Church of Anthia
From World of Kralis
The Temple of Nature is the Church of the wild and untamed nature. Unlike the Church of Atura, the Temple of Nature focuses on the protection of all things wild, including the Wild Lands of the world, despite many of these lands are harmful to civilization.
The Temple establishes temples and churches in various areas where civilization clashes with the wilderness and wild lands of the world. The church is often thought responsible for the Wild Lands of Kralis and are believed to have taught the land to fight back against encroachment, often to the detriment of mortal beings. The church abhors unnatural occurrences such as Negative Energy, the undead, or chaos and will often be found fighting back the very presence of these foul things.
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Hierarchy
The Church has a very strict hierarchical structure to it, that tend to lend itself to a great deal of secrecy. Most of the church is made up numerous cells that work on various goals that are given to them from the Bishops and Grand Priest. Very rarely will one cell know what another is doing. Despite this structure it is very clear who is in charge of the whole church, Grand Priest Arui Durason.
She interprets the will of Anthia and then passes on to the various cells instructions of what they are to do.
Motivation and Goals
Defense of the wild lands of the world is the main motivation for the church. To this end the priests and clergy will take up arms against any that wastefully destroy the wild lands. They are also charged with restoring wild lands, even if that means destroying a village or two. While not evil, if an area is overly threatened by civilization they will do what they must to stop its growth and renew a balance in the world. Many times they will overtake an abandoned settlement replenishing the area with wildlife and plants.
Day-to-Day Activities
Day to day priests of the Temple of Nature are consistently fighting against those that would destroy nature in all its forms. Anything that has been corrupted by Negative Energy is to be destroyed and removed from this world. This means that a great deal of the priesthood is dealing with necromantic magic and the undead a huge amount of their time.
Recruiting
The Church is always actively trying to recruit those that it sees as being able to help in defending against the onslaughts of civilization against the wild lands. This tends to be shamans, druids, wilderness warriors, and others that abhor true civilization.
Rituals and Ceremonies
Priest of Anthia pray to the Mistress of the Wild at all times, but the morning twilight and moonlight nights are often reserved for the deepest prayers. The four seasonal Solstices are holy days to the Church. It is during these four times of the year where the wild lands are most dangerous to travelers and adventurers as trees have been know to move, causing whole forests to suddenly shift, it is a time where the natural world changes causing streams and ravens to suddenly appear and open up or to simply disappear.
The Ceremony of the Wild is the most holy of rituals that is a wild ritual of piping, dancing and the carousing of the wild things of the world. Whole areas of land have been known to be healed from destruction during this Ceremony, bringing back vital life to an area.
Centers of Worship
While most of the worship of Anthia is done in small enclaves and in temples located in various wild places, the major center of Anthian worship occurs in the Church of the Wild that is located in the center of the Myr Woods in the Southern Realms.
Allies
The Church is often allied with Atura. The two churches work very closely with each other as they are often dealing with the same situations of wanton destruction of the natural world. There have been times that the church has worked with Albiorix as well. Gishra and Anthia share many of the same priests as both are often working on pushing back the civilized world as well.
Enemies
The church sees any action that causes the unnecessary destruction of the wild lands as a hostile action against the goddess. This often puts it at odds with most of the world. Yet, despite this the church strives continually to destroy those beings of chaos and evil, which puts them in line against Azahak and Udarak.
Game Information
Characters that choose to become a member of the Church of Anthia have their base Merit Point requirements increased from 1000 to 1400 per rank.
| Type | Holy Order | ||
| Influence Level | Global | ||
| Category | Prerequisites | Bonus | Obligation |
| Petitioner | Divine Knowledge, Leadership, Lore (Religion) | Member of Church, Ask for Aid from other Members; Access to Divine Spells of Faith | Proselytize |
| Initiate | Divine Knowledge (85), Etiquette, Lore(Deity, Celestial), Must be Recommended by Another Initiate | Gain Access to Church Funds, Gain Blessed Healing Ability, | Quest (Vanquish a Foe), Train Petitioner (Follower) |
| Acolyte | Divine Knowledge (122), Leadership (80), Lore (Deity, Religion, Celestial) (80), Etiquette (70) | Gain Additional Priestly Training (+10 bonus to Divine Knowledge Turning), Gain Divine Fury Ability | Quest (Establish a Church), Perform task from Priest |
| Priest | Divine Knowledge (150), Leadership (90), Lore (Deity, Religion, Celestial) (104), Etiquette (85), Devoted Philosophy | +20 bonus to Divine Knowledge vs. Enemies of Church; Gain Priestly Vestments, Gain Divine Armor Ability | Declare a specific church as home base, Quests (Priest-Ranger Appointed Tasks) |
| Priest-Ranger | Divine Knowledge (171), Leadership (120), Lore (Deity, Religion, Celestial) (110), Etiquette (115) | Command of Forces of Church (Warriors, Crusaders, Knights, etc.); Gain Priestly Implement of Service, Gain Create Wild Ability | Expand reach of Local Church - Establish 4 Churches |
| Bishop | Divine Knowledge (195), Leadership (140), Lore (Deity, Religion, Celestial) (130), Etiquette (130), Fanatic Philosophy, Cause 3 Major Enemies of Church to be defeated | Command of 4 Priest-Rangers and their resources, Gain Reclaim Ability | Quest (Create Holy Relic), Serve on Church High Council at least once |
| Grand Priest | Divine Knowledge (200), Leadership (160), Lore (Deity, Religion, Celestial) (160), Etiquette (160), Can only be selected by Deity | Control of whole Church, Gain Torturous Lands Ability | Expand reach of Church |
Turning Options
Priests of Anthia may not use Turn Animal or Turn Humanoid. They may gain two of the following in replace of these Turning Options.
Turn Plant: You may turn monstrous plants or plants that are in the control of another as you would a normal turning.
Greater Turning: Once per day when you perform a normal Turn Undead, you may use Greater Turning. Undead that are normally turned by you are instead destroyed.
Never Lost: You always know which way is north, even if you are underground.
Endure: You are not affected by extreme cold down to -60 degrees nor are you affected by extreme heat up to 130 degrees.
Divine Spells
Tree Walk
Power Rank: 3
Range: 0'
Duration: Instant
Area: Self
Activation Time: 35
Defense: None
Through the use of this spell you are able to enter into any tree and exit from another tree that is within 1 mile per success. This movement is instantaneous and costs no Action Points to perform.
Call Storm
Power Rank: 6
Range: 100'
Duration: 1 Turn per Success
Area: See Below
Activation Time: 5
Defense: None
By means of this spell you are able to call forth a storm into the area. You may call forth Blizzards, Hailstorms, Thunder/Lightning Storm, Sleet Storms, Sandstorms (if in dry, desert like areas), or Gale Wind Storm. You may effect an area equal to 1 mile per 50 Divine Knowledge in this way.
Awaken Wild
Power Rank: 9
Range: 60' + 5'/success (max +50')
Duration: 1 Turn per Success
Area: See Below
Activation Time: 5
Defense: None
Through the use of this spell you are able to cause any wild area to suddenly become awakened, filled with an Intelligence and essence of the wild causing the whole area to behave like that of a colossal monster. You are able to awaken an area equal to 15’ per 25 points of Divine Knowledge. This area is treated as an NPC gaining 1 trait (See World as an NPC, Legends of Kralis). In addition, the area gains an attack skill equal to half your Divine Knowledge. It will defend itself as it sees fit, however, it will never attack you.
Create Land
Power Rank: 12
Range: See Below
Duration: Permanent
Area: See Below
Activation Time: 1 day
Defense: None
With this spell you are able to create huge areas of land. You can create up to 1 cubic mile of new land per 50 points of Divine Knowledge. With this you can over take seas, oceans, lakes, craters, volcanic waste lands and more with this new land. You can also shift whole land masses, raise hills and mountains, grow forests, even form new lakes filled with clean water and filled with life. You must specify what type of terrain you are creating and where you are creating at. This must specifically stated and highly detailed in the description. It takes a full week of you detailing the area and meditative prayer before you are able to cast the spell. Once it has begun to be created it will take the area a full week for it to become its full form as you specified.
Word of Anthia
Power Rank: 6
Range: 50' + 5'/success (max +50')
Duration: Instant
Area: 30' + 5'/success (max +50)
Activation Time: 3
Defense: Divine
By means of this spell you are able to inflict pain and death to all evil creatures that are within the area of effect.
| Target | Effect |
| Equal to Character Rank | Target is Dazed |
| Character Rank - 1 | Target is Stunned |
| Character Rank - 5 | Target is Staggered |
| Character Rank - 10 | Target is Paralyzed |
| Character Rank - 15 | Target is Killed |
Return to the Earth
Power Rank: 5
Range: 45' + 5'/success (max +50')
Duration: Instant
Area: 20' + 5'/success (max +50)
Activation Time: 1 Turn
Defense: See Below
By means of this spell you are able to cause wood, stone, glass, metal, or once living organic matter to begin to rot, rust or dissolve away. This can be applied to trees, shrubs, walls, doors, even suits of armor and weapons. The power instantly kills any monstrous plants, molds, or slimes. However, any intelligent plant life such as vine hulks gain a Stamina check at a TS of 2. This power causes non-plant beings to make a Stamina check at a TS of 2 as well. Those that fail have their Fatigue reduced by half, become Dazed and become dehydrated to a distressed level (See Legends of Kralis, Going without Water).
Nature's Revenge
Power Rank: 8
Range: 60' + 5'/success (max +50')
Duration: Instant
Area: 40' + 5'/success (max +50)
Activation Time: 6
Defense: See Below
Nature's revenge allows you to cause undead, beings of negative energy or sources of negative energy to be instantly slain, or permanently cleansed of negative energy. The power slays 1 rank of undead per 2 Charisma Modifier. Thus, with a Charisma Modifier of 8 you may instantly slay undead creatures that are 4th rank or less. Creatures that have the Negative Energy Template are stricken Dazed and Confused, as the Negative Energy in them is cleansed away. In addition, any creature using a negative energy ability has this ability blocked while in the area of effect.
Faith Abilities
Blessed Healing
Requirements
Ability Prerequisites: Healing 75, Healing Touch
Controlling Attribute: Willpower of 80
Fatigue Cost: 10
Whenever you use the skill Healing or call upon the power of Cure Wounds. You may add your rank as a Bonus to the amount of Health that you return to a wounded being. There is no AP cost for using this ability.
Divine Fury
Requirements
Ability Prerequisites: Lore (Nature) 80
Controlling Attribute: Charisma of 85
Fatigue Cost: 10
You are able to cause a weapon of your choice to be sheathed in sacred flame for 1 turn per Charisma Modifier. This causes the weapon to inflict bonus damage against any evil or undead target that ignores any type of armor absorption. You may cause two times your Charisma modifier in bonus damage to those that you successfully damage.
Divine Armor
Requirements
Ability Prerequisites: Lore (Nature) 95
Controlling Attribute: Charisma of 90
Fatigue Cost: 20 per turn
By means of this ability you are able to channel divine energy into your armor. This causes any undead special attack forms to fail. You may use three times per day for 1 turn per Charisma Modifier.
Create Wild
Requirements
Ability Prerequisites: Lore (Nature) 120
Controlling Attribute: Willpower of 100
Merit Cost: 300
You are able to create or increase the WildLands of the world. Through create wild you are able to cause an area equal to 2’ per 10 points of Divine Knowledge, or further increase the darkness and wildness of any current Wild Land by 5’ per 10 Divine Knowledge points.
Creating Wild: The area suddenly begins to grow thick vegetation, trees begin to grow, plant life flourishes. The area is completely grown over within 24 hours. The area is thick and grants the natural capabilities of Cover and Concealment as normal thick forests do.
Increase Wild: The area becomes thicker than normal causing all those within the area or passing through the area to hack or force a way through. This reduces their movement by half. It also doubles any Cover or Concealment bonuses for beings that are within this area. This growth is completed in just 10 minutes.
These effects are permanent. You may use this ability once per day.
Reclaim
Requirements
Ability Prerequisites: Lore (Nature) 180
Controlling Attribute: Willpower of 90
Merit Cost: 300
Through the use of reclaim you are able to reclaim areas and land that have become “civilized”. These areas are not necessarily places that have towns or cities on them, they are areas that have been encroached on by civilized hands from strip mining, deforestation and other activities that cut back the WildLands.
Non-inhabited Areas
With this ability you can cause within 1 mile per 50 points of Divine Knowledge to suddenly become alive with hundreds of thousands of vines, roots, and other ground based vegetation that begin to grow up from the ground and encroach on these areas. These areas will be “consumed” by these plants within a matter of a few days.
Inhabited Areas
With this ability you can cause these vines, roots, and other ground vegetation to begin to encroach on inhabited areas such as villages, towns, and even great cities. These plants will “attack” structures with incredible speed, uprooting walls, digging into basements, tearing down sides of buildings, etc., in order to reclaim the area. This type of growth is equal to 500 square feet per 50 Divine Knowledge points. This area of growth has 1000 health points and a base armor absorption of 100. Any creatures or beings that are in the area at the time can attempt to destroy or cut back the area but doing so is very difficult. In addition to the health point and armor absorption ability of this growth, the growth itself will attack beings that are not naturally from the environment. These attacks are not lethal, but will be enough to cause those that it attacks to make Stamina Checks at a TS of 6 or be knocked-out. If the growth is unopposed it will utterly destroy its 500 square feet in 1 hour, otherwise it will take whatever time is necessary to defend itself, attack and destroy the physical environment. These effects are permanent. You may use this ability twice per week.
Torturous Lands
Requirements
Controlling Attribute: Willpower of 105
Merit Cost: 300
With torturous lands you can cause the land around to become a tortured version of its current state. Similar to those abilities and traits in The World as an NPC you are able to cause an area equal to 1 mile per 25 points of Divine Knowledge to become a dark, torturous version of itself. Deserts become hotter by +50 degrees, sandstorms blow through the area nearly every half-hour, the sand is hotter, and it stings a great deal more causing an additional +20 points of damage to all those that enter the area. Forests become darker where only those with heightened or magical night vision can see without the need for light, causing a -5 success penalty to all checks that are visually based. The trees become twisted and sharp, the stench of rot fills the air. Undergrowth causes the reduction of movement by half for all creatures. Hills appear to become steeper in slope, crevasses are darker and deeper, cliff sides are more looming and smoother, with sharper edges. Movement through this terrain is reduced by 3/4, climbing skills suffer an additional -5 successes to attempts. Mountainous terrain becomes more foreboding, jagged rocks and sheer cliffs are more prominent. Avalanches and rockfalls occur almost every half hour and are 50% more dangerous. Marshes and swamps are darker, harsher and more ominous that normal. All penalties are tripled for effects when walking or fighting in these places (See Travel, in Legends of Kralis), 50% of all muck is considered quicksand. These quicksand areas have a 75% chance of pulling a being under the surface and causing suffocation in those that it pulls down within 3 phases. Finally, plains become areas filled with thick, tall grasses that cause all movement to be reduced by half. In addition, a severe gale, thunderstorm or tornadoes occur every 30 minutes and last for several minutes. During this time all weather is significantly worse, all results for weather is tripled. In addition, you and up to 10 others that you designate suffer no ill effects or hindrances while moving through these areas. This ability is usable once per day and will last for 1 hour per rank.
Gear and Items
Priestly Vestments
Robes of the Wild: This blessed robes are made of a thin green material, generally a silk or light cloth. The edges of the robe are trimmed in various small samples of animal hide. Once per day a priest is able to transform into one of the animals that is a part of the robes. This transformation takes 5 phases and allows the priest to stay in the form for 1 hour per 2 Willpower Modifier. The priests equipment melds into the new form. The robes will not function is the priest is wearing in form of armor. The robes comes with 6 different animal hides sown into them (GM's discretion).
Priestly Implement of Service
Staff of Binding: This long, oak staff is topped with a blue-white crystal. The staff allows you to see and strike at incorporeal beings that are hidden from normal sight such as apparitions, planeshifted beings, displaced beings, etc. It also causes those that are hit by the staff to be bound from being able to become incorporeal, planeshifted, displaced or use abilities, spells, powers or jinhu from being able to teleport, Blink, or in any other way instantly move from one location to the next other than through normal means (walking, flying, swimming, etc). You may use binding part of the weapon at any time. The ability to see incorporeal, planshifted, etc., creatures can be used three times per day for 1 turn per Charisma Modifier.
