Rao

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Greyhawk Deity
Rao
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Title(s) The Mediator, the Calm God
Home Plane Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia
Power Level Greater
Gender male
Class(es) Fighter 20/Cleric 20
Alignment Lawful Good
Portfolio Peace, Reason, Serenity
Domains Good, Knowledge, Law
Alias(es) none
Superior none

Rao (RAH-oh) is the Flan god of Peace, Reason, and Serenity. His holy symbol is a heart-shaped mask with a calm expression, or a simple white heart crafted of metal or wood. His followers are called Raoans.

Description

Rao is often depicted as an old man with bushy white hair, dark skin, slender hands, and a peaceful smile. Any time an offering of peace is made, Rao grows a day younger. With a mere glance, he can cause any being to fall into agreeable calmness - even Nerull is not immune to this. Rao is rarely seen without his Serene Staff, an undersized shepherd's crook that he wields as a light mace.

Relationships

Rao is associated with the artifact that bears his name, the Crook of Rao. He is an ally of Pelor, Zilchus, and Saint Cuthbert and an enemy of Iuz and Incabulos. Rao is served by Zodal, lesser god of Mercy, Hope, and Benevolence. Allitur is said to be his younger brother. He treats St. Cuthbert as a younger brother as well, and he may have originally brought the saint to Oerth from another world. Raoan priests gently chide priests of Zilchus for their worldliness, while clerics of Zilchus claim that Raoans are too idealistic, but there is genuine affection between the two groups.

Dogma

Rao teaches that the greatest gift is reason, which leads to discourse, which leads to peace, which leads to serenity. For those who refuse to see reason and resort to violence first, action - governed by reason and wisdom - is required to restore the peace. Sometimes this action is violent, regrettably.

Rao's priesthood urges their followers to reject strong emotion for the calm and serenity of inner peace. Only when the foundations of law and good are threatened should they take to the battlements. When Raoans are stirred to battle, however, their foes find them a difficult challenge: calm, implacable, and utterly convinced through the power of reason of the righteousness of their cause. Though slow to act, Rao's followers act surely, carefully, and with great force.

Scriptures

The Word of Incarum is regarded as the primary religious text of the faith.

Worshipers

Rao is most popular in Veluna, where Raoism is the official state religion. It is also heavily concentrated in Furyondy and Bissel. The church of Rao is a significant force in Greyhawk City, though far from the most popular one.

The teachings of Rao have never made great inroads among the Aerdi in the Great Kingdom, though wandering Raoan paladins occasionally venture to the war zones there to help return things to the status quo. A Raoan paladin named Karn Serrand rules a fortress called Goldbolt near Chathold. Priests of Rao exist in secret in Rel Deven, where they are forced to lurk in the shadows like the clergy of evil cults.

The faith of Rao has never appealed greatly to commonfolk; rulers, diplomats, sages, scholars, and philosophers make up the bulk of his faithful outside of Old Ferrond. Monks and spellcasters who seek uninterrupted meditation also revere Rao. Many gurus urge their flagging pupils to be as Rao is.

Clergy

His priesthood seeks knowledge, and prefers peaceful solutions, though they are not above using violence when the situation calls for it. They are mediators and negotiators; the Patriarch of Rao in Greyhawk City (Jerome Kazinskaia) was instrumental in negotiating the end of the Greyhawk Wars. They search for new schools of thought, fabled places of peace and quietude, and powerful magic to use to further Law and Good. The most powerful cleric of Rao is Canon Hazen of Veluna, who helped activate the Crook of Rao and bring about the Flight of Fiends.

The Raoan clergy is predominantly male. They are quiet, studious people. Their motto is "there is a time to think, and more rarely to act; but in that time, action is wisdom."

Paladins

Paladins of Rao are called Envoys or Heralds. Their motto is Peace through Strength of Words and Weight of Reason, but they know that peace must often be won by strength of arms, and do not fear to use their martial as well as their intellectual abilities to bring about the ends they seek.

Rao's paladins generally go lightly armed and armored, unless expecting the worst. They are serene, patrician figures with spotless manners and erudition. They typically wear gray or blue-gray tunics trimmed in white and gold, and sometimes wear cowls. Rao's symbol is emblazoned on their chests.

Temples

Temples of Rao are generally stately, open-air affairs filled with incense, quiet chanting, and earnest philosophical discussions. Many have extensive libraries and learned sages on hand.

Holy Days

A major Raoan holiday within the Domain of Greyhawk is the Feast of Edoira, celebrated on the fourth of Growfest.

Artifacts

It has been long since Rao has interfered directly with the affairs of the Oerth, but he left behind the Crook of Rao to help banish the forces of evil. Devils and demons are said to shudder at the mere mention of this object. Other artifacts of Rao are said to exist as well, with similar properties against malevolence.

Myths and Legends

The Creation of the Moons

The Book of Incarum says that the moons Celene and Luna were given to the peoples of the Oerth in order to light and guide the way from the darkness and tyranny of an Age ruled by Tharizdun.

The Swordless Scabbard

One pervasive legend among the paladins of Rao is that of a "man with a swordless scabbard," who defeats his opponents without the need for a weapon.

History

Rao is an old god whose great wisdom was long respected by the Flan peoples. He was historically worshiped by the Flan of the Vale of Luna, most sacred of the lands protected by Rao, as a god of the moons, and his worshipers welcomed the lost and wandering Vollar tribe of Oeridians who came to settle there. The Vollar interpreted this primitive god as a deity of reason and serenity, and by 9 CY, when the Crook of Rao was first located, their cultures had become as one. The location of this discovery was called Mitrik, which means "salvation" in the Velondi tongue.

References

  • Holian, Gary. "Paladins of Greyhawk." Dragon #306. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2003.
  • Lai, Gary. "Hopeful Dawn." Dungeon #41. Renton, WA: TSR, 1999.
  • Noonan, David. "Beings of Power: Four Gods of Greyhawk." Dragon #294. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2002).
  • Noonan, David. Complete Divine. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2004.
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