Messengers of Liberty

THE CLERGY

Clerics of the Guardian value freedom and liberty above all else. They are ever vigilant in seeking out those who enslave or oppress others. It is their duty to promote happiness and defend freedom for all walks of life. The Messengers of Liberty have a strong commitment to charity, and assistance to the less fortunate. This makes them popular with the commoners.

The primary goal of the Face of the Free is to ensure liberty for all through the overthrow of oppressive governments. When the Messengers of Liberty reside in cities, their actions are covert. In these situations, they organize frequent celebrations to promote the Insurgent One as the god of happiness, but ignore the other aspects of freedom and liberty. This facade is only necessary in oppressive areas, such as the Kalamaran Empire. The main religion flourishes in the Young Kingdoms, where the idealistic goals of the Messengers are actually within reach. People there already have a certain degree of freedom, which allows them to ponder the teachings of the church.

The Face of the Free is closely allied with the Brotherhood of the Broken Chain and the Blackfoot Society. Along with these groups, they organize covert networks that lead slaves to freedom and carry out attacks on slavers, local militia and envoys or messengers of certain repressive lords.

In areas where their cause seems hopeless, clerics emphasize the positive by focusing on individual successes in the war against oppression. Church meetings and services often result in celebration as congregants discuss grand plans and reminisce about past successes. Unfortunately, their rosy attitude and celebratory nature sometimes prevent the church from making any real progress in the liberation of bondsmen.

While clerics residing in cities are careful not to openly advocate the overthrow of a government, those who reside in the wilderness are free to promote insurrection among the peasants. The wilderness sects of the Messengers of Liberty are foot soldiers in the battle for autonomy. Those clerics living in the wilderness advocate self-dependence staunchly. They attain information such as slave caravan schedules or government expansion plans from the spy network of city-bound clerics and use it against those who would encroach upon Freedom. These clerics often rob from rich slave merchants to further the cause of emancipation or simply to aid the poor and gain loyalty among the masses.

Adventures: Messengers of Liberty adventure with the purpose of eliminating oppression and slavery. When not actively fighting tyranny, they spread their message and try to stir up others to the same lofty goals.

Characteristics: Messengers of Liberty use their divine spells and a small but useful selection of skills to aid the oppressed. When a fight is necessary, their skill with weapons is usually equal to the task.

Background: Escaped slaves form the most vocal and most active group of Messengers, but malcontents of any background join the faith.

Races: Elves and half-elves are the most prominent nonhuman clerics of the Guardian, but every human and humanoid race (other than hobgoblin) represents her in fairly equal numbers.

Relations With Other Classes: Messengers of Liberty have an odd (among most clerics) rapport with rogues and bards, those classes who are often champions of freedom and personal rights. Sorcerers, too, often share these beliefs. Messengers mistrust and pity “slaves” of order and hierarchy, such as paladins.

Relations With Undead: Clerics must destroy undead, and those that associate with them, at all costs. Animating, creating, or otherwise associating with undead may bring excommunication from the church. The faith allows for little flexibility with this rule.

Role: As clerics, Messengers of Liberty can support the party’s combatants with spells and healing, but they can also double somewhat as rogues. Messengers are probably the best prepared of any character to help take care of freed prisoners, fleeing refugees and the like an adventuring party encounters.