Crustan

The Father

Worshipped mainly by the elves, The Father represents nature in both its beautiful and cruel extremes. His hounds are said to be able to track a scent even after a year and a day has passed. Also called the Beast-master, the Oaken One, and the Master of Hounds.

• Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
• Portfolio: Nature, Plants, Animals, Weather
• Cleric’s weapon of choice: Cudgel
• Cleric Domains: Animal, Plant, Healing, Weather (from Complete Divine)
• Cleric Alignments: CG, CN, NG, N
• Symbol: An uprooted oak tree
• Avatar: Bannoc OakenShield

Reawakening

After the Rising of the Sun, Crustan was slain and his divine spark scattered to the winds. The sparks eventually alighted in mortals of varying types, who became the world's first druids.

His corpse came to rest in a shady vale near Velora. The task of keeping it secret and safe was handed down from generation to generation, eventually falling to Talthein WillowBark and his wife, Fortuna GreyDove.

When his time came to reawaken, he caused a druid conclave to be called at GreyDove Farm. Perrin Forester, a follower whom Crustan had returned from the grave, was tasked with the collection of the druids unwilling or unable to answer the summons (including a dryad, whose tree Perrin was forced to uproot and cart around in a wagon full of dirt).

Once the druids were assembled, they chose from among their followers the wisest and most powerful, the dwarf Bannoc OakenSheild, who - much to his surprise - ascended as the god himself. An even bigger surprise to the conclave was that, in the process, the newly awakened god stripped them of his divine spark, rendering the druids effectively powerless. Those he found worthy became clerics of the Oaken One, while those who were evil or abusive in their power were rendered helpless, and in some cases slain.

More detail about the ascension can be found in the eyewitness account of Darwin StonyBrook, in his background story .

As a last act before disappearing, Crustan offered Perrin a place at his side as an angel, or offered him the opportunity to return to life as a full human. Perrin chose to regain his lost humanity, in order to be a proper father for his son, Landor Forester.

Practice

At this point in time, there is no clear practice or orthodoxy with regards to Crustan's church and religion. The resultant chaos caused by the druidic conclave and ascension of Bannoc OakenSheild has made it difficult for any unification efforts to succeed.

Consequently, most religious practice dedicated to Crustan takes the form of slightly modified druidic ritual. Celebrations of the planting, the harvest, of birth and death, are all common.

Holidays

Winter Solstice

Taking place on the last day of the year, this day represents the death of the year, a time of change and darkness. It is celebrated by sacrifices, of wealth, material goods, or livestock.

Spring Equinox

Usually at the end of the month of Harmony, this day celebrates the renewal of life, a time of joy and excitement. It is usually celebrated with gift-giving (particularly hand-made, finished goods), parties, merriment, and entertainment. Spring Equinox is the holiest day of the year for many of the followers of Crustan.

Summer Solstice

This holiday most often falls at the beginning of Prosperity, but occasionally slips to the end of the month of Fidelity. When it falls in Prosperity, it is a time of joy in the growing of crops and livestock, and is often celebrated by contests of strength and endurance (this is the genesis of the tradition of games and contests on the ORBic holiday, Maliceana). When it falls in the month of Fidelity (approximately once every 4 years), it considered a holiday of pious devotion to the god Crustan and thankfulness for his bounty. In these instances, it is celebrated by planting trees, plowing under a section of field and letting it lie fallow, or fasting.

Day of Ascension

Celebrated every 1 Bounty, this is the anniversary of the ascension of Bannoc OakenShield, and is usually celebrated by the planting of a tree or freeing of a captive animal. It is a new holiday, only celebrated beginning in the Year of the Sun 1339.

Autumnal Equinox

Harvest Day, this is one of the more well-known rites of Crustan, as it is pretty universally celebrated among farmers and ranchers, and was retained by the followers of ORB as a holiday. This is a day of rest, and of thankfulness for the growth of crops and livestock. This is another day of gift-giving, with the most appropriate gifts being food, salt meat, or other raw goods.

Measurement of Time

High Priestess Fortuna GreyDove has declared the year of Bannoc's ascension as the beginning of a new era for the Church of Crustan, and measures time accordingly. However, to avoid severe complication in the keeping of calendars, her followers maintain the same month structure. Thus, the Year of the Sun 1342 is also the year 4 Harvest.