Gods and Titans
The Scarred Lands were not always so. Less than two centuries ago, the world of Scarn was healthy - its forests were green, its seas pure, and its very heart pulsed with magic. The mortal races toiled the land and hunted the beasts, building entire civilizations, stone by stone. It was no paradise, but it was a prosperous world.
Of all Scarn's beings, both magical and mundane, the most awesome were the titans. The titans were entities of monstrous power, and their strength was derived from Scarn itself. The elements of the world and the skies above nourished them, granting them near-limitless abilities. Given sufficient time and patience, a titan could sculpt islands and mountain ranges, cut rivers, and breathe life into entirely new species of creatures. If they combined their powers, they could create entire continents. Even so, they were entities of raw fury, forces of nature that lacked the vital spark that would make them into something more.
Mighty though the titans were, they were not yet gods. But what of their children?
Although philosophers have difficulty explaining just why and how it could have happened, the children of the titans were not truly titans themselves. Like their progenitors, they drew some power from the world of Scarn, but the remainder of their potency derived from another source. They drew the greatest portion of their strength from the world's mortal races, feeding on the intensity of belief and on the vibrant mortal condition. The power these children called from the mortal races made them something new, something better. It made them gods.
The gods' enviable connection to the mortals of Scarn was destined to set them against their parents. For although the titans were at one with the essential elements of heaven and earth, they cared little for the world in their charge. If a titan was disappointed with how a coastline developed, he thought nothing of reducing it to sand with a series of tidal waves, cleaning the slate. If a titan grew bored with the thriving mortal races in her domain, she might give birth to horrific monsters to make things more "interesting."
The gods, who felt the suffering of the mortal races to their very souls, decided that the titans' reign had to end. Even the cruelest of the gods realized that if the titans were to cleanse the world of mortals on a whim - a very real possibility - loss of the mortals' faith and vitality would cripple the gods. So these celestial lords met in secret and plotted rebellion. When Denev, the titan of the earth itself, spoke out against her brethren, the gods took it as a sign - and the Titanswar erupted.
Eight gods and one titan went to war against a dozen other titans. The revolution shook the heavens' pillars, shattered the blazing iron streets of hell, and raged across the face of the world. Under the force of combatants' blows, mountains split into rubble-strewn plains. Islands sank as warriors used them as stepping stones. Gods and titans alike spawned races of monsters and humanoids as foot soldiers in their feud. And divine blood spilled across Scarn, warping the very land.
Terrible though the war was, it finally came to an end. With the help of Denev, the gods were victorious. They could not kill the titans, once and for all, however - not even they possessed such power. Each titan had to be restrained or imprisoned, prevented from regaining his strength and seeking revenge. The gods pulled the teeth from Gaurak the Glutton before burying the Ravenous One beneath the earth, ensuring that he could not chew his way out. They cut Mormo the Serpent Mother into pieces, scattering the parts far and wide so the Queen of Witches could not reform. And so the gods dealt with each titan in turn, stripping them of their power and sealing them away.
Now, Scarn is no longer the world it once was. The land bears horrible scars where gods felled titans. The Kelder Mountains are split with chasms left by a heavenly axe. The Hornsaw Forest has grown gnarled and twisted after feeding on the spilled blood of Mormo. Great deserts and badlands linger where verdant fields once lay. An entire sea runs red with the blood of a titan who lies chained at its depths. The world has twisted and changed wherever the titans or their dismembered remains lie. Many of the monstrous races created by the titans and gods during the war still survive in the gouged reaches of the land. Those races favored by the gods prosper. The titans' chosen are less fortunate, watching and waiting from their wilderness exile, plotting to restore their fallen patrons.
Scarn is no longer. To many of its inhabitants, it is now simply the Scarred Lands - a wounded world that has yet to heal.
But there is hope. Cities begin to prosper once again under the watchful eye of their patron deities. Mortals sharpen their skills of war and magic, the better to hunt the monstrous beasts that prey upon the weak and injured. The followers of the gods are ever vigilant, careful that the titans' scattered minions do not succeed in restoring their heartless lords. The Scarred Lands are a place of fierce barbarism and intense struggle - and yet, the mortal races aspire to something much greater. With good fortune, bravery, sorcery and skill - and no small amount of providence - perhaps the Scarred Lands can be rebuilt. Perhaps Scarn can be restored.
But first, the heroes of the Scarred Lands must survive.
The
Gods
Worship in the Scarred Lands has real and immediate
consequences. It was only a century-and-a-half ago that the gods' avatars walked
the land, contesting the titans for supremacy, while mortal races sided with
the gods or titans and fought at their feet.
With such colossal events in recent history, religious practice is never a matter of rote ritual or prayers mumbled to an unresponsive heaven. Certainly the most audacious displays of divine might occur when the gods allow their divine power to flow through chosen saints and champions, granting these mortals the strength to perform miracles. The gods respond regularly to any of their worshipers, however, whether favorably or not. The smith who fails to have his forge blessed to Corean finds that his ironwork shatters under the hammer. The doctor who fails to draw wards on her medicines, displaying the proper fear and respect for Vangal, invites plague upon herself and her patients. Madriel's voice resounds like a deafening wind through a temple of farmers who fail to pray for a good harvest. The gods and goddesses of the Scarred Lands make their presence known daily across the world.
The intelligent races of the Scarred Lands openly worship the eight major deities, and the sole remaining titan Denev, the Earth Mother. Though these deities have begotten many lesser demigods and goddesses who are also worshipped, these nine are venerated (or appeased) above all others.
Corean
(CORE-ay-ahn), the Avenger, the Champion (LG; Chivalry, Craftwork, Strength,
Protection, Wisdom)
The very
picture of the paladin's ideal, Corean is an unflinching crusader among the
gods. He has the strength of mountains, and his smoky armor reflects his ties
to the earth and the metals that run through it. He bears a longsword that he
forged himself from scraps gleaned from a titan's forge - that of Golthagga,
who was the first to taste the blade's edge. Corean is generally unwilling to
compromise, although he generally errs on the side of compassion rather than
on the side of law. Many people praise him as the ideal of virtue, although
more people pay lip service to him than are willing to live up to his standards.
Domains: Fire, Good, Law, Protection, War
Holy Symbol: Four longswords forming a compass rose
Invocation: Up to +3 bonus to smithing, weapon creation, lighting fires and combat.
Madriel
(MA-dree-el), the Redeemer, the First Angel of Mercy (NG; Sun, Light, Sky, Redemption,
Healing, Agriculture)
Madriel
flies on wings of peacock feathers, an armored angel with a spear formed from
the purest, whitest sunlight. Although relentless in her struggle against suffering
(and particularly against her rival Belsameth), she is the most merciful and
compassionate of the gods. Her temples are popular across the Scarred Lands,
particularly in areas where people pray for fertility to return to their fields.
Domains: Air, Good, Healing, Plants, Sun
Holy Symbol: Spear with a tassel of peacock feathers
Invocation: Up to +3 bonus on saves versus negative energy; +1 bonus per die when using healing magic.
Tanil
(TAH-nil), the Huntress (CG; Travel, Hunting, Forestry, Music, Archery, Freedom,
Good Fortune)
Of all the
gods, Tanil is most likely to spend some of her time quietly walking the face
of the Scarred Lands. However, this doesn't make her sociable - she prefers
back roads and untrod wilderness to highways and villages. The ultimate champion
of the underdog, she is the queen of archery and stealth, generally favored
by rogues, bards and wayfarers. She appears as a lithe archer wearing flexible
bronze armor. Her arrows are silver-tipped, as she dislikes the poor treatment
of animals and considers the world's werebeasts an insult. Many elves venerate
her; her other servants include dryads and unicorns.
Domains: Animals, Chaos, Luck, Plants, Travel, Trickery
Holy Symbol: Three bronze arrows lying parallel
Invocation: Up to +3 bonus on ranged combat or with music.
Hedrada
(heh-DRAH-dah), the Lawgiver, the Judge (LN; Law, Justice, Wealth, Order, Cities,
Knowledge)
The Lawgiver
is keeper of all the things that civilized beings have learned, and is the patron
of society itself. He is the ultimate impartial judge, striving to make certain
that each person receives what he or she has earned (for good or ill). He's
commonly shown as a stern man in somber robes, crowned with gold and wielding
a massive two-handed hammer. He is particularly popular among dwarves, mages,
prosperous merchants and regional governments, and is the patron of many cities
(foremost of which, of course, is Hedrad).
Domains: Knowledge, Law, Protection
Holy Symbol: Two-handed hammer
Invocation: Up to +3 bonus on Will Saves and determining the Truth (such as with Sense Motive).
Denev
(den-EV), the Earth Mother (N; Earth, Nature, Death - natural, the Seasons)
The only
surviving titan, Denev sided with the gods - in particular, her children - against
her brothers and sisters who ravaged Scarn. However, the long battle left even
more wounds on the world's surface, driving her to retreat to its heart in frustration
and fatigue. She still answers prayers from those who venerate her, and is honored
by the other gods. She is not a generous or merciful mother, though; she respects
nature at its bloodiest as well as at its most beautiful. She is rarely depicted
in humanlike form - tales paint her as a mountain range or forest come to life
- although she is said to wield a stone sickle when roused to make war. She
is venerated by cults of druids who stubbornly refuse to pray to any of the
newcomer gods, and by many elementals and other spirits of the land.
Domains: Air, Animals, Earth, Fire, Plants, Water
Holy Symbol: Stone sickle with a flowering wooden hilt
Invocation: None. But devout followers of Denev may use the Rites of the Land to gain bonuses. These Rites have a DC of 15, and are used with Survival, Knowledge=Gods and Titans and/or Profession skills. Any skill with 5 or more ranks may add a synergy bonus to another applicable skill.
Enkili
(en-KEE-lee), the Trickster, the Shapeshifter, the Unlucky (CN; Storms, Trickery,
Chaos, Misfortune)
The real
wild card of the gods, Enkili can't really be said to be on anyone's side -
not even his own. His tempestuous and stormy personality is mirrored in each
freak storm or sudden calm. He commonly shapeshifts from form to form, even
changing gender so regularly that no two temples portray the same image of him
(or her). As the trickster figure of the pantheon, he also gets into trouble
far more often than any divine being should. When he uses a weapon, he commonly
wields a thunderbolt-hurling flail that lashes so wildly that others doubt it's
under his control.
Domains: Air, Chaos, Luck, Travel, Trickery
Holy Symbol: Mask decorated with lightning shooting from the eye slits
Invocation: Up to +3 bonus on Balance, Bluff, Disguise, Jump or Tumble; may also invoke for three rounds and gain a single +1 to the next Reflex save AND Bluff AND Tumble.
Chardun
(char-DOON), the Slaver, the Overlord, the Great General (LE; War, Domination,
Conquest, Avarice, Pain)
Tyrant among
gods, Chardun exemplifies the worst traits of the most despotic generals, emperors
and masters. His weapon is a golden macelike scepter that's stained deeply with
blood. He wears the white regalia of a conquering hero, but his robes and sandaled
feet are splattered with blood and dusted with powdered bone. He is particularly
venerated by militaristic people with powerful ambitions, but anyone who craves
domination is a worthy follower. A general who seeks a throne and a man who
covets absolute obedience from his woman are both near to Chardun's black heart.
Domains: Evil, Law, Strength, War
Holy Symbol: Blood-soaked golden scepter, crowned with a thorny laurel
wreath
Invocation: Up to +3 bonus on Concentration, Diplomacy, Intimidate or Sense Motive. Also with any skill relating to military strategy or tactics, as well as any attack roll, or damage from a spell.
Belsameth
(BEL-sa-meth), the Slayer, the Assassin (NE; Darkness, Death, Nightmares, Deception,
Witchcraft, Madness)
The vulture-winged
goddess Belsameth is the incarnation of everything people fear about the night.
Her basalt throne sits on the dark side of the moon; her power over the moon
grants her power over lunacy and makes her the patron goddess of Scarn's werebeasts.
Her preferred weapon is a jet-black dagger, and she is favored by evil sorcerers
and witches, Scarn's harpies, wily and murderous goblins, and of course by werewolves
and their like.
Domains: Death, Evil, Magic, Trickery
Holy Symbol: Thin silver circle on a black field (signifying the lunar
eclipse)
Invocation: Up to +3 bonus on saves against attacks from or on attacks made against followers of the Good gods (Corean, Madriel and Tanil).
Vangal
(VAN-gahl), the Reaver, the Ravager (CE; Destruction, Pestilence, Famine, Bloodshed,
Thunder, Disaster)
The volcano-god
Vangal is the very embodiment of war. He is commonly depicted as a huge charioteer
in filth-covered armor, beard and dreadlocks matted with blood. He wields two
massive axes still encrusted with the blood of the titans he overcame. He has
few human followers, as it's said that when he gains sufficient power, he'll
bring about the destruction of Scarn itself. The few cults dedicated to him,
called the Horsemen, are much-dreaded doomsayers and warriors.
Domains: Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Strength, War
Holy Symbol: Cloven shield dripping blood
Invocation: Up to +3 bonus to damage creatures only hit by magic weapons; grants the Ghost Touch ability to any weapon borne by the character. May apply to two weapons wielded sinultaneously if the character is using two axes. The bonus only lasts one round and is used only to determine if the creature can be hit - no actual bonus to hit or damage is received.
Demigods
Goran (LG) Demigod of Dwarves of Burok Torn
Hwyrrd (N) Demigod of Halflings
Idra (CN) Demigoddess of Passionate Love
Manawe (CN) Demigoddess of the Seas
Nalthalos (LE) Demigod of Dark Elves of Dier Drendal
Nemorga (N) Demigod of Death, Guardian of the Gates of the Underworld
Sethris (NE) Spider Demigoddess of Revenge
Syhana (NG) Demigoddess of Fey Creatures and Clouds
The Scarred Lands are the domain of the gods who defeated their titan parents in the cataclysmic Divine War 150 years ago. But it was the titans who commanded the world of Scarn before that. For the first time ever, presented here is a list of twelve titans that the alliance of the gods and the titan Denev overthrew, destroying much of Scarn in the process.
Many of the various races created by the titans survived the Divine War and still populate the Scarred Lands. Whether they are pockets of brigands, remote remnants of shattered civilizations or sovereign nations still contesting the people of the gods for supremacy, the titans' races have not walked meekly into oblivion. Many carve out power in the new world, drawing on what latent vitality they can from their fallen masters. Other titan races seek to resurrect their fallen lords and rule the world at their side.
Mormo, Mother of Serpents, Queen of Witches
This gruesome crone was the patron of all witches and hags and was responsible for the creation of serpentine races such as the medusae. Her spilled blood has turned the Hornsaw Forest into the homeland of mutated terrors that it is today. Some say her followers seek to recover the pieces of the Serpent Mother that were strewn across the Scarred Lands. They hope to bring these grisly trophies together so that Mormo may be reborn.
A hideously obese and always ravenous titan, Gaurak is said to have devoured all the life from the once verdant moon. After his defeat, the gods pulled out every last one of Gaurak's hundred teeth before burying him deep in the earth. His fallen teeth are said to have taken the form of mountains, colossal obelisks and even trees, always tainting the land near them.
Chern (CHURN), of the Scourge, of the Last Great Sickness and Suffering
The Flourishing Flats was a great fertile plain between two great rivers that ran from the Kelder Mountains to the what is now the Blood Sea. It's said that plain is where the gods gave birth to man, and though the nation of Vesh yet exists here, much of the territory has transformed into the Mourning Marches. It's all a result of the contaminated and festering corpse of Chern that is said to be interred here after his defeat on Termana, but not before this vile monster unleashed a curse of disease that has haunted the lands ever since.
Chern created a fair number of vermin and vermin type humanoid races, as well as many of the magical diseases found in the Scarred Lands. The Order of the Morning Sky (see Morgaunt in Creature Collection) makes a point of battling Chern's races and influences.
Golthain (GALL-thane) the Faceless
He is remembered by the titanspawn as a weakling. He is recalled fondly by the gods who sundered and imprisoned him lest he later seek revenge. Golthain the Faceless was singular among the titans in the hint of compassion he seemed to feel for the life he and his kind created. The other titans, of course, mocked him for this, and as punishment for this obvious weakness, they stripped him of his senses so he could neither enjoy what was created nor detect how badly the other titans treated these creations.
Golthain created few races himself, more often influencing the development of other races. He did create some servitors to attend him in place of his lost senses, as well as some races of giant kind.
Golthagga (gall-THAH-ga), of the Forge, the Shaper
This misshapen brute carried little for the living, but at least that disinterest meant it directed little ill the way of the struggling lifeforms of Scarn. Instead, Golthagga was more intrigued by what he might construct with the material his fellow titans created. Even during the war, Golthagga kept to his forge. And when Corean slew him, he died upon it as well. Now, his essence is dispersed bit by bit in the myriad of creations.
Golthagga created many aberration versions of other humanoids, animals, and beasts. His creations were mainly larger, more hideous, metallic versions of the lifeforms his brethren created. Golthagga sometimes used other creatures as models for his own creations and sometimes took these other creatures and reshaped them on his forge.
Gormoth (GORE-moth), The Writhing Lord
This first of the titans to create a humanoid race, this titan spent centuries in pain and solitude after he was poisoned by his sister Mormo. Upon his recovery, Gormoth turned his spite and hate upon the world. Where his brethren often destroyed and created a grand scale, this titan was content to make playthings of individuals, many of whom were forced to attend him and ease the pain that would sometimes still wrack his great frame. His pain is immense to this day, for he was split from skull to crotch by the gods Vangal and Chardun and each half placed on opposite sides of a great chasm. The flailing halves forever struggle to reunite.
Gormoth created few creatures after the Viren (see Abandoned in Creature Collection).
Gulaben (goo-LAH-bin), Lady of the Winds of Madness
The most difficult of all the titans to defeat was the Lady of Winds. Like the wind, her presence was felt but she went unseen. Finally, the gods granted their most powerful priests the knowledge of a great ritual that would bind a foe. The catch: Gulaben's location remains unknown.
Gulaben's created all manner of aerial aberrations and some aerial humanoid races. She also created wind spirits, akin to air elementals but even less corporeal, that would deliver the titan's favor or disfavor depending on the nature of the spirit.
Hrinruuk (he-RIN-rook) the Hunter
Perhaps undetectable even by the gods themselves, the Hunter stalked and slew Miridum, the goddess of lore and the daughter of Hedrada, soon after Mesos was dispersed, and the sly and dangerous titan would have taken down Hedrada himself but for the intervention of Corean. Hedrada is now said to have the still-living head of the Hunter, whose undiscernable body fruitlessly searches for it.
Hrinruuk created many of the most lethal monstrosities to ever walk Scarn. Discontent by the ease of hunting any normal creature, and too infrequently getting to hunt down an errant godling in the days before the Divine War, Hrinruuk resorted to creating many monstrosities which would provide him some level of challenge to hunt across the planes of existence. Hrinruuk's spawn often have means of cloaking themselves and their trails, and they can travel quickly-even teleportation and plane shifting-and are terrible opponents if confronted.
Kadum (KAH-doom), the Mountainshaker, the Bleeding One
This great beast would uproot entire mountains when enraged, but his strength alone could not save him. Belsameth cut his heart from him and Chardun chained him to a rock, which Vangal in turn sank to the bottom of the deepest ocean chasm. To this day, the deepest waters of the Scarred Lands run red with the Bleeding One's ichor. It is said that whole new races of horrific merfolk, krakens and other fell sea monsters have arisen from exposure to Kadum's blood.
The creatures-turned-aberrations that haunt the Blood Sea are a result of Kadum's blood infecting those waters. Before Kadum's defeat, the Mountainshaker created several monstrous giant kin whose quickness to rage mirrors their creator's.
Lethene (lay-THEEN), Dame of Storms, the Untamed One
Many godlings fell before the fury of Lethene during the Divine War, but the casualties cannot be tallied, for the Dame of storms annihilated these gods' worshippers as well. But in the end, Lethene was tamed. Though no one seems to know exactly how. The elves and dwarves who lived through the Divine War simply recall a day, perhaps a moment, when the gods concentrated their powers to still the tumultuous world, and suddenly Lethene was no more.
Lethene created some few spirit creatures, but few other creatures.
Mesos (MAY-zohz), Sire of Sorcery, the Disrupted
The destruction of Mesos was probably the key event that allowed the gods to win the Divine War. Without a doubt, it was the signal event for the beginning of the colossal struggle. This titan literally seethed with magical energies unbelievable even to the gods, and while several among them surely coveted this power, they all agreed the titan must be dispatched. An ambush was prepared. With the assistance of the greatest archmages whose spells cancelled some minute portion of the titan's power, the gods disintegrated Mesos in an explosion that flung his constituent parts to every corner of existence.
Mesos created some of the most deadly and mysterious of the titanspawn humanoid races. Some monstrous some beautiful, some giant some tiny, but all imbued with magical powers, all vengeful against those who conspired to sunder their creator. Some sages believe Mesos was the most likely creator of the now extinct slarecians.
Thulkas (thool-KAHS),, Father of Fire, the Iron God
Where the powerful Kadum was unstoppable, the impregnable Thulkas was unmovable for he was said to be an extension of the earth. And this if he could be touched at all, for he burned with the heat of a thousand suns. Even Corean could not move this beast, but he could bend him, so he pressed the Iron God upon the forge of Golthagga and hammered the titan into the form of an arrow. Tanil then drew back her great bow and fired that arrow into the sun itself, and therein dwells Thulkas, still in an unmovable form.
Thulkas created lifeforms more by consequence than by design. When natural phenomenon would interact with his fiery body, often lifeforms were created by the interplay of forces. Most of the creatures races spawned off Thulkas have affinities for the earth and fire are very resilient, especially when in contact with these elements. In addition, many of the goblin races were influenced by Thulkas in their final development (see Spidereye Goblins in Creature Collection).