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Baphomet
The Beast, the Lord of Minotaurs, the Master of Mazes
Demon Lord
Symbol: Stylized maze
Home Plane: The Abyss
Alignment: Chaotic evil
Portfolio: Chimeras, sodomy, combat, labyrinths
Worshippers: Minotaurs, ogres, giants, evil barbarians, evil wizards
Cleric Alignments: CE, CN, NE
Domains: Animal, Chaos, Evil, Strength, Trickery
Favored Weapon: Greataxe
Baphomet is the Lord of Minotaurs, said to be the creator of the whole race and various other creatures such as the Baphitaur and the Ghaur. He promotes any behaviour mixing humans (or other intelligent creatures) and animals, from simple animalistic behaviour over sodomy to the creation of chimeric creatures. Also, he is a figure of strength, battle prowess and cleverness, which has earned him the worship of barbarian and giant tribes. A lesser known aspect is that of both a cunning deceiver and an insightful adviser, which has brought several researchers and mystics to his flock of worshippers.
History/Relationships
Baphomet is a very old Demon Lord, fallen to obscurity and rediscovered by some mystic or cult time and again. Few if anybody know about his origin; he himself claims to have been born from the soul of one of the very first mortals ever. According to the teachings of Baphomet, there was no difference between human, demihuman and animal in that time, and only later, the gods gave their creatures names and made laws separating the species. This is said to be the cause for lots of grief and suffering, as demihumans are forced by the gods and even themselves to behave against their animalistic nature. Inner harmony, so teaches Baphomet, can only be found by succumbing to one’s desires, just as animals do.
Baphomet rules the 600th or the 149th layer of the abyss (sages differ on that), a gigantic maze inhabited by demons, minotaurs and the souls of his mortal followers. Although the maze is easy to find and enter, few find there whatever they were looking for, instead getting lost in the seemingly endless labyrinth or slain by its ravenous guardians. Several attempts have been made to conquer Baphomet’s formidable fortress, but all failed as the invading army got lost and worn down by surprise attacks. High-ranking members of the Fraternity of Order as well as the Xaositecs, however, believe the chaos of the maze occasionally has to betray its master and will lead any invaders directly to the maze’s center, where Baphomet resides.
The Lord of Minotaurs does not involve himself much in abyssal politics, and usually focuses on the affairs of the prime material plane. He takes some interest in the blood war, apparently, as he occasionally sends his minions to support the Tanar’ri armies. Some speculate, however, that he just does this to test the strength or get rid of newly bred creatures.
In the last decades, Baphomet and his followers approached tribes of giants, trying to make them abandon their old gods and accept him as new patron. He succeeded with several tribes, which then spread his faith to even more giant communities. The traditional giant gods didn’t react well to this offence, and declared a war on his followers. Only his labyrinth has protected him from their vengeance since then. Wild speculations pass around the planes as to why he advanced on giantkind, and many suspect a ruse of some kind.
Dogma: Don’t be fooled by what you are told, and see the reality behind the lies of the self-proclaimed guardians of order. Question tradition, search for a new perspective, and approach truth in your own way.
Cast away the false pride and misled sophistication of humankind (or giantkind) and listen to the animal within you. Be that animal, and strip yourself of the weakness of civilization. Follow your instincts, give in to your every desire, laugh at the rules and laws of society and so-called decency. Rejoin the ranks of animals, as there you will find your true nature and real wisdom.
Clergy and Temples
Baphomet does not grant divine spells himself, but he teaches prospective clerics how to tap the energies of the abyss itself. As this is not an easy task, only a few clerics can be found among his worshippers.
Most spellcasters in his service are actually wizards and sorcerers. The dedication and sophistication usually needed to master arcane magic seem to make wizards unlikely followers of Baphomet, but actually, quite a few are. There are several reasons for this, the most obvious one being the generous rewards Baphomet offers to wizard and sorcerer followers: His own magical powers are limited, and so he relies heavily on the abilities of his worshippers, especially to travel across the planes to gather new allies and followers. This reliance has caused him aggressively recruit arcane spellcasters, resorting to anything from bullying to rewarding them with minotaurs or even demons as bodyguards and servants.
The second, and more obscure reason, is why following Baphomet seems so untypical a choice for wizards: Many of them welcome an excuse to leave their studies and spend some time pursuing less intellectual pleasures. The contrast is what makes the faith of Baphomet attractive for them. Sorcerers, on the other hand, are naturally closer to Baphomet’s way of thinking, but to them, the Lord of Minotaurs doesn’t have much to offer. Thus, the number of sorcerers among his followers hasn’t grown strong.
Temples to Baphomet are always located inside labyrinths, both to deter intruders and as to impress the Master of Mazes with feats of confusing architecture. They usually feature a stature or picture of Baphomet, but their appearance varies widely. Sometimes, he is depicted as a human creature with a goat-like head, sometimes as a muscular minotaur. Some cults worship him as an hermaphrodite, while others envision him as an old, bearded human male.
There cult of Baphomet knows no established holidays or festivals. Instead, rituals are held according to recent events and the whims of the cult members. Great victories are celebrated with orgies, and losses are usually honoured with savage fights against various beasts and monsters or captured humanoids. Whenever cult members start a new enterprise, they pray for protection and guidance. Rituals include sacrificial killing or raping, often involving inter-species sex. The creation of chimeric creatures is honoured as most holy activity and is likely to attract the attention of Baphomet himself. Occasionally, he personally visits those who create new minotaurs or similar creatures, and rewards them with magic items or offers them to join the ranks of his direct servants and proxies.
Planewalker's Guild (Wanderers or Homeless)
The Planewalker's Guild is an old sect, dating back to the time before Aoskar was destroyed by the Lady of Pain.
Philosophy: The truth about the multiverse can only be learned by traveling it, as each and every plane holds a small part of the great secret. What this great secret is, you will learn once you know it. Some guild members hope it will give purpose to their existence, some are just looking for ultimate power. Most, however, concentrate on the present instead fantasizing about some the far future.
Factol: Mentuemhat the Knowledgeable (NG male aasimar Wizard 10 / Planeshift 5) was born in the realm of Set and served in his army for several years before becoming a dedicated follower of Thoth. He is a patient and amicable man and guided the guild through various rough times. Mentuemhat has become too old for traveling the multiverse, a cause of grief for both him and his fellow Planewalkers.
Sigil HQ: Planewalker's Guildhouse (Lower Ward)
Home Field: Nowhere and everywhere. The guild has tried to establish a base of operations in the Astral, but the githyanki destroyed it and killed several guildmembers.
Eligibility: Anyone can join, but a test is administered to decide the applicant's courage and resourcefulness.
Relations to other factions: Being too small to be a real threat to their power, most factions have no quarrel with the Planewalkers.
Allies: The Sensates share some outlooks of the Guild, and see it as an offshoot of their own philosophy. This has led some Guildmembers to suspect the Sensates of trying to incorporate the Guild into their faction, but most don't share this fear. Both organizations have worked together on planar explorations, the Sensates providing resources, the Planewalkers knowledge.
The Fated, the Mercikillers and the Guvners sometimes hire Planewalker as guides. The Indeps admire the Planewalkers reliance on themselves while traveling the multiverse, but don't agree with them on working for the Guvners and Mercikillers.
Enemies: The Athar have always been suspicious of the Planewalkers due to the old connection with the faith of Aoskar. The Bleak Cabal don't see the point in hurrying around the planes all the time, but don't enough to be considered an enemy.
Namer Abilities:
● Use Analyze Portal (MotP, p ...) as a spell-like ability once per day with a caster level equal to the charakter level.
● Knowledge (The Planes) is always a class skill
● Access to the guildhouses, where equipment and information can be acquired at reasonable prices or even for free.
Restrictions: Must not stay in any place for more than a year. Must help others Guildmembers by providing directions, information about portals and other minor favors.
Archetypes:
Planehopper: Planes - gotta see them all! The more, the sooner, the better!
Sage: Not having been there counts, but having learnt its secrets. The truth is out there!
