Legends of Belariath
Classes
Heirophant
Since civilization's inception, it has been at perpetual odds with the tangle of the wild, virgin world about it. Those who have sought to colonize it have carved their mark into Gaea's domain, scarring the landscape with villages, poisoning it with vast metropolises; scouring the mark of man into the earth. For most, the wilderness is merely an expendable resource, a gift to be exploited, used, and consumed; most, but not all. An infrequent few have heard the ignored agony of the trees, seen the suffering of nature - and made the decision to dedicate themselves to the eradication of those who would otherwise mar the wilderness. Hierophants can perceive the delicate, gossamer network of the living world, and through intense meditation and study, have gained the ability to tap into its subtle, far-reaching power. They take few prisoners and rather enjoy their own company at best, or rather the company of the Goddess they serve within nature's both vicious and yet soothing warmth. One cannot always turn the other cheek, soldiers to the Goddess and proud to walk upon the earth they can aid.
Character Creation
Allowable Races: Cat Person, Centaur, Halfling, Sylvan Elf, Nymph, Pixie, The Tribe, Torian, Wolven, Vulpine
Qualifying Classes: Druid, Ranger, Shaman
Type of Class: Advanced Magical
Spell Spheres Allowed: Nature, Racial, Common
Armor: A
Weapons: A B
Class Bonus Stats:
| STR | INT | AGI | RES | STA | SPL | LFE | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bonus Stats | 0 | 10 | 0 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 0 |
Mindset:
Since civilization's inception, it has been at perpetual odds with the tangle of the wild, virgin world about it. Those who have sought to colonize it have carved their mark into Gaea's domain, scarring the landscape with villages, poisoning it with vast metropolises; scouring the mark of man into the earth. For most, the wilderness is merely an expendable resource, a gift to be exploited, used, and consumed; most, but not all. An infrequent few have heard the ignored agony of the trees, seen the suffering of nature - and made the decision to dedicate themselves to the eradication of those who would otherwise mar the wilderness. Hierophants can perceive the delicate, gossamer network of the living world, and through intense meditation and study, have gained the ability to tap into its subtle, far-reaching power.
Conduits of Gaea, they focus the arcane energy inherent in all living things into a web around them, projecting it with deadly effect towards those that might tilt the delicate scales of nature.
Concept:
Hierophants are fanatical protectors of the forests they live in; each carving out a small piece of territory that expands as they learn to better draw upon the ever-present skein of power twisting through the wilderness. Such an ability has its costs, however, for as they are physical representations of the lands they protect, they will acutely feel any damage done to the nature there - manifesting as mysterious wounds that suddenly appear and afflict them. Hierophants have been known to sicken and die in the process of building large cities, slowly getting weaker as the lands they draw upon whittle away into nothingness. Many have grown to loathe the opulent span of the metropolis and the barren desert of town square; some twisted with enough rage to turn on civilization itself. Most, have learned to coexist with the necessary destruction of that which they love, and have gained an uneasy truce with the sacrifices needed for progress, but there are always the mysterious reports of horrific accidents befalling distant mining posts, or the odd shape of something in the midst, stalking some lonely woodsman…
While the Hierophant defends nature from being corrupted, it understands that the humanoid races are as much Gaea's children as any other living creature, therefore they will not harm them when they unintenionally cause small amounts of damage to nature in their passage through it, or if their actions are with the assistance of a priest/ess of Gaea, who helps the being work with nature not against it. In this way, the cities of Stormbringers Empire have come to be without upsetting Gaea, as he uses these priest/esses during the construction of such cites and towns as Nanthalion. The RE also uses the assistance of the Clerics of Gaea in their construction projects.
Advantage:
Woodstalking
So frequently does the hierophant walk the forests that they gain an innate ability to roam the lands undetected and with unsettling speed. Like vapor they are able to prowl through even the densest of jungles with ethereal ease, for the wilds are their element and within them they are lord and master, and each day that their skills improve, they reign over a wider landscape.
Disadvantage:
The Wild's Conduit
Hierophants share their very life-force with that of the forests they protect, and while they may go oblivious to the occasional broken twig or plucked flower, they will suffer for any substantial damage to the wildlife, every fallen tree, an intangible kick in the gut. Every unnatural forest fires a feverish, burning ailment. As they channel Gaea herself, they perceive any attack on nature as an assault on themselves. It should be noted, that a hierophant may allow parts of the woods to be harvested for resource use by others and not suffer this drawback, but this is done with careful planning and in conjunction with the hierophant, for the betterment of his protected area as a whole.(Note: No statistical damage is done, for RP value only.)