Arvoreen

When a general rides to the battlefront, rarely does he count halflings among his most valuable assets. The inherent wanderlust of the hin grants them little patience for the long marches and dull waiting between battles that characterizes most warfare. However, when invaders threaten a halfling community, residents send prayers to Arvoreen (arr-voh-reen), whose worshipers follow a doctrine of guardianship, stern defense, and aggressive watchfulness. Arvoreen remains ever aware of dangers facing halfling communities, but prefers a reactive rather than proactive agenda. When an enemy strikes, his halfling servants strike back with precision and decisiveness thanks to reconnaissance missions into enemy territory and a strict, almost un-halfling-like regimen of martial training. This philosophy makes him popular with like-minded strongheart halflings, and while lightfoot halflings appreciate his protection, few rush to enter his clergy.

Though their serious outlook and intolerance for jokes and frivolity makes them unpopular in times of peace, all turn with respect to Arvoreen’s clergy when the community is threatened. They believe that most of the problems faced by the community are the result of courting enemies by mixing with other cultures (particularly humans), granting them allies among the few isolationist halflings. Clerics spend their days constructing fortifications, signaling systems, beacons and traps that further protect halfling enclaves. They patrol the community, sniffing out possible threats from within, as well as without. Many organize local militias and instruct young halflings in blade craft (particularly as related to the short sword). Arvoreen’s temples usually resemble easily defensible keeps or redoubts, and serve as a final fall-back position if enemies breech the community’s outer defenses.

Clerics of the Wary Sword pray for spells at dawn, usually before patrolling the enclave’s perimeter in search of nighttime enemy incursions. If time permits, the faithful gather at a makeshift field alter prior to an important battle to ask for the blessings of Arvoreen and intone the sacred melody of the Battle Hymn of the Keepers, a living oral record of halfling triumphs in recent centuries. The Festival of the Moon brings with it another ceremony important to Arvoreen’s faith--the Ceremony of Remembrance. On this holy day, Arvoreen’s followers gather to remember the names of fallen comrades who gave their lives to protect the community. Most of Arvoreen’s clerics multiclass as fighters, with those who protect rural communities commonly multicasting as rangers. An elite order of Arvoreen’s followers known as Trueswords travel from community to community spreading word of the movements of local enemies and passing on advancements in the defensive arts.

History and Relationships: Of the halfling gods, Arvoreen is most closely aligned with Yondalla, Cyrrollalee, and Urogalan. He disapproves of the more capricious members of the pantheon, such as Brandobaris. Evil deities, especially the patrons of the goblinoids, incite Arvoreen to great wrath. He opposes Bane, Cyric, and the Deities of Fury.

Dogma: Vigilance against attack protects the community. Prepare an active defense, drill continuously, and leave nothing to chance. Put down danger before allowing it a chance to rear its head. Seek out allies, no matter how unorthodox. Stealing from other halflings or allies is never acceptable, but thieving is not dishonorable when employed against enemies to better the odds in later combat.