Lord of Battle

The Old Man

THE DEITY

Name(s): THE OLD MAN, THE STRATEGIST, MASTER OF TACTICS, KING OF THE BATTLEFIELD, LORD OF BATTLE

Spheres of Influence: The Old Man is the deity of war, tactics and strategy.

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Spells Returned: At Dawn

Favored Weapon: Halberd

Appearance: The Strategist appears as an old soldier. He has white hair and a stern, wrinkled face.

THE CHURCH

Worship: Temples to the Master of Tactics are large garrisons found in most cities. The Temple of Armed Conflict’s regular services feature lessons on tactics, weapons lessons and exercises. Characters unable to meet the physical demands of the exercises devote more time to theory and study without any shame.

Holy Symbol: Crossed polearms.

Holy Days: The fall equinox is an important celebration. The clerics gather groups of worshippers for a mass mock combat; leaders are chosen from the worshippers or the clerics themselves, depending on local custom. This festival, called Time’s End, prepares worshippers for a final climactic battle against the forces of chaos that the faith teaches them ends with their victory.

Locally, the anniversary of any day on which an enemy surrenders is celebrated for several years. The defeat of a minor kobold tribe might be celebrated for five years, while the expulsion of the Kalamaran Empire from the Young Kingdoms is still celebrated.

Holy Colors: Green and white.

Holy Animal: The Order of the Pike honor and respect war dogs, and many members of the clergy are to be found with one as their companion.

Raiment: As the lawful neutral god of war demands strict obedience from his clergy, clerics of the Temple of Armed Conflict wear vestments that resemble military uniforms more than priestly garb. Members of the Order of the Pike wear a white tunic of sturdy linen, with crossed pikes emblazoned on the front, a medium green cloak and a medium green hat. On the hat, and the left breast of the tunic, is emblazoned one or more chevrons to indicate their rank in the church.

For example, a Regular has one chevron inverted (upside down; as ^) and no chevrons upright (open side up; as v), while a Captain has no chevrons inverted and two chevrons upright.

Advancement: Advancement within the Order is by success in the field and the improvement of strategic and tactical abilities.

A Regular must have a base attack bonus of +1 and at least 5 ranks in Knowledge (military tactics).

An Elite gains a warrior follower instead of an adept follower.

A Lieutenant must have led a force of at least 20 men in a battle and have at least 5 ranks in Knowledge (military logistics)

A Captain must have the Leadership feat and at least 5 ranks in Knowledge (military training).

A Major must have led a force of at least 100 men in a battle and won. He must also have at least 5 ranks in Knowledge (art of war).

A Colonel gains a fighter (or marshal) as his second follower.

Sacrifices: As sacrifices to The Old Man, members of the Order burn or otherwise destroy the flag, weapons, standard or symbol of a recently conquered foe.

Friends and Allies:

The Fraternal Order of Aptitude: “Learned men, with an understanding of what it means to plan and see the plans come to fruition…”

The Founder’s Creation: “They see order and rules as a good foundation to creating a society… They understand the need for teamwork, and the power of selflessness.”

The Hall of Oaths: “Honesty is important for teamwork.”

Foes and Enemies:

The House of Shackles: “They destroy not through teamwork, but through overpowering numbers. They force people to work for them, without working with them. That is impossible.”

The Way of the Berserk: “They fight as though only individuals are important. They either do not see the power of togetherness, or do not care to be a part of something that powerful.”

The Church of Chance: “They wrongly see forethought as a weakness… To them, risk is more important than success.”

The Order of the Passionate One: “Their emotions are useless, unless they bind people together as comrades.”

The Church of Everlasting Hope: “Hope is an illusion, unless you have the plans and power to back it up.”

The House of Knives: “Cowards – anyone who kills from the shadows should be ashamed. Killing that way is pointless and weak.”

The House of Solace: “They protect the foolish from their own mistakes. This is not the way to grow."

Major Temples: Important centers of worship for the Temple of Armed Conflict can be found in Premolen, Bet Kalamar, Kabakosikido, and Oloseta.

Temples of Armed Conflict are often, as one would guess, armed camps, with high walls around the complex and a smithy on all temple grounds. The central area of the building serves as a training ground, and the floor is often covered with sand or sawdust to pick up blood and sweat. The clerics tend to it regularly to keep it clean. The temple often serves as the center of a town’s regular military or militia activity.

Cathedrals display the most advanced military technology, with machicolations, layered defenses, and contingencies for underground or airborne attack. Separate buildings house armories, barracks, and sometimes stables. A dry or wet moat surrounds the temple, and siege engines rest upon flat surfaces, prepared to repel invaders.

Capturing the faith’s seat in Korem is a key goal of Norga-Krangrel’s military ambition, and Field Marshal Tagikil knows it. He has concentrated not only on making the keep invincible to battle but in ferreting out spies, either. He has heard stories about impregnable keeps falling to treachery, and he doesn’t wish a role in a story like that.

Field Marshal Tagikil leads the faith, as he has for 10 years. He is an old foot-soldier and has attempted to glorify the infantryman as the purest and most sincere form of worship of the Old Man. He has used a sword and shield as prominent symbolism to represent this belief, a symbolism that disturbs purists within the faith.

Sayings: “An organized assault is a successful assault.” - “Teamwork begets victory.” - “Discipline creates soldiers.” - “Disobedience is death.”