Al'Akbar (ahl AHK-bar)

High Cleric, Restorer of Righteousness

Al'Akbar is the Baklunish demigod of dignity, duty, faithfulness, and guardianship. His symbol is a cup and eight-pointed star, images of the legendary Cup and Talisman that now bear his name. Al'Akbar is subordinate to the other Baklunish gods, remaining a mere demigod out of respect for them. His faithful oppose the sadistic elemental cults of Ull. Al'Akbar is allied with Heironeous. Al'Akbar's priests use the Cup and Talisman as metaphors for the good life, urging their flocks to be vessels of kindness and emblems of devotion.
Al'Akbar was the most exalted high priest in what are now the lands of the Paynims. After the Invoked Devastation, during that time of misery and suffering, he was given the Cup and Talisman by Al'Asran to help heal his people's ills and return them to the traditional Baklunish faith. Al'Akbar founded the city of Ekbir and, for the last decade of his mortal life, ruled the nation of Ekbir as the first of its caliphs. Eventually he had a mosque to himself built and allowed his followers to call on his name in their prayers. Soon after, he ascended to the heavens to take his place among the gods. Al'Akbar is revered primarily in Ekbir, Ket, the Plains of the Paynims, Tusmit, and Zeif.

Manifestations

Al'Akbar is depicted as a young Baklunish man with a neatly tended beard. He dresses as a paladin of his race, weilding a falchion. His appearances are almost always connected to tales where Al'Akbar leads others through inspiration and example. His ultimate power seems to lie in the kindling of the fire within the hearts of his followers. He impresses upon his faithful the virtues of perseverance to the cause of goodness and to remain ever vigilant against the encroachment of evil, from within or without.

The Church

CLERGY: Human priests, paladins, and fighters
CLERGY’S ALIGNMENT: LG, NG, LN
DOMAINS: Knowledge

The faith of Al'Akbar dominates the Baklunish culture with its sense of community and propriety. They teach Ancient Baklunish as the language of poetry and learning; they are generally well disposed toward other faiths that use the classical language in their liturgy. Two historical branches of this faith exist. The followers of the Exalted Faith recognize the supremacy of the holy caliph (the ruler of Ekbir they are masters of rhetoric and diplomacy, with high regard for academic achievement. Followers of the True Faith defer to the authority of the grand mufti of the Yatils, taking a more fundamental approach to religion that emphasizes hard work, plain speech, and obedience. More obscure divisions exist among Paynim dervishes.
Dogma: Be as a vessel of kindness and an emblem of devotion, for the righteous man is both steadfast and merciful. Be not as the untutored infidel, but rather heed your superiors, and submit to their wisdom and guidance. Let the faithful strive always to nurture the seed of Good in the soil of Law, that by doing so they are received into the Garden of Al'Akbar.
Day-to-Day Activities: Clerics of the Exalted Faith usually bear the title of qadi, and tend toward lawful good or neutral good. Clerics of the True Faith are called mullahs, and strongly favor lawful neutral. Both types hold office as ministers, judges, scholars and teachers in civil government, while also serving as healers, advisers and guardians for the military. Adventuring clerics are tolerant of infidels, though they are still expected to uphold the ideals of the faith. The wandering clergy may travel to any land in search of the Cup and Talisman of Al'Akbar. Ritual prayers may be made at dawn and dusk. Paladins of Al'Akbar, known as Exalted Ones, work to lead by example, demonstrating by their words and deeds that faithfulness to and guardianship of the old traditions are the only correct path to revelation. They wear billowing tunics that obscure their armor and conceal their faces. Their clothing is white or tan, often with gold or purple trim. Members of the True Faith wear only white, with no decoration. Males wear turbans, while females wear only simple white gold circlets. They oppose the forces of darkness, seek to defend Baklunish traditions and people, and search for the Cup and Talisman of Al'Akbar.
Important Ceremonies/Holy Days: Every year on Sunday, Coldeven 2nd, the Glory of Al'Akbar is celebrated by all of his worshipers througout the world. The date is widely regarded as the anniversary of the day in which Al'Akbar ascended into the heavens and became a divine being. There are many stories that surround this event that vary from region to region, each one attributed to particular events that happened within their own lands. Worshipers spend the day in quiet prayer and adulation, whether it be at home, a shrine, or a large temple. The Great Temple of Righteousness in Ekbir is thronged with people on this day, many having made the pilgrimage to the city in order to participate in the observance. These days tend to be serious affairs, not festivals. However, many of his followers use the inspiration of the day to perform deeds or actions that they believe Al'Akbar would find favorable.
Major Centers of Worship: The largest temple dedicated to Al'Akbar is in Ekbir City, a grand edifice looking out over the Dramidj Ocean to the west and the Sheikdom of Dyarkadir to the east. Likewise, temples and shrines exist in most Baklunish cities, and even some eastern cities have been known to establish holy places in Al'Akbar's name. Ekbir, Tusmit, Zief, Ket, and the Plains of the Paynims all hold the name Al'Akbar in great reverence, and places considered sacred to this well-regarded demigod can be found scattered in all the lands west of the Yatils and the Barrier Peaks.
Affiliated Orders: As mentioned above, two historical branches of this faith exist, with many more obscure divisions to be found throughout the Plains of the Paynims. The first of the two major branches calls its adherents the Followers of the Exalted Faith. They place the highest regard on academic achievement and have made themselves an indispensable part of the diplomatic relations between all of the Baklunish realms. This branch also recognizes the supremecy of the Holy Caliph (the ruler of Ekbir) and seek to support and advise him in counsel whenever possible. The second branch call themselves Followers of the True Faith. This division defers to the authority of the Grand Mufti of the Yatils and are much more fundamentalist in their approach to their religion. They emphasize hard work, plain speech, and obedience and are quite focused on locating and recovering the most sacred artifacts of their faith, the Cup and Talisman of Al'Akbar. Also of note are the Shining Blades, an order of knights dedicated to Al'Akbar that serve both branches of the faith. They view Al’Akbar’s teachings to focus on promoting good through the use of armed force. Those among Al’Akbar’s servants, both clerics and paladins, who aspire to become mighty weapons in their deity's unending war against evil hope one day to enter the Order of the Shining Blades. Members of the shining blades have an austere and simple lifestyle, forsaking all worldly wealth and many earthly pleasures in their quest to become but a blade in the hand of Al’Akbar. Most shining blades of Al’Akbar are clerics or paladins. Some members of the order believe that a minimum of training as a cleric, combined with the intense martial discipline of the fighter, is ideal to achieve the goal the shining blades seek, while others follow a single class exclusively. Very few multiclass arcane spellcasters, rogues, or monks feel drawn to the shining blades. The shining blades are possibly the most devout, single-minded, and driven crusaders in the world. Consumed with passion for the path they have chosen, they have little patience for those who are “blinded” by desire for material goods or personal power. All that matters, they believe and preach, is the fight against evil; as long as evil remains strong there is important work to be done.
Priestly Vestments: Clerics and paladins of Al'Akbar wear billowing tunics that obscure their armor and often conceal their faces. Their clothing is white or tan, often with gold or purple trim. Members of the True Faith wear only white, with no decoration. Males wear turbans, while females wear only simple white gold circlets. Other types of raiment are also worn but it varies greatly from region to region and order to order.

Demigod

Baklunish Pantheon

Titles
High Cleric, Restorer of Righteousness
Sphere of Influence
Guardianship, Faithfulness, Dignity, Duty
Alignment
Lawful Good
Symbol
The Cup and Talisman of Al'Akbar
Home Plane
Seven Heavens

Superior
Al'Asran (Pelor)
Allies
Daoud, Geshtai, Heironeous, Mouqol, Zuoken
Foes
Tharoth (Nerull)
Worshipers
Humans (Baklunish)
Worshiper's Alignments
LG, NG, LN
Domains
Knowledge