(Lord of Battles, Foehammer)

Greater Power of Limbo, CN

PORTFOLIO: War, battle, warriors
ALIASES: Tempos (among the barbarians of Icewind Dale)
DOMAIN NAME: Limbo/Knight's Rest
SUPERIOR: None
ALLIES: The Red Knight, Valkur the Mighty, Nobanion, Gond, Uthgar
FOES: Garagos
SYMBOL: A blazing silver sword on a blood-red field
WOR. ALIGN.: Any

Tempus (TEM-pus) is random in his favors, yet his chaotic nature favors all sides equally. Lord Tempus may be on an army's side on one day, and against them the next; such is the nature of war. Tempus is prayed to the most of all on the night before battles and regularly venerated by all warriors, regardless of their alignment. As a result, he is a strong, exuberant, and robust god—a warrior's god. Tempus sometimes appears at huge battles and important combats‐and on rare occasions to individuals who are in a position to cause great strife by their decisions.

Although mighty and profoundly honorable in battle, Tempus answers to his own warrior's code. He is quiet and solitary in relationship to other Faerûnian deities, pursuing no long-lasting alliances or brief flirtations. He is known to love food, drink, and the hunt, though he loves battle best. In recent years, he has sponsored the Red Knight into godhood. His relationship with her is one of a fond and protective father to a brilliant daughter who works hard and successfully at the family business—war.

His diametric opposite in portfolio, Eldath, he considers naive and weak. However, out of respect for her convictions, he punishes those of his faithfull who abuse her priests, shrines, or temples. Perhaps he feels that war has little meaning without peace to define and highlight it. Sune, who considers him a foe, he regards as irrelevant and flighty, and therefore unworthy of being his foe.

Tempus's Avatar (Fighter 40, Cleric 20)

Tempus appears as a human giant 12 feet tall, his plate armor battered and bloodied by combat, his face hidden by a massive war helm but his hooded gaze a palpable force. He beras a great battle axe or a black sword notched and stained from much use in his gauntleted hands. His legs and arms are bare and crisscrossed by bleeding wounds, but this does not affect him as he rides into battle. He sometimes appears afoot but is often riding a white mare (Veiros) or a black stallion (Deiros). Tempus has access to all spell spheres.

AC -7; MV 15; HP 246; THAC0 -10; #AT 5/2
Dmg Weapon +21 (weapon +5, +14 STR, +2 spec. bonus in all melee weapons)
MR 75%; SZ H (12 feet)
STR 25, DEX 19, CON 25, INT 20, WIS 18, CHA 19
Spells P: 11/11/10/9/7/5/2
Saves PPDM 2, RSW 5, PP 4, BW 4, Sp 6

Special Att/Def: The smoking, wine-red blood of Tempus burns those who are not deities as if it were acid, but beings who ingest even a drop of the blood of his mounts gain a +2 Strength bonus for 2d4 turns. Tempus is immune to all charm>-type spells, psionic attacks, mental control, illusions, and magical deception of all sorts. His body regenerates 3 points of damage per round.

Tempus employs an array of +5 magical, giant-sized, silver-bladed weapons (doing triple base weapon-type damage), but none of them are known to have special powers. Though made of silver, they all look blackened and battle-worn in Tempus's hands. He need never be without a melee weapon and can summon one of his magical weapons to hand instantly from thin air. He is proficient in all weapons and specialized in all melee weapons. He is also familiar with all forms of nonlethal combat. If the PLAYER'S OPTION: Combat & Tactics rules are used, he is considered proficient in all armor and shield types, a grand master of all melee weapons, proficient with all other weapons, and an expert in all forms of unarmed combat.

Manifestations

Tempus sometimes manifests before battles, appearing to one side or the other. If he rides Veiros upon one side, then that army will succeed in its battle. If he rides Deiros, then defeat is in the offing. Most often he appears riding with one foot on each horse as they gallop across the battlefield, indicating the chaotic nature of battle.

Priests praying to Tempus for spells or guidance may see visions of the god himself, of his mounts, or of a famous dead warrior and must interpret what they see as an indication of the god's intent and favor. Only the images of dead warriors in visions sent to mortals ever speak the will of the war god directly. Tempus himself only snarls in battle-fury or keeps silent. (In fact, he has been never been known to speak while in Faerûn.) Lay worshipers praying to the war god usually see Veiros or Deiros. To those requesting aid in battle or self defence, the favor of Tempus may manifest as a weapon appearing beside them when they are weaponless.

Tempus also uses einheriar (former warriors of all sorts), eagles, badgers, war horses, war dogs, panthers, tigers, special weapons that appear where none were before, ghostly figures in the form of lost battle companions, and items made of steel to demonstrate his approval or disapproval or to send aid to his faithful. He shows an odd lack of affinity for any gemstones, but sometimes seems to favor those a particular warrior's culture associates with bravery.

The Church

CLERGY: Clerics, specialty priests, crusaders, shamans
CLERGY'S ALIGN.: LG, NG, CG, LN, CN, LE, NE, CE
TURN UNDEAD: C: Yes, SP: Yes, Cru: No, Sha: Yes, if good
CMND. UNDEAD: C: No, SP: No, Cru: No, Sha: Yes, if neutral or evil

All clerics, speciality priests, crusaders, and shamans of Tempus receive religion (Faerûnian) as a bonus nonweapon proficiency.

Tempus is worshiped by those of every alignment and lineage who wage war for all causes. The Tempuran clergy may be found on both sides of a conflict, as none can ever truly know whom the war god will favor. Priests of Tempus tend to be human, male, and of a temperament that enjoys battle, though the clergy is open to all beings who have prayed privately to Tempus and received the blessing of a spell, a manifestation, or direct aid of some sort. In some societies, such as that of the Northmen of the Moonshae Islands and the barbarians of Icewind Dale, Tempus is served by shamans. Temples of Tempus are usually what are more commonly known as walled military compounds than what most people picture as temples.

Military ranks within the faith are common. Ranks typical of many temples of Tempus are Warpriest, Swung Sword, Terrible Sword, Lance of the Lord, Shield of the God, Battlelady/Battlelord, Swordmaster/Swordmistress, and Lady/Lord of the Field—but these are often superseded by titles that go with a position, such as Battle Chaplain of a shrine or Trusted Sword (seneschal) of a temple. Ranks are assigned by those in authority in the Church in light of service, needs, and situation, and brever (temporary) commands are common in desperate situations. Special leaders of a temple or crusade are entitled to wear the heavy battle gauntlet of rank.

Dogma: Tempus does not win battles—Tempus helps the deserving warrior win battles. War is fair in that it oppresses all sides equally and that in any given battle, a mortal may be slain or become a great leader among his or her companions. War should not be feared, but seen as a natural force, a human force, the storm that civilisation brings by its very existence.

The faithful of Tempus are charged to arm all for whom battle is needful, even foes. They should retreat from hopeless fights, but never avoid battle, and slay one foe decisively and bring battle to halt rather than hacking down many over time and dragging on hostilities. They are to defend what they believe in, lest it be swept away, and remember the dead who fell fighting before them. Above all, they should disparage no foe and respect all, for valor blazes in all, regardless of age, gender, or race.

Tempus looks favorably upon those who acquit themselves honorably and tirelessly in battle, smiting mightily when facing a foe, but avoiding such craven tricks is destroying homes, family, or livestock when a foe is away or attacking from the rear (except when such an attack is launched by a small band against foes of vastly superior numbers). Tempus believes that warriors should responsibly consider the consequences of the violence they do beforehand and try not to hot-headedly rush off to wage war recklessly. On the other hand, Tempus teaches that people with smooth tongues or fleet feet who avoid all strife and never defend their beliefs wreak more harm than the most energetic tyrant raider or horde leader.

Day-to-Day Activities: Priests of the war got are charged to keep warfare a thing of rules, respected reputation, and professional behavior, minimizing uncontrolled bloodshed and working to eradicate feuding that extends beyond a single dispute or set of foes. At the same time, training and readiness for battle must be promoted if civilized human holdings are to survive in Faerûn in the face of monster raids and orc hordes—and the power of Tempus to aid those he favors in battle must also be promoted. Warriors—especially mercenaries—who employ poison or taint wells, sow fields with salt, kill noncombatants, indulge in torture or the wanton slaughter of innocent folk when they are not at war, or commit similar sins against fair battle are to be denied the favor of the god, their crimes are to be publicized far and wide, and they are to be made to atone for their deeds or perish.

War priests must preserve the name of the honored battle-fallen, both on gravestones and other such memorials, in their prayers to Tempus, and in an annual chant at the March of the Dead, wherein priests of the war god go through the streets to call all folk, worshipers and nonbelievers alike, to the local Feast of the Moon hosted by their temple. Priests are also charged to collect and venerate the weapons and armor of famous and respected warriors, even of these are broken or have deteriorated, for they retain something of the battlelust and energy associated with the deeds they participated in.

Valley of the Gods

It is said that even the powers must cavort and amuse themselves once in a great while. Far to the north of the Spine of the World is the Valley of the Gods. A paradise unequaled on this world or in the places, this playground of the gods is not meant for mortals. Any mortal who reaches the Valley becomes a deity, for only deities may exist in the Valley. Far too many mortals with delusions of grandeur have thrown away the pleasures of this side of the Spine and their kingdoms in this world only to break their backs searching for the legendary Valley of the Gods.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: The ritual performed by most of the faithful is a prayer for valiant performance and survival in the fray ahead, made to the war god over the weapon the praying being most often fights with. If a new weapon comes into the believer's possession before a battle—particularly in the form of hard won booty—it is taken as a sign of Tempus's favor, and this weapon is the one that used in worship.

The eves and anniversaries of great battles are the holy days of the church of Tempus, and as such vary from place to place. The Feast of the Moon, honoring the dead, is the most important fixed date in the religious calendar. It is also expected that at least once a tenday worshipers of Tempus spill a few drops of blood (preferably their own or a worthy foe's) and sing the Song of the Sword in Tempus's honor. Regardless of battle anniversaries, clergy perform at least two ceremonies each day: the Feast of Heroes at highsun and the Song for the Fallen at sunset. In most temples, a senior priest also conducts a Song of the Sword ceremony after dark for all lay worshipers desiring to attend.

Major centres of worship: The most prominent Tempuran temple is the High House of Swords And Banners ("the Bloodhall") in Ormpetarr, which began centuries ago as a meeting house for the many mercenary companies active in the Vilhon and the lands east and became the first shrine of the Lord of Battles. Its original altar, a gigantic bowl over which an enchanted flaming two-handed sword levitates and slowly rotates, still stands in the heart of the vast central hall. The High House now trains warriors for fees (simultaneously instructing them in the worship of Tempus), and also sells warriors mounts, armor, and equipment of superior quality. Several raids on its fortified armories in the past have failed, but such attacks have ceased since the warrior-priests of the High House wiped out an orc horde 20 times their number in the Year of the Sword (1365 DR).

Since the Time of Troubles, a site of great holiness in the church of Tempus has been the Abbey of the Sword in Battledale, which marks the spot where Tempus descended to Faerûn during the Time off Troubles. The site was located after a priest of the war god followed Tempus's backtrail away from his appearance at the battlefield of Swords Creek at Mistledale. The Abbey is built on the former site of the hold of the warrior Belarus, a devout worshiper of the war god in times past.

Affiliated Orders: The Tempuran church has many affiliated orders. Two of note are the Order of the Broken Blade and the Order of the Steel Fang. The Order of the Broken Blade honors those warriors and clergy who are injured in Tempus's service and can no longer fight in the front lines. Broken Blades often serve in support functions at temples and shrines and take a personal oath upon joining the order to defend the holy site where they reside to the death as a final line of defence. The Order of the Steel Fang is an elite fighting order within the Church whose members are often assigned to the most hazardous duties. Steel Fang units are led by battle-hardened members of the clergy. Many mercenary companies and knightly fighting orders of crusaders also avail themselves of a connection to the church. One badge of the god seen among his affiliated mercenaries is a rusty brown dagger, shown diagonally with its point to the upper right, dripping four drops of blood. No knightly orders of paladins serve Tempus, however.

Priestly Vestments: When not in battered armor, clergy of the war god wear helms or steel skullcaps, though there are careful never to cover their faces, for such close emulation of Tempus is thought to be affront to the Lord of Battles. Some of the fanatical wandering priests never remove all of their armor at any time, but in the temples of the big cities clergy are rarely seen in a armor except at ceremonies held before whelmed armies leave or a siege begins.

The robes of a priest of Tempus always sport trim the crimson hue of fresh blood, but vary in overall color from place to place and rank to rank. Darker colored robes are worn by those of lower ranks. Most war priests wear ceremonial garments of brown or purple. Red or amber is worn by senior clergy, and yellow or white by those of the most exalted rank.

Speciality priests of Tempus, particularly those of high rank, wear a spiked gauntlet as a symbol of office. The gauntlet costs 10 gp, though more elaborate and expensive ones may be found in more important churches. This gauntlet is size S, a piercing weapon with speed factor 2, and inflicts 1d4 points of damage to creatures of any size. The gauntlet usually is worn only by speciality priests with some sort of authority—those in charge of temples or leading crusades.

Adventuring Garb: Adventuring garb is the same for both clerics and speciality priests of Tempus. Most wear the best armor they can obtain, though it is battle-worn and battered as it is for use, not show. They prefer full plate armour or plate mail. A full helm his usual, but it is worn with either an open face plate or no face plate.

Speciality Priests (Battleguards)

REQUIREMENTS: Strength 14, Wisdom 12
PRIME REQ.: Strength, Wisdom
ALIGNMENT: CG, CN, CE
WEAPONS: All bludgeoning weapons (wholly Type B), the spiked globe, plus one other weapon of choice
ARMOR: Any
MAJOR SPHERES: All, animal, chaos, combat, divination, elemental, healing, necromantic, protection, war, weather
MINOR SPHERES: Guardian, summoning, sun, wards
MAGICAL ITEMS: Same as clerics, plus magical versions of individual "chosen" weapons
REQ. PROFS: None
BONUS PROFS: Armorer, blind-fighting, charioteering, weaponsmithing

• Battleguards can incite a berserker rage in themselves and others. The rage lasts for 10 rounds. During this time, the recipients have a +2 bonus to attack, damage, and all saving throws. A battleguard may use this ability once a day and can effect one person per each of his or her experience levels, but must affect himself or herself first. The berserker rage lasts a full 10 rounds. If recipients run out of enemies to fight, they must either attack the closest living target in the area (even a friend) or suffer 5 points of damage for each of the remaining rounds. This is a conscious choice of the berserk character.
• At initiation, battleguards each choose particular weapons as the chosen weapons. This weapon is one specific weapon, not a weapon type. This chosen weapon may be of any type. A battleguard is then able to fight with that weapon type normally, but when using that particular weapon, she or he gains a +1 bonus to hit and damage in addition to any other benefits in effect. Should the chosen weapon be lost or destroyed, the battleguard must reconsecrate a new weapon at a recognized temple of Tempus in a ceremony of meditation and fasting which takes a tenday. If a two-handed weapon is taken as the chosen weapon, no shield may ever be used by the battleguard.
• Battleguards receive Constitution hit point adjustments to their Hit Dice as if they were warriors.
• No missile weapon can be taken by a speciality priest as a chosen weapon unless it can also be used as a melee weapon (like a spear).
• Battleguards can determine the workmanship, potential magical ability, and actual magical pluses (though not any other special magic abilities) of any weapons that their proficient with, including their weapons of choice, by handling the weapons.
• At 3rd level, battleguards are able to cast create food and water once a day.
• At 5rd level, battleguards are able to cast prayer once a day as the 3rd-level priest spell, but with a casting time of 1.
• At 7th level battleguards can make three melee attacks every two rounds.
• At 7th level, battleguards are able to cast create campsite or break campsite (as the 3rd-level priest spell) once a day.
• At 10th level, battleguards are able to create a heroes' feast (as the 6th-level priest spell) once every three days.
• At 13th level, battleguards can make two melee attacks per round.

3rd Level

Holy Flail (Alteration, Invocation)

Sphere: Combat, Creation
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 round/level
Casting time: 6
Area of Effect: 1 nonbladed weapon or the caster's holy symbol
Saving Throw: None

This spell allows the caster to transform his or her holy symbol or any nonbladed weapon wielded by another being that the cleric touches into a magical holy flail. The holy symbol or transformed weapon becomes a snakelike, flexible field of force attached to a rigid hand-hold. This invisible, crackling spectral flail has a +2 attack bonus when wielded in battle and is considered a magical weapon for attack purposes. The spell also conveys proficiency in the use of the holy flail upon the flail's wielder, provided this does not violate class restrictions.

A strike from a holy flail inflicts 1d6+1 points of damage. If a holy flail is wielded by a priest of the same religion as the caster, a hit inflicts an additional 1 point of damage per experience level of the caster to all undead creatures and to any creature of opposite moral stance (good vs. evil—lawful vs. chaotic does not matter) to the caster. If the caster is neutral, the alignment-oriented damage does not apply.

A holy flail created from a holy symbol can only be wielded by a priest of the same deity as the symbol, or it vanishes. If holy flail is cast upon a weapon held by a creature of opposite moral stance to the casting cleric (see above), the flail does not form. A holy flail vanishes if it is transferred from one wielder to another unless the recipient is the caster or another priest of the same deity. A holy flail does not need continued concentration to be maintained and can be dropped to enable spellcasting or thrown as a weapon without vanishing.

The material components of this spell are the holy symbol or nonbladed weapon (which are not consumed by the spell) and a pinch of powdered gemstone.

4th Level

Reveal (Divination) Reversible

Sphere: Divination
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 4 rounds
Casting Time: 7
Area of Effect: Up to 120-foot range of vision
Saving Throw: None

Reveal allows the caster or another creature to which the ointment spell component is applied to see clearly the location and outline of symbols, glyphs of warding, magically concealed inscriptions, and dweomers existing upon surfaces that are viewed even if these are not yet activated (such as magic mouth, Mordenkainen's faithful hound, Leomund's trap, Nystul's magic aura, hallucinatory terrain, wall of force). No clue as to the precise nature of the magic is given by the spell, but protective circles, symbols, and glyphs can all be scrutinised in detail and might well be identified by someone familiar with them or recorded for later study. (Spellcraft proficiency checks might be applicable to determine that a marking is a glyph of warding and what its identity is, for instance.)

Reveal shows the presence of active or inactive gates or other links between planes, including the presence of an astral silvery cord, but does not reveal astral, ethereal, or invisible creatures or things. Unlike true seeing, the auras of creatures are not shown; nor are polymorphed or magically changed things shown for what they truly are (although the dweomer of an illusion, for example, would be seen).

The spell requires an ointment composed of four drops of wine, two drops of water, two drops of giant squid sepia, a pinch of powdered eyebright (an herb), a large powdered blue sapphire worth at least 1,000 gp, and a powdered carbuncle (a deep-red garnet) worth at least 300 gp. The caster mixes these in a ceramic or stone bowl, speaks the words of the spell while holding his or her holy symbol over the paste, and then applies it to the eyes of the recipient.

The reverse of the spell, conceal, masks all the above things from any creature to whom a different ointment is applied for one turn per level of the caster. (This ointment is composed of a pinch of powdered monkshood, six drops of onion juice, a pinch of dust, and seven drops of water, mixed and enspelled as above.) If during this time the affected being employs true seeing, detect magic, or equivalent magic, these spells appear to work, but the phenomena listed above are simply not seen by the affected creature. Awake, mobile creatures unwilling to have the ointment for either version of the spell applied to their eyes must be touched by the caster twice (two successful attack rolls required), but washing out the eyes or any means short of dispel magic or a limited wish does not prevent the ointment from working.

6th Level

Dance of the Fallen (Invocation, Necromantic)

Sphere: Guardian, Necromantic
Range: 30 yards
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 3 rounds/level
Casting Time: 5-foot- to 60-foot-diameter cylinder that is 5 to 20 feet high
Savinc Throw: Special

Dance of the fallen is often used to capture, disarm, or force to flee or surrender foes to whom the caster has no wish to do lasting harm. Dance of the fallen is very similar to blade barrier, except that it creates a wall of body parts, not of edged weapons. A dance of the fallen calls up a whirling cloud of severed limbs, some bony and some still bearing flesh, but all curiously bloodless. These remains are said to be summoned from recent battlefields, and they rotate at high speed around a central point, forming an immobile barrier. The plane of rotation can be horizontal, vertical or any angle between the two. The area of effect of the dance of the fallen is set mentally by the caster upon casting the spell (from as little as a 5-foot-diameter cylinder that is 5 feet tall or thick to as large as a 60-foot-diameter cylinder that is 20 feet tall or thick) and cannot be altered thereafter.

Any creature trying to pass through the barrier suffers 4d6 points of damage and must make a Constitution ability check to avoid being struck senseless. All fragile worn or carried items must make a successful item saving throw vs. crushing blow or be destroyed. Beings who insist on trying to cross through the dance of the fallen and are not rendered immediately unconscious take 1d3+2 rounds to cross through the area of effect and must take damage and make Constitution checks each round.

Beings within the barrier's area of effect when it forms must make a saving throw vs. spell. If the saving throw succeeds, they escape the barrier by the most direct route and suffer no damage. If their saving throw fails, they suffer the full damage of the dance of the fallen. Any other intended action than leaving the area when the barrier is formed—such as a charge toward the caster—invites the full effects of the dance of the fallen.

Only 25% of the damage done by dance of the fallen is permanent; the rest is temporary and returns after 1d4 hours are spent resting. Beings reduced to 0 hit points or lower by this spell are rendered unconscious and ejected from the area of effect. They regain consciousness in ld6 turns or more quickly (1d6 rounds) if a successful healing proficency check is made upon them. The cloud of limbs remains until the spell expires and then fades silently away. It can also be dismissed instantly by the caster at any time.

The material component of this spell is a handful of bone shards or hair of any type.

7th Level

Bladebless (Necromantic)

Sphere: Combat
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Permanent
Casting Time: 1 round
Area of Effect: One bladed weapon
Saving Throw: None

By use of this spell, a priest heals a specific wound by bestowing a blessing on the weapon that caused it. This magic works only upon a nonmagical bladed weapon, which the caster must touch and hold as he or she intones the blessing. After this is done, the last wound caused by that blade to any living thing within one turn per experience level of the caster instantly is fully and completely healed, even if the blade was poisoned, a disease conferred, or a limb or head severed. Such healing occurs even if the affected creature is several planes distant at the casting of the bladebless. If the wounded creature died because it failed a system shock roll or poison saving throw caused by this blow, then life is restored; however, if the wounded creature died due to cumulative hit point loss, life is not restored. The healed creature need not be seen, touched, or even known to the caster. If such a wound has already healed or been magically healed, it is unaffected, and the bladebless is lost.

The material components for this spell are the weapon in question, the caster's holy symbol, and a drop of holy or unholy water, depending on the caster's alignment.

Sacred Link (Alteration, Evocation)

Sphere: Creation
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 2 rounds
Area of Effect: Two identical or nearly identical objects
Saving Throw: None

To bring about a sacred link, a priest must hold in his or her hands the two objects to be linked and then cast the spell. The two items must be fashioned of the same material(s) and be roughly the same size. They cannot be living creatures, and ideally they should be nearly identical (matching swords, scrolls, statuettes, etc.). The sacred link spell causes an invisible magical bond to be created between the two items. After the spell is cast, both radiate a very faint dweomer, and what befalls one item also mystically happens to the other simultaneously, even if the items are separated by myriad planes or any distance. For instance, if a scroll joined to a duplicate by a sacred link is sold to an enemy and the match for it is retained, several days after the sale, the retained copy could be burned and the enemy's copy would also be consumed, regardless of its location or situation. The link lasts until one of the items is destroyed or until a dispel magic by a caster of at least 15th level is cast upon one of the items, negating the link.

By means of this spell, a weapon could be damaged or destroyed by affecting its twin—or conversely, an item could be improved by plating with gold, adorning with gems, or careful carving. This spell can be used to link identical magical items. Recharging or activating one linked item would then identically affect the other, but there is a 1% cumulative chance per use of the link (which is involuntary and not under anyone's control once the spell is cast) that one of the items shatters or explodes (discharging all of it's functions or charges) and ends the link.