Angharad

Angharad General Description

The Angharad culture is based loosely on that of the ancient Celts, Britons and Irish. The Angharad are a druidic Clan society ruled by Queens and a warrior aristocracy. The Angharad revere a pantheon of nature oriented deities and their priesthood is known as The Circle. The Angharad people are generally fair skinned and typically have brown, red or blond hair. Their eyes range from the browns to greens. The Angharad people generally live pastoral farming lifestyles in small towns and villages, typically in fortified stockades. Some of the Angharad people are said to have 'the second sight'.

• The Angharad are based loosely on the ancient Irish clans, Britons and Celts.
• The lands the Angharad live in are known as Angtiria. Angharad people are sometimes called Angtirian by foreigners.
• The Angharad are a druidic clan society ruled by Queens and a warrior aristocracy. Their bloodlines and ancestry are based on the maternal side (matralineal).
  • The Angharad Queens are the literal conduit between the Angharad Pantheon and their blessings upon the land (an individual Queen's piety need not matter).
• The Angharad revere a pantheon of nature oriented deities and their priesthood is known as The Circle.
• The Angharad people are generally fair skinned and typically have brown, red or blond hair. Their eyes range from the browns to greens. Generally they are a hearty people, and many are tall and most are rangy instead of thick or muscle-bound. Some of the Angharad people are reputed to have "the Second Site".
• The Angharad people generally live pastoral lifestyles in small towns and villages.

Angharad People

Angtiria - Land of the Ang

Angtiria literally means "the land of the Ang", but the Ang have long since faded from the world after the Harad Migrations which brought new peoples to these regions of Eradain.

It is said in the Migrations of the Harad that two princes of the Harad traveled north from where the Harad first arrived in Eradain and encountered the Ang: "Prince Khor and Prince Sinann, closest of the two brothers, traveled together west and north and encountered the Ang. The Ang were a diminished people with empty villages and they welcomed the Harad into their lands and hearths. They helped both the princes and their people and taught them of the lands and the gods of Eradain. Prince Khor's people continued to the north taking with them Ang druids who would show them the plains of the north and the ways of nature. Prince Sinann and his people inter-married with the Ang, and before he died declared their people no longer Ang or Harad, but both: Angharad."

The legends further tell that the Harad Prince Sinann married a woman of the Ang and they had four daughters, Tiran, Raetha, Umirelle, and Runiver who are the founders of the four major Angharad Clan Houses. Tiran was a skilled Swordswoman and Sorceress who fought many battles and was a hero to the people. Raetha was the first Angharad Priestess of the Ang goddess Dana who founded The Circle and became its first Great Druid. Umirelle was a traveling Bard and Tinker who was a fearless explorer of the lands and author of songs still sung to this day. Runiver was a druid and a crafter who established the city of Tilith as a trade town and wrote many of the laws of the Angharad.

System of Government

Among the Angharad all ancestry and inheritance is traced through the mother's blood (matrilineal descent). The rulers of the Angharad are the noble ("Sept") Clan families and their leaders are the Clan Queens.

An Angharad Clan is composed of groups of 10-20 families bound together by actual or perceived kinship and descent. The majority of the noble clan families are of the yeoman class (lesser freeholders below the level of nobility), and the leading families of the clans are the aristocracy. A leading family line within a clan is referred to as a 'Sept' (a branch of a clan), and there may be more than one Sept within a large clan. The primary territory ruled by a Clan is known as a Rhan or Clanhold.

The Clan Queens are not determined by inheritance but selected from among eligible candidates by clan elders using a system known as 'tanistry'. To be eligible as Queen a candidate must be a clan female with arcane or divine magical ability. The Angharad Queens are the literal conduit between the Angharad Pantheon and their blessings upon the land (an individual Queen's piety need not matter). Any female of the clan (adopted or not) with these combined traits (the Queen trait and magical ability) could be a Queen and fulfil the duties required to bring the Angharad Pantheon's blessing upon the lands. Queens and potential Queens are ranked more or less by merit and magical ability, as well as matters of lineage and politics.

The elders of the clan select the Queen and her designated heir (or 'tanist') and it is their duty to select based on merit and ability (as well as internal clan politics and family power and connections) for the best person to bring prosperity to their lands. "Under Brehon Law the leaders of the clans were appointed by their kinsmen as custodians of the clan and were responsible for maintaining and protecting their clan and its property."

The noble Septs are usually the families with the strongest magical bloodlines, and usually any clan females of magical ability are fostered by one of the Clan Septs or the Sept of another allied Clan. Females with either the Queen trait or magical ability typically serve in the courts of Queens. Typically, Queens are selected from among alternating branches of the most powerful Clan family lines. In the normal course of Angharad politics, every Queen will have a designated heir (the 'tanist') selected for succession soon after she assumes clan leadership.

Queen's Connection to the Land - This magical bloodline relationship is integrated into territorial claims and the subtle magic that allows hostile lands to be settled and used productively (but in Balance according to the laws of the Circle). In RPG game terms, this relationship between these bloodlines influences the type of "wandering monster" chart is used. For example, if a ruling clan Queen is in place and has been maintaining the necessary rituals, then the lands under her protection have "settled lands" encounters instead of more dangerous "dark-woods" encounters. The relationship between the rulers and the lands is concrete, such that entire settlements have been abandoned to the wilderness because there was no queen of the bloodline to assume the mantle. (How lands under the protection of one clan can be shifted to another is a crucial detail that I have not worked out yet, as help understand how a clan extends its power over multiple territories, how new clans come into being, etc., etc.)

Multiple Clans (usually 3-10) can gather together based on kinship, vassalage or alliance to form Houses. The House Queens are selected by a conclave of member Clan Queens. There are usually four major Clan Houses based on descent from the original four daughters of Prince Sinann (House Tiran, House Raetha, House Runiver and House Umirelle), but there may be other recognized Houses among the Clans. There are also rumors of a "Fifth House" descended from the male line of Prince Sinann. Occasionally two or more Clan Houses will join together in alliance or vassalage and form a Great Clan. The Great Clan Queen is selected by a conclave of the Clan and House Queens. Very rarely, the various Houses and Great Clans will join together and elect a High Queen of the Angharad called The Banrion [bon-reen].

The Angharad priesthood, known as The Circle, plays a powerful role in the politics of the Angharad and they are keepers of the common laws followed by all the clans and the people. In addition, The Circle ultimately controls the usage of land by communing with nature to determine environmental impacts (see The Balance under Angharad Religion). Priests of The Circle as a body maintain strict neutrality in most matters of government, although priests may still participate in politics with their clans as individuals. If a Clan no longer has a Queen, either due to there being no eligible candidates or because the elders fail to choose one of the candidates, then the clan is effectively dormant. Individual families may join with or be absorbed by other clans.

Separate from the Clans and the Circle is a militant organization known as the The Fianna. The Fianna is a loosely organized Angharad militia dedicated to the defense of the Angharad people. The Fianna, as individuals or small bands, travel the land and act as both a roving police force and as military first responders.

Angharad Clans

Additional details about the number, general power and ranking, clan family location, heraldry, etc., can be found on the Angharad Clans page.

Social Classes

Angharad society is divided loosely along the following class distinctions in order of rank from highest to lowest. Class divisions are not rigid and upward mobility is possible by various methods (education, marriage, merit, ability), and there is no overall strong stigma attached to belonging to a certain social class down to Commoner. The aristocracy has respect for the lower classes based on laws which guarantee individuals rights and the general principals of honor and obligation for the care of folk under their protection/jurisdiction.). Social Classes below Commoner are variable based on locale and what is expected and common.

• Great Clan Queens / House Queens / Great Druid*
• Clan Queens
• Clan Septs (Clan Aristocracy) / High Ranking Priests
• Yeoman (Clan Families) / Heralds (Bard Trained) / Brehons / Fianna Leadership
• Craftsmen and Traders / Fianna / Lesser Priests / Bards
• Commoners
• Mercenaries/Unknown 'Foreigners'/Unknown Itinerate Groups (e.g., a wandering trader's first time at the settlement vs one that comes every year).
• Criminals/Enemies

*Although given the respect greater than that of Clan Queens, the Great Druid traditionally does not exercise political power directly (the Great Druid's focus being the Angharad people's spiritual needs and maintaining and the balance with nature), the Circle does exercise great power as a judiciary and keepers of the laws of the Angharad.

Lifestyle

Under contstruction

Foresters

Many Angharad make a living from fishing, trapping, hunting, and plant gathering. Thus, they are foresters rather than woodsmen. These folk live alone or with their families in timbered huts, or groups of families live together with ditches and palisade walls protecting their dwellings. A forester family that has a few chickens for eggs and a goat for milk is virtually self-sufficient, needing perhaps one trading trop a year to buy leather, cloth, cooking pans and a few other finished items. Foresters' hamlets are patrolled day and night. The foresters favor leather armor, long or short bows, spears and battle axes. They tend to band together in small groups to hunt, check traps, or collect berries and mushrooms. In many areas the foresters smear plant and berry extracts on their skins to disguise themselves in the woods. Foresters often maintain isolated huts along some of the most heavily traveled trails that are used by such foragers to rest and sleep. They always leaves some food and water behind for those who come after them.

River Clans

Descriptions of old American boaters of the Mississippi are appropriate for many of the bargemen and keelboaters of the rivers of Angtiria.

A voyage down and back sometimes occupied nine months. In time this commerce increased until it gave employment to hordes of rough and hardy men; rude, uneducated, brave, suffering terrific hardships with sailor-like stoicism; heavy drinkers, coarse frolickers in moral sties like the Natchez-under-the-hill of that day, heavy fighters, reckless fellows, every one, elephantinely jolly, foul-witted, profane; prodigal of their money, bankrupt at the end of the trip, fond of barbaric finery, prodigious braggarts; yet, in the main, honest, trustworthy, faithful to promises and duty, and often picturesquely magnanimous.

The keelboatmen were the envy and terror of the simple folk along the shores. A wild, turbulent class, ready to fight and to dance, equally enraptured with the rough tune of a fiddle, or the sound of the war-whoop, which promised the joyous diversion of a fight. They were drinkers, gamblers and self-professed 'half-alligator', 'half-horse', but were also partial to a sentimental song.

See also Eradain Keelboats.

The Fianna

The Fianna is a loosely organized Angharad militia force dedicated to the defense of the Angharad people. The Fianna, as individuals or small bands, travel the land and act as both a roving police force and as military first responders. Many seek to join their ranks as a way to earn a reputation or fame. Becoming a member of the Fianna is an honor that must be earned by winning the top spots in an competition designed to test the skills and mettle of the participants. Those who win the competition and wish to become Fianna will be given a bronze armband as a symbol of their membership.

See Orders and Guilds The Fianna.

"The Old Blood"/Second Sight

Some Angharad have strong bloodlines going back to the original Ang that inhabited these lands. Some of those that do have the Second Sight trait and are more adapt at perceiving portents and signs. Most who have this trait are connected to, or monitored by the Priests of Selene (The Seers of Selene). There are also rumors that there are some full blooded Ang living in isolation out in the wilderness. The Seers of Selene

Naming Conventions

Any Briton, Celtic, Welsh, or Gaelic style names and fictional Deverry style names are appropriate for the Angharad. Following is an example of the naming structure for families and clans.

• Commoners typically only have a given name (example commoner - "Rinvan").
• Those belonging to a Clan will have a given name and their clan surname (example clan noble - "Rinvan Gweddyn").
• A member of a leading family within a clan may also be called by the title of Sept (example of a member of a leading clan family - "Rinvan of Sept Gweddyn"). This may be use to differentiate between those of yeoman families vs. those of higher status.
• Clan members belonging to a House will have a hyphenated name indicating their House (example clan house noble - "Rinvan Gweddyn-Daer" or "Rinvan Gweddyn of House Daer").
• Members of a Great Clan will hyphenate their name with the Great Clan instead of their House (example great clan noble - "Rinvan Gweddyn-Mordwyen of House Daer").

Law and Justice

The common laws of the land are maintained by the Angharad priesthood of The Circle. Men and women educated in the law by the Circle are known as Brehon's or 'law-speakers' and bear white staffs with colored ribbons denoting their knowledge and rank. While the laws are maintained by the priesthood, the power of justice lies in the hands of the Clans. Petty crimes can be referred to any adult Clan member, while more serious crimes are typically handled by Elders or Sept members, and high crimes are typically judged by a Clan Queen. Lesser crimes by Clan members are judged by the Sept or the Queen depending on the rank of the accused but may also be referred to a responsible House Queen if a member of the ruling Sept is the accused. Rarely, cases may be turned over to The Circle for judgment.

Crime and punishment are rather simple, primarily being along the lines of 'an eye for an eye', but there is also a weregild system. Weregild is a value placed on every person and every piece of property. In the case of a wrongful injury, the weregild value can be paid as restitution for damages. It is part of the skill of a Brehon to know the weregild value of things as well as understand the laws. The injured party or their family can plead for payment "by gold" or "by blood" indicating their preference for payment or the eye for an eye sort of justice, but the final judgment of the punishment is up to the Clan representative reviewing the case. In situations of clan against clan if there is a dispute over the crime then appeal for judgment may be requested from a neutral Brehon or clan acting as arbiter, or the situation may be resolved by combat. Many disputes between Clans and Houses do devolve into open warfare. Some conflicts of this nature are never resolved and those clans are in a state of war with each other for long periods. Resolution of a dispute or conflict can also take the form of an honor duel.

Honor duels may take the form of single combat, or battles between groups. Champions may be chosen to fight for any of the parties, but that is typically in scenarios of disputes between groups rather than between individuals. Champions are always volunteers, nobody can be ordered to fight if they do not wish to. Honor duels can take many forms, from bloodless competitions to battle to first blood, or to the death. Generally, yielding is an option, however one party or the other can insist that the duel be to the death. To be an honorable duel these terms are all named in advance and there is no outside interference. Whenever possible a Brehon or other neutral party is called to observe and mediate any honor duel as well as record the official outcome and resolution of the conflict.

Economy and Trade

Generally the Angharad live pastoral agrarian lifestyles, farming and foresting. The most productive farmlands in the north between the Slaine and Sinann Rivers and in the south around Tilith. Sheep and cattle herding are common in the regions along the Dagalethe Mountains, and the forest regions of the Dathi and Arandil grow crops and harvest timber. The rivers of Angtiria, especially the Sinann are crucial to trade and the river clans transport goods from Erada to Tilith to the coast at Tarin and make use of all the rivers between. The Angharad are famed for their leatherwork and cloth which is usually decorated in the spiral knot work and the blue and green dyes they create from special forest plants. The Angharad also have access to some of the best timber resources on the continent including unique high demand lumber such as Blueleaf, Duskwood and Darkwood. The lumber business (and any activities that impact the health of the land) is tightly controlled by The Circle.

Angharad trade with the Khorharad of the north with luxury goods, cloth, food crops, and beer for cattle and particularly horses. Also in the north the Angharad trade with the Dwarves of Khuzdul with similar goods in exchange for metal goods such as tools, armor and weapons. To the east they trade over Erada and Daga Pass with the Sarharad in leather, cloth, lumber for luxury goods, fish, glassware and wine. To the south there is a little black market trade with the Harad, which is usually based around trading special lumber for drugs and some exotic liqueurs and spices. There is also some trade with the Hurloon Minotaurs of leather for precious metals and gems. To the southwest, the Angharad trade heavily with the elves, primarily cloth and leather and Blueleaf dye in exchange for luxury goods, but also for elven wine and weapons such as bows and longswords. In the west, trade is conducted at the port of Tarin by seafaring merchants. Goods of every type are traded at Tarin, but much of the lumber taken from the forests ship out from this port to other destinations. In particular, the Sarharad prize Duskwood for shipbuilding.

Angharad Religion

As a people the Angharad worship a pantheon of nature oriented deities headed by Dana the Earth Goddess and Lugh the Sun God. The pantheons clerical and druidic priesthood is known as The Circle which is led by a Great Druid. All members of The Circle (including the Great Druid) may be either Clerical or Druidic in actual class.

The Angharad religion is deeply ingrained in the people. They accept that other peoples of Eradain have other beliefs and worship other deities and will tolerate this, but among other Angharad they are intolerant of 'heretics' or those that have turned away from the Angharad gods. Angharad who do not follow the teachings of The Circle are viewed with hostility and suspicion. Persecution of those who do not follow their religion is common.

Angharad Religion Philosophy

Each of the deities in the pantheon have different aspects and clerics of these deities may be of any alignment. Clerics of certain alignments do tend toward certain deities, for example there are more 'evil' clerics of Innana than of Luna, but each deity has its darker and lighter aspects. It is part of the ongoing politics of the Circle what aspects of each deity are predominant based on the beliefs and attitudes of those in power.

The Angharad Religion has gone through changes and evolved over time. In the past during more primal times the religion was dominated by a sect that was based on blood and human sacrifice rituals. This sect is now referred to as the Blood Druids. Eventually, there was a Great Reformation within the Angharad religion that rejected those ways, but it was a bitter struggle that split the priesthood and caused war among the clans.

The Wheel

The common basis of the Angharad religion is one of rebirth and reincarnation. The progression of birth, life, decline and death, as experienced in human lives, is echoed in the progression of the seasons. This cycle is seen as an echo of life, death and rebirth of the sun god Lugh and the fertility of the earth goddess Dana. The Wheel of the Year is a division of holy days representing seasonal changes and the ebb and flow of life. The Wheel of the Year has eight spokes which connects it to the eight major divisions of the year. The longest and shortest days are the solstices, the days with equal amounts of night and day are the equinoxes, these are the four Albans. Between each of these are four other holy days known as the Fire Festivals. In order they are: Yule (Alban - winter solstice), Imbolc (Fire Festival - spring), Ostara (Alban - spring equinox), Beltane (Fire Festival - full flowering of spring), Litha (Alban - summer solstice), Lughnasadh (Fire Festival - the harvest), Mabon (Alban - autumn equinox) and Samhain (Fire Festival - end of harvest). The four Albans are generally celebrated by most humans throughout Eradain and are represented in the Eradain calendar by four special festival weeks, while the Angharad also celebrate holy days for the Fire Festivals. Fire Festivals are usually celebrated with bonfires and dancing. During holy days the Angharad usually declare a truce in any conflict.

Sacred Sites

Sacred to the Angharad are certain locations where with special magical holy trees and sacred stone circles. These are the holiest religious centers of the Angharad.

• Lost Temple of Selene
  • The Yew of Ross and its stone circle is located in the West Dathi Forest near the Jagged Peaks. It was once the primary temple of the Seers of Selene and the site boosted their powers of divination. The site was overrun by strange creatures and abandoned. It is now the haunt of Fomor and Krissblade Goblins.
• Lost Temple of Silvanus
  • The Oak of Mugna and its stone circle is located in the northing Dathi Forest in the foothills of the Ostorath Mountains. This was once the primary temple of Silvanus and its power boosted enchantments and plant magic. During the Great Reformation this was the last holdout of the Blood Druids, but as a consequence of the magic released during the final battle the region is now overrun by undead, in particular ghouls and drakes.

"At the end the mad leader of the Blood Druids harnessed the power of all the blood and dying warriors of both sides for some great ritual. Everyone in the holy valley was slain and something terrible was released there. Now the hills round the valley are haunted by the restless dead and some beast of darkness rules the valley called "Beatha Na Fir" which means the Eater of Men."

• Stone Temple of Dana
  • The Ash of Uisnech and its great stone circle is located in the west foothills of the Dagalethe mountains. This is the primary temple of Dana and its magic augments earth, fertility and healing magic. This Temple is one of the locations where Raise Dead has been performed.
• Sun Temple of Lugh
  • The Ash of Dathi and its stone circle is located near the heart of the Dathi Forest. This is primary temple of Lugh and its magic augments spells of light and fire. In particular this is the main source of Foundry Stones sources of elemental power used by the Angharad as a substitute for burning wood or coal. The remnants of the Seers of Selene also reside here under protection of the priests of Lugh. The Sun Temple of Lugh is also rumored to be the location of The Vault where dangerous artifacts are stored and studied by priestly artificers.
  • Sun Temple of Lugh
• Sanctuary of Arawn
  • The Ash of Tortu and its stone circle is located in the hear of the Arandil Forest and is the primary temple of Arawn. The temple augments animal and plant magic and can be used to summon The Wild Hunt.
• Erada Circle
  • Also known as the 'Bones of Erada', this stone circle is located near the Great Dam where the waters of Lake Erada plunges through the Dagalethe Mountains and becomes the Sar River. The circle is known to augment elemental magic and is also used to produce Foundry Stones.

Known Factions

There are factions within the Circle.

• The Oak Court
  • The Oak Court is a "conservative-reactionary" faction that believes in promoting the spiritual purity of the Angharad and has an agenda for the creation of a single text containing the one official version of holy writ, teachings and rituals. Within the Oak Court there have been some extremists, including a splinter group called the 'Brothers of the Spear', who were officially banned by the Circle due to several atrocities related to false accusations of heresy.
• The Green
  • The core members of the faction are "liberal-intellectual" students of the teachings of a controversial hierophant named Socrates (update). In recent years the Green faction has grown as other moderate members of the Circle have joined to counter-balance the influence of the Oak Court. They are concerned that the Oak Court's message of 'spiritual purity' and accusations of heresy are being used as tools of politics rather than true concern for the will of the gods. The Green faction also have their extremists, in particular a group called "The Wild Priests" who openly preach a heresy that man actually created the gods.

The Circle

The priests of the Angharad Pantheon are organized in a traditional Druidic Hierarchy led by a Great Druid, who is served by three Arch-Druids, each who is then served by three High Druids (nine High Druids) collectively known as the Circle (13 total). Each of the nine High Druids represent one of the dieties in the pantheon and are typically the leaders of their orders. The ninth High Druid is always a representative dedicated to the wider powers of nature and not a particular deity.

Ranked below these are the titles Archdeacon, nine of which are followers of the Great Druid, and three each of which are followers of the Arch Druids for a total of eighteen. The Archdeacons are typically the primary candidates to become High Druids. They are also normally priests of different deities from the members of the circle they serve (to help ensure that high ranking priests of each god are being represented and they have significant influence on the Great Druid and Arch Druids they serve). Ranked below Archdeacon and attending to the High Druids are Deacons. Each High Druid typically has three Deacons who are priests of their deity. This brings the normal number of ranked priests in the Angharad religion to 58. The Archdeacons and Deacons when not in attendance on members of the Circle are typically the head priests of temples around the land.

The attitudes and policies of the Circle are greatly influenced by the philosophies of the dieties followed by the Great Druid and the Arch-Druids. The Circle is normally based at the head temple of the current Great Druid's diety. In attendance serving and advising the Great Druid at any given time are usually one or two Arch-Druids and three to five of the High Druids, as well as a host of lesser priests. The Circle can be found discussing policies, teaching, holding rites and trials of passage, speaking to envoys from other organizations (nobility, guilds, towns, realms), etc.

The Balance

The Circle maintains the Angharad people's balance with nature. Approval from a ranking priest of The Circle must be sought for any industry that potentially impacts the environment, such as clearing forest for new farm or pastureland, starting a mine, creating a dam or diverting a stream, etc. Although not immune to politics, priest of the Circle take these responsibilities very seriously as part of their holy duties. The ability to Commune with Nature is a requirement for members of the Circle with the authority to approve new land usage (Clerics and Druids able to use Commune with Nature). Failure to comply with these land use approval requirements can result in offenders going under a form of religious censure (similar to an "interdict"). More serious violations of the balance or non-compliance with the rules of The Circle can lead to a general call for the faithful Angharad Clans to intercede militarily to punish offenders.

The Blessings of Balance

Areas which have been approved by the gods and their earthly subordinates become blessed (their encounter chart is "Settled Lands" instead of "Wilderness" or "Dark Wood"). Enclaves beyond the boundary do not receive this protection and may be considered suspicious (who doesn't want to live in the blessed lands?).

The Law

The Circle maintains the common laws of the Angharad Clans. Many priests and bards are trained to the position of Brehon (law speakers and judges). While the Angharad nobility hold the right of high and low justice, they mainly do so in consultation with a Brehon. Many of the Angharad rely solely on the pronouncements of a Brehon in attendance to a dispute or question of law. Brehons bear staves with colored ribbons denoting their knowledge level and rank. Any Brehon that has been found to be deliberately misinterpreting the laws and not retaining their neutrality for personal benefit is considered a traitor to the Angharad people.

Religious Sacrifice

Noted under each of the deities of the pantheon is that deity's preferred type of sacrifice. In the case of objects, they may be burned or thrown into a sacred pool. For liquids, they may be splashed to the ground as a prayer is offered, etc. In most cases the item will be gone and no longer retrievable. In the elder days of their religion the Angharad also practiced human sacrifice. This was usually the threefold death (hanging, drowning, wounding), or being encased in a wicker-man and burned alive. In current times, human sacrifices are reserved for the most wicked of criminals, generally traitors, child killers or Brehons who have betrayed their sacred oaths. There should be some type of edge to the sacrifice something of meaning and value is required (however small the sacrifice may be).

For Player Characters of Clerics, this sacrifice should involve something tangible to the character, in the form of wealth or deeds.

Circle Hierarchy and Level Limitations

UNDER REVIEW PRIESTS MUST BE AT LEAST THE LEVEL BELOW TO HOLD OFFICE IN THE CIRCLE. There are no level limitations on players, but priests that are not renegades are under the authority of the Circle.

As outlined above, there is a limited number of ranking priests in The Circle. Upon attaining a certain level (11th Level an Initiate of the 9th Circle in a standard 20 level campaign) a priest of the The Circle may not advance further unless there is an open spot among the ranks of the High Druids. If no opening is available, an Initiate of the 9th Circle may challenge one of the seated High Druids for their position. The nature of the challenge is chosen by High Druid being challenged and approved by the other High Druids in attendance (not less than 3). The challenge may be skill or deed or knowledge related, or it may be trial by combat (lethal or non-lethal). The same rules apply when a priest wishes to advance to the rank of Arch Druid or Great Druid, except that that any challenge for position of Great Druid must take place with the entire Circle in attendance. If a defeated Great Druid survives a challenge, he or she may step down to become an Arch Druid, or leave The Circle. Great Druids who leave the circle may move on to explore a deeper connection with nature and become a Hierophant Druid. Druid and Clerical Priests of the Angharad Pantheon use the following level titles:

NOTE: These limitations do not necessarily apply to adventuring druids and clerics (player characters) and others outside of the normal hierarchy.

Standard 1-20 or 1-12 level range campaign:

• 1st Level - Aspirant
• 2nd Level - Ovate
• 3rd Level - Initiate of the 1st Circle
• 4th to 10th Level - Initiate of the x Circle
• 11th Level - Initiate of the 9th Circle
• 12th Level - Druid (limited to 9 Druids)
• 13th Level - Archdruid (limited to 3 Archdruids)
• 14th Level - The Great Druid (limited to 1 Great Druid)
• 15th+ Level - Hierophant Druid (former Great Druids and others outside of The Circle)

E6 Level Variant

• All lay brethren/non-druidic/clerical members of The Circle - Initiate of the 1st Circle
• 1st Level - Initiate of the 2nd Circle
• 2nd to 4th Circle - Initiate of the x Circle*
• 5th Level - Druid (limited to 9 Druids)
• 6th Level - Archdruid (limited to 3 Archdruids)
• 7th+ Level - Great Druid (limited to 1 Great Druid)
• Hierophant Druid

*In an E6 campaign, druids or clerics of 4th level or higher with the Commune with Nature feat and ritual are required for approval of land usage as detailed under The Balance.

Angharad Pantheon

Gods of the Eradain Pantheons only grant their clerics access to certain domains as detailed under each deity.

Lugh - "The Sun God" - Symbol: The Sun

Lugh

Lugh is the sun god of the Angharad Pantheon. His wife is Dana, and their children are all the other gods of the mythos. Lugh's sphere of influence is The Sun, Fire & Growth, his color is gold and his animal is the phoenix. Lugh is frequently depicted as the quintessential man, possessing skills as wright, smith, champion, harpist, hero, poet, historian, sorcerer and craftsman. He wields a spear and a sling, and is often accompanied by his magic hound. Priests of Lugh are expected to wear kilts and make offerings of gold as sacrifice. Priests of Lugh are usually clerics. The highest temple of Lugh is the Sun Temple, located within the Dathi Forest. Temples of Lugh carry out basic banking operations (their city temples are also treasuries) in the form of safe storage and the ability to access deposits in multiple locations. It is known that the Priests of Lugh have sequestered some dangerous magical artifacts of the Ancients. There are several sects of priests. Somme specialize in artifice and produce fine weapons and armor (as well as other experimental gear). Others are guardians to the Seers of Selene or dedicate themselves to combating undead and other fell creatures. Priests of Lugh are always in the primary role when using incantations to create Foundry Stones.

Clerics of Lugh have access to the following domains:

RPG	Allowed Domains (bold is a required Domain) and bonus abilities or restrictions
Pathfinder/D&D 3.5	Sun, Artifice, Fire, Glory, Nobility, Protection
D&D 5th	Light, Knowledge, War

Arawn- "The Horned One"-Symbol: Silhouette of an Antlered Head

Arawn

Arawn is the god of the hunt. In one aspect he is the bounty of the hunt, and in prayed to, or paid homage to, for success in the hunt. His other aspect is death, rage, and vengeance. His sphere of influence is The Hunt, his colors are black and dark green, and his animals are the hound and the stag. Arawn's primary temple, called the Sanctuary of Arawn, is located deep in the heart of the Arandil Forest near the Holy Tree of Ross. Priests of Arawn are expected to wear kilts and sacrifice the hearts of the fruit of the hunt. Quote from a book, title and author forgotten: "Arawn Lord of the Grey Lands required of his children that they suffer no murderer to live to slay again or so the druids taught." Priests of Arawn may be Clerics or Druids

Note from the Marvel's Midnight Suns game that would make a great random legend for Arawn: "The Hounds of Arawn. Though we think of a hellhound's terrible visage and destructive power when we call it to mind, it said that the tamed hellhounds of Arawn, those of the legendary Wild Hunt, needed only the love of their master for subsistence."

Clerics of Arawn have access to the following domains:

RPG	Allowed Domains (bold is a required Domain) and bonus abilities or restrictions
Pathfinder/D&D 3.5	War (Bows), Animal, Darkness, Luck, Strength (Ferocity, Resolve) Survival is a class skill. May only use armor allowed by druids.
D&D 5th	War, Death, Trickery

Silvanus- "The Green Man"-Symbol: Green Man Face

Silvanus

Silvanus is the god of the forests, growing things, and the wild undiscovered places of the wilderness. He is also the god of the fairy folk, and woodland spirits. His sphere of influence is The Forest and Life, his color is forest green and his animal is the stag and the oak tree. Priests of Silvanus are expected to wear kilts and plant trees as offerings.

Priests of Silvanus are typically druids.

RPG	Allowed Domains (bold is a required Domain) and bonus abilities or restrictions
Pathfinder/D&D 3.5	May only be druids.
D&D 5th	Nature, Life, Tempest

Pan- "The Trickster"-Symbol: A Pan Pipe

Pan

Pan is the god of luck, wild passion and wine. His sphere of influence is Wild Passion, Wine and Satyrs, his colors are olive and wine red, and his creature is the satyr. Pan is a god of chaos, in his lighter aspects he is a god of tricksters and travelers. In his darker aspects he represents madness, random destruction and self-destructive behaviors. His Priests are expected to wear wreaths and sacrifice wine. Priests of Pan may be Druids or Clerics. Many adherents of Pan wander the land living a vagabond lifestyle. Priests of Pan fall into several sects. Some are masters of elemental power, others run temples that emphasize Pan's hedonism or are specialists in the ways of the Fae.

Clerics of Pan have access to the following domains:

RPG	Allowed Domains (bold is a required Domain) and bonus abilities or restrictions
Pathfinder/D&D 3.5	Travel, Chaos, Charm, Liberation, Luck, Madness, Trickery May only use weapons and armor allowed by druids.
D&D 5th	Trickery, Tempest, Nature

Dana- "The Earth Mother"-Symbol: Tree of Life.

Dana

Dana is the goddess of the earth and all things come from her. Her sphere of influence is Life, Rebirth and All the Earth, her colors are brown and green, and all natural animals are her creatures. Priests of Dana are expected to wear tunics of brown or green and bum herbs as offerings. Priests of Dana may be Druids or Clerics

Clerics of Dana have access to the following domains:

RPG	Allowed Domains (bold is a required Domain) and bonus abilities or restrictions
Pathfinder/D&D 3.5	Healing, Law, Plant, Protection May only use weapons allowed by druids.
D&D 5th	Tempest, Nature, Life

Luna- "The Mother"-Symbol: Large Full Moon

Luna

Luna is one of the two moon goddess sisters, she is the goddess of crops, the harvest, love and fertility. Her sphere of influence is Fertility and The Harvest her colors are orange and crimson and her animals are all domestic livestock. Priests of Luna are expected to wear tunics woven of cloth made by their own hands and make offerings of the fruits of the field (especially the first fruits of the harvest) as sacrifice.

Clerics of Luna have access to the following domains:

RPG	Allowed Domains (bold is a required Domain) and bonus abilities or restrictions
Pathfinder/D&D 3.5	Community, Charm, Good, Plant, Weather Knowledge (Nature) is a class skill, especially related to plants and growing crops.
D&D 5th	Life, Light

Selene- "The Maiden" "Nanna-Sin"-Symbol: Small Crescent Moon

Selene

Selene is the second of the sister moon goddesses. Her sphere of influence is Mystery, Magic, and Divination, her color is silver and her animal is the Unicorn. Priests of Selene are expected to wear kilts, and make sacrifices of silver and gems.

Clerics of Selene have access to the following domains:

RPG	Allowed Domains (bold is a required Domain) and bonus abilities or restrictions
Pathfinder/D&D 3.5	Magic, Air, Knowledge, Rune, Void Bonus to skill Knowledge (Arcana) equal to half cleric level. This bonus can be used to read Portents.
D&D 5th	Knowledge, Trickery, Death

The priests of Selene have an order, the Seers of Selene. The Seers combine arcane and divine magic for divination magic. The priests frequently tutor in arcane magic for a select few. Some priests of Selene tend toward becoming sages. Since the loss of the Temple of Selene, the Seers have taken refuge primarily at the Sun Temple of Lugh. The Priests of Lugh have traditionally acted as guardians for the Seers and they will frequently be found in pairs.

Inanna- "The Crone" "Morrigan" "Badb"-Symbol: Silhouette of a Leafless Tree or a Crow.

Inanna

Inanna is the goddess of winter. Her sphere of influence is Winter, Cold, and Death. Her colors are black and blue, and her animal is the wolf and the crow. Inanna is depicted as a harbinger of doom, manifesting prior to a battle to foreshadow the extent of the carnage to come, or to predict the death of a notable person, sometimes through wailing cries. Priests of Inanna are expected to wear kilts and burn animal remains as sacrifice. (From D&D FR Lore: "The Dark Moon heresy was the belief that Selûne and Shar were two aspects of the same deity. Believers of this doctrine could be found teaching it to others." Innana is comparable to Shar, but the Angharad Pantheon deities all incorporate light and darkness aspects in their "portfolio".)

Clerics of Inanna have access to the following domains:

RPG	Allowed Domains (bold is a required Domain) and bonus abilities or restrictions
Pathfinder/D&D 3.5	Repose, Death, Evil, Water At 3rd Level may move through snowy or icy conditions at normal movement rate without risk of falling.
D&D 5th	Death, War, Knowledge