The Hero Cults

1. Isthar
2. Enkidu
3. Ellander
4. Caerfallin
5. Raq
6. Beryl
7. Tomkins
8. Gradulf
9. Durin
10. Hillesa
11. Molosh
12. Hikitami
13. Sophia

1. Isthar
• Description of founding hero: Isthar was a Janni (minor genie) queen who became Sophia's second mother. The Janni were a nomadic race with innate magical powers that traditionally did not involve themselves with others. However, Isthar decided that Sophia would be safer in a single, well-defended location. With the help of Molosh and Durin, she constructed the magical city named after her. She was married first to Hikitami and later to Molosh. She and others of her people interbred with humans and had half-mortal children with innate magical powers; most human and hobbit sorcerors have some Janni blood.
• Reputation: The aristocrats of Isthar trace their ancestry from the Janni, and sorcerous powers is a sign of legitimacy. Thus, the cult of Isthar is identified with the aristocracy. Cult members are viewed as powerful, privileged, spoiled, and sophisticated. Cult members appreciate adventurers that combine style with power, but look down on mere slaughter.
• Membership: There are around 5,000 members, almost all multi-class aristocrat/sorcerors from the local aristocracy. Some outsiders are only sorceror class. Cult membership is essential to social prominence among the aristocracy, so all aristocratic families push young adult members to reach high levels of initiation. Conversely, those who reach high levels in the cult will be courted by the aristocracy.
• Responsibilities: The cult is identified with rulership. No real division is possible between government and cult activities. The Queen is the highest level cult member. The cult advises the Queen on all appointments to official positions. Cult members tend to be more frivolous and involved in political intrigues near the city and other secure areas; near the frontiers, the aristocrats are more aware of threats and their duties to defend their lands. Thus, these cult members are often in need of bold adventurers. Aristocrats with lands or positions often owe their leif services or troops; so are frequently hiring.
• Resources: The cult has wealth beyond estimation. Everyone important is either a member or a frequent guest at cult-sponsored events. Training, initiation, and cult activities are the ideal place to network, to gossip about the powerful, and to matchmake.
• Cult centers: Every sheikh and amir maintains a cult center in his or her manor. Cult centers are poshly furnished, with ballrooms and meeting halls above ground, and initiation chambers beneath.
• Sponsored events: The cult is the center of high society and culture. The cult sponsors many events designed for matchmaking between aristocratic families, such as balls and masquerades. These events are open to non-members that are thought to be entertaining or important. It also sponsors the arts, an annual feast for the commoners, and competitions in poetry, dancing, illusions, and wonders.
• Exclusive and special feats:
  Exclusive feats: Maximize spell (player's handbook=PH), Spell focus, illusion (PH), Energy Substitution (Tome and Blood=TB), Extra Spell (TB), Innate Spell (TB) Special feat: Janni power: You can use one Janni ability from the following list. You can take this several times, each with a different Janni ability.

  • Fly, 20', perfect. For Isthar level +charisma level rounds/day, consecutive or non-consecutive.
  • Invisibility, as in the 2nd level sorceror spell. For Isthar level+ charisma level rounds/day, possibly non-consecutive. Turning invisible is a standard action allowing attacks of opportunity, and attacking causes you to become visible.
  • Enlarge or Reduce, 10%/ Isthar level; up to 50 % maximum. Isthar level+ charisma modifier times per day.
  • Speak with Animals, up to Isthar level+ charisma modifier rounds per day.
  • Create food and water, once per day (as Isthar level priest)
• Avatar prestige class
  The Isthar avatar prestige class is available to those who have a total of 8 Isthar levels, at least one aristocrat and at least one sorceror. It has no improvement in familiars, and even slower combat progress than sorceror class, but more skills and skill points.
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2. Enkidu
• Description of founding hero: Enkidu was a wild-man, evidently raised by animals with little or no human contact. He was exceptionally strong, and had an instinctive understanding of all beasts. Some think he was not exactly human, but he was never able to account for his origins, so that remains a mystery. He was tamed by the love of the priestess Nari, and became a loyal friend to Nari's superior, Sophia. He was known for slaying the mad Bull of Nocturne with his bare hands, after wrestling it to the ground.
• Reputation: The Enkidu cultmembers are considered gruff, unsociable, ill-mannered, people more at home in the wilderness than in civilization. While its good to have a cultmember at your side in a fight, or in a trip through dangerous terrain, you don't usually invite members to fancy-dress balls. They are thought to be hostile to authority; and to condone (or even assist) smuggling, pety theft, and poaching.
• Membership: There are about 600 cultmembers in Isthar, 100 druids, 200 fighters, and 300 rangers. The head of the cult is Minister Arfusk, a druid. He is a councilmember by virtue of being the highest rank Enkidu cult member, but is without portfolio and rarely bothers with council meetings.
• Responsibilities: While most Isthari's aren't fully aware of their contribution, the cult of Enkidu is vitally important to the safety of Isthar. The Enkidu cult actively patrols and monitors the frontier regions, neutralizing threats to man and beast. They are particularly active on the border of the Great Ooze, monitoring the path to the Plains of Enkidu, and watching over (as well as just plain watching) travellers.
  While most cultists do not work well in hierarchies, a few have made successful careers in the military. These usually are members of scouting units, where military discipline is notoriously lax.
• Cult centers: Cult centers are in uninhabited or sparsely inhabited areas, frequently in modified caves or groves. They are sparsely furnished, and univiting from the outside. Local cult centers can have as few as five members.
• Resources: The cult maintains a series of wayhouses in wilderness areas, where cult members can find shelter, supplies, and substenance. Most are just unmanned storage caches, as simple as dried food stored in a small cave, but they are all magically protected against intruders.
  The cult also has friendly or diplomatic relations with many strange and varied non-humanoid allies. Senior cult members are given secret signs of greeting, and are authorized to make deals with these allies on behalf of the cult.
  Its druid members provide other cultists with healing and magical support. Most Enkidu druids are hermits or nomads, rather than helping in agriculture like Beryl's druids; or renting their services, like Caerfallin's druids.
• Sponsored events: The cult sponsors contests of wrestling, shape-changing, and animal handling.
• Exclusive and special feats: Exclusive: Wild feats(Masters of the Wild): Scent, Multi-attack, Speaking, Clever Wrestling, and Fast; Close-quarters fighting(Sword and Fist); Improved Overrun (Sword and Fist) Special: Animal Languages: You can take the speech of one class of animals, e.g., rodents or raptors, as bonus languages, or spend skill points to acquire such languages. This gives you the ability to communicate with the type of animal, but does not make the animals automatically friendly or more intelligent than normal.
• Avatar prestige class: The Enkidu avatar prestige class is a combination of druid and ranger. It has a slower spell progression than druid, but maintains most of the druid's Wild Shape abilities.
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3. Isthar
• Description of founding hero:
• Reputation:
• Membership:
• Responsibilities:
• Resources:
• Sponsored competitions:
• Exclusive and special feats:
• Avatar prestige class
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4. Isthar
• Description of founding hero:
• Reputation:
• Membership:
• Responsibilities:
• Resources:
• Sponsored competitions:
• Exclusive and special feats:
• Avatar prestige class
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5. Isthar
• Description of founding hero:
• Reputation:
• Membership:
• Responsibilities:
• Resources:
• Sponsored competitions:
• Exclusive and special feats:
• Avatar prestige class
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6. Isthar
• Description of founding hero:
• Reputation:
• Membership:
• Responsibilities:
• Resources:
• Sponsored competitions:
• Exclusive and special feats:
• Avatar prestige class
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7. Isthar
• Description of founding hero:
• Reputation:
• Membership:
• Responsibilities:
• Resources:
• Sponsored competitions:
• Exclusive and special feats:
• Avatar prestige class
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8. Isthar
• Description of founding hero:
• Reputation:
• Membership:
• Responsibilities:
• Resources:
• Sponsored competitions:
• Exclusive and special feats:
• Avatar prestige class
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9. Isthar
• Description of founding hero:
• Reputation:
• Membership:
• Responsibilities:
• Resources:
• Sponsored competitions:
• Exclusive and special feats:
• Avatar prestige class
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10. Isthar
• Description of founding hero:
• Reputation:
• Membership:
• Responsibilities:
• Resources:
• Sponsored competitions:
• Exclusive and special feats:
• Avatar prestige class
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11. Isthar
• Description of founding hero:
• Reputation:
• Membership:
• Responsibilities:
• Resources:
• Sponsored competitions:
• Exclusive and special feats:
• Avatar prestige class
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12. Isthar
• Description of founding hero:
• Reputation:
• Membership:
• Responsibilities:
• Resources:
• Sponsored competitions:
• Exclusive and special feats:
• Avatar prestige class
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