Martyrdom: The Twelve Virtues & Sainthood

MARTYRDOM: THE TWELVE VIRTUES & SAINTHOOD

The Nameless God is absent. This is a charge held by heretics and critics alike. Yet, while he is lost, the Lost God is not forgotten. Like all the gods, he has servants. The good gods of Narya are usually served by hosts of spirits and celestial beings. The most famous among humankind are probably angels.

Angels are celestial beings born from the very essence of positive energy found in the Heavens. Typically, they resemble winged humanoids with idyllic features but some are formed into stranger shapes by their god's purpose. Regardless of form, they seek out good gods to serve as messengers, warriors and overseers. Even chaotic good gods rely on lawful good angels to carry out tasks and can rely upon the angel to carry out any given duty.

Angels are incapable of committing acts that stray from the path of order and good. They destroy evil without hesitation and their judgement is supernatural. Still, this superior power and position in the cosmic hierarchy has spelled tragedy for many angels who allow their pride to get the best of them.

Angels that commit evil deeds are marked and cast out of the Heavens by their kind. These are the fallen. The fallen retain their powers but lose their connection to the celestial plane. Some fallen angels seek redemption by committing themselves to undoing the harm they've caused or living humbly until the gods offer them a chance to prove themselves worthy of the heavens but others become resentful of the gods and become corrupted. Some of the most dangerous fiends were once angels that were brought down in this way.

There are three levels of angel most commonly known:

The deva are the messengers of the gods. They often disguise themselves and live lives on the material plane, either as priests or humble do-gooders, until forced out of their form to fulfill some higher purpose such as aiding a chosen hero. In their true form, deva are beautiful humanoids with feathery wings and lustrous eyes.

Planetars are weapons of the gods. They can use their divine power to create miracles or blights upon the land. It is impossible to lie to a planetar. They are difficult to deal with and are disgusted by dishonesty in even the smallest form. When forced to work with mortals directly, they prefer to aid powerful mortals who seek to battle fiends. Their true form is taller than any humanoid and they brandish greatswords with grace.

Solar wield god-like power that strikes fear into the heart of the most powerful fiends. A solar can kill even some lesser gods with a single arrow. They are less human-like than their lesser counterparts with some even taking on warped appearances. After all, solars spend most of their time in deep contemplation far from the struggles of material or even outsider problems. There are only a few dozen solar known to dwell in the heavens. The rest wait in some dimension beyond time and space, contemplating their purpose, and preparing themselves for the final battle.

The Nameless Gods's most powerful servants are the the Twelve. The Twelve are solar, the most powerful type of angelic beings, that have each taken a vow to hold watch over the world and his children until his promised return. These Twelve are more proactive in the religion of their god and are often represented alongside the Nameless God in Xalhoteccan art. They each are said to represent one of the virtues, morallly excellent qualities, that all people should aspire to live out in their actions. Rather than pray directly to their god, it is more common to pray to one of the Twelve or a corresponding saint that represents that virtue. Each saint's story embodies the virtue and the challenges of doing good.

Naryan Class Options: Oath of the Crusader

We previously covered the Nameless God before and the Crusaders of the Holy Imperium.

Today, we look at the paladins of the Nameless God and their oath, the Oath of the Crusader. Paladins of the Nameless God are zealots who put their god above all others and opposing the gods of other faiths. They believe that they are holy warriors fighting an uneven war against blasphemers and heretics, worshipers of false and traitorous gods, and unnatural forces that would destroy the world in the absence of its creator. They seek to spread the truth, destroy the falsehoods and defend the children of the Nameless God until his prophesied return.

Tenets of the Crusader
The exact words and interpretations of the Oath of the Crusader may change, but they all hold these truths close to their hearts.

There is Only One Truth. There is only one god, the Nameless God. He is the creator. We are his children. He is lost, but not forgotten.

All Other Truths are False. All others 'gods' are false. They betrayed him. I will not suffer their falsehoods. I will spread the truth.

I Am His Sword. I shall destroy those that would prey upon the world in his absence: aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. I will oppose the authority of the false gods and the outsiders. The unnatural and the traitors are not his children.

I Am His Shield. I shall purge the Imperium of blasphemers and heretics. I will protect the faithful. I will not falter.


The Lost Shall Be Found. Those that follow false gods are lost. It is my duty to bring them into the fold. Those that would oppose their salvation are his enemies.

He Shall Return. His faithful children will be rewarded. His enemies will submit to his glory. The world will be saved.

Oath of the Crusader Spells
You gain oath spells at the paladin levels listed.

3rd Shield, Protection from Good and Evil
5th Silence, Zone of Truth
9th Counterspell, Dispel Magic
13th Banishment, Freedom of Movement
17th Commune, Hallow

Channel Divinity

Spell-Breaker. You can use your Channel Divnity to call upon the Nameless God to defy the unnatural. As a reaction, which you take when you see a creature within 60 feet casting a spell, you cast the Counterspell spell without expending spell slot as if you cast it at 3rd level.

Crusader's Stand. You can use your Channel Divnity to survive the impossible. As a reaction, until the end of your next turn, if damage would reduce you to 0 points this round, you instead are reduced to 1 hit points and are unaffected by all active conditions.

Aura of the Crusader
Starting at 7th level, you can take an action to pick one creature type: aberrations, celestials, elementals, fey, fiends, and undead. You and all allies within 10 feet of you are under the effect of a Protection from Good and Evil spell. This effect ends when you pick another creature type from the list.
At 18th level, the aura increases to 30 feet.

Unbroken
Beginning at 15th level, you have resistance to damage from spells and other magical effects.

Sainthood
At 20th level, as an action, you can say the name of the Nameless God.

As an action, your body becomes abjured against death itself. For 1 minute, if you would be reduced to 0 hit points, instead you are reduced to 1 hit point.

Once you use this feature, you cannot use it again until you finish a long rest.

Also, during the minute, you can choose to perform an act of martyrdom to become a saint. You succeed at an impossible act but drop to 0 hit points and fail three death saving throws. You cannot be resurrected by any means after performing an act of martyrdom.

No one knows for sure if the miracle you achieved is by the shear force of your own faith, the faith of the Imperium, interference by past saints or by the distant influence of the Nameless God.