HALFLING PANTHEON
=================

The Small Folk of the Realms worship a pantheon of deities known
collectively as Yondalla's Children. This group includes Yondalla
herself, according to the tangled reasoning of halfling theologians,
and the term is sometimes used to apply collectively to all halflings.
The names by which the gods and goddesses of the halfling pantheon are
known vary widely from community to community and have little
correlation with subrace distinctions. The myths associated with the
various halfling powers are often intermingled with tales of local
halfling heroes and heroines of earlier generations who embodied the
teachings and approach to life of one or more powers. For example,
halfling villages scarcely two dozen miles apart might each have a
different name for Yondalla. The citizens of each community might
believe the Protector and Provider is a local deity concerned far more
with their village than with the race of halflings as a whole. Finally,
the name Yondalla is known by and the tales associated with her would
most likely be derived independently from two widely respected halfling
matriarchs, each of whom was a leader of her respective village early
in its history. (To suggest the countless local names associated with
each halfling power, each of the deity entries that follow have the
notation "none widespread" in their list of aliases.) The names of the
halfling powers of the Realms listed hereafter - Arvoreen, Brandobaris,
Cyrrollalee, Sheela Peryroyl, Tymora, Urogalan, and Yondalla - are
simply the names by which the individual halfling powers are most
commonly known across the planes and the names by which religious
scholars of other races refer to them.

Yondalla is the universally acknowledged leader of the halfling
pantheon and the other powers defer to her authority without
dissension, but in practice the entire pantheon works together in a
collective fashion for the good of the whole race, even dispatching
avatars to work together as needed. The closest the Small Folk have to
an evil power among the gods that they acknowledge is the gnome god
Urdlen, the Crawler Below, who is held in a few tales to tunnel up into
halfling burrows as well as gnome dens. While the primary deities of
the halflings are female and the male gods are seen as presiding over
somewhat peripheral (if necessary) aspects of life, all are equally
respected. The roles of the various halfling gods are closely related
and sometimes overlap, at least from a mortal perspective. As a result,
in some communities two or three powers - usually Yondalla,
Cyrrollalee, and/or Sheela Peryroyl - are viewed as aspects of a single
power. Divine coordination of portfolios is tightest among Yondalla,
Arvoreen, Cyrrollalee, Sheela Peryroyl, and Urogalan, with Brandobaris
and Tymora cooperating for the most part with each other.

Tymora is fully detailed in Faiths & Avatars and not in this volume
because she is most commonly worshiped by humans, not halflings.
Although Lady Luck is in some sense an interloper goddess in the
halfling pantheon, the fragmented mythology of the Small Folk has
allowed Tymora to be included as a local goddess under a wide variety
of guises in halfling communities across Faerun. Tales of adventurous,
lucky, tricky halfling damsels have long been part of halfling
folklore, and Tymora is commonly seen by the Small Folk as a
long-standing local halfling deity who has simply conned the Big Folk
into worshiping her as well.

As suggested by the conflicting representations of the halfling gods in
various communities across Faerun, the mentality of a typical halfling
holds that the only really important things are those that happen close
to home. The Small Folk are far more interested in worshiping an
immediate and beneficent deity - one whose responsibilities are to
them, and no one else - rather than an abstract power who is presumed
to oversee the entire race. The remoteness of most human deities, for
example, bewilders many halflings, as does the deference human
worshipers show to their deities. Halflings are not irreligious; while
they treat Yondalla and her brood with respect, they are far less in
awe of their pantheon than is the norm between deity and follower for
other races. As halflings see it, they have a simple bargain with their
gods. In return for their veneration by the Small Folk, the powers
promise to take care of all halflings. Halfling priests exist to see
that both sides of the bargain are kept - to remind halflings to give
the powers their due and to remind the halfling powers that they are
responsible for the safety and comfort of their loyal followers. Many
stories from halfling folklore remind the Small Folk that before they
began to worship Yondalla and her Children, halflings were a shy and
fugitive people who lived as hunter-gatherers on the edges of
civilization and who hid in isolated burrows from the humanoids and
monsters that preyed upon them. As a result, most halflings feel both
gratitude for the gifts of Yondalla's Children and affection toward
their deities.

The Small Folk are inclined to see evidence of small local deities -
the Small Gods or the Thousand Home Gods of halfling folklore - in many
aspects of their surroundings and daily lives. Each house commonly has
a protector of its own hearth, often inspired by some matriarch or
patriarch in the clan's history. The homesteader who starts a small
community might well be accorded a similar status in later years - that
is, his or her spirit might be invoked on matters relating to the
health and prosperity of the village. Local myths may name a goddess of
breadmaking and credit her if a particularly good batch of bread comes
out or celebrate a local god of winemaking and demand a toast to him
after the first drink of any exquisite vintage. If game is plentiful,
the power of the neighboring woods, often pictured as a hare or a fox,
is thanked and token morsels of food are left to him or her as
offerings. Halflings who fish com- monly revere venerable river
denizens, such as an ancient or battle-scarred trout, and fisherfolk
always throw back the river deity if she or he allows himself or
herself to be caught. Some theologians of other races speculate that
the Thousand Home Gods of the Small Folk are simply aspects of the
established halfling powers, while others say that at most they are
nature spirits. Halflings see little need to differentiate between
Yondalla's Children and the Small Gods and rarely bother to do so.

In a variety of mythic forms, Yondalla is seen as the mother or adopted
mother of the halfling people. In one tradition, sometimes Yondalla
gives birth to the halfling race, sometimes she creates them from
disparate elements of nature, and sometimes (rarely) she transforms
some saddened solitary sylvan creature (usually a brownie) into a
halfling, making the race her creation alone. Other more common mythic
traditions hold that Yondalla adopted the halflings after finding one
of them hiding in a thicket, walking along a riverbank, or tricking one
of the Big Folk into doing something foolish to the advantage of the
Small Folk. Whatever myth is told, halflings have a deep identification
with Yondalla at a physically rooted level. In many versions of their
founding myths, Yondalla uses her powers of persuasion with the powers
of the other human and demihuman races to gain the fertile fields and
meadows of the lands usually settled by halflings.

Halfling history is maintained by an oral tradition, and thus the
origins of the Small Folk have long been lost to time. While most
halflings today claim that Luiren is their ancestral homeland, there is
little in that southern nation's archeological record or in the history
of other lands with sizable halfling populations to suggest more than
12 centuries of residence by the Small Folk south of the Toadsquat
Mountains. Dwarven and elven records suggest that the genies who
founded the Calim Empires brought with them both human and halfling
slaves approximately 7,800 years before the Standing Stone rose in
Cormanthor. While many of the descendants of those early halflings
still live (and are still enslaved) in Calimshan today, fragmentary
historical records from the countless realms that have risen and fallen
along the Sword Coast since the arrival of the Djen chart the steady
northward migration of Small Folk since their arrival in the lands of
what is now Calimshan. Today, sizable halfling population clusters are
found in the Purple Hills of Tethyr, amidst the ruins of long-fallen
Meiritin in eastern Amn, in the Sunset Vale west of Darkhold, and along
the lower reaches of the River Delimbiyr. However, even the great
Calishite diaspora cannot account for the widespread distribution of
halflings throughout Faerun, leaving the ancient history of the Small
Folk to the realm of legend and myth.

All native Faerunian halflings are divided into three distinct
subraces:  hairfeet, stouts, and tallfellows. There is some
circumstantial evidence that hairfeet comprise the original racial
stock of the Small Folk, but halflings generally find scholarly
questions on such matters ridiculous as they themselves pay little
attention to the differences between the halfling subraces.  Sages of
other races who have studied the Calishite halfling diaspora have
suggested that stouts have a trace of dwarven ancestry and that
tallfellows have a trace of elven ancestry, accounting for their
distinctive appearances and close relations with the Stout Folk and
Fair Folk, respectively. As evidence in support of their theories,
scholars cite dwarven and elven records of Shanatar and Wealdath which
indicate that escaped halfling slaves took refuge beneath the peaks of
the Marching Mountains and the boughs of the Darthiir Wood, joining the
dwarven and elven societies found therein for several generations
before moving on to found their own communities.  Complicating matters
is the fact that halfling natives of Luiren have pointed ears, unlike
their kin elsewhere in the Realms; however, they too are divided into
the same three subraces. The decidedly recessive pointed-ear trait
vanishes permanently in the first generation of descendants of any
Luiren halfling who takes a mate from the ranks of the halflings of the
rest of the Realms.

Finally, it should be noted that Anadian halflings, residents of the
polar regions of Anadia, an inner planet of the Realmspace system, are
almost unknown in Faerun (and are not discussed in the deity
descriptions that follow). According to Elminster, the total population
of Anadian halflings resident in the Realms is countable on a single
halfling's fingers and toes.

Despite the divisions in the halfling race across Faerun, halflings of
all subraces continue to venerate the same core pantheon, albeit under
a variety of names. While some halfling powers draw a greater fraction
of one subrace or another to their faith than the overall population
balance found in the Realms (55% hairfoot, 30% stout, 15% tallfellow),
such variances are slight. The only real difference in the way the
various subraces worship the halfling pantheon is that hairfeet tend to
adopt the occasional human power (such as Tymora), whereas stouts
sometimes give homage to individual members of the Momdinsamman (the
dwarven pantheon) and tallfellows sometimes give homage to individual
members of the Seldarine (the elven pantheon).

General Halfling Priest Abilities: The general abilities and
restrictions of halfling priests, aside from the specific changes noted
later in this section for each halfling faith, are summarized in the
discussion of halflins priests in "Appendix 1: Demihuman Priests."

Arvoreen
--------

(The Defender, the Vigilant Guardian, the Wary Sword)

Intermediate Power of Mount Celestia, LG

PORTFOLIO:             Martial defense, war, vigilance, halfling
                       warriors, duty
ALIASES:               None widespread
DOMAIN NAME:           Venya/Green Fields
SUPERIOR:              Yondalla
ALLIES:                Clangeddin Silverbeard, Haela Brightaxe,
                       Helm, Gaerdal Ironhand, Gorm Gulthyn,
                       Gwaeron  Windstrom, the halfling pantheon,
                       the Red Knight, Torm, Tyr
FOES:                  Bane (dead), Bhaal (dead), Cyric, Iyachtu
                       Xvim, Talona, Talos and the gods of fury
                       (Auril, Umberlee, and Malar), Moander
                       (dead), the goblinkin pantheons (ore, goblin,
                       hobgoblin, bugbear, kobold, and urd deities,
                       among others), Urdlen
SYMBOL:                Two short swords
WOR. ALIGN.:           LG, NG, CG, LN, N, CN

Arvoreen  (ARE-voh-reen)   the Defender, fiery guardian of the home, is
the nearest thing to a halfling war god. He is a god of stern defense
and aggressive watchfulness, who is always preparing for incursions
into halfling lands and making ready to repulse hostile creatures at
the first sign of trouble. Arvoreen is venerated primarily by halfling
fighters, but also by fighter/thieves who prefer the former set of
skills over the latter.

Arvoreen has cultivated good relations with most of the good and
neutral deities, particularly of the dwarven, elven, gnome, and human
pantheons. Of the halfling gods, Arvoreen is most closely aligned with
Yondalla, Cyrrollalee, and Urogalan, although he has strong ties with
the entire halfling pantheon. The Defender has little patience or
understanding of the principles or priorities of unreliable rogues such
as Brandobaris and Tymora, but he does value their contributions in
defending his charges from external threats. As a large fraction of
halflings live in and among human communities, Arvoreen finds that most
of the divine threats to his charges are a result of the plots of the
evil deities of the halflings' human neighbors.

Arvoreen is anxiously protective of the halfling race, and he is always
alert to impending dangers. The Defender, although quite powerful, is
not a particularly aggressive deity. He only engages in combat if he is
attacked, though he does seek out his enemies and actively confront
them to get them to desist from their evil practices. He does not go
very far out of his way to avoid combat if it occurs, however, and
fights to the finish. Although he stops short of advocating war,
Arvoreen is not shy about pointing out folks who are acting
suspiciously - after all, they just might be evil in disguise. He is
more serious and less carefree and joyful than the typical halfling (or
halfling deity) and serves as a reminder that the safety they currently
enjoy was hard won and can be easily lost.

Arvoreen sends avatars to defend and patrol halfling communities very
readily. Arvoreen may reward warriors who have defended halfling
communities with a minor magical item, even if of another race.

Arvoreen's Avatar (Ranger 35, Cleric 29, Paladin 20)

Arvoreen appears as a handsome young halfling warrior, muscular of
build and generally dressed in unencumbering and lightweight clothes
and fine chain mail. He commonly carries twin short swords or, more
rarely, a short sword and gleaming shield. He favors spells from the
spheres of all, combat, guardian, healing, law, protection, sun, war,
and wards, although he can cast spells from any sphere.

AC -4; MV 12; HP 222; THACO -10; #AT 7/2
Dmg 1d6+16 (short sword +4, +10 STR, +2 spec. bonus in short sword) and
1d6+16 (short sword of dancing +4, +10 STR, +2 spec. bonus in short sword)
MR 65%; S ZM (4 1/2 feet tall)
STR 22, DEX 19, CON 21, INT 18, WIS 18, CHA 19
Spells P: 12/11/11/10/9/9/7
Saves* PPDM 1, RSW 1**, PP 2, BW 2, Sp 4

* Includes +2 bonus to saving throws to a minimum of 1.
** Includes halfling +6 CON save bonus to a minimum of 1. The CON save
bonus also applies to saves vs. poison to a minimum of 1.

Special Att/Def: Arvoreen is specialized in the use of short swords and
is considered proficient in the use of all weapons. He wields
Aegisheart, a short sword +4, defender, and Hornet, a short sword of
dancing +4. Even when dancing, the latter weapon gains his Strength
bonus to damage. The Defender can employ weapon shift on either weapon
at will (ignoring the usual prohibition on using this spell on magical
weapons). He wears chain mail +3 that can cast heal three times per
day.

Arvoreen never attacks an opponent first, but the first attack upon him
(if it hits) does only half damage, regardless of its power. The first
magical attack upon him is automatically reflected back upon the
caster; thereafter, spells are cast upon him normally. The Defender is
only hit by +2 or better magical weapons, and he suffers only half
damage from weapons of +2 or lesser enchantment. Arvoreen can become
invisible at will and can blink and dimension door three times per day
each.

Arvoreen is always accompanied by one of the Keepers (see below), with
maximum hit points, and can summon 10d4 others once per day.
(Additional Keepers arrive within 1d4 rounds and remain for the
duration of the combat.)

Other Manifestations

Arvoreen manifests as a nimbus of silver fire that envelops a being,
weapon, or object. This radiance typically gives any or all of the
following aids to affected beings, for 1 turn: haste (without the aging
effect), ironguard (as the 5th-level wizard spell detailed in Pages
from the Mages), or enlarge (as the 1st-level wizard spell, tripling
the affected being's normal size).  It typically gives an affected
weapon the attack and damages bonuses and the special abilities of a
sword +4, defender for 1 turn.

If the object enveloped is a pool of water, Arvoreen manifests as a
magic mirror effect (as the 4th-level wizard spell). Any devout
worshiper who stares into the pool can scry the most pressing threat to
the local halfling community. Otherwise, Arvoreen manifests as a glyph
of warding or a symbol of hopelessness placed upon an item or portal to
be warded.

Arvoreen is served by Keepers, elite halfling warriors (fighters of
6th-9th level) who died in battle and now defend and patrol the
halfling burrows of Green Fields in the Outer Planes. In some
situations, the Defender dispatches a small group of Keepers to the
Realms to protect an embattled halfling community. Arvoreen is also
served by aasimon; archons; bloodhounds; brownies; dobies; einheriar;
guardian nagas; hybsils; incarnates of courage, faith, and justice;
lammasu; maruts; noctrals; owls; pers; silver dragons; silver falcons;
sunflies; and war dogs. He demonstrates his favor through the discovery
of amaratha, rustine, trios of stones suitable to be used as sling
bullets, figurines depicting halfling warriors formed from dlarun, and
crossed sticks (which are seen as representing his symbol). The
Defender indicates his displeasure through thunderclaps suggestive of
two shields smashing together. His omens to his priests arc usually
direct warnings of impending danger and the need for battle readiness.

The Church

CLERGY:            Clerics, specialty priests
CLERGY'S ALIGN.:   LG, NG, LN
TURN UNDEAD:       C: Yes, SP: Yes, at priest level -2
CMND. UNDEAD:      C: No, SP: No

All clerics (including fighter/clerics, a multiclassed combination
allowed to halfling priests of Arvoreen) and specialty priests
(including fighter/specialty priests) of Arvoreen receive religion
(halfling) as a bonus nonweapon proficiency. If the DM allows kits from
Demihumans of the Realms and/or the Complete Book of Gnomes and
Halflings, clerics (and fighter/clerics) may take either the sheriff or
marshal kits.

Arvoreen is not exactly a popular power among most halflings and his
priests are often perceived as overly serious and "grumpy as dwarves"
by the Small Folk. However, the Defender and his clergy are respected
and revered for their teachings and their role in protecting the
halfling way of life.

Temples of Arvoreen are usually small fortified redoubts built
partially above and partially below ground in strategic locations in
regions inhabited by large numbers of halflings. The Defender's houses
of worship serve their communities as armories, training grounds for
the local militia, and as sanctuaries of last resort if the region they
guard is ever overrun.  Although the defensive fortifications of such
temples vary widely so as to best suit their location, most are
characterized by a maze of narrow, low hallways large enough only for a
halfling or gnome to fight comfortably, cellars filled with weapons,
supplies, and other stores, and large numbers of subterranean tunnels
exiting far from the central structure through which halfling guerrilla
fighters can launch lightning raids behind the lines of any besieger.

Novices of Arvoreen are known as Shieldbearers. Full priests of the
Defender are known as Arvoreen's Marshals. In ascending order of rank,
the titles used by Arvoreenan priests are Warder, Guardian, Defender,
Protector, Magistrate, Sheriff, Marshal, and High Marshal. High-ranking
priests have unique individual titles. Specialty priests are known as
trueswords.  The clergy of Arvoreen includes hairfeet (55%), stouts
(30%), and tallfellows (15%). Males (54%) slightly outnumber females
(46%). Arvoreen's clergy includes specialty priests (34%), clerics
(26%), fighter/specialty priests (22%), and fighter/clerics (18%).

Dogma: Keep the community's burrows secure, and always be prepared for
threats and attacks. Prepare an active defense, drill continuously, and
leave nothing to chance. Put down danger before it even rears its head.
Seek out allies, no matter how unorthodox. Those who give aid against a
mutual foe are friends to be rewarded and trusted. Stealing from other
halflings and allies is never acceptable, but thieving is not
necessarily dishonorable, as long as it is employed against enemies to
better the odds in combat later.

Day-to-Day Activities: Arvoreen's priests are the protectors and
defenders of halfling communities. They spend their days constructing
defensive barriers, signaling systems, beacons, and traps, and
reviewing defenses already in place. Priests of the Defender regularly
patrol their communities, always investigating the slightest hint of a
threat. Many priests organize the local militia, procure weapons for
volunteers, and train every able-bodied halfling in the use of weapons
and other defense strategies or at least in how to best seek safety.
Many of Arvoreen's Marshals regularly adventure to gain magical weapons
and defensive items of all kinds.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: If time permits, Arvoreen's priests and
lay followers come together prior to every battle (either in a temple
or at a makeshift altar in the field) to ask for the blessings of the
Defender. After a brief, inspirational sermon and a period of private
prayer, the Battle Hymn of the Keepers is sung in unison and silvered
weapons - at most one per worshiper - are sacrificed to the god by
placing them on the altar. If Arvoreen is pleased with the diligence of
his followers' preparations, the Defender receives the silver plating
from the sacrificed arms, leaving be- hind the actual weapons. For the
next 24 hours, all such once-silvered weapons are enchanted to strike
at a +1 bonus on attack and damage rolls.

The Ceremony of Remembrance is celebrated annually on the Feast of the
Moon. During this holy day, Arvoreen's followers gather in his temples
and on battlefields where their comrades have fallen to remember the
names of those who gave their lives in defense of the community. Close
friends and relatives often report a brief, wordless encounter with the
spirit of a fallen loved one during Ceremonies of Remembrance, but no
evidence of such, aside from the statements of individuals who report
such spiritual visitations, has ever been found.

Major Centers of Worship: The halfling realm of Meiritin was
established north of the Tejarn Hills along the eastern shore the great
lake in the Year of the Raised Banner (227 DR) by Small Folk who had
been forcibly removed from their vineyard homes in the Purple Hills of
Tethyr. The halflings of Meiritin were remarkably resilient in the face
of several tyrants who threatened their realm. Notable among the
threats they faced were the conquering of the Meiritin's largest
settlement by Ilhundyl the Mad Mage in the Year of the Mist Dragon (231
DR), border skirmishes with the forces of Lord Ashar Tornamn of
Valashar beginning in the Year of Blessed Sleep (321 DR), the loss of
much the realm's territory to the Duchy of Cortryn in the Year of
Faltering Fires (491 DR), and Meiritin's eventual collapse in the Years
of Trials Arcane (523 DR) due to abuses and enslavement at the hands of
the Duke of Cortryn.

Many halflings still dwell in eastern Amn, east of Lake Esmel, in the
lands of fallen Meiritin, and not a few dream of the day when halflings
in the Lands of Intrigue can once again call a realm their own. Chief
among them is High Marshal of the Banner Raised Anew Brenth
Stoutshield, once an officer of Arvoreen's Marchers (see below) who
resigned his position in the Year of the Shield (1367 DR) after his
secret dream of founding a halfling realm in the Purple Marches
crumbled with the restoration of Tethyr's monarchy. After discovering a
trove of gems during a foray into the ruins of Lost Xandar, Brenth
began rebuilding his dream in southern Amn in the hinterlands of fallen
Meiritin. He established the Citadel of the Banner Raised Anew across
the river Hyrzashyr from the fishing village of Zinner atop ruins
sacred to Arvoreen dating back to the establishment of Meiritin.
Beginning with a small core of young priests and devoted worshipers,
the High Marshal of the Banner Raised Anew attracted halfling
parishioners from the surrounding farms of the region by supplementing
the Amnian patrols from the Hillforts and by culling the monster
populations in the western Tejarn Hills. With the increased tithes, the
High Marshal could afford to grow the citadel into a large - by
halfling standards - temple and to increase the size of the temple
militia and the number of patrols it could mount.

As part of his efforts to integrate the newly founded temple in power
structures of the region, Brenth forged a close relationship with Major
Olehm of Hillfort Torbold. This close bond between halfling and human
was first tested in the Year of the Tankard (1370 DR) as the
Sythillisians began to carve out their empire in southwestern Amn. As
the troops of Sythillis rampaged through the region, the Citadel of the
Banner Raised Anew found itself on the front lines of the war. The High
Marshal quickly pledged himself and a large fraction of his troops to
Major Olehm's command, leaving only a small reserve to continue
patrolling the farmlands surrounding Zinner. If the commander of
Hillfort Torbold emerges as major player in post-war Amn (assuming the
Sythillisians are eventually defeated), Brenth may very well find
himself in a position to see at least part of his dream of refounding
Meiritin come to fruition.

Affiliated Orders: During the chaos of Tethyr's Interregnum, a group of
halflings and few gnomes active in the Purple Hills under the
leadership of Estemal Talltankard were largely responsible for keeping
the anarchy consuming the rest of the country at bay. Estemal's band,
known as Arvoreen's Marchers, are now recognized by the crown of Tethyr
as a knightly order and are responsible for patrolling the Purple
Marches, particularly County Vintor. Members of the March include
warriors, priests of Arvoreen, and rogues (the latter operating as
spies and couriers). Their chapter house, Keeperstone, is located a
mile or two north of the halfling community of Barrowsmorn in a
forsaken manor destroyed during the Ten Black Days and later rebuilt by
halflings and gnomes under Estemal.

Priestly Vestments: The clerical raiment of Arvoreen's Marshals
includes silvered helms and suits of chain mail, dark blue tabards with
the god's symbol displayed prominently in silver, and twin short
swords. The holy symbol of the faith is a miniature silver buckler that
is typically worn on a medallion hung around the neck.

Adventuring Garb: Priests of Arvoreen wear the most appropriate armor
available, whether it be leather or studded leather in situations
requiring stealth or chain mail or plate armor when straight melee
combat is expected. In times of peace when simply patrolling, the most
common armor worn by members of Arvoreen's clergy is chain mail.
Although they are trained in the use of a wide variety of weapons
appropriate for their diminutive statures, most priests of Arvoreen
prefer short swords, short bows, and slings.

Specialty Priests (Trueswords)

REQUIREMENTS:          Strength 12 or Constitution 12, Wisdom 9
PRIME REQ.:            Strength or Constitution, Wisdom
ALIGNMENT:             LG, NG, LN
WEAPONS:               Any
ARMOR:                 Any
MAJOR SPHERES:         All, combat, divination, guardian, healing, law,
                       protection, sun, war, wards
MINOR SPHERES:         Necromantic, summoning, travelers
MAGICAL ITEMS:         As clerics and fighters
REQ. PROFS:            Short sword, engineering, reading/writing (common)
BONUS PROPS:           Alertness, blindfighting, set snares

* Trueswords must be halflings, but they can be of any halfling subrace.

* Trueswords are allowed to multiclass as fighter/trueswords.

* If the DM allows kits from Demihumans of the Realms and/or the
  Complete Book of Gnomes and Halflings, trueswords and
  fighter/trueswords may take either the sheriff or marshal kits.

* Trueswords may select nonweapon proficiencies from the warrior group
  without penalty.

* Trueswords may hide in shadows and move silently as a ranger of the
  same level, modified by the truesword's race, Dexterity, and armor
  type.

* Trueswords can cast blessed watchfulness (as the 1st-level priest
  spell detailed in the Gorm Gulthyn entry in the "Gnome Pantheon"
  chapter) or detect evil (as the 1st-level priest spell) once per day.

* At 3rd level, trueswords can cast strength (as the 2nd-level wizard
  spell) or weapon shift (as the 2nd-level priest spell) once per day.

* At 5th level, trueswords can lay on hands (like the paladin ability),
  restoring 1 hit point per level once per day.

* At 5th level, trueswords can invoke courage in themselves and up to
  six others within a 60-foot radius with a word, granting those
  affected immunity to fear and a +1 bonus to attack rolls and saving
  throws. They can use this ability up to once a day per level. It
  lasts 1 turn.

* At 7th level, trueswords can make three melee attacks every two
  rounds.

* At 7th level, trueswords can cast glyph of warding (as the 3rd-level
  priest spell) or strength of one (as the 3rd-level priest spell) once
  per day.

* At 10th level, trueswords can cast easy march or unceasing vigilance
  of the holy sentinel (as the 5th-level priest spells) once per day.

* At 13th level, trueswords can cast champion's strength (as the
  5th-level priest spell) or haste (as the 3rd-level wizard spell, on
  themselves only, with no penalty for aging) once per day.

* At 13th level, trueswords can make two melee attacks per round.

Arvoreenan Spells

In addition to the spells listed below, priests of Arvoreen can cast
the 1st-level priest spell blessed watchfulness detailed in the entry
for Gorm Gulthyn.

1st Level

Warning Shout (Pr 1; Alteration)

Sphere:           Protection
Range:            0
Components:       V,S
Duration:         Instantaneous
Casting Time:     1
Area of Effect:   One-half-mile radius
Saving Throw:     None

The priest who casts a warning shout can project a single word loud
enough to be heard outdoors approximately one-half mile away. The sound
is magically amplified so that it is the same volume close to the
spellcaster as it is at the edge of the spell's radius. Only one word
may be projected using this spell (such as "Intruders!" or "Help!"). As
a side effect of the noise, this spell automatically awakens sleeping
creatures within the area of effect who can be naturally awakened by
noise who are not extremely deep sleepers. They do not necessarily know
what awakened them when they wake up, however.

2nd Level

Weapon Shift (Pr 2; Alteration)

Sphere:            Combat
Range:             Touch
Components:        V,S,M
Duration:          2 rounds+1 round/level
Casting Time:      5
Area of Effect:    One weapon
Saving Throw:      None

This spell enables the caster to transform a particular weapon (that
perhaps the caster cannot use) into an entirely different weapon (that
the caster can use). However, the spell has several important
limitations, as follows:

First, the final product must be a weapon that the caster can use
without penalty, with regard to both class restrictions and proficiency
status.

Second, the weapon to be changed must be of similar size and composed
of the same material as the weapon it will become. For example, a
wooden club cannot be turned into a steel short sword, though a steel
short sword could be transformed into a steel club. Likewise a
quarterstaff could be transformed into a short bow, as they are of a
similar size.

Third, weapons that carry a magical dweomer, even if it is only
temporary (for example, Nystul's magic aura, light, etc.) cannot be
influenced by this spell. Casting it on a magical weapon simply wastes
the spell.

Fourth, the transformed weapon receives no bonuses to attack or damage
rolls, nor is it able to strike creatures that can only be hit by
magical weapons. The altered weapon radiates magic if detected,
however.

Finally, the caster must keep the weapon in hand for the duration of
the spell or else it immediately reverts to its true form. Thus, the
caster cannot pass the weapon to another being, nor can she or he cast
spells that require somatic components or perform actions that require
two hands.

Weapon shift can be negated if subjected to a successful dispel magic
or more powerful effect.

The material component for this spell is the priest's holy symbol.

3rd Level

Humansize (Pr 3; Alteration)

Sphere:           Combat
Range:            Touch
Components:       V, S
Duration:         6 rounds+1 round/level above 5th
Casting Time:     6
Area of Effect:   One halfling
Saving Throw:     None

This spell makes a halfling grow to the size of a human and appear
exactly human  in all ways. Everything the halfling is wearing and
carrying also grows proportionately. A short sword, for example, grows
to the size of a long sword. The spell does not cause the halfling to
be disoriented or clumsy; the recipient is adjusted to and in control
of the larger body as if it were normal-sized. The larger halfling also
gains two additional points of Strength. If the halfling's Strength
goes above 18, it goes to the first percentile rank on Table 1:
Strength in the Player's Handbook, becoming effectively 18/01. The true
race of humansized halflings cannot be discovered except through the
use of true seeing. If the casting priest cast the spell on himself or
herself, she or he can return to normal at will. If the spell is cast
on another, that halfling remains humansized until the spell expires.

Sparkling Sword (Pr 3; Evocation)

Sphere:           Combat
Range:            0
Components:       V, S, M
Duration:         1 round or 5 rounds+1 round/level above 5th
Casting Time:     6
Area of Effect:   The caster's melee weapon
Saving Throw:     None

When this spell is cast on the priest's melee weapon (usually a sword
in the case of specialty priests of Arvoreen), it takes on a bright,
sparkling silver glow. There are two applications for the spell, and
only one can be used for a particular casting:

(1) The round following the spell's casting for 1 round and one attack,
    the caster gains a +2 bonus to attack rolls and a +3 bonus to
    damage rolls with the weapon on which sparkling sword has been
    cast. The spell allows the caster to strike creatures hit only by
    +2 or better magical weapons. If the attack misses, the spell is
    wasted.

(2) The caster gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls and a +1 bonus to
    damage rolls with the weapon on which sparkling sword has been
    cast. This effect lasts for 5 rounds plus 1 round for each
    experience level above 6th the caster has. The spell allows the
    caster to strike creatures hit only by +1 or better magical
    weapons.

When either version of the spell expires, the weapon on which it is
cast must succeed at an item saving throw vs. crushing blow or be
ruined. If there is 10 gp or more worth of silver in the weapon or its
hilt or decorations, the weapon receives a +2 bonus on the saving
throw.

The material component is a pinch of sulfur, which is tossed upon the
weapon.

4th Level

Blazing Sword (Pr 4; Evocation)

Sphere:           Combat
Range:            0
Components:       V, S, M
Duration:         1 round or 4 rounds+1 round/level above 7th
Casting Time:     7
Area of Effect:   The caster's melee weapon
Saving Throw:     None

When this spell is cast on the priest's melee weapon (usually a sword
in the case of specialty priests of Arvoreen), it takes on a bright,
sparkling silver glow. There are two applications for the spell, and
only one can be used for a particular casting:

(1) The round following the spell's casting for 1 round and one attack,
    the caster gains a +3 bonus to attack rolls and a +5 bonus to
    damage rolls with the weapon on which blazing sword has been cast.
    The spell allows the caster to strike creatures hit only by +3 or
    better magical weapons.  If the attack misses, the spell is wasted.

(2) The caster gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls and a +2 bonus to
    damage rolls with the weapon on which blazing sword has been cast.
    This effect lasts for 4 rounds plus 1 round for each experience
    level above 7th the caster has. The spell allows the caster to
    strike creatures hit only by +1 or better magical weapons.

When either version of the spell expires, the weapon on which it is
cast must succeed at an item saving throw vs. crushing blow or be
ruined. If there is 10 gp or more worth of silver in the weapon or its
hilt or decorations, the weapon receives a +2 bonus on the saving
throw.

The material component is a pinch of sulfur, which is tossed upon the
weapon.

5th Level

Giantsize (Pr 5; Alteration)

Sphere:           Combat
Range:            Touch
Components:       V, S
Duration:         9 rounds+1 round/level above 9th
Casting Time:     8
Area of Effect:   One halfling
Saving Throw:     None

This spell makes a halfling grow to the size of a hill giant and appear
exactly like a hill giant; however, the halfling's Armor Class does not
change, as the halfling lacks a real hill giant's tough hide.
Everything the halfling is wearing and carrying also grows
proportionately. A short sword, for example, grows to the size of a
bastard sword (which a giant could wield for full effect with one
hand). The  spell does not cause the halfling to be disoriented or
clumsy; the recipient is adjusted to and in control of the larger body
as if it were normal-sized. The halfling's Strength become 19 for the
duration of the spell. The true race of giantsized halflings cannot be
discovered except through the use of true seeing. If the casting priest
cast the spell on himself or herself, she or he can return to normal at
will. If the spell is cast on another, that halfling remains giantsized
until the spell expires.

Brandobaris
-----------

(Master of Stealth, Misadventure, the Trickster,
the Irrepressible Scamp, the Friendly Rapscallion)

Lesser Power  of the Planes, N

PORTFOLIO:             Stealth, thievery, adventuring, halfling rogues
ALIASES:               Kaldair Swiftfoot, otherwise none widespread
DOMAIN  NAME:          Wanders
SUPERIOR:              Yondalla
ALLIES:                Baervan Wildwanderer, Baravar Cloakshadow,
                       Dugmaren  Brightmantle, Erevan Ilesere, Garl
                       Glittergold, Haela Brightaxe, Mask, Quorlinn,
                       Vergadain, the halfling pantheon
FOES:                  Abbathor, Beshaba, Urdlen, Vaprak
SYMBOL:                Halfling's footprint
WOR. ALIGN.:           Any

Brandobaris (BRAN-doe-BARE-iss) is the master of adventure and
misadventure, a favorite of halfling adventurers. Tales of the
Trickster's wild exploits are almost beyond counting. The followers of
Brandobaris, as might be expected, are mostly thieves and
fighter/thieves. The more ardent followers are usually also the ones to
take the greatest risks on adventures, and the Master of Stealth views
them almost as favored apprentices.

Brandobaris is the errant rogue of the halfling pantheon, regarded with
exasperated tolerance by his fellows. Only Tymora regularly accompanies
the Trickster on his jaunts, and Lady Luck and the Master of Stealth
are said (by halflings) to be romantically linked. Conversely,
Brandobaris is routinely cursed by Beshaba, but, for the Trickster at
least, Tymora's favor always seems to prevail over the Maid of
Misfortune in the end. Brandobaris is an irrepressible scamp who gets
along well with most powers who can let themselves smile at his antics.
Helm and Torm are notable exceptions, and even Arvoreen finds his
patience tried at times by the Trickster.  Brandobaris is a good friend
of Baervan Wildwanderer, Erevan Ilesere, Garl Glittergold, and
Vergadain, and all have accompanied him at one time or another on some
of his many misadventures. Brandobaris and Mask have a healthy rivalry,
although the halfling god of thieves dislikes the Shadowlord's penchant
for cruelty. The Master of Stealth will have nothing to do with
Abbathor, as the Great Master of Greed is literally in the game only
for the gold.

Brandobaris is always ready with a joke or a jug, yet he is such an
agreeable, friendly rapscallion that he rarely makes an enemy. He's
always well dressed and ready with a smart reply to any attempt at
conversation. He has a bawdy sense of humor and little sense of
propriety. Brandobaris often goes on adventures to find some item he
believes wilt make life more comfortable for him, though this does not
always prove to work out as he had planned. The moral lesson of many of
his journeys and scrapes is that it is better not to dash off
unprepared into danger, let alone on foolish dares.  Nonetheless,
Brandobaris does come across as an appealing sort of scamp.  He has
much of the trickster in him; he is primarily a clever thief who fools
his opponents into thinking him harmless, then steals them blind and
escapes (heir wrath. No matter how awful a situation in which he finds
himself (and he's found some pretty awful ones), Brandobaris manages to
find his way out again - and make a profit from the episode as well.

The mischievous Master of Stealth is always on the lockout for a worthy
risk and challenge to face, and he may even seek out a highly skilled
halfling thief or two to join him in some caper as he wanders the
Prime. Other thieves may come along on such jaunts, but if they do not
worship Brandobaris they might find some of their valuables missing
when the adventure is over. Brandobaris reveals his identity only after
the adventure is over, and only to his followers. Brandobaris's
adventures can be exceptionally challenging and dangerous, but hold the
promise of great reward for the fast, the clever, and the quiet!

Brandobaris's Avatar (Thief 30, Ranger 24, Mage 18, Druid 18)

Brandobaris appears as a plump, jolly, cheeky-faced young halfling
dressed in smart leather jerkin, silk blouse, and cotton pants. He
favors spells from the spheres of all, charm, creation, numbers,
protection, sun, and travelers and from the schools of alteration,
enchantment/charm, and illusion/phantasm, although he can cast spells
from any sphere or school.

AC -2; MV 12; HP 190; THAC0 -3; *AT 2 (or 3/1)
Dmg 1d4+10 (dagger +3, +7 STR) or
    1d4+11 (sling of seeking +4 and stone bullet, +7 STR)
MR  60%  (see below); SZ S (4 feet tall)
STR 19, DEX 23, CON 18, INT 20, WIS 18, CHA 22
Spells P: 10/10/9/9/6/4/2, W: 5/5/5/5/5/3/3/2/1
Saves PPDM 2, RSW 1*, PP 4, BW 4, Sp 5

*Includes halfling +5 CON save bonus to a minimum of 1. The CON save
bonus also applies to saves vs. poison to a minimum of 1.

Special Att/Def: Brandobaris wields Vamoose, a dagger +3 that magically
points out the fastest and safest direction of escape from any maze or
trap (making Brandobaris immune to maw spells when holding it). It can
also transform into sling of seeking +4 that hurls a sling bullet or a
ball of dust whenever it is used. The dust ball has a maximum range of
100 yards (25 yards short range, 50 yards medium range) and does not
harm the victim it strikes. The victim feels nothing but must succeed
at a saving throw vs. spell at a  - 6 penalty or fall deeply asleep for
6d6 turns. Sometimes he uses Vamoose and another dagger +3 with no
other known special abilities.  When doing so, his number of attacks
per round is 3/1 rather than 2.

Brandobaris is so skilled at moving silently that he cannot be heard by
any mortal being or god, should he desire to conceal his movements. He
can also hide so well as to be completely invisible (detectable only
with a true seeing spell or some magical item of similar power). The
Master of Stealth has permanent powers of feather fall, free action,
and spider climbing, and he has 90% magic resistance against all
detection spells from the school or sphere of divination. He can be
struck only by +1 or better magical weapons.

Other Manifestations

Brandobaris  rarely manifests, preferring to interact directly with his
worshipers in avatar form. When the Master of Stealth does manifest, it
is usually subtly and the recipient of his beneficence is rarely even
aware of the divine sponsorship of his good fortune. For example, a
halfling thief who blows the use of a thieving skill (such as Climb
Walls or Remove Traps) or an ability check (such as a Dexterity check)
in a potentially fatal situation might find a small protuberance on
which  he can stop his fall, grab a trip wire before it can fully
trigger, or recover his balance before tumbling off a narrow ledge. In
such situations, Brandobaris's manifestation permits a second chance at
the thieving skill or ability check.

An especially daring risk (one that places the halfling in considerable
jeopardy) that pays off is looked upon favorably by Brandobaris. He
might reward the perpetrator of such a daring act - though he does so
only once in that halfling's lifetime, so as not to encourage the
mortal to be too foolhardy. Such rewards commonly take the form of a
manifestation, and the recipient of such might gain the ability to
employ feather fall, free action, spider climb, or a similar spell-like
effect in some future situation.

Brandobaris is served by azmyths, blue jays, boggles, brownies,
campestris, copper dragons, crows, crystal dragons, dobies, ethyks,
faerie dragons, firefriends, firestars, fremlins, kenku, leprechauns,
luck cats, mercury dragons, mice, monkey spiders, pixies,
pseudodragons, raccoons, ravens, snyads, sunflies, and the occasional
tiefling. He demonstrates his favor in the form of footprint marks
leading toward a clue, key, treasure, or the like and by causing
objects to appear in a pocket. The Master of Stealth indicates his
displeasure in the form of footprint marks leading the tracker astray
and by causing objects to disappear from a pocket.

The Church

CLERGY:           Clerics, specialty priests, thieves
CLERGY'S ALIGN.:  NG, CG, N, CN
TURN UNDEAD:      C: Yes, SP: No, T: No
CMND. UNDEAD:     C:No, SP: No, T: No

All clerics (including cleric/thieves, a multiclassed option available
to halfling priests of Brandobaris) and specialty priests (including
specialty priest/thieves) of Brandobaris receive religion (halfling) as
a bonus nonweapon proficiency.

Like Brandobaris himself, the church of misadventure is filled with
appealing scamps who regularly find themselves embroiled in trouble,
but who usually emerge better off than not. Tales of the exploits of
Brandobaris's followers are told and retold in most halfling cultures.
However, despite their fondness for such tales, most halflings would
prefer that the church of Brandobaris keep far away from their own
lives and are personally unwilling to get involved in the
misadventurous capers of the Trickster's entourage.

While most halfling gods are worshiped predominantly in small shrines
within the home or local community and true temples are rare,
Brandobaris is unique in that his church has no actual temples or
permanent shrines at all. The Master of Stealth is honored instead
through adventurous activity and by relating tales of his exploits and
those of his followers. In a sense, a shrine of Brandobaris is
temporarily created whenever a story involving the Trickster is told or
whenever an item commemorating one of his misadventures is brought out
and remembered.

Novices of Brandobaris are known as Wayward Rascals. Full priests of
the Master of Stealth are known as the Hands of Misadventure. In
ascending order of rank, the titles used by Brandobarian priests are
Scamp, Rascal, Swindler, Blackguard, Trickster, Rapscallion, Knave, and
Master Rogue. High-ranking priests have unique individual titles.
Specialty priests are known as misadventurers. The clergy of
Brandobaris includes hairfeet (60%), stouts (30%), and tallfellows
(10%). Brandobaris's clergy includes specialty priests (30%), thieves
(25%), specialty priest/thieves (22%), fighter/thieves (18%), and
clerics (5%). Males (65%) outnumber females (35%).

Dogma: Adventure and risk are the spice of life, and stealth and
subtlety are the tools of the trade. Seek excitement and danger
wherever your feet take you, for risk-taking leads to life's greatest
rewards. Lust for the thrill, not for the treasure, for greed obscures
the true prize of the experience. At the end of the day, the wildest
tale is the greatest reward.  Learn to tell a good yarn, and sometimes
your tongue will get you out of trouble.

Day-to-Day Activities: Members of Brandobaris's clergy are active
adventurers who seek lives of excitement and danger by taking active
risks and by employing the skills taught to them by the Master of
Stealth and his most accomplished apprentices. Most Hands of
Misadventure are stricken with wanderlust, seeking to see as much of
the world as they can. While Brandobaris's priests are often involved
in daring thefts, smooth cons, and other larcenous behavior, they are
thrill-seekers, not bandits.  They are driven by the acquisition of
treasure, not the holding of it, and many benefit their communities by
lavish spending of newly acquired wealth at halfling-owned
establishments. Those who cannot adventure, whether due to age or
infirmity, serve the faith by running safehouses and by spreading
glorious tales among the sedentary majority of the halfling populace.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: As one might expect, followers of
Brandobaris have little in the way of formal ceremony when they
venerate the Master of Stealth. On nights of the new moon, no matter
where they are, followers of Brandobaris are expected to hide one or
more stolen items from the previous month's take in the best hiding
place they can find as part of a ritual known as the Trickster's Tithe.
If Brandobaris is pleased with the offering (which has less to do with
the value of the offering than it does with the amount of risk required
to acquire it), it vanishes from its cache by morning, any the
worshiper is blessed with the Trickster's favor for the following
month. (In game terms, this translates into a +1 bonus on a single
saving throw that must be used within the next month at the character's
discretion.)

Major Centers of Worship:  As noted above, Brandobaris has no true
temples. Instead, the Master of Stealth is worshiped through daring
deeds and wild tales of his exploits.  In some sense, cities and
kingdoms where many of Brandobaris's followers practice their craft -
such as Athkatia, Baldur's Gate, Berdusk, Calimport, Everlund,
Iriaebor, Silverymoon, Riatavin, Waterdeep, and Zazesspur as well as
Amn, Calimshan, Cormyr, Damara, Deepingdale, Luiren, Ravens Bluff,
Tethyr, Turmish, and the Vast - are the Trickster's major centers of
worship.

Legendary sites of Brandobaris's greatest adventures can also be
considered major centers of worship, for many of his followers visit
the settings of the Trickster's tales in simple homage to his daring
and skill and to tell the tales of the Trickster's exploits. One such
tale involves the founding of Luiren, legendary land of the halflings,
centuries ago on the shores of Luirenstrand (also known as Hambone
Bay), long before the fall of Myth Drannor. The founding myths of
Luiren claim that the Lluirwood (now split into the Long Forest, the
Granuin Forest (also known as the southern Lluirwood), and the Gundar
Forest) at that time stretched from the foothills of the Toadsquat
Mountains to the shore of the Great Sea and from the eastern bank of
the River Ammath to the western bank of the River Gundar, incorporating
all the territory that now composes Luiren and Estagund. At that time,
the Lluirwood was inhabited by ogres, whose descendants still populate
the Toadsquat Mountains, and the first Small Folk to settle along the
shores of the Luirenstrand were hard-pressed to defend their homesteads
from the relentless raids of the beast-men. At that time, a young
halfling by the name of Kaldair Swiftfoot - now believed to have been
an avatar of Brandobaris - encountered an avatar of the rapacious and
violent ogre god, Vaprak the Destroyer. For 10 days and nights, Kaldair
toyed with the Destroyer, leading him on a merry chase through a
trap-filled tract of woodlands, but the ogre god could not kill or
capture the elusive halfling rogue nor could Kaldair permanently thwart
Vaprak's murderous designs on the halflings of the region. Finally
Vaprak collapsed of exhaustion, while Kaldair danced about him and
taunted the ogre god for his weakness. In his rage, the Destroyer
hurled trees ripped from the ground at the elusive halfling, but to no
avail. Kaldair then proposed a feat of strength - uprooting a tree
without breaking the roots - with the loser withdrawing to the
mountains and the victor claiming the forest, and Vaprak readily
agreed. The Destroyer went first, ripping the great hardwoods from the
forest floor, but he failed to remove a single tree without tearing
apart its root structure. Kaldair, on the other hand, succeeded on his
first attempt after carefully dislodging a tiny sapling with a single
taproot.  Vaprak roared in fury at the trick, but the ogre god had no
choice but to concede defeat and adhere to the terms of the contest,
for to do otherwise would simply add to his humiliation. The ogres then
withdrew to the mountains and the halflings settled the forest glades.
To this day, when a great tree falls to the ground outside the town of
Beluir, a region known as Vaprak's Glade, a follower of Brandobaris
sits on the trunk and relates the tale of Luiren's founding to the next
generation of Small Folk, seeking to inspire them to pursue a life of
adventure.

Affiliated Orders: The Midknights of Misadventure are an informal
fellowship composed primarily of halfling clerics and fighter/thieves.
While hardly a formal military order, small bands of Midknights perform
jailbreaks and other rescue operations in situations where an
imprisoned follower of Brandobaris faces death or torture and escaping
without assistance is very unlikely. The composition and membership of
a particular band varies widely, but half a dozen or so Midknights of
widely varying skills and abilities are typically available at any
given time in cities or regions with sizable halfling populations.

Priestly Vestments: Given the informal nature of the church of
Brandobaris, regular adventuring gear serves as the ceremonial garb of
priests of the Master of Stealth. For most priests, this includes
leather armor, a cloak in a subdued hue, and when feeling particularly
jaunty, a feathered cap of some sort. The holy symbol of the faith is a
small purloined object of great value that the priest has personally
blessed, typically a gold or platinum coin or jewel of some sort.

Adventuring Garb: Brandobaris's priests favor leather armor, or, in
very rare cases when they can acquire it, silenced elven chain mail.
They employ the weapons and tools of the trade, favoring clubs,
daggers, knives, slings, and short swords for situations where combat
cannot be avoided.

Specialty Priests (Misadventurers)

REQUIREMENTS:           Dexterity 13, Wisdom 9
PRIME REQ.:             Dexterity, Wisdom
ALIGNMENT:              NG, N, CN
WEAPONS:                Club, dagger, dart, hand crossbow, knife, lasso,
                        sap, short sword, sling, staff
ARMOR:                  Leather, padded leather, studded leather, or
                        elven chain mail; no shield
MAJOR SPHERES:          All, charm, chaos, creation, divination,
                        healing, protection, sun, travelers
MINOR SPHERES:          Animal, combat, guardian, time
MAGICAL ITEMS:          As clerics and thieves
REQ. PROFS:             Tumbling, ventriloquism
BONUS  PROFS:           Disguise, gaming

* Misadventurers must be halflings. Most misadventurers are hairfeet,
  but they can be of any halfling subrace.

* Misadventurers are allowed to multiclass as misadventurer/thieves.

* Misadventurers  may select nonweapon  proficiencies from the rogue
  group without penalty.

* Misadventurers understand and use thieves' cant.

* Single-class misadventurers have limited thieving skills as defined
  in the Limited  Thieving  Skills section of "Appendix  1: Demihuman
  Priests." Multiclassed misadventurer/thieves receive no extra
  thieving skill points or bonuses for their misadventurer class; their
  thieving skills are based solely off their thief class.

* Misadventurers can cast feather fall or spider climb (as the
  1st-level wizard spells) once per day.

* At 3rd level, misadventurers can cast find traps or silence ,15'
  radius (as 1 the 2nd level priest spells) once per day.

* At 3rd level, misadventurers can create an illusionary calling card
  once a day. This calling card is the illusion of a simple item,
  whether it be a white glove, silk scarf, or rose. Upon its creation,
  the item must be immediately placed in a fixed location or it fades
  away into nothingness.  Once placed, the illusionary item does not
  move or disappear until touched by a sentient being (animal
  intelligence or greater) other than the caster. Once touched, a
  calling card instantly melts away into nothingness.

  Much like a wizard's sigil, the calling card of a priest of
  Brandobaris is unique to that individual within the faith. Each
  acolyte of the Master of Stealth must choose an illusionary item to
  be created by this spell the first time calling card is cast. Once
  chosen, the type of object created can never be changed. Coiling
  cards are typically left behind at the scene of the crime to take
  oblique credit for the theft.

  For every three levels above 3rd, a misadventurer can create an
  additional calling card per day.

* At 5th level, misadventurers can cast invisibility or knock (as the
  2nd-level wizard spells) once per day. They gain the potential to do
  this once more per day at 15th level.

* At 7th level, misadventurers can cast deeppockets (as the 2nd-level
  wizard spell) once per day.

* At 10th level, misadventurers can cast fumble (as the 4th-level
  wizard spell) or undetectable lie (as the reverse of the 4th-level
  priest spell detect lie) once per day.

* At 13th level, misadventurers can cast legend lore (as the 6th-level
  wizard spell) once per tenday.

Brandobarian Spells

1st Level

Daydream   (Pr 1; Phantasm)

Sphere:           Creation
Range:            20 yards+10 yards/level
Components:       S, M
Duration:         1 round/level
Casting Time:     4
Area of Effect:   One creature
Saving Throw:     Neg.

This spell causes the target's thoughts to drift away from the task at
  hand, diminishing his or her chance of noticing anything unusual. For
the duration of the daydream effect, small clues or discrepancies are
blithely ignored, and only obvious events are noted, as adjudicated by
the DM. A successful saving throw vs. spell negates the daydream. If
the casting of the daydream was done discreetly, regardless of whether
the saving throw was made or not, the target does not even realize that
a spell was cast.

While under the effects of a daydream, the target is penalized by 10%
on any checks related to perception or observation. Thus checks for
surprise are made with a -1 penalty, thief skill checks to move
silently and hide in shadows are made with a +10% with respect to the
subject of the daydream.  Intelligence checks to notice or observe
anything unusual are made with a -2 penalty, etc. If and when the
target does notice anything unusual, the daydream effect comes to an
immediate end.

The material components are the priest's holy symbol and a pinch of
fine sand.

2nd Level

Charm of Brandobaris (Pr 2; Alteration)

Sphere:           Travelers
Range:            0
Components:       v
Duration:         1 day/level
Casting Time:     1
Area of Effect:   1d4 beings in a 30-foot radius
Saving Throw:     Neg.

This spell is useful when the caster has been captured. The spell
convinces one to four target creatures that the caster is too valuable
a prize to execute (or eat) out of hand. It creates lingering doubts in
the targets' minds that make them think that the caster is worth
ransoming, that higher authorities should be consulted, or in the case
of evil beings, that it might be more fun to forcibly interrogate the
caster later. In any case, the net effect is that the caster is not
immediately killed, thus allowing for a possible escape.  Even
creatures of animal intelligence or less are more easily distracted
from the caster - for example, other creatures available for
consumption will be eaten first.

Charm of Brandobaris does not affect the caster's ability to
communicate with his or her captors, nor does it otherwise alter their
behavior: It does not, for example, make guards less watchful than
usual.

The effect is centered on the caster, and it affects beings selected by
the caster within the area of effect. If the spell is cast at three or
four beings, each gets a normal saving throw vs. spell. If only two
beings are to be affected, each has a saving throw penalty of -1. If
the spell is cast at one being, the saving throw has a -2 penalty.
Saving throws are adjusted for Wisdom.

The verbal component of this spell varies according to the situation,
but typically charm of Brandobaris is invoked with an apropos comment
along the lines of: "This isn't exactly what it looks like ..." or "Let
me explain ..."

3rd Level

Stealth of Brandobaris (Pr 3; Alteration)

Sphere:           Guardian
Range:            0
Components:       S,M
Duration:         1 turn + 1 round/level
Casting Time:     6
Area of Effect:   The caster
Saving Throw:     None

When this spell is cast, the priest temporarily gains the ability to
move silently and hide in shadows as a thief of his or her level as
found on Table 19: Thief Average Ability Table in the DUNGEON MASTER
Guide (or Table 18: Ranger Abilities in the Player's Handbook).
Dexterity and racial adjustments apply, as do armor penalties. If the
caster is a multiclassed priest/thief or a specialty priest of
Brandobaris, his or her chance of success when using either skill is
instead increased by 20%. Stealth of Brandobaris is canceled if exposed
to a successful dispel magic or similar power.

The material component is the priest's holy symbol.

Cyrrollalee
-----------

(The Hand of Fellowship, the Faithful, the Hearthkeeper)

Intermediate Power of Mount Celestia, LG

PORTFOLIO:             Friendship, trust, the home, the hearth,
                       honesty, hospitality, crafts (especially weaving
                       and needlework)
ALIASES:               None widespread
DOMAIN  NAME:          Venya/Green Fields
SUPERIOR:              Yondalla
ALLIES:                Azuth, Chauntea, Deneir, Eldath, Gond,
                       Hathor, Helm, Ilmater, Kelemvor, Lathander,
                       Lliira, Mielikki, Milil, Mystra, Nephthys,
                       Oghma,  Selune, Shaundakul, Silvanus, Sune,
                       Torm, Tyr, Waukeen, the Morndinsamman
                       (except Abbathor, Deep Duerra, Laduguer, and
                       Vergadain), the elf pantheon (except Erevan
                       Ilesere, Fenmarel Mestarine, and Shevarash),
                       the gnome pantheon (except Baravar
                       Cloakshadow  and Urdlen), the halfling
                       pantheon
FOES:                  Abbathor, Cyric, Leira (dead), Mask, Talona,
                       Talos and the gods of fury (Auril, Malar, and
                       Umberlee), Urdlen, Vhaeraun
SYMBOL:                Open door
WOR. ALIGN.:           LG, NG, CG, LN

Cyrrollalee (SEER-oh-LAH-lee) is the halfling power of friendship and
trust. She is also a protective deity, like Yondalla, but whereas the
concern of the Protector and Provider lies with the overall race,
Cyrrollalee cares more for the sanctity of the home itself. The
Hearthkeeper is specifically a goddess who protects the hearth and home
while keeping the inhabitants from being too defensive and closed in.
She oversees many of the mundane and day-to-day aspects of halfling
home life. Her real interest is in the hospitality, generosity, and
kindness halflings can show to others, and she is most displeased with
those who fail to display proper hospitality and good fellowship. Her
worst enemies are those who betray the trust of a host or who break
into homes (of halflings) to steal. She is also the enemy of
oath-breakers. Cyrrollalee's followers are largely regular halflings as
well as a few warriors.

As a power of trust who embodies the spirit of good fellowship and
friendship, Cyrrollalee is the halfling deity who has the largest
number of good relations with deities of other races. Some believe her
to be an aspect of Yondalla rather than a separate entity, but in
truth, the two are closely allied but distinct goddesses. The Hand of
Fellowship is allied with the rest of the halfling pantheon as well,
particularly Arvoreen and Sheela Peryroyl, but she is ever wary of the
antics of Brandobaris and Tymora. Although Cyrrollalee is by nature
very forgiving and friendly, the Hand of Fellowship has despaired of
certain powers ever changing their ways.  She regularly opposes the
machinations of those powers that inflict destruction upon the home -
such as Talona, the Gods of Fury, and Urdlen, those powers who
habitually lie or deceive - such as Cyric, Leira, and Mask, and those
gods who steal from the home - such as Abbathor, Mask, and Vhaeraun.

As a rule, Cyrrollalee is warm, friendly, and welcoming, and even
nondivine beings feel comfortable in her presence. Her words and her
touch are always gentle, and she never raises her voice in anger.
Cyrrollalee does not get too involved in the day-to-day lives other
followers except on a small level, watching over everyday events of the
home. Naturally, she hates liars, swindlers, and (especially) thieves
who would break into a person's home. If roused, she can be a most
fearsome foe indeed; any halfling whose burrow has been violated knows
the feeling of Cyrrollalee's fury swelling within him. Cyrrollalee does
not often send her avatars to the Prime; this is usually only done in
response to major oath-breaking, to punish the offender. When she does
visit the Prime, Cyrrollalee sometimes takes the form of a stooped
halfling of indeterminate years, worn by poverty and work into a frail
shell. In this guise, she often visits halfling burrows to see if the
inhabitants are truly hospitable; woe to the family that turns her
away!

Cyrrollalees Avatar (Cleric 32, Paladin 25, Wizard 28)

Cyrrollalee appears as a humble female halfling of homely appearance,
the brown of her peasant's clothing matching that of her hair. She
favors spells from the spheres of all, animal, charm, creation,
guardian, healing, law, protection, summoning, and wards and from the
schools of abjuration, alteration, and enchantment/charm, although she
can cast spells from any sphere or school.

AC -3; MV 12; HP 203; THAC0 -4; #AT 2/1
Dmg 1d6+1 (quarterstaff +1, +1 STR)
MR 75%; SZ S (4 feet tall)
STR 16, DEX 19, CON 19, INT 20, WIS 24, CHA 21
Spells P: 14/13/13/12/12/11/8, W: 6/6/6/6/6/6/6/6/6
Saves* PPDM 1, RSW 1**, PP 2, BW 2, Sp 2

*Includes +2 bonus to saving throws to a minimum of 1.
**Includes halfling +5 CON save bonus to a minimum of 1. The CON save
bonus also applies to saves vs. poison to a minimum of 1.

Special Att/Def: Cyrrollalee wields Camaradestave, a quarterstaff +1
that charms, as the 4th-level wizard spell charm monster, any creature
it strikes who fails a saving throw vs. spell. She carries two pairs of
iron bands of Bilarro that possess half the usual escape probability.

Cyrrollalee is affected only by weapons of +2 or better enchantment.
She is cloaked in a permanent mantle equivalent to Screen's spell
immunity.  She detects lies automatically, and she can manifest a
30-foot radius mantle with the effects of a zone of truth (as the
2nd-level priest spell) that moves with her, at will. Three times per
day, Cyrrollalee can animate any or all objects within a 60-foot radius
at will for as long as she wishes, as the 6th-level priest spell
animate object, and any such animated object remains animated and
continues to serve her will even if she leaves the area.

Other Manifestations

Cyrrollalee manifests in many ways, both large and small, to aid or
gently instruct her followers. When a follower is about to be burgled
or cheated, she often manifests as a chill sense of foreboding and an
intuition that something is wrong within the home. If offended by the
dishonesty of someone speaking with one of her priests, the
Hearthkeeper may manifest as a zone of truth in which no saving throw
is allowed to avoid its effects. When the life of a defenseless
worshiper is threatened by someone who has entered his or her home,
Cyrrollalee often manifests by animating, as the 6th-level priest spell
animate object, one or more objects to drive off the home invader.

Cyrrollalee is served by aasimon, archons, asuras, baku, bronze
dragons, brown cats, brown dogs, brownies, bumblebees, campestris, cave
crickets, dobies, einheriar, formians, friendly fungi, giant sundews,
guardian nagas, hollyphants, house hunters, incarnates of charity,
faith, and justice, killmoulis, ki-rin, lammasu, maruts, noctrals,
oathbinder genies, pers, porcupines, skunks, sprites, squirrels,
sunflies, tressym, t'uen-rin, and woodchucks.  She demonstrates her
favor through the discovery of small household chores completed by
unknown hands, with warm breezes in winter and cool breezes in summer,
with baking aromas that waft through a room, with small fires that
appear in the hearth for a few moments without consuming any visible
fuel, and with doors that swing open untouched.  The Hand of Fellowship
indicates her displeasure by the sound of clanging pots, the sudden
slamming of a door, or a sudden chill felt by a worshiper when he or
she shakes the hand of a liar, cheat, or thief.

The Church

CLERGY:          Clerics, mystics, specialty priests
CLERGY'S ALIGN.: LG, NG, CG, LN
TURN UNDEAD:     C: Yes, Mys: No, SP: Yes, see specialty priest description
CMND. UNDEAD:    C: No, Mys: No, SP: No

All clerics, mystics, and specialty priests of Cyrrollalee receive
religion (halfling) as a bonus nonweapon proficiency.

Cyrrollalee's faith is little known outside of halfling communities,
but the fruits of her teachings and the efforts of her priesthood are
in large part responsible for the halfling way of life that is so
admired by other races.

Among halflings, Cyrrollalee is quietly appreciated by all and quietly
venerated by those who build homes and families. Many invocations to
her are day-to-day minor oaths and fussing by busy halflings, but
underlying such daily minutia is a solid core of faithful veneration.
While halfling adventurers, particularly those drawn to the errant ways
of Brandobaris and Tymora, may tease devout followers of the
Hearthkeeper for their sedentary habits and quiet lives, in most cases
such wayfarers were raised in homes whose inhabitants performed monthly
oblations and, in truth, they too continue to give quiet thanks to the
Hand of Fellowship on the first day of every month.

Typically the manse of the local priest of Cyrrollalee serves the
surrounding halfling community as both a temple and as a home away from
home. As such, there is little to differentiate such structures or
burrows from those that surround a Cyrrollaleen house of worship. One
distinguishing feature of any temple dedicated to the Hearthkeeper is
that the entrance door is always open whenever at least one priest is
in residence.  Halflings unable to return to their own beds for the
night are always welcome to stay for a night at such temple-homes, and
Cyrrollaleen churches along major trade routes serve as de facto
halfling hostels.

Novices of Cyrrollalee are known as the Befriended. Full priests of the
Hand of Fellowship are known as Homefellows. In ascending order of rank
the titles used by Cyrrollaleen priests are Cheery Homemaker, Hearth
Warden, Hand of Friendship, Hale Host (or Hostess), Homespun Companion,
Neighborly Householder, Open Door, and Burrow Patriarch (or Matriarch).
High-ranking priests have unique individual titles. Specialty priests
are known as homesteaders. The clergy of Cyrrollalee includes hairfeet
(65%), stouts (25%), and tallfellows (10%). Cyrrollalee's clergy is
nearly evenly divided between specialty priests (35%), mystics (34%),
and clerics (31%). Females (85%) far outnumber males (15%)

Dogma: Be generous in friendship, and welcome all friends into your
home. Earn the trust of your neighbors and repay them with kindness.
Guard fiercely the burrows in which you and your friends dwell, and
keep a benignly watchful eye on the home of your neighbor. Never betray
the trust of your host, break an oath, or violate the sanctity of
another's home. Busy hands make a happy home, and things Grafted with
love will serve you and others well.

Day-to-Day Activities: Whereas Yondalla's priests are often the visible
leadership of a small halfling community, Cyrrollalee's priesthood are
the quiet caretakers and nurturers of halfling society, serving their
charges with generous hearts and graceful friendship. As such, their
role is often overlooked, but their absence is sorely noted.
Cyrrollalee's priests are specifically defenders of the home, and they
view their role as both protecting the home from outside threats and
cultivating the familial bonds of those who dwell within. In addition,
Homefellows oversee the drawing up of contracts and agreements of all
kinds, and they also look after and educate young halflings. The
priesthood is quite a homely and prosaic one, not an adventuring
priesthood.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies:  Worship services for Cyrrollalee are
held on the first day of each month, known in halfling communities as
Hearthday. Devout halflings gather in the home of one of their fellow
parishioners, rotating to a different dwelling in the local community
each month.  The Hand of Fellowship asks for nothing in the way of
propitiation aside from simple prayers requesting her blessing.
Friendship among her worshipers is considered the highest praise one
can raise to her name.

Major Centers of Worship: The Grapevine's Root, located in the Purple
Hills of Tethyr on a low, wide knoll overlooking the town of Vineshade,
is a sprawling cloistral villa built in the heart of a great vineyard.
Cyrrollalee's rustic temple consists of half a dozen open courtyards
surrounded by covered walks with open colonnades overgrown with
grapevines and wisteria on either side. At the intersections of the
orthogonal cloisters are small circular chapels with domed roofs.
Within each quadrangular acre, Cyrrollaleen priests and their families
dwell amidst the grapevines in small, homey burrows forming small
neighborhoods within the greater temple community. Administering the
clergy of the Grapevine's Root like an extended, multigenerational
family is Enduring Vintage Glissando Homebody.  Glissando has lived
amidst the Purple Hills for over three centuries already, and this
venerable halfling matriarch with the tightly wrapped silver bun has
never lost her sweet smile or generous heart despite presiding over
half a dozen generations of joy and sorrow, glad tidings and tragedy.
The temple is justly famous for its homegrown vintage, Cyrrojubilee,
but the role its priests play in nurturing halfling home life in the
hamlets scattered throughout the region is arguably the priesthood's
more important role. Cyrrollaleen acolytes based in the Grapevine's
Root visit parishioners the length and breadth of Tethyr's County
Vintor, and their efforts are largely responsible for the close knit,
familial feel of the local culture.

Affiliated Orders: The Cyrrollaleen church currently has no affiliated
knightly orders, choosing to rely on militant priests and warriors
affiliated with the faiths of Yondalla and Arvoreen. According to the
church's oldest archives, previous halfling diasporas that led to the
settlement of new lands by the Small Folk were preceded by small bands
of scouts sent by the elders of the Hearthkeeper's faith to seek out
likely regions for colonization. Tales of their exploits have faded
into legend, however, as it has been many centuries since the last
hordelike wave - as opposed to the creeping expansion that is now the
norm - of halfling settlement.

Priestly Vestments: The ceremonial garb of Cyrrollalee's priesthood is
the rustic clothing of halfling peasants, devoid of ostentatious
display.  Typically Homefellows wear simple brown habits bound with a
deep golden or muted green girdle, and keep their heads and feet bare.
The holy symbol of the faith is a carved wooden acorn, often hung on a
leather cord around the neck.

Adventuring Garb: Members of Cyrrollalee's clergy adventure only in
extremis, preferring to stay close at home if at all possible and
within the bounds of civilization at all costs. When expecting their
homes to be attacked or if travel through a region of some danger is
required, Homefellows garb themselves in the best armor available,
usually leather or padded armor. As no particular weapon is associated
with Cyrrollalee, her followers tend to select one of the handful of
weapons commonly associated with halfling village militias. Clubs,
staves, slings, and staff-slings are common.

Specialty Priests (Homesteaders)

REQUIREMENTS:          Charisma 9, Wisdom 9
PRIME REQ.:            Charisma, Wisdom
ALIGNMENT:             LG
WEAPONS:               All bludgeoning (wholly Type B) weapons
ARMOR:                 Any
MAJOR SPHERES:         All, animal, charm, creation, divination,
                       guardian, healing, law, protection, wards
MINOR SPHERES:         Combat, necromantic, plant, sun, travelers
MAGICAL ITEMS:         As clerics
REQ. PROFS:            Cooking, weaving
BONUS PROFS:           Etiquette, fire-building, local history,
                       seamstress/tailor

* Homesteaders must be halflings, but they can be of any halfling
  subrace.

* Homesteaders are not allowed to multiclass.

* Homesteaders turn undead at two levels lower than their actual level
  when outside a home, at their level when inside a home, and at two
  levels higher than their level when inside a halfling home. For these
  purposes, a home is a dwelling in which beings of at least low
  intelligence live, though they may not be currently on the premises.
  A home implies at least a semipermanent status. An adventurer's
  campsite would not count as a home, but a tent in the camp of a nomad
  clan would.

* Homesteaders can cast detect evil and protection from evil (as the
  1st-level priest spells) once per day each.

* At 3rd level, homesteaders can cast friends and mending (as the
  1st-level wizard spells) and sanctuary (as the 1st-level priest
  spell) once per day each.

* At 5th level, homesteaders can cast detect lie (as the 4th-level
  priest spell), zone of truth (as the 2nd-level priest spell), or
  knock (as the 2nd-level wizard spell) once per day.

* At 7th level, homesteaders can cast emotion (friendship or hope) (as
  the 4th-level wizard spell) or wall of force (as the 5th-level wizard
  spell) once per day.

* At 10th level, homesteaders receive a +3 bonus to saving throws vs.
  nonmagical or magical fear.

* At 10th level, homesteaders can cast word of recall (as the 6th-level
  priest spell) twice per tenday.

* At 13th level, homesteaders can cast succor (as the 7th-level priest
  spell) twice per tenday.

* At 13th level, homesteaders can cast symbol (of persuasion) (as the
  7th- level priest spell) twice per tenday.

Cyrrollaleen Spells

1st Level

Comforts of Home (Pr 1; Phantasm)

Sphere:            Travelers
Range:             Touch
Components:        V, S, M
Duration:          8 hours
Casting Time:      1 round
Area of Effect:    Creature touched
Saving Throw:      None

This simple spell allows a willing recipient to pamper himself or
herself with all the com/orts of home. For the duration of the spell,
even the most meager trail rations warm the belly like a favorite
home-cooked meal, the hard-packed ground feels like a soft, warm bed,
upon awakening the recipient feels like she or he has bathed and
changed into a fresh, clean set of clothes, etc. While this spell does
not alter the reality of the recipient's current environment, it does
alter his or her perception of that environment, mitigating the
psychological rigors of travel.

This spell does provide two tangible benefits: Any night's sleep had
while under the effects of this spell is equivalent to complete bed
rest, allowing the recipient of the comforts of home to heal 3 points
of damage for the day and be fully rested for the purpose of praying
for spells.

The material component is the priest's holy symbol.

2nd Level

Seal of Cyrrollalee (Pr 2; Alteration)

Sphere:             Law
Range:              Touch
Components:         V,S,M
Duration:           Special
Casting Time:       Special
Area of Effect:     Two or more creatures
Saving Throw:       None

This spell can only be cast on two or more willing creatures who wish
to make a pledge or contract with each other overseen by Cyrrollalee. A
seal of Cyrrollalee ceremony requires each participant to swear an oath
governing his or her future behavior or deeds (thus the variable
casting time), and if the oaths so sworn are acceptable to all
participating parties during the casting of the spell, requires each
participant to uphold his or her oath or face very severe consequences.
This spell fails if any party is not a willing participant, is under
the effects of a charm spell (or similar effect or ability), or is not
in his or her right mind, as adjudicated by the DM.

If any party should fail to meet the terms of the successfully cast
seal of Cyrrollalee due to factors beyond his or her control and
despite his or her best efforts, the participant who broke his or her
oath suffers from the effects of a curse spell (as the reverse of the
1st-level priest spell bless) until such time as she or he receives an
atonement cast by a priest of Cyrrollalee.

If any party should deliberately fail to meet the terms of the
successfully cast seal of Cyrrollalee, Cyrrollalee's wrath afflicts the
oathbreaker by reducing one ability of the victim to 3 (the DM randomly
determines which ability), as one of several possible effects of bestow
curse (the reverse of the 3rd-level priest spell remove curse).
Cyrrollalee's wrath persists until such time as the oath breaker makes
amends for his or her broken pledge and receives an atonement cast by a
priest of Cyrrollalee.

The material component is the priest's holy symbol.

4th Level

Improved Sanctuary (Pr 4; Alteration)

Sphere:            Protection
Range:             0
Components:        V, S, M
Duration:          2 rounds+1 round/level
Casting Time:      7
Area  of Effect:   Friendly creatures in a 30-foot radius
Saving Throw:      None

When the priest casts an improved sanctuary spell, those friendly
creatures in the area of effect the instant the spell is completed
receive the effect of the 1st-level priest spell sanctuary. Any
opponent attempting to strike or otherwise directly attack a protected
creature must roll a saving throw vs. spell at a -1 penalty. (This
penalty increases by -1 per every four levels the caster is above 7th
to a maximum of 3: -2 at 11th, -3 at 14, etc.) If the saving throw is
successful, the opponent can attack normally and is unaffected by that
casting of the spell. If the saving throw fails, the opponent loses
track of and totally ignores the warded creatures for the duration of
the spell. Those not attempting to attack the subject remain
unaffected. Note that this spell does not prevent the operation of area
attacks (fireball, ice storm, and so on). While protected by this
spell, subjects cannot take direct offensive action without breaking
the spell, but they may use nonattack spells or otherwise act in any
way that does not violate the prohibition against offensive action.
This allows a warded priest to heal wounds, for example, or to bless,
perform an augury, chant, cast a light in the area (not upon an
opponent!), and so on.

The material components are the priest's holy symbol and a small silver
mirror.

Sheela Peryroyl
---------------

(Green Sister, the Wise, the Watchful Mother)

Intermediate Power of the Outlands, N

PORTFOLIO:              Nature, agriculture, weather, song, dance,
                        beauty, romantic love
ALIASES:                None widespread
DOMAIN  NAME;           Outlands/Flowering Hill
SUPERIOR:               Yondalla
ALLIES:                 Aerdrie Faenya, Angharradh, Baervan
                        Wildwanderer, Chauntea, Hanali Celanil, Isis,
                        Mielikki, Rillifane Rallithil, Segojan
                        Earthcaller, Sharindlar, Shiallia, Silvanus,
                        various Animal Lords, the halfling pantheon
FOES:                   Talos and the gods of fury (Auril, Umberlee,
                        and Malar), Talona, Moander (dead), Urdlen
SYMBOL:                 Daisy
WOR. ALIGN.:            LG, NG, CG, LN, N, CN

Sheela Peryroyl (SHEE-lah PAlR-ree-roil) is the halfling goddess of
agriculture, nature, and weather. She balances the concern for wild
untamed lands and habitats with strong roles as a goddess of
cultivation, seasons, and especially harvests.  She is also concerned
with the pleasures of life - feasts, revelry, romance, and the general
desire to live with passion. Her followers often wear a small flower in
her honor and strive to work in harmony with nature and the earth.

The image of Sheela is often mixed, almost interchangeably, with
Yondalla herself. Some hold that Sheela and Yondalla are different
aspects of the same goddess, but in truth, they are simply closely
allied. Sheela is on good terms with the rest of the halfling pantheon,
particularly Urogalan in his aspect as Lord in the Earth, as well as
other nonhalfling powers concerned with nature, agriculture, weather,
and the balance between them.  Sheela's concern with finding a middle
ground between civilization and pristine nature sometimes results in
her being called on to mediate between other powers such as Silvanus
and Waukeen or even the Oak Father and Chauntea. Sheela strongly
opposes those powers she sees as corruptive distortions of the natural
way, such as the Gods of Fury and Moander.

Sheela is generally quiet, although she's rarely seen without a smile
on her face and a dance in her eyes. At other times, Sheela is laughing
and just generally delighted by life. Though she appears naive, even
simple, she can wield great powers of nature magic. Sheela is sometimes
credited with creating many species of flowers and has a strong
aesthetic sense. When she sings she causes flowers to bloom, trees to
bud, and seeds to sprout, and living plants to grow and flower in her
wake as she walks along the earth.  Sheela brings good weather to her
favored worshipers but can easily send drought or floods to those who
worship her poorly. Sheela dispatches an avatar to counter any main
threat to halfling land (not just halfling people or homes). She is
greatly angered by wanton despoiling of nature, and her avatar pursues
offenders in order to punish them.

Sheelas Avatar (Druid 30, Mystic 25, Mage 21, Ranger 18)

Sheela appears as a pretty young halfling maiden dressed in garlands of
wildflowers with brilliant flowers in her hair. She favors spells from
the spheres of all, animal, divination, elemental, healing, plant, sun,
travelers, and weather and from the schools of elemental air, earth,
and water, although she can cast spells from any sphere or school.

AC -3; MV 12; HP 192; THAC0 2; *AT 2/1 (or 3/1)
Dmg 1d6+5 (quaiterstaff +4, +1 STR)
MR 75%; SZ S (4 feet tall)
STR 16, DEX 19, CON 20, INT 19, WIS 23, CHA 24
Spells P: 13/12/12/12/11/10/8, W: 5/5/5/5/5/4/4/4/2
Saves PPDM 2, RSW 1*, PP 4, BW 4, Sp 4

* Includes halfling +5 CON save bonus to a minimum of 1. The CON save
bonus also applies to saves vs. poison to a minimum of 1.

Special Att/Def: Should she need to, Sheela can create a powerful
quarterstaff +4 with all of the powers of a staff of the woodlands from a single
blade of grass in an instant. Sheela can cast changestaff on one such staff
once per day and then create another one to use for her personal defense.
Sheela does not usually fight with two weapons, but if she should decide to,
she is considered proficient in all weapons, and her melee attacks per round
would increase to 3/1.

Sheela can cast entangle or Sheela's entangle once per round at will. The
use of entangle and Sheela's entangle spells is her favored method of attack
and defense. She can also cast call lightning, call woodland beings, control
weather, creeping doom, hallucinatory forest, hold plant, liveoak, plant door, plum
growth, rainbow, snare, speak with animals, speak with plants, spike growth,
sticks to snakes, transport via plants, trip, wall of thorns, and warp wood three
times per day each.

Sheela travels freely on all terrains (for example, pass without trace, free
action, water walk, etc.). She cannot be entangled, held, or paralyzed. She
regenerates 3 points of damage per round if her feet are on bare earth. Sheela
is immune to all weapons with wood in them and can only be affected by
+2 or better magical weapons. She is also immune to electrical attacks of
any kind, including lightning.

Other Manifestations

Sheela's typical manifestation is that of a shimmering green, blue, or amber
radiance that envelops a living thing, whether it be a person, animal, or
plant, or wooden weapon. This manifestation typically gives affected beings
the ability to cast, as a 12th-level priest, one or all of the following spells
within the next turn: call woodland beings, commune with .nature, entangle,
Sheela's entangle, locate animals or plants, speak with animals, speak with plants,
tree, or weather summoning.

Any animal enveloped by Sheela's manifestation becomes instantly
calm and at peace (or if actively hostile, neutral and disinterested), and it
Sheela desires, is affected as if by an animal growth spell. For the duration ot
the manifestation, the Intelligence of any creature of animal (1) Intelligence
is raised to low (1d3+4) Intelligence.

Any plant or group of plants enveloped by Sheela's manifestation is affected
as if by entangle or improved entangle. Any berry or fruit bathed in
Sheela's radiance confers the benefits of a goodberry or royalberry spell on
any creature eating it. Sheela manifests in trees in a fashion similar to that
of a liveoak spell.

Sheela is served by amber dragons, badgers, bees, brownies, butterflies,
dobies, dryads, earth elementals, firefriends, firestars, grigs, hamadryads,
hybsils, kilmoulis, korreds, leprechauns, mice, moles, moon dogs, nature
elementals, needlemen, nixies, nymphs, pixies, porcupines, pseudodragons,
raccoons, satyrs, singing trees, snapper-saws, sprites, squirrels, sunflies,
thornslingers, treants, twilight blooms, umplebys, unicorns, water nagas.
wild cats, and wolverines. She demonstrates her favor through the discovery
of daisies, plant fossils encased in amber, seeds that sprout instantly
when placed in the ground and other sudden plant flowerings, flowers of
any species that bloom at the wrong time of year, playful behavior by small
woodland animals, and benign weather changes (sunbeams through clouds,
very localized dewfall, etc.). Green Sister indicates her displeasure by
dispatching a swarm of grasshoppers, locusts, or velvet ants.

The Church

CLERGY:           Clerics, specialty priests, druids, mystics,
CLERGY'S ALIGN.:  LG,NG, CG, N, CN
TURN UNDEAD:      C: Yes, SP: Yes, at priest level -2, D: No, Mys: No
CMND.UNDEAD:      C: No, SP: No, D: No, Mys: No

All clerics, specialty priests, druids, and mystics of Sheela receive
religion (halfling) as a bonus nonweapon proficiency.

The church of Sheela is widely revered among halflings, nearly as much
as that of Yondalla herself. While not all halflings are farmers, most
share the Green Sister's reverence for growing things and appreciate
the balance she works to maintain between untamed and settled lands.
Dwarves, gold elves, moon elves, and gnomes generally work well with
the church of the Green Sister, while many wild elves feel that
Sheela's priests care more about new farms than preserving those wild
spaces that remain. Humans tend to view the church of Sheela as a mix
between that of Chauntea and Silvanus.

Temples of Sheela are typically woven into the surrounding landscape.
Constructed of earth, stone, and plants, such houses of worship seem to
be a part of the land itself. The Green Sister's temples contain both
welltended gardens and untamed thickets, and they are usually found in
the heart of agricultural valleys surrounded by wilderness. Interior
rooms are overflowing with life, both animal and plant, and most are
constructed so that streams meander through the central courtyards and
so that summer breezes and sunlight bathe every chamber.

Novices of the Green Sister are known as Seedlings. Full priests of
Sheela are known as Green Daughters and Green Sons and are collectively
known as Green Children. In ascending order of rank, the titles used by
Sheelite priests are Daisy Maid (or Lad), Seed Sower, Nature Nurturer,
Plant Grower, Crop Harvester, Seed Pollinator, Sun Shower, and Watchful
Sister (or Brother). High-ranking priests have unique individual
titles.  Specialty priests are druids and greenfosters. Greenfosters
concentrate on operating in and around halfling villages and farms,
while druids go wherever they are needed. The clergy of Sheela includes
hairfeet (65%), stouts (10%), and tallfellows (25%). Females (78%)
greatly outnumber males (22%). Sheela's clergy includes druids (51%),
mystics (23%), specialty priests (21%), and clerics (5%).

Dogma: Living in harmony with nature requires a careful balance between
the wild and the tame, the feral and the tended. The need to preserve
wild growth is just as important as the need to till the fields and
provide ready food. Seek to understand the natural processes that
envelop and work within them. While nature can be adapted, it should be
evolved, never forced; work within the framework of what already
exists. Celebrating life requires one to live with passion and romance.
Revel, feast, and thrive - this is the zest of life.

Day-to-Day Activities: Sheela's priests are concerned with nature and
agriculture, and they work closely with halfling farmers and settlers
to preserve the balance between cultivation of fertile lands and the
need to leave some areas wild and in a pristine state. Many Green
Children tend gardens of their own, seeking to develop new strains of
crops and flowers. Others I protect wilderness regions from careless
exploitation of their resources.  Members of Sheela's clergy oversee
the integrity of halfling lands, leading their inhabitants through the
annual calendar of seed-sowing and harvest festivals. They also try to
keep the wild creatures from running rampant through settled halfling
areas by guiding them to travel, live, or grow around the communities,
not in or through them.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies:  Sheela is venerated at twilight under
the full moon in monthly celebrations known as Gatherings. Halflings
from the surrounding community gather to celebrate the bounteous
produce of the earth, whether it be brought from the fields directly or
brought from root cellars dug within the earth. Gatherings are as much
community-wide feasts as religious ceremonies, and all are expected to
contribute, even if it be only a stone for the soup. (Halflings have a
tale similar to that of most human cultures in which a wayfarer comes
to a town suffering after a terrible harvest. After learning there is
nothing to eat, the hungry stranger begins to cook stone soup. As the
visitor boils his water containing naught but a rock under the watchful
eyes of the incredulous villagers, he comments how much better it would
be if he only had a carrot.  After one villager reluctantly offers up a
hoarded carrot, the stranger muses how much better it would be with
some cabbage and a single head is found as well. The tale continues
until every family in the entire village has contributed something to
the soup, at which point the stranger pronounces it done and shares it
with all the contributors.)

The major festivals of the church of Sheela are usually celebrated
around Greengrass and Higharvestide, although the starting date varies
from year to year. The first festival - called the Seeding, New Spring,
and other titles, depending on the region - comes at the traditional
time of planting the first crops of the year. At dawn, Sheelite priests
dispense seeds from the temple stores while giving homage to the
goddess, and the entire community aids in the sowing of the fields. The
second festival - called High Harvest, the Reaping, and other titles,
depending on the region - comes at harvest time.  At this time,
offerings of seeds are made to the temple to be stored for the coming
year, as are the fruits of the season's labors. Community-wide revelry
is common at these celebrations starting in the evening when the work
has been finished and continuing late into the night. The length of
these festivals varies from area to area, averaging about 10 days.

Major Centers of Worship: Sunset Vale encompasses the verdant,
prosperous farmland between the arcing arms of the River Reaching and
the upper Chionthar River and the natural wall formed by the Sunset
Mountains and the Far Hills. The Dusk Road runs through the heart of
the Vale, east of the Reaching Woods, carrying the traffic of this
vital region back and forth. Many halflings dwell in the Vale,
particularly in the vicinity of Corm Orp, despite the loom shadow and
ever-present threat of Zhentarim-occupied Darkhold. The handful of
buildings that make up the small road-hamlet seem unremarkable, but
under the hills east of Corm Orp are hundreds of halfling burrows and
their number grows by leaps and bounds every year. In fact, Corm Orp is
the fastest-growing halfling community north of the land of Luiren.
Every Shieldmeet, more halflings gather in Corm Orp to do business with
their fellows, trade native goods, and exchange tales, doubling or
trebling the already sizable nonhuman population.  Liking what they
see, many decide to move there. The halflings of Corm Orp are
rightfully proud of the food they produce, especially their mushrooms
and free-range hogs. Another product of pride is mass-produced red clay
pottery - simple, sturdy items widely used throughout Faerun.

The agricultural, spiritual, and social heart of the Corm Orp region is
the Ladyhouse, a deceptively large temple of Sheela the Watchful Mother
nestled in a hollow among the green, pig-roamed hills east of the
village and emblazoned with the symbol of the daisy. The Ladyhouse is
filled with flowers and climbing vines inside and surrounded by gardens
outside, including wild gardens that are preserved plots of tangled
weeds, shrubs, and scrub trees. The gardens, as well as the roadside
wood lot in Corm Orp, are sacred to the goddess and are not to be
despoiled. Halfling worshipers bring their best flowers and plants to
the temple for use in breeding and in rituals, and the clergy spend
their days working with the halfling farmers, keeping watch over the
hills for Zhentarim raids, thieves, wolves, and other wandering beasts
who might harm the crops or pig herds, and chanting the praises of the
Green Sister.

The clergy are led by the widely respected matriarch Honored Mother
Alliya Macanester, the Old Lady of Corm Orp. Revered by halflings, she
knows the local weather and way of nature better than almost any other
living thing and can tell exactly where, when, and how to plant or
nurture for best results. Her touch is said to give life to withered
plants, and she is rumored to be able to tell by looking at it if a
seed will germinate. Her wisdom and foresight have prevented weather
spoiling the crops on two important occasions: the Great Frost early in
the Year of the Bloodbird (1346 DR) and the drought of the Year of
Lurking Death (1322 DR), which brought down desperate attacks on Corm
Orp, as on so many other places on Faerun, from starving monsters.
Alliya is a wise, diligent leader of the farmers of Corm Orp as well as
the local halflings and her temple. The Honored Mother is the true
ruler of Corm Orp, and the village's human lord, Dundast Hultel, obeys
her in all things. Alliya is a fierce foe of the Zhentarim and even
deals with poisons, adventurers, and other violent things not in
keeping with nature in order to eradicate the threat from Darkhold,
which she calls the Devouring Shadow.

Of late, many of the younger halflings of the Sunset Vale have begun to
speak of founding a halfling realm, Sheeland, with the Honored Mother
as its first queen. To date, Alliya has always responded to such ideas
with a chuckle and an observation about the fate of the succession of
petty rulers and robber barons who sought to rule the region in the
past, but, as Darkhold's shadow looms ever-farther over the Vale,
events may necessitate such a measure.

Affiliated Orders: The church of Sheela does not have any affiliated
knightly orders. It has firm connections to several orders of halfling
warriors who serve Arvoreen by defending the fields and silos from
those who would despoil or loot the fruits of halfling labors.
Likewise, Sheela's church works closely with individual rangers, many
of whom venerate Mielikki and whether they be human, half-elven, or
elven, to preserve the wilderness as well.

Priestly Vestments: Sheelite priests favor simple green robes festooned
with garlands of vibrant hue and embroidered with flowers. In their
hair they wear only flowers, and their feet are left bare so as to feel
the earth from which Sheela's bounty flows. The holy symbol of the
faith is mistletoe or a sprig of holly with berries in a pinch.

Adventuring Garb: Members of Sheela's clergy avoid situations requiring
combat, if possible. Few carry more than a blade of grass, trusting the
favor of the goddess to allow them to create a reed staff and enhance
it with a shillelagh spell. When conflict is inevitable, Sheelite
priests favor armor made from natural components - leather armor and
wooden shields - and weapons associated with nature or the harvest -
clubs, quarterstaves, sickles, and slings.

Specialty Priests (Druids)

REQUIREMENTS:           Wisdom  12, Charisma 15
PRIME REQ.:             Wisdom, Charisma
ALIGNMENT:              N
WEAPONS:                Club, sickle, dart, spear, dagger, scimitar, sling,
                        staff
ARMOR:                  Padded, leather, or hide and wooden, bone,
                        shell or other nonmetallic shield
MAJOR SPHERES:          All, animal, elemental, healing, plant, sun,
                        weather
MINOR SPHERES:          Divination, travelers
MAGICAL ITEMS:          As druid
REQ. PROFS:             Herbalism
BONUS PROFS:            Agriculture, modem languages (pick two from:
                        brownie, centaur, dryad, elvish, gnome, korred,
                        nixie, pixie, satyr, sprite, treant, unicorn)

Most of the specialty priests of Sheela Peryroyl are druids. Their
abilities and restrictions, aside from the changes noted above and
later in this section, are summarized in the discussion of halfling
priests in "Appendix 1:  Demihuman Priests" and detailed in full in the
Player's Handbook.

* Druids of Sheela must be halflings. While most halfling druids are
  hairfeet or tallfellows, halflings of every subrace are called to be
  specialty priests of Sheela's clergy.

* Druids of Sheela are not allowed to multiclass.

Specialty Priests (Greenfosters)

REQUIREMENTS:          Constitution 12, Wisdom 13
PRIME REQ.:            Constitution, Wisdom
ALIGNMENT:             CG, NG, N, CN
WEAPONS:               Bow, club, crossbow, dagger, dart, flail, knife,
                       net, staff, sickle, sling, staff-sling, whip
ARMOR:                 Padded, leather, hide, or studded leather; no
                       shield
MAJOR SPHERES:         All, animal, creation, elemental (air, earth,
                       water), healing, plant, sun, travelers, weather
MINOR SPHERES:         Charm,  divination, guardian, necromantic,
                       protection
MAGICAL  ITEMS:        Same  as clerics and druids
REQ. PROFS:            Herbalism, weather sense
BONUS PROFS:           Agriculture, animal handling, local history

* Greenfosters must be halflings. Most greenfosters are hairfeet or
  tallfellows, but they can be of any halfling subrace.

* Greenfosters are not allowed to multiclass.

* Greenfosters can analyze and identify domestic grains and garden
  plants native to Faerun. They can look at a field and tell what is
  growing, how far along it is in the harvest year, what the state of
  the crop is (healthy, diseased, drought problems, etc.), and even
  what species planted and is tending it.

* Greenrosters cast all plant sphere spells as if they had an
  additional two levels of experience.

* Greenfosters can cast speak with domestic animals (as the 2nd-level
  priest spell speak with animals, but greenfosters can only speak with
  domesticated animals) or speak with plants (4th-level priest spell)
  three times per day.

* At 3rd level, greenfosters can cast entangle or reed staff (as the
  1st-level priest spells) once per day.

* At 5th level, greenfosters can cast Sheela's entangle or plant growth
  (as the 2nd- and 3rd-level priest spells) once per day.

* At 7th level, greenfosters can cast hold plant or piant door (as the
  4th-level priest spells) once per day.

* At 10th level, greenfosters can speak with domestic animals and speak
  with plants at will.

* At 10th level, greenfosters can cast anti-plant shell as the
  5th-level wizard spell) or anti-animal shed (as the 6th-level priest
  spell) three times per tenday.

* At 13th level, greenfosters can cast charm plant as the 7th-level
  wizard spell) or sunray (as the 7th-level priest spell) once per
  tenday.

Sheelite Spells

1st Level

Reed Staff (Pr 1; Alteration)

Sphere:           Plant
Range:            Touch
Components:       V,M
Duration:         3 rounds+1 round/level
Casting Time:     4
Area of Effect:   One blade of grass
Saving Throw;     None

This spell transforms a normal blade of field grass into a quarterstaff
that can then be used as a weapon. Although the quarterstaff possesses
no bonuses to attack or damage rolls, it is considered a magical weapon
for determining what creatures it can successfully strike.

Only the caster may use the reed staff; if another creature attempts to
use it, the spell is negated. The caster need not remain in contact
with the reed staff, however. The priest is free to set down the weapon
in order to perform other actions, including fighting with another
weapon, casting a spell, and so forth. The spell can be ended
prematurely if it is exposed to a successful dispel magic or brought
into contact with an anti-magic shell or similar effect.

The material components are the caster's holy symbol, a splinter of
wood, and the blade of grass to be affected.

2nd  Level

Sheela's Entangle (Pr 2; Alteration)

Sphere:           Plant
Range:            80 yards
Components:       V, S, M
Duration:         1 turn
Casting Time:     5
Area of Effect:   40-foot cube
Saving Throw:     Special

Like the 1st-level spell entangle, this spell enables the caster to
cause plants in the area of effect to entangle creatures within the
area of effect. The grasses, weeds, bushes, and even trees, wrap,
twist, and entwine about the creatures, holding them fast for the
duration of the spell. Any creature entering the area is subject to
this effect. A creature that succeeds at a saving throw  vs. spell can
escape the area, moving at only 10 feet per round until out of the
area. Exceptionally large (gargantuan) or strong creatures may suffer
little or no distress from this spell, at the DM's option, based on the
strength of the entangling plants. Sheela's entangle inflicts ld4
points of damage  per round  on all creatures trapped therein from
constriction and abrasion if so commanded by the caster. (There is no
saving throw for this, and it makes no difference if the victims are
able to move or not.)

Unlike the weaker version of this spell, however, the effects of
Sheela's entangle are cumulative (although not with entangle) if cast
several times over the same area. For each additional casting,
creatures entering the area of effect suffer an additional penalty of
-2 to their saving throw. Only one
saving throw is still required, however. Likewise the escape movement
rate is reduced by 2 feet per round until out, to a minimum of 2 feet
per round.

The material components of this spell are the caster's holy symbol and
a small piece of vine.

5th Level

Royalberry (Pr 5; Alteration, Evocation)

Sphere:            Plant
Range:             Touch
Components:        V, S, M
Duration:          1 day+1 day/level
Casting Time:      1 round
Area of Effect:    2d4 fresh berries
Saving Throw:      None

When cast upon a handful of freshly picked berries, this spell makes
2d4 of them magical. The caster (as well as any other caster of the
same faith and 9th or higher level) can immediately discern which
berries are affected. A detect magic discovers this also.

Royalberries (the enspelled berries) enable a hungry creature of
approximately man size to eat one and be as well nourished as if a full
normal meal were eaten. They also cure 2 points of physical damage from
wounds or other similar causes, subject to a maximum of 16 points of
such curing in any 24-hour period.  Finally, if any poison exists in
the consumer when a royalberry is consumed, it is slowed (as the
2nd-level priest spell slow poison). If three or more berries are
eaten, such a poison is neutralized (as the 3rd-level priest spell
neutralize poison). Consuming six royalberries (total) at a time
additionally acts as a cure disease spell.

Unlike the more commonly known goodberry spell, there is no reverse of
this spell.

The material component of this spell is the caster's holy symbol passed
over the freshly picked, edible berries to be enspelled.

Tymora
------

See the entry for Tymora in the "Faerunian Pantheon" chapter in Faiths
& Avatars.

Urogalan
--------

(He Who Must Be, the Black Hound, Lord in the Earth,
the Protector, the Shaper)

Demipower  of Elysium, LN

PORTFOLIO:             Earth, death, protection of the dead
ALIASES:               None  widespread
DOMAIN NAME:           Eronia/Soulearth
SUPERIOR:              Yondalla
ALLIES:                Callarduran Smoothhands, Dumathoin, Flandal
                       Steelskin, Geb, Grumbar, Jergal, Kelemvor,
                       Segojan Earthcaller, Sehanine Moonbow, the
                       halfling pantheon, Osiris
FOES:                  Abbathor, Cyric, Myrkul (dead), Urdlen,
                       Velsharoon
SYMBOL:                Black dog's head silhouette
WOR. ALIGN.:           Any

Urogalan (URR-roh-GAH-lan) is the protector of the dead and god of the
underground. His deathly aspect is as a protector of the souls of the
dead and as an adviser-judge with Yondalla. His earthy aspect is one of
reverence for the very earth itself and protection from threats beneath
the surface, rather than concern with natural growth. Few halflings
worship him, but he is respected and revered by most as a protector.
Although the Small Folk generally do not fear death, most halflings
shiver at the sight of the Black Hound's symbol. Urogalan is on good
terms with the rest of the halfling pantheon, particularly Yondalla,
Arvoreen, and Sheela, but he holds himself somewhat removed from their
joyous embrace of life. The Black Hound is closely allied with those
powers of human and demihuman pantheons concerned with earth, death,
and the protection of the dead, but he abhors those whose portfolios
include necromancy and the undead.

Urogalan rarely speaks or displays much emotion, and when he does, the
Black Hound's quiet-spoken voice is tinged with loss. The Lord in the
Earth prefers observation to intervention and has the disconcerting
habit of appearing in the shadows and simply watching and waiting until
he is noticed.  Urogalan dispatches his avatar to gather in the souls
of great, wise, or exceptional halflings, and he may also dispatch his
avatar underground to watch over perils that may come from within it.

Urogalan's Avatar (Cleric 24, Wizard 23, Fighter 13)

Urogalan appears as a slim, dusky-skinned halfling, dressed in a pure
white robe (death aspect) or brown robe (earth aspect). He favors
spells from the spheres of all, elemental (earth), guardian,
necromantic, protection, and wards and from the schools of abjuration,
conjuration/summoning, elemental earth, and necromancy, although he can
cast spells from any sphere or school.

AC -2; MV 12; HP 176; THAC0 6; #AT 5/2
Dmg 2d4+6 (double-headed flail +3, +1 STR, +2 spec. bonus in flails)
MR 70%; SZ S (4 feet tall)
STR 17, DEX 19, CON 19, INT 18, WIS 22, CHA 16
Spells P: 12/12/12/12/11/8/3, W: 5/5/5/5/5/5/5/5/3
Saves PPDM 2, RSW 1*, PP 5, BW 5, Sp 4

* Includes halfling +5 CON save bonus to a minimum of 1. The CON save
bonus also applies to saves vs. poison to a minimum of 1.

Special Att/Def: Urogalan wields Doomthresher, a double-headed flail +3
whose touch inflicts flesh to stone on any living creature that fails
its saving throw vs. spell and acts as a mace of disruption against the
undead, and wears a ring of protection +3.

The Lord in the Earth can see in magical darkness of any sort. He
cannot be blinded or deafened, nor can he be dislodged from the earth
unless he so chooses. He can move through earth or stone at will. When
he wishes, Urogalan radiates a cloak of fear. He can generate an
earthquake up to three times a day simply by stamping his foot on the
ground. He can be struck only by +1 or better magical weapons.

Urogalan can command any nonevil creature from the Elemental Plane of
Earth within 100 yards. Urogalan is always accompanied by a completely
silent black hound that can follow the Lord in the Earth through earth
or stone if the god wishes.

Black Hound: AC 2; MV 24; HD 12; hp 96; THAC0 9; #AT 1; Dmg 2d8; SA
radiates fear 5' radius, double damage on a natural 20 attack roll; SD
immune to fear; MR 15%; SZ M (4' high); ML fearless (20); Int high
(14); AL LN; XP 7,000.

Other Manifestations

Urogalan manifests by causing the earth to move or transform as he
wishes.  Such manifestations typically duplicate the effect of one of
the following spells: animate rock, earthquake, Maximilian's earthen
grasp, Maximilian's stony grasp, meld into stone, move earth, sink,
soften earth and stone, spike stones, stone shape, transmute rock to
mud (or the reverse), or wall of stone. The Lord in the Earth
communicates with his priests through an effect similar to that of
stone tell.

Urogalan is served by baku, blink dogs, brownies, earth elementals,
earth elemental vermin (crawlers), einheriar, galeb duhr, hollyphants,
hound archons, lupinals, maruts, mist wolves, moon dogs, oreads, pech,
pers, sapphire dragons, stone wolves, war dogs (typically black
hounds), and weredogs. He demonstrates his favor through the discovery
of chalcedony, chrysoberyl, epidote, ivory, jade, meerschaum,
samarskite, silkstone, tiger eye agate, tomb jade, white lilies, and
deposits of diarun. He Who Must Be indicates his displeasure by creating
tremors in the earth or, when gravely displeased, by dispatching a
hound of ill omen. He sends omens and manifestations of black hounds,
including their baying, as premonitions of death and to garner souls.

The Church

CLERGY:            Clerics, specialty priests
CLERGY'S ALIGN.:   LG, NG, LN, N
TURN UNDEAD:       C: Yes, SP: Yes
CMND. UNDEAD:      C: No, SP: No

All clerics and specialty priests of Urogalan receive religion
(halfling) as a bonus nonweapon  proficiency.

Urogalan is propitiated by many halflings, but his priesthood is very
small. While his followers are respected for their services and rituals
and while death is not generally feared by halflings, few of the Small
Folk want to associate with symbols of the Black Hound, as they are
generally considered unlucky. Other races, even humans among whom
halflings often dwell, are generally unaware of Urogalan's faith, its
reverence for the earth, or the god's role as protector of the dead,
for halflings rarely discuss their beliefs regarding death. Dwarven
priests of Dumathoin note a great deal of similarity between the
practices of the two faiths, and they are likely to welcome a male
member of Urogalan's clergy as one of their own.

Temples of Urogalan are typically located in shallow basins open to the
sky, natural caves, and halfling-dug catacombs. Nearly any site that
naturally emphasizes the surrounding geography is acceptable. The floor
is always covered in at least six inches of soft dirt, and the central
altar is usually a large limestone rock with a shallow depression,
etched by rain or a small stream, at the center of the flat-topped
surface. Only rarely do Urogalan's priests dwell within the temples of
the Lord in the Earth.  More often a temple of Urogalan is little more
than a shrine, tended by a single priest who resides in a nearby
community of the Small Folk.

Novices of Urogalan are known as Earthlings. Full priests of He Who
Must Be are known as Vassals of the Black Hound. In ascending order of
rank, the titles used by Urogalanan priests are Earth Embracer, Soil
Digger, Clay Potter, Diarun Smith, Grave Guardian, Crypt Sentinel,
Vault Marshal, Barrow Warden, and Black Hound. High-ranking priests
have unique individual titles. Specialty priests are known as
grimwardens.  The clergy of Urogalan includes hairfeet (25%), stouts
(65%), and tallfellows (10%). Urogalan's clergy is nearly evenly
divided between specialty priests (54%) and clerics (46%) and between
men (55%) and women (45%).

Dogma: Earth is the giver and the receiver of life, providing shelter,
food, and wealth to those whose toes embrace it. The sacred soil is to
be revered as the mantle of Those Who Have Been and the shelter of
Those Who Will Be. The thanatopsis of He Who Must Be reveals that death
is to be embraced as the natural end of life and in doing so gives
honor to life.

Day-to-Day  Activities! Urogalan's priests are responsible for
presiding over the internment of the dead and for the caretaking of
graves.  They administer last rites, preside over burial rituals, and
memorialize the fallen. They maintain much of the history of the Small
Folk, keeping records of genealogies and deeds of those who have "gone
to the fields of green." In halfling cultures where ancestor worship is
practiced, the Black Hound's priesthood safeguards the sacred tokens of
the deceased used in rituals to contact them. Urogalan's priests also
have a role in consecrating the foundations or first diggings of
buildings and new burrow complexes.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: Nights of the full moon are considered
holy days by the Urogalanan priesthood and are collectively known as
Earthrisings. Halfling theology holds that the full moon is a
manifestation of Urogalan, symbolizing both the ascendance of earth and
the inevitable coming of death after life. Priests and followers of
Urogalan, as well as halflings whose loved ones have passed away within
the past month, gather in natural earthen basins at night to propitiate
He Who Must Be. Offerings to the Lord in the Earth at such ceremonies
are made on a large, low, flat rock placed at the center of the bowl
and typically include precious gifts of the earth such as uncut gems,
diarun, and clay statuettes depicting the god. During such rituals,
participants sing soft dirges and chant elegies to the percussive
pounding of bare feet while making slow rotations around the central
stone.

Among the various burial practices used by priests of Urogalan, there
are only three set precepts that must be met. The body must be encased
in earth or stone - either a wooden casket that will quickly rot away
or a stone sarcophagus - and a stone tablet engraved with the name of
the deceased. Urogalan's symbol must be placed upon the corpse's chest.
The priest presiding over a burial must carve from stone or shape from
clay twin figurines depicting a pair of black hounds, bless them, and
place them on the palms of the deceased. Finally, members of the
community who were friends of the departed soul must come forth and
return a gift the deceased gave to them. Such gifts are typically tales
of the generosity, kindness, cleverness, wit, or escapades of the
deceased and are sometimes accompanied by a small token of remembrance
suggestive of the tale. Typical tokens include a clay pipe, an apple, a
jug of wine, or a simple woodcarving.

As an example of a fairly wide-spread burial practice, halfling
gravestones often include clay statuettes of Urogalan placed in a small
niche at the base of the grave marker. Regional practices exist as
well. Many halflings of the Sword Coast are descended from emigrants
from what is now the Calim Desert who fled enslavement at the hands of
the genies and the human rulers who followed them. The early hin - an
archaic name for halflings derived from Alzhedo - often lacked the
simple pleasures and quiet security halflings treasure, and it was
feared that a life lived in tragedy would leave the deceased unprepared
for the afterlife in the Green Fields of Mount Celestia. Thus began the
practice, which continues until this day among the halflings of the
Purple Hills, eastern Amn, Sunset Vale, and the lower Delimbiyr river
valley, of covering the face of the deceased with a terra cotta mask
depicting the face of the deceased with contented expression. Such
burial masks were believed to aid the spirit in its initial adjustment
to the afterlife and to symbolize the true peace escaped slaves found
only in death. Of course, the reasoning behind this practice has been
forgotten by most of its practitioners, and if pressed by nonhalflings
questioning the custom, most halflings explain it away with the
quizzical rejoinder, "Undead don't smile!"

Although burial practices vary somewhat from community to community,
few changes occur upon the passing of a halfling deserving of special
status, for the Small Folk feel ostentatious tombs for particularly
individuals are inappropriate in their relatively egalitarian society.
Acceptable enhancements to the common burial practice include interring
favorite possessions along with the deceased, chiseling elaborate
carvings representing the life and deeds of the deceased on the
exterior of a sarcophagus, and employing rare stone, gems, and metals
in the construction of the sarcophagus and gifts interred within. As a
matter of necessity, elaborate safeguards to deter tomb robbers must
sometimes be included as well. For example, the last Margrave of
Meiritin, Samovar Amethystall, who died in battle with the armies of
the Duchy of Cortryn in the Year of the Phoenix (519 DR), was entombed
in a small vault in the western Tejarn Hills of what is now southern
Amn. The halfling
prince was interred in a red marble sarcophagus elaborately sculpted
with friezes depicting his heroics as well as his beneficence. Engraved
in the lid of the stone coffin was a stylized map of the lands he
ruled, before the rise of Cortryn, with important sites marked. Within
the marble casket, along with the margrave's body, was placed a terra
cotta mask with bronze filigree and green eyes of carved tomb jade, a
pair of onyx dogs (figurines of wondrous power), an ornate silver
snuffbox, a diarun weedpipe, and the Crystal Crown of Ilhundyl. The
location and current state of the tomb are unknown, although the
margrave's distant descendant, Count Krimmon Amethystall of Tethyr, has
discretely funded several expeditions to find it.

Major Centers of Worship: Since the fall of Athalantar, the Realm of
the Stag, a thousand years or so ago, halflings have lived along the
banks of the River Delimbiyr near its confluence with the Unicorn Run
and the Hark River (also known as the Hawk River or Highmoorflow).
While the flood plains north of the River Shining, as the River
Delimbiyr is also known, are rich farmland, the southern shore of the
river, south of the confluence with the Hark River, is demarcated by
the steep (80-foot high) limestone and pink granite Red Cliffs. To
ensure the continued sanctity of the honored dead, both from the ore
hordes that periodically sweep down Delimbiyr Vale and from
enterprising farmers seeking to expand their acreage, the earliest
Small Folk resident in the region dug shallow burial niches in which to
inter their kin in the escarpment midway between the two forks. The
lack of funerary riches accompanying halfling burial rituals at the
time minimized the risk of later plundering by tomb robbers, and
careful attention to the placement of graves lessened the possibility
of erosion washing away the bodies of those interred within the cliff
face.

The founding of Phalorm, Realm of Three Crowns, at the Council of Axe
and Arrow at the Laughing Hollow led to the formal establishment of a
halfling nobility in the Lower Delimbiyr Vale and slowly changed the
character of the burial niches dug in the High Moor escarpment. The
first (and only) halfling duke of Imristar, Corcytar Huntinghorn,
survived the collapse of the Realm of Three Crowns, known thereafter as
the Fallen Kingdom, and led his people in battle for many years
thereafter.  After his death at the grand old age of 197, Duke Corcytar
was interred, along with his armor and weapons, in Urogalan's Bluff
with great honor and ceremony in a pink granite casket inlaid with jade
carvings placed within a true tomb. This began a practice of carving
formal tombs in the Red Cliffs and including rich grave goods along
with the body of the deceased among the halfling noble and mercantile
elite of the region.  When the duke's second wife passed away three
decades later, however, his former subjects were horrified to discover,
upon reopening Huntinghorn's tomb, that all of the precious grave goods
within had been plundered by tomb robbers, as had several other nearby
vaults. This unsettling discovery led to the founding of the
Cliffbarrow Cloister of Imristar, an Urogalanan abbey carved into the
Red Cliffs whose resident cadre of priests tended the burial niches and
tombs Urogalan's Bluff.

Although the other races of the region mistakenly assume Urogalan's
Bluff is simply the site of an unusual halfling hamlet, the priests of
Cliffbarrows, as the cloister is now commonly known among Secomberite
halflings, continue in their role as caretakers and protectors of the
cliffside burial ground. The abbey has been slowly expanded in the
centuries since its founding and its limestone and granite halls now
extend deep beneath the High Moor. The Cenotaph of Corcytar serves as
the Urogalanan altar and the surrounding Vault of the Fallen Hin as the
abbey's chapel. Other chambers within the maze of tunnels serve as
crypts, cubiculums, mortuaries, and living quarters for Urogalan's
priests. The high priest of Cliffbarrows is High Moor Hound Cornelius
Monadnock, a stout halfling hailing from the Llorkh region originally.
During his adventuring days the Moor Hound, as Monadnock was then
known, recovered the long-lost Imrisword and Coronet of the Shining
Hart of the halfling duke of Phalorm in the deepest reaches of the
Dungeon of the Hark (known as the Dungeon of the Hawk in earlier
times), and those funerary relics are now stored within the temple
vaults. The Solium of Huntinghorn, however, has yet to be found despite
Monadnock's chartering of several adventuring bands to recover it.

Affiliated Orders: Urogalan's priesthood is segregated into two
religious orders with overlapping responsibilities and memberships. (In
small communities with but a single Urogalanan priest, the resident
Vassal of the Black Hound serves both roles.) The Wardens of the Dead
are primarily responsible for the protection of halfling gravesites and
ensuring the peaceful transition of halfling spirits to the afterlife.
The role of the Children of the Earth is to honor the ground from which
halflings extract their livelihood and to defend against dangers from
below that might emerge in the midst of halfling communities on the
surface.

Priestly Vestments: Urogalan's priests wear simple, ankle-length robes
of tied with a belt of rope. Depending on whether they are performing
rituals in honor of death or earth, they robes are white or brown,
respectively. They are always barefooted and, if at all possible, keep
two feet firmly planted on the ground at all times. Priests typically
shave their pates, while priestesses bind their hair in twin braids
hanging down their backs. The holy symbol of the faith is a small (2
inches high) statuette of a hound carved from diarun, meerschaum, or
tomb jade.

Adventuring Garb: Although they can wear any type of armor, members of
Urogalan's clergy strongly prefer suits of mail and shields forged from
the bounty of the earth (in other words, made of metal). Likewise,
they favor stone and metal weapons such as flails, slings, daggers, and
short swords.

Specialty Priests (Grimwardens)

REQUIREMENTS:          Wisdom  13
PRIME REQ.:            Wisdom
ALIGNMENT:             LG, NG, LN, N
WEAPONS:               Any
ARMOR:                 Any
MAJOR SPHERES:         All, combat, divination, elemental (earth),
                       guardian, healing, necromantic, protection,
                       summoning, wards
MINOR SPHERES:         Creation, law, sun, time
MAGICAL ITEMS:         As clerics
REQ. PROFS:            Flail (horseman's or footman's), ancient history,
                       stonemasonry
BONUS PROFS:           Gem cutting, necrology, netherworld
                       knowledge, pottery

* Grimwardens must be halflings. Most grimwardens are stouts, but they
  can be of any halfling subrace.

* Grimwardens are not allowed to multiclass.

* Grimwardens can affect triple the number of zombies and skeletons
  when destroying undead.

* Grimwardens gain a saving throw vs. petrification against any form of
  energy-draining attack that could drain them of experience levels or
  hit points.

* Grimwardens can cast Maximilian's earthen grasp (as the 2nd-level
  priest spell) or protection .from evil (as the 1st-level priest
  spell) once per day.

* At 3rd level, grimwardens can cast invisibility to undead (as the
  1st-level priest spell) or soften earth and stone (as the 2nd-level
  priest spell de- tailed in the Urdlen entry in the "Gnome Pantheon"
  chapter) once per day.

* At 5th level, grimwardens can cast meld into stone (as the 3rd-level
  priest spell) or protection from evil, 10' radius, (as the 4th-level
  priest spell) once per day.

* At 5th level, grimwardens can cast negative plane protection (as the
  3rd-level priest spell) once per day.

* At 7th level, grimwardens can cast coil hounds (as the 4th-level
  priest spell) or dig (as the 4th-level wizard spell) once per day.

* At 7th level, grimwardens gain immunity to all petrification attacks.

* At 10th level, grimwardens can cast stone shape (as the 3rd-level
  priest spell) or transmute rock to mud or its reverse (as the
  5th-level priest spell) once per day.

* At 13th level, grimwardens can cast stone to flesh or its reverse (as
  the 6th-level wizard spell) twice per tenday.

Urogalanan Spells

In addition to the spells listed below, priests of Urogalan can cast
the 2nd-level priest spell so/ten earth and stone detailed in the entry
for Urdlen.

2nd Level

Earth Anchor (Pr 2; Alteration)

Sphere:            Elemental Earth
Range:             10 yards
Components:        V,S,M
Duration:          3 rounds+1 round/level
Casting Time:      5
Area of Effect:    30-foot radius
Saving Throw:      Neg.

This spell causes creatures within the area of effect who are in
contact with the ground to be magically bonded to the earth or stone on
which they stand. Thereafter, while it is possible to slide forward or
backward at one-third normal movement, it is impossible to lift any
body part in contact with the ground away from the earth to which it is
anchored. Any being exiting the spell's area of effect is no longer
bound by the effects of the earth anchor. Beings entering or reentering
the area of effect after the casting of the spell are affected,
however. Likewise, any being within the area of effect who brings other
parts of its body into contact with the ground finds those parts
similarly anchored as well. Only living, corporeal creatures in
physical contact with the ground are affected by this spell. Boots,
clothing, armor, and the like do not count as a gap between an
individual and the ground.

Any creature within the area of effect when the spell is cast or any
creature that enters (or reenters, even if it has already succeeded at
a saving throw vs.  spell) must succeed at a saving throw vs. spell to
avoid the effects of the earth anchor. Targets of this spell can
willingly forgo their saving throw vs. spell if desired.

The material components of this spell are the priest's holy symbol and
a small amount of mud.

3rd Level

Doomhound  (Pr 3; Phantasm, Necromancy)

Sphere:         Necromantic
Range:          10 yards
Components:     V,S,M
Duration:       Special
Casting Time:   6
Area of Effect: One creature
Saving Throw:   Special

This spell creates a shadowy mastiff visible only to the caster and the
intended target of the spell. Once created, a doomhound inexorably
stalks its target, never approaching closer than 10 feet or falling
more than 100 yards behind, creating a unshakable premonition of death.

The initial appearance of a doomhound causes fear in the target
creature, as the reverse of the 1st-level priest spell remove fear. A
successful saving throw vs. spell obviates the fear effect, but it does
not dispel the doomhound. Regardless of whether or not the target of
this spell attempts to flee the doomhound when it first appears, for as
long as the doomhound stalks the target, the victim rolls all
subsequent saving throws with a -2 penalty and fails all morale checks
or saving throws vs. magical or nonmagical fear unless a 20 is rolled.

Creatures immune to magical fear are unaffected by this spell. Only one
doomhound can stalk at target at any time. The effects of this spell
can be ended at any time by a remove curse, limited wish, or wish or by
the death of the target, but physical or magical attacks are otherwise
ineffective against a doomhound.

The material component of this spell is the priest's holy symbol.

4th Level

Call Hounds (Pr 4; Conjuration/Summoning)

Sphere:            Animal, Summoning
Range:             10-foot radius
Components:        V,S,M
Duration:          1 turn/level
Casting Time:      1 round
Area of Effect:    Special
Saving Throw:      None

When cast, a pair ot jet-black hounds appear anywhere within the
spell's range, as desired by the caster. The hounds are completely
loyal to the caster and attempt to carry out the caster's every command
so long as such actions do not contradict the tenets of Urogalan's
faith. If ordered to undertake a task contrary to the tenets of
Urogalan, the hounds simply vanish, ending the spell. The caster's
control over the hounds is nearly absolute; only a full wish or divine
intervention is sufficient to subvert the hounds' loyalty to the
caster.

The hounds are the equal of war dogs, as described in the MONSTROUS
MANUAL tome, with maximum hit points (18 hp) and lawful neutral
alignment. They are more intelligent than normal war dogs (low
intelligence) and can understand complex instructions.

Call hounds ends if the hounds are slain or subject to a banishment
spell, if the caster is slain or rendered unconscious, or if the caster
wills the spell to cease. Dispel magic has no effect on the hounds.
Protection from good, protection from evil, and similar powers can keep
the hounds at bay, however.

The material components for this spell are the caster's holy symbol and
a silver dog whistle (worth at least 50 gp) that the caster sounds
during casting. Neither are consumed in the casting.

Yondalla
--------

(The Protector and Provider, the Nurturing Matriarch,
the Blessed One)

Greater Power  of Mount Celestia, LG

PORTFOLIO:              Protection, fertility, the halfling race, children,
                        security, leadership, diplomacy, wisdom, the
                        cycle of life, creation, family and familial love.
                        tradition, community, harmony, prosperity
ALIASES:                Dallillia (Sword Coast south of Waterdeep),
                        Perissa (Moonshaes), otherwise none
                        widespread
DOMAIN NAME:            Venya/Green Fields
SUPERIOR:               None
ALLIES:                 Angharradh, Berronar Truesilver, Chauntea,
                        Corellon Larethian, Garl Glittergold, Hathor.
                        Helm, Moradin, Nephthys, Sharindlar, Shiallia,
                        Torm, Tyr, the halfling pantheon
FOES:                   Bane (dead), Bhaal (dead), Cyric, Iyachtu
                        Xvim, Talona, Talos and the gods of fury
                        (Auril, Umberlee, Malar), the goblinkin
                        pantheons, Urdlen
SYMBOL:                 Shield with cornucopia
WOR. ALIGN.:            LG, NG, CG, LN, N, CN

Yondalla (Yon-DAH-lah) is the Protector and Provider of halflings and
the chief matriarch of the halfling pantheon. She is responsible for
the race's creation and for blessing them with peace, comfort, and
plenty. As the goddess of protection, Yondalla fends off evil
influences and intrusions into the homes and lives of halflings.
Yondalla gives her people the strength of character and the
determination to defend themselves. Her protection is part of the very
souls of her creations, for of all the demihuman races, the halflings
have most rarely succumbed to evil. As a provider, Yondalla is a
goddess of fertility and growing things, of birth and youth, of nature
and plants. She can make barren places and creatures fertile and
increase the growing rate of plants and animals, almost as she chooses,
although she uses such powers sparingly and almost never confers such
benefits on other demihumans or humans for fear of giving offense to
their deities.

Yondalla's portfolio can be interpreted to somewhat overlap those of
Sheela Peryroyl, Cyrrollalee, Arvoreen, and Urogalan, but in truth this
is mainly as she is their leader and both directs their efforts and
works with them in harmony to provide for both the good of the divine
and the mortal halfling communities. Only Brandobaris and Tymora walk
their own paths, but even they work closely with the Nurturing
Matriarch in ensuring the peace and security of halflings throughout
the Realms. The Protector and Provider has forged strong alliances with
the patriarchs and matriarchs of
the other demihuman races to ensure the mutual survival of their
charges, and she is closely allied with agricultural and guardian
deities of all the goodly races.

Yondalla is a kind and merciful goddess to her people. Although she
brooks no evil, she despises no part of her creation, and always seeks
to guide halflings who have lost their way in the world, physically or
spiritually, back to their homes and friends. Although Yondalla is
tolerant of thieves among her people, she does not approve of them and
tries to have her priests guide such errant folk to use their skills
more usefully. However, appropriating an extra share for oneself from
the big folk is no great sin if no real harm or damage is done.
Yondalla has given plenty of gifts to her worshipers, not the least of
which is her temperament. From her, the halflings have learned to stand
up for themselves, to defend their homes and families, and to seek
peaceable solutions - or else turn their foes against each other and
slip away unnoticed. Yondalla is a charming and persuasive power of
peace, and though she can take life and health as easily as she gives
it, she never seeks out opportunities to harm those who do not richly
deserve it. When she is aroused to ire, however, Yondalla is a truly
fearsome goddess, for all her apparent gentility and diminutive
stature. Although not a power of war, Yondalla is a skilled warrior
that other powers do not readily seek to challenge. If a community of
halflings is faced with extermination, Yondalla acts first through her
priests and with manifestations and then by having Arvoreen dispatch
his avatar. If all else fails, Yondalla is very likely to send an
avatar herself to defend her charges. If she does this, she fights
within the area of the halfling communities and homes rather than
venture attacks outside of that area.

Yondalla's Avatar (Cleric 37, Paladin 30, Wizard 29)

Yondalla appears as a strong, proud, vibrantly attractive female
halfling, determined of bearing, with long golden hair, a skirt of
forest green, a corn yellow and earth brown tunic, and a stout wooden
shield. She favors spells from the spheres of all, animal, combat,
creation, divination, elemental (air, earth, water), guardian, healing,
law, necromantic, plant, protection, sun, and wards and from the
schools of abjuration, illusion/phantasm, and elemental air, earth, and
water, although she can cast spells from any sphere or school.

AC -5; MV 12; HP 218; THAC0 -10; #AT 5/2
Dmg 1d6+14 (vorpal short sword +4, +8 STR, +2 spec. bonus in short sword)
MR 75%; SZ M (4 1/2 feet tall)
STR 20, DEX 18, CON 20, INT 24, WIS 24, CHA 25
Spells P: 16/15/14/14/13/12/10, W: 7/7/7/7/7/6/6/6/6
Saves* PPDM 1, RSW 1**, PP 2, BW 2, Sp 2

* Includes +2 bonus to saving throws to a minimum of 1.
** Includes halfling +5 CON save bonus to a minimum of 1. The CON save
bonus also applies to saves vs. poison to a minimum of 1.

Special Att/Def: Yondalla wields Hornblade, a vorpal short sword +4
that glows silver when it strikes, and she is specialized in short
sword. She is proficient in all other weapons. Her shield +3 reflects
all bolt spells back at their caster.

The Protector and Provider is immune to magically caused wounds (the
reversed forms of many healing spells), energy drains, paralyzation,
gaseous attacks, blinding, deafness, disease, and spells from the
illusion/phantasm or enchantment/charm schools that she does not want
to affect her. Yondalla can only be struck by +3 or better magical
weapons, and she radiates a permanent full-strength protection from
evil, 20' radius. Once per round by a wave of her hand, she can cast
curse of Yondalla on any creature within 30 yards. Yondalla can cast
plant growth and animal growth at will, and, if among a community of
halflings, she can cast each of the Bigby's hand spells once per day.

Other Manifestations

Yondalla commonly manifests as a warm, golden radiance that envelops a
creature, item, or region. If Yondalla's radiance envelops a halfling,
her power cloaks them in the power of an armor spell, cures 1d8 points
of damage, and grants them invisibility and/or free action. A
hollowed-out horn or other container enveloped in Yondalla's aura
spills forth great quantities of food and or drink, like the effects of
a horn of plenty spell, in sufficient volume to feed every worshiper or
ally present. A weapon bathed the goddess's manifestation is wrapped in
a nimbus of soft light and attacks with a +3 attack and damage bonus
for the next turn. If Yondalla manifests in a region of open space, any
halfling touching her manifestation passes through or into an
extradimensional space or tunnel such as that created by spell such as
rope trick, dimension door, or gateway.

Yondalla is served by aasimon, archons, asuras, baku, bariaurs, black
bears, brown bears, brownies, dobies, einheriar, gold dragons, guardian
nagas, hollyphants, hybsils, incarnates of charity, faith, and justice,
lammasu, maruts, nature elementals, noctrals, pers, sheep (normal and
giant), silver dragons, sunflies, and t'uen-rin. She demonstrates her
favor through welcome but sudden changes in the weather or natural
surroundings. Conversely, the Protector and Provider indicates her
displeasure through unwelcome, but sudden, changes in the weather or
natural surroundings. Her favor is also demonstrated through the
discovery of amber pellets, daffodils, diarun, malacons, meerschaum,
peridots, pipestone, serpentine, silverbark trees, star rose quartz,
and telstang.

The Church

CLERGY:              Clerics, mystics, specialty priests
CLERGY'S ALIGN.:     LG, NG, CG, LN
TURN UNDEAD:         C: Yes, Mys: No, SP: Yes
CMND. UNDEAD:        C: No, Mys: No, SP: No

All clerics, mystics, and specialty priests of Yondalla receive
religion (halfling) and reading/writing (common) as bonus nonweapon
proficiencies.

The church of the Protector and Provider, under all the guises by which
she is known, plays a central role in halfling society. Throughout the
Realms, communities of the Small Folk are led by members of Yondalla's
clergy, and they are widely credited for their efforts in ensuring the
safety and prosperity of halflings across Faerun. Among the other human
and demihuman races, Yondalla's priests are respected for their
determined defense of halfling communities and their defensive skill,
belying their diminutive natures.

Temples of Yondalla are remarkably rare, despite the goddess's
widespread veneration by halflings. The Provider and Protector is most
commonly worshiped in small shrines and in the home, and her formal
houses of worship are usually little more than the home of the local
priest or priestess. In those few halfling communities where churches
of Yondalla do exist, they are usually carved into an earthen hillside,
resembling a halfling burrow more than anything else. Although smoothly
blended with the surrounding environment, such temples serve as
fortified redoubts, well stocked with arms and food to allow the
halflings of the community to hold out indefinitely against invaders.
Gardens, armories, cisterns, and granaries are nestled among chapels,
residential quarters for the resident priests, and bubbling springs.

Novices of Yondalla are known as the Blessed Children. Full priests of
the Protector and Provider are known as Revered Councilors. In
ascending order of rank, the titles used by Yondallan priests are
Blessed Sister/Brother, Sacred Guardian, Revered Nurturer, Blessed
Mother/Father, Eminent Prodigal, August Warden, Hallowed Provider, and
Exalted Protector.  Highranking priests have unique individual titles.
Specialty priests are known as horn guards. The clergy of Yondalla
includes hairfeet (55%), stouts (30%), and tallfellows (15%).
Yondalla's clergy is nearly evenly divided between specialty priests
(37%), mystics (33%), and clerics (30%). Women (60%) slightly outnumber
men (40%) among the clergy.

Dogma: Those who seek to live in accordance with the way of the
Provider will be blessed with a cornucopia of riches. Seek peace and
comfort, for a life lived with both is true wealth. Although violence
should never be welcomed, the Protector's aegis will extend to those
willing to fiercely defend their home and community. Lead through
example, and know the activities of those you lead so that you can help
shoulder their burdens when need be. Treasure your family, for your
parents gave you life and your children are your future. Care for the
aged and the weak, for you never know when you may be one of the strong
laid low.

Day-to-Day Activities: Priests of Yondalla are concerned with all
spheres of halfling life, save thievery. They protect halfling
communities
from outside threats. They serve as ever-vigilant sentinels overseeing
fields and burrows. Many double as secular leaders of their communities
as well as religious authorities. Yondalla's priests officiate at
weddings and funerals, the latter in conjunction with members
of Urogalan's clergy.

The primary mission of the priesthood of the Provider and the Protector
is to pass Yondalla's teachings on to the community at large and to
knit such communities tightly together. Areas of instruction include
collective and self-defense, concealment, agriculture, brewing,
wine-making, gardening, and cooking. Spells granted by the goddess are
used to demonstrate or enhance such activities. Communities are brought
together through regular feasts, revels, and celebrations with few
spiritual overtones other than a celebration of the collective purpose
of the community.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies:  Halflings set aside one day per Realms
week - the fifth day of each tenday - for worship of Yondalla. Safeday,
as it is known, is a day that is mostly spent in rest and play. In the
morning, families gather together in the home, collectively offer up
the fruits of the goddess's bounty in homage to the Provider, and then
spend several hours preparing a tenday's feast from those offerings.
During these activities, local members of the clergy of Yondalla go
from house to house to lead each family in brief devotions, offer the
goddess's blessings, and share any concerns a family may have. When the
tenday's feast is prepared, each family, sometimes joined by a local
priest, joins together in eating, laughing, and the telling of tales.
In the late afternoon, the Small Folk emerge from their homes and
assemble in the central square. The highest-ranking priest of Yondalla
(or in the absence of a priest, a pious lay representative) then leads
the assembled Small Folk on a walk around the central community,
symbolically joining Yondalla in her defense of the settlement. Such
tours are hardly armed patrols; they usually involve contests to see
who can pick the most perfect apple or the like and other gentle
reminders of how bountiful are the goddess's gifts. When the promenade
returns to the central square, the community-wide dinner feast begins.
Extra food prepared during the morning hours is heated and served,
while the community elders relate traditional tales of halfling
folklore. Such festivities can last far into the night as the community
reforges their communal bonds. Unlike the religious ceremonies of other
races and powers, allies and even strangers are often invited to
contribute and partake in the feasting and merriment, although those
unknown to the community are discretely observed just in case.

Major Centers of Worship: As noted above, large temples of the
Nurturing Matriarch are few and far between, for most halflings worship
in the home, and most communities are served by at most a handful of
priests who tend the local shrine, if any exists outside of individual
homes.  Nevertheless, Yondalla's priesthood has found it expedient to
found the sprawling Abbey of the Bountiful Horn in the town of
Ammathluir on the western border of Luiren. The abbey and the town of
Ammathluir are led by the aging matriarch, Cornucopia of Blessings Sara
Fallowguard and her lifelong mate, High Marshal Bernarth Hornguard (a
fighter/specialty priest of Arvoreen).  Under their combined
stewardship, both town and temple have bloomed with gardens and other
signs of the goddess's bounty, masking the extensive defensive
fortifications that have been erected in every home and burrow and
along every path and stream. Like the town itself, the temple is far
larger and more extensive than it initially appears. The abbey is dug
into the side of a large hill on the western edge of the town, and its
earthen tunnels honeycomb the heart of the hill and connect with most
of the burrowhomes of Ammathluir. This deception enables Yondalla's
numerous resident priests to blend in among the surrounding community,
dwelling in individual burrows with their families, but in times of war
to assemble in the abbey's heart into small guerrilla bands and then
emerge from countless holes to defend the town from attack.

The Bountiful Horn has also guarded Luiren's western forest since the
halfling nation threw off the yoke of the Arkaiun invaders in the Sixth
Century DR.  The encircling Toadsquat Mountains and Lluirwood have long
stymied would-be invaders, restricting access to Luiren to the sea and
a single east-west route through the forest connecting Ammathluir and
the Trader's Way. It is along this route that the great war chief of
the Arkaiuns, Reinhar, and the people of the wind, as the original
humans of Dambrath were known, invaded the halfling realm in the Year
of the Pernicon (545 DR), and it is along this route that any future
invasion, such as a horde of the Shebali warriors led by the Crintri of
Dambrath, would likely come. To guard against any such invasion, the
abbey's priests have created an extensive array of fortifications,
traps, and ambush points along the length of the Ammathvale road as it
passes through the forest, and any army passing through would be
severely weakened, if not routed, by the combined assaults that can be
unleashed by a handful of defenders as they fall back along the length
of the gauntlet.

Affiliated Orders: The Wayward Wardens are a loosely organized
fellowship of Yondallan priests stricken with wanderlust who wish to
see the world. Estranged by choice from forming a long-term
relationship a single community, Wayward Wardens serve the Provider and
Protector by coming to the defense of besieged or threatened halfling
communities in need of additional protectors. For example, during the
Tethyrian Interregnum, many Wayward Wardens lived for a time among the
halflings of the Purple Hills. The addition of two score elite
defenders to the halfling communities of the region did much to keep
the chaos of interregnum at bay.

Priestly Vestments: Members of Yondalla's clergy dress in loose-fitting
green and brown robes and a saffron overcloak, keeping their heads
bare.  Priests typically wear their hair long, dying it golden blonde
if it is not naturally that color. Yondallan priests always carry a
shield, usually wooded, emblazoned with the cornucopia symbol of the
goddess. The holy symbol of the faith is an animal horn of any type,
except in Luiren where it is a wheat stalk crossing a silver tree,
representing the meadows and the forests.

Adventuring Garb: When expecting combat, Yondallan priests wear the
best armor available and always carry a shield, again usually
emblazoned with Yondalla's cornucopia. They favor short swords, hand
axes, slings, short bows, spears, small lances, hammers, and
morningstars.

Specialty Priests (Horn Guards)

REQUIREMENTS:          Wisdom  13
PRIME REQ.:            Wisdom
ALIGNMENT:             LG
WEAPONS:               Any
ARMOR:                 Any, but must always carry a shield
MAJOR SPHERES:         All, animal, astral, combat, creation,
                       divination, elemental (air, earth, water),
                       guardian, healing, law, necromantic, plant,
                       protection, summoning, sun, wards
MINOR SPHERES:         Weather
MAGICAL ITEMS:         As clerics
REQ. PROFS:            Short sword, agriculture, local history
BONUS PROFS:           Ancient history, cooking

* Horn guards must be halflings, but they can be of any halfling
  subrace.

* Horn guards are not allowed to multiclass.

* Horn guards receive a +2 attack bonus, in addition to the normal
  halfling thrown-weapon bonus, when using rocks they have selected.
  Thrown rocks do 1d4 points of damage, and horn guards can hurl three
  rocks per round.

* Horn guards can cast protection from evil (as the 1st-level priest
  spell) or shield (as the 1st-level wizard spell) or magical stone (as
  the 1st-level priest spell) once per day. Note that the shield
  ability horn guards use has no problem working in conjunction with
  nonmetallic armor, but it cannot work in conjunction with any metal
  armor save elven chain mail.

* At 3rd level, horn guards can cast bless (as the 1st-level priest
   spell, but with twice the normal duration) or wyvern watch (as the
   2nd-level priest spell) once per day.

* At 5th level, horn guards can cast create food and water (as the
   3rd-level priest spell) or efficacious monster ward (as the
   3rd-level priest spell) once per day.

* At 7th level, horn guards can cast animal growth (as the 5th-level
  priest spell) or plant growth (as the 3rd-level priest spell) once
  per day.

* At 7th level, horn guards gain immunity to paralyzation and to fear
  effects of any kind.

* At 10th level, horn guards can cast heroes' feast (as the 6th-level
  priest spell) or restoration (as the 7th-level priest spell) once per
  month.

* At 13th level, horn guards can shapechange (similar to the druid
  ability) into a mammalian form. They are restricted to assuming the
  form of burrowing mammals, mammals that live above the ground but not
  in trees, and mammals that live in water. Horn guards are not allowed
  to become reptiles or avians, nor do they heal damage when
  shapechanging.

Yondallan Spells

In addition to the spells listed below and those spells common to all
halfling priests, Yondalla's clergy can also cast the 1 st-level priest
spell reed staff detailed in the entry for Sheela Peryroyl.

5th level

A Day in the Life (Pr 5; Alteration, Adjuration)

4th Level

Badger Form (Pr 4; Alteration)

Sphere:           Animal
Range:            0
Components:       V,S,M
Duration:         2 turns/level
Casting Time:     1 round
Area of Effect:   The caster
Saving Throw:     None

This spell transforms the priest into the form of a giant badger, with
all the abilities and attacks thereof as detailed in MONSTROUS
COMPENDIUM Annual, Volume Two. No system shock roll is required.

Giant Badger: AC 4; MV 6, Br 3; HD 3; hp as caster; THAC0 17; #AT 3;
Dmg 1d3 (claw)/1d3 (claw)/1d6 (bite); SA saves as caster; SZ M (4'
long); ML as caster; Int as caster; AL as caster; XP as caster.

When the change in form occurs, the priest's equipment, if any, melds
into the new form. (In particularly challenging campaigns, the DM may
allow protective devices, such as a ring of protection, to continue
operating effectively.) The priest retains all mental abilities and
granted powers but cannot cast spells. Hit points and saving throws
remain the same as well.  The priest can return to its normal form at
any time, ending the spell prematurely. When the badger form ends,
whether due to the spell expiring or the priest willing it to do so,
the priest returns to his or her own form and heals Id 12 points of
damage. The priest also returns to his or her own form when slain or
when the effect is dispelled, but no damage is healed in these cases. A
system shock check is not required to transform back to the caster's
normal form, whether voluntarily or involuntarily.

This spell is commonly employed to assist in the digging of halfling
burrows and to defend them against attackers.

The material components of this spell are the priest's holy symbol and
a claw, tooth, or tuft of hair from a badger (normal or giant sized).

Horn  of Plenty (Pr 4; Conjuration)

Sphere:           Creation
Range:            Touch
Components:       V, S, M
Duration:         1 turn
Casting Time:     2 rounds
Area of Effect:   The hollowed out horn of a ram or giant ram
Saving Throw:     None

This spell temporarily transforms a hollowed out horn into a magical
cornucopia. In the first 5 rounds after the spell is cast, fresh
vegetables, fruits, and grains tumble forth from the horn of plenty, in
quantities sufficient to feed up to six human-sized creatures or two
horse-sized creatures for one day. In the second 5 rounds, wine, water,
or ale gushes forth from the horn of plenty sufficient to quench the
thirsts of up to six human-sized creatures or two horse-sized creatures
per level of the caster for one day. During the casting, the caster
must specify the type or types of fruits, vegetables, and grains and
the type of liquid to be dispensed. It is up to the caster to determine
how, if at all, the food or beverage is to be contained so that it does
not spill all over the ground; caster's often arrange to have
containers placed on the ground  to catch the bounty. The enchantment
of the horn of plenty fades once the spell expires, but any food or
drink created by means of this spell is permanent and nonmagical in
nature and spoils and decays normally.

The material component of this spell is the priest's holy symbol.

Sphere:           Law, Combat
Range:            Touch
Components:       V,S,M
Duration:         One day
Casting Time:     8
Area of Effect:   Creature touched
Saving Throw:     Neg.

This spell transforms a living, sentient, intelligent creature touched
by the caster (successful attack roll required) into a normal halfling
with no character class abilities (see the MONSTROUS MANUAL tome)
provided the creature fails a saving throw vs. spell. The creature
transformed retains its alignment, its memory and mental capacity, its
normal saving throws, and its hit points.  It does not gain any bonuses
that halflings normally possess; the spell give"- halfling form and
THAC0. Items carried or worn are not changed with the spell's target,
who may now be awash in ill-fitting armor or holding a weapon too big
to wield effectively. Magical items usable only by character classes
other than fighters no longer function for the target. A creature
transformed by a day in the life cannot cast spells, although these are
not forgotten and can be cast when the creature once again assumes its
normal form; similarly, the use of psionic abilities granted by the
psionicist class is not possible. The spell does not require a system
shock roll for the target creature when it is transformed or when it
assumes its normal form at the spell's expiration.

The material components are the priest's holy symbol and a hair from a
halfling's foot.

7th Level

Curse of Yondalla  (Pr 7; Alteration, Abjuration)

Sphere:            Time
Range:             20 yards
Components:        V, S, M
Duration:          Special
Casting Time:      1 round
Area of Effect:    One creature
Saving Throw:      Neg.

The curse of Yondalla is reserved for creatures who have greatly
offended Yondalla - for example by completely destroying a halfling
community or killing innocent and defenseless halflings, such as the
aged or very young.  A creature afflicted by curse of Yondalla is
stunned and unable to act offensively if it fails a saving throw vs.
spell. It then returns to infancy over the period of a turn, growing
younger slowly at first and then rapidly, until it is once again an
infant specimen of its species. No system shock survival roll is
required. The infant has no memory of its previous life. Commonly, a
halfling community or the priest then raises the infant to respect
halflings and the ways of Yondalla. An infant of a species inherently
unsafe for such folk to raise (say, a troll or a dragon), it is placed
with a foster parent of a species able to properly raise it in a
positive moral and ethical fashion.

An undead creature of less than divine status that fails its saving
throw is destroyed by this spell, but a creature of extraplanar origin
that fails its, saving throw is merely cast back to its home plane and
unable to return to the Prime Material Plane for 10d10 years. A
creature with magic resistance has it reduced by a -25% penalty against
the effects of a curse of Yondalla. A creature that successfully saves
still suffers 3d8+3 points of damage or half its remaining hit points
in damage, whichever is less.

The bestowed curse of Yondalla cannot be dispelled. It can be countered
by a remove curse from the same priest of Yondalla who cast it or by
any good priest whose level exceeds the original caster's level; it can
also be negated by a full wish. When the curse if removed, the creature
returns to its normal age over the course of 1 turn (requiring no
system shock survival roll), but it remembers any events that took
place during its second youth in addition to those of its previous
older life. Destroyed undead creatures can be restored or extraplanar
creatures allowed to return before the end ot the allotted time only by
a full wish or divine intervention.

Priests of Yondalla do not cast this spell lightly. Yondalla's divine
servitors or Yondalla herself are said to watch over its use and will
prevent it from being successfully cast if they feel its is being
misused.

The material component of this spell is the priest's holy symbol.

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