St. Cuthbert of the Cudgel
Intermediate Deity
Symbol: Ruby-studded starburst
Home Plane: Arcadia
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Portfolio: Retribution, common sense, wisdom, zeal, honesty, truth, discipline
Worshippers: Fighters, monks, judges, constables
Cleric Alignments: LG, LN
Domains: Destruction, Domination, Law, Protection, Strength
Favoured Weapon: “The Mace of Cuthbert” (Heavy Mace)
Relics: Cudgel that never forgets, tabard of the great crusade
The deity of retribution, St. Cuthbert (saint cuhth-burt), takes many forms. He often masquerades as a common yokel or white-haired, mustached man in plate mail. He usually carries his famous mace.
St. Cuthbert exacts revenge and just punishment on those who transgress the law. Because evil creatures more commonly and flagrantly violate laws than good creatures do, St. Cuthbert favours good over evil, though he is not good himself. He may have once been a mortal man (as his worshippers claim), but if so it was long ago and from an unknown branch of humanity.
The words of St. Cuthbert are wise, practical and sensible. Among his followers, the Word of the Cudgel is law, and his followers take pains to spread the word so that all may benefit from St. Cuthbert’s wisdom. Weakness in faith and acting against the Saint’s teachings are intolerable, especially in believers. St. Cuthbert exhorts his followers to make increasing efforts to bring unbelievers into the fold. Honesty, truthfulness, practicality and reasonability are the highest virtues, says St. Cuthbert.
Clerics of the Cudgel are stern folk who speak their minds plainly. They do not suffer fools and disapprove of those who backslide in faith. They train in the arts of war and keep themselves physically fit. Many serve as constables, detectives, judges and bounty hunters.
Temples of St. Cuthbert are always solid and imposing. Their entrances or facades invariably feature inscriptions of quotations attributed to the Cudgel. These can be inspirational, such as: “Chaos and evil prevail where good folk do nothing”. Or even threatening, such as: “Obstinacy brings lumps to the heads of the unfaithful”.
St. Cuthbert teaches new clerics with specially recruited mentors that have drill-sergeant attitudes and stern demeanors. Day and night his acolytes pray, train and fight, until they can recite entire books of St. Cuthbert’s scripture from memory.
Like Heironeous, St. Cuthbert urges his followers to undertake quests that uphold the chivalric ideal. But more of the Cudgel’s quests involve righting a wrong or avenging a fallen hero. Tracking down the bandits that stole the viscount’s tax collections, imprisoning the blackguard who slew Sir Cyrrus the Bold, and liberating a province conquered by demon armies are all crusades that a follower of St. Cuthbert would lend his sword to.
St. Cuthbert’s religious teachings are passed on in the form of commandments, all of which begin “Thou shalt” or “Thou shalt not”. In general, clerics of St. Cuthbert are more likely than most to pepper their speech with “thee”, “thine”, and other archaic pronouns.
Solid, imposing buildings are favoured by the architects of St. Cuthbert’s temples. Many feature engraved quotations such as “Chaos and evil prevail where good folk do nothing” or “Obstinacy brings lumps to the heads of the unfaithful”. The clergy there offer healing and protective magic, but they’re careful to make sure that those they help are worthy of St. Cuthbert’s favour.
All of St. Cuthbert’s ceremonies include a brief but fiery sermon from a member of the clergy, who exhorts the listeners to turn from their chaotic ways and adhere more closely to the laws of St. Cuthbert.
The hound archon hero is St. Cuthbert’s herald. Allies are hound archons, half-celestial paladins and planetars.
Source: Deities and Demigods (Page 91), Complete Divine (Page 117)