Cuthbert

Cuthbert (also known as Saint Cuthbert or Cuthbert of the Cudgel) was an ancient deity.
== History ==
Cuthbert was a god who was destroyed in an age long forgotten, and no known record remains of his origins or history. According to his attendant Ser Percival he was apparently once a mortal human shepherd whose simple and pure life of hard work, religious observance and integrity drew the attention of the attention of an ancient lesser deity of order named Pholtus who commanded him to walk the earth and teach people the error of their ways. Cuthbert, who in had previously thought himself sinful, undisciplined and excessive, attempted to do so but found his fiery sermons fell too often on unwelcome ears. He began scribing his commandments on scrolls and distributing them, using simple language and lettering to explain the the need for the wicked to turn from their chaotic ways, sometimes with little drawings as well. He came to the conclusion that he needed to teach also by example, and so attempted to live his life as a demonstration to the world of the virtuous ideals of courage, charity and righteousness. This turned out to be much more effective, and in addition he quickly ascended to sainthood. He served Pholtus as a paladin and later as a celestial until eventually discovering that Pholtus himself fell short of those same ideals. Cuthbert abandoned Pholtus, causing a divine scandal and a rift among the faithful. Pholtus eventually gave up his Seat of Truth in shame as his followers flocked to Cuthbert, who eventually ascended to divinity himself and assumed dominion over wisdom, truth, dedication and zeal. 
== Description ==
Cuthbert appeared as a relatively ordinary-looking grey-bearded man, armoured and carrying a mighty cudgel. He had a stern and uncompromising demeanor, spoke his mind plainly and did not suffer fools. His teachings discussed the importance of common sense, of just retribution in the case of trangressions against the law and of pulling out evil at its root before it ever has a has a chance to flower. He commanded his followers to pray, study and fight all the day long, until they could defeat demons and recite books of scripture from memory. He is associated with a number of sayings, including "if you have a piece of bread, you have half a piece of bread to give to the hungry", “chaos prevails where good folk do nothing” and "turn, sinner, from your chaotic ways". His church has been accused of puritanical fanaticism, but of course another common saying among the clergy is “obstinacy brings lumps to the heads of the unfaithful".
== In the Campaign ==
Vantis, Lannus and Rexxar explored the corpse of Cuthbert at Godsfall after Nymera advised Lannus that there the divine power of wisdom could be claimed. They encountered and defeated within aspects of Athena and Bahamut, eventually entering a strange extradimensional basilica where they met Ser Percival, an attendant to Cuthbert who informed Lannus that he would have to face three challenges - a trial by combat, a trial of dedication, and a trial of truth. In the first trial Lannus faced an angel of death and was offered a chance to defeat it by wielding the cudgel of Cuthbert and breaking his sacred fist vows - Lannus passed the trial by choosing death over compromise. In the second trial Percival asked a series of questions. He first showed two identical doorways, advising that only one led forward and challenging Lannus to identify it by asking him only one question, but that Percival would answer truthfully or untruthfully based on the flip of a coin (the result of which only Percival would know). They correctly identified the path forward by asking Percival which door he would have said the correct door was if he had flipped the coin the other way, but Percival did not seem impressed. They moved forward and came to two more doors, where Percival advised that the second challenge was the same except that this time they were not allowed to use "any more trickery with conditionals or hypotheticals". Lannus and Rexxar were eventually able to identify the correct door using their ability to assess the honesty of a speaker's words by observing their expressions. Percival then advised that the second trial was almost at an end, and that the third question they needed to answer was "what is the nature of the third trial?" They realized that it must be a trial by combat, since the angel of death had tested Lannus' dedication and the three questions had tested their ability to discover truth. They were then greeted by an aspect of Cuthbert which they fought and defeated, after which Lannus claimed his divinity by observing it, realizing that it existed in all places at once and then perceiving the wild energy within his grasp.
== Unlocked Statistics Block ==
CR? Aspect of Cuthbert - Medium Outworlder20/Fighter 20/Cleric 20 (lawful, divine rank 7)
HP1000 Initiative+11 Speed60(12) AC53(T33,FF46) Saves+29,+26,+36 Abilities38,24,27,24,45,29
Holy lawful cudgel of disruption +71/+66/+61/+56 (1d8+43/19–20) or +61 touch or +54 ray
SQ 15/day smite any alignment but LN (+4 on attack and +20 on damage for one weapon attack), DR 42/+4, fire resistance 27, fast healing 32, SR 59, dazing presence DC26, Divine Shield (free action, 11/day, shield blocks anything less than 70 damage), Great Cleave, Combat Reflexes, Turn undead 12/day, Immunities - ability damage, ability drain, acid, cold, death effects, disease, disintegration, electricity, mind effects, paralysis, poison, sleep, stunning, transmutation, imprisonment, banishment, Divine Senses (Cuthbert can see, read, understand, hear and speak to any being in any language at a distance of fifteen miles, senses any trial and any act of punishment, knows when someone lies or willingly tells the truth in spite of great personal risk or embarrassment)
Skills - Concentration+35, smithing+75, profession(shepherd)+76, speech+40, knowledge(arcana)+55, knowledge(history)+24, knowledge(nobility and royalty)+35, knowledge(religion)+35, perception+52, profession(scribe)+77, reckoning+55, search+41, sense motive+84, spellcraft+55, use artefact+37, knowledge(the planes)+50
Spell-likes(CL17, DC26+level): Cuthbert's Hands (crushing, clenched fist, grasping), bull’s strength, calm emotions, circle of doom d8+17, dictum, dispel chaos, earthquake, harm, hold monster, cure critical wounds, magic circle against chaos, mind blank, order’swrath, protection from chaos, righteous might, shatter, shield of law, summon memory spirits, searing light
Cleric Spells (DC27+ level, extra Domain of Destruction, maximize spell, quicken spell, can cast any level 6 or lower cleric spell at will): 7 - Holy word x2, greater restoration, mass heal 3d8+20, dictum x2, regenerate, repulsion 8 - Quickened Cure Critical Wounds 4d8+20 X2, mass heal 4d8+20, firestorm, earthquake,dimensional lock, shield of law, holy aura 9 - Healing Miracle, Quickened Mass Inflict Light Wounds d8+20 x4, Quickened Trueseeing x2, Mass Heal, storm of vengeance
Category:Dead
Category:Deities
Category:Unlocked Statistics Blocks