The Moon Gods

Vítaeous, Terranor, Zephyre, Calafax, Sharrash and Mortis - the six gods summoned by Uros; six moons for six gods; six faiths for six moons. Throughout all human lands, worship in Urova is divided between the six moon gods that appeared in the sky 204 years ago. Although the dwarves, the gnomes and (presumably) the elves venerate their own pantheons, it is these six deities that have the most followers, and are widely considered to control the destiny of man on the continent.

Although there are only six moon gods, this does not mean that there are only six churches. In actuality, there are dozens of different faiths and cults worshipping these gods in their own way and the largest of these are also covered in the following pages. In a campaign, moon clerics must select one faith and follow one god. However, everyone still pays due respect to all the gods - even a cleric of Vítaeous who is about to embark on a sea crossing will say a small prayer to Sharrash in exchange for her safety.

Origins of the Moon Gods

Following the events of 1 LE, Uros attempted to make sense of the appearance of the moons in the sky, and the arrival of the moon gods into the lives of the Urovan people. Legend has it that following the revelations of the gods, Uros penned the first and the greatest religious scripts the continent had seen. The Korvast Scrolls, as they became known, are the tenants and laws that laid the foundation for every successive religion that came after. The scrolls were completed between 1 LE and 3 LE. Six copies were taken from the original, one intended for each of the faiths that grew up around the worship of one of the gods. As successive churches and religions appeared so copies were made from these copies. The original scrolls disappeared around 7 LE shortly after the death of Uros.

In a nutshell, the Korvast Scrolls established the religions of the Moon Gods as the only true faiths. It outlined the nature of the pantheon and how the different gods interacted with one another. The Scrolls took great lengths to point out that the Moon Gods were one; they embodied Life, Death, Earth, Air, Fire and Water - the six elements that make up all things - and as such pefectly complemented each other. The faithful had enough enemies without squabbling amongst themselves. The gods were allies and so their churches should be allies. All cleric were required to swear The Convenant - a pledge to never interefere with the other faiths, and never to take up arms against followers of another god. Disagreements between churches were to be settled by a meeting known as an Enclave, where both sides of a dispute would be heard by impartial advocates. As the years past the meaning of the Korvast Scrolls and the nature of the Convenant have been changed and altered to suit individual faiths. For example, the two outlawed churches - Unbeating Heart and the Bombastics - have been surgically removed from the Covenant by the other faiths.

• Moon Gods and their Churches: A History from Creation to the Present Day

Gods and the Moons

The link between the gods and the moons is far from metaphorical. There are many sages who believe that the moons are, in fact, the gods taken material form, and there are none who have the evidence to argue otherwise. Certainly, the powers of all clerics are dependent on the waxing and waning of the moon that is their god. Clerics are more powerful when the moon is visible in the sky; they are therefore more powerful at night than during the day, and during the full moon than the dark of the moon. The moons affect all the priesthoods in the same manner, and the effects of the moon on a cleric's powers are listed below. For definitions of normal, diminished and enhanced powers, see the separate listing for each god.

During the Full Moon:

• Daylight: The cleric functions normally. All spells are cast at cleric's true level; granted powers perform as normal.


• Night: The powers of the cleric are augmented. All spells are cast as if the cleric were three levels higher than he actually is; granted powers are enhanced.

During the Dark of the Moon:

• Daylight: The cleric is virtually powerless. No spell of greater than fourth level can be cast; all spells that can be conjured are cast as if the cleric is three levels lower than he actually is - if this reduces the effective casting level to below one then the cleric cannot cast any spells. Granted powers will not function at all.


• Night: The cleric is decidedly feeble. No spell of greater than fourth level can be cast; granted powers are diminished.

At all other times:

• Daylight: The cleric is weaker than normal. Spells function normally, but all granted powers are diminished.


• Night: The cleric functions normally. All spells are cast at the cleric's true level; granted powers perform as normal.

The Moon Gods of Urova

The six moon gods are presented below with a summary of their areas and domains of control. More information on god and its various priesthoods can be reached by following the hyperlinks.

Vítaeous

The god of Life; Birth; Creativity; Joy; Love and Marriage. Clerics of Vítaeous are healers and adventurers. Never-endingly curious and eager to experience all that the world has to offer.[More]

Terranor

The god of Earth; Mountains; Forests; Nature; Agriculture; Strength; Loyalty; Justice; Law and Autumn. Terranor is followed by paladins, those who want to strike a blow for what they perceive to be right and those who care for the land. [More]

Zephyre

The god of Air; Storms; Weather; Mysteries; Magic and Spring. Sorcerers and wizards revere Zephyre as the patron of magic. Zephyre is also revered by those sages and those who live in extremes of weather. [More]

Calafax

The god of Fire; Destruction; War; Rebirth and Summer. Calafax is held holy by warlords and tyrants and by those who like to see things go up in flames. But Calafax is also the god of rebirth and hope, and many of his clerics preach this message from their smouldering god. [More]

Sharrash

The god of Water; Oceans and rivers; Sailors; Ships; Travel; Trade; Capriciousness and Winter. Sharrash is a fickle god, forever changing its emotions. Anyone who travels by water says a prayer to Sharrash. [More]

Mortis

The god of Death; Undeath; Time; The Past; History; Archives; Knowledge; Funerals and Old Age. Many see Mortis as the evil grim-reaper, others as the hand on the door to paradise. Some clergies hunt down undead, others worship them. [More]