Divine minions were special servitors of the powers of the Mulhorandi pantheon, who acted as their messengers and enforcers of their will.[1][2][3] Most were created from the pantheon's petitioners, but a few were celestials or fiends that had been bestowed additional power by a Mulhorandi deity.[1]
Description[]
In their base form, the majority of divine minions resembled a greatly well muscled and broad, Mulhorandi male or female warrior that stood over 6 feet (1.8 meters) tall. They dressed in bronze plate mail, decorated with the holy symbol of their deity.[2][3] And they were armed with huge Mulhorandi weaponry, such as khopeshes, scimitars, or two-handed swords.[1][3] These weapons were all forged in the Outer Planes and carried no greater than a +2 enchantment.[3] Whenever a divine minion died, they and all their possessions would disappear,[1][2][3] with the body being reformed in the Outer Planes by their respective power.[3]
Minions of Set stood out from the rest, wielding broadswords[3] or khopeshes[3][4] that were fashioned in Baator,[4] and dressed in black, scaly plate mail.[3][4]
Personality[]
Nearly all divine minions were willing servitors of their respective Mulhorandi power,[2][3] being fanatical followers willing to sacrifice their very lives to carry out the deity's will.[1][2][3] They viewed their service as a great honor. The minions of Set were the sole exception to this "willingness", as that power could unwillingly transform someone into one of his lawful evil minions.[2][3] Though once transformed, they too were fanatical in carrying out Set's will.[3]
Unless called by divine magic to serve a mortal, all but the divine minions of Set preferred not to be noticed by mortals.[2][3] To this end, they preferred to not utilize their shape-shifting abilities unless absolutely necessary, viewing the revelation as something that would compromise their usefulness to their deity.[3][4]
Abilities[]
All divine minions were immune to magic induced fear or doubt,[1][3][4] such as the cause fear, doubt, phantasmal killer, and scare spells.[4] They radiated a faint field around them that affected the reactions of animals, analogous to their deity's alignment and portfolio. For example, minions of Hathor projected an aura of trust and hurt, panicked, or pregnant animals would seek them out, calming instantly at their touch. Minions of Set on the other hand were instinctively disliked by animals and would try to flee from them.[3]
The most notable ability of divine minions was that they could assume one or more specific animal forms, dependent upon which power they served. These transformations were complete, their possessions changing along with them.[1][2][3][3] These forms would affect the type of tactics they utilized in combat and whether or not they coordinated with others.[3][4]
Minions of Set stood out from the rest in that the most exceptional of them would be elevated by Set to the status of "shadow priest". These minions gained access to the memorization and casting of spells from his spheres — All, Astral, Combat, Guardian, Healing, Necromancy, Protection, and Summoning.[4]
Animal Forms by Deity[]
A group of divine minions of Set display some of their many forms.
- Minions of Anhur
- The servitors of this power could assume the form of a lion.[1][2][5]
- Minions of Bast
- The servitors of this power could assume the form of a leopard, a lion, or a small feral domestic cat.[1][6]
- Minions of Geb
- The servitors of this power could assume the form of either a cave bear[7] or a brown bear.[1]
- Minions of Hathor
- The servitors of this power could assume the form of a horned cow.[1][8]
- Minions of Horus-Re
- The servitors of this power could assume the form of either a hawk or a lion.[1][2][9]
- Minions of Isis
- The servitors of this power could assume the form of a hawk.[1][2][10]
- Minions of Nephthys
- The servitors of this power could assume the form of a hawk, a crocodile,[1][2][11] a giant cobra,[11] or a constrictor snake.[1] They typically appeared in the hawk or serpent form when rewarding or providing aid to the faithful of Nephthys, while they took the crocodile or serpent form when punishing the unfaithful.[11]
- Minions of Osiris
- The servitors of this power could assume the form of either a bear or a hawk.[1][2][12]
- Minions of Set
- The servitors of this power could typically assume the form of various types of giant snakes,[4] including a giant poisonous snake,[13] a constrictor snake, and a viper.[1] But a few were able to take the form of a brown bear, a crocodile, a jackal,[1][13] a giant scorpion,[1][4] a cave bear, a giant crocodile, or a giant hyena.[4]
- Minions of Sebek
- The servitors of this power could assume the form of either a crocodile[1][14] or a giant crocodile.[14]
- Minions of Thoth
- The servitors of this power could assume the form of either a baboon or an ibis.[1][2][15]
Society[]
In addition to serving their respective Mulhorandi god, divine minions could be summoned by the clerics of those powers through use of the spells summon divine minion[3][16][17] or planar ally.[1] They would serve these clerics faithfully, so long as their commands did not violate the dictates of their power.[16]
The Minions of Set were known to additionally serve as assassins, to provide military assistance to his mortal followers,[2][3] to command his forces during the times he was drawn into the Blood War, and watch over his petitioners. When not carrying out his will, the minions of Set would steal soul larva from the baatezu in order to expand their ranks.[4]
Diet[]
These creatures required no food or drink to sustain themselves.[2][3] However, the type of food they preferred varied depending upon which deity they served.[3] The minions of Set for example, had particularly carnivorous tastes.[2][4]
Homelands[]
Hundreds of divine minions could be found within the residence of each Mulhorandi power's mortal incarnation, wherever that may be,[3] such as in the towers of Skuld.[2][3] And according to the World Tree cosmology, when divine minions were not carrying out the will of their deities on the Prime Material plane they typically resided within the Neutral Plane of Heliopolis.[1]
In the Great Wheel cosmology, the divine minions of Set were said to reside with him in Baator.[4] While in the World Tree model, they were said to reside with him in Heliopolis.[18]
History[]
After the Mulhorandi pantheon landed in Matet upon the Godswatch Mountains, having traveled to Realmspace to free the Mulan people from bondage under the Imaskari Empire, they created mortal incarnations. These went and traveled among the Mulan, transforming the most truly faithful among them into divine minions. When the Mulan eventually rose up against their Imaskari oppressors there were hundreds of divine minions, who went on to fight and die in their rebellion.[19]
Notable Divine Minions[]
- Prior to the Time of Troubles, a company of six disguised minions of Anhur traveled across Mulhorand with their power's mortal incarnation, Hethhab.[20]
- Several divine minions of Horus-Re guarded the tomb of the pharaoh Horuseres II at all times.[21]
- Thah Rahalar, a divine minion of Set that had been unwillingly transformed from a jackal-headed, hound archon servitor of Nephthys.[1]
Appendix[]
Appearances[]
Adventures
Card Games
Organized Play & Licensed Adventures
References[]
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 1.11 1.12 1.13 1.14 1.15 1.16 1.17 1.18 1.19 1.20 1.21 1.22 1.23 1.24 1.25 1.26 Sean K. Reynolds (2005-02-09). Hate of the Cobra. Magic Books of Faerûn. Wizards of the Coast. Archived from the original on 2016-08-16. Retrieved on 2016-05-19.
- ↑ 2.00 2.01 2.02 2.03 2.04 2.05 2.06 2.07 2.08 2.09 2.10 2.11 2.12 2.13 2.14 2.15 2.16 2.17 2.18 Scott Bennie (February 1990). Old Empires. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.), p. 93. ISBN 978-0880388214.
- ↑ 3.00 3.01 3.02 3.03 3.04 3.05 3.06 3.07 3.08 3.09 3.10 3.11 3.12 3.13 3.14 3.15 3.16 3.17 3.18 3.19 3.20 3.21 3.22 3.23 3.24 3.25 3.26 3.27 3.28 Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 187. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ 4.00 4.01 4.02 4.03 4.04 4.05 4.06 4.07 4.08 4.09 4.10 4.11 4.12 4.13 4.14 4.15 4.16 David "Zeb" Cook (1994). Planescape Campaign Setting, Monstrous Supplement. Edited by David Wise. (TSR, Inc), pp. 14–15. ISBN 978-1560768340.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 97. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 52. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 99. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 106. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 111. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 115. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 11.2 Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 117. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 122. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 127. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 125. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 130. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 Scott Bennie (February 1990). Old Empires. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.), pp. 78–80. ISBN 978-0880388214.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 96. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ Richard Baker, James Wyatt (March 2004). Player's Guide to Faerûn. (Wizards of the Coast), p. 157. ISBN 0-7869-3134-5.
- ↑ Eric L. Boyd (September 1997). Powers & Pantheons. Edited by Julia Martin. (TSR, Inc.), p. 94. ISBN 978-0786906574.
- ↑ Scott Bennie (February 1990). Old Empires. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.), p. 32. ISBN 978-0880388214.
- ↑ Scott Bennie (February 1990). Old Empires. Edited by Mike Breault. (TSR, Inc.), p. 15. ISBN 978-0880388214.