St. Cuthbert

The Blind Judge, of the Cudgel

God of common sense, law, wisdom, zeal, honesty, truth, discipline, and order.

Divine Domains

Retribution, Common Sense, Wisdom, Zeal, Honesty, Truth, Discipline, Destruction, Law, Protection, Strength, Knowledge, Domination

Holy Books & Codes

The primary holy book of Saint Cuthbert is a short (usually no more than 30 pages long) instructional text called, simply, Saint Cuthbert and Common Sense: sort of an easy-to-read Cuthbertine bible. It explains the tenets of the Cuthbertine faith - obey the law, be good, and use your common sense - albeit with some slight personal interpretation of the author, and does so with simple language and easy to read letters. It also instructs readers on how to handle problems of faith, such as failing to live up to the Saint's virtues - namely, turn to your community for advice & support whilst also praying to the god for clarity from confusion. Copies of this book are often illustrated but are done so in a plain fashion, and the book is usually not made too decorative; gilded illuminations and elaborate calligraphy are not in harmony with the Cuthbertine aesthetic.
The most iconic book of Cuthbertine teachings, so popular it is practically a secondary bible to them, is Parables of the Wise Fool; a collection of fables in which an uneducated rural man faces common rural problems - agriculture, animal husbandry, crafts, fending off beasts, fighting, etc - and solves them with common sense, often showing up well-meaning but self-important "book smart" individuals in the process. These tales are hugely beloved amongst Cuthbertines; "I may be a fool, but I am a wise fool" is a common Cuthbertine rejoinder to anyone commenting on their reputed lack of smarts.
It's telling that the most hated heresy in the Cuthbertine church is a book called Tales of the Vulgar Fool, which features a version of the Wise Fool who uses cunning and common sense to indulge in thievery and lechery; Non-Cuthbertines see these stories as humorous parodies of uptight Cuthbertine homilies, but the church considers it a deep and serious assault on their faith, and the Stars order spends much of its time trying to root out copies of the book and quash heretics who seek to learn from it.
The Saint Among Us is a minor holy book that tells Saint Cuthbert's purported origin as a mortal shepherd on a distant world who lived such a simple, blameless, charitable life that he was rewarded by the gods by being brought to Agnesia, where he walked the world as a holy man teaching evil the error of its ways, and ultimately ascended to godhood on the strength of his saintliness. The book is mostly a parable, seeking to serve as a guide by example to Cuthbertines.
One of the most commonly told Cuthbertine parables is "The Boy Who Cried Wolf" - which, on a D&D world, is sometimes converted into "The Boy Who Cried Orc" instead.

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Saint Cuthbert wields a powerful artifact-weapon, called the Mace of Cuthbert (Cudgel), which he sometimes loans out to worthy mortals.
His three prominent symbols are a starburst of rubies, a wooden billet, or a crumpled hat.
Other magic items associated with Saint Cuthbert include the cudgel that never forgets and the tabard of the great crusade.

Tenets of Faith

Obey the law, be good, and use your common sense.

Holidays

Saint Cuthbert's Day: Celebrated on the 7th of Haust, Saint Cuthbert's Day is the largest festival celebrated by Saint Cuthbert's church. It involves locals and pilgrims gathering at a city's gate at dawn and parading and singing along a major road until they reach the local shrine or temple. Children swipe at everyone within reach with switches in a custom known as "the cleansing" - but the marchers are guarded by members of the Billets, who swiftly crack down on non-Cuthbertines who seek to take advantage of this to vent some anti-Cuthbertine sentiment. At their destination, a cleric brings out a replica of the Mace of Cuthbert and there is a great feast from noon until dusk, and then a bonfire from sundown until midnight that the faithful believe can remove curses and misfortune.
Breadgiving Day: Originally a charitable event for refugees, it has become a day dedicated to feeding the hungry in general. Cuthbertines take the opportunity to preach and gain converts, and provide security for the event. The faiths of Pelor and Rao also participate, and try to keep the Cuthbertines from getting too sanctimonious or aggressively preachy.

Divine Goals & Aspirations

Saint Cuthbert hates evil, but is more concerned with law and order, with converting the uninformed, and preventing backsliding among the faithful.
He's also rather non-interventionist for a god so actively seeking converts. He tends to take the view that it's more important to focus on enforcing law and order in your own community than to go out looking for trouble by battling evil. Although he is quick to point out that when evil picks a fight first, as it always does, it's common sense to put it down hard.

Mental characteristics

Morality & Philosophy

For all his rough edges, Saint Cuthbert is a practical God who does care intensely for the people who follow him. As a god of common sense, he values judgment and individuality; the letter of the law should be strict, but people should be flexible in applying it, not just follow law blindly (the key trait distinguishing him from Pholtus). Punish thievery, yes, but a man who stole a loaf of bread to feed his starving family should just get a flogging and a scolding for not asking for help first, you shouldn't just cut his hand off. The goal of laws, in Cuthbert's eyes, is to show people the key to a better way of life and to "encourage" them to stick to the righteous path by punishing them for disobedience, tempering severity with understanding. Tough love, but love all the same.

Personality Characteristics

Motivation

Saint Cuthbert is characterized as a staunch opponent of evil, a zealous and driven deity who values discipline, honesty, zeal and pragmatism, all tempered by common sense. He is a rough sort of god, hot-tempered and staunch in his convictions. Firmly convinced of his own wisdom and authority, he can easily come off as self-righteous and arrogant - not helped by the fact he claims to know the only truth path for a person to behave, and seeks to aggressively convert others to his following.

Likes & Dislikes

St. Cuthbert has something of an anti-intellectual streak, as he regards common sense to be far more important than book learning, which it's implied he believes can lead a mind astray from the correct path.

Social

Contacts & Relations

In general, Saint Cuthbert respects any Lawful Good god, although he and his followers tend to believe other such gods aren't as smart or as capable as Saint Cuthbert himself. His church is on its best terms with Rao, Heironeous, and Pelor.
He is staunchly critical of Neutral Good deities, whom he regards as "not trying hard enough" and of most Lawful Neutral deities, who he thinks tend to forget about using their common sense. He despises the Chaotic Good gods, although he does consider them marginally better than the Chaotic Neutral ones, who are the closest things he has to enemies amongst the non-evil gods. He's also contemptuous of True Neutral deities, whom he sees as wishy-washy and unwilling to take a stand.
His fiercest non-hostile rivalry is with Pholtus, as the two gods share so many of the same faults that they can't stand each other.
Naturally, Saint Cuthbert is most opposed to the gods of evil. Whilst the Chaotic Evil gods are obvious enemies of him, he has just as much enmity, if not more, for the Lawful Evil ones, whom he sees as perverting the fundamental nature of law and order. Whilst he battles all evil gods, his most prominent enemies are Vecna and Iuz.

Divine Classification

Intermediate Deity

Alignment

Lawful Neutral

Church/Cult

Church of St. Cuthbert