Valendria

The Deity
The Church
Clerics
Holy Warriors
Prestige Classes

Valendria, goddess of love, beauty and music

Most beautiful and radiant of the gods, Valendria is the goddess of all that is fine and beautiful in life, including love, music, poetry, marriage and art.  She is the daughter of Ilion and Borlamnos, and twin to Eristemus and wife of Agaleus.

Associations

Valendria is a highly popular goddess amongst all the races, but particularly so among the elves, who most love song and poetry.  The dwarves pay her less heed, revering Mordhal as lord of crafts in her stead.

Alignment

Valendria is Chaotic Good.

Representations

Valendria is usually represented as a beautiful young woman of the artist's race, often with radiant golden skin.  South of the Valesian Sea, however, she is portrayed as having the head of a snowy egret.  In the Successor States, she is often portrayed as a young woman with snowy white wings.

In all of these renditions, she is often portrayed holding a musical instrument, such as a lute or lyre, and her symbol is a golden lyre.

Purpose

Valendria is patroness of the arts, artists, lovers and musicians.  She seeks to inspire love and beauty in mortal hearts and to preserve great works of art or tales of love.  Above all things she values true love, and in many tales she secretly tests the commitment of lovers before bestowing her blessings upon them.

Valendria hates the works of Malbor, who desires to possess all light and beauty for himself alone.  

Servants

Eleiros - This celestial appears in many guises, now as a man, now as a young girl, or a songbird.  But in all his forms, he goes among mortals, encouraging love with a word here, a whisper there.  Some of the most famous love ballads are said to have been based upon the actual words of Eleiros.

The Nine Graces - There are many different tales as to the origin of the Graces.  Some say they are her daughters by Agaleus, others that they sprang forth from her bosom full-formed.  Still others say that the Graces were already in Theeurth when the Celestial Host arrived from beyond the Walls of Night.  Whatever the truth, these nine divine beings are the embodiment of the arts, and are said to inspire mortals to great creations and performances. 

THE CHURCH - The Glades of Valendria

Church Description

The Glades of Valendria are among the most beautiful of all churches.  Since their patroness is the goddess of beauty and music, the Glades are frequent hosts to concerts, fairs, plays and performances of all kind.  Most cities of any size have a Valendrian glade with a theater or amphitheater nearby.

Since their goddess is the patroness of love, Valendrian glades play host to many marriages, particularly in towns and cities (marriages in the churches of Calandra are more common in the countryside).  

Church Structure

The church of Valendria is an informal and widespread affair.  Each church makes its own way and has only casual contact with the other Glades.  The Celebrants of Valendria and  respond only to local authorities.  

Or so it appears to the outside world.  Some say that there is another, quieter order unknown to most, even within the Glades.  Whispers say that this shadowy group has for centuries uncounted directed the actions of the Glades.  Some say this secret order opposes the works of Malbor, others say that the Lord of Hate himself is the true master of the secret order...if it exists at all.

Doctrine

Valendira teaches that the creation and preservation of love and beauty is the true purpose of life.  Her church believes deeply that these two forces must inevitably prevail against the will of darkness.  

Holy Days

The church of Valendria has no one holy day.  They hold festivals annually in the Spring and Summer.  These festivals are celebrations of song, dance, and all the arts.  Many bards travel from festival to festival, learning the latest ballads and contesting with each other for prizes and renown.  

Preferred Weapon

The beauty of one's fighting style is of equal concern to Valendrians with its efficiency.  Thus, the rapier is the preferred weapon of those Valendrians who deign to carry one.

CLERICS - The Order of St. Theodora

The Order

The Order of St. Theodora is named for a legendary tavern-dancer whose dedication to the beauty of her art, even when outlawed by the strict rules of the Emperor Julian, caused her to be martyred in the first centuries of the Empire.  

The Order promotes art, beauty, love, music and dance.  It's halls (known as Glades) are among the most beautiful and joyous structures in any city.  

Perform is a class skill for all clerics of Valendria.

Titles

The Valendrians use no hierarchy of titles, but refer to each other as "Fair Brother" or "Fair Sister".

Domains

Priests of Valendria may choose two of the following domains: Entrancement,  Good, Inspiration and Protection.  The Entrancement domain is taken from Relics and Rituals II by Sword and Sorcery Studios.  The Inspiration domain is (in somewhat altrered form) taken from The Book of the Righteous, by Green Ronin Publishing.

Entrancement Domain 
Granted Powers: Overwhelming Presence.  The cleric has the supernatural ability to gain an enhancement bonus to her Charisma equal to her level. Activating this power is a free action and is useable once per day.  The enhancement bonus lasts for the length of time necessary to use the enhancement bonus on a single roll.  Thus, it may last an entire evening if used on a Diplomacy roll during dinner, but just a single round if used to turn undead.

Where two or more spells are listed, the priest may choose either as a domain spell for that day.

Entrancement Domain Spells:
1. Charm Person  / Hypnotism                
2. Commanding Presence / Enthrall / Veil of Lust**   
3. Suggestion / Siren Song****                                      
4. Emotion 
5. Dominate Person / Eleiros' Ecstasy*** / Mind Fog
6. Mass Suggestion / Rie's Dance of Seduction**
7. Incite**
8. Mass Charm
9. Convert

Inspiration Domain 

Granted Powers: Once per day, you can inspire courage, exactly as the bard ability (see p. 28 of the Player's Handbook).  Perform is a class skill.

Inspiration Domain Spells:
1. Message                                           6. Insight*****
2. Burst of Energy                                7. Insanity
3. Afflatus*                                             8. Avatar
4. Quick Learn***                                  9. Greater Afflatus*
5. Sending

* = Spells from The Book of the Righteous, by Green Ronin Publishing.
** = Spells from Relics and Rituals, by Sword and Sorcery Publishing. 
*** =Spell from Relics and Rituals II, by Sword and Sorcery Publishing. 
**** =Spell from The Divine and the Deafeated, by Sword and Sorcery Publishing. 
***** = Unique Spell.  See Below.
(Eleiros' Ecstasy is Gulaben's Ecstasy renamed)
(Valendria's Empathic Resonance is Madriel's Empathic Resonance renamed)

INSIGHT

Divination
Level: Inspiration 6
Components: V, S
Casting Time: standard action
Range: Self
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

The spell opens up the cleric's mind to a realm of unseen possibilities, the raw stuff of inspiration, where madness lives side by side with the mundane, and folly goes hand in hand with wisdom.  If the cleric can open his mind and hear the muse, he may catch a momentary flash of insight into some situation that currently vexes him.  Or he may hear nothing but mad or random babblings.  

The DM secretly rolls a Wisdom check with a DC of 30, minus the caster's level.  If the roll fails, the cleric receives only random or misleading gibberish.  If the roll succeeds, the DM reveals some hidden fact, useful suggestion or interesting detail about the cleric's current situation or dilemma.  

Spells

The Spells of the Fair Brothers and Fair Sisters may be found here.

Alignments

Priests of the order of St. Theodora must be Neutral Good, Chaotic Good or Chaotic Neutral.

HOLY WARRIORS* - The Paragons

The Order

The Paragons are a  separate order within the church of Valendria.  Though few in number, they are the flower of chivalry, the fairest knights in any land.  Champions of love and beauty, they are always arrayed in the finest armor and ride with lute or lyre at their side.  

Some protect the holy Glades of their patroness, while others ride the land, defending great bards or seeking out lost images of beauty from ancient civilizations.

The Paragons have no hierarchy and owe no allegiance to any lord.

Titles

Upon receiving the call to become a Paragon, the holy warrior is referred to simply as "Fair Sir" or "Fair Dame".

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

Hit Die - d10

Class Skills - The Paragon's class skills (and the key ability for each skill) are Appraisal (Wis), Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Handle Animal (Cha), Heal (Wis), Knowledge (religion) (Int), Perform (Cha),  Profession (Wis), Ride (Dex), Sense Motive (Wis).

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

Charming Demeanor - Alive with the power of Valendria, the Paragon exudes happiness and friendliness.  Bluff becomes a class skill for the Paragon and adds double his Charisma modifier to any checks against Bluff or Diplomacy.

Divine Grace - At 2nd level, a paragon gains a bonus equal to her Charisma bonus (if any) on all saving throws.

Divine Health - At 2nd level, a paragon gains immunity to all diseases, including supernatural and magical diseases.

Beauty's Bliss - The Holy Warrior is immune to all magical attempts to alter his emotional state, including Charm, Fear, Suggestion, and Emotion.

Aura of Hope - The Paragon exudes the happy bliss of his goddess.  All allies within 10' of the Paragon gain a +1 morale bonus to all saving throws and attack rolls.  The Paragon himself does not gain this benefit.

Gifts of Valendria

Beginning at 6th level, the Paragon can cast Suggestion, once a week, as per the spell.  He can use this ability twice per week at 9th level).  Suggestion is a spell-like ability for Paragons.

Beginning at 12th level, the Paragon may use Suggestion, as above, or he may choose to use his Gift of Valendria to cast Halo of Glory (from Malhavoc Press's Book of Hallowed Might).  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).  Halo of Glory is a spell-like ability for Paragons.

Spells

The spells of the Paragons may be found here.

Special Mount

At 7th level, the Paragon may call into his service a pegasus.  This mount has all the special relationships with the paragon that a paladin's mount does with the paladin.

Code of Conduct 

Paragons are dedicated to the furtherance of love and beauty.  They will give their strength, time and, if necessary, their lives to make the world around them more beautiful, to preserve or recover an object of great beauty, or to promote love.

Associates

Paragons are often found in the company of bards or other great workers of beauty.  They get along well with followers of all the gods of the Chalice.  They will not abide those who are sordid, vile or uncouth.

Alignments

Paragons of Valendria are all Chaotic 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.