Athar

[Flession]

The Athar (Defiers, The Lost)




The Athar, also called Defiers or The Lost, believe that the gods of the known multiverse are just really powerful beings, but not actual gods worthy of worship. Possessing great might alone does not make any being worthy of worship. They include disgruntled ex-priests, victims of divine curses, saboteurs working against the temples of evil gods, atheist propaganda artists, and cult-breakers. For some Athar, tearing down the temples of these false gods in enough, while others search for what is truly sacred. In Sigil they are based in the Shattered Temple, while on the planes they have safehouses in ruined temples in the Outlands and call the Athar Citadel on the Astral their headquarters.

Philosophy: There are no gods, just powerful mortals. They want to discover the secret truth to reality.

Plane of Influence: Astral Plane.

Headquarters: The Shattered Temple in Sigil. Formerly a temple of Aoskar, god of portals.

Allies: The Believers of the Source.

Ranks: Factotums are known as "Athaons." To become one, you have to go through a special hidden ceremony in the Shattered Temple. You bring three objects linked to the gods (bibles, holy symbols, etc) and destroy them.

• Low level athaons work as guards and messengers
• Mid-level athaons work as special envoys and supervisors.
• High level athaons: Join the inner circle of the defilers.

Lore:

• Crystal Cask of the Great Unknown: The Athar think there is a shattered cask that, if reassembled, can contain and drain the power from all of the "pretender" gods.

Background:

• Prerequisite: Worshipers of specific gods cannot join the Athar. Clerics who join worship the Great Unknown.
• Skill Proficiencies: Persuasion, Religion
• Tool Proficiencies: Scribe's supplies
• Languages: One language of your choice
• Equipment: Scribe’s supplies, a desecrated holy symbol, a set of common clothes including a faction badge sewn into them, and a belt pouch containing 10 gp.
• Feature: One of the Lost . Your reputation as an Athar member allows you to request shelter of any other member, and they are obliged to give it (though you must give in return when asked). You also are welcome at the Shattered Temple in the Lower Ward, have access to its library, and are free to earn some coin by working in the Scriptorium (about 1 gp per day, enough for a Modest lifestyle) copying books and printing tracts. You are also welcome at the Athar Citadel on the Astral Plane, where much of the advanced faction training goes on. You know of a portal that goes to the Citadel, along with the portal key. You also know of a portal (and its key) to one safe-house in a ruined temple somewhere in the planes.
• Suggested Characteristics: Athar are defined by a continuous quest for truth – one that often leads Athar members into plenty of trouble. Their personality traits can be shaped by this quest, and the troubles it has brought them, including the rejection of the gods. Their flaws tend to find them focusing much on the negative aspects of their philosophy, on negating the Powers rather than on supporting the People.
• Athar Membership: Most Athar members seek divine secrets, and so many become clerics of the Great Unknown, to become close to the true source of all divinity. Others dismiss the gods entirely and look to other sources of power, such as arcane magic, martial prowess, or the forces of nature. Especially common among non-cleric Athar members - and more accepted than in most factions - are warlocks of various stripes. Though trucking with these forces is considered a dangerous move, gaining the knowledge of fiends, fey, and Old Ones is also considered a worthy move, and many Athar seek these secrets so that they may share them with others rather than keep them to themselves. This, of course, reduces the value of the secrets those creatures keep, and so often earns their ire - most Athar members consider this just another front on their battle against the gods. Additionally, there's a lot of Celestial Pact Warlocks who access the powers of the gods without worship, and the celestial involved are generally less hostile about the revelations they're providing being shared.

[Flession]

Renown

Renown	Rank	Special Abilities	Minimum Level Required
1	Namers	Athar Restriction, Divine Curse Immunity, Defiant	N/A
10	Athaon (Factotum)	Hidden from the Gods	Min. 5th level
25	Factor	Banishment, Believers of Nothing, Among the Lost, Beyond Salvation	Min. 10th level

Athar Restriction. Gods and their servants are initially unfriendly toward you. Accepting aid from a servant of the gods is considered beneath an Athar, and prevents you from gaining Inspiration until you atone or otherwise prove yourself to your faction’s cause.
Divine Resistance: Full-fledged members of the Defiers are so committed to their beliefs that they are able to shrug off most divine spells. When any spell is cast on your person by someone who is either a Cleric of a specific deity or a planar agent serving a deity/archdevil/demon lord, you have advantage on any saving rolls and the caster has disadvantage on the attack roll with the spell. This effect lasts for one round and can be used three time per day and require a long rest to use again. You cannot choose which spells are to be affected by this ability, therefore, any beneficial spells such as a healing spell from a cleric will require you to fail the save in order for it to take effect.
Defiant. You can spend Inspiration to remove a condition or effect imposed on you by a servant of the gods (like an angel, cleric, or proxy).
Hidden from the Gods Athaons are granted special items to help in their quests for the Faction. At this rank you are granted an Amulet of Proof against Detection and Location to assist in your missions, bearing the logo of the Athar in its center. If lost or stolen, you are required to pay for the cost to obtain another one.
Banishment.You are able to cast Banishment as a 4th level cleric spell once per long rest. This requires no material components. Charisma is your Spellcasting Ability for this. You must take a long rest before you are able to cast Banishment again.
Believers of Nothing You command respect from the lower ranks of the Faction. You are able to obtain 1d4 Namer-ranked Athaons to assist you with any task. Their expected skill sets can be set by you as needed, so long as it makes sense for the Defiers to have them (no clerics, for example).
Among the Lost Your disbelief in the gods is so powerful, you are able to counter the chants and prayers of those who worship the divine, causing their prayers to go unanswered. You may cast Counterspell as a 5th level spell once per long rest against any Cleric worshiping a specific deity or a planar agent serving a deity/archdevil/demon lord. Charisma is your Spellcasting Ability for this.
Beyond Salvation You are out of reach of the divine to the point your soul cannot be restored to your body unless it is cast from a cleric who is not aligned with any deity, a Reincarnation spell is cast on you, or a Wish spell is used to mimic a resurrection spell.