Vael Shadowstrider (4e Deity)
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Chaotic Good
Domains: Fate, Freedom, Protection, Trickery, Vengeance, War
Warpriest Domain: Storm, Sun
History[edit]
As a mortal, for several thousand years, Vael was a nomadic guardian named Camryn Irithyl- a half vampire, half eladree, roaming the wilderness and defending the travelers on the roads. Quickly identifiable by his unusual black silk clothing, he gained a legendary reputation as the Raven. An expert bladesman and monk-trained martial artist, he was a skilled and deadly warrior. He was also a talented invoker of Corellon Larethian, with a covenant of malediction. In 1365 DR, he ascended to exarch under Corellon. Because of the Spellplague’s dangers, beginning in 1385, he quickly ascended to demigod and then lesser deity as well. However, since then he rarely spends time in the Astral Sea and prefers to roam the Prime Material Plane, spreading his name and aiding the worshippers he has. Because of his more active and personal interest, Vael is rapidly gaining more followers; he currently has almost one hundred forty thousand mortal worshippers and is on the cusp of gaining intermediate deity status. As the primary patron of protection, travelers, wanderers, and adventurers, Vael is becoming a more popular god. He is also in the midst of tracking down and subsuming the portfolios and domains of dead or demoted deities, thereby adding even more to his own power. His diverse powers have led to him being sometimes known as the Jack-of-All-Trades God.
Power[edit]
Many more powerful gods fear Vael not only because of his wide array of powers, but his mastery over both the Words of Creation and Dark Speech- the feared primordial languages of absolute good and evil, of creation and destruction. From one such as Vael, a single word of Dark Speech is more than enough to kill all hostile mortals within hearing distance- a short sentence could kill a greater god, prolonged speech, an overdeity. Conversely, though, the Words of Creation have the opposite effect- extreme healing. Vael has sufficient power to conquer the whole multiverse if he wishes- his mastery is that extreme. Ao himself trembles at the thought of Vael unleashing Dark Speech on the gods, for none could stop him. Through some quirk of his genetics affecting his apotheosis, Vael is almost completely immune to both magic and weapons, and these factors together make him a nigh-invincible, unspeakably powerful warrior. An ancient divine prophecy predicts one called the Final Fate who is to eventually destroy the entire cosmos, and most of the gods agree that Vael is most likely this Final Fate. Knowledge of this prophecy has been kept from Vael at all costs lest it trigger the apocalypse, but one portion of the prophecy gives the gods some hope should the Final Fate be awakened nevertheless; the last line decrees that the Final Fate can be contained by his own blood.
Multiple Aspects[edit]
Vael is different from many other gods because he has several avatar/aspects. His primary avatar is that of the Lord of the Roads. In this guise, he wears a loose, long sleeved black silk shirt with no right sleeve and tight black leather pants and boots, as well as a black leather belt with an elegant silver knotwork buckle. Strapped to his left forearm is a scalloped, plain black leather bracer with angular black metal hooks along the outside. His secondary avatar is that of the Raven- a huge black raven with unusually intelligent blue eyes. In his Trickster avatar, he appears in black leathers, and he wears an ornate black half mask and a near-perpetual grin. His Dark-Hunter avatar is much grimmer and warlike; in this case, he is clad all in plain black leather and silent dark steel chainmail. In his Guardian avatar, he wears a full set of flanged silver plate armor. His Dark Fury avatar is the most menacing and terrible. He has massive black wings and wears a hooded dark cream robe; beneath the hood, shadows completely cover his face. He emanates an aura of pure fear, rage, and vengeance. He only assumes his Dark Fury avatar for retribution or punishment, and his victim’s last breath reveals to them his viciously feral, somewhat gaunt face.
True God Form[edit]
In his true god form, Vael is over a dozen feet tall and wields a +5 screaming keen vampiric demon bane mage nemesis intelligent bastard sword. He is clad completely in scalloped black leather armor with raven-embossed ornate silver plating covering his pectorals, abdomen, upper and lower arms, thighs, and shins. His dark gold hair gains red and black streaks and ties itself into a knot at the back of his head and pale horns grow back along his head (the horns straighten in combat). His eyes become completely black with electric blue irises, his musculature grows more pronounced, and his very skin glows with divinity; shadows swirl around him, and he has a unconscious tendency to levitate. His capabilities increase nearly tenfold, and he has complete access to his entire reserve of divine power.
Dogma[edit]
- Evaluate your surroundings. Remember them and use them when the time is right. Resourcefulness is always the key.
- Walk the shadows, hunt in the darkness, so that they who wander will not fall victim.
- Fight once and show no mercy so that you do not have to fight again.
- Retribution ensures no slights.
Cleric Training[edit]
Clerics are trained in melee combat and stealth, as well as a variety of divine spells. Depending upon which aspect of Vael they wish to support, they must undergo different tests. For example, an acolyte of the Lord of Roads must wander the roads of Faerûn and survive on his own for a year before being ordained; an acolyte of the Dark-Hunter must survive a year as a templar hunting down evil; and so on and so forth.
Quests[edit]
Vael tasks his followers with the protection, by almost any methods, of the people of Faerûn. He charges certain sects with certain duties, based on which avatar they follow, although as a whole he urges that evil in every form be hunted down and destroyed.
Prayers[edit]
Vael encourages worshipers to pray to him whenever they wish in a conversational manner, as they would speak to a friend.
Temples[edit]
Vael has many small shrines by the wayside dedicated to the Lord of the Roads, but his temples in major cities are more elaborate, divided affairs. Like most of his worship, his temples are separated into sections, each based upon one of his avatars. His central, more emphasized aspect is usually either that of the Lord of the Roads or the Guardian, but some temples are entirely dedicated to one aspect.
Heralds and Allies[edit]
Vael is on good terms with most of the beneficent gods, and he is strongly allied with Lathander, Selûne, and Torm. He actively opposes Shar and Bane.
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