Gods and Goddesses of Icengale

NOTES: Leandra is a thin, pale-skinned woman with flowing hair the color of the setting sun and always dressed in flowing, sky-blue robes. No matter where she goes her hair and clothes stir as if blown by a gentle breeze. Leandra aspires to be a fair and patient as her husband, but her chaotic nature makes her often capricious and prone to fits of rage. Those fits, unfortunately, take the form of storms that ravage across the lands of Icengale. As the Goddess of Wind she seldom stays in one place, preferring instead to travel around in her cloud chariot. Unlike the other Mainen she does not control any one area of Morycia but instead has many territories that are under her protection. These regions are always isolated, wind-swept regions. She never appears to carry weapons, but in the blink of an eye she can summon forth any weapon that she desires, though she prefers either a spear or a long bow. At her whim she can summon forth any type of wind, be it a gentle breeze or hurricane force gales. She can also calm any wind down to that of a gentle breeze.

Chaotic like the winds of her domain, Leandra sometimes aids her followers and sometimes ignores them completely. On any given day there is a 50% chance that she will be open to beseechment from any given worshipper. If she is in the correct mood there is a 1% chance that she will bestow aid upon one of her followers who is in dire need of assistance. This chance increases to 2% if storm-strength winds are present or 3% if those winds are gale-force or higher. The aid will come in the form of a temporary weapon enchantment, usually +5, but depending on the situation she may give her follower the ability to ride the wind as per the Wind Walk spell.

Of all the Mainen Leandra has the fewest number of worshippers, most of whom are those who reside in wind-swept regions (such as high planes and mountainous regions) or those who rely on the wind (such as sailors). Most of this worship involves beseeching Leandra for favorable winds, and this worship takes the form of sacrificing small items that are carried upon the wind.

Leandra has no standing churches or temples, but her holy places are numerous and take the form of carved rune-stones that are set wherever the wind may blow. Many of these rune stones are faded and can no longer be read by travellers, but a Priestess of Leandra can pray at any of these stones and the runes will glow faintly for so long as the Priestess needs to be able to read them. This glow does not provide any ambient light and can only be seen from a couple of feet away.

Duties of the Priesthood
Priestesses of Leandra are solitary, wandering individuals. They literally follow the winds wherever they blow, trusting that Leandra will guide them to where they are needed. They are expected to know the regions that they travel and offer guidance to travellers. Very few sailors will refuse to offer free passage to a Priestess who asks for transportation upon their ship.

NOTES: Valkain is portrayed as a gray-haired, bearded elderly male clad in a great fur cloak. Despite his age he is fit and hale and carries a warhammer made out of ice. Vailken is a fair and patient God who sits on his throne of ice in his frozen castle high in the Icecap Mountains in Northern Morycia. He is the God of Ice and as such has complete control over all things frozen. Known for his great wisdom, he is also a renowned warrior known for his prowess with all weapons, though he favors a warhammer with an extremely sharp pick on the backside of the head. When he travels he rides in a chariot equipped with skis and pulled by a dozen reindeer of great size. Wherever the chariot goes it is surrounded by a field of snow that moves with him. He is immune to all forms of cold.

A True Neutral God, Valkain prefers not to interfere in the affairs of mortals. However, he is a kindly Deity who sometimes takes pity upon his worshippers who are in distress. If any of his faithful are in dire need of assistance and call out to their God there is a 5% chance that Valkain will aid his follower. This aid takes the form of some sort of cold-related assistance. It could be a sudden blizzard to hide his worshipper from his enemies, or a +5 hammer and +5 shield made of ice to one engaged in combat (the hammer and shield will melt after the battle is over), or maybe the lowering of the temperature to -80 degrees to hinder opponents who are not used to the cold. Whatever the form, it will be temporary, cold, and will not guarantee success. The worshipper still has to save himself.

Valkain is generally worshipped by those who live in close proximity to the Vainen Glacier or in other artic areas. He is also worshipped by sailors who regularly travel through artic seas. Sailors of all faiths will often sacrifice of a small portion of their cargo to Valkain in exchange for protection from icebergs.

Duties of the Priesthood
Priests of Valkain are the reliquaries of knowledge and are often responsible for preparing their flock for the upcoming winter. They are expected to lead hunting parties on winter hunts and are expected to be in the front ranks while defending their village against enemies. Wandering Priests tend towards True Neutral and are often sought out as impartial arbiters in disputes.

NOTES: Anthonias is a tall figure with thin black hair and a physique believed to be anywhere from rail thin to heavy. The Arcane Lord's bright blue robes seem to have a mind of their own and change their shape frequently. They also sometimes hang limply on his frame or billow as if being blown in a strong wind. The eyes of The Mystic are of indeterminate color as he forever has his face buried in a great blue spell book. The shape of the book changes from time to time but it is always a relatively large book with sky blue covers that completely hides Anthonias's face. Whether he is sitting down, standing, walking, flying or even eating or bathing, his face is always behind his spell book. Whenever he talks to anybody one of his hands becomes very animated, punctuating the air with various gestures. One rare occasion, such as when he is very angry or presented with something new and interesting, Anthonias will lower his book and look directly at the person he is talking to. Those who have seen his face never speak of what they saw. Despite having his face forever buried in a book, Anthonias is aware of everything that goes on around him. The book in no way hinders any of his senses. No one knows what is contained within his book, yet some suspect that it allows him to see anything that he so desires, especially the workings of magic.

Normally unconcerned with his surroundings Anthonias is not to be trifled with. His repertoire of spells is without equal and it is said that everything magical is under the control of the Arcane Lord. While he normally does not interfere he is fully capable of halting any spell that is cast, of erasing spells from a mage's mind, or even of stopping a magic item from working.

The Mystic is aware of all magic that happens within the world. A spell cannot be cast without his knowing of it. Despite this awareness Anthonias has never been known to answer a call for direct intervention by one of his priests. No priest of Anthonias will ever call out to his Lord for assistance. To do so is considered to be one of the greatest sins imaginable. It is said that a priest who cries out for help will find himself bereft of spells. Anthonias will, on rare occasion, offer unrequested help to a follower who shows great promise and is in great danger. This help will always take the form of a spell enhancement. The most common types are maximum damage, extended duration, or a penalty to a spell's saving throw. In very rare situations the Arcane Lord will assist in the creation of a magic item. This item must be something new, unique, or an item of noble purpose. When crafted the chance of success is 100%, and on even rarer occasions will include an enhancement, such as an additional bonus to hit, extra charges, additional powers, or possibly imbuing the item with intelligence.

Anthonias is also a bit fickle and quite proud. He will tolerate almost anything that is said of him, except for insults. Users of magic or magic items who insult Anthonias will often find themselves without magic or with an item drained of power.

The realm of Anthonias is a great, sprawling collection of buildings hundreds of square miles in area. It is a collection of buildings of all types, but especially those types favored by wizards. Within this complex are thousands of libraries and untold number of laboratories. Wizards are constantly studying, doing research, or just idling around surrounded by numerous spells designed to make life easy and enjoyable. Many buildings are floating freely in the air above the complex, or part of the many subterranean levels hidden beneath. Surrounding the complex of buildings is a great, magical wilderness inhabited by all manner of magical creature as well as those worshippers who prefer the wilds to buildings. Witches are very common in this wilderness area.

Very few people travel by mundane means, but instead rely on various types of magic for locomotion. Those who travel by normal means are guaranteed to draw the attention of those around them. Anthonias is often to be found wandering through his realm, talking with wizards and inspecting various research activities. Each night he holds court where anyone can come to speak to him and afterwards presides over a great feast of thousands of his followers. Every new soul to his realm will be invited to at least one of these feasts. Favored followers can expect to attend feasts on a regular basis.

Duties of the Priesthood
The duties of the priesthood of Anthonias are to promote the use of magic, either on their own or through cooperation with mages, and to provide guidance and knowledge. Priests of Anthonias are prone to view magic from a neutral standpoint. They are fascinated by magic and encourage the practice of magic everywhere in the world. However, this does not mean that they will not interfere with magic or those who use magic. For example, a lawful good priest will have no problem stopping an evil wizard from experimenting on innocent people or an adventuring priest of the Arcane Lord will see it as being perfectly acceptable to assault the tower of a powerful wizard, kill him, and take his magic items. At the same time, though, they would probably not interfere with an experiment to cross breed two non-compatible species of animals and would give away some of the lesser magic items that they found while exploring a dungeon. Multi- and dual-class mage-priests are relatively common among the worshippers of Anthonias.

NOTES: Brower is an exceptionally short, barrel-chested and barrel-waisted dwarf with an immense, grey-tinged beard that he wears wrapped several times around his waist. He wears a belt festooned with dozens of tools of various crafts. A giant, unworked diamond acts as a belt-buckle. Brower is also a rather unkempt God, his simple work clothes, hair, and face covered with soot, paint, sawdust, and clay. The Dark Smith is an extremely jovial Deity, always laughing, making jokes, and telling ribald stories. When he is working he is always singing, off key and badly, but he does not care. He simply loves to sing. His good-natured attitude should not be mistaken for a sign of weakness or timidity. When needed Brower is a formidable opponent, wielding a massive blacksmith's hammer and throwing red-hot chisels as daggers.

While Brower is primarily associated with metal-working he is the God of all crafts. If an item can be made, Brower takes notice of it. If a piece is of particularly excellent workmanship the Maker will bestow a blessing upon it, marking the item with his symbol. This symbol will usually be small, permanent, and will never mar the appearance of the item. On buildings and such the symbol will often be larger and appear over a door or window. This blessing adds 25% to the value of the item and grants it +4 to any possible saving throws. Rivalry is very strong among the worshippers of Brower, though this rivalry is almost always a friendly one that inspires the individual to greatness. Any worshipper who takes the rivalry down a negative path is likely to incur the wrath of his God, this wrath often taking the form of causing the artist to fail at his craft. On rare occasions Brower will bless the tools of a particularly skilled craftsman. These tools are blessed and grant +2 to any appropriate non-weapon proficiency roll. These are the only forms of intervention that Brower will take. He will never aid his worshippers in combat.

Brower has no churches where his worshippers come to pray. Instead, he has craft halls. In larger cities these halls will normally be associated with a single craft, such as painting or basket weaving, but in smaller cities these halls will host many different types of crafts. Noisy crafts, such as metalworking and blacksmithing, are usually outside of the craft halls or are located elsewhere in the city as separate shrines. No matter what the type of craft, and regardless of where it is practiced, all of Brower's worshippers sing while working. This is how they pray to their God. As can be expected, craft halls of Brower are noisy places.

Though some scholars debate how it came to be so, Brower is also the God of brewing. He takes great delight in ale of all types and he pays particularly close attention to the crafting of ales. When he is fond of a particular brew he will prominently mark the kegs with his symbol. Brewing is the one craft that is never practiced alongside other crafts. Brewers who worship Brower set up separate craft halls devoted exclusively to brewing.

Ale is often used as holy water by the worshippers of Brower, but only the very best ale is used, however. Such holy water is generally reserved for holidays and special ceremonies such as weddings or funerals. On extremely rare occasions, during the creation of regular holy water, The Maker will intervene and transform the water into ale. This ale is highly prized by worshippers, even more so because no known means has ever been able to duplicate this ale. Additionally, all potions of healing created by priests of Brower are made of ale. This magical elixir has the added benefit (or curse, depending on the worshipper) of not causing the imbiber to get intoxicated. Use of Brower healing potions in drinking bouts is universally considered to be cheating.

Duties of the Priesthood
The duty of the Priests of Brower is a simple one, to make. It does not matter what it is, so long as it is made. Priests are also required to teach their craft to others. The Priests of Brower are the least likely to take up adventuring as it gives little time to properly worship their God. Those that do take it up are always on the lookout for exceptional items that can be brought back to a craft hall for display and which can be used for inspiration.

Priests of Brower always specialize in one particular craft, but only the very inexperienced do not know at least one other craft. Throughout their lives the Priests are constantly learning new crafts.

NOTES: Kailay takes on the form of a tall orc (7'). She wears her coarse, black hair in dreadlocks, has red eyes, and grey-green skin that is closer to green than grey. She wears smoldering, black leather from head to toe. Her armor is always smoking, be it small tiny puffs of smoke or billowing massive clouds that obscure vision all around her. She is also exceedingly beautiful, even by the standards of other races. Everything that she comes in contact with bursts into flames, be it plants, objects, or even people. She can suppress this ability if she chooses to do so, and this she only really does when dealing with the other Gods and Goddesses. Kailay is exceedingly erratic and when she gets angry she will often immolate herself. One moment she will be calmly having a discussion and the next she will burst into flame and will start screaming wildly and tossing fireballs all over the place.

The Lady of Fire is associated with all aspects of fire and warmth, as well as the sun. She has a low number of priestesses and is primarily prayed to by those who are seeking warmth while traveling in cold regions. Prayers are often accompanied by small sacrifices that are burned while praying.

Those who choose to dedicate their lives to Kailay are seen with mixed feelings by the people they meet. In times of need they are greatly welcomed for their powers, but at the same time they are treated with extreme caution as the priestess might decide to start burning everything around her. Most of her dedicated priestesses either live in warm regions, near volcanoes, or wander around, spreading fires both for good and for the sheer sake of destruction. Elves are extremely mistrustful of priests of Kailay and will monitor them wherever they may, and will often drive them out of their realms. Very few elves will worship Kailay and those that do are almost always ostracized by their own people and treated with hostility by other elves.

Kailay's realm in Morycia is Norow, a great volcano situated in the middle of a great plain. To the north is a great desert and to the south a region of vast forests. Her worshippers reside in cities situated throughout these areas with her most loyal and favorite worshippers living upon the slopes of the volcano itself or in caves that honeycomb through the mountain.

Duties of the Priesthood
Priestesses must spread fire wherever they go. This can take on many forms, be they beneficial or harmful. Good priestesses will use their powers to help people such as building fires to provide warmth, and evil priestesses will use their powers to harm people, such as starting a forest fire or setting a building on fire in a city.

NOTES: Loem is a brown-skinned dark gnome male with exceptionally long, white hair that is tied in a ponytail with mitrhil rope. His white beard is trimmed short and plaited with thin strips of leather. He wears steel plated boots, a black kilt, and a work apron made of thick leather and studded with mithril. Tucked into his belt are a sledgehammer, mining pick, and various stone cutting tools. The Earth Father is perpetually coated with a very thin layer of rock dust. Normally the dust clings to Loem but it obeys his every will. Loem is fond of using the dust to emphasize his speech, especially when wanting to make a point. He is exceptionally fond of smacking his fist onto a hard surface or his open hand and having a small cloud of dust erupt into whatever desired shape Loem wishes. Loem is also very fond of leaving messages of rock dust for his exceptionally devout worshippers.

Stone Heart is the God of all beneath the surface and as such he worshipped primarily by miners and those who work with stone. His worshippers are a superstitious lot and it is considered extremely bad luck to work with any tools that have not been blessed by a priest of Loem. Additionally, it is customary of all miners, even those who do not worship Loem, to trace the Earth Father's symbol in rock dust or to draw it on some surface at the start of every work day. Buildings that are erected by the worshippers of Loem or those seeking to curry favor with the Great Builder always have a cornerstone with Loem's symbol carved into it. The symbol is also carved dozens to hundreds of times into the faces of stones that are hidden beneath other stones.

Loem is a somewhat vain God. He refuses to wear a shirt because he likes to show off his muscular chest and arms. When dealing with the other Deities he is constantly flexing his muscles or stretching in an attempt to draw attention to himself. If he is ignored he gets a little petulant and will actually sulk. When he is working, however, he is totally focused on what he is doing. He is a perfectionist who drives himself mercilessly and he expects the same level of perfectionism and energy from his helpers.

Within Morycia the realm of Loem is primarily a sprawling mining complex with thousands of massive, artificial caves filled with cities. Hundreds of shafts lead to the surface and connect with hundreds of walled cities and castles. Loem's realm, known as Song Haven, is populated with millions of canaries. Stone Heart appreciates the sacrifice of canaries who give their lives so that miners may live, and as such they have a special place within his heart and his realm. The canaries freely fly above ground and in the mines and caves. Within the realm of Song Haven canaries are protected and those who harm Loem's birds are cast out. On the world of Icengale nearly every mine has a small cemetery devoted to canaries who gave their lives for the miners. These canaries are always buried with high honors and the grave sites are well-maintained. It is also common for miners to regularly leave small sacrifices at the graves of birds who personally saved their lives.

Temples and shrines of Loem must be of worked stone. Nearly every mine has a minimum of one large shrine devoted to Loem. Mines that do not have a shrine are known to incur the wrath of Loem. This usually starts out as poor quality stone, but if the miners ignore these signs and/or are in contempt of Loem then the mines can be hit with cave ins. On the surface it is traditional for temples to be partially sunken into the earth. The stones quarried from the ground are used to erect the rest of the temple. It is considered a grave insult for the floor of any temple to be anything except stone. It is also customary for worshippers to go barefoot in temples. It is believed that going barefoot allows for a closer connection with their God.

The Great Builder rarely intervenes with worshippers who are faithful. He expects his worshippers to take care of themselves. This does not mean that he does not pay attention to them or their work. Whenever a worshipper does something extraordinarily special Loem will present them with a gift of a blessed tool. So long as the tool is properly maintained it will grant the user anywhere from a +1 to +4 bonus to non-weapon proficiency checks, depending on how pleased Loem was at the time. On those exceptionally rare occasions when Loem intervenes in combat he will present his worshipper with a number of small rocks of varying size. These rocks are hurled at one's opponents. The smallest rocks do 1d6 points of damage to the target struck and half damage to those within 5'. Each subsequently larger rock does and additional 1d6 points of damage and the range is increased by another 5 feet, up to a maximum of 6d6 and half damage to those within 30'. The number of rocks given is usually 3-12 and the powers of these rocks fades once the threat against the worshipper fades. Only the most devout and favored worshippers in the most dire need can expect to receive this blessing.

Duties of the Priesthood
Priests of Loem come in two primary varieties, miners and engineers. Mining priests are responsible for ensuring that mines are as safe as possible and to give proper thanks for the sacrifice that the earth gives to the miners. Engineering priests are responsible for helping in the construction of buildings made of stone, especially city walls and castles. They are also expected to help in the defense of such buildings during times of war, especially during sieges. It is not considered a sacrilege for a priest of Loem to use their knowledge in the attacking of walled cities and castles, so long as the cause for which they are fighting is considered a just one. All priests are expected to help out in mining or engineering wherever they may be. Obviously if the priest is on a mission this help will be brief (usually taking the form of a suggestion, the casting of a spell for assistance, reviewing plans, or something similar), but they still must help. Priests of Loem are also expected to stay in excellent physical shape and to show off their physique as often as possible.

NOTES: Mirstar takes on the form of an incredibly beautiful, dark-skinned woman nearly 7' tall, exceptionally thin, and with eyes of vibrant green. She keeps her tight-curled hair exceptionally short, almost in a crew-cut, and wears black clothes from head to foot. Her hooded cloak is of the blackest black and clings to her body like a second set of clothes. When she pulls up her hood her face becomes hidden in a patch of inky dark blackness and when she is angered her eyes glow green with the light of the twin moons of Icengale. Those who view her glowing eyes peering out from the utter blackness of her hood never speak of what they saw. Nor are they ever the same again.

Her Dark Majesty seldom goes out in daylight. When she does, though, she stays in the shadows, shadows which become darker than black as she passes through them. If she is forced to travel out in sunlight it is as if the sun is afraid of Mirstar, for the area around her seems to become dim and shadowy. The Lady of the Night, however, shuns the light of day. She also shuns direct confrontation, instead preferring to strike from the shadows where she cannot be seen. Her preferred weapon is The Widow, a dagger made of pure darkness that utterly destroys the soul of whomever it strikes. This destruction is not instantaneous but instead takes several minutes, several minutes of pure terror. Once a victim has been struck The Widow need not remain imbedded in order to work its terror. In addition to her favored weapon The Dark Bitch wields a black whip. This whip appears to only be a dozen or so feet long but it can stretch out to a distance of several hundred feet. The whip, known as Despair, unerringly strikes its victim, wrapping around their neck and slowly strangling them as the whip shortens and draws the victim into the shadows.

Mirstar takes great interest in the doings of her worshippers and she spends much of her time staring into a pool of black water upon which she can see anything that happens within any area of shadow or darkness. When spying upon the world of night nothing can be hidden from her sight. If something catches her interest she may decide to lend a hand. Of course, given her capricious nature it is never known whom she will help. More than a few thieves have sudden found themselves suddenly standing in a field of light that seconds before was a pool of the blackest shadow. Contrariwise, many followers have not only found shadows where none should have existed but which others seem unable to notice. Only the most faithful of her followers can ever hope to receive her dark blessing, but any follower can suffer her ire, though those who are arrogant or overly timid seem to suffer more than others.

Temples devoted to Mistar come in two varieties. The most common are open areas out in the wilderness where her followers gather on the nights of the dark moons to pray and worship. These ceremonies are dark, quiet affairs with the worshippers dancing silently in a great circle, all the while staying within the shadows. It is not uncommon for outsiders to wander through a ceremony of Mirstar and not realize it. The other type of temple is rooms or caverns completely devoid of light. Entrance into these temples is through curtain-shrouded, twisting corridors through which no light can pass. During all ceremonies devoted to Mirstar the priestesses leading the services become darker than dark, thus allowing her followers to pick her out amongst the normal, surrounding darkness.

The Shadows, Mirstar's realm in Morycia, is a land of tall peaks, deep lakes, and thick forests that even in the middle of the day are cloaked in deep shadows. Her realm also extends deep beneath the surface, deeper than any other realm. This is an area of massive caves and mazes of passageways connecting everything together. Visitors travelling through the realm swear that it is devoid of all intelligent life for none of Mirstar's devoted are ever seen by those from whom they wish to remain hidden.

Duties of the Priesthood
Mirstar requires no specific duties of her followers. She only really demands that her priestesses wear black at all times and use darkness to further their goals, whatever they may be. Among her priestesses there is one expectation, and that is that the most experienced and/or senior of her followers are required to lead the local congregation during ceremonies. This is expected even of adventurers and there is no animosity when a local priestess must yield the role of ceremonial leader to a traveler. Usually. Courtships are very common at ceremonies of devoted to Mirstar and it is not uncommon for worshippers to make love while the ceremony is transpiring.

NOTES: Quillr is a tall elf with short brown hair and the yellow eyes of an eagle. He wears leather from head to foot, leather which takes on the colors of his surroundings, rendering Quillr all but invisible in any natural environ. Indoors the Hunter is very uncomfortable and will always stay close to any windows or open doors. If there is a balcony he will make use of it as soon as possible. If none of these options are available then he will summon forth a miniature tree that he will carry around in his hands and will cause plants to sprout from his clothing. The Green Master never sleeps and never tires.

He carries with him a great bow made of black oak and a quiver full of arrows of all sizes, shapes, and colors. The Hunter need only think and any arrow he desires will appear in his hand. The range of his bow is as far as the horizon and if Quillr can see it he is incapable of missing. He may also call forth at will up to a dozen great spears which upon command will fight of their own will. The spears have a range of 1,000 yards and each spear strikes as a +5 weapon and inflicts double damage with every successful strike.

Quillr, as the God of Hunting, takes great joy in the hunt but he takes no joy from killing. He only kills for food and he never displays trophies from his hunts. After every kill the God of the Hunt gives thanks to Varlina, the Goddess of Animals. Quillr spends his days hunting and his nights feasting. Twice a year, on the first day of spring for each half of the world, he will join the hunt led by one of his priests, though Quillr's presence initially kept hidden. The hunt will always be a long and very difficult one, but it will also be an extremely successful and bountiful hunt. Later, at the evening feast the cooks preparing the meal will turn out the greatest meal of their life. Towards the end of the feast Quillr will take up a musical instrument and play a song for his worshippers. While playing he will start to glow with a golden nimbus and his true identity will be known to all. At the end of the song he will disappear in a burst of soft, golden light. Everyone who participated in the hunt will find the symbol of Quillr carved in their hunting weapon. From that point on, so long as the weapon is properly cared for, it will strike with a +1 non-magical bonus to hit. No hunt led by a priest will ever be blessed more than once during the priest's lifetime. Aside from blessing two hunts per year Quillr takes no interest in the affairs of his worshippers and does not grant any assistance. He expects that his worshippers will pray for his assistance, but he also expects that they will constantly be honing their skills and will fail or succeed on their own merit.

On exceptionally rare occasions he will reward an exceptionally skilled hunter by the placement of a Starshine gem beneath a worshipper's downed game. This gem is worth at least 5,000 g.p. in value. The tradition for finding such a boon is to use the proceeds to throw a "once in a lifetime" feast in honor of the good. Truth be told Quillr does not care how this gem is used, but he is not displeased with this particular tradition. No worshiper can ever recieve this boon more than once in a lifetime.

The temples of Quillr are feast halls or hallowed glades where feasts are held. Services are never held within the temples and glades. Those locations are reserved for meals. Instead the worshipers of Quillr honor their Deity by hunting, be it individually, in small groups, or large hunts. The beginning of each hunt is opened with a pray and a sacrifice of wine and fresh baked bread. All successful kills are honored with a prayer to Varlina and that evening's meal or feast is dedicated to Quillr with the first and last toast being made to the Green Hunter. If the hunt is unsuccessful there is no blame. The hunter realizes that sometimes they succeed and sometimes they do not, and the hunter strives to do better the next time.

Quillr's realm in Morycia is ring of mountains (the Sky Peaks) that surround an area that contains every climate that can be found on Icengale, from the glacier fields of the Sky Peaks to deserts to jungles to tundra and everything in between. The blessed of Quillr live in the region that was there home will alive, but they are not limited to any one region. In fact, they are expected to spend their eternal afterlife learning the art of hunting every known animal in every known region. Every day is a day of blessed hunting and every night is a joyous feast. It is rumored that he spends some of his time on the moon Gainem, hunting beasts unknown the the inhabitents of the world. It is said that this is his source of love for Starshine gems.

Duties of the Priesthood
The priests of Quillr are expected to provide food for their congregation. When possible the priests will spend every day out hunting. They will take what food they need and all extra food will be distributed among the needy or sick. These hunts are generally solo, but sometimes a fellow priest or honored worshipper will accompany the priest. Once a week the priest is expected to lead a small to medium sized hunt (10-25 hunters) and on holy days are expected to lead very large hunts. Other than hunting for food the priests are expected to scour their environs and see that a natural balance is maintained. This does not mean that they will kill a good monster if they kill an evil monster, but instead seek out creatures that do not belong in an area and could potentially disrupt the balance. This includes doing battle with humanoids that cause excessive damage to a local ecosystem.

Hunting is never done for recreation by priests of Quillr. They hunt for food and to protect their hunting grounds and worshippers. When there is no need for game the priests still hunt, but they do not kill. Instead of shooting, however, they track and strive to get close enough to touch their quarry. Animals thus touched during a hunt are blessed by Quillr and are guaranteed a very long life. Adventuring priests are expected to provide food for their adventuring party. They are also expected to use some small share of their treasure assisting hunters and feasts. This often takes the form of providing poor hunters with quality weapons that they could not otherwise afford and to provide extra food for any feasts that they attend (or at the very least make a generous donation to the host priest so that the next feast will be larger). Priests of the Hunter often work closely with rangers and priestess of Varlina.

NOTES: Symea is a horrific sight to behold. She is a tall, rail-thin woman with long, greasy, thin hair that clings to her dirty, reeking, tattered clothing. Her skin is pock-marked and covered with open, weeping sores and she wears a dirty rag tied over her eyes. On rare occasion she removes the rag to show two, maggot-filled eye sockets that leak a sickly green puss. Her clothing is infested with all manner of insects. Wherever she goes she radiates a foul odor that makes even her fellow Deities gag and cough. She is generally unwelcomed by her fellow Deities, but she does not mind as she shuns them for their cleanliness. On those rare occasions when the Deities must converse they do so at a great distance with the Blight. Despite being blind the Slow Death is fully aware of all that goes on around her as if she had 360-degree vision around her. Any living mortal who looks upon her true form is blinded by her horrific visage. And the vision of Symea as the last thing they ever saw soon drives them insane.

Symea is an extremely self-centered Goddess who craves worship of all sorts, be it her faithful priestesses actively spreading disease or the pleas of the fearful seeking to appease the Creeping Horror to ward off disease. She knows that no matter what happens there will always be disease and as such she will always have worshippers. Despite craving worship and taking great pleasure in all offerings, she takes little direct interest in the mortal world. She waits patiently, knowing that no matter what course a disease or infestation might take it does so for her pleasure. After Leandra she has the fewest number of active worshippers and clergy.

Symea does not fight. No one has ever seen her lift her walking staff in anger, but she is not to be trifled with. If confronted with violence she simply stands her ground, arms outstretched, her head tilted back in a silent scream. This sight does not last as she is almost instantly engulfed in a giant swarm of crawling and flying insects. This cloud absorbs all damage, even that of her fellow Deities. No matter how many insects are destroyed they are always replaced instantly. If the attacks continue her body starts to emanate waves of nauseous fumes that no living or divine being can withstand. There is no known limit to the range of this noxious cloud. There is great debate as to what might happen if Symea were to remove her blindfold in anger. The truly wise of the Mainen realize that the Disfigurer is the most powerful (and frightful) of all the Gods and Goddesses, and they take great pains to not upset or confront her. They are also extremely thankful that she either does not know the true extent of her power or that she simply does not care. Either way, they give Symea a wide berth and this seems to please her.

Symea's realm in Morycia is a vast land of fields and forests that have become a wasteland due to pestilence. At the center of this realm is a large, crumbling city. It is one of decay, disease, filth, and rot. The faithful of Symea revel in this environment and take great pleasure in tormenting those who are not there by choice, those who have been sentenced to damnation here for offending their true Deity. Visitors are tolerated, but very few every come to this realm. Those that do are deeply shaken. Beneath the city is a vast maze of sewers and caverns where the truly evil damned are confined, and where the truly sadistic faithful go for their pleasures. "Damned to the sewers" is a euphemism amongst the worshippers of Symea to indicate someone who has greatly offended Symea.

Duties of the Priesthood
Priestesses of Symea are expected to spread disease wherever they go, and as such they are unwelcome in every city on Icengale. To this end they do not openly proclaim their faith and instead work in secrecy. Most Priestesses do not have a congregation but work on their own, doing what they will. All Priestesses can instantly recognize one of their brethren and may or may not act upon this knowledge. They might simply pass each other and nod slightly to each other, or they might team up for a while. In larger cities temples can be found, but these are always secret. Priestesses of Symea are held to an extremely high standard of cleanliness, so as to not draw undo attention to themselves. Many of them are very handsome. All of them, though, have some sort of disfigurement that is either kept hidden (such as scar tissue or open sores) or that would draw no immediate attention (such as missing a finger). If found out most Priestesses will be forcefully driven out of the city they are in. If the city is at that time experiencing some blight they will often be killed outright and their bodies burned as an offering to Symea. The Disfigurer, for some perverse reason, takes great pleasure in such offerings.