Elven Theosopher Priest - Saltwave RPG Campaign

Elven Theosopher Cleric

"The unreasoned life is not worth living."

The elves can be stereotypically playful and frivolous, or they can be stern and mystical, but few humans realize that many elves are natural philosophers and much given to keen thought. The spiritual side of an elf finds the Creator in all living things and surrounding even the most desolate of wastelands. They do not personify the Creator, for she is obviously unseen physically, but recognize the greatness and infinity of her creation. A common metaphor for God is the Astral plane, for it is the infinite wellspring of both life and magic, and many learned elves explore that realm as often as they are able.

Since the Creator is a thing of thought, reverent elves live life deeply, spending time in reverie to reflect on what they have experienced, not wanting to forget or miss anything that the Creator has made available to them. With the lengthy elven lifespan, there is always plenty of time to notice and consider every detail of a thing and ponder the possible reason for that minute detail. Elven language is feminine-dominant, and therefore, the elven god is referred to as a female - even though the qualities of the Creator are neither male nor female.

The elven cleric, called a Theosopher, is not so much a minister or teacher as she is a good example. By meditation and consideration, the theosopher can unlock both magical and mystic powers within herself. Her abilities are to be used primarily for the good of her friends and the community, but if God had wanted her to do without personal comfort, she would have made her an orc, and so the theosopher also uses her abilities for her own benefit and advancement. With so much beauty and complexity in the world to marvel at, how can any elf be anything but good-natured?

Theosophers are not restricted from any particular behaviors, although most will eat and drink only in moderation, enjoying the flavors to the utmost. They place a high value on the freedom to act or to think as they please, for God did not give sapients the gift of free will for them to turn it into a bartering of contracts. Likewise, the theosopher will constantly seek new experiences, knowledge, and friends, and will often sit in conversation (with pauses for reflection) with another elf for days at a time. Humans often find this behavior pointless, with their inborn drive to "do something before one's time is up," as many elves remark. Theosophers understand and cherish the bright spark of their human friends, and sometimes speed up their own pace to keep up, using night-time for meditation and contemplation.

Symbol and Dress: Symbols of elven spirituality vary greatly, and each individual may choose her own special symbol to represent devotion. The symbol that most often marks the theosopher is a grey and silver falcon or owl, representing the all-seeing and contemplative nature of wisdom, with the colors of the Astral Realm. This is often woven into the Ullen style of elven chainmail. Theosophers are never required to wear any particular clothing, but most will display their symbol openly and artistically. Elven clothing ranges from the ornate and barely affordable formalwear to the loose, functional shipboard pants and blouses worn by sailors and adventurers of both sexes. Form-fitting knits and leathers are also popular.

Titles: Theosophers are called by name, or by the title deacon, regardless of experience, power or sex. There is no formal hierarchy or structure of theosophers. Each advises, protects, and defends her community as she sees fit. Elves respect each other's ability, and listen to those who have the best skills in a particular area when those skills are needed, but do not establish churches, temples, or priesthoods that make their living from donations.

Relations with Other Faiths: Theospohers tolerate all faiths as long as they do not interfere with Elven life and philosophy. Their beliefs share similarities with each of the other major religions, and none bear the elves any particular malice or scorn.

Game Information:

Class Skills: Theosophers have a few extra class skills, to acknowledge their wider interests in learning and in protecting their forest homes. The extra skills also make up for the lack of proficiency with heavy armor. The theosopher's class skills and abilities are Concentration (Con), Craft (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Heal (Wis), Hide (Dex), Knowledge (any) (Int), Listen (Wis), Move Silently (Dex), Profession (Wis), Scry (Int), Search (Int), Spellcraft (Int), Spot (Wis), and Wilderness Lore (Wis).

Armor and Weapon Proficiency: Theosophers are proficient with all simple weapons, and as elves also have skill with the longsword or rapier and self-drawn bows. Theosophers have proficiency with light and medium armor and with shields.

Spells: The theosopher prepares and casts spells according to the standard rules for clerics in the Player's Handbook. She may use spontaneous casting to convert prepared spells to curing spells, and selects two domains from the Good, Healing, Protection, and War domains. She gains the granted powers for those domains, as usual.

Turn Undead: Theosophers abhor undead, both for the evil they represent and for the twisting and destruction of something natural into the epitome of unnatural magic. They receive the ability to turn undead, according to the rules for that power.