Athar
Table of Contents
Who We Are
The Athar ("Defiers" as their members are sometimes known) primary role in the city is one of health and education, and sheer anti-theism. Whilst historically their campaigns have been purely targeted at discrediting (or attacking) the gods, they’ve really branched out as of late after a particularly influential member encouraged some new practices. They now run schools on a ‘not-for-profit’ basis, teaching language, critical thinking and basic finance. The more knowledge people have access to, they reason, the more they can come to conclusions on their own.
A Word from your Factol...
The gods are frauds.
Anywhere you go, they are there: religions built on a bedrock of delusions and false promises. Those with coin and sway pulling clueless sods such as yourselves under their grasp… and once they have you, they never let you go. They tell you how to think. How to act. What’s good and what’s bad. That you shouldn’t do something because a ‘god’ told you so. Countless atrocities committed in their names.
Let’s break it down. Why let them control you?
Yes, gods exist; we know this for a fact. We’re not barmy. Difference is, we see them for what they really are: beings like you and I. Sure, they’re immortal and wield immense power… but so does the Lady, and she ain’t no god. So do archdevils and the highest of angels. They ain’t no gods. Hells, even liches can do all that. So why are “gods” so special?
They feed on your hope. They say that gods give you power; that they empower their priests to do amazing things - wield incredible magic! Big deal, so do books: look at wizards. So does sheer blind rage, blood, or even nature itself.
When it comes to gods, in all actuality it is you that gives them power. Stop believing in a god and what happens? They stop living. Simple as. Gods need you more than you need them, and that’s a fact. The Astral Sea is full of them - dead and forgotten deities, drained of any power. Floating for eternity.
You don’t need a god to tell you to do good things. You don’t need a god to give you magical powers. You don’t need a god to build a community, or to grant a sense of belonging or love. We Athar can do all those things… and we have no gods.
We just are.
And we’re great.
An Athar's Journey (Trying not to get Smitten)
Joining the Athar is a simple case of showing up and declaring a want to join. ‘Course, you’ll receive a grilling on what you think of the powers, whether any gods have an attachment to you or the likes. That’s all there is to it.
Consortium spies have been caught trying to sabotage the public services lately, and there’s one too many Hardhead or Anarchist plants looking to slip through the cracks. As such, the Athar may put certain ex-factioneers, priests and other suspicious berks through their paces just to make sure they’re dead-serious about joining.
What is a 'Divine Power'?
We use the term Divine Power here quite a bit, as it's a huge talking point for the Athar. This refers to any god or divine being, or one who draws their power from the gods. E.g.:
- A deity or demigod
- A proxy of a deity or demigod
- A priest or paladin who draws power directly from a god
- A warlock whose patron is a deity
- Planar servitors of divine powers such as angels that carry out a gods orders
It does not include:
- A cleric who draws power from their faith in people
- A paladin who draws power from a cause that is not related to a god
- A narcissist who thinks themselves a god
Novitiate (Namer)
Once in, members are generally given jobs around the Temple. Those who can read and write are sent to the scriptorium to help produce campaign materials, whereas those with a mechanical mind are sent to the workshop to maintain and operate the printing press. Those who like laws or public speaking are sent to the Hall of Speakers with the rest of their delegation.
The “war” with the Harmonium is still ongoing, and a new law threatens to make the distribution of pamphlets mocking the powers illegal - the Factol could use all the help they can get.
Athaon (Factotum)
Progression through the Athar comes when one can find and prove oneself to a sponsor. Once you find one willing to vouch for you in your entirety, you are ready to take the Rite of Ascension and become an Athaon. This is very much a ritual of tradition, and there is a current discontent about its necessity. During it, the sod for ascension must sacrifice three articles imbued with the power of a fraudulent god, laying them at the feet of the Bois Verdurous for sacrifice.
Athaons serve as the management of the Athar, overseeing the teams of scribes and healers and ensuring everything runs smoothly. They are responsible for reporting any donations, tracking stock and supplies, and informing the faction high-ups of any concerns or rumours of interest.
Godsaken (Factor)
Athaons wanting to advance a rank to Godsaken (Factor) must cause a significant victory over a power or its proponents. This could include routing a divine army or dispatching an army of an Archfiend’s devil, or perhaps dismantling a cult.
Once one has gotten that under their belt, they must win the approval of at least 2/3rds of the current Godsaken. Once quorum is reached, you are promoted.
Factol
The Factol is replaced when the previous steps down, dies, or is proven incompetent. The next is chosen from among the Factors, who vote on who they most support for the role. Those who can be voted for must have defiled an active temple and destroyed its altar (or equivalent). Generally, only one member actually meets this criteria and lives to tell the tale.
Faction Mechanics & Character Options
Members born into the Athar are taught to question anything people tell you - especially when it's about the gods or what you should think.
If you are creating a character who has been a member of the Athar for a while, you may pick from the following backgrounds at character creation. A list of suggested bonds within the faction and philosophical ideals is also presented below.
Backgrounds
Despite the name, ‘Doctor’ within the Athar covers a wide range of roles - from healers to teachers. Their general aim is to provide aid to the public, educating them and keeping them healthy. All doctors are expected to be proficient healers, but they generally also have great subject knowledge in a certain area to which they bring to the schools on occasion too.
- Skill Proficiencies: Any two from: Intimidation, Insight, Medicine, or Religion
- Tool Proficiencies: Physicker Tools, Herbalist Kit
- Languages: One of your choice
- Equipment: Physicker Tools, Herbalism Kit, a pouch containing 5gp, Athar Doctor insignia, a set of doctor's clothes
Feature: Community Links
Professional Doctors are hard to come by at present, and are highly respected. You bear a modified faction symbol which commands a great deal of respect among almoners and public servants especially. Furthermore, you may use your Medicine (Wisdom) score in place of any Charisma checks (especially Intimidation) made to convince people about matters affecting their health or imminent danger.
Publicists thrive on arguments, taking to the streets or the Hall of Speakers to push the case for godlessness and community ever onward. They tend to be smooth talkers with excellent critical thinking skills, capable of arguing a point into the early hours of the morning.
- Skill Proficiencies: Any two from: Deception, Insight, Persuasion, or Religion
- Tool Proficiencies: One type of Artisan's Tools
- Languages: One of your choice
- Equipment: A set of artisan's tools (one of your choice), a handful of promotional pamphlets, a pouch containing 10gp, Athar insignia, a set of fine clothes
Reasoned Insight
You have a knack for using logic and reason to understand the emotions and drive that underlie a person’s actions. You may use your Intelligence modifier in place of your Wisdom modifier when making an Insight check against a person you are actively conversing with.
Despite the name, scribes of late have spent less time manually writing out copies and more time creating and repairing thanks to the advent of the printing press. They are encouraged not only to learn to argue and reason, but to be handy with a craft as well.
- Skill Proficiencies: Any two from: Arcana, History, Insight or Religion
- Tool Proficiencies: Calligrapher’s Supplies, and one type of Artisan's Tools
- Equipment: A set of artisan's tools (one of your choice), Calligrapher's Supplies, a pouch containing 10gp, Athar insignia, a set of simple clothes
Feature: Athar’s Mark
You learn to write the Athar’s Mark - a magical rune that can be placed upon a sheet of paper or small other small surface. Anyone who then touches the mark triggers a magical voice that speaks the words written on that paper in a normal tone and volume. Scribing a lesser mark takes one minute, and triggers exactly once before losing its magic.
d4 | Faction Draw (Ideal) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Vengeance, I’ve never forgiven the gods for what they did. |
| 2 | Community, my calling is to help people and mend their ailments. The Athar’s doctors are the best around. |
| 3 | Troublemaker, I like to stir shit and rile people up. Talking about gods is a good way of doing that. |
| 4 | Vibe, when I first arrived in Sigil, I met an Athar. They gave me some good vibes, and I guess that rubbed off on me. |
d4 | Faction Sponsor (Bonds) |
|---|---|
| 1 | Kyle, an ageing samurai and honorary Athar. |
| 2 | Lysander Goldenbrow, an old veteran of the second upheaval, and known dissident. |
| 3 | Vadan Oakenriver, a scholar who once survived a heavenly smiting. |
| 4 | Rags, a street urchin with some serious connections. |
Faction Restriction
Athar must defy the gods and their servitors at every turn.
Those who are caught lending aid to a temple or heavenly cause are due for a bollocking, and anyone caught worshipping a god is dead as far as the Athar are concerned.
Roleplaying a Defier
Style and Flair
Faction colours of the Athar are sky blue and silver, with members tending to opt for simpler clothes and robes and a more ascetic aesthetic.
The faction symbol is a pair of broken shackles on a starry backdrop, with a Caduceus being used instead of shackles by members of the Athar's doctors.
A "Good" Defier...
- Does not refuse aid to another Athar if they are in need.
- Shows compassion to those brainwashed by divine powers.
Faction Powers
Spells that would observe you remotely, locate you, compel you or read your mind that are cast by Divine Powers are prone to failure, having no effect if they are cast at a level lower than half your total character level (rounded up).
Once per long rest, or by spending inspiration, you may use an action to cast Dispel Magic at a level equal to half your total character level (rounded up). You may only dispel divine spells and magical effects cast by Divine Powers using this ability. Choose either your Intelligence, Wisdom or Charisma modifier as your spellcasting ability for this spell.
The power of Divinity registers like a stink in your mind. By spending a minute interacting with a person, you can determine whether or not they are considered a “Divine Power”. You do not know why specifically, but may make a Religion (Intelligence) skill check to determine what deity or pantheon they relate to.
Alternatively, you may study an object for one minute to sense whether or not it has been touched by the Divine. You may determine whether or not it has been blessed, consecrated or desecrated, or is under the effect of any ongoing spells or magical effects as cast by Divine Powers.
You are considered to be under a nondetection spell at all times when it comes to divination spells or magical effects as cast by Divine Powers. Furthermore, you are immune to any curses or compulsion effects cast by Divine Powers.
The Chant
History
The Athar have been around for as long as most factions, and have some particularly flavourful history. The Faction itself was born out of two berks who’d been cheated out of all that they’d earned by the gods; two mighty adventurers, once wealthy beyond measure, now without a coin to their name.
They met at the Shattered Temple centuries before the Great Upheaval (and yes, the temple existed in a shattered state even back then, and was very much a shrine to religious defiance at the time). One of these berks came bitter and resentful, looking for a way to make the god who’d wronged him dead as a doornail. The other came content and thoughtful, an itinerant sage happy to roam the planes as unencumbered as could be - he just wanted to know why a god would ever want material goods in the first place.
Unfortunately, they mistook one another for enemies and, as most philosophical debates in Sigil start, beat the crap out of each other. The outcome is well-known: a duel of sword and wit, ending in a draw and a trip to the nearest tavern. Therein they made the mutual pledge to meet again in half a year's time, seeing who could outdo the other in deeds against the powers.
This competition proved quite popular, and when the showdown came they had quite a crowd, all of whom wanted in on the next bout.
History doesn’t care who won - the point was what they’d started: the Athar.
War with the Harmonium
The Athar’s early days were ones of obscurity, slowly growing and spreading the word without really offending any of the other factions - they saved that for the gods. Eventually they got a bit too big mind, and the Harmonium soon took a shine to beating them up.
See, back then the Harmonium was a fair bit more religious and philosophical than they are now. They’d built a whole faith around the concept of harmony, complete with its own pantheon, and they didn’t much like the Athar’s defiance. Things escalated, and eventually one member of the Athar, seeking a promotion, took to torching one of the Harmonium’s shrines.
The Hardheads retaliated, launching a full-scale assault on the Shattered Temple. A bloody, messy battle ensued, with dozens of deaths on both sides. Then the Lady put a stop to matters. Seems she quite liked having the Shattered Temple as a monument to her triumph over the gods. So she took the ringleader of the assault and sent the poor sod headfirst into her one of Mazes. She then flayed a few dozen combatants (and a hapless onlooker) to really drive the point home, before vanishing as soon as she appeared.
No-one was going to try anything after the Lady’s intervention. At least, not in any official capacity. The Hardheads still continued their battle, albeit more discreetly. They sent guerilla raids to mess with the Athar and paid off bands of mercenaries to cause them some minor problems.
They still do to this day.
Grass Roots Atheism
Recently, the Athar have seen something of a resurgence and reinvention of their fight against the gods. An Aasimar from a forgotten plane by the name of Isra managed to spark a new movement of altruism and community spirit. Her idea of fighting back against gods and powers was one of grassroots activism: setting up free, faction-agnostic medical centres and schools within the Hive.
Isra taught the Athar something new: by giving healing, schooling and medical treatment; the populace would not be have to rely on the powers, and would instead be learning about the power of community. Less people needing divine healing meant less people seeking the help of priests; meaning less money to the temples, and less opportunities for people to be converted. People could be healed by the power of community, natural medicine, and godless faith instead.
This recent development led to the Athar working closer and closer with the Bleakers, combining forces to keep the populace of Sigil healthy in both body and mind, not to mention well-informed and educated. It’s perhaps this development that has led to both the Athar and the Bleakers seeing a massive rise in membership; especially within the Hive.
So… what now?
The Athar never stop their campaigning. They are on the alert from meddling factions and gods at all times, and are currently running four major initiatives to spread their word.
The first is through magical pamphlets, produced with the help of Sigil’s newest invention - the printing press. These pamphlets have wonderful pictures to draw the eyes, and a large rune in the centre of the page which, when looked at, projects a magic mouth that speaks its contents in a variety of languages. They leave these scattered around Sigil for people to find and take home, or to read and discard for others to find.
The second campaign is much more shadowy and covert. Some of their members are infiltrating prominent temples across the planes, biding their time and collecting as much information as they can on the flow of coin and information. Where is the money coming from? Where does it go? What do they use the suggested donations for? Tidbits from these spies show up every now and then in some of the Athar’s campaigns, but a particularly explosive dossier is in the works which they claim will blow the world of religious organisational structures apart.
The third is much more of what they are known for: wanton destruction and violence. A small number of Athar take the whole “fight the gods” thing to its simplest conclusion: smashing up temples, heckling sermons and beating up priests and proxies. Whilst the Athar publicly condemn their more violent members, it’s well-known that they are privately celebrated.
The final is the most recent: schools and clinics. The aforementioned health clinic was but the first of many to spring up, predominantly around the Hive and the poorer areas of the Lower Ward. Whilst technically these clinics are faction agnostic, they are still maintained and run by the Athar themselves. No campaigning or recruiting happens within these premises mind - they let the work speak for itself. Any Athar who happens to be nearby to sing their praises are just a coincidence.
References & Inspiration
- Mimir's Athar page - General reference and inspiration
- Font Awesome - For the (placeholder) icon