From: Tal Meta [talmeta@BELLATLANTIC.NET] Sunday, October 04, 1998 9:54 PM GREYTALK@mitvma.mit.edu
Subject: Gods of the Bakluni
[GREYTALK] DMD - Chan for RQ/Greyhawk
(Nods to Vashnaar Mithruin, whose Mages to Genies idea I'm borrowing, and Will McPhereson, whose previous writeup of Chan I borrowed a few concepts from.)
CHAN (The Court of Air) Runes: Air, Mastery, Magic
Chan is the Princess of Djinn, The Whisperer, and Chancellor of the Court of Air. She is also known as the Mistress of Secrets.
Cult in the World
Like Ben-Hadar, Chan was a vassal of Dorgha Torgu, and was elevated to her position so that she might better instruct mortals in the magics and the proper dealings with the residents of her realm.
In mythology, Chan opposes her evil brother, Yan-C-Bin in an eternal war of plot and counter-plot.
Rather than engage one another in open warfare, they endlessly try to maneuver one another into making that final mistake that willspell the other's doom.
Chan's followers observe the 14th of Coldeven as their High Holy Day, with lesser services on the
7th and 21st of each month. Chan's temples are comprised of four tall towers, each painted deep blue at ground level, lightening to a pale blue to white near their pinnacles. Tower complexes are set (when possible) away from other structures at the highest point of the landscape.
Chan's mage-priests wear abas of pale gray, and do not wear any sort of headgear.
Lay Membership
Requirements: Lay members of this cult are considered students, and are treated in all ways as
such.
They are taui;jht the following skills: Sing, Speak Languages, Disguise, Human Lore, Geme (Djinn) Lore, Magic Lore, Read/Write Languages, World Lore, Play (Wind) Instrument, Listen, Sneak, Ceremony, and 1H Sword attack/parry.
Sorcery Arts and Magick Manipulations are learned as skills, and the Arts of Intensity, Maintain, Multispell, Range, Accuracy, Ease, Force, and Reinforce.(Lay members are not taught any Arts except Intensity).
Chan's High Vow requires that her followers must refrain from eating the flesh of birds, may not use anything made from birds (pillows stuffed with down, for example). Her followers must never raise their voices except in song, are bound to always strain to hear and take notice of the slightest sound.
Initiate Membership
Requirements: Standard, though must possess and INT of 16 or higher. Chan's initiates are called the Wind Seekers, and are considered journeymen in their craft, and are accorded all the responsibilities and benefits of that position. In addition to their magical duties, Wind Seekers are sent out into their communities to collect information, preferably secret information, and pass it along to higher members of the cult for collation.
All of Chan's followers function as Air Warlocks, (i.e. skill/5 for air related magic) no matter what their specialization. Those who choose to specialize as air warlocks use skill/3.
Note: Chan's cult does not offer spirit magic to it's followers. Instead, they utilize a form of magic known as lekari, that employs eight spheres and eight runes. Followers of Chan are bonded to the sphere of air, but may select whatever runic association they please. Knowlege of a sphere and a rune in this fashion does not affect the initiate's Free INT for purposes of memorizing spells, or their vow of the Vessel.
Acolyte Membership
Requirements: as per Priests. Known as Wind Gatherers, Chan's acolytes are generally accepted as having achieved adept status as sorcerers or magicians.
Gatherers are expected to collate the secrets and other information gained by the Seekers beneath them, and pass on their findings to their priests for further action. They are also expected to help maintain and protect the cult's archives.
Rune Lord Membership
Requirements: Standard. Chan's Rune Lords are divided into two orders, the StormKnights, and the Unseen. These two groups of adept to near-magus sorcerers serve their cult in very different fashions.
The StormKnights fight against the enemies of the cult, as well as serve as temple and archive guards. When they must strike, they do so as quietly as possible, eschewinl! armor. Like the fabled ninja, StormKnights endevour to strike silently and without warning, like a bolt of lightning from out of the blue sky.
The Unseen specialize in the arts of stealth, and are masters at uncovering secrets. Unseen operatives often lead groups of initiates on special missions. Like their bretheren in the Knighthood, silence istheir watchword, but for a different purpose.
Priesthood
Requirements: Standard. Known as the WindBorn, Chan's priests are also accepted as magus sorcerers.
Chan's priesthood preaches vigilance, honesty, and is always on the watch for threats to their cult and community. Priests undertake the study of Enlightenment, a mental discipline simlar to Illumination.
Due to their penchant for knowing and learning secrets, Windborn are often.sought as advisiors by the heads of merchant houses, theivesguilds, and heads of state alike. That they will learn as many (or more) secrets than they reveal is the two-edged sword such employers must be prepared to accept.
Virtues for Chan's cult include: Curious, Honest, Manipulative, and Vigilant.
Common Divine Magic: all
Special Divine Magic: Analyze Magic, Command Sylph, Detect Truth, Increase Wind, Skywatch, Summon (Djinn, Sylph}, Vigilance, Wind Warp.
Sorcery Notes: Common vows for this cult include Abjure (Alcohol, Armor, Arts G/L, Ceremony, Servitude), Adulation, Fasting, Flee Water, Humility, Illumination, Pacifism, Rituals, Shun (Water, Earth), Silence, Tend Familiar.
Common speicalties include Autotheist, Battlemage, Conjurer, Healer, Illusionist, Monitor, Warlock of Air, and Weather Mage.
Spirit of Retribution
Skriax: The skriax are actually a unique type of sylph. They take the form of a small whirlwind, loaded with sand and debris.
Whenever a follower of Chan commits an offense against her, somewhere in the world a skriax is created. Slowly these skriax come together, until at last they find the offender and attack.
For each skriax that has come together with the others, the size of the skriax increases by 1 cubic meter, and all of it's stats are similarly increased. Offenders engulfed by a skriax are blinded by the flying debris, and take damage equal to 1d8 per cubic meter of the skriax each round.
Associated Gods
Qozomal: provides Lightning Xan Yae: provides Reflection Zann: provides Reconstruction Djinni
Ancient legends among the Bakluni say that centuries prior to the Twin Cataclysms, Warlocks serving the Elemenal Courts infused themselves with their chosen element, becoming wild and strange to their fellows until they merged with the Element they had chosen, and became the first members of the various genie races.
Whether this is true or merely a fanciful legend, none now can say; whether the most ancient temples of these gods still contain the formulae for such transformations or not is similarly unknown. What is known is that the Fate of the Bakluni is definitely tied to the genie races, for good or ill.
Djinni are the type of genie most closely associated with the element of air. More than just intelligent sylphs, djinrn are the nobility of the Plane of Air.
Djinni are typically powerful spellcasters, utilizing air spells at their.skill/2.
Characteristics Average STR 6d6 18-24
SIZ 24
INT 5d6 15-20
POW 6d6 18-24
HP 24
AP 6
Move 20
In addition to their spells, djinni can create a powerful whirlwind of air, a cone that is 1m across at it's base, rising 12m high, and 10m across at it's peak.
Djinni can either use this whirlwind for travel or attack; as a travelling device, it doubles the djinn's movement (to 40) and provides 12 AP vs. attacks.
As a weapon, it picks up a number of targets equal to the djinn's STR, and does damage equal to his damage bonus each round to all caught within.
The most famous ability of djinni, however, is their knowledge of any secret spoken where a breeze was blowing., as well as their ability to grant wishes. Truth be known, but one in a hundred djinn has the latter power, and those that do are loathe to grant them.
In either case, a bound djinn need but tell three secrets (or grant three wishes, if such is within his power), after which he is freed of all other obligations.
talmeta@bellatlantic.net - I •am• one of the Chosen Few! ICQ - 12594453
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