Shadon

[hellspawn]

•Aliases: The Trickster, The Rascal
•Race: Gnome
•Worshippers: Gnomes, halflings, and some goblinoid races.
•Governs: Illusions, Traps, Humor, Trickery
•Mantras: Chaotic, Deceptive, Playful, Selfish

Life is fleeting, and therefore must be enjoyed. Every moment spent doing something boring is a moment wasted. Relish constantly in festivals and adventuring. Go to any extent to enjoy yourself, no matter how trivial the action, no matter what the consequences may be. Rules and regulations only apply to those who need them. Boundaries, whether they are physical, moral, or emotional, are only there to be broken. Laws will only hold you back. Such things only serve those who make them. Ignore all of them, or better still, break all of them. Make a mockery of them and of all those who try to force them upon you. Practical jokes make the loudest statements and are nothing short of hilarious. Always have a prank or two up your sleeve, and Shadon will be happy with you. Put your own enjoyment before anything else. Enjoyment is the key to everything. Get back at those who would put an end to your merriment; even better if there is a crowd. Whether your actions were good or evil, helpful or harmful, it does not matter, so long as they were fun to do.

[hellspawn]

Clerics use daggers and darts, because they are easy to hide and it is fun to take down a foe with such a small thing. Some use clubs to leave obvious, large-sized bumps on victims' heads. They normally enchant their weapons with electrical properties to allow for witty comments about their shocking personalities. Clerics of Shadon wear bright-colored, flashy clothes tailored to make a loud fashion statement and to draw attention to themselves. When in combat, clerics of the Trickster wear shiny metals with dangly add-ons to distract and dazzle their opponents.

[hellspawn]

The church has no formal structure nor does it have a lot of temples. So it is not surprising that the rankings are very loose. Each temple has a High Trickster who runs the temple; occasionally, the High Trickster will take on a disciple or two, but these would not have a set rank. Temples can have other clerics in residence who then answer to the High Trickster. The High Trickster oversees the upkeep of the temple, controls and monitors the temple's funds, keeps the temple's stocks and supplies in order, and is supposed to organize festivals. The High Trickster is also responsible for hiring healers, shopkeepers, and manual labor for the temple. If there are any disciples, they are normally delegated tasks by the High Trickster, taking over some of his or her duties. This is not so much to give the disciples knowledge of the working of the church, but more because the High Trickster would rather not do any work.

Elections and Organizations
As the hierarchy doesn't go above local temple level, when a High Trickster steps down or dies, a new one is elected from the clergy attached to that temple.

[hellspawn]

While not sects as such, there are two distinguished groups of Shadonites; both groups with different beliefs to the other. The first of these two groups are those who follow and believe Shadon's teachings, but other than that feel no connection to Shadon and rarely, if ever, pay homage to Shadon. Most of them grew up being taught or believing they should do whatever they want to, and they have been set in these ways for quite a time. Therefore, they do not feel as much of a religious connection to Shadon. Most are simply doing what has come naturally to them during their lifetime, regardless of any influence from Shadon. The second group includes those that follow Shadon's teachings just as much as the first do, but are more devout, paying homage to Shadon with much more regularity. These Shadonites tend to have been converted to the faith, and they feel the need to pray more often. They also tend to include those who have struck it lucky through following Shadon's teachings and wish to give credit to Shadon for their good fortune.
Clerics of Shadon are not much like those of other deities. They are more devoted in their faith than most other followers of Shadon, who tend to follow Shadon rather loosely. They also follow Shadon's dogma more strictly than other followers. Strictly, of course, meaning that they will go to even greater extremes for a bit of enjoyment. They tend to be the most extroverted of all Shadon's followers and will arrange the most extravagant parties and pull off highly intricate practical jokes; they are almost always the center of attention. They tend to be extremely bad at organizing, which often causes a number of problems for them. This seems to be most apparent at their festivals. They are normally able to organize something, but not very well, and most events or gatherings are organized by someone tacking a note to the local notice board the day before it is supposed to happen, saying something along the lines of meet at the pub or the marketplace. As a result, most Shadonite events appear to be rushed and haphazard. Of course, when someone does manage to organize one of their festivals, they are very extravagant and lavish affairs, filled with colorful banners, games, show magicians, circus acts, and food stalls aplenty. Most festivals, organized or not, normally end up with everyone under the influence of excessive amounts of alcohol.

Shadonites are either loved or hated by others, usually the latter. This is mostly because of the pranks and jokes Shadonites seem to be constantly playing on others, which is often the cause of much entertainment but more often the cause of much irritation and anger. Many find followers of the Trickster to be highly amusing; yet when they personally are the subject of such pranks or jokes, their attitudes toward them often change.

[hellspawn]

The first signs of a remotely organized church appeared around 794 in the town of Arnax on Belinara. The large Shadonite population of the town, led by a gnome known as Remorry Hestreph, decided they should go about forming “one of those church thingymawhatsits.” This decision was not brought on by any event in particular, they simply figured that everyone else had one, and they thought they must be missing out on all the fun. They may have also taken the initiative to form a church due to the fact that they thought none of the other Shadonites from around Layonara would bother to do anything about it.
The Shadonites of Arnax soon constructed a temple by the quayside, a rectangular building with a domed top. They spent a good few months decorating and preparing the temple; but soon, most lost interest in it. Remorry Hestreph, one of the only ones still showing interest in it, was instated to run and look after the temple; the role of managing the temple and its affairs is still upheld by his descendants. The temple was not then, and still isn’t, used as much for religious purposes as for others. It normally sees more frequent use as a hot spot for Shadonites to hold parties and shows. Another use for the temple is that it provides a place for some to drink or stay at when they find themselves without a place to stay; normally evicted from their old place by the owner.

A second temple resides in Khitis, a town in the northern half of Mistone’s eastern coast. A third temple is in Port Hempstead on the spot of the old Toranite temple, which was taken down around 1364, after being badly damaged by a fire originating in the Tower of Magic. Although the Port Hempstead temple is called a temple, it sees more use as a pub, with most only passing through to replenish their ale supplies.

[hellspawn]

Prayers

Clerics (and followers) pray whenever they feel like praying, some praying hardly ever, but others quite regularly, often right after getting daily supplies for the next adventure.
Before combat: "Shadon, make sure that when I whack this guy on the head he screams in a funny way so that I can complete my collection of bob screams. Shadon, make the funny-looking creature squeal like a little girl so I can point and laugh at it. Please don't let me die, please don't let me die, please don't let me die. Oh, how about you make this one trip up and knock itself out or something?"

While crafting: "Oh great, mighty and super-awesome Rascal, do help me to not fail miserably this time. Stupid thing won't work! Uh...Shadon, a bit of help if you could?"

After restocking supplies: "Shadon, please don't let the food rot, and if it does, make only my friend's food go bad, rather than mine. Shadon, if you could slip a few extra bottles of ale into my pack, I promise I wouldn't notice. Honest. Come on, it's just a wee bit of divine intervention, it's not like it's hurting anyone. Well, I guess it's damaging myself a bit, y'know, my liver and things, at least that's what some of those really smart-like wizard folk say. But that's not the point. Actually, good point that, what was my point?"

At any time: "Shadon give me the ability to show the...what's that? Let's go check it out! I'm bored. Can you help someone humiliate themself?"



Holy Days


•Flavorsome Foods Festival
Once every year, the Shadonites are supposed to organize a food and drink festival, aptly named the Flavorsome Foods Festival. The festival is normally held in the month of Mai at either Arnax or Port Hempstead. The festival is a celebration of food and drink from all places. Food found at the festival includes local delicacies from both the host town and other towns further abroad, as well as some of the rarest and most expensive food to be found on Layonara.


•Perfect Caper
Held on 31st Janra every year, the Perfect Caper is a celebration of Shadon and all things Shadon stands for. It celebrates each and everything that is or could be entertaining, humorous, whimsical, frivolous and preposterous. The celebration only occasionally has planned events. Most times, it is simply a day filled with pranks, jokes, frivolity and shenanigans. No one knows quite why it is called the Perfect Caper. Most think it is likely named after an elaborate practical joke, though any documentations that would have supported this was lost a long time ago, due to the haphazard management of the Shadonite clergy.

[hellspawn]

•Allied:

◦Baraeon Ca'Duz
◦Branderback

•Friendly:

◦Pyrtechon
◦Vierdri'ira
◦Xeen

•Neutral:

◦Aragen
◦Goran
◦Grand
◦Grannoch
◦Mist

•Unfriendly:

◦Aeridin
◦Beryl
◦Corath
◦Deliar
◦Dorand
◦Katia
◦Lucinda
◦Rofirein
◦Shindaleria
◦Sulterio

•Enemy:

◦Az'atta
◦Folian S'pae
◦Ilsare
◦Kithairien
◦Prunilla
◦Toran
◦Vorax

[hellspawn]

Reliquary

If Shadon has any relics, the clergy sure hasn't been the entity to hold onto them.


Myths

Favored of Toran
Once, a long time ago, there was a halfling who owned a circus. Now this is not the first halfling to own a circus and perform tricks, but this one--Narglo was his name--took his tricks to an extreme. No one was safe from his pranks and many did, over time, come to dislike him. Indeed, not everyone takes well to being tricked and played for a fool. However, once when his circus was in Lor and the magnificent multicolored tent was being set up, a man came by. The man looked at the halflings working as he gently stroked his holy symbol of Toran. Narglo could not resist playing a joke on the man, and so he walked up to him and greeted him in the most serious manner. He then proceeded to explain that there had been foul play at his last performance and perhaps one such as he could help investigate. Elmir, as the paladin was named, could not refuse a request for aid. So he asked what had happened and what he could do to help. Narglo then explained that someone was stealing the animals he showed the audience, and it was ruining him. He even showed Elmir an empty cage where his most dangerous beast, a huge bear, had been kept. Elmir knew how dangerous such beasts could be when not kept by trained people so he agreed to investigate this.
Narglo told him to hide in another empty cage and he would then let people believe it was a very special beast in there. Elmir did not sense what was about to happen and happily agreed and climbed inside the cage. As time passed, night fell and the show was about to begin. Elmir had dozed a bit off while waiting but suddenly he felt his cage move. It was pitch black under the cloth that covered the cage, but Elmir waited patiently, confident that he was being stolen. Suddenly, he heard the bustling of many people around him and then the voice of Narglo outside the cage. "Behold! Tonight you shall see a most gruelling beast. It has slain many a creature and instils fear in the hearts of those who face it." So he kept on for a while and suddenly the cloth covering the cage was removed and Elmir saw the faces of a huge crowd. Because they saw him first, one began to laugh then another; soon, the entire crowd was roaring with laughter at the caged paladin. Anger flew into Elmir's heart; Narglo would be held responsible for this. So as soon as he was released from the cage, he went to the wagon in which Narglo lived. It was empty. Narglo was gone and was never seen again.

The halfling played a great joke, and Shadon himself saved him from what would have happened after he ridiculed the paladin. It is whispered from time to time that Narglo resides in a place only known by Shadon, and Narglo keeps Shadon entertained with his jokes and tricks.

A Practical Joke
There was a dwarven clan who were masters of many a craft; not the craft of weapons and armor but the crafting of exquisite pieces of art and jewelry. It was whispered among other clans that the dwarves in this clan were blessed not by Dorand but by Ilsare--for such was their devotion to the arts. As most know, many rumors hold a grain of truth. The dwarves were indeed some which Ilsare had taken a liking to. Their art was magnificent, she thought, and their chanters sang the most beautiful chants as the workmen sat in their shops and smithies. One day, Shadon noticed this little clan and felt like playing a small practical joke. He sent word to Vorax that the dwarves of this clan had forsaken the dwarven way and had become as peace-loving and tree-hugging as elves. Vorax knew of this clan, and he detested them, because they were not as real dwarves should be. When he heard Shadon's report, he flew into a rage. He hammered his fist down and thundered that they would learn better soon enough, that no one could do without battle, and that battle would come to all, even those whom Ilsare looked favorably upon.

He could not help feeling a little hint of satisfaction as he pondered how he would teach this clan the proper way of dwarven life. He knew he would take some of them from Ilsare and rubbed his hands with a slight smile. Now Shadon leaned back and grinned; he knew soon enough that the Deep dwarves would be attacking the clan. And soon, indeed, the Deep dwarves marched upon the dwarven clan. As the attack began, the dwarves tried to fend the invaders off, but they could not, they were not warriors but rather artists. Vorax watched them die with a face as expressionless as if it had been cut from the roots of the mountains themselves. He would not do anything until they called for him, if only one would call for Vorax to aid them he would let his fury destroy the invaders, but until then, they were not dwarves to him, they were just beings. As the dwarves fought and died, they time and again cried out to Ilsare to save them. However, as she watched the slaughter, little did it matter.

Soon, the clan was destroyed and their art with them. Ilsare glared at Vorax as they both watched the battle end. When the last of the dwarves drew his last breath, Ilsare cursed Vorax for not saving them, and Vorax in turn cursed Ilsare for not teaching those she blessed to stand and fight. Shadon watched from the shades as they quarrelled. He tried to restrain himself from laughing but found it so amusing he suddenly burst into laughter and thus revealed his presence to Ilsare and Vorax. When they saw Shadon, they knew he had been playing them. They ran to catch him, but it is hard to catch one as fleeting as the trickster. In the end, Vorax and Ilsare gave up their hunt--even though they knew Shadon had a hand in the destruction of the dwarves. They parted with hostile looks as each still blamed the other for the downfall of the clan.

[hellspawn]

•Alignment:
◦Chaotic Neutral



•Cleric Alignments:
◦Chaotic Neutral
◦Chaotic Good
◦Chaotic Evil
◦True Neutral



•Domains:
◦Destruction
◦Travel
◦Trickery