Trithereon
| Trithereon | ||
|---|---|---|
 |
||
| Aliases | The Summoner | |
| Alignment | Chaotic Good | |
| Divine Rank | Intermediate God | |
| Pantheon | Oerth | |
| Portfolio | Individuality, Liberty, Retribution, and Self-Defense | |
| Domains | 3E: Chaos, Good, Liberation, Mysticism, Protection, Strength, Summoner 5E: War |
|
| Home Plane | Forking Road (Arborea) | |
| Worshippers | Rogues, Rangers, Individualists of all stripes | |
| Favoured Weapon | Krelestro, the Harbinger of Doom (Shortspear), Freedom's Tongue (Longsword), and Baton of Retribution (Greatclub) | |
Trithereon is the god of Individuality, Liberty, Retribution, and Self-Defense. He is the patron deity of libertarians, teabaggers, anarchists, and Anonymous, and the scourge of corrupt or authoritarian governments. Imagine Mel Gibson from Braveheart, but wearing a Guy Fawkes mask and discussing the fifth of November, and you have Trithereon.
Appearance[edit | edit source]
Trithereon was first described in Dragon Magazine #68 as a young man with red-gold hair, tall and well-built, wearing a chainmail shirt with clothes of blue or violet. He is armed with three magic weapons: a sword named Freedom's Tongue; a spear called Krelestro, the Harbinger of Doom; and a scepter known as the Baton of Retribution. He also often appears with three summoned animals which serve him without question: Nemoud the Hound, Harrus the Falcon, and Carolk the Sea Lizard. His holy symbol is the Rune of Pursuit, which resembles a triskelion or a three-armed left-facing fylfot/sauwastika, and can symbolize many things, including the need to strive for liberty and/or to seek to bring to an end to those who are bent on abridging life or freedom.
(Apparently 3 is a magic number for TRIthereon, who has three weapons (one piercing, one slashing, and one bludgeoning) and three pets (one for land, one for air, and one for the sea), and his holy symbol has three arms.)
From the AD&D splatbook On Hallowed Ground comes a description of Trithereon's realm, The Forking Road, in Arborea:
His realm, the Forking Road, isn’t really a realm at all. It wanders all over the first layer of Arborea, and when a body steps onto the road, he finds that a world of possibilities opens up to him. Trithereon grants each visitor a glimpse of the major paths in his life, and the possible consequences of this actions.
Dogma[edit | edit source]
The 3e Living Greyhawk Gazetteer module gives his creed:
"All deserve life and the ability to choose their own place in the world, and those who would place others in shackles or control them with oppressive laws must be toppled. Train the common folk to defend themselves and their property should another wish to take their freedoms. If you are wronged, you are right to exact vengeance yourself, especially if none will help you."
Followers[edit | edit source]
The Living Greyhawk Gazetteer details his priesthood:
Trithereon's clerics are rugged individualists, never afraid to question authority. Those in cities instruct commoners in self-defense and recruit like-minded rogues and rangers for the cause of individual liberty. Those in rural areas act as scouts or spies against despotic lords or murderous nonhumans. Both sorts keep close watch on Lawful religions lest they become too powerful. The Summoner's clerics travel far and wide in search of those in need of their help.
The 3e Complete Divine splatbook additionally describes his followers:
Those who venerate Trithereon strive for liberty for themselves and others. His clerics work fervently to end tyrannical regimes or free those in slavery. Followers of Trithereon must often travel in secrecy to avoid harassment from those in positions of power. It is said by some that no ruler ever feels entirely secure when a shrine to Trithereon lies within his borders.
Dragon Magazine #297 revealed a loose fellowship of Trithereon's followers calling themselves the Knights of the Chase, acting as both a defense force (primarily against Iuz and the Scarlet Brotherhood), and as vigilantes against small-scale criminals and petty tyrants. The Knights of the Chase feature as a prestige class in 3e, gaining a war dog and a hawk (mirroring two of Trithereon's three animal companions) as they gain levels. Though they have little formal organization, they hold themselves to a code of conduct called The Code of the Chase, covering each aspect of Trithereon's portfolio:
Individuality: Live your life as you see fit as long as you act in the cause of good. Do not force your beliefs on others. Let your conscience guide you, but do not allow unbelievers to sway you. The ends justify the means.
Liberty: Freedom is an individual’s greatest treasure, which should be safeguarded at all costs. Laws can be oppressive whether enacted for “good” or “evil”. Those who oppress or enslave others should be persecuted without mercy. Unjust laws should be denounced and opposed wherever uncovered.
Retribution: Avenge yourself against those who have wronged you. Justice comes from the heart and can only be truly meted out by the persecuted. The law is often inadequate and should be ignored if it fails to dispense justice.
Self-Defense: All folk deserve the ability to defend themselves and their property. Those who cannot defend themselves should be protected so that they remain free. Killing another is justified if he wrongs you.
Relationships[edit | edit source]
Trithereon is a foe of evil and oppression. His love of freedom sometimes causes him to come into conflict with other good deities, such as Pholtus and Heironeous. Bralm hates Trithereon for his promotion of individualism. He is a strong ally of the quasi-deity Krovis (whose sole purpose is to break empires dominating the Flanaess, and Trithereon thinks that's awesome), and he is allied with Kurell (though how a god of jealousy and thievery gets along with Trithereon's endorsement of property rights is anyone's guess) and Pelor as well. Trithereon is pleased with Lydia's philosophy of individual empowerment through learning.
In the Planescape expansion On Hallowed Ground, it is mentioned Apollo of the Greek pantheon admires Trithereon's zeal for creativity and Lathander from Toril supports his calls for freedom. Trithereon also enjoys support from the Free League. He despises all powers who demand domination and absolute obedience, even if they’re deities of good, because he feels that any limitations on freedom necessarily destroys those it limits; On Hallowed Ground states this has made him a few opponents but doesn't specify exactly who.
Gallery[edit | edit source]
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Trithereon as he appeared in Dragon 68. -
A priest of Trithereon from Living Greyhawk Gazetteer. -
The Rune of Pursuit.
