Temple of Boccob
Rising above Clerkburg’s Street of Temples, the Temple of Boccob stands as a towering citadel of stone spires and enchanted rooftop gardens, a beacon of arcane wisdom and divine knowledge.
Unlike the bustling shrines of more interventionist deities, the temple’s halls exude an austere silence, its clergy more inclined to study than sermon.
Boccob’s faith has long flourished in Greyhawk, despite the aloof detachment of his priests. The city’s most esteemed magical institutions—the Guild of Wizardry , the Society of Magi, and the University of Magical Arts —all revere him as the Archmage of the Gods, the supreme embodiment of arcane mastery, whose knowledge is as vast as the multiverse and as deep as the Abyssian Ocean.
Ravel Dasinder: The High Patriarch of Boccob
The Silent Oracle
At 64 years old, Ravel Dasinder is a figure of quiet intensity. He stands six feet tall, his frame lean and gaunt, his thinning gray hair and sharp gray-blue eyes lending him the air of a man who sees far more than he speaks. His beaked nose and bloodless lips only add to his severe countenance, making him seem more like a scryer’s vision made flesh than a mere mortal priest.
Ravel is a man of few words, yet immense knowledge. To speak with him is to endure long, weighty silences as he contemplates every question with deliberate precision. Many find his manner infuriating—but when he does speak, his words are rarely wasted.
As High Patriarch of Boccob, Ravel has access to a trove of magical relics, scrolls, and divinatory enchantments. Within his temple, he may call upon nearly any spell of foresight or wisdom, making him one of the most well-informed figures in Greyhawk.
A Reluctant Power in Greyhawk’s Politics
Despite his apolitical nature, Ravel is a member of the Directing Oligarchy, elected precisely because he almost never involves himself in the city's affairs. He cares little for politics or power struggles, concerning himself only with the long-term safety of Greyhawk.
Yet when a critical decision must be made, his fellow Oligarchs often find themselves turning to him for guidance. Ravel’s knowledge of the future—gleaned through communion with Boccob and other, more esoteric means—makes him a prized asset in matters of tactics and long-term strategy.
- Though he is not a formal agent of the Circle of Eight , his sympathies often align with their goals.
- He shares a mutual respect with Mordenkainen, though their methods differ—Mordenkainen gathers knowledge through vast networks of spies and scrying, while Ravel communes with the divine.
A Man of Judgment, Not Passion
Ravel is not easily impressed, nor is he easily roused to anger. He dislikes intemperate people, preferring the company of the cunning and the patient over the bold and reckless.
- He finds dishonesty and manipulation amusing—a trait that has led him to a strange understanding with Nerof Gasgol , whose political scheming he views as little more than an entertaining game.
- However, aggression and rashness irritate him. He has a particular disdain for Otiluke , whose hotheaded nature he considers an embarrassment.
At present, Ravel is actively working to remove Otiluke from the Oligarchy, making his case to Kieren Jalucian, head of the Guild of Wizardry. Jalucian, for his part, finds the situation both amusing and concerning—for if Ravel is stirring himself to action, it must mean the future holds something dire indeed.
The Temple of Boccob: A Nexus of Fate
The Temple of Boccob stands at the crossroads of prophecy and peril, its halls home to those who seek knowledge beyond mortal comprehension. Yet even here, in a bastion of wisdom, dark forces move unseen.
In the days to come, those who walk these halls—priest, scholar, and adventurer alike—may find themselves entangled in events far beyond their understanding. The only question is: will they be prepared when the storm breaks?
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