Clerical Organization (DK)

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Athasian clerics are typically loners. While some wander and others stay more or less in one spot, all clerics are considered to worship the elements on their own terms, alone, and they seldom preach to others. Exceptions are rare but not unknown. 
Associates: Many clerics keep in touch with others who worship the same elemental sphere. Contact is irregular-there are no scheduled meetings-but lore, rumors, and even spell-knowledge are commonly exchanged. Clerics are seldom secretive about their plane of worship (their garb and life styles tend to give it away, anyway), so they are easy to find if sought.
There is no such contact between clerics who worship different elemental spheres, yet there is no animosity, either. The worship of the elements is similar, but clerics of different spheres have little in common and even less to talk about. 
Congregations and worshippers: Some clerics also encourage laymen to worship the same favored elemental plane. The cleric gains no special benefits from these worshippers he simply feels he is better serving his element on the prime material plane by collecting a Pock of worshippers. 
For example, shamans among elves and halflings encourage special worship to the elemental planes. Clerics of the earth might advocate the construction of rock sculptures, those of the air the burning of incense. Water clerics may hold special water rituals during marriages or at funerals, while fire elementals might encourage cremation after death. 
Worshippers gain essentially nothing from their devotion to the elemental planes. As indifferent as they are, the powerful beings of those planes find it bothersome enough just keeping track of their clerics on Athas. 
From within a congregation, a cleric may find young worshippers who wish to become clerics themselves. Normally, Athasian clerics do not gain followers simply for advancing through levels, but congregational followers who wish to become clerics are perfectly acceptable. In such an instance, if the NPC's ability scores meet the minimum for the cleric class (Wisdom score of 9 or better), he can in time become a first level cleric under the original cleric's direction. If his Wisdom score is deficient, a period of time passes before the prospective cleric "washes out." The training time is 3d4 weeks. 
The size of a congregation on Athas is usually quite small. A cleric may have a nock of up to twice his level in worshippers. He may never have more than three prospective clerics in training.