EPT
Let’s start at the beginning.
This world’s name is Iris.
There is no word for “atheism” on Iris. Doubt and disbelief exist, but such feelings are never associated with a question of the existence of divinity. Such a world view implies that there exists no proof of the gods, and even a blind man would call the one who claims to lack such proof a fool. Upon Iris, the gods are everywhere. On one hand, there are the unknowable shapers of the universe, the beings for whom countless shrines and temples are constructed and through whose clerics the most remembered miracles are wrought. Yet there is also a god in each blade of grass and in each whispered promise. To each thriving community a patron saint is born by way of their shared hardship, joy, and triumph. Mountains and rivers are watched over by spirits of nature, while mortal concepts such as joy, greed, change, loneliness, and wonder empower their avatars, forging fortresses and fountains in their demiplanes where their idea alone is embodied. The gods created all life on Iris, from the Firstborn to the Last Children. Magic itself is an echo of the High Gods’ speech, a glimpse of the language that shapes reality. Yet while their power may appear limitless, the gods are neither immortal nor invincible. A fallen bloodroot spells the end of long-lived spirit of the forest. A forgotten story is the last passing of the god of that tale. Perhaps one day the Sleeping Goddess herself shall wither away and Iris will follow her into nothingness.
Iris is a world in which the existence of divine beings is not merely accepted as fact, but proven every day by their presences both miraculous and material. It is not uncommon for a god to manifest within its worshippers’ church to commune with its followers, then remain in their company for a raucous night at a local tavern. This concept is one I adopted from Creation, the setting of Exalted, in which the Heavens are as much a place of holy mystery as they are a ponderous, bureaucratic machine kept running by the constant scurrying of the minor deities in the mortal realm.* There’s something very interesting to me about the possibility of in-person interaction with beings that are metaphorical objects of worship in our own world. A campaign set on Iris would, in my mind, involve just as many conflicts with minor deities as with orc tribes and illithid cults. While the mightiest powers of the Iris’ universe would remain far beyond the player’s reach (at least, until the very highest levels), divine interaction (and intervention, though not in the most traditional sense) would never be far away.
Needless to say, a world so populated with deities greatly affects the Cleric class. Choosing a patron deity in Iris is far more involved process due to the sheer number of gods from which one can choose. The High Gods, Iris’ creators and the most-widely worshipped deities, are the closest analogues to the standard D&D pantheons and provide an abundance of spiritual guidance and power to their followers. However, these gods are few and their believers many, so their magnificence is split among their thousands of worshippers. Furthermore, they never visit Iris (at least, not in recent knowledge). Following the call of a lesser god would not allow you access to the High Gods’ temples, nor evoke as much recognition or respect from common folk, but fewer believers means these gods will allocate more of their powers to their clerics or even meet them personally when they request an audience.** To lesser gods, clerics are not distant believers, but devoted servants, loyal knights, and even cherished friends. There is also a lower bound to the deities you can choose: dedicating your life to a mushroom spirit (which I imagine looks like a Kodama from Princess Mononoke) would be impossible, as they are less powerful than a typical human. Other than that, the possibilities are endless. Devoting your life to the Lord of Mount Cerodan is as valid as serving Carth, the Shaper of Souls. The options for worship are intentionally open-ended; as pleased as I am with the gods I imagined, I would love to see a series of cleric PCs that followed gods of their players’ own imaginations.
Furthermore, clerics in Iris are not necessarily bound to simple weaponry from level one. Each deity wields a favored weapon (or set of weapons), and so too do their mortal representatives. All Clerics gain an initial proficiency in their god’s favored weapon, as well as the choice of that weapon in their starting equipment.
Players seeking to worship a god of their own creation in Iris should discuss the nature of that divine entity with their Dungeon Master to determine the god’s Divine Domains, favored weapons, alignment, and symbols. If there exists the possibility that clerics of this created deity would have access to spells off of the typical cleric spell list, this should also be discussed with the DM (if only to avoid the likelihood of obscene abuse). Spell list changes should be offset, if necessary, with penalties, such as restricting access to other spells. A cleric of Elreth, the Scion of Fire, would logically have access to Scorching Ray, but would, by the same logic, have some trouble with Control Water.
Due to the prevalence of gods in Iris, one might suggest that all spellcasting classes (or indeed all classes) are simply specialized Clerics, but there are practices and mindsets that uniquely identify a Cleric.*** The relationship a Cleric has with their god, however personal it might be, stems from worship, devotion, and prayer. Other classes do not share such traits. A Bard is an artist and creator, imparting his own vision and story upon the world through music, while a Cleric worshipping a master of melody or lady of lyres is fixed upon that god’s specific vision, spreading it in the name of the deity rather than themselves. A Paladin battles in the name of law and a holy (or unholy) cause, but does not necessarily follow the dictates of a single god as a Cleric would (though they can if they so choose). A Ranger discovers divine secrets or hidden magics in her travels, but pragmatically acquires those abilities before wandering to the next destination instead of building their lives around the providers of their powers. A Sorcerer’s innate talents may draw upon a font of divine energy or manifest due to distant divine heritage, but they are not beholden to any creature, deity or otherwise. Wizards study the language of magic, the syllables of creation spoken by the gods to warp reality itself, but the True Speech is ungoverned, free for all to use who possess the aptitude and commitment, not simply those who enter into a covenant with deities. The relationship between a Warlock and her contractor can be similar to the one between a Cleric and his god (indeed, a Warlock’s patron could be a deity), but a Warlock’s agreement tends more towards addiction and obsession than devotion and dogma. Also, a Warlock’s sacrifices for power are often more visceral and dangerous than a Cleric’s.
Druids and Clerics are the most closely related of the spellcasting classes on Iris because Druids are worshippers of a sort. They serve Iris, the Sleeping Goddess, the planet herself. Worshipping Iris identifies you a Druid, not a Cleric, because the Sleeping Goddess answers no prayers, proclaims no doctrines, and guides no favored children, which makes her unique among her almighty peers. Druidism derives from an attachment to the earth in all of its wonder and terror. It is a gift that is both randomly given and that can be cultivated with study and passion. Druids embrace nature’s good and evil, its law and chaos, its self-contained balance in contrast to the focused piety of a Cleric. For a contrasting example, a Cleric that devotes herself to nature might worship Vernaya, the Eternal Garden. Such a Cleric may develop a skill set similar to a Druid’s, but it originate from the High Goddess’s power rather than the raw energy of the earth. A Cleric of Vernaya may be given quests to strike down destroyers of groves or carriers of pestilence; a Druid follows only the path they clear for themselves, sensing with whatever instinct and judgement they possess how best to serve the great being beneath their feet. Clerics are relatable for most humans: they sing the praises of their god, build temples, and draw followers to their holy cause. Druids are strange and alien: they care more for beasts than man, speak in tongues only their kind understand, and eschew the benefits of society for the wisdom of the earth.
Shown below are the High Gods of Iris, the creators of True Life and most worshipped beings on the planet. The description includes their favored alignment and weapon, as well as their Divine Domains.
The High Gods
- Xa, the Radiant Zenith (LG) – Life, Light, War [mace & shield]
- Carth, the Shaper of Souls (NG) – Life, Knowledge, War [warhammer]
- Lycel, the Impassioned Melody (CG) – Tempest, Trickery [rapier]
- Ortos, the Sword in the Sky (LN) – War, Death, Tempest [greatsword]
- Khranos, the Watcher of the Clock (TN) – Life, Death, Knowledge [spear]
- Vernaya, the Eternal Garden (CN) – Life, Death, Nature [whip]
- Dys, the Will of Darkness (LE) – War, Tempest, Death [longsword]
- Rogash, the Breath of Plague (NE) – Trickery, Death, Nature [scythe]
- Morkul, the Storm of Carnage (CE) – Death, War [battleaxe]
Next time, we will explore the races of Iris and how they differ from the standard 5E races.
* Praise to the meta-gaming chicanery of Sidereal bullshit!
** It should be noted that a cleric of a lesser god will develop the same in-game strength as any other adventurer, in spite of their deities’ “comparative power.” An argument could be made that a lesser god would not be able to grant the powers a level 20 cleric should possess, but, if a player has a level 20 cleric, there’s reason to assume that their influence has drawn more worshippers to their god, providing the god itself with greater power.
*** At least, there are to me. Even if I flattered myself so far as to believe others might want to play a game in this setting, I certainly couldn’t keep them from asserting that yes, in fact, pretty much everyone is a Cleric. Go for it.
You can read this, my first worldbuilding effort, and much more besides at the N3rd Dimension.
