Thechard (4e Deity)

Three Horizontal Lines

Unaligned
Domains: Master of earth and mountains

The Wind, The Stone, The Water, and The Fire are the unaligned elemental Major Gods. The Major Gods were the instruments of creation of the physical plane. They also created the Elemental Plane (elemental monsters are rebellious creatures in opposition to the Gods). They are the oldest and most powerful of the Gods.

The Stone, also known as Thechard, is the master of earth and mountains. He is the foundation of everything and the foundation behind all life for no life could exist without the foundation of the ground. Thechard’s primary colors are white (absence of color) and black (absence of light). In his true form, Thechard is living stone. Any stone from a mountain range, a single mountain peak, a pile of boulders, or a stone wall comes alive at his will and forms a large powerful face to speak his threats and his will to all around.

The evil cult of Stone is expressed in Torhogg, known as the Torhogg Cult.

Each Major God is served by 16 elemental agents known as elemental angels or ‘Malaks’. The elemental angels or Malaks are immortal and conduits of the god’s power. They are the interveners, the voice and hand of their god; while the Major Gods are less involved in the affairs of the physical plane.

• Be strong and be stable.
• Build monuments to strength, stability, life, and protection.
• Seek knowledge, strength, and valor.

Cleric Training

Clerics of Stone must meet the standard clerical requirements and can be from any race and of any alignment. All clerics of Thechard wear white and/or black as their primary colors in honor their god. Many clerics and worshippers use as symbols on their dress and buildings stalactites, stalagmites, black bears, worms, and gems. They prefer having their feet on the solid ground rather than flying or sailing. They are comfortable underground surrounded by stone.

Prayers

Many of the worshippers of the Major Gods are spell casters and arcane devotees. Arcane magic is the after affect of the Major Gods act of creation. There is an invisible-divine-elemental power throughout the physical plane. This power is the refracted prism rainbow color-scheme of white, black, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and violet. Therefore, color is important to spell casters. At the inner core of a spell caster's implement (wand, orb, staff, sword, etc.) is a prism. A spell caster/wizard uses, applies, and manipulated the prism-rainbow-spectrum connected to a Major God.

Each Major God has a color scheme: The Wind has blue and violet; The Stone has white and black; The Water has yellow and green; and The Fire has red and orange. A spell caster must choose a Major God as its underlying source of power and therefore have two primary color aspects that can be reflected in color of their fashion, favorite colors, and color of their magical affects.

Blessing & Prayer often carved in stone calling on strength and stability: [pentameter]

“Blessed are you oh great Thechard himself;

Be strong and be stable showing yourself”

Doctrine

Core Allegory: At the core of strength, valor, and knowledge is the black cave of the white light. In the cave, lived sixteen stalactites reaching down toward sixteen stalagmites baring the black bear. The black bear slumbered in the darkness until the sightless worm felt his life presence and began to eat the stalagmites away. As the worm ate, the stone it consumed became platinum and gold until the black bear knew it was free. The black bear saying, “Thank you little friend,” did not hear an answer which angered him so he ate the worm that freed him. The bear began digging through the hard rock until he came upon a tunnel in the stone. Breathing freedom, the bear walked up the tunnel not noticing that each step left behind in the rock precious gems. Upon seeing the exit from the rock world, the bear smelled the air and felt the sun and was not delighted. He turned his back to the air and light and willing walked back into the darkness looking for white light he had left behind.

Philosophy: The Stone, Thechard, is the master of earth and mountains. In his anger, the earth shakes and greats fortress fall like a children's toy. He is the foundation of everything and the foundation behind all life for no life could exist without the foundation of the ground. Stone is strong and stable.

• Nothing is as reliable and sturdy as the stone under one’s feet.
• To walk on a stone path is travel in safety.

Temples

Divine places are underground and surrounded by hard stone. The most sacred places are on the lowest places. The rockier the place; the more sacred the place.

Major Gods have shrines, chapels, temples, worshippers, and clerics, but they are rarer than the Minor Gods. The Major God and Minor God have temple complexes and religious systems built around the number 4 (a sacred number). In or near megacity/capital, there may be Temples (4+ clerics lead by a Bishop), Cathedrals (10+ clerics lead by a Cardinal), Monastery (10+ clerics lead by a Cardinal), and/or Spiritual University with 30+ clerics lead by a Patriarch/Matriarch. Because 4 is a sacred number, the altars are four by four feet squares with four attending priests. Cathedrals, Temples, Monasteries, and shrines are built in squares. With the destruction of the City-State of Phobos, leaving four City-States against the Evil Empire, it is believed to be a positive omen from the Gods: four against one.

The hierarchy of the temples and religious organizations from lowest to highest are as follows: Worshipper, Laity, Novitiate, Acolyte, Adept, Apprentice Priest, Priest, Curate, Bishop Elect, Bishop, Cardinal Elect, Cardinal, High Priest/Priestess, and Patriarch/Matriarch.

Most (although not exclusively) organizational clerics are Devoted Clerics. Most (although not exclusively) organizational paladins (except for knightly orders) are Ardent Paladins, Protecting Paladins, and Virtuous Paladins. Rarely for any avengers or invokers belong to religious organization.

Near Bronze City, upon the Ridge of Shadow Mountains is the monastery and library of The Stone, an unaligned Major God.

In Whitebeach, the main temple is the white-stone Cathedral of Elements dedicated to The Wind, The Stone, The Water, and The Fire (the four Major Gods).

Artifacts: Past and Present =

The Ancient Stone of Thechard is a stone rod containing arcanic accounts, spells, and power.

The Cheimonian Books of Stone are twelve books of power.

The Cheimonian Silver Warhammer is an intelligent magical warhammer made out of silver.

Orb of Gems, Wand of Crystal, and Staff of Marble

Rites

They must constantly appease Stone with sacrifices that are crushed by the weight and power of stone. The highest sacrifices are gems and jewels. The Major Gods do not have established festivals or holidays.

Heralds and Allies

From Bronze City, there are eight Crusader sects: Crusaders of Water, Crusaders of Wind, Crusaders of Stone, Crusaders of Spring, Crusaders of Summer, Crusaders of Autumn, and Crusaders of Winter. The Crusaders of Stone are zealot Paladins of Thechard. A player character may be from a knight order. The knight order must belong to the character's homeland.

There are five requirements to belong to a knightly order: 1. Only available to heavy-armored cavalry: paladins, fighters, warlords, etc. with Mounted Combat feat. 2. Must belong to the City-State sponsoring the knightly order (must be from there or own a permanent residence). 3. Must be sponsored by nobility or a knight of the order. 4. Must pay 300 gold pieces to apply (receive a banner, a seat in the Hall, and free admittance into all tournaments). 5. Must pay for and train a squire (initial cost of squire 25 gold pieces with 10 gold pieces per year).

Within each Knight Order are titles, positions, and responsibilities. Tribute High Knight (head of the order), Tributus High Knight (second in command), Weapons Master, Lore Master, Treasurer, Champion of the Year, Honor Guard, High Judge and Executioner, and Master of Ceremonies.

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