The Campaign Builder's Guild

Welcome, and I would like to present you with the November contest:


For the November contest, it will be up to you to create a being of some sort.  Whether that being is a deity, NPC, mythological entity, or something else is entirely up to you.  Seems really simple, huh?  Well, there's a catch (albeit, a small one), explained below.

1 - Some Necessary Includes
This is where I explain the catch(es).  The being you create can be of any sort imaginable.  Be it a powerful god, a demon from a layer of the abyss, a wandering knight, or an ancient hero, it's all up to you.  However, there are two things that each being created must have in common.
...1 - The being must have some element relating it to Autumn.  Its relationship with the Autumn can be as metaphorical or literal as you like, but there must be some sort of tie-in to this part of the year.
...2 - The being must have some unique feature relating it to your campaign setting.  That's right, if you are the creator of the Campaign of Awesomeness, your being must also have some sort of link to said campaign.

2 - Some Guidelines
Though your being must have a link to your own personal campaign, it cannot be a being that you have already devised or created.  Obviously I won't have a way of checking that, so we'll be going on the honor system for this.  Also, there should be at least a small section devoted to explaining how this being could be fitted into other campaign settings.

3 - The Format of your Entry
This format is not meant to be limiting to your entry, it is simply a guide to make sure you have everything covered.
...1 - The Name of your being and a description (if applicable).
...2 - The history of your being.
...3 - The purpose of your being.
...4 - How your being relates to your personal campaign setting.
...5 - How your being can be fitted into other campaign settings.

4 - Necessary Disclaimer Stuff (Below in Spoiler Box):
[spoiler=Disclaimers]
Please read all these rules before entering.  If you enter the contest, it is assumed that you have read and agree with all the rules presented below.  Any entries/contesters found in contrast with these rules will be disqualified from the contest and will be ineligible for any prizes.
0. VERY IMPORTANT All entries must be original content, or if outside material is used, it must be used with the express written permission of the original creator.  Anything that is the Product Identity (PI) of Wizards of the Coast can be used for submission, but will not be allowed to be published in the Guide, should it win.
1. No one under the age of seventeen (17) can enter a contest without the consent of a parent or a Legal Guardian.
2. Rules and guidelines will vary. Some restrictions may apply.
3. All winners will be contacted by e-mail within seven (7) days of the contest ending.
4. To claim your winning prize, simply follow the easy instructions in your e-mail notification.
5. If we do not hear from you within seven (7) days of notification, we'll select an alternate winner.
6. Read all the rules, entry requirements and deadlines of each contest before entering.
7. The Campaign Builders' Guild (the CBG) reserves sole and final judgment as to all matters concerning its contests. All decisions are final.
8. Winners are responsible for all Federal, State and Local taxes, if applicable.
9. Void where prohibited and where all Federal, State and local laws and regulations apply.
10. Prizes cannot be exchanged, substituted or transferred, without the prior written consent of the contest sponsor if applicable or the Campaign Builders' Guild (the CBG).  
11. Odds of winning a prize depends on the number of eligible entries received and are determined by each contest's specific  
 criteria of awarding prizes.  
12. If you are a contest winner you also authorize the Campaign Builders' Guild (the CBG) and its affiliates to use your name and/or screen name for promotion purposes and publicity purposes without compensation, as well as for use in the Campaign Builder's Guide.  
13. These rules are subject to change without notice.  
14. Unless otherwise specified, only members 17 years of age and under as stated in rule number 1 above in the general guidelines, and 18 years of age and older can enter or become eligible to win any of the prizes with respect to any contests or make any submissions of any kind to the Campaign Builders' Guild (the CBG).  
15. The Campaign Builders' Guild (the CBG) is not responsible for error, omission, interruption, deletion, defect, delay in operation or transmission, communications line failure, theft or destruction or unauthorized access to, or alteration of your entry.  
16. You agree that the Campaign Builders' Guild (the CBG) and its respective representatives shall have no Liability, in connection with the acceptance and use of prizes awarded, including liability for personal injury and property damage.[/spoiler]

See, that doesn't sound so bad, does it?  No word limit - you can make it half a page, or 5000 words, I'll read them all.   The deadline will be Saturday, November 24, 2007, at 9:00 PM EST.  Voting then begins, and will end at 7:00 PM EST on Wednesday, November 28, 2007.

Good luck!

-Ish

PS - Please put all chit-chat, talk, funny remarks, discussion, and shenanigans in the Discussion Thread. (http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?40135)

Lord Pumpkin
Description:
Lord Pumpkin is the deity of Pumpkins.  Not the diety worshipped by pumpkins, but the deity that is worshipped by humanoids, primarily Halflings, in thanks for pumpkins, in much the same relationship that Dionysus has with grapes and wine.  

When Lord Pumpkin manifests an avatar upon the prime material, he appears as either a farmer carrying a hoe in one hand and a small pumpkin lantern in the other, or as a scarecrow with a pumpkin lantern head, or as a large floating pumpkin lantern.

Priests of Pumpkin Lord wear simple garments of green, brown, or orange.  His symbol is a pumpkin (sometimes carved with a face and lit with a candle, a Pumpkin Lantern).  His portfolio is pumpkins in the specificality and the harvest and agriculture in general.  His dogma is minimal other than make sure the harvest gets in and do your part.  

D&D speak:
His alignment is True Neutral with Good tendencies N(G), and his worshippers are all farmers of pumpkins.  His Priests are any non-Evil.  In 2e his specialty priest would include Druids, and priests of Agriculture and Community.  In 3e Clerics of Pumpkin Lord have access to the Plant, Protection, and Earth domains.



History:
When the Halfling Hordes ended up in Teran Empire lands, they initially made their living off raiding Empire settlements.  This led to war and the war eventually led to the establishment of The Halfling Khanate.  With a homeland of their own and a peace with the Empire, the hlaflings turned to honest labor, particularly farming.  Unfortunately, the climate of the Teran continent was not well suited to growing rice, the staple crop of the Halflings.

After the Halflings nearly starved one year, some Teran Empire farmers took pity on the Halflings and showed them how to grow various local squashes, including pumpkins.  When the harvest came in, the Halflings were so grateful they held a major Feast Day.  A great scarecrow at least ten feat tall with a very sturdy wooden skeleton was assembled with a gigantic pumpkin for a head.  This pumpkin was carved with a scary face to enhance its function as a scarecrow.  A crown was placed on top.  This figure was named Lord Pumpkin by the Khan who was attending the Feast Day.  

It is said that when a thousand Halflings gave thanks to Lord Pumpkin, the scarecrow stood up and walked away of its own accord.  Since that day, there has been a growing cult of Lord Pumpkin in the rural areas of the Halfling Khanate.

Now every year, the day after the harvest comes in, there is a Pumpkin Feast.  Besides the actual eating there are other things going on, like the bonfire, the Pumpkin Lantern carving, and observances to say good bye to the recently deceased spirits.  

Because of the Pumpkin Lanterns in the Halflingtown neighborhood of Tera Prima, some humans have become aware of the worship of Pumpkin Lord.  Certain human Children believe that he visits worthy pumpkin patches with gifts of toys and candy.

Purpose:
IC:  Lord Pumpkin exists to see that the pumpkin harvests come in and that the Halflings prosper.
OOC: Lord Pumpkin exists because I wanted to enter this contest, and I thought:  Fall... pumpkins... relate to my world... Animist Halflings Have A God of Pumpkins!

In other worlds:  1) Lord Pumpkin could be cleaned up and toned down alternate persona for Dionysus.  
2) Lord Pumpkin could also be a new deity beginning his rise in some rural community.  
3) How specific are you about agricultural deities in your world?  Maybe Lord Pumpkin develops in an area where they grow a lot of pumpkins and they give thansk to the God of the Harvest, especially, the Pumpkin Harvest.

She wondered from village to village, and everywhere she went, autumn followed.  The leaves would turn browns and oranges, the trees would turn bare, and a chill breeze would sweep by.  No matter what season '" spring, summer, autumn, or winter '" it was always autumn for her.  She said her favorite season was the winter, for only in the winter, in the snow, could she know that the seasons were different.  All other times she was surrounded by the falling of the leaves.  She cried often.  She was the Fallbringer.

We followed her in her travels. We never learned her real name '" she only referred to herself as the Fallbringer.  We called her a saint.  When she wondered into a village she would heal all of the maladies of its people, focusing first on the children.  She once mentioned that her power was a gift from Eldrin, the goddess of life.  She never preached, however. She only healed.  

She would never stay in one place for long.  'They don't need to live with my curse,' she would often say upon leaving.  We followed her, and we became used to the constant autumn.  But we were lucky.  If we wanted summer or spring, we would just walk away from her, and there it would be.  The autumn was her burden alone.  That was, until Brelvust went to sleep one night and didn't wake up.  She was so distraught that she gave herself to him.  He returned to us later that night, but she did not.

In death, at least, her curse was broken.  We buried her on the sunniest hillside we could find, under an evergreen.

A Traveling Priestess
Ryella Caldune was born in an impoverished town in the nation of Kormany, before it was swallowed up by the budding Aelthiurian Empire.  Her father was a sustenance farmer and her mother a cripple who could do little more than sew and cook.  Ryella was the eldest, followed shortly by three brothers.  Ryella took well to the farms, as did her brothers.  Her favorite time of the year was harvest, when, after the longest days of the year, her mother would have a plentiful dinner for them.  Eventually they were able to farm not only enough to feed themselves, but also enough to make a small profit at the nearest town.

The plague, however, cared little for their past efforts.  Almost overnight, it stole two of her brothers and her mother.  When her youngest brother came down with the illness, Ryella took to prayer.  At first she asked Jule, the goddess of plagues, for some relief.  No answer was given from the fickle immortal, so Ryella turned to Eldrin, the goddess of life.  

Her brother, after a fitful night, woke the next morning with scarcely a fever.  That morning Ryella dedicated herself to Eldrin.  Ryella, for many years, would wake every morning with a voice in her head, talking to her, telling her of her gift.  Ryella, one Spring day, told her father that she would be leaving, taking her faith elsewhere.  Her father was upset, but little could he do to persuade her otherwise.

Ryella Caldune traveled from one town to the next, spreading her faith and helping those in need.  During this time Kormany fell to Aelthiur and Kormany's ruler became the Lady Abaddon, the tyrannical demoness in dark armor.  Ryella witnessed the final battle of Kormany fending itself against Aelthiur, and at that time she understood why her goddess said fighting was the last resort.  So many people died.  She vomited, then cried for weeks.

Two weeks later she found herself in a town whose magistrate had just suffered a mortal wound.  In panic, Ryella quickly healed the wound, saving his life.  But the witch who had dealt that wound was not pleased.  She had been sent to this town to end the magistrate's life and rule the township in his stead.  She cut down the magistrate again and cursed Ryella.  'Precious woman, your presence will act as salt upon fields, your stench will age trees, and your life will feast upon that of others.  Your life will be death.'

Ryella turned away from that town and found herself surrounded by autumn, despite the obvious summer sun.  For some time she found herself living alone, acting as an outcast from people.  She started to starve, but she dare not go any living being with that curse on her.  That was, until two squirrels starting playing near her.  They seemed unaffected by the curse.  Ryella, driven by hunger, took that as a sign and stumbled into the nearest village.  There, a widow fed Ryella and nursed her back to health.

Ryella, to show how grateful she was, healed all of the sickly in the town.  They never learned her name, though the widow named her the Fallbringer.  Ryella let her name be cast aside in favor of her new name: the Fallbringer.

Ryella began traveling from town to town, healing all those she could and not caring for the consequence.  All that she asked for in return was food enough to get her from that town to the next.  The curse was one even her faith could not remove, though her connection with Eldrin suffered little.  Ryella's faith only grew.  It was said that though autumn followed her everywhere, the fire of summer showed in her eyes and the growth of spring flowed through her healing touch.

A year passed as she wondered alone from one village to another.  She avoided the few cities in Kormany, never wanting to bring her curse to such a large populace.  For the first couple months, villages feared her coming.  But soon word spread of her, the Fallbringer, who healed away the woes of every village she entered.  People soon began to flock to her, for she was not hard to find '" a trail of fallen leaves followed her wherever she walked.  

Two years after the curse first fell upon her, people started following her around.  Men and women, such as Brelvust, who she had given back his leg, Orhalla, a woman who's beauty was returned to her after the Fallbringer healed the terrible scars the suffered from fire, and Hurick, a man who's two youngest daughters almost died from a ravaging sickness, abated by the Fallbringer.  All of them started following her, even Hurick's daughters.  The villages they would wonder into would become larger and larger, and the Fallbringer's followers would help work the farms and do anything they could to help the people while she worked her magic.

They came to know her as a saint, and her name became beloved throughout all of Kormany.  As many knew of her as knew of their despot, Lady Abaddon.

For three winters the Fallbringer and her followers moved throughout desolate Kormany, giving its people hope.  Brelvust was always by her side, and his faith in Eldrin grew until he was able to assist the Fallbringer in her deeds.  Then, one night, Brelvust did not wake.  There were no signs of how he died, only that he no longer breathed, his heart no longer beat.

The Fallbringer knew.  She knew that it was her curse.  She had done this to him.  That day she wept over his body, all day long.  Others tried to bring her comfort, tell her that it wasn't her fault, but they could do nothing to dissuade the convulsing sobs.  By the end of the day, the Fallbringer was dead.  

Brelvust woke soon after.

The Fallbringer was put to rest on one of the most beautiful hills in Kormany, just north of the mountains.  Brelvust, with local help, opened a temple at the foot of the hill.  Eldrin's Temple of the Fallbringer sits there still, Brelvust the head priest.  Several other followers of the Fallbringer joined the temple.  The rest went home and told her story.  The Fallbringer is now Kormany's most proud figure, and her temple has seen unprecedented growth.

A Statue
A marble statue of the Fallbringer lingers in the entryway of her temple.  It stands twelve feet tall and is surrounded by silver trees with leaves of copper and bronze.  The statue has long hair, though the statue lets her look significantly more combed and clean than it ever was.  In life, Brelvust will often say, her hair was always matted and full of twigs, leaves, acorns, and everything else that could collect in it.  Only on occasion would she let Orhalla clean and comb it.  

The statue is covered in simple clothes, dropped loosely over the marble body.  Brelvust insisted that clothes accurate to the saint be made for the statue.  The statue should show her in all of her beauty, with all of her flaws.  Beautiful topazes are set in her eyes, shining down on all who gaze at her.  

Near the statue, two wooden squirrels are locked eternally in play.

In Aldreia
The Fallbringer was a priestess of Eldrin and became a legend throughout Kormany.  Though Aldreia is really far behind in being updated, the most current information on it can be found here (http://thecbg.org/e107_plugins/forum/forum_viewtopic.php?30863).

For Use in Other Settings
The Fallbringer can easily be used in any fantasy setting that includes a benevolent deity, specifically one of healing, and placed in a nation rife with conflict.

[/b]
 
Description:
The Autumnal is a being made of emotional energy; not corporeal, but neither is it magical or otherworldly. In short, it is the emotional imprint of nearby inhabitants.

One of a number of similar creatures, the Autumnal is seen primarily in late autumn, and stems from emotions of foreboding dread of the coming winter. Physically, it appears as a large group of fallen leaves being blown by the wind. It moves as it wishes, regardless of the actual direction of the wind, and is one of the few ways to detect it.

History:
The Autumnal, like all Emotional Beings, has a long history which stems back beyond written history. No one knows how or why they exist, but they can congregate wherever there is a significant fear of the wilderness or of the unknown, coupled with a particular, strong emotion. Because of this combination, these beings plague small settlements on the outskirts of large civilization, and retreat further and further as the cities expand, until they die from lack of the combination of the two emotions.

Combat and Behavior:
An Autumnal's only purpose is the perpetuation of his two feeding emotions, namely the fear of the wilderness, and dread of winter's approach. It will stalk and feed off of lone people, luring them to lie down and sleep before feeding on them as long as possible or until the victim dies.

The Autumnal has two main weapons in its arsenal; the ability to cause faint whispering sounds around its victims, to cause fear, and the ability to warm and cool areas near itself, in order to lure victims to lie down. Significantly large Autumnals (or several working in conjunction, there isn't much difference) can warm entire villages, staving off winter locally for weeks or months.

Killing an Autumnal requires either a strong positive emotion, or a stoppage of one of the two negative emotions upon which it feeds. The former is easily supplied, and comes in the form of children, in particular their natural curiosity and eagerness for winter play. It seems cold and heartless, but the most common way of removing an Autumnal is to send a dozen children to play near where it lurks. The other way is to remove the foreboding of winter, and is accomplished in most towns with harvest festivals, church celebrations, or feasts in late autumn and early winter.

Setting-specific Information:
Autumnals are most often spotted in the Northern Continent and the Gnome Lands, where winter is strong enough to pose a danger. Unless one grows very large without being noticed, they are one of the more benign Emotional Beings, and are seen as an annoyance more than a real threat.

Non-Native Setting Suggestions:
Due to its unusual attack and methods of feeding, this creature is unlikely to pose a threat to player characters, but can be a significant threat to villages and their populace.

The most difficult part of an encounter with an Autumnal will be figuring out exactly what it is. In Dilandri, tradition and repetition take care of this, but if it is a unique creature, plans should be made to give the information on the creature to the players.

The other issue might be that of its origin. In Dilandri, magic is commonplace, and so are these beings, but in other settings these may act as experiments of a mad wizard, the results of a magical accident, or similar.  

The Herald of Frost

Many know the stories of the Herald of Frost, but few know the truth of him. Most will tell you he's merely a fairy tale for frightening children. Some claim he was once a man, real as the breath in your lungs, and that he walked from town to town dispensing his twisted justice exactly as the stories claim. A few insist that even after all the centuries, he still does.
[note=Damira Clan]One of the seven clans of the dwarves. The progenitors of Damira Clan were created by the Makers, Jatta Skyfather and Salma Earthmother, out of pure water. The Damiran progenitors were cursed by Rennan, and the Makers could only mitigate the damage. Accordingly, many Damiran individuals bore the gift of prophecy, but also the corresponding curse of madness.

Dara, the clan seat of Damira Clan, suffered an unknown cataclysm several decades before the Indrist Immigration, and no one in the city was seen again. This vanishing was the end of most of the strong-blooded Damiran dwarves, and it is suspected that they engineered their own downfall, in their madness. The remnants of Damira Clan are thin-blooded and stygmatized, a broken remnant of a marked people.[/note]
Presumably, the Herald once had a name and a normal life. Accounts seem agree that he was a dwarf of Damira Clan, a prophet and priest of Salma Earthmother, who had been away on pilgrimage during Dara's Fall. When he returned home at last, on a morning laced with frost, he saw only barren, empty streets, bereft of life. The silence of the deserted city broke his understanding, driving him fully into the madness that cursed his bloodline. He fled into the wilderness, seeking the wisdom of Salma Earthmother.

He found the contact he sought, but was deceived. In a vision, he spoke with Rennan, who had disguised herself as his patroness. In communion with Rennan, he came to understand that change is a natural and necessary thing-- that even as trees lose their leaves when the cold settles in, so do cities lose their people, to be later revived. So it was that the mad priest was brought into the service of Rennan as her divine Hand, the merciless creature who would come to be known as the Herald of Frost.

 [note=Salma and Rennan]Salma, one of the Makers, is the wife of Jatta Skyfather. She is a generous goddess of birth and bounty, and the earth, its waters, and all its creatures are in her keeping.

Rennan, one of the Adveraries, is the sister of Jatta Skyfather. She is cruel and envious, and takes pleasure in the suffering of others. She creates nothing of her own, only twisting and corrupting the works of others. She commands jealousy and spite in mortal hearts, and brings storm and frost to the world.

The struggle between Rennan and Salma creates the cycle of the seasons, for during winter, the wilderness is clutched in Rennan's icy fingers.[/note]In his madness, the Herald was always deceived. He never learned that he had turned aside from Salma Earthmother to serve her most bitter of enemies, and ever believed he was doing Salma's will in all things. Empowered by the Queen of Winter, he continued his pilgrimages, with the chill wind in his left hand and the creeping ice in his right. He was gracious and generous to travelers met along the roads, freely offering "my Lady's gifts." Those who accepted knew only cold and despair, then oblivion.

The superstitious still believe that the Herald of Frost walks among them, spreading winters first, exploratory tendrils on the first cold morning of each autumn.

Quote from: ConversionsConverting this material for use in settings other than the Jade Stage is simple, provided that there are analogous deities. The Herald's Damira blood, and even his race, are less important than his madness, his deception, and his misguided attempts to bring mercy to others through the transfiguration of death.

Two more days guys!  We have some great entries here, let's see some more

4 more hours, if anyone wants to get in!

Some good entries here guys, now time for a vote!

Autumnian
         Autumnian was a great, powerful Treant many thousands of years ago, when Treants were very large in numbers in the north. These treants stood about as tall as men, and their bodies were made of vines, ivy and leaves. He was a great Nature Adept, controlling the forces of nature and the earth and shaping them into his will. He died in battle with a fiery, evil demon of the abyss, but lived on as a god worshiped by the Treants, now known as "The Bringer of Fall," by the Treants.

     History
 During growth, Autumnian was a normal treant, not very tall, not very strong. But he possesed a talent usually only found in the stronger, more noble Treants, the talent of being a Nature Adept. He could control the world around him in certain ways, something highly praised in Treant society. They are, after all, people of nature and the forest. Autumnian grew to great power during a war with some fiery evil from the Underworld, who had invaded their forest homes to simple destroy and conquer. He used the water from the river and the strength of the great trees themselves to vanquish the fiery fiends, sending their forces running back through their portals to the Underworld once again. After this, he was a highly respected leader of the Treants, but something strange was happening to him. Like the period between summer and winter known as The Change, the leaves and ivy on him began to change color from green to various shades of reds and oranges. This, he beleived, was showing his bodies emotion and growth, although many other Treants thought it was a mutation. Regardless of what they thought, they worshiped him in lift, and he was their king for some time. But then the fiends invaded again, this time with a powerful fiery demon at their lead. Autumnian battled through three days of strait nature manipulation and blasts of fire and explosions with this great fiend. The great Treant managed to kill the fiend in the end, but in death it created an explosion ten miles wide, destroying Autumnian and all the forest around him.

     Purpose
 Autumnian is now worshiped as a god in Treant culture, along with the gods of Summer, Winter, and Spring. All of these gods were originally Treants that had strange abilities related to their seasons, and now Autumnian has joined them. The Change was renamed Autumn in many cultures, including Treant, Human, Elf, and Dwarf. He is now worshiped by Treant and Wood Elf druids, clerics and rangers.

     My Setting and Autumnian
  Autumnian explains an important part of Treant {plant based medium sized beings-not Tolkiens massive tree people} culture with an exciting story, while explaining the name of Autumn in Xearic, my personal Campaign Setting. It also makes an interesting "extra" on my pantheon, and although I cannot see any of my PCs wanting to worship a diety of Autumn, it could make interesting NPC clerics and druids, and it is always alright to have some "extras" all around your setting, not to particularly use, but just to add to the reality.

      Your Setting and Autumnian
  Autumnian can be used in other settings, 3rd or 4th edition, with only slight change. If you simply change the race{s} that worship{s} him, and fix the names and culture a bit, you can easily adjust it to your own setting, no little Xearic bits involved.

Oh  :censored: I posted in another outdated contest again.   ;)

Well, in the interest of making sure your work goes recognized, you should post this critter in its own thread, he looks pretty cool. :)

Quote from: DrizztrocksOh  :censored: I posted in another outdated contest again.   ;)

Priceless.
Inadvertent thread necromancy...,"Officer, I didn't know I was bringing it back from the dead, it just kind of happenned...."

He almost got me to do it, too.  Only a single comment in the discussion thread made me realize that this was old.  First, though, I was also going to complain about the temperate climate bias.

I can see this becoming one of those accidental joke threads....

Quote from: LordVreeg

Quote from: DrizztrocksOh  :censored: I posted in another outdated contest again.   ;)

Priceless.
Inadvertent thread necromancy...,"Officer, I didn't know I was bringing it back from the dead, it just kind of happenned...."

:D

Everyday is Halloween, after all.  

Hell, Maybe I'll post on the TerrorVies/Fog Reaper, a blackened skeletal figure always wrapped in silver mist, wielding a huge silver scythe.  This creature is normally only seen amongst other undead in the Goesi of Hisio, as the leaves fall.
[spoiler] it's actually a lesser incarnation of Orcus in his aspect of 'Reaper of Souls', created by a powerful entropic/necromantic ritual.  They are very difficult to kill, but can only appear in the 'Waking Dream' during that part of the year, as part of an ancient pact with Devas of Vernidale and Erringt.[/spoiler]