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Athaniar
2008-06-08, 03:48 PM
Here is a deity for anyone to tweak and use in their campaign, as they see fit. Note that it is not supposed to be offensive against any specific group of people, it’s just inspired by some modern-day events. As I said, tweak it as you see fit, perhaps remove the most obvious Nazi allegories, such as the swastika, and rename the Aryans, and perhaps the deity himself, but that wouldn’t really be any fun.

Thule
Lesser God (Chaotic Evil)

In ancient times, when humankind was young, there lived a tribe of early humans in the frigid north. They had pale skin, golden hair, blue eyes, and powerful physique. They were known as the Aryans. But something was not quite like the other proto-humans with them. They became more and more aggressive, and also developed powerful weapons and magics quicker than the majority of humankind could at this point in evolution. The reason for this was a fallen minor deity of evil, but this is only known by an absolute few, and most of them being of the “elder races” (not many even know of these events described here, for they have been mostly kept secret by those who know them). Eventually, they set out to conquer the “lesser men” of the world, and quickly took over much land, killing or enslaving the population in the progress. When much hope seemed lost for the free peoples, the elves, who had, until this point in time, mostly ignored the “savage” humans, stepped down and formed an army to stop the Aryan threat. With the united efforts of both the remaining humans and the elves, the invaders were beaten back to their immediate homeland. Now, when the tide had turned against the Aryans, their leader, the rightly-feared warlord Thule (the Aryans even renamed their homeland after him), as a last desperate attempt to victory, bonded with the essence of his dark master, creating am incredibly powerful entity, much due to the thousands of Aryan and demonic worshippers. But at the very moment Thule would unleash his powers, the other gods also intervened against him, and scattered his essence into powerful artifacts and remote locations all across the world.

Now, many eons (vagueness intended) later, the essence of Thule has begun “leaking” forth from it’s multiple prisons, and has formed a broken, yet powerful enough remnant of Thule’s consciousness. Thule has taken this opportunity to recruit followers to his cause, followers who can completely unseal his essence and return him to his full, nigh-unstoppable force. His only agenda includes the total annihilation of all those who are not of pure Aryan human descent. He especially loathes the elves, and will take any opportunity he can get to destroy them. He loathes fire, seeing cold as a sign of power. When Thule is released, he plans to bring the world once again under his thousand-year rule.

Portfolio: Hatred, the Aryan “race”

Domains: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Strength (non-core: Cold, Hatred)

Cleric Training: Only those of “Aryan descent” (usually signified by pale skin, golden hair, blue eyes, and powerful physique) may become clerics of Thule, but Aryan descent is a matter of interpretation. Usually, all humans (and only humans) who meet the above criteria are potential Thulists. After Thule’s re-emergence, his new followers founded the Thule Society, his main clergy. No races but the “Aryan” humans are even tolerated as allies of the Society, especially not elves and half-elves, whom they see as “corruption” of the “master race”. The Society’s main modus operandi is to infiltrate major human governments and sow it’s seeds of hatred and racial ideologies there, but they do not choose to do so secretly, instead openly announcing their prescence (and “justifying” their cruel intent with fine words and false ideologies). While in truth Thule is a completely insane being of utter evil, the Society leaders often try to associate him with other, more popular deities in order to recruit followers. The usual cleric of Thule is utterly evil, a person capable of both great wrath and manipulation, who seeks to “preserve racial purity” and manipulate powerful persons to fit the Society’s needs. A cleric of Thule may be of any evil alignment. They usually take at least one level of Thule Sorcerer when possible. All clerics of Thule (and even non-clerics) are usually marked with a Thule Tattoo upon initiation.

Symbols: The primary symbol of Thule worship is the swastika, or hooked cross (you should know what it is). The Thule Society uses a Swastika with a dagger over it as their sign. Other symbols include the Armanen runes, the sacred script of the Aryans, whose true powers are only known by the elitemost Thulists, the Thule Sorcerers.

Quests: There are two primary objectives to a Thulian: to restore Thule to power by destroying his prisons, and the aforementioned “preservation of racial purity” and restoring the “Aryans race” to power. Everything else is secondary, at the most.

Prayers: The Thule Sorcerer-Clerics lead the dark ceremonies of Thule, chanting the eldritch speech of the Aryans, often in front of a powerful artifact that previously held a now-released part of Thule himself, but is still tainted by evil. Prayers are usually laments on how humanity is tainted, and promises on how Thule will return and cleanse it.

Shrines: Deep within Thule Society headquarters, the shrines of Thule reside. They consist of dark chambers fully covered in ice, which is in turn etched all over with Armanen runes. Dangerous beasts of the north are kept in there, along with Impure Degenerates (the twisted forms of corrupted humanoids), who are treated the same as the beasts, if not worse.

Rites: Thulist ceremonies are grand to behold, the ancient Aryan language hangs heavily in the chill air of the Thule shrines. Thulian ceremonies may or may not (but more often may than not) involve the sacrifice of the “racially impure” and/or the creation of Impure Degenerates.

Heralds and Allies: The herald of Thule is a CE human Sorcerer 10/Thule Sorcerer 10 specializing in cold spells (if you don’t have access/don’t want to use the Thule Sorcerer, use a Sorcerer 20 instead). His allies include succubi, glabrezus, and half-fiend young adult white dragons.

Other Deities: Obviously, not many deities are fond of Thule, especially not Corellon Larethian, who led the elven race to victory when Thule was first at large. The only deity who can put up with Thule is Zarus, who shares his desire to obliverate non-humans, but still thinks that Thule and his followers are too “savage” at times, while Thule thinks ill of Zarus for allowing any human into his cult. Still, the Zarists have worked together with the Thulists at times for the benefit of both clergies. There are rumors abound that he also has struck a deal with the vile Elemental Prince of Cold, Cryonax.

Favored Weapon: The Fist of Thule (Warhammer).

The Impure Degenerate:
An Impure Degenerate is a humanoid deemed not worthy by the Thule Society, and changed by the dark magics of Thule into savage, brutal creatures only seen fit to serve the Society as guard dogs and/or cannon-fodder. The Society only claims that they turn them into what they really are. A Resurrection spell will only bring back the Degenerate form of the humanoid, True Resurrection or greater is needed to bring back it’s original form.

An Impure Degenerate looks like it did before, except for the fact that it’s hunchbacked, a little bit shorter, has greyish ice-blue skin, and looks significantly more feral.

Creating an Impure Degenerate:
Impure Degenerate is an acquired template that can be added to any humanoid that do not fit into the mold of the “Aryan” race.

Size and Type: Type changes to Monstrous Humanoid.

Special Attacks: A Degenerate has two claw attacks á 1d6 damage.

-Smite Nonhuman (Su)
Once per day, the Degenerate can make a normal melee attack to deal extra damage equal to it’s HD total (maximum of +20) against a nonhuman foe. Despite what they wished for, the Society couldn’t implant magic to get them to smite Non-Aryans.

Special Qualities: Darkvision 60 ft., Cold Resistance 5, Immunity to Mind-Affecting Spells, +5 Natural Armor

-Total Loyalty (Ex)
A Degenerate has no choice but to obey any member of the Thule Society to the slightest intent. A higher-ranking member can override the commands of a lower-ranking one. Anyone who is not Thulist who attempts to command the Degenerate is immediately attacked by it. The few non-society Thulists who attempt to command the Degenerate are simply ignored. This doesn’t mean Degenerates are incapable of action, however, but rather won’t do anything not told to do by their masters. This includes both simple commands, such as “kill all non-humans you encounter”, and more complicated ones, such as “enter the temple of Corellon Larethian in the city, place this unholy crystal on the altar, kill the high priest, and then go on a murderous rampage should you survive”.

Abilities: Strength +6, Constitution +6, Intelligence -8 (to a minimum of 3), Wisdom -4, Charisma -8

Skills: Degenerates have a +6 bonus to Listen and Spot checks.

Environment: Wherever Thulists are, usually in the frigid Thule shrines.

Challenge Rating: I’m not very good at this. Help?

Alignment: Always Chaotic Evil.

Level Adjustment: +1?

Lifestyle: While they suffer a heavy blow to their mental abilites, they are far (or not) from mindless. A humanoid with a strong mind (such as a mighty elven wizard) may still retain enough intellect to actually remain functional, but still driven insane by the corruptive magics involved in it’s creation. The Degenerates only exist to serve their masters. Their primary purpose is to serve as guards and free labour.

Adventure Hooks:
*The PCs get caught up in a political power struggle between the Society and a powerful politician (or noble) who has left the Society to start a new reign of terror by becoming the leader of the country and imposing his own non-society Thulist rule.
*A Thule Sorcerer goes renegade, taking with him several Impure Degenerates, at least one who is a previous friend of the PCs. He may or may not attempt to Atone them.
*(This works if one of the PCs meets the “Aryan criterias”) The PCs comes to a village that has opposed itself to the Society. One of the PCs is mistaken for a Thulist, and captured by the authorities, all while the real Society takes advantage of this.
*The PCs encounter a mystical artefact of great power that happens to be one of the artifacts holding Thule’s essence. This makes the Society interestred in the PCs.
*Several of the PCs previous usually nice and accepting but still physically “Aryan” friends suddenly starts joining the Society. Are they being mind controlled?
*The PCs are contacted by the clergy of a non-human deity (or a human deity strongly opposing Thule), and asked to help them discover what the Society is up to.
*A wave of crime strikes enemies of Thule, and the authorities do nothing. Has the Society corrupted the Law from within, or are the authorities targeting non-humans in a last, desperate attempt to spark an uprising against the Society?
*A honest-looking man contacts the PCs for assistance against “vile elven bandits”. He says that he has learned that they are being helped by a local elven noble. In truth, the man is a member of the Thule Society, and all the elven noble has done is to propagate elven rights in an otherwise human-dominated community.

Tons of cookies to the one who knows what a Thule Sorcerer is.