"Many people mistakenly believe that gods are somehow different than mortals. They are not. They are merely older, and possess greater magic. All their age and power confers no special omniscience or wisdom, and the eldest of gods are just as petty as the youngest demigod." --Voria, Lady of Light
Through the course of their adventures your players will encounter a variety of divine beings, and this chapter attempts to make sense of their relative strengths. Not all gods are equal.
Through gameplay characters may also have the chance to take one of the Covenants listed below. These Covenants must be purchased by spending experience, as detailed in the character advancement chapter.
Dedicates begin play with a Covenant, and do not need to spend experience to purchase it. However, additional Covenants must be purchased as normal
Divine Attributes
The first concept worth noting is Divine Attributes. Normal racial maximum for most races is 5. However, by ingesting enough raw magic a character can raise an attribute far higher. There is no real limit to how high an attribute can be if a god is old and powerful enough.
All Catalysts allow a mage to raise an attribute in place of gaining magic, or that Catalyst's special ability. The specific attribute is unique to that Catalyst.
Miracles
All Catalysts possess a Guardian, and this Guardian's position carries many responsibilities. Among them are distributing their deity's power to the faithful in a way that best helps their temple as a whole.
These miracles resemble the powers commanded by the deity, but are much reduced in magnitude. You can find a full list of Miracles below, separated by aspect. A player's aspect does not need to match the aspect of their deity, and in fact many dedicates purposely chose another to diversify their power set.
Life
Rejuvenating Touch
Effect: The Dedicate channels their faith, making a religion + intuition check. Their target is healed for 10 + successes.
Duration: Permanent
Covenant: Voria
Uses: 3 times per day
Holy Radiance
Effect: The Dedicate blazes with inner light, and fills the area around them with a protective barrier extending 10 meters in all directions. Creatures of spirit, void, and dream may not pass through the aura. They can still shoot the dedicate in the head with a sniper rifle from the next ridge though.
Duration: Scene
Covenant: Voria
Uses: Once per day
Air
Wrath of Virkona
Effect: The Dedicate makes a religion + intuition check against the target's skepticism. A lightning bolt explodes down from the sky, worming its way through windows, cracks, and whatever else it needs to all in the blink of an eye. The subject suffers 15 base air damage.
Duration: Instant
Covenant: Echo of Virkona
Uses: Once per day. This miracle can be purchased more than once for additional uses.
Feather Step
Effect: The subject levitates a few millimeters over the ground. If they fall, they drift at 10 kph until they reach a surface. This miracle is often combined with a set of light thrusters to achieve rudimentary flight.
Duration: Scene
Covenant: Any Air
Uses: 3 times per day
Dream
Restful Slumber
Effect: The Dedicate rolls religion + intuition against a target's skepticism. If they succeed, then that subject drops into an instant magical slumber that can only be broken by extreme violence (the GM decides what constitutes said violence).
Duration: Scene
Covenant: Memory of Shi
Uses: Once per day. This miracle can be purchases more than once for additional uses.
Missive
Effect: The subject can cast the missive spell. This allows them to communicate with anyone possessing a scry device.
Duration: Scene
Covenant: Any dream
Uses: 3 times per day.
Fire
Invocation of She Who Must Not Be Named
Effect: The character calls upon She Who Must Not Be Named to request insight. The character makes an intuition + religion check. All successes are subtracted from opposing stealth checks, and the character can see through illusions with no check.
Duration: Scene
Covenant: Will of She Who Must Not Be Named
Uses: Once per day.
Missive
Effect: The subject can cast the missive spell. This allows them to communicate with anyone possessing a scry device.
Duration: Scene
Covenant: Any fire
Uses: 3 times per day.
Flames of Judgement
Effect: The Dedicate causes their target to burst into flame. Make a religion + intuition check against a target's skepticism. If successful, the target suffers 10 base fire damage, plus additional successes. If the subject survives, then they suffer 5 damage each round for a number of rounds equal to the Dedicate's willpower.
Duration: Willpower in rounds
Covenant: Pact with Crewes, or Will of She Who Must Not Be Named
Uses: Once Per day. This miracle may be purchased more than once for additional uses.
Void
Umbral Jaunt
Effect: The Dedicate opens a tiny fissure that lasts a fraction of a second. During this time they slip through the depths, then emerge up to 10 meters away.
Duration: Instant
Covenant: Accord with Xal'Nara, or Xal'Aran
Uses: Once Per day. This miracle may be purchased multiple times to increase uses.
Foster Weakness
Effect: The Dedicate rolls religion + intuition. Each success reduces the target's armor by 1. This spell targets the armor, and not the person wearing it, so unless the armor is sentient it cannot resist.
Duration: Scene
Covenant: Accord with Xal'Aran, or Xal'Nara
Uses: Once Per day. This miracle may be purchased multiple times to increase uses.
Narlifex's Vengeance
Effect: The Dedicate rolls religion + intuition against the target's skepticism. If they succeed a tiny fissure appears next to the target, and a storm of metal shards bursts from it. These shards are void-infused, and rip into the target for 20 void damage, +1 for each additional success.
Duration: Instant
Covenant: Accord with Xal'Aran
Uses: Once per day. This miracle may be purchased multiple times to increase uses.
Earth
Earthmother's Embrace
Effect: The dedicate rolls religion + intuition. Each success grants 1 point of armor, and 1 point of earth resistance.
Duration: Scene
Covenant: Memory of the Earthmother
Uses: Once per day. This miracle may be purchased multiple times to increase uses.
Rock Spike
Effect: Rock spike is a bit of a misnomer in that any mineral will do. The Dedicate rolls religion + intuition against brace. If the attack succeeds a rock or metal spike erupts from the nearest available material and spears the target through something vital. The attack does 10 physical damage, and if successful the target must make an athletics check to escape. Each time they fail they take an additional point of damage. The target can neither move nor attack until they escape. The miracle ignores up to 3 points of armor.
Duration: Instant
Covenant: Memory of the Earthmother
Uses: 3 times per day
Spirit
Puppet Master
Effect: The Dedicate makes a religion + intuition check against the target's skepticism. If successful, they seize control of the target's body, and can force that person to move, attack, or take other actions like opening doors. During this time the Dedicate is unable to feel or use their own body.
Each time the target is asked to take an action they strongly disagree one remaining success is taken from the spell. The spell ends when no successes remain.
Duration: Until cancelled or target saves.
Covenant: Will of Nebiat
Uses: Once per day
Parasite
Effect: The Dedicate makes a religion + intuition check against a target's skepticism. If successful, they attach a parasite to that creature's spirit. This parasite can only be detected with magical means such as divination. As long as the parasite remains attached the caster gains 3 spell pool, and the target loses 3 spell pool.
Duration: Successes in days
Covenant: Will of Nebiat
Uses: Once per day
Water
Cleanse the Body
Effect: The Dedicate makes a religion + intuition check. Each success removes one poison, disease, or sickness from the target.
Duration: Permanent
Covenant: Marid's Remembrance
Uses: 3 times per day.
Cleanse the Spirit
Effect: The Dedicate makes a religion + intuition check. Each success removes one curse, hex, or parasite from the target.
Duration: Permanent
Covenant: Marid's Remembrance
Uses: 3 times per day.
Ice Armor
Effect: The Dedicate makes a religion + intuition check. Each success provides 1 point of water resistance, and one point of armor.
Duration: Scene
Covenant: Marid's Remembrance
Uses: Once per day. This miracle may be purchased multiple times to increase uses.
Covenants
So miracles sound great, right? You get to pick a piece of cosmic power, and roll around the sector hitting people with divine lightning.
There's a catch.
In order to receive a miracle you must first purchase a covenant, which is a magically binding agreement between you and a deity. Paladins and Soulcatchers both receive their first covenant for free. They are never required to purchase another, but can if they wish.
Gods, and even the temples devoted to dead gods, tend to be jealous though. Servants with too many masters can find themselves a liability to all involved, and that tends to end badly.
From a gaming standpoint players may be tempted to scoop up several different covenants. They should be aware that if the covenant is broken, then they lose access to the miracles. Only make deals you want to keep.
Below you find a list of all covenants mentioned above.
Accord with Xal'Aran
Aspect: Void
Xal'Aran carries many fearsome titles. He is the Hound of Xal, the Slayer of Nefarius, and the most feared of the demon princes who dwell upon Xal's titanic body.
Making an accord with Xal'Aran provides great power, but comes at a cost. The Dedicate must accept the touch of the void itself, and the knowledge that the void can see through their eyes. Aran is always watching, aware of all they see and do.
The Dedicate may never take a life Catalyzation. If they do this covenant is permanently broken, and they lose access to all miracles.
Accord with Xal'Nara
Aspect: Void
Xal'Nara is far more mysterious than her male counterpart. She prefers to kill from the shadows, either with her artifact rifle Shakti, or her incredibly powerful spell magic. Nara is intelligent and ruthless, and asks the same from her Dedicates.
Making an accord with Xal'Nara seems to carry no cost...for a very long time. When a character reaches 6 magic they must make pilgrimage to Xal, and seek out Nara. No one knows what Nara asks of those summoned, but they do leave afterwards so whatever it is isn't lethal.
The Dedicate may never willingly allow knowledge to be destroyed, or the covenant is broken. They must make all possible efforts to save it. Note that it isn't necessary that they succeed, only that they try.
Echo of Virkona
Aspect: Air
Many religions worship dead gods. Only a few, however, transcend that to worship a memory. The Outriders of Virkon remember their mother, the mightiest of Wyrms. Their priests will accept the allegiance of any willing warrior, and they make but one request.
Each year they must find and train one warrior for no less than a week. During this time they will teach the new warrior the ways of the Outrider, and how to properly honor Virkona's memory. Her echo is with us still.
If the Dedicate fails to train a student once per year, then the covenant is broken and they just wasted a bunch of XP.
Marid's Remembrance
Aspect: Water
Marid's remembrance is very similar to the religions of Shi, the Earthmother, and even Virkona. In all four cases those religions honor the memory of the fallen gods. What separates this one is solitude.
Those who take up the remembrance do so alone. There is no order, and no religion. Every warrior is a temple.
Dedicates pledge to use their abilities freely, on all who are afflicted. If they refuse service to anyone, then the covenant is broken and they lose their miracles.
Memory of Shi
Aspect: Dream
Shi, the feminine half of the elder god Shivan, knew her final dissolution was coming at the hands of Nefarius. She knew she would never rise, and planned for her fate over the course of countless millennia.
Shi built a temple that would outlast her, that would be dedicated to her memory, and her people, rather than to her. When she passed her faith continued, and those who join the order still receive her blessing even though Shi is gone.
Followers of Shi keep a simple covenant. Hold vigil for their lost mother each night before they slumber. If they fail to perform this ritual for three nights running, then the covenant is broken. Please note that if they are say in a coma during this time, that their sleeping mind can still perform the ritual.
Honor to the Earthmother
Aspect: Earth
The faith honoring the Earthmother is a new thing, one born out of the recent changes on the planet Nebiat, where the Krox dwell. All Krox know that their twin mothers are Nebiat, who initiated the ritual, and the Earthmother, who gave her very body so they might live.
Most hatchlings choose to follow the Earthmother, though a minority definitely prefer taking covenant with the spirit of Nebiat instead. Those who seek the Earthmother value honor, camaraderie, and protecting those of the tribe who cannot protect themselves.
If the Dedicate sees a weaker ally being bullied / attacked they MUST intervene. If they do not the covenant is broken.
Pact with Crewes
Aspect: Fire
Crewes is a simple god with simple needs. He finds baddies that are causing problems, and then he liquifies them with flame. Crewes hates being called a god. Absolutely hates it. In fact, were you to ask Crewes he would maintain that he's not a god, and that he isn't granting anyone anything.
Thankfully Dedicates will find that he does grant power, whether he knows it or not. Crewes is wholly dedicated to getting the job done. He doesn't use the word honor, but that is the concept and ideal he represents.
Dedicates of Crewes must share his ideal. If a Dedicate ever breaks their sworn word, then the covenant is broken, and Crewes will make sure everyone knows they broke their word.
Will of Nebiat
Aspect: Spirit
Nebiat was tragically betrayed by her closes allies, Frit and Voria. She was brutally slain for past grievances, despite having opened herself to aid her new allies in stopping the evil god Krox.
Thankfully Nebiat was cunning, and planned for this betrayal. She prepared a vessel where her spirit could reside, where her very essence would be preserved. Those who accept her covenant agree to right the terrible injustice done to her.
They venture into the sector seeking magic. If they bring back enough, then Nebiat will be reborn and can claim her place among the pantheon once more. Dedicates must make at least one pilgrimage to the Nebiat system every 5 years.
The supplicant kneels at the feet of Nebiat's shrine, and offering a portion of the magic they have gained. If they are a soulcatcher this means turning over all phylacteries. If they are anyone else it means sacrificing between 1-3 spell pool...permanently.
Failure to make this trip breaks the covenant, and brands the heathen a traitor in the eyes of the temple.
Will of She Who Must Not Be Named
Aspect: Fire
She Who Must Not Be Named is ancient, and all-knowing. Whispered rumors suggest she dwells on a world within the Umbral Depths, though such a thing sounds impossible.
If these rumors are correct she lives in a wondrous library where all knowledge is recorded. There she spins her loom of fate, watching and manipulating the lives of her followers across the sector.
Those who follow this deity make a pact to master flame reading. They seek to understand all realities at once, a goal that is impossible for the mortal mind to achieve. Dedicates must meditate before the flame in quiet contemplation either before bed, or upon rising.
If a day passes where the Dedicate was able to conduct the ritual, and did not, then the covenant is broken.
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