Wednesday, September 30, 2009

4e/Deity/Yama


 Yama is based on the divine being Yama of Hindu and Buddhist faiths. I originally stated Yama out because I specifically wanted a god of death for my 4th edition campaign who was not evil and did not have evil feeling fluff. 


As always, feel free to use as little or as much as this as you'd like.



Yama


Greater God (Unaligned)
Yama is generally depicted as a large humanoid with red skin, and green clothing.  Occasionally he is seen as horned, or fully clothed in a large black cloak like his reapers. He never wields a scimitar however, instead carrying a length of rope with a noose on one end.

It is said that he always travels to the South and those wishing to reach him without dying can find his path by doing so as well.

Symbol: Noose
Portfolio: Death
Domains: Death
Favored Weapon: (Spiked) Chain
Allies: Celempietal, Corellon, Grapog, Istus, Mugar, and Obad-Hai




Yama as a god rarely get's involved in any drama or plans involving the other deities. He cares little for wielding more power, contolling domains, of for the majority of the affairs on earth. His major concern is making sure the souls of those who die make it to their final planar destination.

Those divine powers who champion the natural order, respect the dead, or who battle undeath are generally considered among his allies.

Enemies: Lloth, Orcus, Asmodeus



Yama is a powerful, focussed god who rarely gets inteferes with other deities domains. Few dare or bother to cross him. Those who do stand out cheifly in the world. Lloth has made several attempts to help her mortal followers cheat death and would like nothing more than to wield an unending never dying army, all the while hiding her plans away in secret.

While Asmodeus respects death and it's place in the gathering of souls, it is no secret he would like to add Death to his of domains, flooding Baator with new souls and increasing his power.

Orcus' hold over the power of the dead is legendary and his disrespect for it equally

Gender: Male
Home: Naraka: Is a small demi-plane containing Yama's Onyx Fortess and little else. Souls who die go here for some time, before moving on to their final destination. It lies in no fixed location often appearing in the Astral Planes and the Shadow Shard.

Cleric Training: Clerics of Yama are rare, and as such no formal training exists. Clerics usually train under a local priest for some time, learning official funeral rights and respect for both life and death. Due to Yama's fair relationship with the other deities, clerics are then usually allowed to work under a clerical training regiment for another god, or apprentice directly under a cleric, or paladin of an allied deity.

Quests: Quests on behalf of Yama generally involve protecting the sanctity of death. This could be something simple, such as defeating a group of bandits using a graveyard as a hideout, or complex like stopping Orcus' latest plan.

Occasionally, it is said that Yama empowers his mortal followers to act as his reapers on earth, seeking out specific targets that have offended death and sending them onto the afterlife.

Temples: Temple's to Yama range from small, ornately decorated buildings in larger cities to outdoor shrines in the graveyards of most villages and other towns. Most human settlements at least have a shrine to Yama and a local priest.

Rites: Funerals

Herald and Allies: Reapers (see Open Grave), Shades and Angels

Relics: The Obsidian Scythe



Obsidian Scythe (Artifact)

The Obsidian Scythe appears to be a relatively normal looking scythe accept that the blase is made obsidian. Tests show that both the blade and staff are harder than normal, not faltering under normal abuse. Legend has it that the blade was forged from the first Reaper Yama sent forth to this world.

Weapon: Scythe
Enhancement: +5 to attack rolls and damage rolls
Critical: +5d10 Necrotic
Property: Any creature killed by this weapon instantly moves onto the plane of Narka, destroying any item, short of artifact level power, tying them to this world, including phylacteries.

If any creature killed by this weapon, later is ressurected or rises as an undead, the wielder is instantly aware of the event, as well as the exact location of where they were raised.

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