BlackengorgeSagaIn many ways, Bahamut represented the best and brightest of the gods. For the common folk he represented the highest, most noble attributes and aspirations possible. No matter how dark or grim events became, Bahamut stood as a perpetual beacon of hope, strength, and determination. His faith, however, is on the wane as the ideals and tenets of the faith are difficult to follow in the modern world. Although he does not claim as many worshippers as Pelor or Moradin across The Islands, however, virtually every community, regardless of size, possesses at least a small shrine dedicated to him. Embodying valour, justice and honour, the common folk often cite his ideals whenever wrongs go uncorrected.
Bahamut is often depicted as a massive, long and sinuous dragon with silver-white scales and blue, catlike
eyes. Ever since the founding of Deepingwald upon the shores of The Islands sages have debated whether
Bahamut actually is a deity or not. Many believe he is the archetype of good dragon-kind or even a mortal
dragon so powerful that other dragons revere him like a god. Whatever he is, sages believe that he is
powerful, stern, and accepts no excuses for evil acts. In spite of this strict stance, he is also
considered one of the most compassionate beings in the pantheon, with limitless empathy for the
downtrodden, the dispossessed, and the helpless.
He is known throughout The Islands as “The Platinum Dragon” and is the sole deity not anthropomorphised in illustration or portrayal. He is invoked at times when people need strength or protection and is said to give to those that ask wisdom and knowledge, often in the form of a prophecy in verse. A name used rarely, perhaps originating from the port of Capel-Treath is that of the “Lord of the West Wind” Despite these descriptions, Bahamut's symbol is that of a stylised red cross, though many wear charms of effects with a depiction of a dragon's head. Whether dragons themselves actually exist or are just myths and fables passed down from the seeds of Bahamut's followers is another debate that rages fiercely.
In the celestial heavens The Platinum Dragon winds its sinuous way across the sky and perhaps it is only this constellation that gave rise to the ideas of dragons. There are many bright lights in the heavens, Pelor's the most magnificent, but Bahamut's followers are quick to make the claim that The Platinum Dragon's arguably shine the brightest.
Realm
Myths claim that the great fortified castle that Bahamut calls home is somewhere “behind the west
wind”, however, most sages agree that his palace lies in the dominion of Celestia, the Radiant
Throne, on the peak of Mertion. Celestia is said to be one of the dominions in the Astral Sea, consisting
of alpine meadows, thickly forested valleys, and towering mountain ramparts of stone, snow, and ice,
culminating in a range of seven mountains that run for about forty leagues and reach heights of over three
leagues, surrounded by a narrow sea. Both Moradin and Kord make their home on the peaks
of the range where the exalted of the three gods engage eternally in a series of war exercises, the
“Game of Mountains”.
Bahamut's halls are a sight to behold atop Mertion, a massive palace with walls made of mithral, reflecting the eternal light of Celestia like a beacon on the horizon, and with windows composed of huge gemstones inlaid with silver and gold. On the inside can be found many other precious materials: metals, ivory and gemstones decorate windows, mithral walls and marble floors. This is not just for vanity: his gigantic palace is both a reminder of Bahamut's status as a god, and on a more basic level, his hoard. Any dragon can have a hoard to sleep on, it takes a god for a hoard to sleep in. Here he holds court, deals with other deities and beings of similar or near power, and passes judgement on the wicked.
It is said that within Bahamut's palace there are portals or gates leading to each of the four winds, guarded by his seven great golden wyrms who tend to his palace and its treasures.
Relationships
Bahamut is closely allied with Moradin, and together with Kord they rule Celestia in a holy triumvirate. Each god claims one of the realms' infinitely large mountains as his seat of power, and the three occasionally hold court with one another from mountaintop-to-mountaintop. They engage in a competition of sorts known as the Game of Mountains, though only they know the full details of the game. The game is said to be a tradition, forming a friendly competition played for ceremonial control of the four great unclaimed mountains of Celestia. The winner determines the weather on the four lowest peaks in the season to come, which in turn tends to determine the weather across Celestia as a whole. Victory is considered good luck for the winning god's followers in the world.
Some myths and legends claim that Bahamut is a child of the dragon god Io, and a fierce enemy of Tiamat, his evil sister and twin, but there is no evidence for this in most of the teachings and scriptures of the faith.
Dogma
Tenets of the Faith
Bahamut's dogma is based on justice, nobility, protection, and honour. He teaches his followers to always uphold the highest ideals of honour and justice; to be constantly vigilant against evil and to oppose it from all fronts; and to protect the weak, liberate the oppressed, and defend just order. He likes to reward strength of purpose and character in his followers.
Combat evil in all its forms. Bahamut stands as the foremost champion in the fight against evil, corruption, and despair. The chief tenet of the faith is simple: evil must be confronted and eliminated. Of all the deities, Bahamut stands at the forefront in the fight against evil, corruption, and despair. He represents the ceaseless eternal struggle against the darkness; he never surrenders, and his followers are held to the same expectation.
Commit no harm in the process. This serves as a proviso to the first credo. Put another way, the ends do not justify the means. The Church of Bahamut urges its clerics to pursue and defeat evil, but to always take into consideration innocent bystanders and the defenseless. If a cleric (or paladin or other servant) of Bahamut is faced with the choice of aiding an innocent or pursuing evil, the innocent's needs come first, all things being equal.
Bring aid to those in need. The faith of Bahamut focuses on more than simply taking the battle to evil. Along the way, a cleric of Bahamut is expected to heal the injured, cure the sick, feed the hungry, and shelter the homeless as much as is possible. If the cleric possesses a blanket yet his neighbour has none, that cleric should surrender his blanket to the less fortunate individual. Clerics of the Platinum Dragon are held to an extremely high standard of generosity and mercy to the innocent.
Offer mercy but once. The previous tenet does not extend to those who spit on a cleric's generosity or mercy. If an individual receives mercy and then proceeds to commit an evil deed, he does not receive a third chance to repent. Any person who commits evil after receiving mercy deserves full and swift punishment. Bahamut's clerics can go from caring and compassionate individuals to deliberate avengers in short order.
Scriptures
The Sacred Shield. The holy book of Bahamut's faith is commonly found in one of two forms. The first form sits at the centre of a temple or church, often with an elaborate cover, gilded pages, and impressive illuminations along the margins. The second form is sometimes referred to as The Pilgrim's Shield. This version of the book is small in size, lightweight, durable, without any fancy illustrations or embellishments. Travelling clerics and followers of Bahamut often carry this edition of the book wherever they go.
Laypersons are encouraged to read (or learn to recite if they cannot read) from The Sacred Shield. Most young children can easily recite dozens of verses at an early age.
Worshippers
Although the Church of Bahamut is widely held as a “good” institution and one that promotes prosperity and happiness, it is not without its downsides and detractors. Bahamut's faith holds a common perception as being paternalistic, with the connotations both positive and negative involved. As such the faith has waned over the years and it is but a pale shadow of what it might have been before the Great Retreat.
On the positive side, the church looks out for individuals and their welfare. The church strives to feed the hungry, clothe the poor, and provide basic necessities to those in need. The church focuses considerable amounts of wealth and influence on the betterment of its parishioners, their health, and their spiritual well-being. The Church of Bahamut also stands as one of the most involved in local politics and rulership; Bahamut's clergy actively advise local leaders and, when deemed necessary, offer their viewpoints on an individual's ability to lead. The church is among the most outspoken, never willing to remain silent on any subject where it holds an opinion or viewpoint.
On the negative side, this paternalistic involvement can become stifling, condescending, and even domineering. The church is all too eager to tell people what to think, how to think, and when to simply “keep silent, pay and pray”. The Church of Bahamut, for good or ill, sees itself as the chief representative of their god in the mortal world. As such, they seek to broadly define and interpret Bahamut's philosophies for people, and they further strive to “help” people adhere to such laws.
Clergy
Bahamut only accepts those good of heart to form its clergy. Whether they are human, dwarven, elven or of another race, they must be attracted to his philosophy. Clerics of the Platinum Dragon always have to strive to take constant but subtle actions on behalf of good while trying to do as little harm in the process as possible.
They are expected to learn and observe local laws to the best of their abilities. Bahamut's priests must also maintain physical and mental well-being, including learning how to protect oneself and others.
The clergy are expected to tithe to the church, and they are also expected to demonstrate generosity by sharing what they possess with those in greater need.
Duties of the Priesthood: Protect the weak and the defenseless, hunt down evil and either redeem it or destroy it. Pursue justice tempered by wisdom and mercy. Spread hope through both word and deed.
Limitations and Sacrifices: By virtue of belonging to a waning religion, clerics of Bahamut must withstand the greatest burdens to retain and attract new followers at every opportunity. People expect certain attitudes and actions from a cleric of Bahamut, and as a result a cleric must always remain mindful of what he does and what he says. A cleric of the Platinum Dragon does not “let his guard down”, and is not permitted to show doubt or express a loss of faith.
Druids
There are no known orders or examples of druids within Bahamut's church.
Paladins
The Church of Bahamut does attract a small number of paladins to its fold. These paladins are not arranged in any structure or order, but they do all conform to the “Ptarian Code” as a set of principles. It is believed that these principles are a code of conduct created by a golden dragon, Ptaris, in the ancient past. It included paying homage to Bahamut as well as the major precepts of justice and good above all, honour and fealty to the Platinum Dragon, honour and respect to righteous innocence, honour and duty to the Justicemaker (Bahamut), honour and correction to the enemies of justice and good, and honour and forbearance for oneself.
Servants
Absolute good causes problems for many people. Good and evil are subjective concepts shaped by culture and social demands. Rather than struggling with an external ethical model, many faithful allow their personal moral compasses to guide them. Even among Bahamut's servants, opinions vary as to the degree to which a society should shape moral ideals, and many have waged bitter disputes over identifying the good or its absence in a community's laws.
Rituals
Bahamut's worshippers and clergy have no formal rituals or ceremonies. Those who follow the Platinum Dragon believe in the philosophy of “praying through their deeds”. The only activity that is considered as something like a ritual is the Rite of Rebirth.
Rarely, humans, elves, halflings, or other humanoid races may hear a call, like a faint question in their hearts, asking them if they want to devote themselves completely to Bahamut. Normally it is first heard before adolescence, but sometimes adults hear it as well. Not all those who are called answer, but those who do may undergo the Rite of Rebirth. Those who commit to this demanding ritual put aside all their weapons and equipment, dressing in a simple linen shift. They meditate for a full day and night, their head filled with reminders of all they are giving up. If they elect to go on, they then enter an egg-shaped chamber at dawn and sleep until dawn the next day. They emerge refreshed and declare themselves as a “dragonborn”, a permanent champion in Bahamut's ways.
This rite, like the faith itself, has waned in popularity, many seeing it as a foolish whim of adolescents for no purpose and is often the cause of humour and ridicule.
Places of Worship
Temples
Temples to Bahamut are extremely rare. Those few that exist are beautiful, elegant edifices characterised by clean, simple architecture and furnishings. Within them will be public rooms in which the faithful can gather and private rooms for meditation and recuperation. Usually, there will be nothing more than Bahamut's holy symbol engraved on a wall. Clerics of Bahamut, or others attracted to his philosophy, strive to take constant, but subtle action on behalf of good, contenting themselves with simple symbols on the wall that they treat as shrines. Bahamut prefers his followers to worship him with deeds, not objects.
The largest temple, though considerably smaller than that of its neighbouring temple of Pelor, is in the Harbour Quarter of Deepingwald. Although it bears no official name, it is known by the locals as the “House of Scales”, perhaps a play on words with both dragon and justice.
Small shrines are more popular across the land, with at least one in every major settlement throughout The Islands and follow the same spartan principles as the temples.
Holy Days
Bahamut's Breath (between Hammer and Alturiak): Bahamut's holy day is set on Midwinter day, when all around is cold and dead. At this time, when the dying time of nature is upon the people, Bahamut's worshipers celebrate Bahamut's Breath where they give gifts to each other, and the wealthy go out of their way to provide for the needs of the poor, and everyone does what they can to share with others and have a merry time, counterbalancing the great hardship that regularly comes at this time of year.
Relics
As many of Bahamut's followers worship him with their deeds as opposed to objects, there are no known relics of Bahamut's faith.
Myths and Legends
The Seven Golden Wyrms. This is a tale often told to children of the closest of Bahamut's servants, guarding his palace and escorting him disguised as canaries when he is travelling the world. The stories claim these wyrms were reincarnations of dead kings, renowned for their sense of justice and returned to life to serve the Platinum Dragon. They advise Bahamut on matters of honour and act as a jury when the god is judging evildoers. They also are emissaries of Bahamut in tasks that don't demand his personal attention. Although powerful, they are not immortal: many gold wyrms in the circle have died, and new gold dragons are chosen to replace them. There are many stories of heroic deeds, deaths, and the trials to become one of these wyrm champions. Most stories seem to agree on the current cast of wyrms:
- Borkadd the Claw, a male gold dragon, is Bahamut's hand of justice. He is sent to enforce the law when there is no alternative.
- Kurya the Eye, a suspicious female gold dragon. She is the spy of Bahamut, sent on tasks that demand secrecy.
- Sonngrad the Wing, a female gold dragon who is the messenger of Bahamut.
- Gruemar the Voice, a male gold dragon, is a negotiator who prefers peaceful words over bloodshed.
- Marroshok the Tail, a massive male gold dragon, is the bodyguard of Bahamut. Though he is a merciless warrior, he is usually friendly and genial.
- Troannaxia the Presence, a female shining gold dragon, who with her intimidating presence is sent to subdue resistance when nothing else will suffice.
- Urgala the Fang, a female gold dragon who serves as a leader and chief tactician when Bahamut musters an army.
- Kuyutha the Emissary, a male gold dragon, although some stories say he is a human is disguise, who trains an army of knights, ready for Bahamut's call.
Tiamat's Banishment. Tiamat's enmity with Bahamut dates back to their creation, when Io made them; they were made with the intention of becoming complements and mates, but their personalities were too much at odds. Tiamat murdered Vorel, her eldest brother, and tried to frame Bahamut for the deed. Io realized who was truly to blame, though, and banished Tiamat from his presence to the Nine Hells.
Signs and Portents
History is replete with examples of Bahamut's omens. To those in desperate need of aid or hope, a silver chalice appears to lead them to victory. To enemies of the faith, all silver in their possession tarnishes. Other symbols and portents include a shining steel sword, a dragon's eye, and a golden aura surrounding a throne or crown.