The clerics in service to the planetary essence of Tethys are a varied and passionate lot. Tethys herself is a temperamental world, full of the fervor of life without bounds, seeking to fill every niche with living things intent upon survival. The world itself seems intent upon endless explosions of competing life-forms.
As with all planetary essences, there is much debate as to whether or not this "life force" is independently conscious, or just an impersonal force. Oracles of Tethys almost always insist that there is some sort of intelligence at work, though slow to react and very very fierce.
Those oracles who claim to have had visions of Tethys claim that she is a beautiful and statuesque woman of immense proportions. She is often described as having mixed human, reptilian and piscian characteristics in her form such as a tail, scales and other features mixed with that of a human.
Domains: Animal, Healing, Plant, Water.
Favored Weapon: Dagger.
Portfolio: Sea, Jungles, plants, agriculture, childbirth.
Dogma
The Oracles of Tethys have many regional varieties, but there are certain doctrines that exist amongst all sects. The cycles of birth, marriage and death are of primary concern, and thus mothers, young and old are revered. Cycles of life, and their reverence are strongly promoted. Society is primarily matriarchal, with all women seen as manifestation and representation of Tethys herself.
Fertility rites and medicines are of utmost importance to the Oracles and followers of Tethys, as She herself is known to be very fertile. Herbalism, midwifery and extensive fertility rites (including orgy's) are very common.
Cult of Oceanus
The male aspect of Tethys is known as Oceanus, and is given reverence primarily in the long night, as this is a time of frequent battle as the nights predators emerge. Cultists dedicated to the male aspect are trained in battle and survival, prizing physical power and tests of strength as well as ones ability to sire offspring.
Oracles dedicated to Oceanus claim that he appears as a ferocious man with a wild beard and features of crustacean, reptile and fish, and that he stands well over 60ft in height.
Domains: Animal, Strength, War, Water.
Favored Weapon: Spear.
Portfolio: Sea, Sea Monsters, Shipwrech, Storms.
The Cybele
The Cybele are both a people as well as a religious order. These people worship the "lady of swarms" an aspect of tethys tied to pollen gathering insects such as bees and honey ants.
The cybele themselves directly revere giant honey bees, keeping them as pets, familiars and a source of honey. The vibrant flowering plant life of Tethys ensures a steady supply of pollen.
Males clerics in service to the Cult of Cybele must be castrated, as they would otherwise be in continual danger from the monstrous services of the Great Queen. The Great Queen herself is a mutation of the orders high priestess, being transformed into a bee-like humanoid of great intellect and physical might (see below).
Cybele Queen (Template)
The Cybele Queen is the spiritual and temporal leader of the Cybele. There can be many cybele queens, but only one who is considered the ruler (14+HD). All lesser queens serve the high queen as guards, warriors and the visible arm of her might. Creation of a new cybele queen requires a ritual with the present High Cybele, and at least two queens of lesser rank. The ritual also requires the mating with and slaying of a male consort, who is devoured by all females present at the culmination of the ritual.
The resulting creature appears as a humanoid bee standing the height of a tall human.
Creating a Cybele Queen
This template may be added to a female human who has at least 8 levels of Cleric (hereafter to be called the "base creature"). A cybele queen uses all the base creature’s statistics and special abilities except as noted here.
Size and Type: The creature’s type changes to Monstrous Humanoid. Do not recalculate the creature’s Hit Dice, base attack bonus, or saves. Size is unchanged.
Speed: A cybele queen has insectoid wings and can fly at twice the base creature’s base land speed (good maneuverability).
Armor Class: Natural armor improves by +4.
Attack: A cybele queen has a sting attack, and the sting is considered a primary natural weapon. A cybele queen fighting without weapons uses her sting when making an attack action. When she has a weapon, she usually uses the weapon instead.
Damage: Cybele Queens have a sting attack. The damage from the sting is 1d6+str modifier plus poison.
Special Attacks: A cybele queen retains all the special attacks of the base creature and also gains the following special abilities.
—Spells (Sp): Cybele queen can use her cleric spellcasting abilities as normal. Cleric class abilities act normally.
—Bee Communion (Su): Rebuke or command bees (monstrous or otherwise) as an evil cleric rebukes undead. The Cybele Queen may use this ability a total number of times per day equal to 3 + the character’s Charisma modifier.
—Poison (Ex): Sting, Fortitude save (DC 13); initial and secondary damage 1d6 temporary Constitution.
Special Qualities: A cybele queen has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus the following special qualities.
—Blindsight out to 60 feet.
—Immunity to disease.
—Damage reduction: 10/magic (if HD 11 or less) or 20/magic (if HD 12 or more).
—Spell resistance equal to creature’s HD + 10 (maximum 35).
—+4 racial bonus on Fortitude saves against poison or death from massive damage.
Abilities: Increase from the base creature as follows: Str +4, Dex +2, Con +4, Int +2, Wis +4, Cha +4.
Skills: As base creature.
Challenge Rating: HD 5 or less, as base creature +1; HD 6 to 10, as base creature +2; HD 11 or more, as base creature +3.
Alignment: Any Lawful.
Level Adjustment: Same as base creature +4.
