Hierophant Elder

From House of Khilat

Hierophant Elders are leaders of the Circle of the Ancients.

Elders are responsible for finding and sanctifying new sacred sites. Most often these sites are sacred groves, but other special sites in any terrain can be sanctified. Standing Stoned are often erected, especially for sites not located in forest or jungle. Moonwells are usually created in the Moonshae Islands but have been created elsewhere.

Hallowed Elders and Hierophant Elders can imbue various powers into sacred Druid sites. Sacred Groves may be imbued with up to 5 greater powers and 9 lesser powers. No more than 2 magical standing stones can be created at a sacred site.

Patron Powers

  • Chauntea:
    • Once per month, merge into the land becoming one with the earth, trees and plants. The hierophant occupies up to 1 acre per level of experience, and is vaguely aware of creatures and happenings within the area, but can't hear conversations or see specific actions. Damage to rocks and trees do not harm the hierophant unless significant damage is inflicted to the entire area occupied by the hierophant. The Elder may stay inside 1 day per level, without need for food or water, and can only be detected by true seeing or similar magic while looking at the entire area as a whole. The Elder may step out from any place in the land that is occupied, even exiting below the surface, up to 5' per level.
    • Once per year, three Hierophant Elders can summon a nature elemental formed from the uncivilized and uncultivated portion the land. Nature elementals are summoned to return the spell's area of effect to an uncultivated state. All signs of civilization and all humans or humanoids within a 1 mile radius are obliterated, with the exceptions of the hierophants. Any of the hierophants may dismiss the elemental at will, otherwise it will serve for 24 hours. It is not extra planar and can't be banished or controlled.
  • Silvanus:
    • Create a bond with a sacred tree that they sanctified. The hierophant can transfer damage to the tree which can have capacity of 7 to 12 hit dice for absorbing such damage. The tree can heal naturally at the rate of 1 hit point every two days. Death of the tree results in the permanent loss of two experience levels. Natural death of the hierophant results in the tree serving as the host for a dryad within 7 years.
    • Santify a lesser sacred grove to become a place of worship for Druids, rangers, woodland beings, elves and certain fey creatures. One additional grove can be sanctified for every 5 levels gained after becoming a Hierophant Elder. The ceremony takes a full week to complete.
    • Three Hierophant Elders can sanctify a greater sacred grove. Three Hallowed Elders can substitute for one hierophant, replacing not more than two hierophants. Every Elder of the ceremony must represent a different patron power of the circle, with at least one of the hierophants representing a power with a Druidic priesthood. The ceremony takes a full week to complete. Santifying a greater sacred grove is very taxing, so a hierophant can only lead one such ceremony in their life time, though they may participate in additional ceremonies up to the number of constitution points they possess.
    • Three Hierophant Elders can sanctify a tree as sacred to the Circle of the Ancients. Members can always identify these trees and can automatically locate them within a sacred grove. Members need not know the hierophants involved in order to make use of the tree. Only one such tree can be sanctified in each sacred grove. Many such trees are very old, having long outlived the hierophants that sanctified them. Such trees also serve as repositories of knowledge which can be accessed by members who cast speak to plants to communicate with the tree.
  • Sune:
    • Charisma score is +3 when dealing with natural animals, fey creatures of the wilderness, Druids and members of the Circle. This can affect henchmen, adding up to 15 additional Rangers, Druids, Specialty Nature Priests and certain fey creatures. This replaces the charisma bonus of the Hallowed Elder.
    • Once per month, transform any normal tree into a weir tree with bright copper colored leaves, or cause rocks or trees to be sculpted into works of natural beauty.
    • Once a year, three Hierophant Elders can transfer a dryad, hamadryad, nixie or sylph to a new tree or location.
  • Hiatea:
    • Suvive without food or water a number of days equal to the Hierophant's constitution while performing normal activity such as hunting, travel, setting camp, etc. Strenuous activity, such as combat for a turn, going without normal rest periods or without sleep, are counted as additional days or normal activity, decreasing the total amount of time that the Elder can survive with food and water.
    • Once per year, three Hierophant Elders can cause a sacred grove to produce enough food to feed 100 humans per square mile. Once a particular grove has produced such an abundant crop, it will not be able to produce another such large crop for 7 years, and all crops produced during that period will be half normal size.
  • Stronmaus:
    • Once per week, enlarge to giant proportions for up to 1 hour. The base size is 12' tall, but when dealing with giants, the size will increase to 1' taller than the tallest giant of the group. Elders who are already giant kind, can double their height. The maximum height gained from this power is 30', and additional magic can't be used to grow larger, unless that magic could increase the caster to a larger size from their original size.
    • Once a year, three or more Hierophant Elders can establish an area with a permanent weather pattern. Normally this is invoked to provide an area with protection for weather extremes. Typically care is taken to establish upper and lower bounds for tempurature so that normal seasons are experienced. If seasons are not able to occur within the bounds, the region is often considered cursed, and such uses are very rare. Such special uses may involve protecting an important plant, tree or creature, or sealing evil creatures away. The area affected can cover up to 1 acre per the combined levels of all participating hierophants.
  • Titania:
    • Once per week, shape change to the form of a woodland being. Only the form is assumed, with none of the magical abilities normally associated with the creature. The creatures non-magical modes of transportation also become available, including flying, swimming, etc. returning to the Elders natural form heals 10-60% of damage.
    • Once a year, three Hierophant Elders can summon a small army of woodland beings or fey creature of up to 150 Hit Dice to defend a sacred grove.
  • Angharradh:
    • Create standard and greater Amulet of the Ancients.
    • Once per year, imbue a sacred grove so that all births are healthy with no deformities. This affects animals and people.
    • Once a year, three Hierophant Elders can imbue a sacred grove with the power to expel those who would betray or commit acts of evil. This power is not commonly seen in Druid groves, but is more common in natural gardens of th elves and fey creatures.
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