Saturday, June 19, 2010

The Gods of Nabu - Part Two

Continuing yesterday's post. The spells detailed below are Open Game Content.

Nefertum
Also called Water-lily of the Sun
Deity of youth, beauty, perfume, luck
Wields a staff
Served by angels
Symbolized by a blue water-lily
Aligned with Law
Clerics learn Charm Person

Nefertum is the god of youth, beauty, perfume and luck. Small statuettes of him are carried by people as a good luck charm. Nefertum is the son of Ptah and Bast. He is usually depicted as a beautiful youth with blue water-lily flowers around his head. As the son of Bast, he sometimes is given the head of a feline. He is associated with the scent of the blue water-lily as well as its narcotic effect.

Neith
Also called Water, Weaver, Nurse of Crocodiles
Deity of hunting
Wields a short bow
Served by the fey
Symbolized by crossed arrows over a shield
Aligned with Neutrality
Clerics are permitted to use bows (but not crossbows) in combat

Neith is a goddess of war and hunting. She is said to make the weapons of warriors and to guard their bodies when they die. Neith is also associated with weaving and water. As a weaver, she is promoter of the domestic arts and guardian of marriage, as well as the weaver of the bandages and shrouds worn by the mummified dead. She is often depicted as a woman with a weaver’s shuttle atop her head and carrying a bow and arrows in her hand. She might also be depicted with the head of a lioness, snake or cow. Sometimes she is depicted nursing a baby crocodile. Neith is the mother of Ra, Apophis and Suchos and the wife of Khnum.

Nephthys
Also called Queen of the Embalmer’s Shop
Deity of the afterlife, mummification
Wields a staff
Served by angels
Symbolized by a phoenix
Aligned with Law
Clerics can detect invisible creatures (as detect evil) 1/day

Nephthys is the twin sister of Isis and brother of Serapis. She is the wife of Seth, and represents the transitional death experience. She is a protector of the dead, and often depicted as a falcon or with the wings of a falcon. Nephthys is a great goddess of the magic needed to proceed through the afterlife. With her sister, she is seen as a primary force keeping chaos at bay. As a patron of embalmers, she is also associated with Anubis, sometimes being named as his mother. Nephthys is depicted as youthful, nubile and exceedingly beautiful. She is regarded as more unpredictable than her sister. Her rites mandate the consumption of considerable amounts of beer. Her primary domain is darkness, especially on the border between civilization and wilderness. She is also a protector of the bennu bird and phoenix.

Nu
Also called Abyss
Deity of the primordial, watery abyss
Wields a staff
Served by ogdoads
Symbolized by a blue frog
Aligned with Chaos
Clerics learn Water Breathing

Nu is the deification of the primordial, watery abyss that preceded creation, and one of the Ogdoad. Nu is andro-gynous, its female form called Naunet. Nu’s male form is depicted as a frog or frog-headed man and his female form as a snake or snake-headed woman. His male form is also depicted as a crouching, bearded man with blue-green skin. In this form, he sometimes holds aloft a sun-barque occupied by eight deities, with Khepri standing in the middle. Nu is worshiped at underground streams.

Nut
Also called Mistress of All, She who holds 1,000 souls
Deity of night and the sky
Wields a staff
Served by fey and air elementals
Symbolized by a ladder
Aligned with Neutrality
Druids can turn monsters (as a cleric turns undead) 1/day
Druid sacred animals are the owl, swine and lioness

Nut is the deification of night, but also the goddess of the sky. Nut is a barrier separating chaos from the ordered cosmos. She is depicted as a cow whose body forms the heavens, a sycamore tree or as a giant sow suckling many piglets (representing the stars). She is the daughter of Tefnut and Shu and the sister-wife of Geb. Nut and Geb are the parents of Isis, Serapis and Nephthys.

Onuris
Also called Slayer of Enemies, Sky Bearer
Deity of war
Wields a spear
Served by angels
Symbolized by four ostrich plumes
Aligned with Law
Clerics are +1 to hit in combat

Onuris was a foreign war god adopted by the Egyptians. He was depicted as a bearded man wearing a robe or kilt and headdress with four ostrich feathers, holding a spear. He was sometimes depicted with the head of a lion. Onuris was a patron of the army and soldiers. Mock battles are staged at festivals honoring him. The Egyptians believed him to be a savior deity, as they believed war was the source of freedom and victory.

Ptah
Also called Opener of the mouth
Deity of creation
Wields a staff
Served by angels
Symbolized by an ankh and djed
Aligned with Law
Clerics learn the druid spell Stone Shape

Ptah called the world into being, having dreamed creation in his heart and speaking it. Atum was created by Ptah to sit on the primordial mound. He is depicted as a mummified man wearing a skull cap, holding in his hands an ankh and djed, the symbols of life, power and stability. He also manifests himself as the Apis bull. Because he called creation into being, Ptah is the patron of craftsmen, particularly masons. He is also associated with both reincarnation and fate.

Ra
Also called His Majesty, Sun, Creation, Father of Kings
Deity of the sun
Wields a sun beam
Served by angels
Symbolized by a sun disc
Celebrated at the Receiving of Ra (May 26)
Aligned with Law
Clerics can cast light at will

Ra (pronounced ‘ray’) is the sun god, specifically identified with the mid-day sun. He is the husband or father of Hathor and king of the gods. Some stories say he fathered Shu and Tefnut as well. Ra is the creator of Sacmis. Ra is usually associated with the falcon, and depicted as a falcon-headed man crowned with a sun disc. Ra is also believed to be embodied in a bull. Ra is believed to sail a sun barque, the barque protecting the sun from the primordial waters of night. He sails with other deities, including Seth, who protect the boat from the monsters of chaos, including Apophis. Worship of Ra included hymns, prayers and spells meant to help Ra overcome Apophis. His most important holiday, the “Receiving of Ra”, was celebrated on May 26.

Sacmis
Also called Mistress of Dread, Lady of Slaughter, Scarlet Lady, Avenger of Wrongs, Lady of Fire
Deity of the fire, war, death
Wields a sickle-sword
Served by angels
Symbolized by a lioness
Aligned with Law
Clerics can go berserk in combat (+2 to hit, -2 to AC)

Sacmis is the warrior goddess of Upper Egypt. She is depicted as a lioness, the fiercest hunter known to the Egyptians. It is said that death and destruction are balm to her warrior heart and that the hot desert wind is her breath. Sacmis is also a goddess of disease and the curing of disease, making her priests practiced physicians. Sacmis is the daughter of Ra. She was unleashed by Ra to destroy her enemies and in her blood-lust nearly destroyed all mankind before being tricked into drinking beer disguised as blood. The intoxication finally pacified her and ended her rampage. Sacmis is believed to protect kings in battle, stalking the land and destroying his enemies with arrows of fire. Her temples contain one statue of her for every day of the year, all coated with poison to protect them from vandals and thieves. To placate Sacmis’ wrath, her priestesses must perform a ritual before a different statue of the goddess each day of the year. At the beginning of each year, a festival of intoxication is held. The participants play music and dance and serve beer to Sacmis’ priestesses to the point of excess.

Selchis
Also called She who tightens the throat
Deity of poison, healing
Wields a dagger
Served by demons
Symbolized by a black scorpion
Aligned with Chaos
Clerics save vs. poison at +2

Selchis is the goddess of healing poisonous stings and bites. She is the deification of the scorpion. She is depicted as a scorpion or a woman with a scorpion on her head. She is worshiped by many priests, but has no temples. Selchis is a protector of kings and the dead and a patron of healers.

Serapis
Also called Lord of Love, Lord of Silence
Deity of fertility, love, rebirth
Wields a flail
Served by demons
Symbolized by a crook and flail
Aligned with Neutrality
Druids can turn undead 1/day
Druid sacred animals include the crocodile, hippopotamus and ram

Serapis is the god of rebirth and vegetation. Stories tell us that he was killed by his brother Seth, cut into fourteen pieces, and scattered over the earth. Serapis’ sisters Isis and Nephthys gathered these pieces, reconstructed him and eventually brought him back to life. His son and avenger is Horus. He is commonly depicted as a man with skin that is green (symbolizing rebirth) or black (symbolizing fertility) wearing a white crown and holding a crook and flail and wrapped like a mummy. His soul, in the form of a ram, is also worshiped as a separate entity. A living, sacred ram is sometimes kept in his temple.

Seshat
Also called She who scrivens, Mistress of the House of Books
Deity of wisdom, knowledge, history and writing
Wields a dagger
Served by angels
Symbolized by a papyrus plant
Aligned with Law
Clerics can legend lore as a bard

Seshat is the goddess of wisdom, knowledge, history and writing. She is the scribe and record keeper of the gods and is credited with inventing writing. Seshat is also associated with architecture, astronomy, astrology, building, mathematics and surveying. She is depicted as a woman with a papyrus plant above her head and holding a palm stem. She is usually dressed in a leopard or cheetah hide, a symbol of funerary priests. Seshat is the wife of Thoth.

Seth
Also called His Majesty, One who dazzles, Pillar of Stability
Deity of wisdom, knowledge, history and writing
Wields a sickle-sword
Served by devils
Symbolized by a Typhonic beast
Aligned with Chaos
Clerics learn the spell Summon Minion (see below)

Seth is the god of the desert, storms, chaos and darkness. He is depicted as an unknown animal called the Typhonic beast with a curved snout, square ears, forked tail and canine body, essentially a composite of three desert animals, the donkey, aardvark and jackal. He is also depicted as a man with the head of a Typhonic beast or a greyhound. The Power Scepter (Was) also depicts elements of the Typhonic beast. These scepters are carried by gods, kings and priests and give them power of chaos.

Seth was the brother of Serapis. Jealous, Seth murdered his brother, who was subsequently resurrected by his twin sisters, Isis and Nephthys. This puts Seth at odds with Horus, the avenging son of Serapis. Seth is also depicted as a voyager on and protector of Ra’s sun barque. Notable wives of Seth are Nephthys, Neith (with whom he fathered Suchos), Amtcheret (with whom he fathered Upuat, the wolf-headed patron of scouts), Thoeris and the foreign goddesses Anat and Astarte. As god of the desert wilderness, Seth’s temples are often placed on the outskirts of town alongside those of Nephthys.

SUMMON MINION (Cleric Level 6)
Range: 10 ft
Duration: 1 hour/cleric level

This spell summons one minion of Seth. A minion of Seth appears as a 6th level fighting-man in black platemail armor wielding a shield and long sword. The minion can assume the shape of a giant cobra or giant scorpion. The minion will serve for 1 hour/cleric level.

Shu
Also called Dryness, He who rises up
Deity of air
Wields a staff
Served by air elementals
Symbolized by an ostrich feather
Aligned with Neutrality
Druids learn the magic-user spell Gaseous Form
Druid sacred animals are the ostrich, eagle and serpent

Shu is the deification of air and one of the primal gods. He was created by Atum from his breath. With his sister, Tefnut, he is the father of Nut and Geb. Shu is believed to be a calming influence. He is depicted as a man wearing 1d4 ostrich feathers and carrying an ankh.

Socharis
Also called Great Lord with two wings spread
Deity of death
Wields a staff
Served by powerful undead, demons
Symbolized by a black falcon
Aligned with Chaos
Clerics are immune to life and level drain at 4th level

Socharis is the deification of the act of separating the soul from the body. He is depicted as a falcon-headed, mummified man with green skin (symbolizing rebirth). He is worshiped as a the patron god of the necropolis and also the patron of jewelers, armorers and other metal workers. His domain is among the shifting sands of the desert and always cloaked in blackness. One can only reach Socharis’ domain in the fourth and fifth hours of night. It is reserved for the wicked dead and populated with terrible serpents and dragons. Socharis himself dwells in hidden chambers beneath his domain, and is rarely seen. He is represented by eight demi-gods charged with the final destruction of the bodies of the damned with liquid fire emitted from their mouths.

Suchos
Also called Repairer of evil already done
Deity of rivers, fertility, crocodiles
Wields a mace
Served by water elementals
Symbolized by a crocodile
Aligned with Neutrality
Druids can increase their strength to 18 1/day for 1 rd/level
Druid sacred animals are the crocodile, snapping turtle and serpent

Suchos is the god of the river, its products and the fertility it brings. He is believed to be the first creature to emerge from the primordial waters of chaos to create the world. As a representation of strength and power, he is also a patron of the army. Suchos is a primal god, calling on other deities rather than interacting with humans directly. In this regard, he is sometimes seen as an avatar of Ammon. Suchos is depicted as a crocodile or crocodile-headed man carrying an uraeus (rod of authority) and ankh. Sailors invoke him as protection from crocodiles. His temples are located near the river and usually keep pampered crocodiles in sacred pools.

Thoeris
Also called Mistress of the horizon, She who is great
Deity of rivers, fertility, crocodiles
Wields a staff
Served by demons and water elementals
Symbolized by a hippopotamus
Aligned with Neutrality
Druids can go berserk in combat (+2 to hit, -2 to armor class)
Druid sacred animals are the hippopotamus, lion and crocodile

Thoeris is the consort of Apophis and a representation of the northern nighttime sky. As a demon queen, she is depicted as a combination of all things the Egyptian’s feared; the major part of her is the hippopotamus with the arms and legs of a lioness and the back of a crocodile. Despite her association with evil, Thoeris is also a protector of childbirth and children. Pregnant women wear amulets with her name and likeness to protect their pregnancies. Her image can also be found on knives made from hippopotamus ivory, which were used in rituals to drive evil spirits away from mothers and children.

Thoth (Trismegistus)
Also called Prometheus, Thrice Great, Lord of divine words
Deity of magic, writing, science and judgment
Wields a staff
Served by the fey
Symbolized by an ibis
Aligned with Neutrality
Druids learn the spell Balance (see below)
Druid sacred animals are the ibis, wild dog and giant baboon

Thoth is the heart and tongue of Ra and the means by which Ra’s will is translated into speech. He is invoked in arbitration, magic, writing, science and the judgment of the dead. Thoth is also a moon god. He is usually depicted as a man with the head of an ibis or as an ibis itself. He is also depicted as a dog- or baboon-faced man when he is the god of equilibrium. Thoth is a mediator between good and evil. He is the master of physical and moral law. He is credited with making the calculations that established the structure of the universe. He is believed to be the author of all knowledge.

BALANCE (Druid Level 6)
Range: 30 ft
Duration: 1 encounter

This spell creates balance between two designated opponents for 10 minutes, giving them the average of their hit dice or levels. For example, a combat between a 4th level fighting-man and a 10th level cleric would result in both combatants fighting as though they were 7th level in their respective classes. The combatants will temporarily gain or lose abilities as their new level dictates, but they will not gain or lose hit points. Spell-casters who are temporarily reduced in level may lose access to their higher level spells, but the preparation will not be negated. Spell-casters who gain access to higher level spells will not suddenly have those spells prepared, and thus will not be able to cast them.

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