Caelistis (3.5e Campaign Setting)/Organizations/Caim
Church of Caim[edit]
The Church of Caim is a very cruel religion. They believe that brutality and violence is the path to power over all peers and opposition. They channel the wrath of their god and ritualistically destroy large objects, such as statues or even houses. While there is some organization in the church, it is a barbaric hierarchy based on who fears who the most. The leaders usually rally their raiders and plan attacks on weaker churches, and those who don't participate usually wander Caelistis in small groups referred to as "breaks", attacking travelers and causing trouble.
| Affiliation Score | Titles and Benefits |
|---|---|
| 3 or lower | Not affiliated, or junior member. |
| 4-14 | Breaker: You gain a minor Rage ability. A number of times per day equal to your affiliation points divided by 5, you may, as a free action, enter a holy wrath. The holy wrath functions similar to the Barbarian's rage, except as noted. You gain +2 Str and Con, which lasts for a number of rounds equal to your new Str modifier (minimum 1), and you gain a +5 on Strength checks made to break objects. If you already have Rage or a similar ability, you may instead use up a daily use of that ability to enter Holy Wrath, but you are not fatigued afterward. |
| 15-22 | Savage: A number of times per day equal to your Str modifier, you may make a destructive blow, which deals double damage to objects in place of any attack. At 30 or higher affiliation, the attack instead deals triple damage to objects. |
| 23-29 | Ravager: On any round you successfully destroy an enemy's weapon or shield with a sunder attempt, you may make a extra attack against the same creature at your highest base attack bonus. This extra attack may not be a sunder attempt. |
| 30+ | Destroyer: Any weapon you wield is treated as adamantine for the purpose of overcoming damage reduction and hardness. You automatically succeed on any Strength checks with a DC equal to or lower than your affiliation score. |
| Action | Affiliation Points Gained |
|---|---|
| Character Level | +1/2 level |
| Have ranks in Knowledge (Religion) | +1/4 per rank |
| Barbarian, Cleric, or Favored Soul class | +2 |
| Have 4 ranks in Intimidate | +2 |
| Has sundered a weapon in combat | +1 |
| Has sundered 5 or more weapons in a single combat | +2 |
| Has dealt over 50 damage to an object in one swing | +2 |
| Higher than 20 Str | +2 |
Those That Worship[edit]
Faith: Might Makes Right[edit]
To a worshiper of Caim, there is nothing more to life than power. Specifically, power over others. If you can hurt someone else more than they can hurt you, and are willing to do so, then they should do what you tel them to. And it's a simple as that. The church functions on a barbarian hierarchy of prowess. If you are the strongest, then you become the leader of the church.
Beyond that, there is little structure. But there are things that make Caim worshipers different from any old barbarian group. They know that in the end, the strongest will always be Caim himself, wherever he may be, and that he retains his ultimate power over them. As such, there are many things considered "taboo" to them, even in their uncivilized state. All warriors must carry the sign of Caim, a black thrush, often depicted killing something.
The most significant taboo is the restriction that no warrior may use any type of bladed weapon, save for the High Priest, who has earned the right. Though many have their own theories as to why this rule was made, true historians know why. In the Age of Mortality, Caim let it be known that none but he and his apostles may use bladed weapons. This was to purposefully limit them, as he worried that one day one of his followers would actually succeed in trying to kill him.
