Pantheon: Bahamut
Bahamut is the dragon god of justice, and a brother to Torm, god of law. Bahamut is revered in many locales. Though all good-aligned dragons pay homage to Bahamut, gold, silver, and brass dragons hold him in particularly high regard. Other dragons, even evil ones (except perhaps his archrival Tiamat), respect Bahamut for his wisdom and power.
Clerical details
Domains: Dragon, Order, War, Knowledge, Protection
Weapon: Longsword
Worshipers, Clergy & Temples
The majority of Bahamut's worshipers are metallic dragons, though he has followers among many races, especially the ones who wish to protect the weak. Almost all members of the Draconic Order are worshipers of Bahamut.
Bahamut only accepts good-aligned priests. They may be dragons, half-dragons, or other beings. They strive to constantly yet subtly act on behalf of good. They oppose evil, but their first mandate is to ensure they do no harm in the process. Clerics are typically versed in martial arts and combat, and prone to leaping into any fray in order to defend against unjust attackers.
Bahamut is known to visit his clerics more often than other dragon deities, and he asks his clerics to oppose the greatest weaknesses of dragonkind (in Bahamut's point of view): the tendency of good dragons to perform questionable acts because of greed or cowardice; the chance to be subdued (something all dragon gods frowned upon); and the existence of evil dragons.
If a dragon cleric transgressed Bahamut's dogma, committed questionable acts, or was subdued, either voluntarily or by force, he or she will lose favor with him. They will need to atone by sacrificing part of their treasure, or by performing special tasks. Failure atone means they lose part of their clerical powers. Repeated transgressions will earn them the loss of all their clerical abilities.
Non-draconic clerics of Bahamut typically learned his teachings via the Draconic Order, usually a Gold or Silver Knight. Teacher and student often traveled to see the effects of injustice and cruelty firsthand. Legends of Bahamut's own wanderings tell of an unassuming old man with canaries who helped people on the roads, and these legends are well known among his faithful. Many of his human and demihuman priests undertake pilgrimages in the company of trained canaries (though sometimes other animals), seeking to emulate their god.
Vestments
The ceremonial garb of Bahamut's clergy consists of a suit of brightly-polished scale mail, made of a metal denoting rank, with a golden robe worn over it. The metals used in the armor are, in order of rank from lowest to highest: copper, brass, bronze, silver, and gold. The holy symbol is usually a gemstone carved into a star or with the star-over-nebula engraved into it.
When adventuring, Bahamut's priests usually wear the heaviest metallic armor they can afford, usually having the armor custom-crafted to more closely resemble a dragon, especially the helm, which will almost always be in the shape of a dragon's head.
Rumor and legend speaks of Bahamut's blessed dragon swords, long swords that come in seven varieties, each corresponding to a type of good dragon: gold, silver, bronze, copper, brass, steel, and mercury. These are carried only by the most devout followers (or those blessed by Bahamut), and many have been lost over the years.
Not surprisingly, many of the Draconic Order's gear follow similar principles.
Hierarchy
Bahamut's followers put great weight into the Ptarian Code, a code of honor created by the gold dragon Ptaris in the ancient past. Originally intended as a code of conduct for the lords who attended the King of Justice, the Ptarian Code eventually was adopted by many gold and silver dragons. The Ptarian Code was similar to the codes of chivalry adopted by knightly orders of humanity. It included paying homage to Bahamut, as well to the draconic deities Lendys and Tamara. The major precepts were:
- Justice and Good above all
- Honor and Fealty to the King
- Honor and Respect to Righteous Innocence
- Honor and Protection to the Lesser Races
- Honor and Correction to the Enemies of Justice and Good
- Honor and Forbearance for oneself
Temples
Bahamut prefers his followers to worship him with deeds, not objects. As such, most of his followers honor that precept, contenting themselves with simple shrines to Bahamut in their homes (usually nothing more than Bahamut's holy symbol engraved on a wall).
Those temples that have been built are beautiful and elegant edifices characterized by clean, simple architecture and furnishings. More often than not, these temples are "working" buildings, by which the followers of the Platinum Dragon gather to render aid to the community around them, recruit new followers, or plan their next campaign against the Wyrmcult. Most also have a few smaller rooms where individuals could pray, meditate, or rest in privacy.
Similarly, almost every Draconic Order chapterhouse has one room dedicated to the quiet contemplation and meditation of Bahamut, but this room is often sparse and adorned solely with Bahamut's holy symbol on the wall.
Rituals
Most of the quests that Bahamut's followers go on are apt to involve opposing Tiamat in some way. They have few formal rituals. Each clergy member is expected to say a prayer facing north every night. Clergy members also must show respect to any good dragon they come across, and to address them in Auld Wyrmish (or in the proper metallic tongue, if known) unless the dragon in question is familiar to them and/or would rather speak in common. Bahamut's clergy is also honor-bound to help any good dragon they meet who needs it.
The only activity that was considered as something like a ritual was the Rite of Rebirth, the magical process by which non-dragon humanoids transformed themselves into dragonborn. Rarely, humans, elves, halflings, or other humanoid races may hear a call, like a faint question in their hearts, asking them if they want to devote themselves completely to Bahamut. Normally it is first heard before adolescence, but sometimes adults hear it as well. Not all those who are called answer, but those who do may undergo the Rite of Rebirth. Those who commit to this demanding ritual put aside all their weapons and equipment, dressing in a simple linen shift. They meditate for a full day and night, their head filled with reminders of all they are giving up. If they elect to go on, they then enter an egg-shaped chamber at dawn and sleep until dawn the next day, emerging as a noble, draconic, platinum-scaled dragonborn, ready to become a permanent champion against Tiamat and her spawn.
Festivals
The only holy day currently celebrated by Bahamut's faithful is the Feast of Fellowship. Dating back to the time of the Eldar, when dragons were far more present in the world, it was intended as a night for Firstborn, human, Created, and dragon to set aside differences and come closer together. Each clergy member in an area would ride dragonback into the night sky, and partake in an aerial dance of breathtaking beauty. Afterwards, the dragons would all polymorph into humanoid shapes, and share a feast with the clergy and those who have done great services to the church or to the dragons.
In the modern era, the feast is still faithfully honored; instead of the aerial dance of dragons, however, the faithful perform beautiful dances on the ground instead. Rumors abound of metallic dragons periodically partaking of the festivals (in a polymorphed shape), but these stories always come from festivals held in remote parts of the world, and generally carry little faith in their accuracy.
Each temple will also hold a celebration on the day of its founding. This celebration usually takes the form of a public parade, and the donation of one valuable item from each clergy member to the church. Other followers are encouraged to donate, and the temple often uses this as the source of aid for the community for the remainder of the year.
Orders
The most famous of Bahamut's orders is, of course, the Draconic Order. It is rumored that other orders in his name were founded during the early days after the Fall, but these were either destroyed by the Wyrmcult, or absorbed into the Draconic Order.
Dogma
Defend the weak and downtrodden against unjust attackers and those who take pleasure in harming the defenseless. Value life above all. Pride is necessary for any creature to be magnanimous; One has to believe in standards for themselves, and strive to surpass them, before standards can be applied to others.