Shade

Title Master of Murder, Prince of Thieves
Portfolio Thievery, subterfuge and crime
Typical Worshipers Assassin, criminals, thieves
Typical Worshiper Alignment Neutral Evil
Domains Darkness, Death, Luck, Trickery
Subdomains Fate, Murder, Night, Thievery
Favored Weapon Kukri
Favored Animal(s) Rat

Legends

Shade entered the world a mortal elf and left a God. Since birth, he studied over a hundred years under the tutelage of the greatest assassins and thieves. His teachers were the best killers and burglars of the era before The Calling and neither needed nor wanted divine assistance. Shade learned where to slice foes so their blood ran in torrents, how to run silently bearing jingling bags of loot and other secrets known only by masters. Shade rose quickly in the night-time world of criminals, murdering princes, merchant lords, and criminal kingpins. Often he would leave corpses penniless, leaving the homes cleaned out of loot by morning’s light. The Calling that disrupted the world only created more opportunity. Shade’s nefarious deeds attracted the attention of the goddess Lyvalia. Beleaguered by Nise and her allies, she appeared before Shade and proposed that the assassin slay Cesko, demigod lieutenant of ancient Braal, patron of Luck and advisor to Nise. The Book of Secrets proudly brags that Shade couldn’t refuse the chance to kill a God. Smothering his blades in a poison given by Lyvalia, Shade snuck onto Cesko’s celestial warship and slew him while he while he contemplated a run of bad luck. Shade adopted the newly-open domain, and Lyvalia helped raise the divinely infused Shade to godhood, adding to Nise’s already legendary rage.

Church

Clerics of Shade (shadelings) manage a vast network of secret guilds. They compile records in the arts of assassination and thievery, fill the guild’s coffers with gold garnered from fenced goods, and act as middle men between clients. Shade also attracts the attention of rogues, rangers and inquisitors, recognizing guilds as an opportunity for work, safe lodging, and training for evil intent. The church of Shade maintains a healthy relationship with cults devoted to Lyvalia (some theologists speculate the two are lovers), often integrating poison experts and information brokers within their guilds. Lyvalia’s lore keepers assist Shade’s clerics in their collection of clandestine knowledge. The fanatical death-worshipers of Rajuk Amon-Gore are one factor that keeps this nasty alliance in check; competition with the Rajuki Dancers usually ends up with one or both assassins meeting their dark Maker without the mark ever knowing they were there. Orphans typically fill the ranks of Shade’s clergy. These Prince’s Children begin training immediately, some learning to pick locks by the age of two. Hiring one of the Prince’s Children is a costly affair, but ensures the mark’s death within a matter of days.

Spell Preparation Rituals

Shadelings conduct their services in the darkest hour of night, as many guilds operate covertly behind false fronts, posing as extravagant stores or popular inns. Due to competition from rival guilds and Rajuki influence, and elaborate system of question, answer and contract must be signed in almost all dealings and activities, a fact probably exacerbated by the Shadelings’ growing dependence on the bureaucratic machinations of the Lyvalian cult.

Religion Traits

The following religion traits may be chosen by worshipers of this deity.

Bloody Expertise

You have studied assassination and know more effective methods of making targets bleed.

Benefit When using class abilities that cause bleed damage, increase the bleed damage caused by 1.

Infiltrator

You have received additional training in the art of thievery.

Benefit You gain a +1 trait bonus to Disable Device and Sleight of Hand. One of these skills is a class skill for you.

Section 15: Copyright Notice

The Gods of Porphyra © 2012, Purple Duck Games; Authors: Christopher Kaiser, Perry Fehr, Mark Gedak, August Hahn, John Hazen, Sean Holland, Sam Hing, James H. Lewis, Chris Longhurst, Scott Messer, Sean O’Connor, David Nicholas Ross, and Jeremy Whalen

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