Corruption | Creation | Justice | Knowledge | Murder | Protection | Thievery | Trade
The Hidden Lord, The Lord Who Watches, The Lost Lord of the Pit, The Outcast. The Tenth Lord of Nine
Holy Symbol: Broken animal horn
Life is all about the accumulation of power. Civilization is a thin veneer over the base desires that make up the core of every living being. Those who wish to survive and prosper must recognize this truth and concentrate all their resources on the pursuit of power. To achieve power one should use one’s charms and honeyed words or a barbed and bloody dagger as appropriate for the situation. It is more important to rule than to sit on the throne. Keep to the letter of any agreement and the rules established by those more powerful, but be prepared to twist any contract or stricture so as to maximize the benefit you receive.
(You need to abide by these as clergy, not as a worshiper)
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Cleric, Commoner, Fighter, or Wizard
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Drow, Dwarf, Gnome, Human, Elf, or Half-Elf
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You must obey all laws
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Non-Cleric Initiation: You must use a written law to your advantage in a way the law wasn't intended for
(You need to abide by these as clergy, not as a worshiper)
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Level 0 spell: Guidance
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What pathetic wretch would ask another to decide his own will for him?
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Level 1 spell: Bless
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If you come to blows by way of extended combat, you've no doubt failed in the execution of your plans.
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Level 5 spell: True Seeing
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Reality, as with the interpretation of law, is a matter of perspective. There is no truth.
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(If you wish to become clergy of this god, take three of these as your vows—if you violate them you lose any moves, spells, and any other benefits granted by this god until you atone.)
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Subvert (Forbidden: Passing on an opportunity to "amend" laws for the worse; this is not a passive vow, you must seek to change local laws to benefit you or Gargauth's church and at the expense of others)
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Acquire (Forbidden: Allowing anyone to stand in the way of you getting something material that you want)
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Advance (Forbidden: Allowing anyone to stand in the way of getting a position that you want)
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Ascend (Forbidden: Failing, delaying, or falling behind on the quest to acquire as much power as you can possibly hold)
Gargauth (pronounced GAR-goth), or The Lord Who Watches, is the god of betrayal, cruelty, political corruption and powerbrokers. He embodies the inevitable decay and corruption that accompanies all self-serving, greedy, and power-hungry leaders and groups. Gargauth hold to the letter of any agreement, not the spirit, and relished betraying anyone with whom he forged a pact by twisting the contract to serve his own ends.
Home Plane
Prime Material Plane
Portfolio
Betrayal, cruel laws, political corruption, power brokers
Favored Weapon
Corruptor (dagger)
Myths
Devil-God
Gargauth was once the arch-devil Gargoth whose foul nature was too much even for others of his ilk. Exiled forever from the Nine Hells to the Material Plane under pain of complete destruction, Gargauth took to wandering the planes, returning time and again to the world of Orben. The only complete record of these journeys exist in a journal he wrote during his travels, the original of which is kept in Oghma's library. He had established a cult following on Orben and absorbed the powers and followers of Astaroth, a tanar'ri who had become stranded here, and later, several baatezu as well. Eventually, he grew to godlike power and was ascended by Ao.
History
The activities of Gargauth's church are infrequently recorded and poorly understood, but it is generally accepted that the church began sometime during the rise of Aer Arnad, and experienced a long drought before more recent governments arose with an infrastructure and devotion to law that accorded to Gargauth's church the resources needed to flourish.
Relationship with other gods and churches
Gargauth is opposed to many other "evil" deities, Bane, Bhaal, Cyric, Loviatar, Shar, and Talona all count themselves as Gargauth's foes. He poses a particular threat to Siamorphe, given his interest in corrupting those who she holds up as shining paragons of virtue. Gargauth does not seek allies due to his nature as a loner, preferring to directly control minions instead. However, he can count on the support of the archdevils of baator, including Asmodeus, who was perhaps his closest ally. Gargauth sometimes employed a powerful blue dragon named Rathguul as a steed, whom he had dominion over due to an ancient infernal contract.
Associated Lesser Deities
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Corrupt leaders and politicians, sorcerers, and traitors everywhere worship Gagauth, and petition for his aid before they embark on any twisted ambition.
The church of Gargauth is a secretive faith, although there are some significant exceptions. Clerics work to increase their personal power, the power of the church, and, by extension, the power of Gargauth. Clerics are expected to be Gargauth’s eyes and ears throughout Orben. They are to entice and corrupt powerful individuals and leaders in communities throughout Faerun and bind them into strict contracts favorable to Gargauth’s goals. They seek to seize positions of power whenever possible and integrate their positions into the secretive hierarchy of the faith. Gargauth has directed his followers to undermine other evil faiths and steal their worshipers rather than waste energy in conflicts with good deities. Priests of Gargauth are known as "Gargauth's eyes and ears"
Hierarchy
All clergy are regimented in a strict hierarchy with corresponding titles. In ascending order Gargauth’s clergy are titled: Lord of the First Pit, Lord of the Second Pit etc. Priests of 9th and higher level are known as the Lords of the Ninth Pit. Higher-ranking priests often have individual titles as well. Such titles typically include a variant of the true name of at least one baatezu that Gargauth has destroyed in the past.
Vestments
Priests of the Lord Who Watches usually wear robes of absolute night black, that cover them from throat to foot, perhaps with broken horn hung from their neck or belt. The higher-ranking priests wear visorless helmets with rams' horns attached to the sides.
There is no adventuring garb for priests of the Gargauth—they always travel anonymously.
Rites and Duties
Clerics of Gargauth pray for their spells at dusk, when night first begins to corrupt the day.
The church of Gargauth celebrates two holy days. The Unveiling occurs each Midwinter night. This horrific ceremony, believed to involve many gruesome sacrifices, heralds the imminent time when Gargauth seizes Orben as his unholy kingdom and transports it to Baator to form the Tenth Pit of Hell. The Binding is celebrated on the eve of the Feast of the Moon. It is a personal ritual in which each cleric renews his eternal contract with Gargauth, trading absolute fealty for increased power. This unholy ritual is believed to involve personal sacrifices of money, magic, and hoarded knowledge and the casting of many horrific spells.
Gargauth’s clergy mark all agreements with signed contracts consecrated in the name of the Lord Who Watches.
Temples to Gargauth are usually hidden beneath places of government, or with high value and esteem to their local community. These temples must be fashioned slowly, carefully, and deliberately so as not to arouse suspicion, and once complete form large underground complexes, though they are usually cramped and unfurnished, except with those items needed for ceremonial rites. Only one opening is left, usually high in the ceiling of the lowest chamber. In these larger rooms, priests can watch the light snuffed out by darkness with the progression of dusk as they pray.
For Cleric/Wizards
When you gain a level from 2–5, you may choose a single Domain. A full list of domain spells and moves is under Choosing a God in Advanced Play Guides.
When you gain a level from 6–10, you may choose a second Domain.
If you choose the primary domain for your god, you also get the Primary Domain Move of that domain and take +1 to cast spells from the domain.
Clerics/Wizards
If you are a Cleric or Wizard (and your god permits your class), choose from the following domains. You add all spells of the chosen domain to your spell list, up to level 7 (once you meet the mana requirements) or up to level 9 (if it's the primary domain and once you meet the mana requirements).
Primary Domain
Corruption (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells, this Primary Domain Move, and this level 9 spell)
Primary Domain Move
You Didn't Hear That
Standard
When you have angered someone by something you've said, so long as it was technically lawful, you can attempt to obfuscate your meaning. Make a lengthy "clarification" and roll +INT.
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On a 10+ they are not only sated, but open to you—for now. Take +1 forward to convince or sway them.
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On a 7-9 they are sated but don't necessarily agree with you.
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On a miss they stay angry, and are now annoyed. They take +1 forward against you.
This can only be used once per person.
Level 9 Spell
Dominate Person | Level 9 (Control) (+CHA)
Your touch pushes your mind into someone else’s. You disrupt their thoughts in a short burst. You control the target for one turn and make them execute one of these actions:
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Speak a few words of your choice
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Give you something they hold
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Make a concerted attack on a target of your choice other than themselves.
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Truthfully answer one question
This effect ends immediately if the target takes damage from any source. The target is considered helpless.
Helpless: "The target becomes vulnerable. If broken by damage, the target takes +1d4 damage and its attacker treats any result of 6 or lower as 7-9"
Secondary Domains
Darkness (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
Hate (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
Knowledge (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
Undeath (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
For Non-Cleric/Wizards
When you gain a level from 2–5, you may choose a single Domain. A full list of domain spells and moves is under Choosing a God in Advanced Play Guides.
When you gain a level from 6–10, you may choose a second Domain.
If you choose the primary domain for your god, you also get the Primary Domain Move of that domain and take +1 to cast spells from the domain.
Non-Cleric/Wizards
If you are not a Cleric or Wizard, you gain access to all spells of your chosen domain up to level 3 and can cast them using the Cast a Spell Cleric move (you do not however gain any spells from the Cleric spell list). You can also gain a secondary domain move from that domain, in addition to the domain spells.
Primary Domain
Corruption (Gain this domain's level 1 and 3 spells, this Primary Domain Move, and a Secondary Domain Move)
Primary Domain Move
I Am Above the Law
You Didn't Hear That
Standard
When you have angered someone by something you've said, so long as it was technically lawful, you can attempt to obfuscate your meaning. Make a lengthy "clarification" and roll +INT.
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On a 10+ they are not only sated, but open to you—for now. Take +1 forward to convince or sway them.
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On a 7-9 they are sated but don't necessarily agree with you.
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On a miss they stay angry, and are now annoyed. They take +1 forward against you.
This can only be used once per person.
Secondary Domain Moves (choose 1):
The Face of Evil
Standard
If someone doubts what you say is true (whether it is or not), you can stare into their eyes. When you do, roll +CHA.
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On a 10+ They believe what you said, and are lured into a sense of security until you look away
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On a 7-9 They believe what you said, though they may keep their own opinion about anything else
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On a 6 or lower they don’t believe you, and get a gut feeling of intense suspicion.
(Clergy of Oghma, Tyr, Helm, and Paladins are immune to this move)
I Plead the Fifth
If someone would normally be able to compel you to tell the truth (by a spell or other effect), you can say nothing instead.
Secondary Domains
Darkness (Gain this domain's level 1 and 3 spells and this Secondary Domain Move)
Secondary Domain Move:
I Am the Night
When you use Defy Danger to avoid being seen, take +1.
Hate (Gain this domain's level 1 and 3 spells and this Secondary Domain Move)
Secondary Domain Move:
It is Useless to Resist
When you use Cause Fear, the target of your attempt takes -1 to their Saving Throw.
Knowledge (Gain this domain's level 1 and 3 spells and this Secondary Domain Move)
Secondary Domain Move:
Knowtographic Memory
If you have read or heard something said before in play, you can recall it perfectly. You must have RPed reading or hearing it.
Undeath(Gain this domain's level 1 and 3 spells and this Secondary Domain Move)
Secondary Domain Move:
Happy?!
Your Inflict Wounds spells heal an additional +1 on the undead.