Devotions
The security of the Ward is maintained by the Pantheon of Divines. Once mortal humans, they were specially selected by the Watcher to be humanity’s keepers. They are independent of one another, united only in the singular goal of ensuring the human race stays put in their prison.
Naturally, religions formed around the Pantheon (and the Watcher itself), and the Divines welcomed their worshippers. Today, individuals can devote themselves in service to a Divine, and receive blessings in return. As a Divine’s worshippers increase, so to does their influence on the Ward.
For the player characters, this means that they can align themselves with a Divine and receive boons in return. This is referred to as Devotion. Through their actions, player characters may curry favor with a chosen Divine (or the Watcher!) and receive bonus abilities! Of course, by straying from the path of their chosen Divine a player diminishes their Devotion, losing progress or even their devotion altogether!
Devotion levels are arbitrarily assigned by the DM, based on how a given character’s actions match their chosen Devotion.
There are seven Devotion options, and of course a player may also choose to eschew Devotion altogether (with the exception of most Paladins and Clerics, and some Warlocks)
Kasimir the Wanderer, Keeper of a Billion BladesKasimics (Followers of Kasimir) may be Good or Neutral, and may run the scale from Lawful to Chaotic. They may also be lawful evil. 1st Level & Devoted: The Wanderer’s Crusade- Gain advantage on a straight STR check once after taking a short rest. 3rd Level & Anointed: Refuse to Die- Once per week (seven days), when rolling a death save you may avoid taking the roll and instead immediately revive at half of your maximum health (rounded down). 6th Level & Favored: Unvault- Once every three days, you may summon one of Kasimir’s divine blades (or any other martial weapon type) and replace the your weapon with it until combat ends, our the weapon's limited number of uses are consumed. The caster’s next three attack rolls are equivalent to the target’s AC, and deal twice as much damage after damage is rolled. After the third attack, or after combat ends, the divine blade returns to the Keeper’s Vault.
Kasimir stands at the head of the Divine Pantheon, being the first selected to safeguard the sanctity of the Ward as humanity’s eternal prison. His relationships with each of his peers among the Pantheon have shaped much of the Ward’s history. It is known that every rare so often, he would pay a visit to his adherents and remind them what it means to carry out his will; for reasons unknown, however, he has not paid them a visit in many years. In this time his Order has splintered, with independent offshoots forming with their own interpretations of what Kasimir calls justice; the main Order remains based in the Keeper’s Valley, far in the Ward’s northeast reaches. There, they train their paladins to aid those in need...and their inquisitors to root out evil and exterminate it.
Ariadne, the Wraith WitchAriad (Followers of Ariadne) may be evil or neutral. They may be true or chaotic, but are rarely lawful. They may be good, but must be chaotic. 1st Level & Devoted: Whisper of the Wraith Witch- Gain advantage on a straight CHA check once after taking a short rest. 3rd Level & Anointed: Lifethief- Once per day, Deal 1d6 damage for every level the caster has (e.g. 5d6 at 5th level), then gain a spell charge for every level the user has. These spell charges manifest as floating orbs of black magic that encircle the caster until converted to spell slots or stored in a conduit. After a minute, any unused orbs will dissipate. 6th Level & Favored: Shadowraith- Once every three days, you may summon one Shadowraith Servitor. The servitor has the same attributes as the wraith from the Monster Manual, and obeys the caster’s commands. The servitor dissipates after one hour. Alternatively, summon multiple servitors that cannot attack or otherwise directly harm enemies, but may perform actions and obey the caster’s commands. These servitors share from the same maximum pool of health, divided among them.
Ariadne has been somewhat reclusive in the centuries since her return to the Pantheon, following a cataclysmic battle with Kasimir that ravaged the entire northern coast of the Ward. Ariadne seldom meddles in the affairs of mortals, but for the beseechings of her devout followers the Ariad. She is most commonly sighted in the forests of the Middenweald policing her cultist adherents and aiding them when she deems necessary in their perpetual war with the night creatures of their own make; that said, there is also a pocket of Ariad loyalists that base themselves in the swamps and marshes between Gelridor, Hannelin, and the Highlands. Ariadne is clever, aloof, and pragmatic, and the open secret of her Divine origin lends a reputation of cruelty to her, particularly among the Neziri people. Despite this reputation, Ariadne makes it her duty to mitigate the suffering of those in need...if, of course, she can be bothered to take notice of them at all.
Nezir, The Gate GuardianNeziri (in this case, followers of Nezir) may be lawful of any alignment, and true good and neutral, but may not be chaotic unless good. 1st Level & Devoted: Eyes of the Emperor- Gain advantage on a straight DEX check once after taking a short rest. 3rd Level & Anointed: Silence- Target within vision must make a WIS save of 12+caster’s Level. If they fail, they cannot use magic or cast spells for one hour. 6th Level & Favored: Sunbeam- Once every three days, blast an area with a 15-foot radius-ray of divine fury which deals 6d6 damage as either holy or fire, whichever the affected target is weakest to. May either originate from the open sky during daytime, or from the user at any time, and must have line of sight to the target point either way. This skill instead fires a 5-foot wide beam when fired from caster. Does double damage during the day.
Nezir is the eternal ruler and fierce guardian of Nezirath, the isolated desert region on the Ward's southwestern Campus Coast. He rules Nezirath with a firm, fair hand, demanding only that his people never abuse the power mankind won by eradicating the dragon race. He is the fiercest guardian of the Ward's security, and dedicates his existence to ensuring no living man ever escapes the Ward. He also ensures his people never abuse the power of magic, as it was originally the power of the dragons. Nezir had once befriended a dragon who took refuge among his people and disguised himself as a man, and seeing his friend’s boon squandered at the hands of mankind sickens Nezir.
Polodlos, the Great HistorianPolod Sages (followers of Polodlos) may be neutral from lawful to chaotic, and may also be lawful to true good and lawful evil. 1st Level & Devoted: In The Words of Polodlos- Gain advantage on a straight INT check once after taking a short rest. 3rd Level & Anointed: Quick Wit- Reroll any single roll, once per long rest. 6th Level & Favored: Rite of Truth- Once per 3 long rests, may force a target to reveal to the caster one absolute truth, with no save. Can also be used to force the target to divulge previously withheld information.
Polodlos is a wise scholar and skilled orator. He was once a mortal man who uncovered the secret behind mankind’s banishment and eternal confinement on the Ward, after winning a game of strategy against Kasimir. The Watcher made Polodlos into a Divine Guardian and tasked him with preserving the accumulated knowledge and wisdom of man, and to the present Polodlos has done that very thing. Unlike his peers within the Pantheon, Polodlos has elected not to embody an avatar of his “prime” state of being, bursting with youth and vigor. Maintaining the image of an old man in scholar’s robes (the irony of which is not lost upon him, as the youngest of the Divines), Polodlos travels the land delivering lectures at the College’s branches across the Ward on history, magic and all manner of academia.
Hadaridae, the Sentinel Queen“Hadari” can refer both to Hadaridae’s people and her devotees; her worshippers may be good or neutral from lawful to chaotic, though chaotic followers must be careful not to let their actions earn her ire. 1st Level & Devoted: On the Wings of the Sentinel Queen- Gain advantage on a straight WIS check once after taking a short rest. 3rd Level & Anointed: Werecat- Transform into a small cat at will, or as a bonus action in combat. Once 6th Level & Favored, transform into a full-sized Sabercat or Werecat (needs stat blocks) 6th Level & Favored: Dragonflame- Bathe the surrounding area within a 40-foot radius (increasing by 5 feet for every level past 6 e.g. 60 feet at 10th level) in divine dragonflame. This flame may be any color and dissipates after 6 seconds Roll a d4 for every level the caster has. Enemies take this much damage as either holy, arcane or fire, whichever does more, and must save against catching fire. Allies are healed for the same amount. May be used once per long rest.
Hadaridae is one of the Ward’s oldest inhabitants, having fled to the land long ago during her brother Harsis’ mortal war against the dragons. The Watcher tasked her with guarding the Ward’s new peoples when they arrived, for it sensed fully well the depth of her heartbreak at her brother’s actions, and the mercy she still carried within her. She has since ruled the people of her titular jungle-covered region with compassion and care, eschewing mercy only when faced with the monsters that wander from the Feywilds—or, occasionally, the horrors conjured by her brother and his devotees. Like most of her peers, Hadaridae has borne mortal children into the world, though almost exclusively female. Many of them took up arms in defense of Hadara; these half-divine warrior women are known as the Sentinels, and they devote themselves in body and spirit to exercising the will of their Mother Queen.
Harsis, the Shackled OneHarsi (followers of Harsis) may be evil from lawful to chaotic, and neutral from true to chaotic. They may not be good, unless lawful. 1st Level & Devoted: Shadow of the Shackled One:- Gain advantage on any straight CON roll, once per short rest. 3rd Level & Anointed: Grave Pact- May select a target within vision at any distance. Target must pass a DC15 CON save. If they fail, they are prevented from healing or reviving for 24 hours. Maybe be used up to two times per day. Undead targets who fail this save lose half of their current health every turn (or six seconds), until reaching 1HP. 6th Level & Favored: Liberate- May only be cast upon a creature whose health is less than double the caster’s own. On undead, this limit is doubled. Instantly kill a valid target within 50 feet that fails to make a CON save vs the caster’s own CON, with disadvantage. If this skill succeeds at killing a creature, it may be used again. Otherwise, it may only be used once every three days.
Long ago, before all mankind was banished to the Ward, there raged a war between men and dragons. Dragons saw mankind as brash and destructive, while humans thought the dragons even more so, and also envied their undefiable command over the magic that governed the world. The last living lord of dragons was slain at the hands of a great warrior named Harsis, who boldly led his allies to hunt the dragons down to the last. The Watcher dismayed at seeing its magnificent creations exterminated, and banished Harsis to a pocket realm of spirit and shadow. Harsis was shackled there and tasked with cultivating the lifeless souls of every human who died in the world, and for ages since he has gathered the souls of humans as they passed on. Harsis shepherds their souls on to the afterlife, where their souls either seek out a new life to live, or merge with the greater force of wild magic. Unbeknownst to the Watcher and his Pantheon, Harsis is slowly gathering power and building his base of influence on the Ward. His end goal is to escape the realm in which he was imprisoned, and bring retribution to the selfish, greedy Watcher and its Divines.
The WatcherAdherents to the Watcher’s church may be any alightment but chaotic evil. 1st Level & Devoted: In The Watcher’s Gaze- Once per day, gain advantage on any straight ability score check. 3rd Level & Anointed: The Listener- Can reveal the current health of a unit that has been damaged in combat. Usable at will, as a free action. 6th Level & Favored: In Unerring Vision- Once per day, gain 1 d6 inspiration die, up to a maximum of 3.
The Watcher is the world’s highest power, and keeps vigil over the world it has made with the assistance of its Divine Pantheon. It is the true source of all magic in the world, and it is said that as the Watcher dreams, wild magic seeps into the waking world. It has no motive but to watch over the firmament, and guard against its destruction.
