Daria

The Deity
The Church
Clerics
Holy Warriors
Prestige Classes

DARIA, goddess of the Wild Hunt

Youngest of the gods, daughter of Eristemus and Selene, Daria was born out of the need to restore Theeurth after the destruction wrought by the Wrath of the Gods.  For long millennia, she wandered the wild places of the world, encouraging the regrowth of wood and field and of the animals who lived within them.

Long after her labors were done, she still walks the world, all but heedless of the Ban of the Gods.  She loves the wild places, particularly the dark and primeval woods which have survived since before her birth, and she jealously guards them from the growth of civilization.

From time to time, she is possessed by a fey mood and on these nights, she rides forth behind a pack of great hounds, hunting anything that crosses her path.  Wise mortals stay inside and stop up their ears when they hear the baying calls of the Wild Hunt.

Associations

Daria is revered by all those who dwell or travel in the wild places, but she is particularly popular with the elves.  Rangers and barbarians find in her a kindred spirit, and the druids consider her to be as important to their faith as Calandra, her grandmother.

Alignment

Daria is neutral good.  However, good or not, she looks harshly on any who would cut down her woods or burn her meadows for farmland.  She is jealous of her domain, and is as often worshiped out of fear as of love.  All woodsmen know to appease her with sacrifice before taking their living from her woods.

Representations

Daria is most often depicted as a lithe, athletic woman in soft buckskin clothes dyed a woodland green, bearing a bow or hunting spear.  Her hair is a silvery shade of blonde, and she wears it long across he shoulders.  Among animals, she is normally represented by a great stag.

Purpose

Daria guards the wild places of the world, endlessly wandering among her beloved trees and hills.  She is rarely found in Meledrian, preferring instead to live on the mortal plane.  Despite this, she interacts with mortals very rarely, and thus escapes the censure of the Ban of the Gods.

Servants

The White Stag - Greatest of all the deer of Theeurth, the White Stag is thought to be a member of the Celestial Host who serves Daria as messenger.  However, the messages are never direct, never spoken.  A glimpse of the White Stag is a rare event, and a hunter lucky enough to be so visited must make of the sight what he or she will.  Most figures in legend hunt the White Stag, but most instead find themselves embarking on an important adventure.

THE CHURCH - The Druids 

Daria's priests are the druids, though that order is also loyal to Calandra, goddess of the Earth.  They revere Daria as the ultimate expression of their own ideals - a oneness with the world created by the One.

Church Description

There is no church of Daria, per se.  The druids concern themselves with the tending of nature, as does their goddess.  She communicates little with them, and they little with her.  Nonetheless, a sign from the goddess is paid all the more heed by the druids for its exceptional rarity.

Druids do tend to the spiritual needs of the small populations living in their domains, but for the most part are at least as concerned with the spirits of the wilderness as with their mortal congregants.  

Church Structure

Druids are an independent-minded bunch, and each group of druids (usually known as a "gathering") varies is size and structure from the next.  Many are complete loners, living out a hermit-like solitude amid their beloved wilderness.  Others gather together under a teacher or master to form extended families.  Still others create large and complex hierarchies in order to protect some special location.

The one common thread among all these various gatherings is that each acknowledges the ultimate authority of the Archdruids to settle differences between them and to judge among them.  A single archdruid reigns over a large geographical region, often an entire nation.  All the Archdruids in the world acknowledge the ultimate (but distant) authority of the Great Druid, who resides somewhere in the High Forest at the heart of Vatheria.

Doctrine

Reverence -  Nature is older than the gods, and the only chance for mortals to truly touch the face of the One.  Nature must be treated with the reverence of a holy thing. Thus, nothing should be taken from Nature that is not needed, and everything taken should be used completely and with reverence.

Stillness - The wild places have much to teach.  The wise are still.  They listen, they watch, and they learn.  

Holy Days

The druids' most important celebration is Midwinter's Day, when they believe that the cycle of creation and destruction, life and death begins anew.  They believe that the world began on this day, and will also end on this day.  Thus, the holy day is a dour one, a quiet contemplation of existence, marked by secretive rituals in deep forest glades and remote islands.  

Preferred Weapon

The preferred weapon of the Darians is any form of bow (not crossbow).

CLERICS - The Druids

Daria's priesthood are much the same as the druids found in the Player's Handbook.  The one exception is their alignment, which can be any good alignment.  Lawful good druids tend to live near civilized settlements, and see their task as teaching the people to respect and understand Nature, taking only what they need.  Chaotic good druids tend to live far from civilization, and seek only to prevent the intrusion of the civilized world into the wilderness. 

HOLY WARRIORS* - The Hounds of Daria

The Order

Unlike the druids, the Hounds of Daria are an order in name only.  Like their mistress, they tend to be solitary, rarely concerning themselves with the society of the civilized world.  The Hounds work tirelessly to oppose evil creatures who seek to despoil the forest

The Hounds work closely with Rangers, and can occasionally be found leading a band of rangers in battle against a powerful or important foe.

Titles

To become a Hound of Daria, one must first seek out training by one who already is a Hound.  Once that training is complete, the only title that the Hounds use is "Hunter" (i.e., "Hunter Adelon, Hound of Daria").

Races - Any race may choose to be a Hound of Daria, though elves and humans are the most common.

Hit Die - d10

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

Weapon and Armor - Hounds of Daria are proficient with all simple and martial weapons and with light, medium and heavy armor and with shields.

Silent Stalker - The Hound of Daria is an expert hunter and is blessed by his goddess with the skill of moving without a sound while stalking his prey.  A Hound of Daria receives a number or ranks in the Move Silently skill equal to his Charisma modifier (though it may not exceed the maximum for his character level).  Furthermore, when making Move Silently checks while in light armor or unarmored, the Hound of Daria may add his Charisma modifier to the roll as a sacred bonus.  

Dead Shot - Once per day the Hound of Daria may call upon the skill of the goddess to aid him in a nearly impossible missile shot.  He may add his class level to the attack roll of a single arrow (or other missile weapon) shot, and his Charisma modifier to the damage roll.  This ability may be used with enchanted or enhanced arrows or missiles.

At 5th level and at every five levels beyond that, the Hound of Daria may use Dead Shot one additional time per day, to a maximum of 5/day at 20th level. Dead Shot is an supernatural ability.  

Tracker - At 2nd level the Hound of Daria is adept at hunting through any climate and can track man or beast.  He gains two bonus ranks to his Wilderness Lore skill (though it may not exceed the maximum for his character level). Further, he gains the Track feat.

Relentless Runner - The Hound of Daria is gifted by the goddess to with an uncanny ability to carry messages and get places on foot.  This ability grants the Hound of Daria the Run feat.  Further, the length of time the Hound of Daria can sustain a run before making Endurance checks is multiplied by his Charisma modifier.  Once he does make Endurance checks, he adds his class level to the check.  

For example: a 12th level Hound of Daria with a 14 Constitution and a 20 Charisma starts running down the road to warn a nearby town of an invading army approaching.  Since he has the Run feat, he can run at 5x his normal speed.  He can sustain this for 70 rounds (14 for his Consitution, multiplied by his Charisma modifier of +5).  After 70 rounds, he starts making Endurance checks at +12 (his level).

Winged Feet - At 3rd level, the Hound of Daria runs as though carried by celestial wings.  He gains a bonus of +10 to his movement.  He also ignores all armor penalties to movement for medium armor or lighter, and movement penalties for heavy armor are halved.  Carrying a medium load does not slow him at all, but a heavy load will reduce his speed by 5 feet.

Tireless Traveler - Upon reaching 3rd level, the Hound of Daria can go many days without food, water or rest, as he is kept alive and moving purely by faith.  The Hound of Daria may go without sleep or water for a number of days equal to his level.  He may go without food for a number of days equal to his Charisma modifier times his level.

Gifts of Daria

Beginning at 6th level, the Hound of Daria can resist elements, once a week, as per the spell, with a caster level equal to his class level.  He can use this ability twice per week at 9th level).  Resist Elements is a spell-like ability for Hounds of Daria.

Beginning at 12th level, the Hound of Daria may use resist elements, as above, or he may choose to use his Gift of Daria to cast freedom of movement as per the spell. (as from a caster of his class level).  He can use either ability more often as he advances in levels (four per week at 15th level and five times per week at 18th level).  Freedom of movement is a spell-like ability for Hounds of Daria.

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

Animal Companion

At 5th level, the Hound of Daria can call to him a celestial animal companion.  These are most often celestial hounds.  They gain all the benefits of a paladin's mount.

Code of Conduct

The Hound of Daria must guard and preserve the wilderness area with which he is associated.  He must oppose evil whenever it threatens to enter or dominate such an area.  While they can and do visit civilized areas, they prefer to spend as little time there as possible.

Associates

Hounds of Daria are most often found in the company of rangers and druids, though they will happily associate with any of good disposition.  They will never stay with those of evil alignment or those who seek to despoil the wilderness.

Alignments

Hounds of Daria must be neutral good.

PRESTIGE CLASSES

None Yet.

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