Krussik
Lord of Blood
God of Tyranny, Pride, and Contracts
Alignment: LE
Cleric’s Alignments: LE, NE, N, CN, CE
Domains: Evil, Fire, Law, Magic, Trickery
Symbol:
Favored Weapon: Bastard Sword
Centers of Worship: Oran
Nationality: Oran
Obedience (need the Deific Obedience feat):
Using a hollow bone tooth from a large cat, drain blood from an unwilling sentient being in which you hold control over through a contract or other negotiation. The blood must be drained from the being's wrist. Using the filled tooth, write a contract bearing your name to the Lord of Blood, again reassuring your devotion to him. Gain a +4 profane bonus to Diplomacy checks.
Exalted Boons:
1. Darkfire (Sp): burning hands 3/day, fiery runes 2/day, or bestow curse 1/day
2. Deciphering Thoughts (Su): Your mind constantly reads and deciphers all that it comes across, including people's emotions. You gain a +4 profane bonus on saving throws against mind-affecting (compulsion) spells and effects and against +4 profane bonus vs. Bluff and Intimidate, and a +4 profane bonus on Spellcraft when identifying spells or items.
3. Binding Quest (Sp): Once per day, you can use geas-quest, except the cast time is 1 round instead of 10 minutes. In addition to the other effects of the spell, the subject is in constant pain from not following your demands, and takes 1d6 points of nonlethal damage each round of non-compliance, until it falls unconscious or it begins to actively fulfill your demand. An unconscious creature awakens 8 hours later, or if healed, and then the process will continue until they actively begin to work on the quest.
Introduction:
Krussik is the Lord of Blood - not blood as in bloodletting, but in bonds that are built between himself, his priests, and his followers. Krussik's bonds always empower the powerful over the weak. There is order in all that he exudes and he holds his followers to their oaths. To break an oath of Krussik, is to fall out of his graces. Being an oath follower does not mean that he and his followers do not always try to get the upper hand in their dealings. That is part of their goal. To get the most out of their dealings and ensure they are able to complete their contracts.
Krussik is worshipped by all races, but is heavily worshiped in human and serpentfolk communities where diplomats and merchants are often fighting for position and wealth. His images vary depending on his place of worship. He is often depicted as a human in robes, but with a bastard sword strapped to his back to deal with oath breakers and ruin all an oath breaker has in his life. In any case, his worshippers and priests all are expert diplomats
Krussik empowers his faithful with magic as he knows they spread his faith among other mortals of the realm. He will intervene with only the very powerful of his followers, unless the deal of an extremely powerful mortal in his service is inked. His symbol is an ever-watching serpent's eye to ensure those who sign a contract or oath know they are being watched.
The Church:
Most followers of Krussik are power-hungry either through magic, deeds, or wealth. They do all they can to exploit all around them and bind them in contracts that will give them more. They take pride in all of their accomplishments and when there are gatherings, priests of Krussik list their latest dealings from the greatest to the least.
The church is very organized with a strict hierarchy. Typical priests include clerics, inquisitors, sorcerers (infernal bloodline), conjurors, diabolists, fallen paladins, and cruel merchants and politicians. These followers believe in law, order, and knowing their place in the grand scheme. They study their betters and learn. They watch their equals and work for position. They keep an eye on their inferiors for signs of exploitation. They often will use exposing truths of their opponents than murder, but that is never out of the picture.
Services to Krussik require chanting long phrases without error, tolling bells, participating in or receiving public punishments, and other acts of domination or punishment for oath breakers. Blood sacrifices are not unheard of as well as using blood of their followers to ink contracts.
Temples and Shrines:
Krussik's temples usually operate in the center of civilization. Most of his worshipers have places of worship that are overt in places of evil, and covert in areas that are good-aligned. They are often associated with diplomats and merchants.
A typical shrine to the Lord of Blood features an altar carved with a shallow basin to catch the blood of the followers to gather in ink wells for infernal contracts. It is usually adorned with expensive tapestries and statues depicting the Krussik and the head priest in charge. Items usually nearby include inkpots and quills of extravagant make as well.
A Priest’s Role:
A priest of Krussik is careful in their exercise and pursuit of power, understanding that a foolish overextension might leave them vulnerable to those watching for any weakness. It is their role to force order withing the church and extracting information using torture or any other means. They also are in charge of dealing as diplomats to work with any person or persons that are ruling in a community. They are known to broker mercantile transactions, treaties, bargains between devils and mortals.
His priests will use magic, faith, and flesh to soothe disputes and settle arguments. Marriages or lifetime bonds are frequent and spouses are often enmeshed in much political intrigue as well. Priests of Krussik are often at the side of political leaders to whisper in their ears ideas and ideologies that will further their own desires. They have strong ties to their communities.
Priests are responsible for teaching the young about the Lord of Blood and make sure they understand his importance in their lives. They are quick to punish disobedient children and other followers with pain.
A typical day for a priest of Krussik begins with a prostrate prayer, a meal, and then reporting to a superior for orders or following extant orders if no superior is present. Those with underlings, issue orders after receiving their own. Evening prayers usually include a blood sacrifice, typically an animal or slave's blood. Significant prayer rituals often require greater sacrifice that may include humanoid or other intelligent creature. Most temples use slaves, captured enemies, or traitors for this purpose. Divine spellcasters usually prepare their spells after evening prayer.
Adventurers:
Law-abiding adventurers are drawn to Krussik, especially those who travel the lands and deal with the political machine of other communities. Merchants and profiteers are also drawn by the teachings of Krussik. Many will offer assistance to communities in need and expect return in some way.
Clothing:
Formal raiment for priests is dark red silk robes with a serpent eye on the back, but can wear armor underneath. Krussik's favored weapon is a bastard sword.
Holy Texts:
Krussik has a holy text known as The Hellneic. It is a collection of stories, laws and rules in which the ways of Krussik are described fir his followers. Within are the tales of G'fleri of the Silver Tongue, a dark elf priest, who was able to rise to power through great oration, deliberation, and diplomacy. He eventually rose to power within the H'krexx House of dark elves in the Underdark. Throughout the tales, G'fleri was able to spread the word of Krussik.
Holidays:
Krussik has no official holidays, but from culture to culture, they may have their own in his honor. For example, the ratification of a new treaty that puts Krussik into greater power may be cause for celebration.
Aphorisms:
Krussik followers do tend to speak longer and more convoluted so they can find loopholes in what they say and promise.
Your word is your bond!
When making a deal with a follower of Krussik, others will be held accountable for the contract.
No smiling before the ink is dry.
No one should celebrate a good deal until it is truly solidified.
Krussik will enjoy your company.
After signing a lucrative deal with someone committing their soul to the religion, they use this blessing to commend them for their choice.
Relations with Other Religions:
Krussik is enemy of all those gods that follow the tenets of good. Due to their loop-holed filled contracts and difficult language, any god that also believes and fairness and truth is an enemy.
Krussik often gets along with any lawful god that follows rules and honors obligations, even if they are underhanded and signed under duress.
Realm:
As a god of law and contracts, Krussik dwells in an infernal massive library that houses many tomes and volumes of contracts and other paperwork that can be tracked. It is here he and his followers devise ways to bind underlings into his service.
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Planar Allies:
Krussik's infernal servants are clad in robes with the serpent's eye. They always appear as very well-groomed individuals who take pride in their appearance. In addition to his servitor races and devils, the following are well-known servitors of Krussik, suitable for conjuring with planar ally or similar calling spells.
Nessissah (unique outsider): A crimson serpent-like creature with wings and a fanged may dripping with poison. His eyes are piercing orange orbs that dive into the viewer's soul. He enjoys debating with his prey to see if he can get them to commit to a contract to save their souls from being wrested from their bodies. If no deal can be made, he does not hesitate to slay those who offended him. Those who offer him a good contract that greatly benefits him (i.e. an item, a service, etc), will gain a +2 bonus on Charisma checks with the infernal serpent.
Kaxximar (unique outsider): A large efreeti with a long black beard that wraps around his waist. Upon his back is a fiery bastard sword which he will use if needed. Kaxximar always carries with him volumes of books and papers that will allow him to snare mortals into his deals and machinations with promises that he will keep, but are often at the dire expense of his adversaries.
For Faithful Characters:
Priests of Dragar that follow his tenets and graces often are granted special powers by Dragar.
- For every 10 foes in which a priest of Dragar strikes the killing blow in a single battle, the priest of Dragar earns a hero point if he calls out his Lord's name.
- Sacrificing the arms and armor of a challenging foe in the name of Dragar after battle charges the priest with divine favor giving him an additional +1 to hit and on damage as well as a +1 AC bonus for a certain number of days depending on the difficulty of the foe. Only one such sacrifice may be done after any given battle once per day. Frequent sacrifices of unworthy foes may have the opposite effect.
-Spreading the faith of Dragar is always encouraged. If a priest has taken the Leadership feat, he can attempt to convert a non-believer to join his faith (DC 15 + Will save, level , racial factors, aggression factors and Charisma of target). He may use his Leadership number to attempt this conversion. If the target of conversion has seen the priest perform in battle and is the victor, the priest may add 5 to his roll. If converted, the priest may call upon this follower to fight for him in time of need if he then makes a Charisma check DC 10.