeful Initiates (1st – 3rd level). Next in the hierarchy are the Sacred Sons and Daughters of Trithereon (4th – 6th level) followed by the leaders of the individual temples dedicated to Trithereon who are known as High Fathers or Mothers of Trithereon. These individuals are normally of at least 7th level. Finally there are the Master Priests and Priestesses. These powerful folk lead the worship of Trithereon across whole countries and it is they whom the Knights of the Chase report to.
A “Favored One’s” (a member of the clergy who has put his hand inside the ceremonial flame and not been injured) opinion is greatly respected among the rest of the clergy. In council his words carry more weight than others of his level. Many “Favored Ones” tattoo a pursuit rune on their forearm surrounded by flames. They are particularly fanatical in the service of their god and some have received divine assistance from Trithereon himself.
Trithereon’s followers are viewed by the general populace as hot heads with ready swords and tongues. Although not evil they can cause considerable disorder, making those in authority wary of them and their practices. The bell ringing and constant weapon practice means that only followers of Trithereon tend to live near the temple, as unbelievers are driven away by the almost constant noise.
Temples of Trithereon are built of durable stone and are well able to resist attack. They are always built with an eye to defense, and all contain a bell tower from which the faithful can be called to worship. The bell in this tower is crafted out of solid gold and is the most valuable item in the temple unless the church is extremely poor. In this case the main goal of that temple will be to accumulate enough money to commission such a bell. His priests are always battle ready, and his temples always maintain extensive armories which to arm the faithful in times of need. Many worshippers are trained warriors and so many temples also boast weaponsmiths and armorers dedicated to making weapons and armor for the faithful.

Dogma

The greatest good is freedom; Denial of this is the greatest evil. To ignore this is a mortal sin. This evil must be destroyed, as must all those who practice it. To achieve this no sacrifice is too dear; the end justifies the means. Jealously guard liberty where it exists, lest it fall to tyranny.
All deserve life and the ability to choose their own place in the world, and those who would place others in shackles or control them with oppressive laws must be toppled. Train the common folk to defend themselves and their property should another wish to take their freedoms. If you are wronged, you are right to exact vengeance yourself, especially if none will help you. Because the faith praises individuality over standardized doctrine, each church has a different focus but is allied with all others.
The faithful have several sayings, three of which are detailed below:

• “Summoned by Trithereon” means that one has heard the calling of The Hunter and joined the church.
• “He has the eyes of Harrus” means that the object of the statement is considered to be very perceptive.
• “By the Baton” An oath of the faithful.

Day-to-Day Activities

Each temple has a bell that is rung to call the faithful to worship. On normal days the bell is rung once at sunset. On Godsdays it is rung every hour on the hour from dawn until midnight. The ringing typically lasts for about one minute and tends to mean that only followers of Trithereon live close to the temple.
Services to Trithereon include the afore mentioned bell ringing, the parading of new converts (known as Hopeful Initiates) to the faith, the displaying of weaponry and the veneration of ceremonial flames. In the west the priesthood favors martial displays of weaponry while in the central Flanaess veneration of the Ceremonial Flame is seen as central to the faith. The priesthood also spends much time training their faithful in self-defence and in the use of weapons, notably the spear. The leader of the temple will also regularly harangue the faithful on the value of freedom.
Tithes to Trithereon are typically steep although there is no set percentage of a worshipper's wealth that must be donated. In areas where worshippers have been displaced from their homelands they give as much as they can afford, as they believe that this will allow them to return to their homes quicker. The priesthood also hires adventuring parties to recover wealth for them and in borderlands hires them to strike deep into enemy territory. Monies gained are spent on hiring men-at-arms and for agitating for assistance from the country they shelter in to reclaim their homeland.
The clergy also organizes “street justice” when it is able. In the countryside its priests act as spies and border patrollers, working with rangers and other woodsmen to ward against incursions by evil humanoids or despots. The church recruits rangers in rural areas and thieves in towns to teach covert warfare techniques.

Major Centers of Worship

While the worship of Trithereon can be found in places like the Grandwood forest inside the Great Kingdom or anywhere tyranny exists, the main temples exist within the Free Cities (Dyvers, Verbobonc, Greyhawk, etc.), but there are also factions within the Shield Lands, the Yeomanry, and Furyondy, as these places are under constant threat from the hordes of Iuz in the north. There are also sects within the Iron league, south of the Great Kingdom. Wherever tyrranny threatens, the church of Trithereon can be found.

Affiliated Orders

Knights of the Chase

Knights of the Chase are either fighters or priests of Trithereon who rove throughout a country seeking out those who oppress others. Knights have been seen in the Adri Forest, the Grandwood Forest, in the lands of the Iron League, and within the borders of the Theocracy of the Pale. There have even been excursions into the Horned Society and the Lands of Iuz.
These individuals are very devoted to their deity, as theirs is a life of loneliness. Without exception these knights are extremely individualistic and used to acting on their own initiative. The only people that the Knights will take orders from are Master Priests or Priestesses. They are merciless opponents and relentlessly hunt down transgressors. Those caught are never turned over to the authorities but are dealt with by the Knight in question.
All are mounted on war-horses and skilled in both broadsword and shield. There is a disproportional number of half-elves and half-orcs within this order (many of whom are multi-classed) due to the unhappy circumstances surrounding the birth of many of these individuals.
Members are normally encountered alone but groups have been encountered when some great oppression needs to be overcome. They are easily distinguishable in their blue chain mail emblazoned with a silver Rune of Pursuit. (A few of the knights have the rune etched in gold and this signifies an individual of great prowess). Members will never turn away from those in need of rescue or protection as this is seen as a terrible sin unless they are themselves guilty of oppression. Church leaders can always request (and get) their assistance. Once again as befits a chaotic order there are no other organized groups affiliated with the church of Trithereon.

The Magsmen’s Brotherhood

The Magsmen’s Brotherhood is the pre-eminent thieves’ guild in the western Sheldomar Valley having sizeable contingents in all the cities of Geoff and Sterich. In addition to doing what thieves do best, they also have plentiful eyes and ears in the region and they pass a lot of information to the church.

The Knights of the March

The Knights of the March can trace their roots back to the time of Keoland’s northward expansion into Gran March and Bissel. Originally led by Valerius the Chivalrous, they were an order mainly devoted to Heironeous. After the successful conquest of Bissel around 400CY the order slowly began to be supplanted by the Knights of the Watch. By 450CY they had all but ceased to exist, although the fortifications and towers built by them still bear their sigil: the axe of Heironeous crossed with the black lion of Keoland.
The Knights patrol the Rushmoors, the Oytwood and the Dim Forest looking for signs of humanoid encroachment. They also range far into Geoff looking for giants as well as invading humanoids. Agents for the order mainly consist of mages, rangers, and priests of Trithereon although in the last few years a few of Mayaheine’s faithful have also been accepted into the Knight’s ranks. It should be noted that the Knights are also opposed to the influence the Gran March is exerting over Hochoch.

Priestly Vestments

Priests of Trithereon wear purple or dark blue robes, trimmed with silver or gold to indicate their position in the church hierarchy. The more ornate the trim, the more important the wearer. During especially important events or ceremonies, the priests wear golden-red cassocks with the rune of pursuit emblazoned over the wearer’s heart in silver edged with gold.
The possession of magical chain mail or a dancing broadsword brings great status to its owner. Priests always wear an amulet chased with gold on a golden chain in the shape of the pursuit rune. When going into battle they also typically wear blue surcoats over their chain mail with the symbol of their god emblazoned proudly on its front and back.

Adventuring Garb

When adventuring Trithereon’s priests are always ready for action. They wear blue or purple chain mail with the pursuit rune emblazoned over their heart signifying their devotion to the Hunter. Whilst “in the field” they must be ready at all times to assist those in need, particularly those at risk from oppression, slavery or who have suffered a great wrong. They will typically carry extra weapons to give to those in need.

Speciality Priests (Avengers)

Requirements: Wisdom 9
Prime Requisite: Wisdom
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Weapons: Any, but priests of Trithereon must be proficient in spear and broadsword at 1st-level
Armor: Chainmail only
Major Spheres: All, Astral, Combat, Guardian, Healing, Protection, Summoning
Minor Sphere: Chaos, Charm, Necromantic, Sun, Travellers
Magical Items: Any allowed to priests
Required Proficincies: Riding, land based
Bonus Proficiencies: Tracking

Granted Powers

• Humans, half-elves and half-orcs may be speciality priests of Trithereon
• Speciality priests of Trithereon suffer no penalty to their tracking proficiency
• They can read wizard scrolls of any conjuration/summoning spells. In addition, they can use any magical item that invokes conjuration magic. Note that any monster summoned must be rewarded for its service.
• At 3rd-level a speciality priest of Trithereon can backstab with an edged weapon for double damage, as a thief (but damage does not increase with level)
• At 5th-level priests of Trithereon may use monster summoning spells from the wizard lists as priest spells of the same level
• At 8th-level they may cast Animal Summoning I once per day
• At 12th-level, avengers may cast Animal Summoning II once per day
• At 16th-level, priests of Trithereon may cast Animal Summoning III once per day

Trithereon Spells

Second Level

Locate Individual
Trithereon's Mark

Third Level

Flight of Krelestro
Loosen Bonds
Track

Fourth Level

Track Teleport

Fifth Level

Trithereon’s Retribution

Paladins and The Summoner

Despite the alignment differences between Trithereon and the Lawful Good requirement for Paladins, there are a small number of Paladins who serve in the affiliated orders of the church. While they do not prefer the chaotic bent of Trithereon and his followers, they serve to fight tyranny and evil. Trithereon, on the other hand, overlooks the strict lawful bent of these Paladins and will grant spells to them as needed. It needs to be noted that these Paladins are few in number.

[Adapted from Trithereon the Summoner by Creighton Broadhurst (Oerth Journal #10) and the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer]