Calandra

The Deity
The Church
Clerics
Holy Warriors
Prestige Classes

CALANDRA, goddess of the Earth and Fertility

One of the original five gods, Calandra is the life-giving earth, who nurtures and supports all who dwell in mortal lands.  She is the wife of Roldein and the mother of Artorius and Borlamnos.  

Associations

Calandra is associated with the earth, with agriculture and fertility, and with the deep places of the earth.  She is worshipped by farmers, miners and women who wish to become pregnant.  Since nearly all mortals are engaged in the growing of food, she is by far the most widely revered of all the deities.  Likewise, nearly every mortal race has a unique view of the reasons for revering her natural bounty and beauty.

Any character who comes from a farming community will have been raised worshipping Calandra. 

Alignment

Calandra is lawful good.  Her seasons come and go in regular cycles, and it is through orderly husbandry that her bounty comes most easily to the hands of mortals.

Representations

Calandra is represented differently among different races.  Humans most often represent her with a ripe sheaf of wheat, the dwarves with a snow-capped mountain, the gnomes with a glittering gem, the elves with a spreading tree, and the halflings with a full cornucopia.  She is often associated with burrowing animals, such as mice or rabbits.  

Purpose

Calandra is a spirit of generosity.  She provides her bounty to all the world.  She is a strong voice for compassion and good, and occasionally sternly reminds the other gods of their duties.  She is harshly opposed to the unnatural, and her followers work tirelessly to destroy aberrations and the undead.

Servants

The Wanderer -  This old crone has many names, and many faces.  Some call her The Grandmother, others the Grey Witch.  To the elves she is Miarwë Tinelossë, the servant of the land.  To the dwarves she is Omorn, the earth sister.  The halflings know her as Mother Burrow.  By any name, she is the herald of Calandra, endlessly wandering the byways and backroads of Theeurth, offering kindness and wise words to those that will hear them.  It is part of her nature that few ever recognize her until she is gone.

Alaekmon -  Immortal king of the stone giants, Alaekmon is among the greatest mortal servants of the Earth Mother.  Powerful beyond measure, he is rarely seen in the lands of mortals.  He appears only when some affront to Calandra can no longer be born. 

THE CHURCH - 

Church Description

The faith of Calandra is very strong in the countryside, where farmers, shepherds, woodcutters and miners all gather to pray for fertile fields, healthy flocks and plentiful ore.  In a great many small villages, Calandra's temples are the only ones present, and in those which have a Great Church, Calandra is still the god most often appealed to directly.  

The faith is far less well represented in large towns and big cities, but Calandra is nonetheless frequently appealed to by women as the wellspring of life and matron of fertility. Many wealthy families pay well to have one of Calandra's clergy on hand during childbirth.  I

In the countryside, Calandra's temples are usually open-air affairs, or if possible, set against a natural stone formation or even in a cave.  In the cities, the temples are often adorned with rare or unusual stone and metals, while the services are held in a below-ground amphitheater within the temple.

The church concerns itself largely with the health of the land and of those who depend upon it for their lives and livelihoods.

Church Structure

The temples of Calandra are organized along regional or national lines, with no central structure.  The various High Prelates correspond on matters of faith, and so a fairly homogenous set of dogma is accepted at Calandran temples throughout Vatheria.

The Temples are divided into three orders.  The best known Calandran order is the Avasian Order, the clerics of Calandra seen in towns and villages across Vatheria.  Named for its founder, Saint Avasius, the priesthood of Calandra believe in the peaceful coexistence with nature, and its respectful use for the good of all people.  

Less well known, but almost as large as the Avasian Order are the druids.  Known by no one name, they nonetheless serve one hidden master known as the Great Druid.  Allied to the Avasians, but less concerned with mortal affairs, the druids revere both Calandra and Daria in equal measure.

Smallest of the orders of the Calandran faith are the holy warriors known as the Reapers.  This is an order in name only.  It has no structure, no officers and no firm ties to either the Avasians or the druids.  Each Reaper is a solitary force for good, associating with other Calandrans only as need and opportunity permit.

Doctrine

Avasians stress the giving nature of Calandra, and seek to promote that gentle philosophy among all peoples.  As the earth gives freely of its crops, its ores and its very stones, so should all those who live on or in it give to those in need.  Greed is considered a grievous flaw.  Thus, it is considered an obligation of the faithful to feed the hungry, to give shelter to travelers, and donate one-tenth of all that is grown on or mined in the earth.  Devout adventurers routinely distribute one-tenth of any wealth recovered in gems or coins to the poor, often by donating it to the nearest Calandran temple.

In addition, the Calandrans are unceasing foes of the monsters born of Malbor's hatred, for they are not part of nature, and are an affront to the goodness of the goddess.

Holy Days

 Vernarius - This holiday honors the return of Spring and the start of the sowing season.  It is a celebration of fertility and the promise of the future.  In the countryside, it is usually marked by three days of feasting, contests and contracts for marriage. 

Harvestide - Greatest of the Calandran holidays, Harvestide is usually a week long, and like the Vernarius, includes contests and games.  There are usually competitions among local farmers for the  largest squash or fattest pig, as well as for best pies or beer.  In mining communities, this festival is a season of thanks for the bounties of ore and gems from within the earth.

Preferred Weapon

The preferred weapons of the Calandran faith are the sickle, scythe or flail. 

CLERICS - The Avasian Order

The Order

After the Great Church, the Avasian Order is the most widespread and easily-found of any of the churches.  Most villages and small towns have at least a shrine to Calandra, and many host larger chapels tended by one or more Avasians who are dedicated to the welfare of the community.  

Avasians see it as their duty to spread wisdom, caring and counsel, thus sharing their gifts as does their mistress.  While most reside in a single place, such as a farming village or mining town, there are those Avasians who wander above and below the surface of the earth, wherever they believe the will of the goddess takes them.

Among the least warlike of the churches, most Calandrans consider their mission to be peaceful and non-confrontational.  However, where an unnatural threat arises to the land, or against an evil or unnatural foe, they can be aroused to decisive action.

Titles

Like the simple folk they serve, the Avasians have little use for titles.  They refer to each other simply as "brother" or "sister".  Each chapter of the Order is headed by a "Holy Father" or "Holy Mother".  Upon reaching 14th level, an Avasian is considered to be a "Great Elder", and is no longer part of any one chapter, but instead wanders the earth, bringing his or her wisdom to the world.

Domains

A member of the Avasian Order of Calandra may choose any two of the following spell domains: Earth, Community, Healing, Good, and Plant.

The Community domain is found in Defenders of the Faith by Wizards of the Coast:

Community Domain 

Granted Powers: Cast Calm Emotions as a spell-like ability 1/day.  +2 on Diplomacy Checks.  

Community Domain Spells:
1. Bless
2. Shield Other
3. Prayer
4. Status
5. Rary's Telepathic Bond
6. Heroes' Feast
7. Refuge
8. Mass Heal
9. Miracle

Spells

The divine spells of the Avasians  are laid out on this page.

Alignments

Most Avasians are lawful good, like Calandra, and believe in the just ordering of all things for the good of all people.  They work to improve the happiness and fortune of their communities, and believe that an orderly system is the best way to approach this.  

Neutral Good Avasians are typically unconcerned by the rigors of the Order and are most often found wandering with no connections to any specific chapter.  They are the most likely to become involved in dangerous quests or "adventures".

Lawful Neutral Avasians are rarer than their brethren and place great importance on the natural order.  They believe that mortals are happiest when all know their place in the great order of the universe.

HOLY WARRIORS* - The Reapers

The Order

 Whereas the Avasian order concerns itself strongly with society, especially rural society, the Reapers have no real ties to any one community or set of communities.  They are the avengers of the land, and they exist solely to oppose those things which threaten the natural order.

While a Reaper will obey a Holy Mother or Holy Father, or a Great Elder, they are for the most part wanderers who trust in the guidance of Calandra to lead them to where they need to be.  Their concern is to wipe out aberrations or evil outsiders, since both are monstrosities introduced by the machinations of Malbor.  

Titles

At 1st level, a Reaper gains the title "Sir" or "Madam".  A 1st level Reaper must be granted the title only by another Reaper.  The induction ceremony, if any, is up to the senior Reaper to decide.

At 14th level, Reapers gain the honorific title "Lord Warden", and are often figures of renown among the peasantry and across the countryside.

Races - Any race may choose to be a Reaper, though elves and dwarves seldom do.

Hit Die - d10

Class Skills - The Reaper's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are: , Concentration (Con), Craft (Int),  Handle Animal (Cha), Knowledge (Earth)(Int), Knowledge (Nature)(Int), Knowledge (Religion) (Int), Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Wilderness Lore (Wis), and Underground Lore (Wis). 

Weapon and Armor - Reapers are proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with light, medium and heavy armors, and with shields.  

Smite Aberration: The reaper is able to draw upon Calandra's hatred of all that is unnatural to fuel his attacks.  Once per day, when fighting an aberration, the Reaper is able to add his Charisma modifier to the attack roll and add his level to the damage roll.

At 5th level and at every five levels beyond that, the Reaper may use Smite Aberration one additional time per day, to a maximum of 5/day at 20th level. Smite Aberration is a supernatural ability.  

Hand of Life - When attacking an undead or negative energy creature, the Reaper's hands or weapons are considered to be +1 for purposes of counteracting damage reduction.  Further, once per day, the Reaper may make his weapon flare with positive energy for a round, doing an additional 1d6 of holy damage to any undead or negative energy creatures he hits during that round, even those he hits with a missile weapon within 30 feet.

Lay on Hands - Each day a Reaper of 2nd level or greater can cure a total number of hit points equal to the Reaper's Charisma bonus (if any) times the Reaper's level. The Reaper can cure himself. The Reaper may choose to divide his curing among multiple recipients, and he doesn't have to use it all at once. Lay on hands is a spell-like ability whose use is a standard action.

Rebuke Earth Elemental - At 2nd level, the Reaper may rebuke creatures from the elemental plane of earth exactly as a cleric of his level may rebuke undead.  This ability does not count against the number of times per day that the Reaper's may Turn Undead.  The Extra Turning feat may be applied to this ability, but it must be purchased separately from that for Turn Undead.

Abundant Life - At 3rd level, the Reaper is considered to have a number of "positive levels" equal to his Charisma bonus.  Positive levels only exist to counteract negative levels, as well as the ability drain done by some negative energy creatures.  When the Reaper is given a negative level - for any reason - he loses one of his positive levels instead.  Each positive level can only counteract one negative level, but can also counteract several points of ability loss.  Whenever a negative energy creatures attack causes the Reaper's abilities to be drained, the entire attack is cancelled out by one of the Reaper's positive levels.  Lost positive levels are regained after a night's rest.

Body of Steel - Starting at 3rd level, the Reaper gains Damage Reduction 2/+5 for a number of rounds equal to 3+ his Reaper level.  Activating damage reduction is a free action.  

Gifts of Calandra

Beginning at 6th level, the Reaper can cast fist of iron, as per the spell, once per week with a caster level of his class level.  He can use this ability twice per week at 9th level). Fist of iron is a spell-like ability for Reapers.

Beginning at 12th level, the Reaper may use fist of iron, as above, or he may choose to use his Gift of Calandra to cast dismissal against aberrations, outsiders and the undead, as per the spell. (as from a caster of his class level).   Dismissal is a spell-like ability for Reapers.

Spells
Beginning at 4th level, the Reaper gains the ability to cast a few divine spells, listed here.

Animal Companion

At 6th level, the Reaper may call for a powerful divine companion.  This is often a celestial wolf, celestial badger or celestial brown bear.  

Code of Conduct

The code of the Reapers is simple.  They consider all life that it natural or magical to be sacred.  They will die to protect it.  They consider all that is unnatural a threat to the innocents of the earth and will die to destroy it.  

Associates

Reapers are comfortable in the company of any who are of good and just heart.  They will never remain in the company of those who seek to advance their own cause through unjust means or who intentionally harm innocents. 

Alignments

All Reapers are lawful good.

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* The Holy Warrior Class is derived from The Book of the Righteous by Green Ronin Publishing.  Details can be found here.