Church of Gorath
Roleplaying Notes
A follower of Gorath Should play up depending upon luck, especially noting bad luck.May be a bit more chaotic than normal.
May lean into their anxieties and paranoias more than normal.
May have a love for magic, especially wild or spontaneous magic.
May want to help people afflicted with bad luck or that are mentally ill.
Mythology & Lore
Legendary Items and Weapons of Gorath
The Omnifarious Rod
A thick wooden rod that’s nine inches long with a bulbous head, the Omnifarious Rod allows the wielder to cast the spell true polymorph once per day. Unfortunately, the only person able to control what the Omnifarious Rod transforms the target into is Gorath themself. The Omnifarious Rod is said to have once been a wizard that challenged Gorath in an attempt to steal their divinity and was polymorphed into the Rod as punishment for their hubris.Juggler’s Dream
This item appears to be an Alchemy Jug attached to a long pink ribbon and acts in all ways like a normal Alchemy Jug, except that it can also be used as a whip that deals 1d4 bludgeoning damage and covers the target with 1/4th of the maximum named liquid as part of the attack. Unlike a regular Alchemy Jug, there is no maximum amount of liquid per day, but the liquid disappears after ten minutes.Orb of Chaos
Rumored to have been stolen from Rhemnys’s forge while still incomplete, the Orb of Chaos is an artifact of pure wild magic. The Orb appears as a constantly pulsating, constantly fluxing, unstable, glowing, bright pink ball. It’s unknown what the limits of the Orb of Chaos are, if any, but if there is a story about ‘magic going wild’ and having a dramatic effect, at least one of those stories says that the Orb of Chaos was there. Some legends say that the Orb of Chaos changed people, making new humanoid races, or turned people into monsters. Some legends say that the Orb was the source of spontaneous magic to begin with. The Orb of Chaos never stays in one place for long, and avoids all attempts to keep it contained, even inside of an anti-magic field, and causes chaos wherever it goes.Tenets of Faith
The Duties of the Clerics of Gorath
All Caretakers take an Oath of Silence about the people they help, and will not spread rumors, identify anyone, or use any secrets from someone who has needed their assistance without express permission.Forbidden by Gorath
- Caretakers are forbidden from spreading rumors, identifying anyone that has been helped, or telling or using any secrets told in confidence by someone that has needed their help.
- As a god of magic, even spontaneous and wild magic, creating a null magic zone is forbidden and anathema to Gorath.
- Being dull or boring to Gorath is forbidden. This changes at their whim, and has a side effect of making followers of Gorath be a bit random, too.
Sacred to Gorath
- Trusting to luck, even bad luck.
- Letting wild magic go wild.
Typical Offerings:
- Candy
- Dairy Products
Worship
Major Areas of Worship
Priests of Gorath don’t typically gather together, or even have formal churches, (laboratories and asylums are sometimes considered holy ground if consecrated and managed by a member of the church) but the church of Gorath usually has a large presence at the World’s Fair.Holidays
The World’s Fair - The Alchemists of Gorath did not intend for this to be a sacred holiday, but as the years passed, it became obvious that many of its members wanted to participate. The World’s Fair became an unofficial competition, and a way to show off what you were working on to the public at large. Bothersome - A personal holiday that can occur multiple times in the year and does not happen on a set day in the year, Bothersome is a day when members of the Church of Gorath take off work and dedicate time to experiment and try new things. Not all members of the church take off the same day.Common Sayings and Blessings
- “Gorath’s eyes” - in games of chance where rolling low is bad, this is rolling two 1s.
- “mad cackling” - Done when something goes right.
- “What could possibly go wrong?” - Invites Gorath to pay attention to you; this is said right before something goes wrong.
- "What the Gorath?" or "What in Gorath's name?" - said when crazy fuckery happens.
Priesthood
Leader of the Church
There is no formal leader of the Church of Gorath, though some clerics are more respected than others.The current most respected follower of Gorath is the halfling Sorcerer Grand Master Adversity Engineer Maud Everet. Maud has earned the respect of her peers through a completely uncanny ability to manufacture bad luck. Maud tends to travel throughout Europa, never staying in one place very long - manufacturing bad luck tends to make people very angry.Church Structure
There is no defining place where the clergy of Gorath live. Many followers of the church live on the streets of cities, exiled to live in the woods, in elaborate bunkers below the ground (colloquially called ‘dungeons’), or confined to specialized estates in the country that are little more than prisons. Other followers may have elaborate business empires with questionable ethics and a luxurious mansion that’s locked down in paranoia. There are four wings of the Church of Gorath, and none of them usually work together with each other; even going so far as to ignore that the others exist.The Caretakers
The Caretakers are what most people would consider a stereotypical cleric: they help the sick and take care of those in need. Caretakers are therapists and doctors that help the poor (victims of bad luck). They run mental asylums for people that cannot take care of themselves, and manage homeless shelters that help people get back on their feet. Caretakers are the most ‘normal’ of Gorath’s clergy, and what most people think of when someone says that they’re a Cleric of Gorath. Only the Caretakers have duties among the followers of Gorath, and that duty is to take care of the less fortunate and troubled people of Terranon.The Alchemists
Organization is…a loose concept among the Alchemists, and usually only temporary. Not only is Gorath the deity of the Mad, but they are also the deity of mad science. Many advances in technology were made through bad luck that ruined an experiment, but had alternate uses. Alchemists compete among themselves for the respect of their peers. This can take the form of competitions like ‘Who can make the loudest pink?’, ‘Arcanotech vs High Wizardry Poetry Battle’, and ‘Polymorph Roulette’. The winner of these competitions isn’t always obvious to outsiders, and sometimes the winner can also be the loser, as was the case during the 1853 World’s Fair when Grand Alchemist Talwin Bates proved to the world that his Arcane Elixir of Ultimate Dragon Slaying could, in fact, allow someone the power to kill a dragon, but also caused the alchemist to uncontrollably fly into orbit. Everyone agreed unanimously that Talwin won, but he was never seen again to collect his prize. Titles among the Alchemists are generally self-assigned and designed to impress their peers, but otherwise hold no meaning except to themselves.The Wild
Those who have an intuitive understanding of magic, especially wild magic, know Gorath as a wellspring of spontaneous magic. Why does one person from a magical bloodline develop magic, while the other doesn’t? Why can one person cast a fireball with simply a flick of their wrists and pseudo-draconic nonsense, while someone else needs to study precise measurements? Does it even matter? To the Wild, it doesn’t. They just know what works for them. They revel in the chaos of pure, wild, uncontrollable magic. They wield their magic with an intuitive understanding of how magic works for them.The Mad
The Mad of Gorath are those followers that are blessed at Gorath’s whim. They’re megalomaniacs, psychotics, and sociopaths, but also surrealists, schizophrenics, and the anxiety-ridden. At some level, they know they’re not sane and revel in their madness. Sometimes a follower from one of the other wings will fall and become one of the Mad, but more often than not, the Mad are chosen by Gorath once they’ve well and truly embraced their insanity. While there isn’t a militant order, many of Gorath’s clergy can use their knowledge in a fight to help or hinder their enemies.Clothing
- Caretakers often wear soft, pastel pinks and whites when in their duties.
- Alchemists were stained leather aprons and goggles. Bright pink is common.
- Wilders do not have a standard uniform, but many wear robes and have pink charms.
- Mad wear anything from tattered robes to business suits.
Membership
All are welcome to the Church of Gorath, but the Church of Gorath is not always welcome.Typical Followers
Sorcerers, especially wild magic sorcerers, wild magic barbarians, and alchemist artificers are the most common adventurers to follow Gorath. Conjuration and transmutation wizards might also be drawn to following them. Unfortunately, Gorath also collects megalomaniacs, wild magic experiments gone wrong, and those who have a surrealistic view of reality.Political Influence & Intrigue
Interaction with Society
Not all members of the church of Gorath lean into the madness of their deity. Many sorcerers and alchemists serve their communities with their magic, healing and protecting as any other healthy member of society. The Caretakers take it as their responsibility to care for people that need mental health and serve their communities as therapists and doctors. Though asylums are uncommon, many of these institutions have clerics of Gorath on staff.Ceremonies
The Church of Gorath shares responsibility for the Opening and Closing ceremonies of the World’s Fair with the clergy of Rhemnys. Typically, they are kept in check so that there’s not too much chaos.
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
Leader
Divines
Controlled Territories
Notable Members