Lord of Misfortune

Creator of Strife

THE DEITY

Name(s): CREATOR OF STRIFE, BRINGER OF THE DROUGHT (or FLOOD, RAIN, SNOW, HEAT, COLD, etc., depending on what is considered bad weather regionally or at the time), KING OF DISHARMONY, MAKER OF DISSENSION, HE WHO BRINGS MISFORTUNE, ILL-LUCK, DISCORDANT ONE

Spheres of Influence: The Creator of Strife is the god of discord, foul weather, and misfortune.

Alignment: Chaotic Evil

Spells Returned: At Dusk

Favored Weapon: Flail

Appearance: He Who Brings Misfortune takes many forms, but always appears disheveled, and his clothing is always bright, colorful and clashing.

Worship: Most worship takes place in temples, or outdoors on unholy days.

THE CHURCH

Unholy Symbol: This symbol varies regionally; common examples are: storm clouds, a twister or a tidal wave.

Unholy Days: Day of foul weather at least once per month. These, of course, vary regionally. The lead cleric tasks one of his junior clerics or even one of the worshippers with bringing the sentient being required for the sacrifice. If none is available, the worshippers must draw from a lottery; one of them has the worst luck among the lot that night. During the sacrifice, the victim’s body is covered with salt, a sprinkle at a time from each of the participants. Before each dash, one of the clerics cuts the victim with a ceremonial knife that will be destroyed after the events are over.

Unholy Colors: Clashing, usually red, green and orange.

Unholy Animal: Minions of Misfortune favor both the raven and the black cat.

Raiment: The spiritual leadership of the Temple of Strife has no uniform. They wear robes or tunics of their choosing, but always put together from bright, clashing colors. Interestingly, this fashion statement hinders the religion from gaining significant ground among the aristocracy.

Special Requirements: Minions of Misfortune may not marry. While far from celibate, the priesthood is forbidden from entering into marriage so that there would be no emotional restrictions on spreading misery whenever the opportunity arises. The doctrine does not prohibit pretending to be married, but emotional attachments are discouraged.

Advancement: Advancement within the church is granted to those who show a particularly high aptitude for wreaking havoc on society. (Minions have no rank titles.)

Sacrifices: Minions of Misfortune must sacrifice salt on a daily basis. They also must sacrifice a sentient being once per month – usually one who has been extremely lucky or fortunate.

Friends and Allies:

The Thunderer’s Temple: “Storms cover our best exploits, and make damage all the more merry!”

The Assembly of the Four Corners: “The elements are a great tool in spreading violence… The clash of elements is a sight to be admired.”

The Way of the Berserk: “They understand the joy of pure, unadulterated violence, and its power…”

The Church of Confusion: “Sometimes, illusions cause more chaos than reality.”

Foes and Enemies:

The Church of Chance: “They worship good luck, not knowing the true power behind the chaos of Ill-luck.”

The Founder’s Creation: “They want everything to be calm and stable, forever and ever. It makes me sick!”

The Parish of Love: “Love provides a shield against sorrow and strife, but can also be the cause of greater misfortune…”

The Theater of the Arts: “Beauty calms the mind, lulling the spirit into complacency. They must be taught that chaos can be found everywhere."

The House of Solace: “They seek to repair the damage that we cause, and generally slow the tides of chaos.”

Major Temples: The most important places of worship for the Minions of Misfortune are said to exist in Crandolen, Bet Kalamar, Aroroleta and Oloseta.

Minions travel as part of their doctrine. They have few temples, although the humanoid tribes they visit might have a small cave set aside for worship services. Individual clerics spend much effort building altars and shrines in isolated places (usually caves, mountaintops, or other places where trespassers are unlikely to encounter them).

The Minions do not identify themselves by any other ranks or title, but one of the most senior clerics is the bugbear Minion Hror Karchek. Karcheck took over his small tribe and has lead them to vicious attacks on the isolated settlements of northern Cosdol. The blind, uncoordinated nature of his attacks is the only factor that has allowed any survivors to come out of these villages. With his ability to cast wind walk, he can attack or flee great distances with a small but fanatic band of followers.

Sayings: “It’s a fine, foul day for a battle.” - “Strife and dissension should be shared by all.” - “Sometimes misfortune has nothing to do with chance.” - “Better bad luck than no luck at all.”