Religious Symbols
The standard equipment list found in Volume I: Men & Magic lists both a wooden cross and silver cross, which makes sense given the history of the game as taking place in a pseudo-European medieval setting where Christian-related religious lore and motifs are prevalent. For this campaign, the crosses on the equipment list should broadly and generically be understood as prices for sacred religious symbols whose descriptive details will vary depending on the specific religious group/order/faction/cult/etc.
Clerics in the Bazen Pur Campaign
In the beginning of the campaign, I suggest that players opting to roleplay clerics be acolytes of the relatively new and popular sect that worships The One who is Many. This faction is loosely designed with Christian motifs in mind, and this makes meshing with the existing oD&D cleric spell list straightforward without the need for alterations. As the campaign progresses, and the players explore and learn more about the setting, additional religious affiliation options will be provided.
The One who is Many
- Holy Symbol: Stylized Blazing Sun/Disc encircled with Sunrays/Arrows
- Clerical Demographics: Primarily Marukians, or those of Marukian descent
- Population Demographics: Popular among the destitute, as well as females of all social classes
- Primary Opponents: Devotees of the bull-slaying god, Maruk
Followers of the new god referred to as The One who is Many have attracted many devotees. The primary reason for this seems to be the inclusive theology propounded by their religious leaders that provides an explanation for the numerous gods and goddesses, both old and new, found throughout the land. This theology asserts that the One who is Many manifests in many diverse ways according to the specific needs of various peoples. Just as the sun emits many rays of light that can reflect many colors, there is still only one sun, one source of light. Critics, of course, disagree with such appropriating blasphemy. Devotees of the god Maruk, for example, ridicule this new movement and claim that its members are former malcontent worshippers of Maruk with simpleminded and misguided hopes of serving the needy and unifying people under the so-called “Light.”
The militant order of this religious sect is known as the Order of the Radiant Light, and they are becoming renowned for their tolerance, charity, discipline, and fighting prowess. The brother and sisters of light have foresworn the use of the bladed weaponry (a symbolic critique of traditional Marukian culture with its mysterious sacrificial rites involving the slaughter of a bull). Instead, they have been extensively trained in simple blunt club-like implements like a mace paired with a shield. Some claim that they fight with simple implements because such weaponry is available to even the poorest of the land, but it is not lost on their opponents how effective this style of fighting is against heavily armored Marukian soldiers. Whatever the truth, these brothers and sisters of the Light know how to protect themselves in their travels as they spread word of the One who is Many, establish temples, provide protection, engage in charity, and serve as a light in the darkness.
Created: 9/23/2023; Updated: 6/28/2024