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Ulan (Oo lawn), deity of Death and the Afterlife,
is portrayed as a gaunt figure in a flowing black cloak. Ulan has
no formal churches and few clerics. He is on friendly terms with the
church of Wee Jas. Some cults of Wee Jas even claim that Ulan is
in fact the lover of the Stern Lady. Ulan actively opposes any deity
who promotes undeath. Vecna and his priests are sworn enemies of
Ulan.
Ulan's priesthood is small for a deity of his rank.
His clerics are known for their discipline and resolve. Clerics of
Ulan seek out and destroy sentient undead, advise those who accept death,
and administer funerals. They wear black or gray robes and often
hide their features with matching hooded cloaks.
Temples to Ulan are extremely rare. Most of
his temples are located in or near graveyards or catacombs, and some are
located within temples of Wee Jas. Ulan is also the central figure in a
mysterious cult, the Silver Path. His
priests pray for their spells at sundown or midnight. Like priests of Wee
Jas, Ulan's faithful pass Spirit Night standing Vigil against the risen dead.
History/Relationships: Ulan
is an ancient deity of Traykon. Writings say that he was the gatherer of
all souls who died.. He began as a simple funerary deity who
"guided" those recently deceased to their place in the
afterlife. His power grew and after the first cataclysm his power rivaled
that of some of the creator deities.
Religious
sages believe that Ulan was once a mortal priest of Wee Jas who ascended to
godhood. The truth of this is unknown but the two deities do seem to be
intimately connected. Some priests teach that the two deities are lovers,
other teach that they are cosmic allies, two sides of the same coin. Some
philosophers theorize that Ulan exerted influence over Traykon long before Wee
Jas joined him.
Ulan
opposes all deities who promote undeath. Ulan reserves a special hatred
for Vecna and The Unnamed One, he orders his priests to oppose them whenever
encountered. Wee Jas and Pelor are strong allies of Ulan. Silvanus,
Gaea, and most nature deities are on friendly terms with his priesthood since
they promote the destruction of undead.
Dogma:
To some, Ulan represents the void at the end of existence. His followers try to show that death is nothing to be
feared and is a normal process of existence.
Ulan tells his followers that death is normal.
The soul must leave the mortal body to be able to complete it's journey.
Death is not the end to the followers of Ulan, but a wonderful beginning.
The faithful believe that Ulan collects souls to hasten their journey to
the afterlife. Those he finds worthy join him in his Shadow Citadel.
After a proper time of reflection, the souls are then sent back to the
mortal world for a chance to live more rewarding lives.
Avatar: Ulan doesn't have an Avatar.
He is able to work directly in Traykon by Sending his essence into a
vessel. Ulan's Vessel is normally is a very powerful humanoid.
The Vessel retains all of its abilities but gains the following:
- Death Touch: Like the domain ability (at will).
- Resistance 30 to Fire/Ice/Cold/Electricity/Energy
- Regeneration/40
- Damage Reduction 10/+3
These abilities are granted to the Vessel as long as
Ulan has need of an agent. Once Ulan recalls his Sending, the Vessel
returns to being a normal mortal. The Strain of being a Vessel of
Ulan is so great that the mortal creature must have bed rest for one week
to recover. Until that time, even the slightest exertion exhausts
the character. He can defend himself but suffers a -6 to all
actions. |
