By Fraser MacDonald MacKenzie
                                  fraserm@achilles.net
                                  Dec 12 1996

All races worship the same gods.  The following table gives the pertinent
statistics for all the gods in the Shattered World.  First, the name of the
deity is given, followed by their domain.  Next is listed their alignment and
last is their sex.

Ardath         Love, Beauty, Art                  CG   f
Darius         Wealth, Prestige, Business         LN   m
Fabron         Strength, Honor, Justice           LG   m
Ingemar        Darkness, Evil, Nightmares         NE   m    
Jarfax         Stone, Metal, Mountains, Gems      LN   m
Leota          Fate, Destiny                      N    f
Melantha       Nature, Animals, Weather, Plants   NG   f
Merlock        Intellect, Knowledge, Magic        N    m
Mortimer       Lakes, Rivers, Seas, Oceans        NC   m
Necrum         Deceit, Treachery, Murder          LE   m
Perdita        Hate, Envy, Jealousy, Lies         CE   f
Selena         Peace, Mercy, Truth                NG   f
Tarcell        Humor, Riddles, Wine               CG   m
Valeska        Death, Entropy, Sickness           N    f
Zada           Luck, Gambling, Risk               CN   f
Silvanus       Forests, trees, wild things        CG   m

LESSER DEITIES:
Scrumnus       Fertility                          CN   m

Ardath
~~~~~~
Ardath is the goddess of love, beauty, and passion.  She is said to be the
most beautiful of all the gods and no deity or mortal can withstand her
charms when they are put to full effect.  She appears as a woman of
unparallel beauty, with ringlets of luxurious red hair cascading to her
waist.  Her symbol is a crimson heart-shape pierced by a golden arrow. 
Ardath is also the patroness to artisans, who add beauty to the world with
their creations.  Followers of Ardath tend to be romantics, those who
believe in true love, and appreciators of beauty in all its many forms. 
Thus, her worshippers include artists, poets, writers, lovers, merchants,
and adventurers.  Temples of Ardath are usually large buildings of superb 
architecture filled with sclptured fountains, masterful works of art, and
constant music.   

Although beauty is recognized to be more than skin deep, the most
charismatic of her worshipers tend to be the leaders of her churches. 
Clergy wear vestments of varying shades of red cut to flatter their forms. 
Services to Ardath tend to be disorganized at best, consisting of poetry
reading, singing, and the playing musical instruments.  Clerics of Ardath
are adept at enchantments and charm related spells.  They tend to be well
received wherever they go, primarily due their charm and charisma.  It is
true, however, that some disdain them for these very qualities.  They also
tend to be viewed as flighty and implusive.

In order to promote the creation of art, every year around summer
solstice, a contest is held at her temples around the world, with various
prizes given to those creations judged to be most outstanding.  The
largest, most opulent temple of Ardath is located in the Republic of Sothan,
on the fragment of Rynne.

Darius
~~~~~~
Darius is known as the father of commerce, trade, industry, wealth and
prestige.  He is venerated by both merchants and customers alike, though
more so by the former.  Darius is one of the more popular deities of the
Shattered World and his temples can be found in most major cities, usually
located in merchant districts.  Followers of Dairus abide by a set of rules
in all their business dealings.  At the heart of these rules are 3 basic
precepts:
(1) the customer is always right, (2) once made, bargains cannot be broken,
(3) pursue profit.  The empahsis placed on each of these tends to vary from
follower to follower.  

Priests of Dairus are well respected because of their code of honor in
business dealings, which is part of their devotion to prestige.  They are
often sought to settle disputes concerning financial matters.  There are
two branches of clergy in service to Darius, those whose job it is to
maintain the temples and those who travel from city to city, and from fragment
to fragment, as overseers of trade.  The latter go about quoting Darius' rules
of profit and making sure that trade is being conducted in accord with their
code of honor.  Though most people appreciate their service, these priests
make their share of enemies.  The priests themselves react harshly to those
to do not keep their word, particularly in business dealings, and to theives.

The priests who maintain the temples of Darius wear vestments of
yellow and gold.  The traveling priests have no set uniform, but all wear
clothes of the finest quality and display their holy symbol prominently. 
The holy symbol of Dairus is    Darius' priests live by the motto "I never
met a customer I didn't like, and everyone's a potential customer".  Thus,
they seem to go out of their way to get along with others, including those
of other faiths.  They are alway seeking to make deals and earn profit, not
caring whose coin they take. 

Fabron
~~~~~~
Fabron is the patron of those who fight for honor and strive for order 
and justice.  Strength and physical prowness are attributes greatly prized
by worshippers of Fabron.  His followers are also devoted to the righting
of wrongs and the deliverance of vengeance.  Though oft times such
vengeance is swift, followers of Fabron are known for their patience in
pursuing the truth with which to administer justice.  Fabron's penalties
for the guilty are stiff, but he is known to show mercy to those who are
truely penitent and atone for their misdeeds.  Temples of Fabron often
serve as Halls of Justice and his followers are numerous among peace
keeping professions.  Bureaucrats, judges, merchants and many adventurers
also pay homage to Fabron.

Fabron is another prominent deity and his followers have the reputation
of being the law enforcers of the Shattered World.  His priests are seen a
being somewhat strict and heavy-handed, but are well-respected.  The main
church of Fabron is located in the city of Uland on the fragment of Rynne.
 Fabron and his clergy are devoted foes of the god Necrum and his followers
and have hostility toward followers of Perdita.  They also seem to have a
general dislike for priests of Valeska. 

Fabron's symbol is a gauntleted hand holding a sword upon which rests
a set of scales.  His clergy are allowed to use edged weapons, though the
use of long range weapons is prohibited; one of Fabron's codes being that
an honorable man should face his foe directly in combat.  Priest of Fabron
wear robes of black and white during services, but wear what they please at
other times, though Fabron's symbol is alway prominent in some form.  

Ingemar
~~~~~~~
Ingemar is god of darkness, evil and nightmares.  Though his temples are
few, he has a surprisingly wide following in the Shattered World.  He is
worshiped by those who hate the light and cling to darkness, thus he is
particularly popular among thieves and assassins.  He is also the patron of
Gnolls and Xvarts.

Little is known of the worship of Ingemar, though services to him are
carried out in the dead of night.  His temples are almost always located
underground, and it is rumored that there are well hidden shrines to
Ingemar located in the larger cities of the Shattered World.  

Priests of Ingemar dress in robes of charcoal grey with a single
burning orange eye emblazed on both front and back.  Their holy symbol is
black circle with a blazing orange eye in its center.  They are generally
feared as it is said their god gives them power over darkness and the 
fears of other men.  Clerics of Ingemar have an evil disposition 
toward all those they encounter.  They seem to particularly dislike 
priests of Ardath and Valeska.

Leota
~~~~~
Leota, also known as The All Knowing One and Lady Destiny, is goddess of
fate, destiny, foresight, and prudence.  Her followers come from all walks
of life and include merchants, scholars, sages, tradesmen, and adventurers. 
Many call upon her in time of need, whether they be devote followers or
not.  Furthermore, her temples are frequently visited by those seeking
knowledge of the future or the benefit of wisdom, as priests of Leota are
known for the divination skills.

Letoa's influence in the Shattered World is strong, primarly because the city
of Agarn which is a Theocracy founded in her name.  Her priests are treated
with respect by all others, though this deference is tinged with fear.  Her
devotee's are often viewed as being somewhat cynical or unfeeling and thus
have trouble being accepted in pleasant company.  It is a well known fact
that her priests are 'gifted' with the knowledge of their own deaths.

Priests of Leota wear unadorned greyish-blue robes, the color of
twilight.  Leota's holy symbol is the rune for infinity, often in silver or
platinum.

Melantha
~~~~~~~~
Melantha, the good mother, is patroness of all good folk who enjoy the 
outdoors and claim a love for nature.  She is the deity of those who 
farm, hunt, fish and otherwise make their living off the land.  Though 
her influence extends over weather and the growth of plants, her primary 
concern is with creatures of the plains, forests, hills and streams.  Her
shrines exist in all such locations and her priests are responsible for
seeing that the relationship between mankind and nature proves beneficial
to both. 

Her priests are always welcome in small villages and towns, particularly
farming communities, but are less often seen in larger cities.   Priests
of Melantha get along well with those of other 'nature' deities (Jarfax,
Mortimer, Silvanus).  They tend to react positively to most others, as
long as no offense is made to their goddess.  There is often something of
a squabble between followers of Melanth and those of Darius, whose
interests frequently clash.

Clerics of Melantha wear green and brown robes of varying hues.  The
holy symbol of Melantha is an oak leaf inside an amber circle.  At third
level, clerics who have found favor with Melantha receive the ability to
Locate Animals and Speak with Animals once per day (as per the 1st and 2cd
levels spells of those names).  

Merlock
~~~~~~~
Merlock is god of knowledge, intellect and all magic.  He is the patron of
learned men, seekers after knowledge and practitioners of the mystic arts,
thus his worshippers include sages, bards, all types of spell casters,
inventors and teachers.  Merlock holds the search for knowledge above all
else and calls his worshipers to enlighten the world where they may.  The
use and testing of knowledge is also held to be important in furthering the
quest for ultimate enlightenment.  His temples are known to be storehouses
of information, containing vast libraries and laboratories and serving as
schools for all willing to learn. 

Merlock's priests are respected for their role as educators and
disseminators of knowledge, though most consider them to be somewhat
pretentious.  They tend to be somewhat neutral when it comes to other
religions, though they have good relations with followers of Selena and
disdain for followers of Tercell.

The clergy of Merlock wear grey robes, trimmed in deep purple.  They
also wear torcs of different metals about their necks to signify rank
within their order: copper, brass, silver, gold, platinum.  Clerics also
gain a bonus spell at each level, with higher ranking priests being able to
choose from both cleric and magic user spells.  Spell casting worshipers of
Merlock who perform outstanding services in his name have also been known
to receive a boost in their abilities.  Services to honor Merlock involve
complex rituals, recitals of formulas and reading from special works
honoring knowledge.

Selena
~~~~~~
Selena is patron to those who seek harmony and goodwill as a way of 
life.  It is she who also offers support and compassion to those who are 
in pain, oppression or great need.  Her followers include healers, sages, 
diplomats and teachers.  Clerics of Selena seek to end strife and promote 
concordance among those they encounter, with an ultimate goal of 
spreading peace to all races and kingdoms of the world. 

The goddess selena is accepted throughout the Shattered World and has a
wide following.  For the most part, Priests of Selena get along well with
members of other religions, the reason for this being their constant
mission to promote peace where ever they go.  The exception to this would
be their reaction to followers of Perdita, which tends to be hostile due
the direct opposition of their goals (peace, mercy, truth vs. hate, envy,
jealousy, lies).

Temples of Selena serve as sanctuaries from conflict and, such is the
goddesses' power that, no violence can take place within one of her
shrines.  The clergy of Selena wear honey colored robes with white crescent
moons around the neck line.  Selena's symbol is a white open palm upon a
field of gold.  Clerics who find favor with Selena are granted the ability
to cast sanctuary 1/day upon attaining 2cd level, and augury 1/day at 3rd
level.

Silvanus Oakfather
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Silvanus Oakfather, is the god of forests, trees and all wild things.  He
is patron to those who dwell in and travel through wilderness areas,
particularly forests, thus his worshipers include wanderers, explorers,
settlers, sages and adventurers.  He is particularly venerated by demi-
humans and the more reclusive fairy races.  Temples to Silvanus are never
large and almost always located in sylvan settings, although small shrines
may be occasionally found in villages.  The Oakfather's symbol is a oak
tree with silver leaves.

Followers of Silvanus prize the wilderness in its natural state and
seek to protect it from those who would impose order or attempt to control
it.  They strongly oppose any unnatural destructive force which threatens
the Oakfather's domain.  The clergy of Silvanus tend to dress simply, in
brown or green habits usually detailed with silver leaf patterns.  Services
to Silvanus are usually conducted outdoors and his rituals involve water,
earth and planting young saplings.

Tercell
~~~~~~~
Tercell, also known as The Jester, is the god of humor, riddles, wine,
tricks, and roguery.  His worshippers include bards, jesters, vagabonds,
beggars, and common folk as well.  He is particularly popular with thieves
(second only to Ingemar).  There are few temples to Tercell, as such,
rather his shrines tend to be taverns where followers come to pay 'homage'. 
Such establishments are run by the clergy of Tercell who coordinate
services, which consist of much singing, chanting, feasting and libations
of wine and spirits.  These shrines are also known for their open
invitation to performers, with daily sessions where anyone with the desire
can try to entertain the worshipper, though no assurances are given as to
their reaction.

Priest of Tercell dress in garments of deep red, purple, and brown,
with brightly colored accessories (e.g., scarves, sashes, veils, gloves,
mantles, hose).  Tercell's holy symbol is a laughing mask surrounded by
bunches of grapes.  His priests are taught musical skills and are unrivaled
joke tellers and riddlers.  They have a tendency to not be taken serious,
which seems to suit them just fine.  They have no quarrel with followers of
any other deity, though they tend to avoid the more lawful ones.  The get
along particularly well with followers of Ardath. 

Valeska
~~~~~~~
Valeska is the goddess of death, entropy and sickness.  Her followers are
few and tend to be shunned by people of the Shattered World.  Devotees of
Valeska come from all walks of life, though they are usually discontented with
society in some way.  It is they who, often as not, serve as undertakers
and keepers of the dead, and for this reason are allowed a place in
society.  Temples of Valeska tend to be located in or near large
graveyards.  Because part of her domain encompasses sickness, servants of
Valeska also serve as healers.  However, their knowledge in this area lies
primarily with easing the pain of the dying and those with some incurable
illness.

Valeska has a small following across the Shattered World, though her power is
recognized by all.  Her priests tend to be shunned due to the fear
associated with their calling and their strange appearance.  Her priests
are known to have dealings with those of Selena and Leota.  Followers of
Fabron seem to have a dislike for the faithful of Valeska.  In addition,
followers of Ingemar and Necrum show open hostility toward priests of
Valeska.

Part of the fear associated with followers of Valeska comes from the
history of her worship.  In ages past, Valeska had an evil nature, calling
for her worshipers to go out and actively add to her domain by committing
murder.  As legend has it, one of her followers killed a nobleman whose
wife happened to be a high level sorceress known as Serphimera.  Upon
discovering who killed her husband Serphimera turned her sorrow into rage
and declared war upon the temple of Valeska.  In time, she took her battle
to the very goddess herself.  So great was her power and so mighty her rage,
that Serphimera was able to destroy the goddess; though some say she received
help from one or more of the other goddesses.  During the battle Serphimera
herself received mortal wounds.   As she lay dying, the goddesses Ardath,
Leota, and Selena came and bestowed upon her the mantle of godhood, setting
her over the domains of the former goddess and indeed giving her the same
name, Valeska.

The new goddess moved her home and began to change the doctrine of her
religion.  Instead of seeking add to the number of dead by ending life
prematurely, her followers were charged with teaching the populace not to
fear death, but to view it as a natural part of the cycle of life.  Ages
have past since these events took place, but the heart and minds of men are
difficult to change.  The transition was not helped any by the fact that
some worshipers refused to leave their murderous ways and continued to act
in the name of Valeska.  Though over time most of these followers converted
to one of the other evil deities, even today isolated secret cults may be
found who worship the original Valeska.

Zada
~~~~
Zada, also known as Lady Luck, the two-faced goddess, and mistress of
chance, is goddess of luck, chance, gambling and risk.  She is patron to
those who make their livelihood by taking risks, thus her worshipers
include gamblers, merchants, fortune hunters and adventurers.  A fickle
mistress, Zada's dispenses both good and bad luck, a duality manifested in
her appearance.  On the right side she is a beautiful maiden with a beaming
smile, sparkling eyes full of warmth and golden curls.  Her left side is
equally beautiful, but in a dark way, with a deep frown, a glint of
mischief in her eye and long, raven black hair.  Though worshipers tend to
favor her smiling side, her clergy embrace both aspects of the goddess. 
Temples of Zada are typically gambling halls where priests preside over the
games.  A portion of all winnings go as an offering to the church, along
with all losses, making the church one of the wealthiest in Shattered World.
The attraction of Zada's gambling temples is that the games are assured not to
be rigged, as that would be against the goddess's precepts.  

There are no set vestments or services in Zada's worship and all
temples maintain an independence from each other.  Most decisions of the
church are made by drawing lots.  The dual image of the goddess's face
serves as a holy symbol for worshipers, usually engraved on a large coin or
medallion.   


Not described (as of yet):

Jarfax         Stone, Metal, Mountains, Gems      LN   m
Mortimer       Lakes, Rivers, Seas, Oceans        NC   m
Necrum         Deceit, Treachery, Murder          LE   m
Perdita        Hate, Envy, Jealousy, Lies         CE   f