What is known of Stasis is
more fact than legend. The once mortal deity guides the heroes, upholds
nobility, and is a constant thorn in the side of evil. His presence can
be felt in those things he did and created as a mortal, and in the yearly
visits he makes to the nation he founded.
Although his fame has spread,
the number of clerics and faithful is more prominent in Icefia than
anywhere else. His clerics are unwavering and uncompromising. His
followers are true believers, unwilling to stand idly by and watch events
unfold.
The mortal Stasis made many
enemies by his deeds. The Amatine Gnomes despise him for the banishing of
Amat. Drow elves know that he was responsible for the defeat of the
Spider Queen.
Power:
Lesser God
Symbol:
A white sword on a blue diamond-shaped field.
Alignment:
Lawful Good
Aspects:
Cavaliers, Light, Virtue, Monarchs, Heroes
Plane of Existence:
Celestia - Mercuria
Domains:
Glory, Good, Law, Nobility, War
Prayer Time: In the morning after sparing or
exercise
Favored Weapon:
Bastard Sword
Turn Undead:
Turn Undead
Back from the Dead:
Resurrection
Favored Class:
Paladin
High
Temple:
Messada
High Cleric:
Michael Steelsmyth
Number of Faithful:
500,000
Associated Groups:
Knights of the White Sword
Dogma: The leaders of
the world and the strong must help those who cannot help themselves defend
against the evils that threaten them. Everyone has a duty to do what is
right in the name of the deities of light and virtue. Death will judge
each upon how they used what they were gifted with to help the world.
Those who are virtuous and do not ignore their calling will be rewarded.
The evil and the selfish will be punished. Only the creatures of the
lower planes are incapable of virtue, let nothing stay your blade when
they are encountered.
Feast Day: 29th
Progonust (Ascension to the Counsil)
The Church
The Church is led by a High Priest known as a
Steward. The Steward is assisted by a Council composed of a Codicer,
the keeper of the church history; the Justiciar, enforcer of church
dogma; the Herald, the church diplomat; the Executor, director of the
church bureaucracy; and the Illuminator, the teacher of the faith. The
Steward has absolute authority within their branch of the church and
appoint all of the other members of the Council. There is also a
Champion, usually a paladin, appointed by Stasis. The current Steward
of Habololy is Michael Steelsmyth. The current Champion of Habololy is
Nisoru Metakae.
The church is subdivided along regional/national
lines with each area having a high temple that supervises the other
churches in the nation. The high cleric of each nation/ region in turn
reports to the Steward and Council. The high priest is expected to hold
a meeting of all the priests of their nation/region on New Year's Day.
Once every ten years clerics who are of sufficient power to be a temple
priest are expected to make a pilgrimage to the Fortress.
Each temple is staffed by one or more priests, led
by the temple priest. The temple will have several guards as well as
staff to administer the day to day business of the temple, such as
record keeping. Larger temples will have a paladin in residence. The
largest temples, like those in Messada, Capetolia and Midyr; will have
wizards, bards and an ascetic community (see the Order of the Glorious
Path below).
Every temple maintains a library, catacombs,
reliquary and armory. The temples act as centers of healing and
teaching. The temple priest is expected to take the concerns of the
common people to the local ruler. In times of need the temple will
act as a bastion against evil, a base from which to strike at the forces
of darkness. The temple will aid those seeking refuge from evil or
fleeing oppression. Temples rely upon their community members for only
a portion of their revenue. Each temple produces goods of some type for
sale in the community; armor, weapons, books and horses are especially
common. The temples do not stock pile wealth, keeping only enough for
the comfort of the temple members. The remaining funds are used to
purchase arcane services, magical weapons and provide for the poor.
The church maintains close relations with three
groups. The first are the Knights of the White Sword, a group founded
by Stasis and dedicated to his ideals but not necessarily his religion.
Stasis’ followers make up the majority of the Knights and as such the
relationship between the church and the Knights is excellent. Even
those leaders of the Knights that do not worship Stasis revere his
ideals and rarely find cause to disagree with his clerics. The Knights
and the servants of the church work closely together to advance Stasis’
goals. The second group is the Guardians, those who serve the Guardian
Temple in central Icefia. The Guardians dedicate their live to
defending Habololy from the forces of the lower planes, a goal that
Stasis has shared his entire existence. Stasis granted Escalon, the
Arrow, the land to build and found the Temple. Stasis has been the
Temple’s most vocal patron on the Counsil. His clerics are expected to
aid the Guardians whenever the need arises. The last group is composed
almost entirely of Stasis worshippers and is virtually an arm of the
church. The Order of the Glorious Path is a knightly order, devoted to
Stasis in his aspect as light-bringer. They live as ascetics, taking
vows of obedience to the church. Some take vows of poverty as well.
Among their ranks are paladins, monks, fighters and bards. They have
sworn to carry Stasis faith back into those lands that broke from the
Kingdom and in doing so restore the Kingdom to what Stasis envisioned it
to be.
On Habololy,
Stasis’ faith is the official religion of the Kingdom of Icefia. It is
very popular in Gnarland and Pacyr. It is highly regarded among the
people of the Destroytian Republic and Orcish Empire. It is known
throughout the rest of Habololy’s nations but is not as widely
practiced.
Relationships with the Other Deities
The
Church maintains relations with all the churches of the good and neutral
deities of the Counsil, as well as the Cult of Hemator and the faithful
of Mouser and Allanda. The Church tends to be on excellent terms with
the churches of Arsur’anyodel and Gnarion. These deities are Stasis’
closest allies on the Counsil, other than Falan, and he expects his
clerics to support these faiths at all times. The Church of Stasis and
Falan work together to combat evil, especially fiends and undead.
However, the centuries long friendship between Stasis and Falan, does
not easily translate to their followers and the two groups have very
little in common. Stasis maintains good relations with Han-Sui and
their followers are generally on good terms. Under normal circumstances
the worshippers of Stasis and Han-Sui work together to uphold law and
order and ensure the fair administration of justice. The gladly join
forces against evil cults and formed the vanguard of the Counsil’s
forces against the Spider Queen. However, in areas where the Cult of
Hemator is aggressively persecuted there is tension between the faithful
of Stasis and Han-Sui. Stasis openly advocates for reconciliation with
Hemator and expects his clerics to aid her faithful in tending to the
sick or injured. Hemator’s clerics routinely seek the aid of
Stasis worshippers when an organized force of evil is discovered.
Stasis
maintains generally positive relationships with all of the other good
and neutral deities though he is weary of the oppression of the cults.
His church reflects this position. On the other hand Stasis is merely
tolerant of Compture, Frostine and Gruweas, mostly because of their
seniority. He is not tolerant of Dresta or Sutyr; their presence on the
Counsil infuriates him and he is open in his contempt for them. His
church opposes their faithful at all times, bringing their crimes to
light and searching for ways to discredit them. Their agents are
opposed with the sword when possible.
Stasis
and his church oppose the cults with the exceptions of Allanda, Mouser
and Hemator. Stasis’ temples serve as shrines for Mouser’s faithful and
their churches are united in their goals. Stasis and his church had in
the past supported Drunnbar, but since the War of Technology Stasis has
opposed him, believing his goals to be dangerous to the future of the
world. Stasis’ enmity with the evil cults is well known. His church
opposes them at every encounter. Stasis expects his followers to act
assertively against the cults and expose them when discovered.
Arsenal’s cult is treated in the same manner as the evil cults though
with less violence.
