Clerics of the Great Deceiver

Clerics of the Great Deceiver always attempt to pass themselves off as something that they are not. They travel about the land in disguise creating mischief wherever they roam and ultimately seeking to destroy or ruin all that is good and orderly. A favorite strategy is to gain a victim’s trust by befriending and helping him and then bringing about his destruction through lies and deception. If done properly, the prey of an Imposter will never even know they were duped. An Imposter could even be a high-ranking member of another church, striving to sow the seeds of discord and create rebellion and infighting through lies and deception.

Clerics of the Great Deceiver often conduct religious ceremonies and rituals in the temple, or on the sacred site, of another deity. Their favorite target is a temple dedicated to a good or lawful deity, preferably the Courts of Justice. At odd hours, Imposters and followers of the Master of Mischief sneak into these temples to perform their unholy rites and acts of desecration.

Adventures: Imposters pretend to adventure to serve the purpose of whatever faith they supposedly represent. When they can execute it with impunity, they pervert the result so that it does not exactly benefit their assumed faith. In truth, they spread the seeds of discord.

Characteristics: No one can know the actual characteristics of an Imposter, for their many lies and subterfuges cover their true self completely. However, it has been said that some Imposters are so used to lying that they cannot help but do so, even when telling the truth would be more beneficial to themselves in the long run.

Background: Usually, a person appeals to the Imposter after they themselves have been deceived by another. The power of lies and deceit to destroy a person’s life attracts those who would wreak similar ruin on others.

Races: Humans, seemingly common to all faiths, are the most notable identified Imposters. In fact, at least one tale states that only humans become Imposters, and that accusations of humanoid Imposters are falsehoods spread by other faiths.

Relations With Other Classes: Imposters are unconcerned with most other classes, except for other clerics. They do not differentiate by skills or spells; only religious teaching concerns them.

Relations With Undead: The raising or use of undead poses no dogmatic issues for the cleric and risks no sanctions. However, clerics should not recklessly associate with undead, but do so only for purposes of helping the faith or its worshippers.

Role: Imposters do not work well with each other or with open allies. They work thickly surrounded by enemies, since all other faiths are their enemies. Because of their intense secrecy, they sometimes work at odds with each other; two different Imposters working within the same temple and subverting each other’s work is a common enough tale across Tellene.

Within society, Imposters have a different role. Clerics of all faiths maintain their reputation by blaming an Imposter for the actions of any single cleric who disgraces them. “He wasn’t one of our clerics,” they say. “He was an Imposter.”