Abadar

Abadar is a patient, shrewd, and farseeing deity dedicated to spreading civilization across the Material Plane, binding planets together with commerce, and bringing wealth to all those who support free trade and the rule of law. He is the master and guardian of the First Vault, a vast depository in his extraplanar realm that contains an ideal version of every creature and object ever made—the perfect Android, the perfect currency, the perfect laser pistol, the perfect spell, and even the perfect law.
Abadar rewards caution and planning, and he rejects impulsiveness. He is not a hasty deity, knowing that the expansion of civilization and law is gradual but inevitable. Only through discipline, hard work, and incisive judgment can one attain happiness and wealth. Risk is occasionally called for and can generate lucrative rewards, but only after careful planning and consideration of all known factors. Abadar favors neither good nor evil, as both sides have their benefits, but he supports employment over slavery, as paid workers can contribute their own accumulated wages to the commercial markets and thus the profitability of civilization as a whole.
Abadar’s most fervent worshipers are generally aristocrats, colonists, entrepreneurs, lawyers, politicians, and traders, but many poor people venerate the Master of the First Vault in hopes of attracting his attention and reversing their fortunes. The occasional artist or artisan who is devoted to Abadar strives to duplicate the perfect forms of the objects found within the god’s realm with their own works. Followers of Abadar believe that he was responsible for elevating the sentient races of the galaxy from primitive tribes to technological civilizations, and many seek to follow his example when they encounter less advanced civilizations on newly discovered planets or when they establish new settlements and trade networks.
Abadar’s church, AbadarCorp, is simultaneously a religious institution and one of the most successful and powerful corporations in The Pact Worlds. Its managers and executives serve as the church’s priests, and the company’s many offices, stores, trading outposts, and warehouses double as temples and can be found on almost every settled world. These structures are all built in an unmistakable and seemingly contradictory style—solid, practical construction (to protect against thieves) that is richly ornamented (to showcase the wealth that often resides within). Many of AbadarCorp’s buildings also feature durable, translucent-ceramic windows tinted a vivid yellow to cast the interiors in a golden hue.

Structure

ABADARCORP Massive Faith-Based Corporation Leader: CEO and Executive Archdirector Gevrant Iseki-Okaibo Headquarters: Golden Vault, Absalom Station
AbadarCorp is hands down the largest, wealthiest, and most influential corporation in the Pact Worlds—in no small part because it’s also the church of Abadar, god of civilization, commerce, and wealth. In addition to the manufacture, transport, and sale of a wide variety of goods both magical and technological, AbadarCorp also provides a multitude of other services, including banking, financial, labor, legal, shipping, and utility services. There are AbadarCorp corporate offices, factories, stores, and trading outposts (all of which also function as temples of Abadar) on every one of the Pact Worlds and on nearly every civilized planet maintaining trade relations with the system. Virtually every conceivable product available for purchase in the Pact Worlds or friendly systems is sold (and often produced) by AbadarCorp or one of its subsidiary corporations. This is not to say that AbadarCorp’s products are always the best or that it doesn’t have stiff competition; one might argue whether an Arabani Arms laser rifle has a more coherent beam than an AbadarCorp weapon, but everyone knows there’s a good chance the local AbadarCorp hypermarket probably has both of them in stock.
AbadarCorp’s goals are those of the church of Abadar: spreading civilization and law, fostering free trade, and accumulating profit. While not a law-enforcement agency itself, it does provide equipment, funding, and training to both the Stewards and smaller planetary police forces. The corporation is also an eager sponsor of planetary colonization efforts, providing everything from financial backing to colony ships, construction equipment, supplies, and even prefabricated buildings (including, of course, a fully stocked AbadarCorp general store, ripe with franchise opportunities). AbadarCorp was also instrumental in helping the Pact Worlds government establish the credit standard, and its role in helping regulate the currency and facilitate interplanetary fund transfers makes it a de facto branch of the government treasury—something not all citizens are comfortable with.
AbadarCorp follows a traditional corporate organizational structure but maintains a religious function as well. All of AbadarCorp’s executives and corporate officers are priests of Abadar. Its chief executive officer also serves as the church’s high priest, called the executive archdirector. AbadarCorp’s operations on any given planet (or major locality, such as Absalom Station) are each managed by an archdirector, each of whom has a seat on the corporation’s board of directors. Lower-ranking directors supervise larger corporate assets, while managers and administrators are responsible for smaller holdings and offices. In addition to its manager-priests, AbadarCorp employs countless secular workers in a variety of fields, including exploration to find new markets and resources, piloting, research, security, transport, and much more. And while it has plenty of loyal full-time employees, the organization has no problem hiring contract adventurers for jobs requiring specialized skill sets or expendability.

LN god of civilization, commerce, law, wealth; Centers of Worship: Absalom Station, Akiton, Verces; Symbol: A golden key

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Alternative Names

Master of the First Vault