The world of Aruneus

The Gods of Aruneus

By Benjamin Gerber

Artwork by Seth Kumpf & Tim Reardon. Some artwork copyright William McAusland, used with
permission.

The gods sleep while we mortals suffer. The dead roam the world while the gods remain mute.
The powers have left us to this nightmare and we are faced with living death. The white cloth
speaks of patience and of turning the tide. We speak of embracing our death, of controlling it.
You in your entropy are eternally in motion, never at rest. We call on you Dal, in this time of
sleeping powers. You who are still around us all, with us always and unending, we call on you to
empower us. You in your entropy are eternally in motion, never at rest.
--Cult of Dal chant, Warehave, 100AA

Contents
........................................................................................................................................................ 2
............................................................................................................................................... 3
Tamir ........................................................................................................................................................... 3
Vaalu ............................................................................................................................................................ 4
Raena ........................................................................................................................................................... 5
Nantos.......................................................................................................................................................... 6
......................................................................................................................................... 7
Mertos .......................................................................................................................................................... 7
Dal ................................................................................................................................................................ 8
................................................................................................................................................. 9
...................................................................................................................................................... 9

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for more information on the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game

1
 the six; rather they are worshiped as a whole
with various gods being called upon for specific
prayers as needed. There are a few notable
exceptions, the Order of the White Cloth being
What is Aruneus? one of them.

Aruneus is a source book for the Pathfinder As the Aruneus gods are generally worshipped
Role Playing Game detailing the world, politics, as a pantheon, with certain gods elevated above
and lives of those living in a high fantasy world others depending on the cult of worship, all
one hundred years after a cataclysmic zombie standard Domains are available to Clerics and
apocalypse. Oracles in the World of Aruneus.

It is said that in the time before the arrival of Each of the six Aruneus Gods has a Domain
the Elves, Aruneus was a godless world, specific to the World of Aruneus that may be
existing in a state where powers and magic used as one of a cleric’s two domains.
were free to use for all and no beings of
immense might had come to claim these raw
powers for themselves.

Scholars do not know how the Elves arrived on

Aruneus, or where they came from. If even the
Elves remember they have not exposed this
secret. However they arrived, when they came
to Aruneus they brought with them or allowed
to arrive six deities who claimed this world for
their own. Though they occasionally took an
active role in world events they have generally
focused on their own realm outside of the
purely physical. They are often referred to by
the religious orders that follow them as the
Gentle Gods for their sparse interaction with
the world and it’s populous.

They are generally divided between the Gods of

Light whose concerns are said to be those of
creation and the Gods of the Dark whose
concerns are with entropy. Neither the Gods of
Light or of the Dark can said to be good or evil,
and have in the past granted powers to priests
who have both helped and harmed many. As
such many churches will elevate one of the six
gods above the other, but venerate the entire
pantheon.

The vast majority of sentient individuals on

Aruneus do not dedicated themselves to one of

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 Ancestral Memory, 6th – Mass Owl’s Wisdom,
7th – Circle of Clarity, 8th – Euphoric
Tranquility, 9th – Overwhelming Presence.

Tamir
Tamir, or the All God was the first to make
itself known to the Elves. Tamir has appeared
in many forms, as both sexes but is always said
to have worn a crown of white ivory when
manifesting in the physical realm. Tamir is said
to be the most powerful of the deities ruling
over Aruneus and is most often associated with
healing and reconciliation. The Elves hold that
Tamir has some influence over the other
deities. Through the ages a number of religious
orders have dedicated themselves to Tamir and
Tamir's Will (although the latter is almost
never communicated clearly). The Order of the
White Cloth is the latest religious order to be
dedicated exclusively to Tamir.

Domain: Reconciliation. You are skilled in the

arts of negotiation and reconciling differences.

Calming Touch (Sp): You can cause a living

creature to become calmer for 1 round as a
melee touch attack as the spell Calm Emotions.
Creatures with more Hit Dice than your cleric
level are unaffected. You can use this ability a
number of times a day equal to 2+ your
Wisdom modifier.

Speaker for All (Sp): At 8th level, you can cast

the spell Tongues as a swift action. The total
number of times you may cast this per day is
equal to your cleric level. Using this ability does
not count against the number of spells you may
cast per day. You may dismiss this spell effect
at any time as a swift action.

Domain Spells: 1st – Command, 2nd – Augury,

3rd – Speak with Dead, 4th – Aura of Doom, 5th –

3
Vaalu
Vaalu is a god most often perceived as male
and has been said to have manifested himself
mostly as a powerful, red bearded Dwarf. Vaalu
is most concerned with knowledge and
learning, whether it is in the realm of magic,
scholarship or recently the new sciences
responsible for lighter than air craft. Of the six,
Vaalu is said to have manifested itself most
often in the early times of the Great War,
offering new knowledge to all of the races. He is
sometimes seen as a trickster as well as a giver
of knowledge. His symbol is a red hammer.

Domain: Discovery. You have a talent for

finding that which was lost, or never known
before.

Tidbit of Knowledge (Sp): Once per day, you

can activate this ability to either open a book to
a random page, or talk with a random stranger.
On activating this ability you will learn one
small bit of knowledge which will be relevant to
your current task, quest or mission. You must
be able to read the language written in the book
or speak the language spoken by the stranger.

Imbued with Success (Sp): Starting at 8th level,

you may activate this ability once per day.
Everyone within a 30’ radius, including you,
gains a bonus to any Intelligence based skill
rolls equal to your Wisdom modifier. This
ability remains active for 10 minutes/cleric
level.

Domain Spells: 1st – Know the Enemy, 2nd –

Find Traps, 3rd – Blood Biography, 4th –
Sending, 5th – Commune, 6th – Joyful Rapture,
7th – Lesser Create Demiplane, 8th – Discern
Location, 9th – Gate.

4
Raena
Raena is always portrayed as a female, taking
the form of any of the sentient races. She is
always seen clothed in greens and browns
and is associated with growing things, forests
and fertility. Popular with farmers and those
who live close to nature, Raena has in the
past proven to be fickle when it comes to
intervention, apparently choosing sides on a
whim. Her symbol is a seed with a plant
sprout emerging from it.

Domain: Growth. Helping living things to

grow and flourish is your life goal.

Will to Live (Sp): Up to three times a day,

touch a dying creature or player to make it
stable, as a touch attack. The affected
creature will then regain 1 HP a round until
they reach 0 HP.

Radiant Life (Su): At 6th level, you begin to

radiate energy of growth and health. This
aura is invisible and extends around your
character in a circle with a 5’ radius. For each
even numbered level above 6th this circle’s
radius increased by 5’. Any living creature
that spends more than 1 hour of time within
this aura will gain the following benefits:

• Increased Healing – when you would

next naturally regain hit points from
rest, regain 2 additional hit points.
• Increased Fortitude – Gain +1 on all
Fort saving throw rolls for 24 hours.
• Renewed Energy – Exhausted
characters become Fatigued. Fatigued
characters lose their Fatigued
condition.

Domain Spells: 1st – Remove Sickness, 2nd – Feast, 7th – Regenerate, 8th – Holy Aura, 9th –
Bear’s Endurance, 3rd – Nap Stack, 4th – True Resurrection.
Restoration, 5th – Burst of Glory, 6th – Heroes’

5
Nantos
Nantos is associated with birth, longevity and
intense luck. Nantos has manifested as both
male and female, Dwarf, Human, Elf and Orc.
Nantos is credited as the most active god within
the mortal sphere. Documented manifestations
date back to the League of the Ring. There have
been several religious orders dedicated to
Nantos specifically. The last, the Order of
Nantos was popular amongst Elves and
Humans until the mid-400's BA, when it fell in
to decline. Nantos’ symbol is a sliver moon.

Domain: Fate. When all else fails, you trust in

your faith in Nantos and your luck.

Lucky Soul (Su): You may influence your own

luck, or the luck of someone near you to
directly profit yourself. The range of this ability
extends in a 100' radius. You may use this
ability up to three times a day, and these uses
may be stacked, where each use changes a
result by +1 or -1.

Beneficent Soul (Sp): Starting at 10th level you

may instill Aid (as the spell) on up to 10
individuals within your line of sight. You may
do this as a quick action. This effect lasts until
you decide to end it, or when an individual has
been out of your site for more than 12 hours,
whichever happens first.

Domain Spells: 1st – Bless, 2nd – Status, 3rd –

Channel Vigor, 4th – Blessing of Fervor, 5th –
Mass Heroic Fortune, 6th – Animate Objects, 7th
– Bestows Grace of the Champion, 8th –
Antimagic Field, 9th – Miracle.

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Mertos
Mertos is associated with war, hostility and
trade. Mertos most often manifests as a tall,
dark haired Human. He was lasted sighted
when the Necromancers forces were
destroyed and her threat was eliminated.
Mertos reportedly manifested on the
battlefield directly over the slain body of the
Necromancer. His symbol is a dagger,
pointing upwards.

Domain: Opposition. Seemingly random

acts of fate against those who would stop you
from attaining your goals ensures chaos and
disorder among your enemies.

Gaze of Opposition (Su): You cause one

creature within your line of site to lose 1d4
from their next die roll, regardless of what
that roll is for. Die roll results cannot fall
below 1. Creatures with more Hit Dice than
your cleric level are unaffected. You can use
this ability a number of times per day equal
to your Wisdom modifier.

Oppositional Goals (Su): Once per day,

starting at 8th level, you may take decrease
any one stat by 2 points and increase any
other stat by 2 points. This effect lasts for
your cleric level + 2 rounds. You may not
reduce any stat below 1. At 12th level you
may change your stats by 3. At 16th level you
may change your stats by 4.

Domain Spells: 1st – Bane, 2nd – Surmount

Condition, 3rd – Archon’s Aura, 4th –
Debilitating Portent, 5th – Reprobation, 6th –
Harm, 7th – Jolting Portent, 8th – Frightful
Aspect, 9th – Cursed Earth.

7
Dal
Dal is associated with death, dying and the
afterlife. There have been no confirmed
manifestations of Dal within recorded
history. Popular thought holds that seeing
Dal manifested leaves you little time to talk
about it or do anything else in this world.
Most religious orders either shun Dal or
incorporated it into their existing rituals.
Until very recently there have not been any
orders dedicated to Dal. Now there are a
number of cults dedicated to Dal, which the
Order of the White Cloth works actively to
stamp out. Dal’s symbol is a grey, unbroken
circle.

Domain: Otherworld. Clerics of Dal have a

spiritual understanding of death, dying and
what comes after.

Death Understanding (Su): Gain a +2 bonus

for weapon attacks and damage against any
Undead type creature. For every 5 cleric
levels, this bonus increases by +1.

Explore the Beyond (Su): Once per day

starting at 8th level you may elect to die a
true death. Your body will die and your
spirit will flee to another realm. This true
death lasts for your cleric level +10 minutes.
During this time your body is preserved as
the Gentle Repose spell. When the duration
has ended, you will return to life with your
full hit points and cured of any diseases you
may have contracted. If you are resurrected
during this time, you lose the benefits of
Explore the Beyond.

Domain Spells: 1st – Deathwatch, 2nd –

Gentle Repose, 3rd – Animate Dead, 4th –
Ancestral Gift, 5th – Raise Dead, 6th – Antilife
Shell, 7th – Resurrection, 8th – Orb of the Void,
9th – True Resurrection.

8
 had been locked in to this temple – an
aberration of a zombie that was not similar to
any of the undead the world had seen since the
apocalypse was unleashed nearly a century
The last confirmed manifestation of any deity prior.
on Aruneus was days after the initial undead
surge, when Nantos appeared before Lord The survivor called this zombie a Darkweaver
Neveron of the Old Kingdom, while the Lord because of the fog-like tendrils of darkness that
was holding court. Forty courtiers report seemed to flow from it.
Nantos appearing as a human male, clad in
cloth of gold. Nantos reportedly whispered Since unearthing a single type of this
something to Lord Neveron, looked back
over his shoulder and then vanished. Lord
Neveron immediately called a closed
council meeting with his personal advisers.
During this meeting he was assassinated by
one of his advisers who also succeeded in
killing the other 9 men and women in the
room, and then themselves. No one is sure
which adviser was responsible.

While the power of the gods is manifest

through priests and can be seen to work on
a daily basis, the gods themselves have
chosen (or have been forced) to remain mute
since the dead began to walk Aruneus. There
is vast speculation as to what has happened to
them, why they no longer intervene in mortal
affairs and why they have chosen not to speak.

Just several years past a small group of rebels

aligned with the League of the Earth and led by zombie,
several supplicants stumbled on the ruins of a there have been several current
large temple dedicated to Dal and Mertos. reports of these types of undead abroad in the
world. They do not seem to be anywhere near
They decided to explore further and in at some as numerous as the Decrepit Undead Human
point in the days after uncovering the entrance, Zombie but they are far more powerful.
which had been sealed from the outside, they
released a new threat to the world of Aruneus. More chilling is it would seem that while they
are just as deadly in terms of bite to humans,
Only one member of their party escaped they also can turn other races into undead
unharmed to tell of a new undead threat that

9
horrors. Rumors of Darkweaver Orcs and Elves Whether or not the save is successful,
have recently been circulating. characters cannot be affected again by the same
Darkweaver zombie’s ability for one hour.
Darkweaver Zombies are more intelligent than
other Contagion Infected Zombies. They are The Contagion (Ex)
able to manipulate simple objects such as A single bite from a Contagion Infected
doors, negotiate ladders and other simple tasks. Zombie will infect any Human bitten. There is
no saving throw. Non-human races bitten by
Darkweaver Zombie the Darkweave Zombie must make a Fort Save
XP 1,600 CR 5 (DC 16).
Medium Undead
Init +0, Darkvision 60’, Perception + 16 Successfully saving against the Contagion for
Darkweave (20’ Fatigued for 1d10 rounds, Will non-human races reduces the character’s Con
DC 18 negates). by 1 for 24 hours. This effect is cumulative. If
their Con reaches 0, they are dead.
Defense
AC 20, touch 10, flat-footed 15 (+5 natural) A failed saving throw means the character will
HP 60 (8d8+24) die within 1d20+4 hours. They cannot be
Fort +4, Ref +2, Will +8 healed by any normal, divine or magical means
DR 3/-; immune undead traits excepting the Vial of Life or a Wish (not a
Limited Wish).
Offense
Speed 20 ft. Once a Contagion infected character has died,
Melee Grapple, bite +14 (1d8), Slam +14 they cannot be resurrected. They will reanimate
(1d8+10) as a Darkweaver Zombie in 1d4 days after they
have died.
Statistics
Str 24, Dex 10, Con -, Int 3, Wis 15, Cha 15 Damage Reduction (Ex)
Base Attack: +6, CMB +13; CMD 23 Darkweaver Zombies are essential masses of
Feats: Power attack, Toughness, Weapon flesh for which wounds are not an issue.
Focus, Skill Focus (Perception)
Moan(Ex)
Special Qualities Darkweaver Zombies, on determining that
The Contagion, Darkweave, Damage Reduction potential prey is nearby, emit a long, low moan
3/–, Moan, Freeze, Destruction, Regeneration, which carries quite a distance. Any other
Undead traits Contagion Infected Zombies within a half mile
radius have a 60% chance of being attracted by
Darkweave (Su) this moan and will also begin moaning
Like threads of tattered fog, dark strands of themselves. Often, this results in a Contagion
mist emanate from the Darkweaver Zombie, Infected Zombie Horde. Zombies will moan if
acting as intangible tentacles that surround it in they see prey or hear loud noises which may
a 20’ radius. Anyone approaching within 20’ of indicate prey.
a Darkweaver Zombie must make a DC 18 Will
save or become Fatigued for 1d10 rounds.

10
Freeze(Ex)
When Darkweaver Zombies are in an
environment where the temperature falls below
32°F for over 12 hours they will freeze solid.
Open Gaming License Version 1.0A
They will be unable to move until they have
been exposed to temperatures over 32°F for 12 Reference Document by permission of Wizards of the Coast.
Subsequent versions of this product will incorporate later
or more hours. Frozen zombies are considered versions of the license and document
immobile and helpless. The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast,
Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc
("Wizards"). All Rights Reserved.
Destruction(Ex) 1. Definitions: (a)"Contributors" means the copyright and/or
trademark owners who have contributed Open Game
If Contagion Infected Zombies take their Content; (b)"Derivative Material" means copyrighted material
maximum hit dice (i.e. 1 hit die – 1d12 = 12 including derivative works and translations (including into
other computer languages), potation, modification,
pts.) in damage in a single round they are correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement,
considered destroyed (dead). The exception is a compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing
work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) "Distribute"
Cleric who uses the Channel Energy ability to means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast,
channel positive energy. If positive channeled publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)"Open
Game Content" means the game mechanic and includes the
energy is used to reduce a Contagion Infected methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent
Zombie to 0 hit points or less, it is destroyed. such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an
enhancement over the prior art and any additional content
clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor,
and means any work covered by this License, including
Regeneration(Su) translations and derivative works under copyright law, but
When a Darkweaver Zombie takes more than specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) "Product Identity"
means product and product line names, logos and identifying
it’s hit points in damage, but less than its total marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters;
hit dice, it falls prone for one full combat stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue,
incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions,
round. After that combat round, they become likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic,
prone with their full hit points. photographic and other visual or audio representations;
names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments,
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A note on spells: Domain spells listed in this abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures,
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Special thanks to Jenn Gerber, Izzie & Luca and all the folks otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content.
at Troll in the Corner. (h) "You" or "Your" means the licensee in terms of this
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15 COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the
Coast, Inc.
System Reference Document. Copyright 2000, Wizards of
the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip
Williams, based on material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave
Arneson.
Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook. Copyright 2009, Paizo
Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material
by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams.
The Book of Experimental Might. Copyright 2008, Monte J.
Cook. All rights reserved.
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Inc.; Authors: Scott Greene, with Clark Peterson, Erica
Balsley, Kevin Baase, Casey Christofferson, Lance
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The World of Aruneus Copyright 2010, Benjamin Gerber.
Troll in the Corner Copyright 2010, Benjamin Gerber

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