Neldalla (3.5e Deity)
| Greater Deity | |
|---|---|
| Symbol: | Flaming Battleaxe |
| Home Plane: | Prime (Chalimba) |
| Alignment: | Neutral Evil |
| Portfolio: | Destruction, Fire, War, Disease, Corruption, Undeath |
| Clergy Alignments: | Evil |
| Domains: | Evil, Fire, Destruction, War, Knowledge, Trickery, Death, Magic, Plant, Sun |
| Favored Weapon: | Battleaxe |
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Far out to sea lies a tiny island covered by a perpetual mist and surrounded by songs of drunken revelry and screams of horror. Inside a weather beaten building crafted from souls of the damned rages a constant party of devils, demons, yugoloths, and elementals of fire. Atop her divan rests Neldalla herself reaching into the throng of damned souls to gorge herself on the condemned or to single one out for torment at the hands of her minions. Neldalla appears most often as either a beautiful temptress with fiery red hair or the bloated rotting corpse of a much larger female cyclops.
All Clerics of Neldalla rebuke undead and channel negative energy. In addition, any cleric of Neldalla who takes the Fire domain gains the ability to rebuke fire creatures and turn water creatures. Druids who worship Neldalla do not gain the ability to turn or rebuke. A cleric of Neldalla who takes the Sun domain deals damage to any undead rebuked or commanded as if he were turning them.
Dogma[edit]
Neldalla promotes every selfish act imaginable. She demands that her followers seize as much for themselves as possible whether that be power, riches, knowledge, food, lovers, or some other obsession. In addition she promotes actively hurting others whenever possible. The bloated goddess finds it particularly pleasing when Romena's temples and priesthood can be made to suffer or destroyed outright.
Clergy and Temples[edit]
Neldalla's priesthood is a pretty standard den of evil. If someone has enough power, prestige and support to advance then they do so. Anyone foolish enough to get in their way is crushed beneath them. Rivalries are intense and bloody but rarely long lived. The clergy of Neldalla more likely to operate singly or in small cults than it is in a larger temple, at least in most "civilized lands." Often a cleric of Neldalla will be a local ruler or an advisor to a more prominent figure.
Shrines to Neldalla are rather rare throughout most of the world but there are a number of exceptions. The nobles of Bloodfell are renowned for their faith as are the city-states of Pitch and Sandbar in the Confederated States and large temples of stone can be found in these havens of depravity. Savage humanoids throughout the world often revere the dark goddess and build small shrines to her glory. Even in the Empire of Koorbrook it is not unknown to turn up the occasional cult worshiping in a barn or basement.
Sects[edit]
Black Fist: For the Black Fist of Neldalla the traditional vices are more like commandments. To follow ones desires irregardless of the cost to others is the truest calling in life. A priest dedicated to this sect leaves a trail of broken men languishing in the gutter behind him and teaches followers to do the same. Infighting and assassinations plague the temples of Neldalla where to many fists congregate but that just means that the strongest emerge to lead. The Black Fists work a black gloved fist into their heraldry. Most members are Neutral Evil.
The Burning Brand: These sadists use strict laws and harsh punishments to enforce their hold on power as well as to aid their quest for more. Bureaucrats, ruthless rulers, and not a few torturers and prison guards are all drawn to the following. Priests who subscribe to the tenants of the brand preach of constantly crushing the spirit of those without power and reaching ones goals by climbing a pile of bodies. The symbol of the Burning Brand is a stylized flame branded onto the back of the right hand. Members of this sect are usually Lawful Evil.
Ravagers: The Ravagers are marauders, murderers, arsonists, violent barbarian tribes, savage humanoids, pirates and most other groups of vile and cruel men who destroy and defile whatever they can reach. Though there are no small number of Neldalla's priesthood who preach this violent dogma, a fair number of vile criminals stumble onto it on there own and always they begin to feel the eyes of their dark goddess upon them. Priests who minister to the Ravagers wear a wool cap that they dip in fresh blood as part of every ritual. Ravagers are almost always Chaotic Evil.
Secret Keepers: The Secret Keepers are almost to small to be called a sect yet they wield a remarkable degree of power within the church as a whole. The acquisition of secrets, forbidden knowledge, and obscure lore to be used for personal gain is the meat of this sect's teachings. Priests serve as the nexus for a group of informants, researchers and spies whom they minister to individually and in secret. The resulting blackmail and information brokering almost always results in the associated cleric rising to new heights within the temple. Secret Keepers sometimes wear scroll shaped jewelry and usually have ink-stained fingers. Secret Keepers are most often Neutral Evil.
Necromancers: This sect is more than just zombie raisers. It includes all worship of Neldalla as the queen of undeath. Many undead and most spell casters who work with the undead find themselves seeking knowledge from priests of the bloated lady at some time or another. The price of doing business with the priesthood often leads to involvement with a formal cult of undeath, taking a devotee into service as an undead minion, or in some way advancing the causes of Neldalla or one of her priests. Priests of Neldalla who walk this path work skeletal motifs into their wardrobe or heraldry. Members of this sect may be any Evil alignment.
Mailed Fist: The Mailed Fist of Neldalla is a sect dedicated to military prowess and devotes a great deal of resources to maintaining mercenary companies and small strike teams backed by and beholden to the church of Neldalla. These warriors are taught to spread fear and despair in their wake as a form of prayer to their dark mistress. The priests who oversee these mercenaries have a great deal of stature within the church. All members of the Mailed Fist display a stylized gauntlet on shield, breastplate or tabard. Members of this sect can be any Evil alignment.
Dark Druids: This nature oriented sect focuses on molding existing species of plant and animals to make them more aggressive as well as using excessively violent methods to protect unspoiled wilderness. Dark Druids are usually pushed away from the classic druidic stomping grounds by unfriendly sylvan creatures but the swamps, badlands, and underdark are much more welcoming and in just as much need of protection. Lizardfolk and other primitive humanoids are the most likely to work with these agents of Neldalla and with the guidance of a Dark Druid these tribes rarely need to worry about human incursions. While Dark Druids are involved in a form of nature worship and associate with the order of Druids, they are in fact Clerics of Neldalla rather than true Druids. A barren elm tree is the symbol most often associated with the Dark Druids. Members of this sect can be any Evil alignment.
Pantheon[edit]
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