3E Core Gods in Ravenloft

[ewancummins]

Does anybody use the 3E Core gods in Ravenloft?

If so, where?

My initial thoughts on this:

Core Gods in Ravenloft

Darkon
• Wee Jas & Nerull

Nova Vaasa
• Heironeous & Hextor

Mordent, Dementlieu, and Richemulot
• Saint Cuthbert

Kartakass
• Olidammara?

Sithicus
• Ehlonna

Balinoks region
• Pelor?

others?
Fharlanghn
Kord
Erythnul
Obad-Hai
Boccob
Vecna

[ewancummins]

This might be instead of or in combination with canonical Ravenloft religions.


Perhaps Hextor is the Lawgiver but the Vaasi religion also includes a heroic, chivalric figure, Heironeous. Making the two gods half-siblings as in World of Greyhawk might make sense. I'd definitely connect the two. The relationship between the two could reflect the darklord's divided nature.

[The Lesser Evil]

This topic provoked a lot of thoughts so I broke my response down into separate sections.

General Musings
Virtually any and all of those gods could (and probably do) have at least few worshipers in Darkon. Olidammara makes sense for Kartakass as an alternative or in addition to Milil/the Ancestral Choir. (Both Milil and Olidammara could be seen as leaders of the choir).

Vecna's cult is of course the state church of the Burning Peaks, and would likely dwell in secretive cults across the Land of Mists. Like with the Lawgiver pause in granting of spells, Vecna's escape from Ravenloft could cause a split in his clergy as to whether he died or not. They could pose as the Order of the Guardians, for they are both secretive and gather up magical objects/lore.

Hextor vs. St. Cuthbert
I kind of see Hextor more in Falkovnia than in the Vaasi domains- Hextor's portfolio includes war and conflict and the Lawgiver cares too much about stability. Hextor might find a home in theologically inclined Falkovnians who fetishize war and the like, and those who want to be the ultimate warriors. The books say Drakov doesn't have any state priests, but he's has to have some source for all those gargoyle golems, perhaps he has a secret contingent of black ops type war priests.

And for the Vaasi domains, I think a Lawful Evil strain of St. Cuthbert would work for the Lawgiver, as he has a reputation for being the smitey type with zeal and discipline in his portfolio. Ironically, this strain probably would be heretical on Oerth.

Nerull and Wee Jas
Nerull was the pre-3e god of the Gundarakite regime under Duke Gundar, so there's that. Both Nerull and Wee Jas I think have been said to have been assimilated into the mish-mash of outlander gods in the Eternal Order. Both make sense for Darkon, though I think Wee Jas as a separate entity would take center stage for undead hunters and others who actively oppose undead. I'd think that since the Eternal Order's purpose is ultimately to serve the state as a form of social control, the orthodox Eternal Order clerics might view Wee Jas-specific clerics as dangerous heretics- “separatists” (from the rest of the Eternal Order gods) whose “fanatical” zeal against the undead could rile up them up and provoke an invasion.

Nerull might be treated more as a deity you make appeasements to in order to make sure the undead don't invade. Therefore, I imagine the Eternal Order would be more receptive to Nerull-only worship than Wee Jas.

Gods as worshipped by cross-domain entities
Deities don't have to be focused just in domains- they could also find worshipers in domain-spanning groups and cultures too. I could see Boccob (or a NG strain of his worship) be popular for clerics members of the Order of the Guardians. Such people might interpret Boccob's worship as making sure magic stays in the right hands. If magic is a finite source (as Boccobites espouse), the destruction of evil or dangerous magical items could release it to be used for other purposes. And since evil is rampant in the dread realms, balance might cause for the injection of Good (hence favoring good alignments). St. Cuthbert could be another popular god for the Guardians, emphasizing the wisdom and common sense aspects in keeping destructive magical items out of the hands of the unwary or the malign.

As a neutral god of the road, Fharlanghn could be an attractive deity to the Vistani.

Erythnul could be venerated by the various ogres, trolls, formorians, and hags of several domains, particularly Invidia and Daglan. He’d also make for a good deity of nonwerewolf lycanthropes, such as the Brood of the Purple Moon.

[Mistmaster]

In my currently work-in-progress take of Darkon, Vecna was the first Lich-King and founder of Darkonese Empire.

[ewancummins]

Heironeous might also make a good patron for the Shadowborn family and associated knights.

RE Wee Jas in Darkon:

I'd go with the old Dragon magazine version of the goddess, in which she's very much against Chaotic-aligned undead but not necessarily other undead. Vampires? Get the stake. Mummies? They can be useful allies and servitors.

The separatists/heretics do sound cool, though. Maybe replace the Overseer cult/Lawful Evil Ezrans in Martira Bay with Wee Jas?

[ewancummins]

In my currently work-in-progress take of Darkon, Vecna was the first Lich-King and founder of Darkonese Empire.

If that's the case, then cults of Vecna might be found in Darkon and also other Core domains.

[The Lesser Evil]

If that's the case, then cults of Vecna might be found in Darkon and also other Core domains.

Because of the cell-based, secrecy-clad nature of Vecna's faith, you can bet on that being true. The Secret Library of Vecna (June 2000 Article from Dragon Magazine #272) seems to imply this, because it indicates that the artifact known as Peace's Pin is located in Vecna's library. According to Forged of Darkness, Peace's Pin was one of the objects Van Richten handed over to the Order of the Guardians for destruction after he stole it from Azalin's Black Vault. However, the Secret Library of Vecna revealed that Peace's Pin was stolen by a servant of Vecna, providing evidence for the Cult's activities outside of the Burning Peaks. In addition, this theft also implies the Cult of Vecna has infiltrated the Guardians or at least knows of their activities enough to take advantage of them.

Of course, the power differential between the cult in Cavitius (as a state religion) vs. elsewhere (hidden cults) will mean that the Cult will likely behave very differently in those two cases. Core Beliefs: Vecna (dragon #348) can be quite useful in this regard- giving us an idea of how the cult functions in places outside of Cavitius. For example, rather than having a fractious hierarchy where people are trying to constantly backstab each other, Vecna's cult in other places is cell-based that try to avoid getting on each other's turfs. And cell members can't turn on each other because of the web of secrets binding them together would mean the whole cell goes down if one of the members goes down, making betrayal an act of suicide.

[Mistmaster]

I don't use the Burning Peaks, that's why I moved Vecna place of birth in Darkon; and Vecna church was Darkonese State Church until Azalin ascension.