Symbol: An hourglass containing a rune of birth above and of death below

Home Plane: Seven Heavens

Portfolios: Youth, Old age, Mortal Time

Worshippers: the young, the elderly

Worshipper’s Alignment: Any non-evil

Clerics & Monks: LG, LN

Domains: Good, Law, Protection, Renewal, Time

Favored Weapon(s): Scythe

 

Description:

 

Erden is typified as an old man bent with age leaning heavily on a scythe as a staff. His hair is long and white, and he dresses in flowing dark blue robes embroidered with stars. His waist is belted with the cord used to measure human lives, and from it, an hourglass dangles. The youthful aspect of Erden is seldom depicted.

 

History/Relationships:

 

Erden and Galen are brother gods. There is no record of their parents from any historical account. Unlike Galen, Erden has no family; he bears the weight of his charge alone. Erden is on excellent terms with all the Lightbearers and on good terms with other good and neutral deities. He is especially fond of Vae, as she represents the same portfolios in nature as he does in mankind. Erden holds all evil in disdain, but particularly dislikes those deities who revel in premature death and destruction (Raistrick, Garrotongue, Murphas, and Rakoth) and Jarrek for the abomination undead who defy their natural lifespans.

 

Dogma:

 

Life is a road from birth to death; The journey defines our lives. Help those at the beginning to find the road and at the end to find their journey’s end. Protect the young and the old from violence and discomfort; those walking the road can aid themselves and others. Bring relief to those who have had their vitality stolen by darkness and bring swift destruction to the offending creature(s). Undead are an anathema against the journey, destroy them at every opportunity.

 

Clergy and Temples:

 

Clerics of Erden setup temples and monestaries near major cities whose populations contain large numbers of children and elderly. Often, these temples double as orphages where children are reared strictly but in safety and taught to read and write as well as other skills which will enable in some profession. These same walls will house the elderly in need of a place to stay or to end their days in peace. Erden accepts both men and women to his clergy as well as those with elven blood. Erden does not call paladins to his service; instead, he calls those to live as monks in his service. Those of extreme devotion will often pursue calling as a divine champion of a divine seeker. While all clerics will raise arms against those who harm the young or old, it is the monks who possess the martial skill to enforce Erden’s will. Monks and clerics, thus, will both be found at a worship site.Clerics of Erden pray for spells at the first light of day and at the last of the day. Worship of Erden involves song, parable and dance. Erden bestows a full measure of life upon his followers, so even the elderly enjoy vigorous worship. Erdenite clergy wear robes whose colors denote rank within the temple. White chasubles bearing the holy symbol of Erden are worn over the robes.Tradition holds that those chosen to serve as clerics and monks are chosen at birth, though many do not recognize this calling until later in life.

 

Special Abilities:

 

Erdenite clergy gain special abilities as they progress in their dedication. Unless otherwise specified, these powers are supernatural abilities usable at will by the caster only.

 

3rd level –    the cleric may take the scythe as a weapon of choice.

5th level –    the cleric becomes immune to effects which drain strength, dexterity or constitution.

7th level –    the cleric gains the ability to cast unwrinkled time (1/day). This spell acts as greater restoration except it can only

                       restore lost ability scores and does not restore lost levels or cure any other conditions.

12th level –  the cleric lives the full length of his race’s lifespan and no longer suffers any decreases in ability scores due to

                        aging.

 

Rituals:

 

Erden does not support the use of additional rituals.