St. Jaspar - Patron Saint of Strength and Rocks

St. Jaspar is a member of the constellation of minor dieties and apotheosized saints that make up the Nadene branch of the Church of Three Goddesses.  In this case, St. Jaspar is the patron saint of Strength and Rocks.

St Jaspar began life as Jaspar Wilderman.  He was a fighter in the service of the Archduke of Scallen, back in the early 280s, when Scallen was the capitol of the Kingdom of Ymnaris.  Jaspar was a captain of a company (100 men) of halberdiers, serving by patrolling the Pellet Water river, and also the Falcon Woods.

While on patrol, he once encountered a strange scene, while separated from his men.  He was traveling with half of the company of halberdiers, tracking a raiding party of Bugbears out of the Falcon Woods, and was separated from his men early one morning.  While he waited for the half company to reform, he was searching an area around a gorge of water.  The water was welling up out of the ground, and filled a small natural rocky basin, before running of in the light woods as a tiny stream.  He came across a young goatherd girl, sitting by the gorge, and tending to a mother goat and her young.  The young girl looked up to see Jaspar coming across the clearing towards the gorge, when a band of Bugbears, led by a berserking Minotaur, came out of the woods and charged the young girl.  Jaspar sprang into action, but only had his hunting knife and a short sword with him.  He immediately charged the Minotaur and grappled with it, stabbing again and again.  The Bugbears were amazed, and stood down to watch the fight, and see how their monstrous leader would fare against this brave soldier.  The girl gathered up the goat yearlings, and retreated to the base of a big tree, just outside the clearing of the gorge.  Finally, Jaspar succeeded in killing the Minotaur, and the band of Bugbears would have charged the fatigued hero, except at that point, a patrol of the halberdiers arrived on the spot, and gave good sport to the Bugbears.  They were soon killed or routed, and the soldiers in hot pursuit.  Jaspar bound a gash on his arm as best he could, and then immediately looked after the girl, to see if she were okay.

That was when the girl revealed herself as the goddess Nadene, the goddess of fertility.  She thanked Jaspar for his bravery, and immediately gifted him with immortality, and great strength, and told him that the stones where he stood would be the basis for his power.  And so, Jaspar Wildeman became St. Jaspar, patron saint of strength and rocks and the earth.

Over time, the great strength of St. Jaspar began to reveal itself, in lots of fantastic feat.  Also, the sages and mystics of the age realized that had become something more than human through his encounter with Nadene.  There were those who began to pay homage, and to worship the relationship between the saint and the goddess. Over time, this grew into the young version of the Order of St. Jaspar.  A home for the order was needed, and the fantastic stone formation at the heart of the City of Shadows, the capitol of the newly formed Barony of Henn, was chosen as the site for this. Work began, on the Cathedral at Earthroot, and it grew over the centuries.  All of it is constructed of stone, and much of it is carved directly out of the great formation itself.  Much of the traditional ritual within the Order of St. Jaspar involves self meditation, and the only communal acts are the playing of slow reflective music, on stone instruments (flutes, mostly, but also a strange sort of xylophone type instrument), and the recitation of ethical oaths of behavior.  Because of the solitary nature of the order, much of the cathedral is given over to individual cells, and small meditation rooms. Much of the meditation has to do with the Way of Stone, which involves the great mystery, of how is stone alive?

The order attracts those from all walks of life, but it has a special appeal for those who make their labor in life through working the earth, especially in trades that require great amounts of physical strength.  This includes masons, stone carvers, miners and even some farmers.  Because of the background of Jaspar Wilderman, and his simple story of courage being rewarded, the order also appeals to warriors and soldiers in no small numbers.  There are even a number of Dwarves and Gnomes in the mix, from those communities where they have taken to following the Church of the Three Goddesses.

 The clergy of the order includes both men and women, although men predominate.  Both are viewed as equal, however.  Strength and acts of strength are seen as gifts from St. Jaspar, and the path from novitiate to full priest is full of different stages of exhibiting personal strength - usually physical strength, but also strength of mind and strength of character.  Outside the single largest concentration of the Cathedral at Earthroot, there are a number of churches and community halls dedicated to St. Jaspar.  There are also a large number of hermitages and abbeys.  Living in community, isolated from the world, is very appealing to the men and women who are attracted to the Order.  Typically, clergy wear white robes, trimmed in geometric shapes of some color or other, reflecting the church or community they are associated with.

A school of clerics, who are not only encouraged to move out among the peoples of the valley, but who also regularly take up arms against evil and injustice, exists.  It is from this school, the way of the wandering stone, that the Brothers and Sisters of the Wandering Stone come from, and also where most clerics (in the sense of the adventuring class) will come from.  The monastic branches of the order will refer to these as the Rolling Stones, and these wanderers (who also, in their way, dedicate their life to understanding the mysterious Way of Stone, but through the application of force to right wrong and thwart injustice) will refer to their monastic brothers and sisters as Mossbacks.

Druids in the Valley of the Old Ones

The class of Druids in the Valley of the Old Ones, as one would expect, are very similar to the concept as presented in the first and second editions of AD&D.  They are mystics who venerate nature, and draw their power from nature and affiliated deities.

Amongst the Druids to be found in the Westron Baronies, there are three orders of druids.  The first, the Brown Order is affiliated with Kyclos - the demigod of the cycle of life.  He is affiliated with the Church by being observed by followers of the goddess Nadene as being her consort.  The Brown Order of Druids is so named because of the brown mantles and belts that they wear on their all white robes.  There's is an order that is dedicated to the circle of life - things all have a place in nature, and Man would do best to fit in with that heirarchy.  The order has its learning and heirarchy centered at the Druid Hall at Kavaman, in the eastern end of the Nell Nod Forest.  Druids of the Brown Order are often traveling companions of Priests of Kyclos, and occasionally with Priests from the Order of St. Horace (patron saint of animals).  Druids of the Brown Order are often found in agricultural communities, or not far away.  Equally, however, they will be found in places of learning.

The Green Order of druids is also affiliated with the Church.  It is very much involved in the communing with plants and trees, and as such is affiliated with the worship of the Green Man (the demigod of plants and the wild who is the seasonal husband of the goddess Corrise).  While Druids of the Green Order are every bit as much interested in scholarly learning about nature, and knowledge of the world around them, they do not have a great center of their worship, but rather tend to congregate their hierarchy around a series of groves, the oldest and largest of which is Mamblir in the Deeper Forest.  Druids of the Green Order rarely settle, and often spend years traveling abroad away from their home grove.  The Green Order often go abroad wearing some sort of green - robes, cloak, or mantle.

Finally, the third order is the mysterious group of Druids known as the Silver Order of druids.  These are not affiliated with the Church in any way, and are chiefly interested in the grander universe - how things work, how they work together, the effect on the stars by the endless world, how fire works, and why it doesn't - these are the sorts of questions often asked by Silver Order Druids.  The master of the order is a mysterious individual who lives high atop his Star Tower, in the Aghanz Hills.  Members of the order often travel abroad, seeking places of deep mystery and meaning in which to make their homes of contemplation of nature.  They are very fond of the various sites of the Old Ones, and seek to understand their peculiar relationship with nature.

The Westron Church

The main sites of human civilization in the Valley are populated by people who migrated into the valley from the west, over a thousand years ago.  Their culture is, collectively, known as the Westroners.  Details of their history or origin before they migrated into the Valley are hazy, at best.

One of the defining things about the Westroners, is the fact that most of the aspects of their religion come from a single church structure.  That is not to say that it is simple, or monotheistic, but it is all one church.

The main objects of worship of the Westron Church (as it is known) are three goddesses.  These are Nadene, Magenta, and Corrise.  In addition, there are a few other demigods and demigoddesses, and a large body of saints and scions.

In tone, it is the equivalent of the Roman Catholic church at the height of its medieval power (say, 13th century, prior to the period of the Avignon Papacy).  It is reigned over by a body of five very high level clerics.  There are three Theurges (which are the high priest or priestess in the service of each of the three goddesses), as well as the Patriarch and the Matriarch.  This body of five, known as the High Office, rule over a complicated bureaucracy that is split into two halves.  There is a Patriarchy, which has a hierarchy of male clerics overseeing the external affairs of the church (military orders, missions, proselytizing orders, etc), and there is a Matriarchy which is composed of female clerics that oversee largely internal affairs (education, ministration orders, charity, finance, etc).  The lead members of each of these two halves of the bureaucracy are the two that sit in the High Office with the three Theurges.

For Player Characters, the key aspect of the church are the many different orders that they can have Priests or Paladins from.  These are listed here, but will be detailed more later. The organization is related to which of the three goddesses each order is most closely related.  The Paladin orders were detailed in an earlier post, but are recalled again here where appropriate.

Nadene - goddess of Fertility

• Kyclos - demigod of the cycle of life, consort of Nadene; Brown Order of Druids
• St. Horace - patron saint of animals
• Mother Kimber - patron saint of birth and children
• St. Leiathar - patron saint of weather
• St. Jasper - patron saint of strength and rocks
• Brother Ian - patron saint of knowledge and fire
• St. Ellain - patron saint of art and water
• Sister Silpha - patron saint of travel and air

Magenta - goddess of Magic

• Kostamus - demigod of the sun, lover of Magenta
• St. Brigid - patron saint of healing and the sick
• St. Kelvin - patron saint of light
• St. Gianna - patron saint of oracles
• Poritia Nove - demigoddess of the White Moon; Paladins of the White Lady
• Veltin Crimsea - demigoddess of the Red Moon
• Argina Lustar - demigoddess of the Golden Moon
• Noxecatt - demigoddess of the underworld and darkness - NOT officially part of the church
• Dralizar - demigod of thieves and the night - NOT officially part of the church

Corrise - goddess of Agriculture

• Green Man - demigod of vegetation and plants, husband of Corrise; Green Order of Druids
• St. Ermo - patron saint of the earth and building
• Brother Rudiger - patron saint of home and community; Paladins of the Hearth
• St. Lilliane - patron saint of orphans and the dispossessed; affiliated with the Brotherhood of the Sword paladins
• St. Varina - patron saint of vineyards and wine
• St. Norena - patron saint of fire and comfort
• Olimo Vis - demigoddess of Autumn and the harvest
• Elongar Suu - demigod of Summer and growth
• Neuvirra Oss - demigoddess of Spring and the planting
• Frigia Nor - demigod of Winter and feasting

Although the two twin demigods of Noxecatt and Dralizar are listed under Magenta, their worship is distinctly not part of the Church structure. They are listed here, simply because of their relationship to Magenta (who, according to myth, mothered the two twins after her adulterous affair with the prince of devils, Baxilar).

The two Druidical orders (the Brown and the Green) are listed here with their affiliation with the church. That affiliation is at times extremely tenuous, however there is a third order of Druids that has absolutely no ties with the church - the Silver Order.

History of the Valley - since Ba'a Zarn

The Archivists of Parn Tandalorn tend to view the history of the Valley of the Old Ones as, enigmatically, beginning with the departure of the Old Ones themselves.  At some point, in the distant past, the King of the Old Ones Ba'a Zarn disappeared from the world.  After this time, the many creatures and creations of the gods of the Old Ones began to spread and to rule over the world.  The chief creations amongst all of these are Men, Elves and Dwarves.  The Men seem to have been a companion gift to the Old Ones, constructed by the Elemental Gods.  The Elves were first created by the forest goddess Earnissa.  The Dwarves were created by The Krung, lord of the mountains.

As the power of the Old Ones began waning, many of the Men who were living with them in their fabulous cities began to flee, and to already spread across the world.  At this time they began worshiping the gods and goddesses of nature, especially Bronc the Storm King, and Photoss the Sun King.  The Three Goddesses were not unknown at this time, but the complicated nuance of the modern churches did not exist - they were simply worshiped as Fertility, Magic and Agriculture.

The tribes of the Storm King grew in power and strength, until they threatened both the Dwarves and the Elves.  This brought about the first Elf war, which pitted the ancient tribes of the Storm King against the original forest tribes of Earnissa's people.  The Dwarves were pledged to help the Elves, but due to unknown reasons they never appeared at any of the battles.  The barbaric humans were losing in the war against the elves, but in the end the Elves capitulated and settled an uneasy peace with the humans.

There are still groups of humans that worship the Storm King, however (and this is true within the Valley) much of human civilization is now built around the worship of the Three Goddesses.  These three, and a complicated hierarchy of saints and scions, are the object of much of the modern Church that is key to human civilization.

Within the Valley, the human city of Narn is home to the feudal kingdom of Neill family.  Duke Alasdair IV is the current head of the family, and he rules with the blessings of the Arch-Cleric Neveross, of the Cathedral of St. Narn.  Across the valley there are many small baronies and other realms that all, in theory, owe feudal loyalty to the Neill family, however the distance and the politics involved mean that at any time any number of these can be at war with each other, or against the Neills themselves.  Complicated church politics don't make matters any simpler.

Within the valley, there are several forests where Elven domains are evident.  These are largely Wood Elves.  There are, in the mountains surrounding the valley, several hidden cities of High Elves as well.  During the war with the Storm King barbarians, the High Elves felt betrayed by their brothers who surrendered to the Humans, and so went, mostly, into seclusion.  Other than their hidden mountain cities, the High Elves also have a floating city that travels up and down the Great River.

Several underground colonies of Grey Dwarves exist in the mountains surrounding the valley.  These are the types of dwarves who feel compelled to pursue their traditional role as miners and craftsmen, working with stones and gems, and digger deeper and deeper into the mountains.  Offshoots of these 'traditionalists' often move down out of the mountain, and build towns and villages where they trade with the feudal human cities, and others.  These Dwarves who leave the mountains are often referred to as Brown Dwarves.

Countless other races of beings (magical and natural) occupy the areas within and around the Valley.  Among the more numerous are the Halflings, Gnomes and of course all the Goblin races, from the goblins themselves, up through the trolls.  Many variants of beastmen exist as well.  In addition to the underground empires of the goblins and dwarves, there is another race of elves that have taken up life under the mountains - the Dark Elves.

Since the departure of the Old Ones, and the war between the Barbarians and the Elves, the rise of Human civilization has dominated the valley.  Today they are the most numerous people within the valley, although the strength of Narn has faded in recent decades.