The Sulis Church

The Phytonic Priesthood

Half of all adult members of the Sulis Church are members of the Phytonic Priesthood, a heavenly calling that establishes its holder as the divine pillar around which a household can form. The priesthood is named after an ancient prophet, Phyton the Woodshaper, who was a tall, slender, youthful-looking Sula. Given the power by God to take the form of any forest creature, he single-handedly cleared forests to make room for crops, cut tracks through mountains to make roads, and dammed rivers to form fishing ponds, preaching all the while that “Nothing in nature is so beautiful as what people can make of it. Marvel as much at a field of crops, a garden of herbs, and a swamp drained to form fertile soil as much as thou wouldst marvel at the forest and mountains, for thou shouldst know that all are equally reflective of God. Domesticate those animals that should be domesticated, according to the inspiration of Lendor the Spirit and the Law of Wejas the Mother, but equally shouldst thou slay those as are dangerous to thee or thy works.” When Phyton is referenced in art, he is either depicted as above or referenced by means of a scimitar in front of an oak tree.

As mentioned above, only Phytonic Priesthood members can serve as the head of a traditional Sulis family or household, and they have all of the duties thereof. They are also expected to act as protectors of their communities and to look for ways to make use of any nearby unused land. Many choose a region to patrol and protect, typically a circle one day's walk in circumference. Patrolling of this sort is expected to happen regularly, but not often enough to become an obstacle for the Priesthood holder's domestic duties. How that translates into a schedule is left to the discretion of the Priesthood holder; this is why overlapping domains is considered a blessing. However, there is a point in which one Priesthood holder's domain is so similar to another's that the latter takes it as a challenge. They might use their powers to redirect a river to suit a town's needs or to cull a forest of its uglier plants to leave a more pleasant locale. Phytonic Priesthood holders without a household often wander the unsettled parts of the world, looking for destructive creatures to kill, abandoned sites of old civilizations, or wild places that might be useful to mankind.

The ceremonial garb of a Phytonic Priesthood holder is much the same as that holder's everyday wear. However, it will be predominantly brown, green, or both, and lighter in the autumn.

As a Phytonic Priesthood holder, one can find training in Ceremony, Climb, Heal, Hide, Knowledge (any–human, any–Sulir, any–world, nature), Move Silently, Perform (singing), Ride, Spot, and Survival; they can also gain Martial Weapon Proficiency (scimitar). Most Phytonic Priesthood holders have medium-high scores in Virtues such as Calm, Conservative, Loyal, and Spiritual. By taking the feat Phytonic Priesthood Holder, one can gain access to the following spirits: befuddle, countermagic, extinguish, mobility, protection, shimmer, and vigor. By taking the feat Elder in the Phytonic Priesthood (prerequisite: Phytonic Priesthood Holder), one can gain access to the following ceremonies: accelerate growth, bless crops, chameleon, cloud clear, comfort song, command (gnome), command (woodland creatures), restore health (Constitution), and tanglethicket.

The vast majority of people, the Church teaches, will receive a kingdom of glory after the Final Judgment, and enter into one of three degrees of glory after the resurrection: Celestial, Terrestrial, or Telestial Kingdoms. However, the sons of perdition will be cast into the Outer Darkness, where Scripture states that they “shall go away into the lake of fire and brimstone, with the devil and his angels.” The Sulir believe that free will is one of the greatest gifts to come out of Kord's sacrifice of himself, and that there are some who will completely reject Kord Christ and the Law. God will not force someone, including Perdition, to be saved if they do not desire to be saved. Therefore, the sons of perdition are allowed to remove themselves from the presence of God and live in whatever degree of darkness they desire. The Sulir refer to this as “denying Lendor the Spirit” and generally interpret it specifically as rejecting and denying Kord the Son after receiving a personal witness of him from Lendor the Spirit. It is frequently – though not universally – added that a son of perdition must have a “perfect knowledge” of Kord and that mere faith or belief in him is not enough. The term is also used to refer to those angels who followed Perdition into outlawry and rebellion against the Law set down by Wejas the Mother and were thus cast out of heaven.

Perdition

Perdition is the embodiment of evil to the Sulir, the Original Outlaw. She so desires to usurp God's divine place in and power over the world that she herself exists in a Trinity, being composed of Beltar (Perdition the Spirit), Pyr (Perdition the Father), and Syr (Perdition the Daughter). Her worshipers, should they exist, would be unlikely to find contentment in anything other than positions of leadership; those who can't find such would likely leave to seek out heathen tribes to infiltrate and convert to the worship of Perdition or to find new enemies to fight. They would also tend towards in-fighting and backbiting, preying upon each other, with the smarter members leaving to found a new cult around them. Despite this and the communication troubles inherent in a group dedicated to lies, legends say that these groups get along surprisingly well. It is said that most worshipers of Perdition (called deathseekers or forktongues in the stories) sell their services as assassins or are hired by leaders to confuse and misdirect spies and unwarranted foreign dignitaries; turnover among the clergy is high because of these internal feuds. Hot, dry days that cause fires are considered Perdition's, so many Sulir either refuse to go out on those days or spend all day in church, praying. The eleventh day of each month is also considered Perdition's, and it is said that her sons are not allowed to tell any truths on this day, though they must craft true-sounding lies and get others to believe them. The stories say that any forktongue speaking a truth on this day has his legs broken and reset askew as a warning.

The stories of worship services to Perdition include many sensationalist references to sacrifices conducted in caves or points of low ground. These sacrifices are said to ensure that devoted worshipers rise as undead within a year of their deaths to return and aid their cult or tribe and show proof of evil's true power. It is said that Perdition demands sacrifices most strongly at the beginning of winter, spring, and low summer; prisoners and slaves are poisoned with corrosive substances, stabbed in the back, and burned alive on great pyres. These stories also tell of worshipers exposing themselves to great heat to test their strength, plotting against those who hold things they want, building superior forges, exploring exotic locations to find rare plants and other substances from which poisons can be made, traveling to avoid persecution, traveling to find rumors to escalate, and exploiting the trust of greedy and foolish explorers. If these stories can be believed, worshipers are on constant vigilance, watching other people for weaknesses or openings in their defenses and using their ability to lie effectively in situations where they can cause the most trouble: markets, courtrooms, embassies, and fortunetellers' booths. Many, rumor says, are skilled actors, habitually performing in self-written plays that slander authority figures. They are said to engage in debate.

Black or dark grey cloaks embroidered with actual gold thread are said to be favored by the worshipers of Perdition; the inner lining of these cloaks ranges from medium-brown to near-black. They are worn over orange silk trousers and jerkins, with another layer of red silk between them, slitted to reveal the inner orange layer; one wearing such a costume appears to ripple with flame, hidden by shadow and adorned with wealth.  A forked-tongue symbol is often displayed somewhere on their cloak or clothing, Heavy bracers made of brass adorn the wrists, and male and female alike shave their head. A forked-tongue amulet of red metal, preferably red gold or lacquered rusted iron, is worn over the robe. Ceremonial tools include a small sword made of brass, a fine leather whip braided with red gold, and an elaborate wooden staff that cleverly conceals an ornate dagger, and these are usually well-hidden by worshipers. Alternating colors of red and orange are the norm for adventuring followers of Perdition. This is normally accomplished with patches of one color sewn into clothes of the other color, strips of both colors tied into elaborate knots (clothing of loose nets of these strips can sometimes be a very easily hidden adventuring costume), or with vivid body paints. Over these they tend to wear golden-yellow robes with a red forked-tongue symbol; even when these robes become ragged or dirty, the tongue-symbol must remain recognizable.

Buildings of mortared stone (especially volcanic), with red and orange shapes enameled into the walls and covered in a glaze to catch the light are said to bear the touch of Perdition's twisted followers, and are often avoided by the Sulir if they should come across such a building. The Sulir also never set a fire burning near the center of a public room (the fire is always in a fireplace/hearth or otherwise to the side), because this too is seen as a sign of Perdition's influence. For this same reason, they avoid buildings with a large number of alcoves and blind corners, places where Perdition or his followers are said to lurk. According to the stories and rumors, if Perdition's influence grows strong on a building or on a builder or architect's mind, gnarled wood and tortured-looking stone joins the previous qualities, making the building a strange affair. Unusual paintings, according to the stories, would hang from the walls, such as two dark figures standing between a pair of trees which – if observed long enough – resolves into the image of a skull. Spinning wooden disks with pleasant and ugly images on either side hang from the ceiling.

Beltar, Perdition the Spirit, is often represented in Sulis iconography as an ugly old woman, a beholder, a red dragon, a marilith demon, or even just a set of monstrous fangs, closing to bite. Many nonhuman slaves in the ancient days of the Sulis Empire turned to the worship of Perdition through her Spirit, who is said to lurk in mines and other underground areas looking for mates. The stories always take a gory glee in describing how Beltar eats her mates after having her way with them. This Beltar-centric worship of Perdition is often rumored to continue among evil nonhumans and savage humans. Beltar is Perdition the Spirit, that which unites the Outlaw Trinity, both with itself and with its followers should they exist; she is that in the world which inspires hatred and which seeks to make examples of traitors or the weak-willed. The malice that is Perdition the Spirit is said to push the sons of Perdition to band together into armies and to ally with more powerful creatures, such as red dragons, beholders, demons, or greater undead. These armies are then driven by Beltar the Spirit to wage war on all of God's works and all of God's world.

Pyr, Perdition the Father, the Blazing Killer, the Hideous Assassin, is often depicted as a demonic face with ears like bat wings. When a more humanoid appearance is desired than a mere head, he is drawn as a worshiper of Perdition, carrying a longsword called Red Light in the legends and a whip called Viper. It is said that the biggest success of Perdition's revolt against God belonged to Pyr, who corrupted fire from the life-giving power it was meant to be into a destructive and hurtful element. He is the patron of assassins, and is worshiped, shockingly openly, outside of the direct Sulis sphere by the jermlaine and some nonhuman tribes.

Syr, Perdition the Daughter, the Forked Tongue, Night Hag, Oathbreaker, often appears in religious art as a dirty, smelly old hag in tattered clothing who is never without Small Lie (a dagger of venom made from an evil unicorn's horn) and Harsh Truth (a rod of withering made from a gold dragon's crystallized soul). She is often depicted riding a great nightmare called Flamedevil. Despite this, a forked tongue is enough to reference her in a piece of art.

From the Sulis Holy Writ

“Heed this warning: You will find those criminal angels who followed Perdition into outlawry exploring and mining caves. They seek foes and riches; be not like them. They accept not fear; be not like them. They allow only hatred into their hearts for everyone they meet; be not like them.”

“And I saw the world perishing in fire at Perdition's hands, for all that existed upon its surface that threatens her hatred of our God must be burned. Though her followers may kill you, do not let this happen! And then a great realization drew heavy sadness over my eyes, for even the greatest of us must sleep sometime. And I myself grew wroth with God and cried out in pain: 'Because we fall to such tactics, do we deserve our fate? Have You given this world unto Perdition and her sons, most crafty for exploiting our weaknesses?'”

“It is said, is it not, that the best way to protect what thou know is to shield it in a lie. I tell thee, this in itself is a lie spread by Perdition and all her sons. Speech is deadlier than any weapon; when Perdition whispers this in your ear, know that it is true, yet incomplete. The greatest and the smallest have fallen with a well-spoken untruth, but the masses have lived and have died on the stroke of a rumor uncontrolled. Be a fool, this is the message I bring thee, for Perdition will give her word to advance her cause and then break it when it is no longer of use. Trust, then, is for fools, but if this is so, then so shall bread and water be said to be for fools. Surrender not this foolishness when Perdition doth betray thee, for it is a gift and a lesson when they do so. Learn its secrets well and be not the dull-wit they believe thou to be for thy honesty and straightforwardness.”

“All sins shall be forgiven, except the sin against Lendor the Spirit; for Kord will save all except the sons of perdition. What must a man do to commit the unpardonable sin? He must receive Lendor the Spirit, have the heavens opened unto him, and know God, and then sin against him. After a man has sinned against Lendor, there is no repentance for him. He has got to say that the sun does not shine while he sees it; he has got to deny Kord Christ when the heavens have been opened unto him, and to deny the plan of salvation with his eyes open to the truth of it.”

“And the sons of perdition inhabit and shall inhabit a kingdom which is not a kingdom of glory.”

Game Mechanics

Worshipers of Perdition must be of chaotic good, chaotic neutral, neutral, chaotic evil, neutral evil, or lawful evil alignment. They may choose an unarmed strike, the spiked gauntlet, the longsword, the whip, or the dagger as their favored weapon, and summon either a +1 improved unarmed strike, a mighty cleaving spiked gauntlet, a longsword of venom, or a dagger of venom with their weapon of the deity spell. They may choose two domains from the following: Chaos, Destruction, Domination (Complete Divine), Earth, Evil, Fire, Knowledge, Madness (Complete Divine), Mind (Complete Divine), Mysticism (Complete Divine), Summoner (Complete Divine), Trickery, and War. They cannot cast spells with the cold descriptor; they are not restricted, however, from casting a spell that has been modified by an item or feat (like Energy Substitution) so that its cold descriptor is completely changed to another descriptor.

Baqluni Religion

The Baqluni name the Godhead is-Toos, and refer to it as a goddess, calling Her by such titles as Lady of Our Fate, the Heavenly Mother, and the Colorless All-Colored One. In their system, fate and destiny are supreme and the Future is called by the same word as Paradise. Accordingly, is-Toos is said to rule and embody these things, a domain that extends to dominion over divination and honesty, as well.

The Lady of Our Fate is often depicted as a Baqluni woman of any age or stature, always carrying her mystical gold spindle with which she creates the strands of fate and occasionally alongside a cloudlike being named only as the Prince of Time in Baqluni liturgy and texts. She is said to often be a bit aloof from the doings of her worshipers, concerned as she is with the fate of this word, all other worlds, and all of their inhabitants. For this reason, the Baqluni say that you must work to come into communion with the Colorless All-Colored One, in opposition to many of the other religions they meet, in which communion is assumed as a birthright of all thinking beings.

According to Baqluni myth, before this world was inhabited the first man, is-Qadam, existed in an eternal and pre-material existence with is-Toos. As time passed, the Lady of Our Fate decreed that fate, laying out a plan through which all beings could find salvation through a test. Part of this plan was that people would be given agency or will, the ability to exert some force upon the strands she spun for them and determine for themselves the course their life would take. Based on their exercise of this will or agency, they would then be able to achieve that profound state known as exaltation. One of his angels, known as Issha Tan, learned of this plan and his heart went out to the as-yet-unborn people who would be subject to this test. In his reasoning, this quality of agency or will not only allowed for but ensured that some would fail the test, would be unable to achieve exaltation. Thus, out of compassion, he sought to overthrow is-Toos and instate a plan which would not involve this quality of agency or will. This plan, he argued, would allow all people to return to the glory of the Godhead in the fullness of time. It must be remembered in order to understand the Baqluni that Issha Tan acted out of compassion, that he was and is a virtuous, if wrong, being. Is-Qadam, the first man, heard of this revolt before it occurred and saw, rightly, that his assassination was an integral part of the rebels' plan. Upon discovering this, he was struck by a cowardly fear which drove him to flee from that pre-material existence to our world, where he fathered all the races that walk its surface.

In addition, the Baqluni believe in four different modes or aspects of the One God, as perceived by the believer, rather than the distinct persons in God Himself described by the other religions. They name these four modes or aspects is-Toos is-Geshta, is-Toos is-Qoram, is-Toos is-Muqol, and is-Toos Issha Ñe. These aspects are usually termed “faces” or “masks” by the Baqluni. A Baqluni in a theological debate with members of another religion is usually quick to point out that the only number applied to the Godhead in scripture is “One” and that there is no inherent multiplicity ascribed to the Godhead in scripture. In fact, their point is correct; any scripture inarguably ascribing a multiplicity to the Godhead was either written after the various schisms occurred or has a controversial provenance.

This belief in the faces of the One God is believed to have originated in ideas preached by the heretical theologian Sablic slightly more than a millennium before is-Baqlun far Gash began his own preaching. These teachings are said to have come to Sablic himself from the earlier theologians Noti and Pragsic. Hippli of the Forgotten City (as he is now known), the most important theologian of the time, knew Sablic personally and mentioned him in his writing; though he knew Sablic disliked Trinitarian theology, he referred to his teachings as the heresy of Noti. Patriarch Metr is known to have written letters to the Sulir's new trading partners at the time of Sablic's teachings (these being the tribal ancestors of the Baqluni) arguing against said teachings, indicating that they had already begun to take root among the tribes. Modern Baqluni, however, differ from the teachings of Sablic in that he taught that God the Mother (known to the Sulir as Wejas) was the only true existence of the Godhead, and that God the Son and God the Spirit (Kord and Lendor, respectively) were “exhibitions and developments which the divine Being has made of Herself to Her creatures.”

Is-Toos is-Geshta is called the Daughter of the Oasis, and is the mask of is-Toos sought by the desperate, by the thirsty, by the prisoner in the oubliette, and by the traveler lost in the desert with an empty waterskin. She is fate intervening to save that which is lost. She is depicted as a young Baqluni woman standing in a pool of water, often holding a clay water jug. Her pet fish, is-Gumu, summons water creatures to fill her. When she is not primary in the depiction or where the artist has a lack of space or tools, she is often represented simply by a stylized waterspout. Her temperate is moderate, and she treats all with care and patience.

Often called the husband of is-Toos, is-Toos is-Qoram is the very foundation of all things Baqluni. He is the mask that appears when a Baqluni looks backward, to the past, and is thus revered for both his inestimable wisdom and his uncompromising devotion to tradition. This mask has also gained a seemingly odd association with geometry; this came about as philosophers turned to diagrams and pictures to explain the importance of is-Toos is-Qoram in finding the Future, even though he seems to turn his back on it.

The Merchant, is-Toos is-Muqol is the mask of is-Toos who receives the most prayers, for where is-Toos is-Geshta appears out of the interface of need and the Godhead, is-Toos is-Muqol appears out of the interface between desire and the Godhead. Among the Baqluni, desire isn't considered evil or wrong; in fact, it is often celebrated and revered. Even the desire for wealth, it is said among them, is sister to the passionate yearning that leads to communion with is-Toos. Thus, while is-Toos is-Geshta might be the archetype of the beloved (and thus ultimately with is-Toos Herself), is-Toos is-Muqol governs love and all prayer, as well as the more mundane aspects of trade, negotiation, ventures, appraisal, and reciprocity. It is important to remember that one of is-Toos's purviews is honesty. Nonetheless, is-Toos is-Muqol rules over the art of negotiation, for hard bargaining is near to a sacrament for the Baqluni. It is said that while most of is-Toos Herself was battling against Issha Tan before the world was inhabited, is-Toos is-Muqol aided both sides of the struggle, for both were compelled to action by strong (and virtuous) desires. Other tales describe is-Toos's travels among djinn-kind as the travels of is-Toos is-Muqol, focusing on his skill at bargaining with even these most difficult clients. In these stories, the Merchant's greatest gifts are the ability to discern the true desire of his customers, and the talent of finding and delivering the rarest of treasures to their predestined owners. He can be referenced visually by a simple, sometimes even crude, depiction of a set of scales and weights.

It is said that is-Toos Issha Ñe, the Lady of Perfection, is no face of is-Toos at all, but is rather Her shadow.  Often depicted by means of a black lotus blossom, this mask of is-Toos uses stealth and mental power and the protection of twilit places to maintain harmony and balance in the world, working against the extremes of both good and evil and both order and chaos. Perhaps surprisingly, worship of is-Toos Issha Ñe is the only aspect of Baqluni culture to have spread beyond the Baqluni themselves and their djinn and merfolk allies; Issha Ñe has become incorporated into various cults and new religious movements across Flanea and tiny mosques dedicated to her are scattered in hidden places across the land. Whereas the other masks of is-Toos will often lend their help in matters of dispute or argument, it is said, is-Toos Issha Ñe has no patience for petty rivalries and will only manifest herself to a group in perfect harmony. She is often depicted as a Baqluni and, though the age or sex of the depiction might vary wildly, she is always slender and graceful, wielding a pair of magic falchions that, in the stories, can shrink to the size of table knives.

From the Baqluni Holy Writ

“Between everything and every other stretches invisible strands. The spirits of time push and pull upon these strands. Thou art a spirit of time, but these strands, pulling, can pull thee as well, and thou canst not escape. Look hard and look long, and thou wilt understand the forces upon this web. Look hard and look long, and thou wilt see Paradise. Serve thyself by knowing and submitting to what is-Toos has woven for thee. Struggle against the pull of the strands and thou wilt tear apart the web of the Colorless All-Colored One.”

“Blessed be the tranquil with fortitude, for only the extremes of actions will disrupt their meditations for more than the space of a sand-grain's breath. Blessed be the tranquil with strength, for they will turn disruptive force back upon its source. In this, they shall be like the stone that breaks the surface of a lake only to be covered and lost. Water, like tranquility, is hard to find but necessary to vitality. Water is more precious than gold, for a thirsty man gets no sustenance from his wealth.”

“If thou dost not risk, thou canst not gain. Satisfy both necessity and desire in each bargain. The wise know the worth of a thing as well as its cost. If the wealthiest among thee wouldst wish to be a debtor and a beggar made, greed shall be their maker, for all life is a matter of exchange.”

“Three columns upon which the sand-cloth of this world is draped: the Universal Mind is one, the Perpetual Harmony another, and finally Internal Peace. All that does not rest on these three columns is illusion and not real. The Universal Mind of is-Toos for which we all long creates and maintains the world in each moment; without it, what could exist? Look upon the glory of is-Toos's plan: all life is balanced and all things live in symmetry. Seek a similar state and thou wilt find the object of thy longing draws close, for truly does is-Toos love this world in its entirety. Master thy body and master thy mind and thou shalt find that thou art drawn closer to the object of thy longing, for truly do we love is-Toos. Banish flamboyance from thy life, waste no energy, and thou wilt find a place with the Heavenly Mother. Seek out all extremes and temper them with harmony.”

Clergy

Mosques dot the Baqluni lands. In addition, the bazaar, or marketplace, is holy ground. Some markets in the larger cities are set up around actual mosque-buildings, but most simply contain a tent-covered altar or shrine. There is no standard tithe, but a variable set of fees is levied on the traders who utilize the bazaar. These monies are used to cover various local religious expenses, but any excess is dedicated to charitable works, for the accumulation of large amounts of wealth (not the desire, but the actual accumulation) is foreign to Baqluni values.

Priests are actually quite common among the Baqluni, perhaps moreso than among the other cultures. Baqluni religious concepts also show up in djinn and merfolk cultures. Many of these priests have seen the extremes of fate, from innocents dying horrible deaths and sadists controlling kingdoms to children recovering from mortal illness and despots felled by simple accidents. Because of this, many may be cynical or stoic, but some kinder individuals are called to this path because they feel they were rewarded by fate.

Priests of is-Toos are often called upon to make predictions and divinations for important personages all over the world, serving as their personal advisors and viziers; they also often serve as legal counsels, judges, and civil administrators, using their powers to deter theft, fraud, and magical deception. They also often act as guardians of valuable waters, whether lakes, streams, oases, or hidden wells, making sure that they are available to all and not claimed or destroyed by any one group of people. They patrol parched areas of land where travelers often become lost and guide them to safety and water. Some explore the length of a river or stream, learning the unique traits of the entire flow. They will often see out those who use destructive magic upon natural reserves of water, as well as those who would harm people by contaminating water with disease or poison. They are sometimes called Moralists, for it can be their duty to watch over their neighbors and see that no evil influences are allowed to rise unchecked. Many will choose a particular knowledge or lore in which to become immensely knowledgeable and become Sage-Priests. Others work as appraisers of common goods, with certain members specializing in more exotic items. Most travel during at least part of their career, particularly as part of merchant caravans. In all things, however, priests of is-Toos are agents of harmony and discipline. They seek out radical factions, organizations, and politics and bend them toward balance. They train others in the simple arts of war, hone the minds of those open to mental challenges, scour the world to find evidence of the Universal Mind, and seek gurus of advanced physical and mental abilities for knowledge of self-elevation. They are not passive beings, but actively seek change to ensure the stability of the universe.

During ritual, Baqluni priests wear richly brocaded abas of yellow silk, with keffiyeh of pure white. Agal are worn intertwined with chains of gold or silver. Ritual prayers are said each morning, prior to opening for business or beginning the day's travel, and more ritual prayers are said at dusk.

Holidays

An entire month in the Baqluni calendar is dedicated to remembering is-Qadam's cowardly flight from Issha Tan's attack against is-Toos. The celebration lasts 26 days, the amount of time legend says it took is-Qadam to arrive at our world.

Game Mechanics

Those priests who attempt communion with is-Toos must have a neutral component to to their alignment (and high scores in Virtues such as Calm, Conservative, Honorable, Spiritual, and Stubborn) and are able to draw upon one of the following domains: Celerity (Complete Divine), Chaos, Destiny (Races of Destiny), Knowledge, Law, Luck, Mind (Complete Divine), and Oracle (Complete Divine). Their other domain may be chosen from among either this list or that of any of the four masks of is-Toos. Furthermore, they can take a full-round action at any time to make a Will roll (DC ???) to change their domain selections. At least one selection must always be from the list of is-Toos; the other may be from that list or that of any of the four masks of is-Toos (this second selection must come from a different list than had the previous choice). The priest may do this as often as they like during the day, but only once during any period of downtime, travel, or otherwise “offscreen” activity. Finally, this ability only applies to their original two domain selections; any additional domains to which they acquire access remain fixed.

The Daughter of the Oasis, is-Geshta grants access to the following domains: Plant, Travel, Water, and Weather (Complete Divine). The bedrock upon which Baqluni culture is built, is-Qoram gives magic to his people in a different way, one that can be accessed at all times. The Merchant, is-Muqol, grants access to the following domains: Knowledge, Pact (Complete Divine), Travel, and Trickery. The Lady of Perfection, is-Toos Issha Ñe, grants access to the following domains: Knowledge, Mind (Complete Divine), Trickery, and War.

Priests of is-Toos treat the net, symbolic of the web of fate spun by is-Toos, as their favored weapon, usually channel their spells through a blessed golden spindle, and can summon a +1 distance net with their weapon of the deity spell. However, this can change as the priest works with different masks of is-Toos. If a priest has as a current domain selection one from the list of is-Toos is-Geshta, they may choose to treat the spear, an unusual weapon used only rarely among the Baqluni to catch oasis fish and occasionally small reptiles, as their favored weapon and summon a +1 frost spear with weapon of the deity, whereas a domain choice from the list of is-Toos is-Muqol would allow them (if they chose) to treat the more civilized weapons of the dagger or light crossbow as their favored weapon and summon a +1 defending dagger. A selection from amongst the domains of is-Toos Issha Ñe, on the other hand, allows the priest to choose to treat the falchion or any monk weapon as a favored weapon and summon a +1 defending falchion with eir weapon of the deity spell.

Among the priests of is-Toos, one can find training in Ceremony, Knowledge (any–Baqluni, any–djinn), Listen, Perform (oratory), Read/Write Language (several), Search, and Speak Language (several). By taking the feat Initiate of is-Toos, one can gain access to the following spirits: admonish, compel respect, detect foreigner, thunder of is-Toos is-Qoram (improve oratory), and second sight. By taking the feat Acolyte of is-Toos (prerequisite: Initiate of is-Toos), one can gain access to the following ceremonies: avoid fate, command audience, command subjects, command worshipers, force, require truth, shield, undetectable to humans, undetectable to djinn, and weaponmight. All of these are the gifts of is-Toos is-Qoram.