Rillifane Rallathil
Cleric Alignments: CG, CN, NG
Rillifane Rallathil The Leaf lord
Intermediate Elven Deity
Symbol: Oak tree
Home Plane: Arvandor
Alignment: Chaotic good
Portfolio: Woodlands, nature, wild elves, druids
Worshipers: Druids,
rangers, wild elves
Cleric Alignments: CG, CN, NG
Domains: Chaos, Elf,
Good, Plant, Protection
Favored Weapon: "The Oakstaff" (quarterstaff)
illifane Rallathil (Rill-ih-fane rall-uh-thihl) is quiet,
reflective, and enduring over eons unchanged. He is the least flighty of
all the Seldarine, the least likely to act on a whim, and often grave
and self-absorbed. The Leaflord is protector of the woodlands and
guardian of the harmony of nature. He is often likened by his clerics to
a giant oak tree, so huge that its roots mingle with the roots of every
other plant in the world, that stands at the heart of Arvandor. The
great tree draws into itself all the ebb and flow of seasons and lives
within the woodlands of the green elves. At the same time, it defends
and sustains those lands against disease, predation, and assaults of all
kinds. The Leaflord is the patron of wood elves (and to a much lesser
extent wild elves).
The church of the Leaflord generally keeps to
itself, extending itself only to help fellow elves and other sylvan
beings." The church hierarchy is organized regionally and divided into
branches, as each type of cleric serves a specific role. The druids who
compose the bulk of Rillifane's clergy tend to the health of the forests
and those who dwell within, fiercely contesting any attempt to further
reduce those forests that remain. Many clerics serve as ambassadors of
the faith, working outside the communities of wood elves to educate
other races and even other elven subraces how to better dwell in harmony
with nature. In times of war, however, the leaders of each region unite
the branches of the faith and wood elf warriors into a single force.
Rillifane's clerics are deadly enemies of those who hunt for sport or
those who harm trees maliciously or unnecessarily. In particular, all
clerics of Rillifane have a great hatred for the clerics of Malar, since
the followers of the Beastlord often make elves the object of their
hunts and their ethos is anathema to those who serve the Leaflord.
Rillifane's clergy is charged with rooting out and destroying sentient
plants whose nature has been twisted by external forces into a warped
perversion of nature.
Clerics and druids of Rillifane pray for their
spells at dawn, when the first rays of the life-giving sun spring over
the horizon. Rillifane's faithful gather twice yearly at the equinoxes
to hold fey dances in large groves of oak trees deep in the heart of
great forests. The Budding is a joyful celebration of new life
celebrated through dance and song and preceded by an extended period of
fasting. A ritual hunt of an ancient and noble hart is undertaken on
this day, from which the venison serves to break the fast of the
Leaflord's faithful. This ritual honors Rillifane's bounty and reminds
his followers of the natural cycle of life that plays out beneath the
Leaflord's boughs. The Transformation marks the arrival of autumn and
the vibrant hues that bedeck the canopies of the Leaflord around this
time. Wood elves and elves of other subraces who seek a form of
spiritual rebirth or a major change in their lives gather to celebrate
Rillifane's eternal promise that the trees will bloom again and that
life is a process of continual renewal. Many clerics and druids
multiclass as rangers.
History/Relationships: Rillifane is a very old deity and is said by
some to be older than even Labelas Enoreth, for the great tree would
continue its life endlessly without the need for an eventual death. He
is on good terms with all the Seldarine, as well as most sylvan and
faerie deities. His foes include Malar, Talos, and the evil drow gods.
Dogma: The Great Oak draws energy from all the living creatures of
the world and nourishes, sustains, and protects them from outside
threats. Live in harmony with the natural world, allowing each living
being the opportunity to serve out its natural purpose in life. As the Leaflord's countless branches, his faithful are to serve as his mortal
agents in the natural world. Defend the great forests from those who
would ravage their riches, leaving only destruction in their path.
Contest both the quick and the slow death of Rillifane's bounty and hold
strong like the great oaks in the face of those who can see only their
own immediate needs. |
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