The Manifold Horizon
The Manifold Horizon is a puzzlingly unique religion practiced in Tesh – although, “religion” may not even be an accurate descriptive term for what the Manifold Horizon encompasses. Although most Teshi citizens are cognizant of the Manifold Horizon, you will not find any temples or statues devoted to the “deities,” (known as “Moments,”) for the public to use or enjoy. Instead, only a select few devoted monks dedicate their lives to the Moments of the Horizon, which they do for the benefit of all Teshi. They tend to live apart from the main populace in remote monasteries.
Each Moment of the Horizon has a devoted order of specialized monks, each of which has its own unique internal structure. These monks have the power to beg boons from their respective Moments, although there is usually a hefty cost involved. The Moments described below are a sampling, and do not make up the entirety of the Manifold Horizon. * Indicates a new domain which MUST be selected as one of the cleric’s options.
Cadmer
Moment of Calculation
Intermediate
Deity Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Domains: Calculation*, Knowledge, Luck, Mind, Pact
Favored Weapon: Longbow
The Moment which claims the fewest monks is Cadmer. This is because of the steep price paid by those who choose to be enfolded within this particular Moment. In order to be accepted by Cadmer, the recipient must relinquish all human emotion. Joy, sorrow, humor, confusion, frustration, and all other sensations become forever lost to the monks of Cadmer at the moment of enfolding. As a result, human contact becomes extremely difficult, as the monk forever becomes something unsettling and alien. The reward for this sacrifice is a tremendously boosted intellect. The ability to calculate, plan, and solve problems is as child’s play to those who embrace the Moment of Calculation.
Hyronn
Moment of Desiccation
Intermediate
Deity Alignment: Neutral Evil
Domains: Desiccation*, Suffering, Sand, Thirst, Wrath
Favored Weapon: Heavy Mace
Hyronn stands to the right of Teshara within the Manifold Horizon, and shares a close connection with both Teshara and Pharru. The Moment of Desiccation is imbued with the attribute of aggression. Monks of Hyronn advocate preemptive defense and are typically well-trained in martial arts. They have the ability to rile the emotions of others, and can evaporate water with ease. Being enfolded into the Moment of Desiccation requires undergoing a severe period of dehydration, ingesting no liquids for the period of a week, and receiving no aid of any kind. In order to utilize the abilities of Hyronn, the monk pays the price of punishing heat – this raising of the body temperature can severely harm the monk in question.
Pharru
Moment of Forgotten Snow
Intermediate
Deity Alignment: Neutral Good
Domains: Beguilement, Cold, Snow*, Windstorm, Winter
Favored Weapon: Shortbow
Pharru stands to the left of Teshara within the Manifold Horizon, and shares a close connection with both Teshara and Hyronn. The Moment of Forgotten Snow concerns itself with the attribute of caution; many parables are told by the monks of Pharru where the beautiful and placid nature of snow hides a great many dangers, and therefore should always be treated with care. Monks of Pharru have the ability to call upon others for calm, as well as a control of frozen water. The initiation into the Moment of Forgotten Snow involves surviving be embedded in a snow bank for the period of one week, with no aid of any kind. In order to call upon the powers of Pharru, the monk pays the price of extreme cold – this lowering of the body temperature can severely harm the monk in question.
Takka Reshi
Moment of Doves
Intermediate
Deity Alignment: Neutral
Domains: Air, Animal, Doves*, Knowledge, Oracle
Favored Weapon: Halberd
The Moment of Doves grants its enfolded monks the ability to control the minds and bodies of mundane avian creatures. This ability can be of great strategic use when utilized properly – for example, the monks can use their ability to see through the eyes of their birds, and use them as efficient scouts. Most monks are limited in their range, but the eldest can command fowl from vast distances. In order to become enfolded with Takka Reshi, one must partake in a ritual designed to bring one in tune with the harshness of nature. Initiates must survive alone in the wild, naked, for a full week during the deepest part of winter. The price required each time they use their avian scouts is bizarre; as they inhabit the minds and bodies of their birds, their own minds begin to become contaminated by the thoughts and instincts of the avians themselves. This manifests itself as an extremely disquieting sensation that prays upon the monk after he has broken his mental connection to the bird – the sensation has been likened to feeling as if one is trapped inside an alien body, unable to escape or to experience the world in the way it was meant to be.
Tekke Shesim
Moment of Memory
Intermediate
Deity Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Domains: Dream, Chastity, Emotion, Knowledge, Memory*
Favored Weapon: Heavy Crossbow
Tekke Shesin presides over the realm of what has transpired. The monks enveloped within the Moment of Memory have the ability to peer into the past and to see events which have already come to pass. Elder monks can show these visions to others, and the most powerful of their number are rumored to even create semi-tangible phantasms of past events. To first gain the ability to call upon this knowledge, the price is to accept a decreased ability for the monk to create and maintain his own memories. Monks of Tekke Shesim are very forgetful, and are poor problem solvers. Each time a monk views into the past, this foggy-mindedness becomes especially pronounced for a period of time.
Tekke Vogu
Moment of Lost Things
Greater
Deity Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Domains: Celerity, Inquisition, Knowledge, Lost*, Oracle, Time
Favored Weapon: Greatsword
Also known as the Moment of the Hidden, Tekke Vogu is among the most powerful and demanding aspects of the Manifold Horizon. Monks who are enfolded within this Moment have the power to learn of all things hidden, as well as the ability to hide themselves, but these gifts come at a great cost. When one makes the choice to devote himself to Tekke Vogu and gain his favor, the price is for something to be “hidden” from the monk. Perhaps the monk will forget his own name, and be forbidden from ever knowing another. Perhaps the monk will lose all knowledge of his or her gender identity, doomed to go through life incapable of learning or comprehending his or her own sex. The price might even be a physical one; the ability to see, feel, smell, or taste could be veiled from the devotee, or even one’s own limbs. After this initial cost, at any point when the monk wishes to call upon Tekke Vogu, another cost must be extracted. Fortunately, these secondary costs are proportional to that which is asked for. For example, wishing to learn the identity of a stranger might require the monk to lose a single, specific memory of his own, whereas wishing to know a much greater secret would exact a much greater price. It’s entirely possible, although quite rare, for a monk who asks too much of Tekke Vogu to eventually fade from existence entirely. Devotees of the Moment of the Hidden can also learn of “hidden passages” through space, creating one-time shortcuts for themselves in order to travel very quickly.
Teshara
Moment of Placid Tears
Greater
Deity Alignment: Neutral
Domains: Balance, Ocean, Protection, Tears*, Trade, Water
Favored Weapon: Whip
Although the Manifold Horizon has little in the way of structured hierarchy, there can be little doubt that Teshara is informally held to be first among equals. Having a historical connection to Tesh, the City of Crawling Liquid, Teshara is the only Moment that one might actually see reference to outside of the remote Monasteries of the Horizon. Teshara is considered the central balancing figure which stands between Pharru and Hyronn. The subjects of flowing water and internal balance fall within the purview of the Moment of Placid Tears – monks have the ability to maintain their composure, as well as an ability to create and manipulate flowing water. To become enfolded within this Moment, a potential monk must survive a trail of initiation, surviving afloat at sea for a week’s time, with no external or thaumaturgical aid of any kind. Once this is achieved, Teshara uniquely requires no additional price to utilize the powers of the Moment.
Zaori
Moment of Magic Wine
Intermediate
Deity Alignment: Neutral Good
Domains: Knowledge, Liberation, Magic, Sloth, Wine*
Favored Weapon: Punching Dagger
To become enfolded within the Moment of Zaori, the devote monk partakes of the sacred wine, and falls deathly ill for an entire fortnight. The experience is said to be beyond excruciating. After this price has been paid, any time hence that the monk drinks wine, he will receive a vision of the future from Zaori. Its usefulness and relevance are measured against the price paid, which in this case is illness. The tiniest of visions may cause a headache, while the greatest may cause incapacitation or even death.
Each Moment of the Horizon has a devoted order of specialized monks, each of which has its own unique internal structure. These monks have the power to beg boons from their respective Moments, although there is usually a hefty cost involved. The Moments described below are a sampling, and do not make up the entirety of the Manifold Horizon. * Indicates a new domain which MUST be selected as one of the cleric’s options.
Cadmer
Moment of Calculation
Intermediate
Deity Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Domains: Calculation*, Knowledge, Luck, Mind, Pact
Favored Weapon: Longbow
The Moment which claims the fewest monks is Cadmer. This is because of the steep price paid by those who choose to be enfolded within this particular Moment. In order to be accepted by Cadmer, the recipient must relinquish all human emotion. Joy, sorrow, humor, confusion, frustration, and all other sensations become forever lost to the monks of Cadmer at the moment of enfolding. As a result, human contact becomes extremely difficult, as the monk forever becomes something unsettling and alien. The reward for this sacrifice is a tremendously boosted intellect. The ability to calculate, plan, and solve problems is as child’s play to those who embrace the Moment of Calculation.
Hyronn
Moment of Desiccation
Intermediate
Deity Alignment: Neutral Evil
Domains: Desiccation*, Suffering, Sand, Thirst, Wrath
Favored Weapon: Heavy Mace
Hyronn stands to the right of Teshara within the Manifold Horizon, and shares a close connection with both Teshara and Pharru. The Moment of Desiccation is imbued with the attribute of aggression. Monks of Hyronn advocate preemptive defense and are typically well-trained in martial arts. They have the ability to rile the emotions of others, and can evaporate water with ease. Being enfolded into the Moment of Desiccation requires undergoing a severe period of dehydration, ingesting no liquids for the period of a week, and receiving no aid of any kind. In order to utilize the abilities of Hyronn, the monk pays the price of punishing heat – this raising of the body temperature can severely harm the monk in question.
Pharru
Moment of Forgotten Snow
Intermediate
Deity Alignment: Neutral Good
Domains: Beguilement, Cold, Snow*, Windstorm, Winter
Favored Weapon: Shortbow
Pharru stands to the left of Teshara within the Manifold Horizon, and shares a close connection with both Teshara and Hyronn. The Moment of Forgotten Snow concerns itself with the attribute of caution; many parables are told by the monks of Pharru where the beautiful and placid nature of snow hides a great many dangers, and therefore should always be treated with care. Monks of Pharru have the ability to call upon others for calm, as well as a control of frozen water. The initiation into the Moment of Forgotten Snow involves surviving be embedded in a snow bank for the period of one week, with no aid of any kind. In order to call upon the powers of Pharru, the monk pays the price of extreme cold – this lowering of the body temperature can severely harm the monk in question.
Takka Reshi
Moment of Doves
Intermediate
Deity Alignment: Neutral
Domains: Air, Animal, Doves*, Knowledge, Oracle
Favored Weapon: Halberd
The Moment of Doves grants its enfolded monks the ability to control the minds and bodies of mundane avian creatures. This ability can be of great strategic use when utilized properly – for example, the monks can use their ability to see through the eyes of their birds, and use them as efficient scouts. Most monks are limited in their range, but the eldest can command fowl from vast distances. In order to become enfolded with Takka Reshi, one must partake in a ritual designed to bring one in tune with the harshness of nature. Initiates must survive alone in the wild, naked, for a full week during the deepest part of winter. The price required each time they use their avian scouts is bizarre; as they inhabit the minds and bodies of their birds, their own minds begin to become contaminated by the thoughts and instincts of the avians themselves. This manifests itself as an extremely disquieting sensation that prays upon the monk after he has broken his mental connection to the bird – the sensation has been likened to feeling as if one is trapped inside an alien body, unable to escape or to experience the world in the way it was meant to be.
Tekke Shesim
Moment of Memory
Intermediate
Deity Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Domains: Dream, Chastity, Emotion, Knowledge, Memory*
Favored Weapon: Heavy Crossbow
Tekke Shesin presides over the realm of what has transpired. The monks enveloped within the Moment of Memory have the ability to peer into the past and to see events which have already come to pass. Elder monks can show these visions to others, and the most powerful of their number are rumored to even create semi-tangible phantasms of past events. To first gain the ability to call upon this knowledge, the price is to accept a decreased ability for the monk to create and maintain his own memories. Monks of Tekke Shesim are very forgetful, and are poor problem solvers. Each time a monk views into the past, this foggy-mindedness becomes especially pronounced for a period of time.
Tekke Vogu
Moment of Lost Things
Greater
Deity Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Domains: Celerity, Inquisition, Knowledge, Lost*, Oracle, Time
Favored Weapon: Greatsword
Also known as the Moment of the Hidden, Tekke Vogu is among the most powerful and demanding aspects of the Manifold Horizon. Monks who are enfolded within this Moment have the power to learn of all things hidden, as well as the ability to hide themselves, but these gifts come at a great cost. When one makes the choice to devote himself to Tekke Vogu and gain his favor, the price is for something to be “hidden” from the monk. Perhaps the monk will forget his own name, and be forbidden from ever knowing another. Perhaps the monk will lose all knowledge of his or her gender identity, doomed to go through life incapable of learning or comprehending his or her own sex. The price might even be a physical one; the ability to see, feel, smell, or taste could be veiled from the devotee, or even one’s own limbs. After this initial cost, at any point when the monk wishes to call upon Tekke Vogu, another cost must be extracted. Fortunately, these secondary costs are proportional to that which is asked for. For example, wishing to learn the identity of a stranger might require the monk to lose a single, specific memory of his own, whereas wishing to know a much greater secret would exact a much greater price. It’s entirely possible, although quite rare, for a monk who asks too much of Tekke Vogu to eventually fade from existence entirely. Devotees of the Moment of the Hidden can also learn of “hidden passages” through space, creating one-time shortcuts for themselves in order to travel very quickly.
Teshara
Moment of Placid Tears
Greater
Deity Alignment: Neutral
Domains: Balance, Ocean, Protection, Tears*, Trade, Water
Favored Weapon: Whip
Although the Manifold Horizon has little in the way of structured hierarchy, there can be little doubt that Teshara is informally held to be first among equals. Having a historical connection to Tesh, the City of Crawling Liquid, Teshara is the only Moment that one might actually see reference to outside of the remote Monasteries of the Horizon. Teshara is considered the central balancing figure which stands between Pharru and Hyronn. The subjects of flowing water and internal balance fall within the purview of the Moment of Placid Tears – monks have the ability to maintain their composure, as well as an ability to create and manipulate flowing water. To become enfolded within this Moment, a potential monk must survive a trail of initiation, surviving afloat at sea for a week’s time, with no external or thaumaturgical aid of any kind. Once this is achieved, Teshara uniquely requires no additional price to utilize the powers of the Moment.
Zaori
Moment of Magic Wine
Intermediate
Deity Alignment: Neutral Good
Domains: Knowledge, Liberation, Magic, Sloth, Wine*
Favored Weapon: Punching Dagger
To become enfolded within the Moment of Zaori, the devote monk partakes of the sacred wine, and falls deathly ill for an entire fortnight. The experience is said to be beyond excruciating. After this price has been paid, any time hence that the monk drinks wine, he will receive a vision of the future from Zaori. Its usefulness and relevance are measured against the price paid, which in this case is illness. The tiniest of visions may cause a headache, while the greatest may cause incapacitation or even death.
Religion
Domains
The Moments of the Manifold Horizon, due to their unique nature, have new domains. Every cleric follower of one of the Moments must have chosen that Moment’s unique domain as one of his two available domains.
CALCULATION DOMAIN
Deity: Cadmer
Granted Powers:
You gain +4 Intelligence on top of your existing ability scores, but lose -4 Charisma as a result (to a minimum of 1 Charisma.) In addition, all Charisma-based skills suffer a further -4 penalty upon each skill check.
DESICCATION DOMAIN
Deity: Hyronn
Granted Powers:
Once per day, you can cause enemies to enter a state of berserker rage that forces them to attack the nearest combatant, be it friend or foe. This causes the targets to temporarily enter a state identical to a barbarian’s rage except where stated below. In addition, targets are incapable of any but the most rudimentary decision-making or planning. Treat this as a mind-affecting supernatural ability, with a range of Close, a duration of 1 round per level +1, and a casting time of 1 action. This ability may affect 2 enemies at 1st level, 3 at 5th, 4 at 10th, 5 at 15th, and 6 at 20th. There is no save, but mindless creatures, or creatures immune to magic or mind-affecting abilities cannot be effected. Using this ability inflicts 1d4 heat damage per caster level upon the caster.
DOVES DOMAIN
Deity: Takka Reshi
Granted Powers:
You can project your mind into the bodies of birds and utterly control them. In addition, you can receive sensory information from these creatures, using them as your eyes and ears. During this time, your actual body remains under your complete control as well. This ability works for mundane, non-magical creatures only. You may occupy a maximum of one large bird, or, two medium, four small, eight tiny, or sixteen diminutive or fine birds. You must be within Close-range to initiate this effect, but the physical range afterwards has no limit. This effect can be maintained for one hour per caster level each day, and can be broken up into multiple sittings. Your link can be broken if you are rendered unconscious or if either you or the birds are subject to a dispel effect, antimagic field, or similar. Utilizing this power causes you to become both staggered and fatigued afterwards for a duration equal to the amount of time spent using the power, as your brain becomes used to only inhabiting a human body again.
LOST DOMAIN
Deity: Tekke Vogu
Granted Powers:
Monks of Tekke Vogu have the ability to learn hidden secrets and dimensional passageways, although the cost is quite steep. Read the “Tekke Vogu” entry above for complete information. Note: This ability requires considerable roleplaying ability and DM creativity. Your DM is encouraged to extract creative and meaningful prices in exchange for using your ability.
MEMORY DOMAIN
Deity: Tekke Shesim
Granted Powers:
You can see and hear into the past of a specific object or creature (but not a general location,) that you are currently touching, to a maximum of one week into the past per caster level. The caster can view and hear the target and surrounding environment (approximately 10 ft. radius), and the vision continues for a period of time up to one minute per caster level. Only the caster experiences the visions, which include both sight and sound but no other senses. Treat this as a supernatural ability with a one-minute casting time. This ability can be used once per day. At level 10, you can share your vision with one other recipient. As a price for this ability, your Intelligence and Wisdom scores suffer a permanent -2 penalty upon selection of this domain, and you become rather forgetful and absentminded. Further, whenever you make use of this special ability, your Intelligence will suffer an additional -2 penalty for one hour.
SNOW DOMAIN
Deity: Pharru
Granted Powers:
You may utilize, at will, the spell spread of contentment (Book of Exalted Deeds). Using this ability comes with a price. The first use of this ability in a given day lowers your maximum HP by 1d6 per caster level. This cannot be blocked, circumvented, or restored by any means until one day has passed, upon which time your HP returns to normal. Subsequent uses of this power in a given day will take 1d8, 1d12, and then 1d20 HP. Thus, each use of this ability brings you closer to death. It is possible to die using this ability.
TEARS DOMAIN
Deity: Teshara
Granted Powers:
You may become immune to MindAffecting abilities for one minute per day per caster level. You may activate this ability as an immediate action. The time must be spent in one go, and not divided. Additionally, you gain the use of the create water spell, which you can utilize once per caster level per day.
WINE DOMAIN
Deity: Zaori
Granted Powers:
Once per week, you may receive a vision of the future from Zaori by drinking wine. Its usefulness and relevance are measured against the price paid, which in this case is illness. The tiniest of visions may cause a headache, while the greatest may cause incapacitation or even death. You may not control the content of these visions – they may be relevant, or not. Note: This ability requires considerable DM creativity. Your DM is encouraged to extract creative and meaningful prices in exchange for using your ability.
Type
Religious, Organised Religion
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