The Noble, the Divine Right, La Noblesse Oblige
Holy Symbol: Silver chalice with a golden sun on the side
Nobles are the rightful rulers of the bulk of humankind provided that they keep fit for the task and responsibilities of rule. Nobles have the moral obligation to rule in the best manner possible for the people who serve under them even if their obligations conflict with their personal desires.
The descendants of noble bloodlines inherit their charisma and potential for wisdom from their noble ancestors. Their family fortunes provide them enough leisure time to be properly educated as rulers. The regular inheritance of noble titles by strict inheritance rules reduces the potential for power struggles between rival claimants to leadership. A strong noble class that cares for the commoners of Orben and looks out for their best interest is the most stable, fair form of government.
(You need to abide by these as clergy, not as a worshiper)
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Cleric, Fighter, or Paladin
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Human (preferably of a noble line, even if defunct) or Tiefling/Aasimar/Half-Human (these must be of of noble birth, even if from a defunct line)
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You must obey all laws
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You must not harm the innocent
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You must follow any command of a local lord or Human king
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Non-Cleric/Paladin Initiation: You must assist the local ruler with an important task or quest.
(You need to abide by these as clergy, not as a worshiper)
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Level 3 spell: Darkness
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In darkness do subterfuge and hidden passions reign. Siamorphe does not abide it.
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Level 5 spell: Animate dead
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Undead are the unseemly domain of boorish necromancers
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Level 7 spell: Plague
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A plague shall hardly do the poor commoners any good, shall it?
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(If you wish to become clergy of this god, these become your paladin vows, and if you violate them you are penalized as a paladin, in addition to losing any moves granted by Siamorphe, and spells granted by Divine Favor. If you are a cleric, take two of these as vows. If you violate them you cannot cast spells or use any moves granted by Siamorphe until you atone.)
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Wealth (You shall donate half or more of all payments and earnings received to the church of Siamorphe or to the crown)
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Honor (You shall impugn no Lord in public, and if you must undermine them in private, do so as gently as possible; causing strife is forbidden)
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Power (You shall curtail and terminate all uprisings, now matter how insignificant; discover, root out, and capture or, if necessary, kill the instigators and willing participants of any rebellious activity)
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Prestige (You shall condescend to the lower classes, permitting them generous use of your time and talents, where the priorities of the nobility and crown do not intervene to take priority. Present to the commoners always a graceful disposition, earn their trust and admiration, and encourage them to direct that good will toward lawful rulers)
Siamorphe (sigh-a-morf) is kind and quiet with individuals, but firm and charismatic when dealing with large groups. Her soft voice is tinged with great wisdom, but she brooks no argument when she gives an order. She likes to think of her duty as one of building a sturdy skeleton of continuity in government through a noble infrastructure so that the body politic can grow and develop properly under the leadership of a royal ruler.
Home Plane
House of the Triad
Portfolio
Human royalty, nobles, and rightful rule of nobility
Favored Weapon
Scepter of Noble Might (light mace)
Myths
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The Passing of the Chalice
The present Siamorphe is the successor of a long list of deities who have displayed their position and their power with the passage of time. The former incarnation was a male noble known as Siamorphe whose faith was centered in Loamport. His worship declined for several centuries in a decadent cult, for the nobles began to set aside their duty as leaders of the masses. Therefore, their worship began to decline gradually for lack of worshipers. Acknowledging his failure, this Siamorph abdicated his godhood, passing it to the next. Each incarnation of Siamorphe chooses a mortal as successor when he or she must leave his post within the divine. Ideally, it is a direct descendant of the deity.
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Gwathia Theory
Siamorphe is responsible for leading the first Humans away from ruin at the hands of Elves and dragons, leading them into Gwathia where emperors pass down their rule in a similar manner to Siamorphe herself. (See "On the Origins of the Empires Elieú and Tàán, They Being Entwined With Those of Man," in the Gwathia Entry under World Lore)
History
Siamorphe's emergence was first recorded during the Kingdom of Merwigan around Year 450 ERM, in the region now known as Loamport, where a noble house began offering wisdom to other local nobles in the maintenance of order and power. Soon the kings and queens of Merwigan began seeking out this house and appealing to it for wisdom. It's believed that this influence was most instrumental in "civilizing" the former barbarian tribes which composed the Merwigan empire, and advancing its sophistication as a state.
It is also believed that an incarnation of Siamorphe, at the time female, opposed the marriage of King Cenwall to the Elf maiden Salburh, but that he ignored her in his passion. This marriage ultimately resulted in the collapse of the Kingdom of Merwigan. In the ensuing chaos and strife Siamorphe's influence waned until she was worshiped only by a few nobles in Loamport, and much of her artifacts and records were lost. When Precter conquered Nuumalon he did not pledge to Siamorphe, but her church has flourished greatly his wake, and the church is courting Precter's kingdom to achieve a greater degree of influence.
Relationship with other gods and churches
Siamorphe has no allies among the gods, but opposes the tyranny and corruption of gods such as Bane, Cyric, and Gargauth. This leaves her in a vulnerable position and she must be careful about openly supporting any act against them.
Associated lesser deities
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Siamorphe the Noble is worshipped primarily among the noble class of Loamport, and was unheard of outside that area until recently. Priests of Siamorphe have spread her message to the rest of Nuumalon, as well as Aer Arnad, Beleri, and Sulgate. Only Ferulo and Aditum in Beleri, and Bethar Garmak in Sulgate, have been receptive to her teachings, and her following has been growing strong within the noble classes of these countries.
The church of Siamorphe is strictly ordered but small, confined primarily to the nobility of Loamport and Bethar Garmak. Siamorphe’s clerics are expected to serve as advisers and councilors to noble rulers if not of noble birth and as rulers if of noble birth. When confronted with a ruler of noble birth who does not keep himself or herself fit for the task and responsibilities of rule, a cleric of Siamorphe must either seek to rectify that ruler’s shortcomings through counseling and education or engineer the ruler’s peaceful succession by a more fit ruler of noble lineage.
The clerics of Siamorphe serve as counselors of nobles if they are not of noble lineage or as rulers of being it. If a cleric meets a ruler who does not follow the form of conduct that Siamorphe preaches, it is his duty to make the nobleman rectify or to be replaced by a more fit member of the lineage.
The members of the Siamorfhe faith are collectively known as the Heirs of Siamorfhe. This practice has its origin in the fact that many of its clergymen are descendants of the mortal form of the goddess, or of some of its predecessors, and that technically they could inherit the mantle of the divinity by themselves.
Hierarchy
Within the faith there is a strict hierarchy of titles and ranks, but in practice this hierarchy is less important than the rank within the nobility of the cleric. The titles are: Lord/Lady Heir, Baron/Baroness Heir, Viscount/Viscountess Heir, Count / Countess Heir, Marquess / Marquesa Heir, Duke / Duchess Heir, and High Lord / High Lady Heir.
Vestments
Siamorphe's priests in religious ceremonies tend to dress according to the fashions of their social class, with enough quality to secure admiration, but not so much as to appear superfluous. Many in the conduct of their duties wear a circlet with a golden sun on the brow.
Combat is exclusive to the Knights of the Silver Chalice, who are a mixed company of noble and aspiring-noble (usually merchant) birth. The knights wear the finest armor, or whichever looks most impressive: whatever they can best afford, so long as it shines like silver when polished. The golden sun of Siamorphe's holy symbol is usually incorporated into their shield or onto the side of their helm.
Rites and Duties
Clerics of Siamorphe pray for their spells at noon, when the Chalice of Siamorphe (i.e. the sun) is directly overhead. The church of Siamorphe has lost many of its ancient ceremonies and traditions in the collapse of the Merwigan kingdom, and clerics of the faith are only slowly rediscovering them, often by exploring ancient castles in the Nuumlands, in which mortal descendants or ancient clergy of Siamorphe or her predecessors served various forgotten rulers. Religious services tend to be simple convocations of nobles discussing the social order and current difficulties in governing the masses. Siamorphe’s name is invoked at the beginning and end of such services with a short prayer.
Siamorphe’s clergy have crafted many unique ceremonies for the various noble families of Loamport. All the rage among the nobility, the ceremonial baptism of a newborn heir presided over by a Scion of Siamorphe can cost as much as 10,000gp. In Loamport, Siamorphe has a holy day in Sea Ward and North Ward where the nobles take over Heroes’ Walk and Heroes’ Garden and the road from skulls Street and all along the Street of Glances to the Street of the Singing Dolphin and hold a huge festival. Known as the Divine Pageantry, this fashionable revel is always held during the summer, but the date varies according to the will of Siamorphe (and, some critics claim, the year’s current social calendar). Loamport's nobility dress in archaic costumes of the Merwigan era and wander the area throwing coins (usually copper or silver) to commoners, addressing each other with their full titles and speaking in a highly stylized, stilted speech that has been abandoned for several centuries.
In practice, many Scions of Siamorphe spend their days presiding over various advisory councils, researching genealogies and histories of noble families, coordinating ceremonies of investiture, and determining who is next in line for various titles. Those Scions of Siamorphe who have truly taken Siamorphe’s message of responsibility to the common folk to hear spend their days serving the people, providing advice, arbitrating disputes, giving leaderless folk direction, and preaching the rights and responsibilities of the nobility and the duties and rights of commoners.
Affiliated Orders
The Order of the Silver Chalice is a knightly order dedicated to Siamorphe the Noble. This group is primarily made up of nobles or members of noble lines (or commoner and merchant class squires hoping to become noble) from Nuumalon. The Knights of the Silver Chalice are dedicated to locating lost members of noble families and restoring to power those who would govern with the interests of the common people at heart. After several years of debate, they decided to support Precter, and the crown has recognized them as a knightly order, though it has not yet granted its members any official lordships.
Siamorphe's church is one of the few in Orben which prefers not to have its own temples, as it considers its influence to be at its height when the local lord converts their own abode into a temple to Siamorphe with shrines, statues, monuments, and paintings, and allows Siamorphe's priests to use it as their own. Barring that, priests of Siamorphe will find any excuse to hold ceremonies and meetings in the most opulent of manses among its members, or take to the streets to make shows of wealth and nobility to commoners under the guise of generosity.
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
Halflings (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells, this Primary Domain Move, and this level 9 spell)
Primary Domain Move
I Am Your Lord
You are an authority figure as far as the Commoner move "Yes M'Lord" is concerned.
Level 9 Spell
Great Command | Level 9 (Control)
Channeled (+CHA)
You can give a single order to up to 3 people who can see and hear you simultaneously. Each of them must follow that command. Each of them take +1 ongoing to fulfill that command until they complete it or fail; if they fail they take 2d6 damage. This spell ends when the command is completed or failed by all affected, or you dismiss the spell.
Secondary Domains
Agriculture (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
Justice (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
Protection (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
Sun (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
Trade (Gain this domain's level 1-7 spells)
War (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
Humans (Gain this domain's level 1 and 3 spells, this Primary Domain Move, and a Secondary Domain Move)
Primary Domain Move:
I Am Your Lord
You are an authority figure as far as the Commoner move "Yes M'Lord" is concerned.
Secondary Domain Moves (choose 1):
Old Habits Die Hard
When you attack an Elf (or a group that includes an Elf) in town or on a farm, take +1 forward. Take -1 on all rolls against Gnomes and Halflings.
Human Nature
When you suffer the consequences of doing something foolish, take +1 forward.
Secondary Domains
Agriculture (Gain this domain's level 1 and 3 spells and this Secondary Domain Move)
Green Thumb
So long as you tend to them daily (with RP!), plants under your care cannot be killed except by being burned or uprooted, even if they are trampled, frozen, eaten from, infested, or become riddled with parasites; they can recover within a day.
Justice (Gain this domain's level 1 and 3 spells and this Secondary Domain Move)
It’s All a Deep End
When you're outnumbered 2 to 1 or more in a fight against criminals, do +2 damage.
Protection (Gain this domain's level 1 and 3 spells and this Secondary Domain Move)
Man the Boundaries!
You can deputize someone to protect something or someone else in your place. Designate someone you trust; they cannot fail a roll to Defend—a 6 or lower counts as 7-9 for them. You can only deputize one person at a time; you can't deputize another Paladin or Commoner who already serves in your clergy. If the person you chose diverts from or is distracted from their duty until it is completed (or failed), they lose this bonus, and you take -1 ongoing until the duty is completed (or failed).
Sun (Gain this domain's level 1 and 3 spells and this Secondary Domain Move)
It’s All Right
When you assist lawfully appointed officers of the law, they take +1 forward. You can’t use this to benefit yourself.
Trade (Gain this domain's level 1 and 3 spells and this Secondary Domain Move)
Gold to Lead
If you spend several minutes studying an item of great alleged value, you will get a gut feeling if it's a fake. Ask a storyteller to confirm the validity of an item; you will know immediately if it’s counterfeit, though you may not be able to prove it.
War (Gain this domain's level 1 and 3 spells and this Secondary Domain Move)
Chigorin Counterattack
You gain a cunning animal as your mount. While mounted on this animal and in combat, as a Standard Move you can communicate your thoughts to one other ally within sight of you, using a number of words equal to your level. An ally who acts upon your order or suggestion takes +1 forward; they can only gain this bonus once per encounter.