Erato (Muse of Love, The Great Love, The Wandering Vixen) Demipower of Arborea, N PORTFOLIO: Love ALIASES: None DOMAIN NAME: Olympus SUPERIOR: None ALLIES: Calliope, Clio, Euterpe, Melpomene, Polyhymnia, Terpsichore, Thalia, Urania FOES: Death, Famine, Pestilience, War SYMBOL: A nymph crowned in roses, holding a lyre and a bow WHOR. ALIGN.: LG, NG, CG, LN, N, CN Erato (Er-a-tO) is the muse of love. As a muse, she is an immortal who has the ability to inspire greatness in mortals. She cannot create an avatar like other deities of other campaign settings; however, nor can she be destroyed. If Erato is brought low, she simply disappears, only to reform the next night of a new moon at full strength. Erato's Avatar (Bard 25, Enchanter 19, Crusader 16) Erato appears most often as a tall and androgynous, yet well-muscled woman of great shining beauty. The most powerful and drawing erotic symbol of all of Nergalis, Erato is both a woman�s and man�s dream come true. Although she has access to all schools and spheres of magic, Erato prefers to use magics from that are primarily Enchantment or Charm spells. AC �4; MV 15; HP 153; THAC0 5; #AT 1 Dmg 1d6+3 (+2 STR) MR 40%; SZ M (6� tall) STR 18, DEX 19, CON 19, INT 21, WIS 21, CHA 25 Spells P: 10/10/10/8/5/3/1, W: 6/6/6/6/6/5/4/4/2* Saves PPDM 4, RSW 4, PP 7, BW 9, Sp 5 * Numbers include one additional enchantment/charm spell per spell level. Special Att/Def: Erato is quite the charmer, even in battle; as she never fails to compliment greatly completed combat maneuvers and is always the best looking being present for any occasion. A mere look from Erato has the effects of glamour glamer (as the 4th-level priest spell) and forget (as the 2nd-level wizard spell), as beings forget what they are doing and become enamored with her beauty. Furthermore, in addition to her normal attacks she can cause confusion (as the 7th-level priest spell) in all who view her and her merest touch can cause rapture (as the 3rd-level priest spell), both at will. And if ever she is destroyed, all who have acted against her in the lead up to her demise receive a bestow curse (as the 3rd-level priest spell) in opposition of a current love or relationship without the benefit of a saving throw (and magic resistance is useless against this particular power, as the subject willingly acted against her). The Church CLERGY: Clerics, crusaders, specialty priests, enchanters CLERGY�S ALIGN.: LG, NG, CG TURN UNDEAD: C: Yes, SP: Yes, B: No CMND. UNDEAD: C: No, SP: No, B: No All clerics and specialty priests of Erato receive religion (Redemption) as a bonus nonweapon proficiency. Erato can be found wandering and playing great ballads of love in the great and lowly areas all across the cursed darkness lands of Nergalis. Uprising bards and enchanters can sometimes (5% chance) become her apprentice for no less and no more than 3 months. She is despised by all of the Horsemen, for her love is said to conquer all, which means them. Erato�s clergy is comprised of about 20% clerics, 5% crusaders, 25% specialty priests, 40% bards, and 10% enchanters. Her followers set up shrines where they can, but mostly seek out others to share love with, thus strengthening Erato and worshipping her with love and not prayer. Dogma: Love must come to all. Followers of Erato learn to spread love and destroy oppositions to love wherever they can. They may sing, dance, or spout poetry, act or council, whichever can help in the creation and maintenance of love throughout Nergalis. Thus, they aim to do one good deed or helpful action each day to assist in this philosophy. Day-to-Day Activities: Erotics typically travel through their area spreading their knowledge and love. They teach poems and help others with their relationship problems when they meet others. All members of the clergy initiate others in loving activities whenever possible and they tend to create gatherings to recite poetry or tell love stories. Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: Worship of Erato is done through lovemaking and spreading love and joy among the populace. Once every 3 years Erato�s clergy and all those invited come together and hold the �One Love�, a festival of three nights of love and partying. This gathering is a celebration of the flesh and soul, where all involved seek to love as many as they can in dedication to their god. Major Centers of Worship: The heart of every follower of Erato is the greatest fortress to her worship, thus only small shrines dot the landscape of Nergalis, most never being used more than a handful of times per generation. Affiliated Orders: A small group of stern and happy paladins calling themselves The Fallen Lovers seek to bring love and their goddess into the little known and evil laden lands of the dark world. Priestly Garments: Priests of Erato wear clothing daringly cut or designed to show their bodies and/or best features. They believe in dressing in the latest and most complex fashions to better present themselves and gain interest from others. The clergy also tend to carry rings, flowers, or any other things they can use to help them better fall in love others. Erato�s holy symbol is a nymph crowned in roses, holding a lyre and a bow. Adventuring Garb: Priests of Erato wear light armors where they can (sometimes decorated with roses), otherwise they are fully prepared for combat wherever they travel. Weapons are always carried and hidden to better bring the appearance of love, yet still bring protection to them. Specialty Priests (Cherubs) REQUIREMENTS: Wisdom 14, Charisma 14 PRIME REQ.: Wisdom, Charisma ALIGNMENT: LG, NG, CG WEAPONS: All bludgeoning weapons (wholly Type B), plus those available to rogues ARMOR: Any armor types up to and including chain mail; no shield MAJOR SPHERES: All, astral, charm, creation, divination, guardian, healing, protection, sun, time, thought MINOR SPHERES: Combat, elemental, necromantic, summoning MAGICAL ITEMS: Same as clerics and bards (not including items restricted to wizards only) REQ. PROFS: Poetry, singing or dancing (pick one) BONUS PROFS: Etiquette Cherubs can select nonweapon proficiencies from both the priest and rogue groups with no crossover penalty. Cherubs can attempt to charm (as the 1st-level wizard spell charm person) individuals of the opposite sex. Cherubs may attempt this feat once per day. The victim suffers a �1 penalty to their saving throws for every point of Charisma the cherub has above 16 (-1 at 17, -2 at 18, etc.). At 3rd level, cherubs are able to cast love bite (as the 2nd-level priest spell) once per day. At 5th level, cherubs are able to cast rapture (as the 3rd-level priest spell) or charm person (as the 1st-level wizard spell) once a day. At 7th level, cherubs are able to cast flame strike (as the 5th-level priest spell) once a day. At 9th level, cherubs gain a permanent +1 to their Charisma, and are able to cast emotion (as the 4th-level wizard spell) once a day. At 12th level, cherubs may arouse feelings of love in others (as the enamoring effects of a philter of love) in any intelligent being and cast mass charm (as the 8th-level wizard spell) once a week. Should the cherub�s Charisma ability score ever drop below 16, then he or she is lowered in status within the faith to a normal cleric until the loss in ability score is recovered. The prejudice within the ranks of the cherub hierarchy against those who are marred or plain is very strong. Erotic Spells 2nd Level Love Bite (Alteration) Sphere: Combat Range: 10 yds./level Components: V, S Duration: Special Casting Time: 5 Area of Effect: Special Saving Throw: None This spell delivers a kiss made by the caster on the empty air unerringly to a chosen creature who is visible and within range. The kiss can be a simple signal (the brush of phantom lips), an actual bite that does 1 point of damage (but cannot target a specifically vulnerable spot), or the means of unerringly delivering another single harmful or beneficial spell cast within the three rounds immediately preceding the casting of love bite that requires a touch to deliver. 3rd Level Rapture (Enchantment/Charm) Sphere: Charm Range: 1 yd./level Components: V, S Duration: 1 rd./level Casting Time: 6 Area of Effect: 1 creature Saving Throw: Special This spell confers a state of bliss upon its recipient, temporarily raising his or her morale to 20 and banishing all feelings of pain, nausea, or weariness, though it actually heals and changes nothing except the recipient�s state of mind (and thus spell effects based on sudden negative sensory perceptions, such as the incapacitation caused by stinking cloud). So far as any injuries permit, the recipient acts happy, refreshed, rested, high-spirited, and unhurt. While the recipient is enraptured, lures designed to prey upon his or her libido are ignored (such as the song of sirens). Enraptured recipients are not affected by hypnosis or any attempts (magical or psionic) to control or influence their minds (for example, charm person spells). The enraptured state can be a mixed blessing. Whenever a being is affected by a rapture spell, it must succeed at a saving throw vs. paralyzation or be so strongly affected as to be stunned for the duration of the spell. Stunned beings tremble, drop any items or weapons held, and can take no voluntary or deliberate actions until the spell wears off. Rapture affects only intelligent mammals. Priests of Erato may cast rapture on themselves; they gain a +4 bonus to their saving throws to avoid being stunned when doing so. 4th Level Glamour Glamer (Illusion/Phantasm) Sphere: Charm Range: 0 Components: V, S Duration: 6 rds. Casting Time: 7 Area of Effect: 1 being Saving Throw: None Also known as "veil of Djalice" in some worlds, this spell temporarily augments the beauty of the caster or a touched being to unearthly levels. The spell also affects the recipient�s voice and grace, boosting effective Charisma to 20 in all situations involving personal allure. Beings of the same race and opposite gender of the spell recipient who are not deaf and blind are helplessly smitten by the affected being and eagerly leap to serve his or her smallest whim.
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