Cleric

Arms and eyes upraised toward the sun and a prayer on his lips, an elf begins to glow with an inner light that spills out to heal his battle-worn companions.   Chanting a song of glory, a dwarf swings his axe in wide swaths to cut through the ranks of orcs arrayed against him, shouting praise to the gods with every foe’s fall.   Calling down a curse upon the forces of undeath, a human lifts her holy symbol as light pours from it to drive back the zombies crowding in on her companions.  
Clerics are intermediaries between the mortal world and the distant planes of the gods. As varied as the gods they serve, clerics strive to embody the handiwork of their deities. No ordinary priest, a cleric is imbued with divine magic.
 

Healers and Warriors

Divine magic, as the name suggests, is the power of the gods, flowing from them into the world. Clerics are conduits for that power, manifesting it as miraculous effects. The gods don’t grant this power to everyone who seeks it, but only to those chosen to fulfill a high calling.   Harnessing divine magic doesn’t rely on study or training. A cleric might learn formulaic prayers and ancient rites, but the ability to cast cleric spells relies on devotion and an intuitive sense of a deity’s wishes.   Clerics combine the helpful magic of healing and inspiring their allies with spells that harm and hinder foes. They can provoke awe and dread, lay curses of plague or poison, and even call down flames from heaven to consume their enemies. For those evildoers who will benefit most from a mace to the head, clerics depend on their combat training to let them wade into melee with the power of the gods on their side.
 

Divine Agents

Not every acolyte or officiant at a temple or shrine is a cleric. Some priests are called to a simple life of temple service, carrying out their gods’ will through prayer and sacrifice, not by magic and strength of arms. In some cities, priesthood amounts to a political office, viewed as a stepping stone to higher positions of authority and involving no communion with a god at all. True clerics are rare in most hierarchies.   When a cleric takes up an adventuring life, it is usually because his or her god demands it. Pursuing the goals of the gods often involves braving dangers beyond the walls of civilization, smiting evil or seeking holy relics in ancient tombs. Many clerics are also expected to protect their deities’ worshipers, which can mean fighting rampaging orcs, negotiating peace between warring nations, or sealing a portal that would allow a demon prince to enter the world.   Most adventuring clerics maintain some connection to established temples and orders of their faiths. A temple might ask for a cleric’s aid, or a high priest might be in a position to demand it.
 

Divine Domains

Arcana Domain

Magic is an energy that suffuses the multiverse and that fuels both destruction and creation. Gods of the Arcana domain know the secrets and potential of magic intimately. For some of these gods, magical knowledge is a great responsibility that comes with a special understanding of the nature of reality. Other gods of Arcana see magic as pure power, to be used as its wielder sees fit.   The gods of this domain are often associated with knowledge, as learning and arcane power tend to go hand-in-hand. In the Tethys, deities of this domain include Loyal Student, Silver Librarian, Cobalt Dragon, Vecna or Hekatoi.
Known Clerics: ?  

Death Domain

The Death domain is concerned with the forces that cause death, as well as the negative energy that gives rise to undead creatures. Deities such as Vecna are patrons of necromancers, death knights, liches, mummy lords, and vampires. Gods of the Death domain also embody murder (Assassin), pain (Ashen Axe), disease or poison (there are no Deities of disease or poison at this moment), and the underworld (Nimrod).
Known Clerics: ?  

Forge Domain

The gods of the forge are patrons of artisans who work with metal, from a humble blacksmith who keeps a village in horseshoes and plow blades to the mighty elf artisan whose diamond-tipped arrows of mithral have felled demon lords. The gods of the forge teach that, with patience and hard work, even the most intractable metal can be transformed from a lump of ore to a beautifully wrought object. Clerics of these deities search for objects lost to the forces of darkness, liberate mines overrun by orcs, and uncover rare and wondrous materials necessary to create potent magic items. Followers of these gods take great pride in their work, and they are willing to craft and use heavy armor and powerful weapons to protect them. Deities of this domain include Urist Thunder, Iron Fist, Marvelous Inventor or Surtr.
Known Clerics: ?  

Grave Domain

Gods of the grave watch over the line between life and death. To these deities, death and the afterlife are a foundational part of the multiverse. To desecrate the peace of the dead is an abomination. Deities of the grave include Last Judge, Nimrod or Loco. Followers of these deities seek to put wandering spirits to rest, destroy the undead, and ease the suffering of the dying. Their magic also allows them to stave off death for a time, particularly for a person who still has some great work to accomplish in the world. This is a delay of death, not a denial of it, for death will eventually get its due.
Known Clerics: ?  

Knowledge Domain

The gods of knowledge—including Silver Librarian or Wandering Bard—value learning and understanding above all. Some teach that knowledge is to be gathered and shared in libraries and universities or promote the practical knowledge of craft and invention. Some deities hoard knowledge and keep its secrets to themselves. And some promise their followers that they will gain tremendous power if they unlock the secrets of the multiverse. Followers of these gods study esoteric lore, collect old tomes, delve into the secret places of the earth, and learn all they can. Some gods of knowledge promote the practical knowledge of craft and invention, including smith deities like Urist Thunder or Marvelous Inventor
Known Clerics: ?  

Life Domain

The Life domain focuses on the vibrant positive energy—one of the fundamental forces of the universe—that sustains all life. The gods of life promote vitality and health through healing the sick and wounded, caring for those in need, and driving away the forces of death and undeath. Almost any non-evil deity can claim influence over this domain, particularly agricultural deities (such as Grolantia), Sunlord, gods of healing or endurance (such as Loco), and gods of home and community (such as Valena).
Known Clerics: ?  

Light Domain

Gods of light—including Sunlord, Divine Sword or Charioteer—promote the ideals of rebirth and renewal, truth, vigilance, and beauty, often using the symbol of the sun. Some of these gods are portrayed as the sun itself or as a charioteer who guides the sun across the sky. Others are tireless sentinels whose eyes pierce every shadow and see-through every deception. Some are deities of beauty and artistry, who teach that art is a vehicle for the soul's improvement. Clerics of a god of light are enlightened souls infused with radiance and the power of their gods' discerning vision, charged with chasing away lies and burning away the darkness.
Known Clerics: ?  

Nature Domain

Gods of nature are as varied as the natural world itself, from inscrutable gods of the deep forests (such as Emerald Druid) to friendly deities associated with particular springs and groves (such as Desert Hermit or Grolantia). Druids revere nature as a whole and might serve one of these deities, practicing mysterious rites and reciting all-but-forgotten prayers in their own secret tongue. But many of these gods have clerics as well, champions who take a more active role in advancing the interests of a particular nature god. These clerics might hunt the evil monstrosities that despoil the woodlands, bless the harvest of the faithful, or wither the crops of those who anger their gods.
Known Clerics: ?  

Order Domain

The Order Domain represents discipline, as well as devotion to a society or an institution and strict obedience to the laws governing it. On Tethys, the domain is favored by clerics of the Blind Judge, who use it to maintain and enforce the law, and of the Dark Tyrant, who exploit law and order for their personal gain.   The ideal of order is obedience to the law above all else, rather than to a specific individual or the passing influence of emotion or popular rule. Clerics of order are typically concerned with how things are done, rather than whether an action's results are just. Following the law and obeying its edicts is critical, especially when it benefits these clerics and their guilds or deities.   Law establishes hierarchies. Those selected by the law to lead must be obeyed. Those who obey must do so to the best of their ability. In this manner, law creates an intricate web of obligations that allows society to forge order and security in a chaotic multiverse.
Known Clerics: ?  

Tempest Domain

Gods whose portfolios include the Tempest domain—including Stronmaus, Long Silver's Locker Pantheon, Cloud Surfer—govern storms, sea, and sky. They include gods of lightning and thunder, gods of earthquakes, some fire gods, and certain gods of violence, physical strength, and courage. In some pantheons, a god of this domain rules over other deities and is known for swift justice delivered by thunderbolts. In the pantheons of seafaring people, gods of this domain are ocean deities and the patrons of sailors. Tempest gods send their clerics to inspire fear in the common folk, either to keep those folk on the path of righteousness or to encourage them to offer sacrifices of propitiation to ward off divine wrath.
Known Clerics: ?  

Trickery Domain

Gods of trickery—such as Translucent Traveler, Winged Jester or Betrayed One—are mischief-makers and instigators who stand as a constant challenge to the accepted order among both gods and mortals. They're patrons of thieves, scoundrels, gamblers, rebels, and liberators. Their clerics are a disruptive force in the world, puncturing pride, mocking tyrants, stealing from the rich, freeing captives, and flouting hollow traditions. They prefer subterfuge, pranks, deception, and theft rather than direct confrontation.
Known Clerics: ?  

War Domain

War has many manifestations. It can make heroes of ordinary people. It can be desperate and horrific, with acts of cruelty and cowardice eclipsing instances of excellence and courage. In either case, the gods of war watch over warriors and reward them for their great deeds. The clerics of such gods excel in battle, inspiring others to fight the good fight or offering acts of violence as prayers. Gods of war include champions of honor and chivalry (such as Bright Axe) as well as gods of destruction and pillage (such as Crommash) and gods of conquest and domination (such as Dark Tyrant). Other war gods (such as Ilios) take a more neutral stance, promoting war in all its manifestations and supporting warriors in any circumstance.
Known Clerics: ?

Comments

Please Login in order to comment!