Alakezan's Beacon

The story of Alakezan the hero goes something like this: When he and his colleague received their codes from their crystal ball, and were told to initiate doomsday from their isolated wizard's tower, Alakezan refused to partake in his part of the ritual. Alakezan was a pious man, especially for a wizard, and he told his colleague that their greatest calling in this life was not to cast this particular spell. Alakezan and his colleague dueled there in the tower, and legend holds that Alakezan smote the other wizard with a ray of divine light.
After the spells fell, divine magic ceased to function. It was as if the gods had ceased to exist. Warlocks lost their power as well, having no contact with their benefactors. Some theorized that the abundance of wild magic on the Surface had sealed away Rockfall from the rest of the multiverse; others suggested that the gods had simply abandoned them for the horrors they inflicted on themselves. Years after the cataclysm, word began to spread that a man named Alakezan had found a way to contact the gods, and was looking for supporters. People of all kinds and all beliefs sent representatives to Alakezan, to verify his claims, and then they came in droves.
Alakezan had spent all this time modifying his wizard tower to penetrate the magical interference, and serve as a conduit between this world and the multiverse. The only problem was he could only perform his ritual from the surface, and his tower was still hidden below the earth in its protective silo. He needed protectors for when he raised the tower to the surface. And so, paladins, cultists, clerics, and warlocks alike, put aside their differences and readied themselves for the ascent of the tower. When the vault opened, a death storm immediately descended into the silo, forming a legion of crazed undead, and a great battle was fought as the tower rose into its armed position. Then a light fired into the sky, with Alakezan at its center.
Now Alakezan's old tower has grown to become Alakezan's Beacon, one of the last true cities on the Surface. Alakezan's Beacon allows the people of Rockfall to communicate with the gods, cast divine magic or perform other extraplanar arts, as long as they possess an icon of Alakezan. (Which looks like small model of his tower, or a rook piece from Chess.) Alakezan continues to channel his spell to this day, and in turn the people of Alakezan's Beacon beseech their gods and benefactors to empower his body so he may continue to channel his spell ad infinitum. In order to keep the city safe, even on the surface, it is protected by every kind of magic and ward known to the denizens of the city—which is most of them—as every major belief system, and most of the minor ones (not to mention other extraplanar groups like Warlocks) have an enclave here to ensure they remain empowered. Though you can find all kinds here, the majority of the people are dwarves that refused to follow the call of The Inventor, and representatives from every major drow city who are keen on keeping favor with their spider goddess. There is a strained peace in the city even between sworn enemies, as it's in nobody's best interest to interrupt Alakezan's spell, and he needs all the help he can get.
Alakezan's Beacon is sort of a Mecca for many in the Deep Lines, and the Conductors reluctantly ferry pilgrims to the city daily. Followers of The Inventor find Alakezan and his icons to be obscene, not only for bringing even more unwanted magic into the world, but doing it through the very towers that destroyed it. Some are even beginning to treat Alakezan himself as a god, and not without reason. With the shear amount of magic flowing through him on a daily basis, and the number of people praying through his icons, Alakezan is beginning to take on some aspects of a god. He is able to manifest his image through any of his icons and grant magic to warlocks and clerics who take him as their patron. Alakezan is treated as a true neutral deity for these purposes.
The Pilgrims of Alakezan frequently perform burial rituals on the deceased using their icons of Alakezan to free their souls from Rockfall’s magiological winter and escape from the world and through the Astral Plane to their eventual destination. Souls not freed in this manner are trapped within Rockfall’s Magiosphere, and frequently end up in the grasp of The Nameless God. Pilgrims often come into conflict with other groups who refuse their burial rites on the grounds that they employ obscene iconography of the weapons of mass destruction that destroyed Rockfall, or simply because the ritual is magical in nature. Pilgrims are usually willing to employ force to free a trapped soul, so long as they think they can overcome their opposition.
Infrequently, drow rebels (usually male wizards) have attempted to destroy Alakezan’s Beacon, usually with suicidal magic spells, and an elvish phrase that roughly translates to “I die free.” These drow are motivated to keep Lolth’s influence off of Rockfall, as, in the absence of Alakezan’s Beacon, eventually the Spider Queen would lose all control over the drow of this world. Needless to say, drow revolutionaries do not get along with the pious among the survivors or Rockfall. Drow males traveling alone are often suspected of being terrorists by pilgrims in the Deep Lines or at Alakezan’s Beacon, an attitude encouraged by the drow nobility.

Structure

Highly strained competition between the surviving members of the rivaling religions of the distant multiverse. Each church, coven and cult has it's own organizational hiarchy, and a hastily crafted beuracracy barely manages to juggle all of them. Alakezan does nothing to assist.

Public Agenda

Keep the Beacon lit.

Founding Date

27. Ascension day.

Type

Religious, Organised Religion

Alternative Names

The Beacon

Demonym

Pilgrim

Leader

Alakezan the hero

Head of State

Alakezan the hero

Government System

Tribalism

Official State Religion

Alakezan's Beacon

Permeated Organizations

• Alakezan's Beacon

Deities

• Alakezan the hero

Location

The Surface