Deities are an important part of the fabric of Realm of Runes. Two classes, Clerics and Paladins, are required to follow a deity in order to function. Monks that choose to awaken their qi through divine power also must follow a deity. Following a deity in this way is more than just reverence. Each one offers immense power to those that serve its agenda faithfully.
Realm of Runes gives you the tools and formatting you need in order to create your own deities from scratch or convert your favorites from another system, but also provides a full pantheon of twenty original options of its own. These deities are always available, and make up the assumed pantheon for first-party adventures in the world of Rimukyr. Check out the Cosmology of Realm of Runes blog entry for an overview of how deities work in the system, and also the Cleric and Paladin entries for more details about how those classes interact with their patrons.
These twenty deities have varying relationships with their mortal followers and with each other, but also fall into five distinct categories. In descending order of age (as supposed by religious scholars) there are the creators and destroyers (see Part 1), the elemental lords (see part 2), the intellectuals, the guardians and conquerors, and finally the anthropomorphics. These next several entries will take a closer look at each of these groups. This week we continue with the intellectuals.
THE ARBITER (Lawful Neutral)
Symbol: a blindfolded figure bearing measuring scales
Allowed Alignments: LG, LN, LE, N
Opposition Alignments: CG, CN, CE
Channel Energy Type: choice between positive or negative
Signature Skills: Knowledge, Society
Favored Weapon: light hammer
Signature Spells: sigil (cantrip), see invisibility (2nd), talking corpse (4th)
Domains Offered: Death, Fate, Knowledge, Perfection, Truth
Anathema: Deliberately spreading falsehoods is anathema to The Arbiter.
From the rulebook: "The Arbiter exists as the highest source of cosmic justice, and most mortal courts are fashioned after inspiration or revelation of that system. Mortal beings rarely receive direct interaction with this deity, but all pass through the divine court after death to receive final judgement before passing on to the afterlife destination determined by their actions and intentions in life. It is believed that The Arbiter oversees the final cases of all souls personally, and that wealthy tyrants and oppressed peasants will ultimately stand for judgement as equals.
"When deities come into conflict, the dispute is frequently brought before The Arbiter for an impartial verdict. When hearing any case, big or small, the essential nature of truth keeps the proceedings impartial, even to the detriment of The Arbiter’s own interests, but woe betide those that perjure themselves in the divine court. The Arbiter is believed to be slow to anger, but attempting to circumvent truth and justice will inevitably draw the wrath of this deity. Of all major deities, only The Spy dares to openly stand in opposition against The Arbiter and even the most totalitarian states with The Emperor as state religion tolerate this faith's presence so long as it remains impartial.
"Aloof and impartial, no two cultures have the same impressions of what this deity actually looks like, and those mortals that have passed through the divine court to receive judgement do not, or cannot, answer such questions from beyond the grave. Instead, depictions of The Arbiter typically show the deity’s symbol in place of other illustrations."
Those that follow The Arbiter are well suited to determine the truth of events that transpire around them. While the majority of the faithful maintain systems of justice in settlements large and small, adventurers seeking justice will often seek its patronage to empower that goal. Some Paladins of The Arbiter take it upon themselves to act as a solitary circuit court, traveling far and wide to provide fair rulings to tiny and remote settlements that otherwise could not sustain a more permanent justice system.
THE DIPLOMAT (Neutral)
Symbol: a white banner with an unfurled scroll
Allowed Alignments: True Neutral only
Opposition Alignments: CG, CE, LG, LE
Channel Energy Type: choice between positive or negative
Signature Skills: Knowledge, Society
Favored Weapon: lance
Signature Spells: message (cantrip), animal messenger (2nd), dream council (8th)
Domains Offered: Freedom, Knowledge, Secrets, Travel, Truth
Anathema: Attacking without being attacked first, or without offering a chance to negotiate, is anathema to The Diplomat.
From the rulebook: "Like their deity, followers of The Diplomat are known for neutrality and skill at mediation. Often used to pass messages between even the most bitter of enemies, agents of The Diplomat are frequently granted special travel dispensation when they bear divinely blessed correspondence. This trust is seldom breached, even by the most desperate of enemies, lest one be cut off from future dealings with the order in an hour of need.
"The Diplomat maintains good, if not friendly, relations with all other deities. When a divine dispute is brought before the Arbiter, it is usually as a result of The Diplomat serving as ambassador, and it is often engaged in the resulting proceedings as an advocate for one or both sides. The Diplomat’s mortal followers seek to emulate their patron’s trust, and the faithful believe that when their final judgement comes, The Diplomat will personally present their most important case.
"The Diplomat is typically depicted as a tall, androgynous form in winged armor. The physical features usually match those most common in a culture, or are vaguely elven in very diverse societies. Whatever the details, The Diplomat is never depicted without a lance flying the white banner of parley."
While Paladins must always exactly match their patron's alignment, The Diplomat is so dedicated to its impartial neutrality that clerics and monks must also match their patron's neutrality in order to receive power. This pickiness towards followers ensures that only the most dedicated receive The Diplomat's blessing. Adventurers that follow this deity are even less common, since restrictions against personally opening hostilities can make such a career difficult to maintain. Those adventurers that nevertheless seek out The Diplomat's patronage are often allowed uncommon allowance of access to societies that might otherwise be hostile, though are more often than not held personally responsible for the conduct of their traveling companions.
THE SCRIBE (Neutral)
Symbol: a quill dipped in ink
Allowed Alignments: any
Opposition Alignments: CG, CE, LG, LE
Channel Energy Type: choice between positive or negative
Signature Skills: Crafting, Knowledge
Favored Weapon: staff
Signature Spells: hypercognition (3rd), tongues (5th), retrocognition (7th)
Domains Offered: Creation, Knowledge, Magic, Travel, Truth
Anathema: Deliberately failing to learn and record information is anathema to The Scribe.
From the rulebook: "It is said that all information that ever was, or will be, is recorded in The Scribe’s infinite ledgers. What The Scribe does with this information is the subject of many philosophical discussions, though the prevailing theory is that The Arbiter consults with The Scribe during the divine judicial process. The similarities between the divine portfolios of The Scribe and The Arbiter make such an arrangement quite likely.
"The Scribe maintains an agreeable distance from most other deities, though is frequently at odds with The Gambler and The Spy. The former confounds The Scribe with seemingly random choices, and the other covets The Scribe’s ledgers in order to hoard them in secret. Followers of The Scribe believe that information they learn and record in their patron’s name is annotated as a source in the infinite ledgers, and as such learning anything, no matter how banal it might seem, is of supreme existential importance. Followers of The Scribe therefore risk life and limb adventuring in the hopes of learning something that nobody has learned before, or rediscovering something lost to time.
"The Scribe is frequently depicted as a studious figure filling out an enormous tome. Most cultures present The Scribe in close proximity to The Arbiter, and the two are frequently venerated as a pair. Followers of The Scribe tend to have an unusually high rate of violent death as a result of their quest for knowledge, and unsolved disappearances are typically assumed to be adventuring mishaps or the work of the cult of The Spy."
While many followers of The Scribe organize themselves into colleges and universities, this faith is an exceptionally common choice for adventurers of all stripes, but especially for those that actively seek out work of a more archaeological bent. Companions of adventuring acolytes require patience for their comrades' inquisitiveness, and be prepared for long note-taking sessions without warning. Even so, those that would explore lost ruins or ancient tombs will usually find the trade worthwhile, as those that follow The Scribe tend to be exceptionally good at the skill required to do so without activating ancient defenses or drawing the ire of restless and easily offended guardian spirits.
THE SPY (Chaotic Evil)
Symbol: a pair of lips sewn shut
Allowed Alignments: CE, CN, NE
Opposition Alignments: CG, NG, LG, LN, LE
Channel Energy Type: negative
Signature Skills: Deception, Stealth
Favored Weapon: dagger
Signature Spells: illusory disguise (1st), invisibility (2nd), scrying (6th)
Domains Offered: Cities, Darkness, Knowledge, Secrets, Trickery
Anathema: Deliberately revealing a secret for no gain, and lacking curiosity, are anathema to The Spy.
From the rulebook: "No major deity is the cause of more paranoia than The Spy, whose cabal insinuate themselves any place there is information to be learned. But, while other deities may foster the learning of information for the betterment of others, followers of The Spy tend to hoard information to use against enemies. Public worship of The Spy is illegal in most cultures, but corrupt rulers, or those with scandals they wish to remain hidden, will nevertheless keep one or more cultists as close advisors, or are entirely a puppet of a shadow government against which they cannot hope to act.
"The Spy generally maintains close, if secret, relations with other deities, though has never managed to get on good terms with The Arbiter and Scribe, whose faiths have feuded for millennia. Secrets are held in high esteem by the faithful, and sects are usually led by the cultist with the most incriminating information on the others. Those who follow The Spy believe that their patron will keep their secrets after death, and that to die with enough secrets will move their deity to prevent The Arbiter from summoning their souls to their final judgement.
"No actual follower of The Spy would ever dare to risk the wrath of their patron to create a depiction. It is also generally considered bad luck to mention The Spy, let alone create an illustration, lest the artist draw attention from the cult. Unsurprisingly, then, few have any idea what The Spy might actually look like, and those that have learned take that secret to the grave."
To be a follower of The Spy is usually to lead a double life, and most adventurers that follow this deity either outwardly pretend to follow another patron or disguise their divine casting entirely. Despite the hostility with which most observers have for The Spy and its followers, those that choose this path are exceptionally well prepared for investigation of plots and games of political intrigue. The Domains and tools offered to followers by The Spy are well suited to masquerading as other more accepted deities, and since this deity typically asks little of its followers, it can be a shockingly versatile choice for less scrupulous characters.
A setting's deities have a great deal of influence over how a setting feels, and exert an even greater impact on those characters that choose to follow them, whether for power or otherwise. The primary pantheon of Rimukyr likewise provides a cast of diverse and interesting options to make different divinely empowered characters feel very different in play. Next week we'll continue our exploration of deities with part 4: guardians & conquerors.
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