An alternate theology for the PFRPG. 


Summary 
   This is an alternate theology for the Palladium Fantasy Role-Playing Game.  
I reduced the number of gods from 40 something to 9, divided up as: The 
Brothers of Dragonwright, The Transformed, and The Nobles.  For the most 
part, the gods' descriptions comply with those in the PFRPG core book.  
However, some minor alterations have been made.  These changes are listed 
below.  The changes are additions to the original description found in the PFRPG 
core book, except where they conflict with description, in which case the supersede 
the core book descriptions.

  This history includes quotes from the Tristine Chronicles, which were provided 
throughout the PFRPG core book.


 The Brothers of Dragonwright: 

Kym-nark-Mor

Zandragal - Zandragal is a boisterous, cocky female red dragon.  Although her 
antics and bluster annoyed Kym-nark-mor, she was an important member of the 
council.

Styphon the Corruptor - Styphon was the dragon that engineered the fall of 
Dragonwright, and man's loss of the gods' council.  He is a beautiful Night 
Stalker dragon, the symbol of death and pestilence.  His symbol is that of a 
black rose.

  After the departure of his three brothers, Styphon declared himself The 
Dragonwright, and today cults worship his name in violence and depravity.

 The Transformed: 

Chantico -  He now hates Ra and Aco, as well as the three uncorrupted 
Dragonwright brothers.  Of the members of his formal alliance, he will 
only associate with Styphon.  He is impartial to Yin-Sloth, and hates Kirgi 
with a passion.

Yin-Sloth - Yin-Sloth was transformed from a cyclops into a hideous, 
tentacled thing, whose very appearance is said to drive weaker men mad.

Kirgi the Deceiver - Kirgi was once a strikingly handsome elf, but became 
a humanoid rat as punishment for his betrayal.  Kirgi is despised by ALL 
the gods, as they were all victims of his treachery. 

 The Nobles: 

Ra, Lord of Light - Ra is trustworthy and kind to all who are good, but 
vicious and merciless to any evil creatures.  Ra still resides over the Southern 
Lands, the former home of the vast Dwarven Kingdom, maintaining a relationship 
with his lover, Aco.  Ra is the patron of dwarvenkind, and all stout-hearted 
races.  He is also the arch enemy of The Transformed.

Aco - Aco is still loyal to Ra, but also still loves Kirgi.  She is a favorite 
among sailors, farmers, and peoples close to nature.

     Before memory, before all knowledge, there was nothing but the pure 
magical energy, pulsing through all of existence.  From this magic was 
birthed the Old Ones, channeling and molding the energies to create the 
world--a dark, barren world, one that reflected the maddening evil of the 
Old Ones.  And the Great Old One did take his throne, his malignant fire 
infesting and corrupting  all beings, and the lands in which they dwelt.

     And all the lands were lost to sin and darkness, until envy and betrayal 
sought to usurp the Great Old One.  So it was that light was born, and in 
its radiance the archaic races and beasts were begotten.  Thus the archaic 
beasts and men rose to smite the Old Ones down in a mystic maelstrom that 
reshape the Mother Earth.  And though defeated, the Old Ones could not be 
destroyed, but a great enchainment was placed upon them, locking them 
within the bowels of the Earth, forever trapped in a slumber, their dreams 
rising to corrupt man and his kin.

     But the battle's cost was great indeed for those who did wage war upon 
the Old Ones.  Only the elves, titans, cyclops and dragons did live.  Of these, 
nine creatures were chosen to rule over the world, and save it from the Age 
of Chaos, into which it had plunged after the defeat of the Old Ones.

     These creatures were the dragons four: Kym-nark-mar, Zandragal, Kormath, 
and Styphon, the elves Chantico and Kirgi, Yin-Sloth the cyclops, and Ra and 
Aco, titans both.

     At first, these new gods ruled well.  Yin-Sloth ruled the southern jungles, 
granting Ra the rest of the Southern Lands, Chantico the Western Lands, 
Aco the sea, and Kirgi the north.  And the four dragon brothers formed 
the Council of Dragonwright, so that all those of Palladium could live in 
harmony.  This arragnement brought the land from the Age of Chaos into 
the Golden Age of Elven Rule.  And the Gold Age was a time of great 
peace for all those of the Lands, with Elf and Drawf living in harmony.

     Alas, the same cannot be said for the gods.  Styphon grew weary of 
the rulings of his brother, Kym-nark-mor, and wished to head the council 
himself, if not destroy it alltogether.  Chantico, Styphon's ally, shared this 
sentiment, as he desiredhis people to be free from the
Council's rulings.  Chantico approached Yin-Sloth, for he had already 
claimed the Baalgor Jungles from Ra, and lusted after more power.  
Kirgi lusted for Aco, Ra's wife, and hoped an alliance with Yin-Sloth 
would destroy Ra, and allow him to take Aco for his own.

     It is said that as the gods battled, so did their races--thus, Kirgi's 
elves discovered their hatred for Ra's dwarves, and the two began a 
battle that lasted four hundred years.

     Styphon turned on his brothers, with Chantico's aid, and deprived 
the Land from the wise rulings of the Dragonwright.  And the land was 
plunged into chaos once again.

     Kirgi aided Yin-Sloth, and with weakened, Kirgi managed to steal 
Aco for his own.  

     The battle raged for two thousand years more, with the gods creating 
entire races and beasts to battle each other.

     But Ra's dwarves had maintained the powerful magic of the Runes, 
and the three remaining Dragonwrights were strong, and the battle 
turned to their favor.  Aco saw this, and urged Kirgi to flee, lest he be 
destroyed.  Kirgi shifted his form to that of an elf, and walked among 
mortals as he struggled to help the elves maintain their rule, and to hide 
from his fellow gods, all of which he had now betrayed.

     Yin-Sloth was captured, and transformed into a hideous, tentacled 
beast, to be banished to the darkness of the Yin-Sloth jungles, the Baalgor 
Jungles having been decimated in the conflict.

     Chantico's form was changed to that of a massive dog, that he may be 
forced to spend eternity in humiliation.

     Kirgi remained in hiding for another four thousand years, until the 
elven empire collapsed into rubble.  During this time, he had created 
a new race of shape-shifters like himself, that they may confuse the 
gods, lest they come looking for vengeance.  And this new race was 
full of trickery and deceit, just like their creator, and still stalk the world 
as Changelings. 

     Styphon could not be punished by his brothers, as he was too powerful, 
but Kym-nark-mor  knew that he would be hated by all the gods for his 
greed and folly, and would forever be the object of hate.

     Kym-nark-mor, Zandragal, and Kormath were sorrowful at the 
destruction that had occured and, their hearts sorrowful, they left 
from the sight of the mortals, disbanding the Dragonwright.

     Ra continued his search for Kirgi, finding him just as the elves' 
reign ended.  Ra first wished to kill Kirgi, but was persuaded by 
Aco to find the remaining Dragonwrights, that they may decide his 
punishment.  The three brothers returned to change Kirgi to a rat-man, 
dropping him into the Western Empire, not bothering with him again.




By Nathan T. Trier, 91654@strauss.udel.edu, sometime in 1994.  
Styphon, Kym-nark-mor, Zandragal, Kormath, Ra, Aco, Yin-Sloth, 
Chantico, along with lots of other stuff, are all copyright of Palladium 
Books.  This document is in no way a challenge to that status.