Llerg (lurg)

The Great Bear, Animal Fang, Strongest Serpent, God of Force, The Fang

Beasts, Strength

Lesser God of Limbo, Chaotic Neutral

Aliases: None
Domain Name: Limbo/Beasthaven
Origin: Suloise
Superior: None
Allies: Kord, Vatun
Enemies: Telchur
Symbol: The head of a bear, alligator or giant snake
Worshipper's Aligment: Neutral, Chaotic Neutral

Llerg is the god of beasts and physical strength. He is depicted as a huge bear, a giant alligator, an enormous snake or a short, shaggy man of sturdy build wearing furs and a great fighting girdle. All of his forms give the impression of great strength.
Llerg is worshipped by those who praise strength of the body and the fierce denizens of the animal world. Barbarians, berserkers, and common warriors pray to Llerg to give them strength in battle.
Llerg is indifferent to most of the gods in his pantheon, seeing them as too civilized. His alliance with Kord is a friendly rivalry, with Kord encompassing strength in contests and sport while Llerg's strength is that of the wild animal. The Fang was a staunch ally of Vatun, and the Oeridian god Telchur earned his eternal enmity when the Ice Giant's followers imprisoned the Suel god of winter.

Manifestations

Llerg sends messages to his followers through powerful animals, with his three totem beasts being the most common. He has also been known to animate cave paintings and animal skins, using them to point out or block information and locations. The god is also fond of turning sticks, straw or baskets into writhing masses of snakes to show his displeasure.

The Church

Clergy: Clerics, specialty priests, druids, shamans
Clergy's Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Turn Undead: Clerics: No, Specialty Priests: No, Druids: No, Shamans: No
Command Undead: Clerics: No, Specialty Priests: No, Druids: No, Shamans: No
No animal will attack a clergyman of Llerg, even if summoned, although if the Llerg-worshipper attacks the animal it will retaliate. This protection is personal and does not extend to any companions of the clergymanThe few druids who worship Llerg are the sort who are not concerned with plants, but who devote themselves to the protection of animals from sport or trophy-hunters; these druids are often at odds with mages seeking animal parts as spell components. These druids exist outside of the druidic organizations establiushed in the Flanaess.
All clerics, druids, specialty priests, and shamans of Llerg must seek out and fight a bear in solo combat to the death, using a weapon of their choice, once they reach 5th level; the penalty for refusing to do so or fleeing from such a fight is the same as losing the battle - death.
Llerg's temples are simple stone or wooden buildings with large open spaces. They are built in places frequented by wild animals, and prey animals tend to avoid such places due to the predators in the area. The interior of the building is carved and painted with animal motifs, with animal skins, decorating the walls and floor. An open fireplace dominates the center of the temple.
Llerg's clergy are known as "beastwalkers." Each chooses one of the god's three favorite forms as his patron animal; the highest priest of a temple assumes the animal's name as part of his own title, such as "bear-priest" or "snake-shaman."
Some clergy, and even followers of Llerg will try to prove their dedication by contracting lycanthropy, taking on the forms of wolves, bears, and even tigers.
This is not to infer that the clergy and followers of Llerg do not respect the strength of the herd animals. While Llerg teaches that it is better to be the hunter than the hunted, he also teaches that the hunted are not always weak and that some prey may be great challenges to be overcome, and great tests of strength.
Most of Llerg's followers are human (90%), although some humanoid tribes and a few groups of creatures such as yuan-ti and lizardrnen also worship the Fang. 55% of his clergy are clerics, 15% are specialty priests. 25% are shamans, and 5% are druids. He is mostly worshipped by the Tilva peoples, Amedio and Hepmonaland savages, and northern barbarians, so his following is 90% Suel; at least 75% of his clergy are male.

Dogma

Watch and learn from the beasts of the land. Emulate their strength. The predator is your brother; let him teach you and prove your strength to him when he thinks you are weak. Eliminate weakness in yourself and those you battle.

Day-to-Day Activities

Llerg's priests serve as battle advisors to the leaders of their tribes and as trainers for the warriors. They are often called to stop unwanted animal attacks upon farms and villages. Their knowledge of animals gives them an edge in hunting, and they lead such excursions when their people are going hungry — a critical role in the harsh northlands.

Days/Important Ceremonies

The first appearance of large predators after winter is a day for celebration; the priests spend all morning in prayer, then wrestle and dance in the firelight that night. The first snowfall of winter is likewise heralded as a time for prayer and ritual, putting the animal spirits to rest until the world renews itself; in regions that get no snow, the first day of Sunsebb is used instead. This winter ceremony consists of securing food stores, prayers over animal skins and feats of strength such as rock lifting and axe hurling.

Centers of Worship

Hesuel Ilshar, the northern barbarian lands, isolated forests

Affiliated Orders

Other than a few small clans of lycanthropes. there is no known organized groups affiliated with Llerg's following.

Priestly Vestments

Priests of Llerg wear bear skins, alligator hides and skins during worship; these skins are carefully preserved and often decorated with jewels for eyes. Necklaces, armlets and belts of carved animal bones complement their dress, and many tie animal teeth and claws to their faces or hands during such times, or even pierce their bodies with these items.

Adventuring Garb

Adventuring priests favor typical barbarian garb, with thick leather girdles carved with bear images; most also wear either bearskin cloak or a "Llerg-cloak," a tasseled robe woven to represent the pelt of a bear.

Specialty Priests (Feral)

Requirements: Strength 14, Wisdom 9
Prime Requisite: Wisdom, Strength
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Weapons: battle axe, club, dagger, hand axe, short bow, spear
Armor: Any up to scale mail
Major Spheres: All, Animal, Combat, Healing, Protection
Minor Spheres: Creation, Divination, Elemental (all), Necromantic
Magical Items: As clerics
Required Proficiencies: Animal handling
Bonus Proficiencies: Hunting, survival, animal lore (carnivores)

• The Feral, like all clergy of Llerg, will not be attacked by animals unless the animal is attacked first. This protection is personal and does not extend to any companions of the Feral.
• At 1st level, a Feral may increase his Strength once a day by 1d6 points (maximum of 18), lasting 1 round/ level.
• At 3rd level, a Feral's Strength is permanently increased by 1 point (maximum 18).
• A 5th-level Feral must defeat a bear as described earlier. Those who survive gain the ability to track as a ranger of the same level.
• At 7th level, a Feral is able to summon a carnivore once per day; the creature will be a cave bear, alligator (use crocodile statistics) or giant constrictor snake (as appropriate to the terrain), and will arrive in 1d10 rounds. The animal will fight for the summoner, but will remain for no more than one turn/level.
• At 10th level, a Feral is able to enter a berserk state once per day. Their Strength increases to 18, they gain 2 extra hit points per level, they gain an additional +2 to hit in melee and they may punch twice per round for 1d8/1d8 damage. Any damage is taken first from the additional hit points; any of these extra hit points remaining at the end of the berserker rage fade away. The Feral can only engage in melee combat while berserking, whether with fists or with weapons. This state lasts 1 round/level, although the priest may end it early with a saving throw vs. paralyzation.
• A 13th-level Feral gains the ability to shapechange once per day into a cave bear, alligator or giant constrictor snake. The priest retains his mind, hit points and THACO, but is otherwise indistinguishable from a normal creature of that type, even to other animals. This transformation lasts up to one turn per level, and the priest heals 1d12 hit points when he returns to his own form.

[Adapted from The Scarlet Brotherhood by Sean Reynolds]