Silt Clerics (EAFW)

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Silt clerics are often found wandering the shores of the Sea of Silt or traveling across the Tablelands, searching for methods to extend the deadly flow of their sinister element Currently, silt and sun clerics are the most powerful and plentiful paraelemental champions on Athas.
==The Pact of Silt==
The beings who dwell on the Paraelemental Plane of Silt demand only one thing from their mortal minions—the growing tides of silt must continue to expand, eventually to wash over the entire planet
Water collects and pools at the bottom of vast silt basins, and those pools become thick, viscous mud. Four-fifths of the surfaces of the silt seas are silt. Silt is gray and dry, the texture of loose powder. The careful balance between moisture and silt must be maintained, and the silt spirits fear that too much rainfall will turn their fodder into thick, black sludge. Fortunately for them, rain is so scarce that there is little chance of this occurring.
Silt clerics wish to destroy the trees, grasses, and fauna that retain moisture, preventing wind erosion and holding the land together. When the plants are finally destroyed, the land will crumble and turn to silt, and the moisture from the ground will be trapped below the silt, rather than allowing normal evaporation through the plant's stems and leaves.
Pools of water drain into the encroaching silt, and this temporarily retards expansion as the liquid is absorbed by the dust and turns to mud. Eventually, most of the water will sink to the bottom and become trapped forever. The natural cycle will cease and the lost water will never see the surface again.
The spirits of rain are angry and terrified of this destructive process, but this has been going on for so many centuries that any new rainfall simply creates more silt, expanding the blight, rather than turning it back into mud.
Obviously, silt clerics are often in direct conflict with the clerics of the earth, air, fire, water, and especially, rain. The priests of the sun are the only consistent allies of the silt clerics.
Elemental and rain clerics warn all who will listen about the greedy priests of silt, so silt clerics often disguise themselves as priests of earth. In this guise they teach unsuitable and environmentally dangerous farming methods that ruin the soil and make it easier for the tides of grey powder to expand and conquer.
There are a scant few silt clerics who are not considered enemies by the elemental orders. It is said that these rare individuals fulfil their pacts by working in small stages or by toiling in areas already ruined for any other purposes. It is also said that their real purpose is to protect travelers and adventurers on the Sea of Silt. They make up for their inevitable trespasses in other ways, and by rescuing travelers who might otherwise perish, attempting to cross the Sea of Silt
Some legends say that if a man is drowning in the Sea of Silt and screams an ancient and secret name, a mysterious silt-rider will appear and drag him to the nearest island. Most doubt the truth of this rumor—every year the sea claims thousands.
==The Champions of Silt==
Silt clerics are typically men or women who live on the edges of the Sea of Silt or the Estuary of the Forked Tongue. They saw seen the power of the shifting sands and jumped at an opportunity to harness that power. As they travel about the land, they teach farming methods that ruin the soil, sometimes posing as earth clerics when their listeners are suspicious of their goals.
==Granted Powers: Major==
A silt cleric can ignore the presence of silt when he reaches the 5th level. The duration is a number of rounds equal to his level, and the power can be used once per day. The priest may walk along the bottom of the Sea of Silt, totally ignoring the material around him. This also allows him to see beneath the silt, to reveal the labyrinthine of "highways" that lie just beneath the surface of some areas. Finally, most sandstorms on the Sea of Silt are actually composed of silt, so the priest may ignore any storm effects in the region while using this ability.
A cleric can gate in 1 cubic foot of silt for every level above the 6th when he reaches the 7th level. Ga ted silt can be used as a weapon by dropping it over an enemy's head. The fine powder blinds and chokes its victims almost instantly, if a save vs. rods is failed. Anyone who fails the save must fight and save at—2 for ld8 rounds.
At the 9th level, a silt priest can walk on top of the silt, treating it as if it were solid ground. This power works only for the cleric, although he can carry others for short distances.
On reaching the 11th level, the priest can control an amount silt equal to 1 cubic foot for every level he has attained. An 11th-level cleric can control 11 cubic feet of silt The silt moves at 120 feet per round, and can be used to smother creatures of medium and smaller size. When a cleric exercises this power, the target should make a saving throw vs. magic. If he succeeds, the silt swirls around him, but he manages to escape.
If the save fails, the silt clogs his the lungs and begins to suffocate him, unless a saving throw vs. death magic is made. A creature that fails to save may hold his breath for a number of rounds equal to one-third of his Constitution (or hit dice), for a minimum of one round. The actual time is usually halved, because the victim will be struggling to rid himself of the deadly stuff. Every round spent trying to claw free of the silt entitles the victim to a Constitution check—at—2 on the second turn,—4 on the third, and so on. If the victim cannot make the check before he runs out of air, he drowns. Friendly assistance will give the character twice as long to free himself.
The effect lasts for a number of rounds equal to the cleric's level.