Church of Ibrandul

[Hugs&Kisses]

[INDENT][tface=sketch]The Church of Ibrandul[/tface]

The Church of Ibrandul is a badass little faction that has been in lower since the very beginnings of efu. They don't get much play because everyone oocly thought that the god was dead. However, Shar is actually being quite loyal to the followers of this deity and the faith is more potent and involved now then it ever was when the lurker was alive. So in effect, this deity is actually quite active and his domains play into everything that Sanctuary is. This faction has Huge potential for those looking for things go and get involved in anything. I should also mention, They support GOOD ALIGNED clerics and followers as well!

On the topic of Shar killing Ibrandul during the  Time of Troubles... this is not knowledge that any PC would possess,  even the clergy of Ibrandul themselves unless revealed to them directly  by their deity.  Even Sharran Clerics would not know whether or not Shar  killed Ibrandul, and indeed - even the other deities themselves believe  Ibrandul is still alive and kicking.

This is purely 100% OOC knowledge, and in fact may not even be true in EfU even if it is true in canon.

[tface=sketch]Lord of Caverns, The Dungeon Master, Lord of the Dry Depths, The Skulking God, Lurker in Darkness[/tface]
Symbol: Four interlocking silver circles on a dark purple background
Home Plane: Lesser Power of Pandemonium
Location: Formerly Phlegethon/Ibrandyllaran; currently adrift in the Astral Plane
Alignment: Chaotic neutral
Portfolio: Caverns, dungeons, the Underdark, skulls
Worshipers: Subterranean creatures, dungeon dwellers,
Favored Weapon: "The Skull-Splitter” (heavy pick)

Cleric Alignments: CE, CG, CN, N
NwN Domains: Cavern, Earth

Dogma: Followers of Ibrandul believe that the Underdark is every bit as vital as the surface world, and darkness is its greatest redeeming quality. In a world without light, there is no tedious and inescapable march of day and night to command the lives of intelligent creatures and no end to the variety of shapes and textures to experience tactilelyâ€"something which would be lost by merely looking upon them as surface dwellers do. Followers of Ibrandul believe that nothing is good or evil in the dark unless you consider it so, and such value judgments are frivolous.

Initiates to the Enveloping Darkness, as the faith is properly known, are charged: “There is perfect freedom in perfect darkness: independence, individuality, liberty from the judgment of others. Ibrandul protects you and guides you in the dark ways. He drives away those who would do his children harm and from time to time reveals great treasures to those who venture into the depths. Remain steadfast to him, and he will stand by you.”

[hide="Some History"]Worshipers in Calimshan and other areas of the Shining South claim that Ibrandul (Ih-BRAN-duhl) watches over humans who must venture into hostile underground areas, aiding and guiding those who serve him when they are in need. Ibrandul’s worship began in the prehistory of Calimshan, even before the founding of the Shoon Empire, which is now known as Iltkazar. Some tune after the defeat of the Djen, a tribe of nomadic humans was abducted from the Calim Desert by dark elf raiders from the city of Guallidurth, located deep beneath the desert sands. These humans served the drow as slaves for centuries, unable to flee the subterranean city because of their fear of the all-enveloping darkness.

The humans eventually escaped when a monstrous lizard emerged from the darkness, drove off the dark elf overseers, and led the slaves into the surrounding wilds of the Underdark. Some of the former slaves eventually returned to the surface and brought with them tales of the Lord of the Dark Depths to the tribes of the surface. Others remained in the dark tunnels, living in small, nomadic bands and subsisting by raiding the farms and caravan of the drow of Guallidurth and the humans of the surface. The subterranean dwellers slowly evolved into skulksâ€"a cowardly race of humanoids with chameleonlike abilitiesâ€"through a side-effect of one of the spells granted by the Skulking God. Both the humans of the surface and the skulks of the Underdark continue to worship Ibrandul, albeit with slightly different representations and sets of beliefs. Since then Ibrandul’s worship has quietly spread to many locations with access to the Underdark, including Undermountain beneath Mt. Waterdeep.

During the Time of Troubles, Ibrandul was spotted wandering the Underdark beneath Waterdeep. Unbeknownst to his worshipers, Ibrandul was killed during the Godswar by Shar. The now-petrified remains of his avatar are believed to lie at the bottom of a vast chasm in a lost level of Undermountain. Shar has always jealously guarded her rulership over darkness and those who work in it, and when Ibrandul was tremendously weakened by being forced into a minor avatar form (as all the powers were) during the Tune of Troubles, Shar killed him for daring to subvert followers away from her ranks. When the gods ascended to the heavens, Shar had acquired the power and portfolio of Ibrandul. Shar’s guise as Ibrandul is quite useful to her, allowing her to subvert the worship of her hated enemy Selûne without drawing attention to her most faithful worshipers, the nightcloaks. Shar/Ibrandul enjoys the delicious irony of secretly eroding the power of the Lady of Silver, particularly in the city of Waterdeep, one of the seats of Selûne’s power.

Ibrandul was a taciturn and moody power, and Shar stills plays him as such when she speaks for him or has one of her avatars behave and appear as his used to. He displayed all intense emotions simply by flicking his tongue or blinking his eyes at a quicker pace. He radiated an aura of gloom, darkness, and ages long forgotten. He was always restless, wanting to stalk off into the dark and roam the tunnels of the Underdark searching for those might harm his followers.[/hide]
[hide="Other Manifestations"]Ibrandul commonly manifests as sounds: footsteps around the bend, breathing (which is often mistaken for wind moaning in the caverns), dripping water (often in arid regions of the Underdark), cave-ins (which rumble in understandable words and phrases), and in curious rock formations and erosion patterns. Many adventurers aided by Ibrandul have no idea that they have been visited by him; rather, they find themselves guided to their destinations by avoiding natural hazards and following peculiar-yet-natural signsâ€"typically a trail of warm spots on tunnel walls (visible by infravision and lasting for only a few moments per spot). Ibrandul sometimes works through free-willed earth elementals, horgars (giant sluglike creatures that tunnel through the earth by melting stone), ibrandlin and other lizards of all sizes, skulks, oozes (gray and crystal varieties), and will o’ deeps.[/hide]
[hide="Day-to-Day Activities"] All priests of Ibrandul proselytize among adventurers and the poor folk of cities. Ibrandulin are also expected to build temple fortresses deep in the Underdark to serve as sanctuaries for those who venture in the depths. They are to offer the protection of the Lord of the Dry Depths to those who must hide underground (from justice, their enemies, a plague, severe weather, or an attack on the city) by providing such people with guarded, defensible temples underground to stay inâ€"in exchange for regular rental payments for a bed, food, a niche in the temple, and Ibrandul’s favor.

Many of Ibrandul’s clergy members wander in the Underdark as adventurers or aides to them. Their mission is to persuade everyone they meet to remain below the surface and acknowledge Ibrandul as their defender while below ground. Ibrandulin tend to roam alone in the Underdark, celebrating the darkness, which leads to a relatively high mortality rate among the lower-ranking priests. The smarter Ibrandulin stick with groups until they develop their survival skills and priestly powers a bit more. Shar tends to warn and protect higher-level followers of Ibrandul with the same subtle signs and manifestations that Ibrandul liked to use.[/hide]
[hide="The Church"]Any creature who loved the darkness with a passion used to be able to join Ibrandul’s priesthood. Shar (masquerading as Ibrandul) now keeps watch over the sect of Ibrandul and grants his priests their spells. Shar is pleased with her new followers and makes all new initiates specialty priests, although numerous clerics of Ibrandulâ€"about 20% of the total clergyâ€"still exist from prior to the Fall of the Gods. Ibrandul’s clergy members used to include a few gray druids , but since the Time of Troubles they have stopped receiving spells from the Lord of the Dry Depths and now worship dwarf, gnome, or other Underdark deities.

In Calimshan and the Shining South, Ibrandul’s worship has declined significantly over the centuries among humans. Ibrandul is still worshiped with great fervor by the once-human bands of skulks who stalk the Underdark in the Calishite region of Faerûn and emerge only to raid the surface As a result, the Skulking God is considered far more of an evil power in Calimshan than elsewhere in the Realms.

In the Sword Coast North, Ibrandul’s faith is a relatively recent arrival. Here the Lord of the Dry Depths attracts worshipers of a wide variety of alignments and races, and his priests emphasize his defender aspect more than his love of darkness. It is likely that Shar will shift this focus in the near future. Before Ibrandul was slam, he provided his priests with spells to modify fire lizards into ibrandlin, the “lurkers in darkness” created in the image of the Stalker, which priests could train to guard Ibrandul’s temples.

With Shar’s favor, the ibrandlin are now beginning to breed true. Before the Avatar crisis Ibrandul tended to ignore his followers once they were relatively safe, leaving all his clergy members as clerics and not providing enough divine power to turn the ibrandlin into a self-propagating species. It was probably this inattention to his worshipers and corresponding weakening in his power that led to his defeat by Shar.

Novice Ibrandulin (priests of Ibrandul) are called Children of Ibrandul, and addressed as “child” by priests. When initiated into the priesthood, they earn the title Lurker. Senior priests (those above 5th level) are Mysterious Lurkers, and the leader of a temple is an Impenetrable Lurker. Priests often take distinctive personal titles, and the recognition of such title by the Impenetrable Lurker of a temple is all that is required to make them official.[/hide]

[tface=sketch]More information[/tface] can be found in this second edition resource, Here.

[tface=sketch]Faction Goals[/tface] they include everything from:

• Conversion and Ceremony
• Cartography and Underdark Scouting
• The subtle involvement of the Sharran Church
• Killing threats that surround Sanctuary
• Hunting Aberrations
• Treasure Hunting
• Ruin Diving
• Building up the various locales
• Aiding or leading adventuring parties
• Being Rebellious
• Being philosophical about the nature of the world as it is now
• Having a nearly indestructible portfolio.

(unlike the sun, it would hard for efu to exist without an underdark)

• And the list goes on.

[tface=sketch]New and Existing Characters[/tface]:
New characters can easily fall into the ranks here, however, existing characters might also find a purpose for themselves by getting involved. New clerics are encouraged to have their own goals, to have disagreements within the church itself, and to consider being involved with /specializing around other factions as well. This is a religion that accepts many walks of life, and no matter the concept you can find some traction working for or against the church. I am putting this up because I feel that a lot of people could have some fun playing with the concept, and it has little information presented on the forum for people to have made that decision previously.

Interesting side note: Although his darkwalkers are primarily humans and (in area of Calimshan) skulks, Ibrandul is known to also have rare dwarf, gnome, dark elf, and half-elf (of dark elf descent) priests.
[/INDENT]

[Eye Brand You]

Still very much alive.

[Diz-e]

Still going! Many goals, (major) server plots, mysteries, conflicts and intrigue.

Though our presence has certainly been building recently, we barely have enough players involved to share in the awesome! Practically anyone can get involved; it's pretty open-ended. There are obviously no paladins of Ibrandul, however, and druids will likely not receive spells from this deity without an application. As I cannot edit Ebok's OP above, I should also add that Darkness domain has been added to Earth and Cavern as Ibrandul's official EfU cleric domains.

I should also note that to openly be a part of this faction may be a challenge for some players and characters. Most of us primarily spend our time in Lower and the wilderness, but this doesn't mean you can't have presence in Upper with the right concept.

Please don't hesitate to msg me on IRC if you have any questions or need help with concepts.

[The Undisputed Truth]

This needs more love...

[TheTurboNerd]

How much Shar nonsense is there really involved? The Cleric Alignments allow for CG, but Shar is NE. How does that work? Does the faction twirl mustaches?

[putrid_plum]

Even the faith of Ibrandul doesn't know Shar killed their god.  I would imagine the faction focuses on Ibrandul, not Shar.

[Spiffy Has]

Ibrandul is a deity capable of granting sells in EFU with all appropriate alignments. Even if he is supposedly Shar incognito.

[Diz-e]

Without getting spoilerish, let me see if I can help you understand this a little better.

First, get the Shar thing out of your head, and think from an IC perspective. THIS IS NOT THE CULT OF SHAR. IF you learn anything about the Sharran faith, you would know that they would never (except in certain parts of the now-defunct surface world) openly reveal themselves or their involvement in ANY faction they project their influence into, much less any other faith. IMO this shouldn't be treated any differently. If anyone is "twirling moustaches" (and that's a pretty weak representation of how potently deceptive a true Sharran could be), it's them - not the Ibrandulin. And that's assuming they are even involved at all (thanks Ebok :P ).

The faithful of Ibrandul can come from a dizzying array of mentalities. From an alignment perspective, yes, it is primarily chaotic in nature, with a neutral pull because it does have some philosophical traditions and loosely associated leadership - it isn't necessarily a free-for-all of wild and crazy. But in many ways, it actually IS and can be just that.

Regarding the general lay persons, we're talking about any manner of folk who hold tight to personal freedoms, and believe that the only one who can possibly lord over this is a passive god who allows them free will and passage for a nod and a tribute now and then. Who, when you really need it, is the guy who will reveal a sign that leads to food and maybe a safe place to rest, or come and save your ass when you're lost in the dark with no one else to give a shit. For people who don't depend on anything, or anyone, to tell them what's what, they feel they should give a heads up to the mysterious Lurker in the Darkness... for fear of the unknown, for fear of dark places and the things that live out there, but often mostly for fear of what will happen if they don't trust any gods at all - he's the go-to for this, for those who come to know of him while traveling in caves and such (ESPECIALLY in the Underdark, and now that the surface is one big dark too...). This is a fairly good representation of chaotic mindsets, but could incorporate many true neutral, neutral good, or even neutral evil alignments.

Layfolk who take it a step further actually move to embracing the lightless realms, wandering in the deep depths just for the sake of it, and letting go of their needs for material things, including food and other mortal needs, in a nearly insane leap of faith that the Lurker will guide them and keep them supplied with all that is required. You can see how many types of alignments could possibly fit into this, but especially neutral and chaotic (depending on the mentality that drives it).

Now, we come to the clergy. The Ibrandulin, Children of Ibrandul, or Initiates to the Enveloping Darkness, are those who have taken it a step further, as the above, but actually have the inclination to be guides for others and spread the understanding of the Lord of Caverns. But what they teach might vary, depending on the priest! They might emphasize the Lord as the ultimate guide; they might talk about how he is your defender when you are in danger. They might talk about him as a massive lizard that frees enslaved men from the hands of drow or the dread empire. They might instruct others how to best know and use the fungi in the nether realms, how to spot the signs of his pathways, or whatever else "The Lord Provides" (I will point out here that there have been a fair amount of Underdark druids who called on Ibrandul according to the texts; one of them even a religious leader). They may even speak of him as the saviour of men in the new age of darkness, or the absolute lord of the Underdark realm. King of the Below, Master of Darkness, the Dungeon Master, etc etc etc. They could aim for carving out hidden caves for waylaid delvers to rest. They might even use the faith as a means to their own twisted, demented ends, all the while believing they are saints. The perspective of the faith is mostly chaotic and neutrally so, because the way it may go depends on the priest, and there is no guarantee the god will show up when you call on him, even if he does grant you some divine power.

Ibrandul's priests might defy your limits of what a cleric is (if they are even technically a cleric at all). You could even think of them as parts of druid, wanderer, philosopher, explorer, mystic, soothsayer, "wildling", and just as often part madman. In the 2nd edition DnD reference linked above, you can read some inspirational content about how the priests coming to inherit the title of Lurker (reaching 5th level) submitted themselves to undergo a secret ritual involving them ingesting the blood of 'ibrandlin' (sacred lizards created through equally secret rituals) and thus growing scales over their bodies to be closer to the commonly agreed form of the Lord of the Dry Depths. I see this as an example of a type of engagement that wholly rational minds wouldn't likely consider; it's very savage, and ritualistic. It's a chaotic faith on the whole.

This list goes on. Darkness is the Void. The Void is Nothing. Nothing is Chaos. Men who put faith in ideologies of the unknown are usually, let's face it, either really into "blind" faith (pun intended), or headed in the direction of madness. Do you think such faithful (good or evil) will make a difference between their religious guides telling them to save lost travelers, or leading them into the darkness to let the Lord decide? Why don't you play one, and figure it out?

[Meldread]

On the topic of Shar killing Ibrandul during the Time of Troubles... this is not knowledge that any PC would possess, even the clergy of Ibrandul themselves unless revealed to them directly by their deity.  Even Sharran Clerics would not know whether or not Shar killed Ibrandul, and indeed - even the other deities themselves believe Ibrandul is still alive and kicking.

This is purely 100% OOC knowledge, and in fact may not even be true in EfU even if it is true in canon.

Of course, this doesn't mean the faith of Ibrandul can't be infiltrated like any other faith by Sharrans, Cyrists, Maskarrans or other religious cults that might use secrets, lies, or shadows to conceal their true faith.  However, it is equally possible, and indeed even more likely that those who serve Ibrandul legitimately believe that they serve him... and there is no reason that any PC - unless given a reason to suspect by a DM - should believe otherwise.

From an IC perspective most people will likely never have heard of Ibrandul unless they're from Waterdeep or Calimshan, and even then it's completely possible that he'd be unknown to many due to his obscurity.  Rationally speaking, Ibrandul is to the Underdark what Umberlee is to the sea, although he's likely viewed as more indifferent than malevolent.  Offering the occasional praise to Ibrandul, especially if you head out into the Underdark regularly, makes perfect sense for most PC's.

Even if a PC is revealed to be say - a Cyrist and a prominent member of the faith of Ibrandul - it would be nuts to jump to the conclusion that the entire faith is a front for the faith of Cyric.  The PC would be viewed as an infiltrator, just as if we had a Cyricist posing to be a follower of Ilmater.

[Aethereal]

I see this as an example of a type of engagement that wholly rational minds wouldn't likely consider; it's very savage, and ritualistic. It's a chaotic faith on the whole.

This list goes on. Darkness is the Void. The Void is Nothing. Nothing is Chaos. Men who put faith in ideologies of the unknown are usually, let's face it, either really into "blind" faith (pun intended), or headed in the direction of madness. Do you think such faithful (good or evil) will make a difference between their religious guides telling them to save lost travelers, or leading them into the darkness to let the Lord decide? Why don't you play one, and figure it out?

I find it interesting and compelling to challenge the norms and expectations. And those two paragraphs would be the sell. It reminds me greatly of my Mystrylan priest. And I imagine one who is not bound to the god as as spell beggar could play with it even more. Lawful Good Imbrandulite, saves people in the darkness and feeds them shadow-lizard blood, because it's good for them! (silly hyberbole of an example)

Looks like a great opportunity.

[TheTurboNerd]

This is purely 100% OOC knowledge, and in fact may not even be true in EfU even if it is true in canon.

That would be very cool, since Ibrandbul is a great deity without Shar sticking her willy into it.

[SN]

QFE.

On the topic of Shar killing Ibrandul during the Time of Troubles... [..]

This is purely 100% OOC knowledge, and in fact may not even be true in EfU even if it is true in canon.

This faction has my endorsement!

[Hugs&Kisses]

It'll be nice when more gods die off and the lurker is one of the few that remain. This religion would really be best served by two or more different factions treating the faith differently. Nothing represents a chaotic church more then mixed messages.

[tala_kai]

Two things I know:

1. I can't top this thread, so I'll just use it as a bump.

2. BUMP. Some really cool stuff is going on right now. Probably most of you know what I talk about, but I still prefer not to write it OOC and spoil for others.

So if you want to join, embrace Ibrandul as your savior and roll an Ibrandulite today! OR convert!

Hit me on IRC (nick Tala) if you have any questions. Though all the info you need is righhhhhhht here in this thread.

[tala_kai]

Seeing as there's actually more than one PC, it's time to revive the old IRC channel. Join #SacredCave today!