H'EL

H'el is a twisted and perverse being of hatred, jealousy, and evil. She can see every being, object, and act performed within darkness and holds dominion over pains hidden but not forgotten, carefully nurtured bitterness, and quiet revenge for old slights. She spends much of her energy battling her old nemesis, S'elvn, in a war that is older than recorded time. She is the creator of the Shadow Weave.

The church of H'el is made up of independent cells that have clearly defined lines of command. All cells in a particular region are under the purview of a superior priest. Clergy members revel in secrets, using them to tie each other together in loyalty and community. They pursue practical goals of advancing the power of the priesthood and of H'el's worshipers while avoiding the direct opposition of other faiths (except that of S'elvn). The clergy of H'el work to overthrow governments, promote H'el's patronage of avengers, organize secret cabals, and create false cults to further their ends.

Clerics of H'el pray for their spells at night. They have no faithwide holy days except the Rising of the Dark, which occurs on the Feast of the Moon and involves a blood sacrifice and the revelation by senior clerics of which plots the church will be advancing in the coming year. At least once a tenday, a cleric must attend a Nightfall, a dancing and feasting revel performed at nightfall that is followed by a small act of wickedness which the cleric reports to her superiors in the clergy. H'el's clerics often multiclass as rogues. She has an elite order of sorcerer-monks in her service that uses the power of the Shadow Weave.

H'el is the dark twin of S'elvn. She has battled her sister since shortly after their creation. Their primordial feud has resulted in the creation of many other deities. Rather than overtly confronting other deities, H'el seeks to gain power by subverting mortal worshipers to her faith. By her very nature, however, she is opposed to powers of light and her own sister.

Priests of H'el reveal secrets only to fellow members of the faithful. Never follow hope or turn to promises of success. Quench the light of the moon (agents and items of S'elvn) whenever you find it, and hide from it when you cannot prevail. The dark is a time to act, not wait. It is forbidden to strive to better your lot in life or to plan ahead save when directly overseen by the faithful of the Dark Deity. Consorting with the faithful of good deities is a sin except in business dealings or to corrupt them from their beliefs. Obey and never speak out against ranking clergy unless it would result in your own death.

Granted Powers

• Command undead.
• In darkness (even that of their own creation), specialty priests of H'el have a +1 bonus to hit, damage, and on saving throws. This is not cumulative with other darkness modifiers, but replaces them.
• In the light of a full moon, specialty priests of H'el have a -1 penalty to hit, damage, and on saving throws.

Other Notes

The specialty priests of H'el are called nightbringers. They exist outside the standard church hierarchy. H'el has no main temple, but instead has a scattering of cells and secretive places throughout the Kuvera. The nightbringers of H'el serve as contacts, messengers, and enforcers of the Dark Lady's will.

Ceremonial dress is long-sleeved robes of deep purple, parted in front to reveal black tights. A black skullcap covers the entire head, except for women with jet-black hair; this is left long as a symbol of the Dark Lady's pleasure.

One of the reasons for the small numbers of H'el's followers is the hatred held for S'elvn and her worshipers. Several local jihads led by H'el fanatics against more powerful forces (usually S'elvnites backed up with the aid of several other faiths and/or clerics of good alignment) have served to keep their numbers down. However, H'el is a popular human goddess among goblins and other light-hating beings, and many venerate (without actually worshiping) her when doing business in the dark.