The Things that Go Bump In the Night

It’s Saturday and it's time to talk about a god. For those of you who haven’t been a part of my explorations into the religions of Golarion here’s how it works.

Imagine if you will you're making a character for a group. Your only instruction is that you must be a worshiper of a specific god. You do not need to be a divine casting class although you can be, but the groups purpose is going to be working toward the goals of this specific divine being. And I'd like not just a race class combo, but a little bit about why the character would choose to dedicate him or herself to this god. Feel free to make up secret or not so secret orders within the church. Or even sects outside of the church you think might be interesting. With only this one piece of information that must be true let your imagination go wild with the rest.

Today's god

Tanagaar LG Empyreal Lord of Night, Owls and Watchfulness

Tanagaar’s Pathfinder Wiki page 

Tanagaar’s Archives of Nethys Entry 

I seem to have started Halloween a little early with Hag Goddesses and Changeling witch hunters. So today we’ll take a continued look at those who beat back the darkness as we further explore Tanagaar, and his battle against the minions of Alazhra. The Aurulent Eye and his watchers in the night take on The Dream Eater and her night hag minions.

The Night Talons

There has always been a contention between those who stalk the night and those who keep watch over it. From a towns night guard to the lantern bearers of the big cities. When Alazhra sends her minions to harvest the souls of the sleeping by giving them tortured dreams someone has to step forward to ward them off. Tanagaar, like his sacred animal the owl, is a hunter in the night time and his followers fill this role.

The Night Talons are an organization set on the destruction of the night hag followers of The Dream Eater as well as all witches of an evil bent. Made up of seers, dreamspeakers, witch hunters and dark forest stalkers, this group of dedicated souls bring the fight directly to the wretched crones. Surprisingly a large number of these hunters are the offspring of the hags themselves, changelings.

The Night Talons do not do what they do for fame and glory. Considered little more than a mystery cult, they hunt in small groups of like-minded individuals. Tanagaar’s chosen are active all over but their largest numbers are in Ustalav, The Molthune border of Nidal and the Varisian border of Irrisen.

One does not seek out The Night Talons to join. The Night Talons find you. They seek out only those most hurt by the predations of the hags. They especially look for those who have been wronged by Alazhra’s chosen, night hags. New Talons go through a rigorous training process before they are sent off to hunt, usually solo but occasionally as a parliament when the need is dire.

If your fitful nights of dreams suddenly come to an end, you very well may have been saved by a Night Talon and just not know it.

Who would your worshiper of Tanagaar be? Would you seek to join The Night Talons and take the fight to Alazhra? Tell us your followers story.

Character Seventeen: Uzelea Zandrov

There was a lot of back and forth on this one in my mind. When seeing a lot of other folks discuss what they wanted to do they went Inquisitor and I was going to try and steer away from the pack. However, there was an idea that sparked in my head and it absolutely required that I go inquisitor, specifically the witch hunter archetype.

Duke Vistani Zandrov began his life of nobility in Ustalav inheriting the noble title of Earl from his father. Content in his place and eager to lead his people fairly and justly even with the horrors that seemed to befall Ustalav ever since the fall of the Whispering Tyrant, Earl Zandrov married and very quickly started a family.

His first born was a son and heir to the throne. After giving birth his wife fell sick for quite some time. Upon the return of her health she very quickly bore him a daughter. And three years after that another. The family was growing and the lands the Earl rules prospered.

When his elder daughter was eight there was upheaval in the realm, the Grand duke was assassinated and his line, all but one brother, fell in the ensuing war. During the upheaval the Duke was found to be the murderer, his family stripped of power. Earl Zandrov, ever loyal, was give the title of Duke and the lands of the traitor were his to administer.

Uzelea the middle daughter was ever at her mother’s side and as she aged her mother began to school her at home. Not completely understanding all of the lessons, the eldest daughter was being trained to be her mother’s scion. And in so doing she also began to drag the younger daughter into her mother’s web.

When she hit puberty and the changes began to happen her father made a dread realization. His wife was no longer his wife. A night hag had killed his beloved and stolen her soul. She had bred two progeny of her own with the Duke. She had even orchestrated the fall of the Grand Duke to escalate her “Husband” and bring more power to her progeny.

Before the Duke could confront the witch posing as his wife she fled. The hag vanished with her youngest and more impressionable daughter before she could be put to the flame. Uzelea was distraught, heartbroken that she led her own sister to this fate.

The Duke still loved his daughter with all his heart. He made to give her everything he could, but her rage over the betrayal of her mother was the only thing that drove her. She needed to find the hag and her sister and bring them back. But with no idea how to go about it she was stuck, the noble in a bleak house.

Uzelea’s search for answers brought the attention of others who wanted to see hags destroyed. A mystery cult of the Empyreal Lord Tanagaar. The divine beings purview over the night was constantly attacked by Alazhra’s faithful, the night hags and their control of dreams and nightmares. A seer from the cult came to Uzelea and offered to train her in the ways of the sacred witch hunters.

Now the Duke’s eldest daughter has left the confines of the castle. She roams the countryside of Ustalav in search of her wayward mother. Her only hope is that she finds her and kills her, and brings back her sister before any irreversible damage is done. If on the way she roots out any other of the witch kin then so be it. 

Black Cats and Broomsticks

It’s Saturday and it's time to talk about a god. For those of you who haven’t been a part of my explorations into the religions of Golarion here’s how it works.

Imagine if you will you're making a character for a group. Your only instruction is that you must be a worshiper of a specific god. You do not need to be a divine casting class although you can be, but the groups purpose is going to be working toward the goals of this specific divine being. And I'd like not just a race class combo, but a little bit about why the character would choose to dedicate him or herself to this god. Feel free to make up secret or not so secret orders within the church. Or even sects outside of the church you think might be interesting. With only this one piece of information that must be true let your imagination go wild with the rest.

Today's god

Alazhra NE goddess of dreams, night hags and planar travel

Alazhra’s Pathfinder Wiki page 

Alazhra’s Archives of Nethys entry 

All across Golarion old wives tales speak of witches and their cat familiars. Usually described to the children these tales are meant to frighten as black as a starless night. And cats have always been attached to witches from this misty shores Brevory to the ancient ruins of Varisia, from frozen land of Irrisen to the island city of Absalom.

Four legged felines are not the only cats that have attached themselves to witches or the goddess of the night hag soul stealers. There is a sect among the feline catfolk that dedicate themselves to the witch goddess. Much as the night hags steal souls for their dark mistress, these black furred catfolk steal people’s dreams.

The dreamstealers are a very select group of female catfolk. They ally themselves with local night hags to further the will on Alazhra. When a catfolk kitten is born with pitch black fur, these dark sisters keep close watch to see if she will manifest the psychic abilities that all of the dreamstealers possess. If she does she is stolen away from her family and tortured for night after night with the most terrifying dreams. She is finally dedicated to Alazhra in a ritual that requires thirteen dreamstealers and one night hag.

The tales of black cats sucking out the souls of the sleeping, in all likelihood stem from the activities of the dreamstealers. And if you awake with the feeling of a completely unrestful, dreamless sleep, maybe one has visited you. For all people need their dreams, without them how can they seek to become bigger and better people? One can only imagine what these dark sister do with the stolen promises of a better day meant for others.

Who is your follower of Alazhra? Would you use the dreamstealers in your game?