Difference between revisions of "Olman (Greyhawk)"
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The culturally dominant people thousands of years ago, in an age where gods where more inhuman and less good than today. The Olman eventually abandoned their empire and left their gods for shamanism. Today they live in semi-barbarism, often exploited by other peoples. | The culturally dominant people thousands of years ago, in an age where gods where more inhuman and less good than today. The Olman eventually abandoned their empire and left their gods for shamanism. Today they live in semi-barbarism, often exploited by other peoples. | ||
| − | ==== Real-World Model | + | == Cultural Traits == |
| + | Fatalism, Piety, Grandiosity, Tradition | ||
| + | |||
| + | === Real-World Model === | ||
Native American | Native American | ||
| − | + | === Alignment === | |
Olman goods are almost universally evil, and often chaotic. This makes even good Olman societies seem cruel and bloodthirsty to others. Good Olman submit to the demands of these gods while trying to make the best they can of life. Evil Olman relish their gods' lust for blood and pain and often advance in their service, attaining high social rank even in a society that is not otherwise evil. An Olman high court can be very evil and cruel, yet administer a prosperous land where many people lead good lives. | Olman goods are almost universally evil, and often chaotic. This makes even good Olman societies seem cruel and bloodthirsty to others. Good Olman submit to the demands of these gods while trying to make the best they can of life. Evil Olman relish their gods' lust for blood and pain and often advance in their service, attaining high social rank even in a society that is not otherwise evil. An Olman high court can be very evil and cruel, yet administer a prosperous land where many people lead good lives. | ||
| − | + | === Practices === | |
| − | |||
| − | |||
| − | |||
Incest, Nudity, Sadomasochism. | Incest, Nudity, Sadomasochism. | ||
| − | + | === Taboos === | |
Promiscuity. | Promiscuity. | ||
| − | + | === Family === | |
Conventional, group marriage, or theogamus. Strictly regulated by tradition. Matrilinear. Barbarian tribes tend to Conventional or group marriage. | Conventional, group marriage, or theogamus. Strictly regulated by tradition. Matrilinear. Barbarian tribes tend to Conventional or group marriage. | ||
| − | + | === Magic === | |
Olman magic is graphic and ceremonial, seeking to impress and terrorize as much as possible. Their gods rarely grant protective or healing spells. They lack wizards or bards, and their sorcerers find themselves gifted with destructive spells that affect large areas. | Olman magic is graphic and ceremonial, seeking to impress and terrorize as much as possible. Their gods rarely grant protective or healing spells. They lack wizards or bards, and their sorcerers find themselves gifted with destructive spells that affect large areas. | ||
| − | + | == Pantheon == | |
| − | The Olman pantheon is dominated by evil gods who demand human sacrifice and ritual cannibalism, yet their society is not evil. These gods are tolerant of worshipers of other alignments, as long as they proper sacrifices are made. Good people can support such a society (but cannot be priests of evil gods or perform sacrifices) because it maintains the social order and the continued existence of the world. | + | The Olman pantheon is dominated by evil gods who demand human sacrifice and ritual cannibalism, yet their society is not evil. These gods are tolerant of worshipers of other alignments, as long as they proper sacrifices are made. Good people can support such a society (but cannot be priests of evil gods or perform sacrifices) because it maintains the social order and the continued existence of the world. Certain clerics have a trait that allows any alignment, regardless of which patron they serve. |
Most Olman today have rebelled against the demands of their cruel gods and live in small primitive communities allied to local spirits. However, it seems such tribes cannot advance and build cities without help. Olman who subjugate themselves to foreign gods tend to either misinterpret their teachings to be as cruel as those of their own gods, or to lose their Olman identity and be assimilated. Olmans generally think foreign gods are merely their own gods in disguise. | Most Olman today have rebelled against the demands of their cruel gods and live in small primitive communities allied to local spirits. However, it seems such tribes cannot advance and build cities without help. Olman who subjugate themselves to foreign gods tend to either misinterpret their teachings to be as cruel as those of their own gods, or to lose their Olman identity and be assimilated. Olmans generally think foreign gods are merely their own gods in disguise. | ||
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||Yacatectli ||| God of the nose ||| Lesser ||| CE ||| Merchants ||| Greed, Travel, Protection, Trickery | ||Yacatectli ||| God of the nose ||| Lesser ||| CE ||| Merchants ||| Greed, Travel, Protection, Trickery | ||
|} | |} | ||
| + | == Traits == | ||
Revision as of 23:41, 22 June 2012
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The culturally dominant people thousands of years ago, in an age where gods where more inhuman and less good than today. The Olman eventually abandoned their empire and left their gods for shamanism. Today they live in semi-barbarism, often exploited by other peoples.
Cultural Traits
Fatalism, Piety, Grandiosity, Tradition
Real-World Model
Native American
Alignment
Olman goods are almost universally evil, and often chaotic. This makes even good Olman societies seem cruel and bloodthirsty to others. Good Olman submit to the demands of these gods while trying to make the best they can of life. Evil Olman relish their gods' lust for blood and pain and often advance in their service, attaining high social rank even in a society that is not otherwise evil. An Olman high court can be very evil and cruel, yet administer a prosperous land where many people lead good lives.
Practices
Incest, Nudity, Sadomasochism.
Taboos
Promiscuity.
Family
Conventional, group marriage, or theogamus. Strictly regulated by tradition. Matrilinear. Barbarian tribes tend to Conventional or group marriage.
Magic
Olman magic is graphic and ceremonial, seeking to impress and terrorize as much as possible. Their gods rarely grant protective or healing spells. They lack wizards or bards, and their sorcerers find themselves gifted with destructive spells that affect large areas.
Pantheon
The Olman pantheon is dominated by evil gods who demand human sacrifice and ritual cannibalism, yet their society is not evil. These gods are tolerant of worshipers of other alignments, as long as they proper sacrifices are made. Good people can support such a society (but cannot be priests of evil gods or perform sacrifices) because it maintains the social order and the continued existence of the world. Certain clerics have a trait that allows any alignment, regardless of which patron they serve.
Most Olman today have rebelled against the demands of their cruel gods and live in small primitive communities allied to local spirits. However, it seems such tribes cannot advance and build cities without help. Olman who subjugate themselves to foreign gods tend to either misinterpret their teachings to be as cruel as those of their own gods, or to lose their Olman identity and be assimilated. Olmans generally think foreign gods are merely their own gods in disguise.
The Olmec world passes through ages where different gods claim domination. The gods gather at the end of each age to renew the sun and select a ruler amongst themselves. The current sun god is Camazotz, god of bats, but he was not strong enough to make the other gods sacrifice (and thus renew) themselves at the beginning of the age; thus all the Olman gods are currently weakened and their empires have fallen. Previous suns include Tezcaltipoca, Quezalcoatl, Huhueteotl, and Chalchiuhtlicue.
Toci is often identified with Beory (or Oerth), the global earth-mother.
| Name | Translation | Rank | Alignment | Sphere | Domains |
| Camaxtli | Cloud serpent | Lesser | N | Hunting, War, Fate, East, Stars | Animal, Fire, Fate, War |
| Camazotz | Lesser | CE | Bats, Insects, Sun, Volcanoes | Animal, Cavern, Dream, Trickery | |
| Chalchiuhtlicue | She of the Jade Skirt | Lesser | CG | Water, Childbirth, Fertility | Water, Creation, Earth, Plant |
| Ciuacoatl | Snake woman | Lesser | CE | Childbirth, Ghosts, Hunger | Lust, Undeath, Hunger, Pestilence |
| Huhueteotl | Aged god | Intermediate | LN | Fire, Home, Hope, Rebirth | Fire, Pact, Protection, Renewal, Mysticism |
| Huitzilopochtli | Hummingbird of the South | Lesser | LE | War, Youth, South | Strength, Celerity, Pride, Mysticism, Sun |
| Mictlantecuhtli | Lord of Mictlan | Intermediate | LE | Death, North | Darkness, Death, Deathbound, Mysticism |
| Quezalcoatl | Plumed serpent | Intermediate | N | Air, Knowledge, Warriors | Air, Knowledge, Nobility, Travel, Mysticism |
| Tezcatlipoca | Smoking mirror | Intermediate | CE | Jaguars, Obsidian, Strife, Sorcery | Oracle, Magic, Trickery, Darkness, Mysticism |
| Tlaloc | Intermediate | LE | Rain, Storms, Fertility | Water, Mysticism, Storm, Plant, Slime | |
| Tlazolteotl | Eater of filth | Lesser | CE | Sin, Forgiveness, Sex | Domination, Illusion, Lust, Charm |
| Toci | Grandmother | Greater | N | Nature | Animal, Earth, Plant, Gluttony |
| Xipe Totec | The flayed one | Lesser | LE | Suffering, Renewal, Spring | Renewal, Earth, Suffering, Plant |
| Xochipilli | Flower prince | Lesser | CN | Love, Games, Beauty, Dance, Flowers | Plant, Competition, Charm, Courage |
| Yacatectli | God of the nose | Lesser | CE | Merchants | Greed, Travel, Protection, Trickery |