Rillifane
RallathilIntermediate Power of Arborea
CG
PORTFOLIO: Woodlands, nature, wild elves, druids
ALIASES: Bear, Eagle, Raven, Wolf, Relkath of the Infinite Branches, Magnar the Bear
DOMAIN NAME: Olympus/Arvandor or Seelie Court
SUPERIOR: Corellon Larethian
ALLIES: Baervan Wildwanderer, Cyrrollalee, Eilistraee, Eldath, Emmantiensien, Mielikki, Sheela Peryroyl, Silvanus, Skerrit, Oberon, Osiris, Titania, Verenestra, the Seldarine, various Animal Lords
FOES: Malar, Moander (dead), Talos, the Queen of Air and Darkness, the drow pantheon (except Eilistraee)
SYMBOL: Oak tree
WOR. ALIGN.: LG, NG, CG, LN, N, CN
Rillifane Rallathil (RILL-ih-fane RALL-uh-thihl) is protector of the woodlands and guardian of the harmony of nature. He is often likened by his priests to a giant ethereal oak tree, so huge that its roots mingle with the roots of every other plant in the Realms, that stands at the heart of Arvandor, the High Forest of Olympus. The great tree draws into itself all the ebb and flow of seasons and lives within the woodlands of the green elves. At the same time, it defends and sustains those lands against disease, predation, and assaults of all kinds. The Leaflord is the patron of the Sy-Tel'Quessil and revered by many voadkyn.
When the Sy-Tel'Quessir settled the Yuirwood, the Seldarine merged with the ancient gods of the Yuir, transforming them into aspects of the various powers of the elven pantheon. Both Magnar the Bear and Relkath of the Infinite Branches, also known as Many-Limbed, Many-Branched, and the Old Man of the Yuirwood, became aspects of the Leaflord. Relkath easily merged with and slowly reinvigorated a primitive facet of the Leaflord's nature that had been slowly overshadowed over the ages by the increasingly tamed way of life of the Fair Folk, even among the Sy-Tel'Quessir. As a result of this subtle change of heart, in the centuries since absorbing Relkath, Rillifane's primordial spirit has returned to the fore to great effect.
Concurrently, the Sy-Tel'Quessir and Cha'Tel'Quessir (half-elves of the Yuirwood) have rediscovered the ways of their most primitive ancestors and reforged their tribal cultures, eschewing the formation of successors to the great green elven civilizations such as Illefarn, Thearnytaar, Eiellur, and Syorpiir. In contrast to the obvious impact of the absorption of Relkath by the Leaflord, Magnar the Bear was almost totally subsumed after being absorbed, and this aspect of Rillifane is little remembered even among Cha-Tel'Quessir. The half-elves of the Yuirwood speak only of Mag-nar's Great Sleep, a centuries-long hibernation from which the Bear has yet to emerge.
Much like Ubtao, Ulutiu, and Uthgar, Rillifane is served by a host of great spirits including the primeval Bear (comingled with Magnar the Bear by the Cha-Tel'Quessir), Eagle, Raven, and Wolf, among others. These aspects of the Leaflord are recognized only by the Sy-Tel'Quessir and a few Cha-Tel'Quessir and not by the other elven or half-elven subraces. Unlike those other powers' worshipers, however, Rillifane's followers do not venerate any one great spirit exclusively, although they may have done so in the distant past. Instead, the Leaflord's faithful call upon one or more spirits associated with their god as appropriate for the situation at hand. Rillifane is on good terms with all the Seldarine, as well as most sylvan and faerie powers. The Leaflord's primary concern is that all creatures have the opportunity to act out their roles in nature without abusing them, a concern Rillifane shares with Corellon Larethian, the great creator and protector of the Fair Folk. Solonor Thelandira and Rillifane work together closely to preserve and protect the natural world, but they do differ fundamentally on the issue of hunting. In the spirit of the alliance that binds the Great Archer and the Leaflord, Solonor does not permit his priests and followers to hunt within the woods where Rillifane's brooding, forbidding presence cautions against this, unless their need is great. While Rillifane permits hunting for food by hungry folk, he detests hunting for sport. Rillifane is closely allied with Emmantiensien the Treant-King and Silvanus the Oak Father.
The trio's conversations are many and seemingly endless to others, as none of the three is given to hasty thought or expression.
Rillifane is always a respected guest at the Seelie Court, and aside from Emmantiensien, he is friendliest with Skerrit the Forester and often romantically linked with Verenestra the Oak Princess.
Rillifane is quiet, reflective, and enduring over eons unchanged.
He is the least flighty of all the Seldarine, the least likely to act on a whim, and often grave and self-absorbed. The Leaflord rarely sends an avatar to the Prime, disliking direct action and preferring that his priests carry out his wishes. Rillifane's avatar appears only when major destruction of a Tel'Quessir (usually Sy-Tel'Quessir) habitat is threatened. The appearance of such an avatar is heralded by sudden gusts of wind shaking leaves from the trees, a sign unmistakable to his priests.
The Church
CLERGY: Clerics, druids, mystics
CLERGY'S ALIGN.: NG, CG, N, CN
TURN UNDEAD: C: Yes, D: No, Mys: No
CMND. UNDEAD: C: No, D: No, Mys: No
The Seldarine call on agathinon, asuras, and ancient treants as their pre- ferred
servants, but Rillifane is also served by aasimar, aasimon, alaghi, amber dragons,
atomies, badgers, bariaurs, bears, belabra, bhaergala, bomhardii beetles, buraq,
cantobeles, cath shee, centaurs, cooshee, dryads, earth eli. mentals, einheriar,
eladrins, elven cats, ethyks, faerie dragons, feystags, too dogs, forest spirits,
giant lynxes, giant sundews, grigs, hamadryads, hol-lyphants, hybsils, jaguars,
jungle giants, jungle snakes, kholiathra, leopards, leprechauns, lythari, mist
dragons, mold men, monkey spiders, moon-horses, nature elementals, norans, sprites,
swanmays, mountain lions, nymphs, oreads, owls, pixies, porcupines, pseudodragons,
quickwood, ratatosk, reverend ones, seelie faeries, silver dogs, singing trees,
skunks, small forest mammals, stag beetles, sunflies, sylphs, talking owls,
thornies, thylacines, tigers, unicorns, vampire moss, warden beasts of the forests,
werebears, wereboars, weretigers, wild boars, wild stags, wolverines, wolves,
and wood giants. He demonstrates his favor through the discovery of amber, emeralds,
microline, the sudden changing of colors of a single leaf or an entire tree,
the budding and rapid growth of a new tree limb, or the sudden appearance of
a forest animal that approaches to be petted without fear. The Leaflord indicates
his displeasure by causing the leaves of an entire branch to suddenly fall off
in front of the offending individual's feet, creating the sound of twigs repeatedly
snapping in a rapid succession, or causing an object such as an acorn to fall
out of the sky and strike the offending individual on the head.
All clerics (including multiclassed half-elven clerics), mystics, and specialty priests (including multiclassed half-elven specialty priests) of Rillifane receive religion (elf) and reading/writing (Espruar) as bonus nonweapon proficiencies. Rillifane is venerated by nearly all the Sy-Tel'Quessir, and his priests serve as the spiritual and moral leaders of most green elven tribes and communities.
The Leaflord's church is greatly admired by the other subraces of the Fair Folk for its principled stand in favor of the preeminence of nature, and the faith's priests are widely respected wherever they travel. Nevertheless, the uncompromising stance of some members of Ril-lifane's clergy sometimes leads to conflicts over both tactics and degree with the leaders of the Ar-Tel'Quessir, the Teu-Tel'Quessir, and other churches of the Seldarine. Halflings, particularly tallfellows, gnomes, particularly forest gnomes, centaurs, and hybsils all pay homage to the Leaflord if they live in or on the border of elven woodlands. Dwarves rarely come into contact or conflict with the forest-dwelling followers of Rillifane, and humans tend to view the Leaflord as simply an even more primitive and wild aspect of Silvanus the Oak Father.
Rillifane's temples are actually huge oak trees with platforms built among the branches and vine bridges connecting them to each other and platforms in adjoining trees. Shrines of the Leaflord, always a grand oak tree deep within the depths of a forest but too small to serve as a temple of the Leaflord, are chosen by members of Rillifane's clergy after receiving a dream or vision directing them to particular tree. Such shrines are marked by the priest with a carving of a small canary in the trunk about 2 feet from the ground. With the cutting back of forests and the subsequent growth of trees selected as shrines, it is not unheard of for such symbols to be discovered high above the ground and/or on the edge of a much-shrunken woods. Should a shrine be defiled in any way, the dedicating druid (or nearest worshiper of Rillifane if the druid is dead) instantly knows of the action and is expected to do everything possible to bring about the defiler's death.
Novices of Rillifane are known as Acorns. Full priests of the Leaflord are known as Oakhearts. In ascending order of rank, the titles used by Rillifanean priests are Felsul, Silverbark, Laspar, Hiexel, Blueleaf, Phandar, Duskwood, Shadowtop, and Weirwood. High-ranking priests have unique individual titles, and druids have titles reflecting their place in the hierarchy of that branch of the faith as well. Specialty priests are known as druids (or skinwalkers). The clergy of Rillifane includes green elves (52%), moon elves (26%), lythari (8%), gold elves (6%), half-elves of various ancestries (4%), voadkyn (3%), and a handful of other elven races as well (1%). Rillifane's clergy is dominated by specialty priests (75%), including multiclassed half-elven specialty priests, but includes clerics (20%), including multiclassed half-elven clerics, and mystics (5%) as well.
The clergy of Rillifane contains a pretty even number of male (51%) and female (49%) members.
Dogma: The Great Oak draws energy from all the living creatures of the world and nourishes, sustains, and protects them from outside threats. Live in harmony with the natural world, allowing each living being the opportunity to serve out its natural purpose in life. As the Leaflord's countless branches, his faithful are to serve as his mortal agents in the natural world- Defend the great forests from those who would ravage their riches, leaving only destruction in their path. Contest both the quick and the slow death of Rillifane's bounty and hold strong like the great oaks in the face of those who can see only their own immediate needs.
Day-to-Day Activities: The church of the Leaflord generally keeps to itself, extending itself only to help fellow elves and other sylvan beings. The church hierarchy is organized regionally and divided into branches, as each type of priest serves a specific role. The druids who compose the bulk of Rillifane's clergy tend to the health of the forests and those who dwell within, fiercely contesting any attempt to further reduce those forests that remain. Many clerics serve as ambassadors of the faith, working outside the communities of the Sy-Tel'Quessir to educate other races and even other elven subraces how to better dwell in harmony with nature. The few mystics found within the clergy act much as individual druids do, eschewing the formal organization of the circles. In times of war, however, the leaders of each region unite the branches of the faith and the Sy-Tel'Quessir warriors into a single force.
Rillifane's priests are deadly enemies of those who hunt for sport or those who harm trees maliciously or unnecessarily. In particular, all priests of Rillifane have a great hatred for the priests of Malar, since the followers of the Beastlord often make elves the object of their hunts and their ethos is anathema to those who serve the Leaflord. Rillifane's priesthood is charged with rooting out and destroying sentient plants whose nature has been twisted by external forces into a warped perversion of nature. In particular, they seek to destroy hangman trees, obliviax, death's head trees, black willows, serpent vines, and any form of evil treant, including dark trees.
Holy Days/Important Ceremonies : Rillifane's faithful gather twice yearly at the vernal and autumnal equinoxes to hold fey dances in large groves of oak trees deep in the heart of great forests. The Budding is a joyful celebration of new life celebrated through dance and song and preceded by an extended period of fasting. A ritual hunt of an ancient and noble hart is undertaken on this day, from which the venison serves to break the fast of the Leaflord's faithful. This ritual honors Rillifane's bounty and reminds his followers of the natural cycle of life that plays out beneath the Leaflord's boughs. The Transformation marks the arrival of autumn and the vibrant hues that bedeck the canopies of the Leaflord around this time. The Sy-Tel'Quessir and elves of other subraces who seek a form of spiritual rebirth or a major change in their lives gather to celebrate Rillifane's eternal promise that the trees will bloom again and that life is a process of continual renewal.
Major Centers of Worship: Moontouch Oak is the name of both a gargantuan oak tree over 300 feet tall and the temple of the Leaflord nestled amidst the forest giant's boughs. Located at the heart of the Tangled Trees region of Cormanthor on the northern hank of the Elvenflow where Moontouch Creek joins the River Duathamper, the temple tree is believed to be the largest living oak in Faerun. Some elven legends claim that the tree is actually the still-living remnants of an avatar of the Leaflord that led several clans of the Sy-Tel'Quessir eastward, away from the devastation of the Crown Wars, many centuries ago. Moontouch Oak has housed approximately two score green elven druids of the Circle of Emerald Leaves in its branches since the early days of the Sy-Tel'Quessir settlement of Arcorar, as the Elven Woods were then known. From -982 DR, with the coming of Venominhandar to the Emerald Vale, until - 206 DR, when the great green wyrm was finally slain, the druids of Moon-touch Oak were sorely besieged, as were their kin, but the temple-tree was never abandoned, despite numerous attacks by the wyrm and its minions. With the death of Venom, as the dragon was known, the Sy-Tel'Quessir set about reclaiming the woodlands, now known as the Tangled Vale, under the direction of the druids of Moontouch Oak. Nine centuries later, when the Army of Darkness ravaged Cormanthyr and eventually destroyed Myth Drannor, the druids of Moontouch Oak again stood firm in the face of the nycaloth-led assault, and the temple tree of Rillifane was never violated. Nine millennia after the conclusion of the Crown Wars, Moontouch Oak stands unbowed. The temple consists of a network of platforms sculpted from the tree's branches and hollows cultivated in the great oak's trunk, all of which are linked by bridges of woven vines.
Hallucinatory terrain spells and the thick leaf coverage mask the religious community's very existence from the outside world, but the influence of the Circle of Emerald Leaves is felt throughout the Tangled Vale and beyond. The aged green elf who leads the Circle is Great Druid of the Tangled Vale Katar Oakstaff, who was a child in the final years of Coronal Eitargrim's reign before Myth Drannor fell.
Affiliated Orders: While rangers are not included in the church hierarchy of Rillifane, many such elven warriors do serve in loose fellowships affiliated with individual druid circles as the militant arm of the faith. Each such band of rangers has its own name, but collectively they are known as the Order of the Oakstaff.
Priestly Vestments: The ceremonial garb of the Leaflord's priests includes a laurel wreath worn on the head and armor fashioned of tree bark. Dark green dyes are rubbed into the armor to show rank within the church, with the darkest hue reserved for the high priests of the faith. Tree bark armor provides protection equivalent to leather armor, but the wearer incurs a -1 penalty for all saving throws against fire. The holy symbol of the faith is an acorn enclosed in amber.
Adventuring Garb: When adventuring, members of Rillifane's clergy favor armor and weapons made from natural materials such as wood and animal parts, including those with magical enhancements.
Specialty Priests Druids
REQUIREMENTS: Wisdom 12, Charisma 15
PRIME REQ.: Wisdom, Charisma
ALIGNMENT: N
WEAPONS: Club, dagger, dart, long bow, scimitar,
short bow, sickle, sling, spear, staff
ARMOR: Leather, hide, or tree bark armor, wooden
shield
MAJOR SPHERES: All, animal, elemental, healing, plant,
sun, weather
MINOR SPHERES: Divination, thought, time
MAGICAL ITEMS: Same as druids
REQ. PROFS: Animal lore
BONUS PROFS: Herbalism
All ofRillifane's specialty priests are druids. Their abilities and restrictions, aside from the changes noted above and later in this section, are summarized in the discussion of elven priests in "Appendix 1: Demihuman Priests" and detailed in full in the Player's Handbook.
• Druids of Rillifane must be elves, half-elves, or wood giants (voadkyn). While most of Rillifane's druids are green elves, elves and half-elves of every subrace are called to be specialty priests ofRillifane's clergy.
• Elven druids of Rillifane are not allowed to multiclass. Halfelven druids of Rillifane are allowed to multiclass as fighter/druids, druid/mages, or fighter/mage/druids, but not as druid/rangers.
• At any time prior to reaching 7th level, green elven druids of Rillifane, sometimes known as skinwalkers, can seek out a totem animal in a ritual involving fasting and meditation for ld4 days followed by ld4 days of following the animal that appears.
Once a green elven druid gains enlightenment and wisdom from the totem animal, she or he can thereafter shapechange into that animal form (and only that form). At 1st level, she or he can assume the totem animal form once every three days for 2d6 hours. At 2nd or 3rd level, she or he can assume the totem animal form once every two days for 2dl0 hours. At 4th, 5th, or 6th level, she or he can assume the totem animal form once per day for 2d20 hours. Between 7th and 10th level, she or he can assume the totem animal form once per day for 3d20 hours. At 11th level and above, a skin-walker can assume the totem animal form at will for as long as she or he wishes. Such transformations receive the same benefits and are governed by the same restrictions as the shapechange ability of druids as detailed in the Player's Handbook. This skinwalking ability replaces the normal ability of a druid of 7th level or greater to shapechange into any reptile, bird, or mammal form. Once a totem animal is chosen, it cannot be changed nor can the druid renounce the skinwalking ability so as to increase the number of forms she or he can assume.
The type of totem animal is determined randomly or selected by the DM. Examples of totem animals include crows, hawks, cooshee, coyotes, foxes, otters, raccoons, rabbits, lynxes, mountain lions, cath shee, and bears, but never wolves. Some myths claim that the lythari were once green elven druids of Rillifane who had wolves as their totem animals. The bond forged between those priests and the spirit of the wolf was so strong that they became the Ly-Tel'Quessir. It is unclear why the Sy-Tel'Quessir can no longer receive wolves as totem animals, but no such union has resulted from a skinwalker ritual in millennia.
Rillifanean Spells
In addition to the spells listed below, priests of the Protector may cast the 2nd-level priest spell banish blight, the 5th-level priest spell tree healing, and the 7th-level priest spell create treant, all of which are detailed in the entry for Mielikki in Faiths & Avatars, as well as the 4th-level priest spell oak-heart, detailed in the entry for Silvanus in Faiths & Avatars. For over a century, the Leaflord has not granted the 7th-level spell conjure nature elemental, detailed in the entry for Chauntea in Faiths & Avatars, for reasons unknown.
1st Level
Sap (Pr 1; Conjuration)
Sphere: Plant
Range: 10 yards
Components: V,S,M
Duration: 3 rounds+1 round/level
Casting Time: 4
Area of Effect: 10 foot x 10 foot area
Saving Throw: Special
A sap spell coats everything within the area of effect in tree sap.
After the spell is cast, any creature entering the area of effect slows to half its movement rate while in the affected region. Any creature caught within the area of effect when the spell is cast must make a successful saving throw vs. spell or be covered in the sticky substance. Those who succeed can reach the nearest unaffected surface by the end of the round, although their movement rate is also reduced to half normal while within the area of effect. Those who fail their saving throws have their movement rate reduced to 1 and have their Dexterity reduced by half. Casting spells, employing magical items requiring any sort of movement, or launching any sort of physical attack is impossible while under the effects of this spell. In addition to any lost bonuses (because of lower Dexterity), the creature incurs a +2 Armor Class penalty (to a maximum of AC 10).
Winged creatures and those employing magical items such as wings of flying cannot fly while within the affected area.
A free action spell or ring or similar effect negates the effects of a sap spell for the affected individual only. Thoroughly dousing an individual covered in sap with wine also ends the effect.
The material components of this spell are the priest's holy symbol and a drop of tree sap.
2nd Level
Acorn Barrage
(Pr 2; Enchantment)
Sphere: Combat, Plant
Range: 10 yards
Components: V,S,M
Duration: 1 round
Casting Time: 5
Area of Effect: 1 acorn/level
Saving Throw: None
By means of this spell, the priest can cause a barrage of acorns, either naturally
or magically created, to launch from his or her hand, from the ground, or from
an oak tree within 10 yards.
The acorns can fly up to 40 yards, striking as many targets as the priest wishes (up to the number of acorns the priest can animate).
The priest may direct the acorns in any combination at any living or nonliving targets that she or he can see. The priest can animate a maximum of one acorn per experience level.
Each acorn requires a successful attack roll to hit a target. The attack roll is made as though the acorns were missile weapons hurled by the priest with a sling. Range penalties do apply.
Dexterity modifiers apply only if the acorns are held in the hand.
The acoms inflict 1d2 points of damage each.
This spell is ineffective under water, and acorns hurled by this target have no magical ability to follow a moving target beyond the accuracy of the priest's targeting.
The material components of this spell are the priest's holy symbol and as many acoms as needed.
4th Level
Amber Prison
(Pr 4; Conjuration)
Sphere: Plant
Range: Touch
Components: V,S,M
Duration: Special
Casting Time: 7
Area of Effect: One creature
Saving Throw: Neg.
This spell encases the target in a hard, translucent coating of fossil resin
in a yellow, orange, or brownish-yellow hue.
However, if the target makes a successful saving throw vs. spell, this spell
dissipates without effect. A creature targeted by this spell who is
already covered in tree sap, such as the result of a sap spell, receives
a -4 penalty to the saving throw vs. spell when attempting to avoid
the effects of an amber prison. The caster can choose to have a part
of the target remain free from the amber when the spell is cast. If
the priest attempts to leave a significant part of the subject's anatomy
free, such as the head or a hand, the target receives a +2 bonus to
the saving throw to avoid the effect. (Pinpoint accuracy, such as
leaving just a nose or a finger free, is not possible when using this
spell.) An amber prison takes some time to harden, and during that
period it is possible for the target to break free or be broken free
from the solidifying resin. Every round after the spell is cast, the
target can make an attempt to bend bars/lift gates, success indicating
that the amber prison shatters. The percentage chance of success drops
by 1% every round, to a minimum of 0. Creatures of huge size or larger
can automatically shatter the amber prison in one round. An amber
prison is considered to be AC .