(The Crying God, the Lord on the Rack, the One Who Endures, the Broken God)
Intermediate Power of the Twin Paradises, LG
PORTFOLIO: Endurance, suffering, martyrdom, perseverence
ALIASES: Ayuruk (among the peoples of the Great Glacier)
DOMAIN NAME: Shurrock/Martyrdomain
SUPERIOR: Tyr
ALLIES: Tyr, Torm, Ibrandul (now dead), Lathander
FOES: Loviatar, Malar, Talos, Bane (now dead), Bhaal (now dead), Myrkul (now dead)
SYMBOL: A pair of white human hands bound at the wrists with blood-red cord or (older) a blood-stained
rack
WOR. ALIGN.: Any
Ilmater (Ihl-MAY-ter) offers succor and calming words to those who are in pain, oppressed, or in great need. He is the willing sufferer, the one who takes the place of another to heft the other's burden, to take the other's pain. He is the god of the oppressed and unjustly treated.
Ilmater is quiet, kind, good-spirited, and slow to anger. He appreciates a humorous story and has a rather rustic humor himself. When his avatar appears, he takes assaults upon his person passively and rarely lifts a hand against another. He is not totally nonviolent, though, as many often assume by his doctrine of endurance. When facing cruelties and atrocities his rage can boil up, and then he is a figure of frighteningly righteous wrath. His appearance can frighten the young, but he takes great care to reassure them as he treasures children and all young creatures, taking exceptional offense at those who would abuse or harm them.
Ilmater is allied to and serves Tyr, aiding the blinded god in his travels and teaching him to live without his sight but to rely more upon his feelings. He is also on very good terms with Torm, who also serves Tyr, and the three deities are known collectively as the Triad.
Ilmater's symbol in the early days was the blood-stained rack, but since the Godswar the use of a pair of white hands bound with blood-red cord has come into almost exclusive use. This newer symbol has increased Ilmater's popularity in the world at large.
Ilmater's Avatar (Monk 35, Cleric 32, Paladin 20, Mage 18)
Ilmater appears as a man with broken joints who drags himself around in obvious pain using his smashed hands and ravaged limbs despite the agony activity causes. He is short, burly, and wears only a breechcloth. His balding head sports a homely, kindly face, and his hairy body is crisscrossed with scars, open cuts, burns, and other marks of torture. He can cast spells from any priest sphere or wizard school, but rarely casts any spell that causes any form of damage to another unless in retribution for sadistic acts performed by others. All positive forms of healing and necromantic sphere spells he casts are at double strength.
AC -5; MV 15; HP 224; THAC0 -2; #AT 3/1*
Dmg 1d10+9 (+9 STR, +10 spec. bonus in punching, +9 chart bonus**)
MR 80%; SZ L (12 feet)
STR 21, DEX 13, CON 25, INT 19, WIS 23, CHA 18
Spells P: 15/14/13/13/12/11/9, W:5/5/5/5/5/3/3/2/1
Saves PPDM 2, RSW 5, PP 4, BW 4, Sp 6
*Includes extra unarmed specialization attack. **Using the PHB or Complete Fighter's Handbook or Complete Priest's Handbook unarmed combat rules. Using PLAYER'S OPTION™: Combat & Tactics, he is considered a grand master.
Special Att/Def: Ilmater does not use a weapon. He most often does not even defend himself against attacks, simply suffering the damage he is dealt. He regenerates 6 hit points a round, though his broken physical form never reflects this healing. He can function perfectly well without being destroyed until at -213 hit points. He only strikes out in anger with spells or fists in retribution for extreme acts of cruelty and sadism or when defending another from attacks. He also strikes out with his fists to deflect missile attacks directed at himself and others (with a successful attack roll per missile) and to target specific items that he deems dangerous. He is considered to be specialized in martial arts, a grand master in martial arts, or specialized in punching, depending on the unarmed combat rules in use (see the monk class in Appendix I: Priest Classes).
Other Manifestations
Ilmater appears as an unseen, watchful presence accompanied by a whimpering or howling sound. In this form he speaks, telekineses items about, and hurls spells.
Alternatively, the Crying God can choose to possess any good-aligned creature who is being tortured without having done anything to earn such treatment under the laws of the realm in which the torture is taking place. When such a manifestation occurs, the tortured being's body glows with a bright white aura, the being is healed and regenerated, all pain is banished, any restraints are broken asunder and torture devices smashed, and the being is set free, vigorous and alert. If Ilmater is angered enough by what has been done (sadistically cruel torturers and accompanying murders are definite triggers for this), he empowers the freed being to cast destructive spells for a turn or so, typically channeling the ability to cast such spells as chain lightning, flame strike, lightning bolt, meteor swarm, imprisonment, and sink.
Ilmater also acts through the appearance or presence of devas, einheriar (formed from martyrs), hollyphants, incarnates of courage, planetars, solars, and other not yet identified beings. More commonly he sends white doves, donkeys, daisies, white roses, field mice, and sparrows to show his favor and as a sign to encourage his faithful to persevere.
The Church
CLERGY: Clerics, specialty priests, monks
CLERGY'S ALIGN.: LG, NG, CG, LN
TURN UNDEAD: C: Yes, SP: No, Mon: No
CMND. UNDEAD: C: No, SP: No, Mon: No
All clerics, specialty priests, and monks of Ilmater receive religion (Faerûnian) as a bonus nonweapon proficiency.
The followers of Ilmater are often perceived as being intentional sufferers, but in reality they concentrate a lot of effort on providing proper treatment and healing to those who have been hurt. They put others ahead of themselves, are sharing, and emphasize the spiritual nature of life over the gross material body.
Ilmater's priests tend to be the most sensitive and caring of humans. When new to the faith, since they see much suffering, they often weep. Over time, this constant tugging at their heartstrings wears at them, and they then tend toward a cynical view of life in Faerûn. They are distinguished from other cynics, however, by their inability to ignore or pass by others in need. Even when a cause is hopeless, they must help. Ilmatari are taught to be firm in their principles and fearless, with the result that they earn enormous respect with the general populace, but are often slain by brigands or those who hold different principles than they do. The church of Ilmater is different from many Faerûnian faiths in that it has many saints, among them St. Dionysius and St. Sollars the Twice-Martyred (whose symbol is a yellow rose).
Few priests of Ilmater are soldiers, and fewer still are merchants, but they do outstrip all other priesthoods in the size, number, and level of treatment in the many infirmaries and leper sanctuaries they maintain. From their inception into the priesthood, Ilmatari are trained in the recognition and treatment of all known disease, injuries, and conditions; senior priests have had prepared detailed programmed illusions to show beings in various stages of harm. An Ilmatari priest who has been shown these could, for instance, recognize a human infested with rot grubs at a glance.
The process of joining the clergy of Ilmater is simple: A novice enjoys a gentle walk and talk with a senior priest, during which they talk and explore the novice's views of life. They then dine and the novice is (knowingly) given a wine taht puts him or her into a gentle trance where various clergy and wizards friendly to the faith can easily employ mind-scrying spells to thoroughly explore the novice's true feelings, loyalties, and aims. If no dedication to evil or precluding religious or secular loyalties are found, the novice is accepted and adorned with the simple robes of Ilmater. (This cautious practice was instituted because so many folk in the past have posed as willing entrants into the Ilmatari just to learn the medicines and physiclore and then stholen away with as many medical supplies as they could.)
All the Adorned are priests, but no titles are commonly used in the clergy except Brother and Sister. For senior clergy, Revered is added to this, and for the heads of temples, abbeys, and monasteries dedicated to the Crying God, Father and Mother are used. So, for example, the head of the Towers of Willful Suffering, the abbey to Ilmater in Eshpurta, is known as Revered Mother of the House Heldatha Dhussta.
The Adorned include clerics, specialty priests, and monks. Though the monastic orders usually dwell separate from the rest of the church in monasteries and abbeys, some monks also abide in Ilmatari temples to teach other Ilmatari about fields of knowledge they have specialized in or to provide their special form of hand-to-hand protection to the institution to which they are assigned.
The hierarchy of the Adorned usually centers around the leader of the large temple, abbey, or monastery to who the Ilmatari in the region report. Ilmatari are loosely ranked under this Revered Mother or Father, and abbeys and monasteries are usually tied to specific temples, often adding a second informal tier to the hierarchy.
Ilmater's priests are found where they are needed, which is usually in the worst possible conditions, ministering to the needs of the oppressed, the deceased, and the poor. Those outside the faith often view this as a strategic positioning of churches in areas which guarantee the persecution of Ilmatari (such as Mulmaster and Zhentil Keep). Priests of Ilmater may also be found among adventuring companies, and—in addition to paladins—are often the ones to go off rescuing this clan of kidnapped halflings or recovering that purloined family heirloom. It is not that they are foolish, but rather that they care for all things to the exclusion of their personal risk.
Shortly after the Time of Troubles, the reputation of the organized church was plagued by the actions of a neutral cult of Ilmater that believed in passing suffering around to others, especially nonbelievers. They were noted for self-flagellation, kidnappings, and inciting riots. Ilmater was not granting these cultists their powers or spells, and the Ilmatari church suspects that Cyric, Loviatar, or Beshaba was behind these deluded people. Fortunately, the cult has largely been eliminated due to a hostile response to its actions on the part of nobles and those in authority.
Dogma: The Ilmatari are taught to help all who hurt, no matter who they are, and that the truly holy take on the suffering of others. Ilmater tells them that if they suffer in his name, he will be there to support them. They should stick to their cause if it is right, whatever the pain and peril. They are to stand up to all tyrants, resisting in ways both great nad small, and to allow no injustice to go by unchallenged. They believe that there is no shame in a meaningful death. Some followers of Ilmater take a negative or darkly humorous view of the world, and the church accepts them as well. "Today is the first day in what's left of your life" fits very snugly into Ilmater's dogma, but most Ilmatari would add, "So live it well."
Novices in the faith are charged to: "Persevere in the face of pain. Heal the sick, the wounded, and the diseased. Comfort the dying, the griefstricken, and the heartsick. Take on the burdens and the pain of others. Champion the causes of the oppressed and unjustly treated, and give shelter and kind counsel to the lonely, the lost, and the ruined. Pursue the service of Ilmater, and he will provide—leave gross riches and the acquisition of all but medicines to others. Take up the tasks no others dare.
Day-to-Day Activities: Ilmatari share what they have with those in need and always take time to counsel those who are upset and give healing and tender care to the injured. They speak for the oppressed, guide the lost, feed the hungry, shelter the homeless, and gather herbs and make medicines at all times for disasters to come. When war is expected and time permits, priests of Ilmater gather in strength with litters, shovels, tents, splints, bandages by the cartload, and wagons of medicines and healing potions to tend those who will soon suffer.
Priests of Ilmater see life as sacred and suffering as holy, but they do not stand in the way of others' desires or condemn them for their chosen path. For instance, Ilmatari would not stop a sorely injured warrior from rising up half-healed to plunge into battle again, openly seeking death while fighting the foe. Instead, they would freely assist the warrior by healing him enough to be mobile so that he could follow his own doom wish in the most honorable manner available to him.
Ilmatari bury the dead, treat the diseased, and give food, drink, and firewood to the poor. They also tour the wealthier cities and settlements of Faerûn soliciting moneys to support the church. Increasingly, since so many folk personally received the benefit of their kindnesses during the Time of Troubles, people of all faiths give generously to the church of the Crying God. As the merchant Ashaerond of Westgate put it: "If I pay for one extra potion today, it may be the last one tomorrow—but the one needed then to heal me."
Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: There are no calendar-related special holy days or any other festivals observed by the Ilmatari. Instead, the daily rituals of prayer to Ilmater at least six times per day govern each and every day of service.
A special Plea must be made to Ilmater to receive divine dispensation for a Rest, which is a tenday vacation from serving Ilmater's dictates. Usually Ilmatari request this when they are emotionally exhausted, but some adventurer-priests use Rests to perform things Ilmater would otherwise frown upon. This custom is an established tradition that some leaders of the faith rely upon, sending their best fighting clergy out to do things that the church cannot otherwise accomplish (covertly removing a tyrant rather than confronting him openly, for example).
The most important ritual of the Church of Ilmater is the Turning: It is the duty of every priest of Ilmater to try to get dying persons to turn to Ilmater for comfort, receiving the blessing of the Broken God before they expire. As the veneration of Ilmater grows, even in death, his healing power becomes greater.
Major Centers of Worship: The largest center of Ilmatari worship in the House of the Broken God in Keltar in Calimshan. The House of the Broken God is a huge monastery in the center of the town that is connected, via a series of walled gardens, to a temple farm on a hill northwest of Keltar, a walled leper house beyond that, and a sanitarium beyond that. Here Revered Father of the House Melder Rythtin of the Healing Hand, who is famous for his diagnoses and miraculous treatments of the afflicted, presides over the largest hospital and facility for brewing, concocting, and compounding medicines in Faerûn. Those unfriendly to Calimshan have commented that such a facility is located where it is because the cruelty of the Calishites makes it most needed in their realm—but they are too greedy and disgusted by the sick, the malformed, and the injured to allow such a place in their proud capital city.
Affiliated Orders: Ilmater's church has several affiliated knightly orders of paladins and warriors, including the Companions of the Noble Heart, the Holy Warriors of Suffering, the Order of the Golden Cup, and the Order of the Lambent Rose. Monastic orders are also numerous, and include the Disciples of St. Sollars the Twice-Martyred, whose most famous facility, the Monastery of the Yellow Rose, is located in Damara, high up in the Earthspurs near the Glacier of the White Worm. (Monks of this monastery specialize in genealogical studies.) Other Ilmatari monastic orders include the followers of the Unhindered Path, the Disciples of St. Morgan the Taciturn, and the Sisters of St. Jasper of the Rocks. Most Ilmatari monasteries traditionally are named after flowers which symbolize something of significance to the order, though this is not mandated.
Priestly Vestments: For ceremonial functions, Ilmatari wear a solid gray tunic, tabard, and trousers, or gray robes. They wear skullcaps in gray (most clergy members) or red (senior priests). Novices who have not yet been adorned wear no skullcaps. The symbol of Ilmater is worn as a pin over the heart or on a chain around the neck and serves as a holy symbol. Some of the older members of the faith have a gray teardrop tattooed to one side of their right or left eye.
Adventuring Garb: In the field or on quests, Ilmatari priests dress appropriately for the mission and the weather, but usually wear gray tabards decorated with Ilmater's symbol stitched on the chest near the left shoulder over any other clothing or armor they wear. They are never without their holy symbols and a satchel of medicines, bandages, salves, splints, and slings.
Specialty Priests (Painbearers)
REQUIREMENTS: Constitution 14, Wisdom 12
PRIME REQ.: Constituion, Wisdom
ALIGNMENT: LG
WEAPONS: All bludgeoning (wholly Type B) weapons and the scourge
ARMOR: None
MAJOR SPHERES: All, charm, creation, guardian, healing, law, necromantic, protection, travelers
MINOR SPHERES: Combat, elemental, summoning, sun, wards, weather
MAGICAL ITEMS: Same as clerics
REQ. PROFS: Healing
BONUS PROFS: Endurance, herbalism
3rd Level
Favor of Ilmater (Abjuration, Alteration, Necromancy)
Sphere: Necromantic, Protection
Range: 10 yards/level
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 turn/level of the caster, or permanent
Casting Time: 6
Area of Effect: One creature, or the caster and one creature
Saving Throw: None
This spell has two possible forms. In the first form, favor of Ilmater banishes pain and nausea so that the spell recipient, who may be the caster, cannot be stunned or debilitated by amputations, torture, and severe injuries. Those injuries still deal damage, and death may occur from loss of blood, strangulation, and the like, but dignity and composure can be maintained, shock avoided, and clear, calm thought retained in the face of such horrid occurences. The spell allows its recipient to die nobly, to stay conscious and calm to pass on vital information, to remain alert and aware as an observer even if dying, and so on. The spell banishes feeblemindedness, shock, delirium, and charm effects, frees the recipient being from hypnotic effects, maze spells, and confusion, and revives him or her from dazed conditions and faints. Pain and physical symptoms will return if their causes are still present when the spell expires, but the helpful effects of favor of Ilmater on the recipient's mind are permanent—for instance, a broken charm is gone forever.
In the second form of favor of Ilmater, the caster may choose to take on all of the hit point damage suffered by another creature, instantly transferring their own current hit points to the injured being by means of the spell. This switch is permanent until the caster uses normal methods to heal the damage. Beings who receive more hit points than they normally possess in this trade lose the excess. This transfer may be done from a distance so long as the spell range is not exceeded, and neither the priest nor the recipient being need make system shock survival rolls unless the transfer of hit points brings the priest to death and does not bring the iniured being up to above zero hit points. In this case, both individuals must make a system shock roll. Failing this roll brings death. Individuals who succeed at the roll are placed in a coma; they are not dead but are unable to heal without magical aid.
Note that diseases, parasitic infestations, drunkenness, and other conditions cannot be taken on by the caster by means of the second use of a favor of Ilmater spell—only purely physical damage can be transferred. Ilmater regards the taking on of the pain of others in this way to be a very holy act, and encourages his clergy to make such use of this spell whenever a real (not frivolous) need is present.
4th Level
Endurance of Ilmater (Abjurance, Alteration, Necromancy)
Sphere: Necromantic, Protection
Range: Touch
Components: V, S
Duration: 1 round+1 round/level
Casting Time: 7
Area of Effect: One creature
Saving Throw: None
This spell doubles the hit points of the spell recipient for the spell duration. Any damage suffered is taken first from these phantom hit points until they are all exhausted; damage is only then taken from the real hit points of the affected being. Endurance of Ilmater makes all Strength and Constitution ability checks of the spel recipient automatically succeed while the endurance of Ilmater is in effect. The spell also protects the vitality of the spell recipient so that all system shock rolls and checks of any sort against contracting diseases automatically succeed, and all other saving throws receive a +2 bonus. In addition, no being protected by endurance of Ilmater can be knocked over, trampled, ridden down, or overthrown; all protected beings can stand firm against all charges.
5th Level
Blast of Pain (Alteration, Evocation, Necromancy)
Sphere: Combat, Necromantic
Range: 10 yards/level
Components: V, S
Duration: 4 rounds
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: One creature
Saving Throw: Special
This spell creates a beam of smoky gray radiance that streaks unerringly from the priest to a single chosen target who must be within view and range of the caster as casting begins. The target creature must make a saving throw vs. spell at a -5 penalty. If the saving throw is successful, the target is overwhelmed by pain for one round (slowing its movement by half, adding 3 to all casting times, and forcing it to make all attack rolls at a -2 penalty) and suffers 1d4+1 points of damage to its nervous system; it is them free of the spell.
If the saving throw is failed, the target creature suffers 1 point of damage per level of the caster and is stunned and writhing helplessly in pain for the remainder of the current round and the following round. While in such pain, no spellcasting or coherent thought is possible for the target creature. It drops or flings away all held items and moves at random. It can make no deliberate attacks, and its awareness of its surroundings is blotted out.
At the beginning of the second round after it was affected, the target being is allowed another saving throw vs. spell, this time at a -4 penalty. If the target succeeds at the saving throw, it suffers 1d4+1 points of damage but is then free of the spell. If it fails, another 1 point of damage per level of the caster is inflicted, and the victim continues to be stunned and to writhe helplessly.
At the beginning of the third round after it was affected, the target is allowed a third saving throw vs. spell at a -3 penalty. If the saving throw is successful, the victim suffers 1d4+1 points of damage and is then freed from the spell. If the saving throw is failed, another 1 point of damage per level of the caster is inflicted, and the victim continues to be stunned and to writhe helplessly until the end of the round, when the spell ends.
Target beings above 10th level or possessing more than 10 Hit Dice gain a +1 bonus on all saving throws related to a blast of pain per level or Hit Die above 10. Creatures who have no nervous systems or are immune to pain are immune to this spell.