Karnos, Lord of Beasts[]
Description[]
Said by some Human theologians to be an aspect of Taal, the Old Worlder god of nature and wild places, Karnos is one of the major deities of the Wood Elf pantheon, being the master of the forest animals among which Wood Elves live. He is the patron of Beastfriends and is worshipped by some Elven Scouts and Hunters.
Karnos is normally portrayed as a composite being, over ten feet tall, with an Elven body but the head and tail of a stag. It is said that he can also take the form of any forest creature at will.
Alignment[]
Neutral. Nature favours neither good nor evil and so neither does Karnos.
Symbol[]
Like Taal, Karnos is represented by a stag's head with branching antlers. Elven Clerics of Karnos dress in the same way as other Elves.
Area Of Worship[]
Karnos is worshipped in Wood Elf settlements throughout the Old World and by some Humans in some areas of the Middenland and Talabecland, where his worship is popular amongst hunters and trappers.
Temples[]
The whole of the forest is Karnos' temple; wherever his beasts wander, he is present. However, there are places which are more special to his worship than others: certain natural clearings, rocks, trees, and so on. A Wood Elf automatically recognises these places; members of other races cannot. Elves will almost always try to keep other races away from holy ground.
Friends And Enemies[]
Followers of Karnos are generally well-disposed to other Wood Elves and to those of other races who follow Taal, Rhya, and The Old Faith. They do, however, maintain that Taal is a combination of a number of Wood Elven deities including Karnos, rather than Karnos being an aspect of Taal. By and large, followers of Karnos are indifferent to followers of other Old World deities and they regard the cults of Chaos and the deities of the Goblinoids with unremitting hatred.
Holy Days[]
Karnos has two main holy days: the middle of spring, when food becomes plentiful and young are born, and the middle of autumn, when all species must prepare themselves for the coming of winter. The dates of these festivals are not fixed in the Imperial Calendar, but are calculated from various natural signs by a method set down in Elven tradition, so they vary from year to year.
Cult Requirements[]
Any Wood Elf may follow Karnos; most worship the whole Wood Elven pantheon in some degree.
Strictures[]
All followers of Karnos must keep the following strictures:
- Never harm an animal except in self-defence or for food (since Elven hunts are always followed by great feasts, hunting is acceptable).
- Never allow an animal to be harmed (except in similar circumstances).
- Do everything in your power to force Goblinoids, Beastmen, and Chaos mutants out of the forests.
Spell Use[]
Clerics of Karnos can use all Petty Magic, Elemental Magic, and Druidic Priest spells, except Tap Earthpower and Create Sacred Grove.
Skills[]
Initiates of Karnos receive Charm Animal instead of Secret Language: Classical. Clerics of Karnos may roll once on the Ranger Skills Table at each level, re-rolling if necessary until they receive a skill which they do not already possess. This is in addition to the skills listed for each level. Clerics of Karnos may gain the skill Call Animal at each level above Initiate, taking a different species each time.
Trials[]
Trials set by Karnos always involve the defence of the forest and its animals. This can involve driving away those who threaten animals, ranging from a lone Human trapper to a Goblinoid or Chaos warband. In rare cases, a trial might be to relieve the suffering of animals - by freeing animals captured for pit-fights, for instance. The latter kind of trial had led to a certain amount of conflict with Humans in the past, but entertainments such as bear-baiting are less common than they once were and Humans increasingly regard them as barbaric and unnecessary.
Blessings[]
Skills favoured by Karnos are all those to do with animals - Animal Care, Animal Training, Charm Animal, Ride, and Trick Riding, and occasionally others, according to the circumstances. Favoured tests are mainly Cl and Fel tests made in circumstances when animals are closely involved. On rare occasions, a one-shot use of Call Animal skill may be granted. Punishments, as usual, will generally be the reverse effects of blessings, but Karnos may also inflict a character with the Animal Aversion magical disability.