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It took me a little while to decide what exactly Eadro represented, as he was described simply as the patron of the merfolk and the locathah. I eventually decided that he represented the strong bonds of community that merfolk and locathah are characterized as having, and this makes him a good addition to the loose “pantheon” of good and neutral aquatic deities.

Eadro (PDF Version)
(The Deliverer, Lord of the Sunlit Shallows, the Water of Life, the Bather of Gills)
Intermediate Power of the Elemental Plane of Water, N

Portfolio:                 Locathah, merfolk, unity, community
Aliases:                     Ri’dea’dra (Shalarin)
Domain Name:           Elemental Plane of Water/Shelluria
Superior:                   None
Allies:                       Deep Sashelas, Istishia, Persana, Surminare, Syranita, Trishina, Water Lion
Foes:                           Demogorgon, Ilxendren, Panzuriel, Sekolah, Umberlee, Blibdoolpoolp
Symbol:                     Spiral
Wor. Align.:              Any

The creator of both merfolk and locathah, Eadro (EE-dro or ee-AD-ro) is an aloof being who cares little for affairs that do not directly affect his creations. He is a conservative deity who prefers the status quo, not one to quickly embrace change, but is capable of recognizing when change is necessary. He is a careful and deliberative entity, preferring dialogue and discussion to armed conflict.

Both of Eadro’s creations generally believe they are the culmination of an experiment that started with the other race. They have many myths and songs describing the process, which are remarkably similar, varying only in the order of creation for merfolk and locathah. Despite this, the two races do not fight over dogmatic interpretations of these myths; they accept each other as brothers in faith, if misguided. While myths tend to be detailed prose, songs that relate mythological elements tend to be metaphorical and allegorical. Both races believe in reincarnation, and that after a time spent with Eadro in the spirit ocean, he will fashion a new mortal vessel for their spirit. In order to tie the spirit and vessel together, the songs relate that he bathes the vessels gills in the Water of Life, which is believed to be a metaphor for his own primordial essence, and then deposit them into the ocean of their world, which is called the Current of Existence. Most myths and songs involving Eadro relate directly to lessons and traditions that he is said to have instilled in their population. Of his own origins, Eadran mythology has nothing to say; there appears to be a presumption that he has always existed, although myths do not credit him with the creation of the universe. Speculation by sages of the divine commonly holds that he was once an archomental or elemental lord similar to Istishia, but became interested in the mortal plane too much to remain a purely elemental being.

While he is a member of the asathalfinare, Eadro rarely involves himself in disputes or discussions that don’t directly affect the lives of his people, professing to have no opinion one way or the other when queried. Still, he is distantly friendly with all members, and is a reliable ally when outside threats rise. He fully understands that sahuagin or ixitxachitl threats towards other good or neutral races will quickly be a problem for his people should those threatened fall to their foes. Eadro is, in general, conflict averse and prefers to work out issues through mutually beneficial agreements and discussions, and is aware that such things are rarely possible with the evil races of the sea. Among the asathalfinare, Eadro is closest to Persana, despite the territorial conflicts that often plague the tritons and merfolk. It is said that Persana personally designed and built not only Eadro’s palace of Shelluria, but also the Mosque of Eadro in the marids’ Citadel of Ten Thousand Pearls.

Of Eadro’s recent activities, little is known, for he left his realm in the charge of a trio of his most powerful proxies shortly after the Avatar Crisis in Realmspace, telling them only that he had to resolve an important matter. As his absence lengthened and their powers waned, the proxies petitioned Persana for aid, fearing the worst. Concerned for his friend and ally, the Lord of the Tritons has taken up residence and begun to organize a search for the missing Eadro. What makes the disappearance particularly strange is that while the Deliverer’s proxies have begun to lose some of their powers, it seems his priests have not, and some mortal followers are still apparently receiving messages from the deity, as Prince Mirol of the Sea of Fallen Stars has. What exactly this signifies is unknown, but sages speculate that Eadro is either trapped by another deity or enmeshed in a struggle that has forced him to redirect some of his divine power in order to succeed. As to what his mission is, sages can only speculate it has to do with something he learned during the Time of Troubles. Only time will tell whether he succeeds and returns to his realm, or disappears entirely.

As a conservative deity, Eadro very rarely dispatches an avatar to the Prime Material Plane. He is only likely to do so if another deity is directly disturbing the status quo or he senses there are no other options available to him. In general, he favors having his priests handle situations that arise wherever possible.

Eadro’s Avatar (Cleric 30, Water Elementalist 20, Fighter 16)
Eadro typically appears as a tall locathah or merman of perfect appearance. His scales are a shimmering blue-green with an almost ethereal quality, while his hair, eyes, and fins match the predominant shades wherever he is appearing. He can change into a watery amorphous blob with eight pseudopods in one round; this is the form he favors when engaging in melee combat. He draws his wizard spells only from the school of elemental water, and his priest spells from the spheres of all, animal, combat, creation, divination, elemental water, guardian, healing, necromantic, protection, and summoning.

AC −2; MV 9, Sw 24; HP 184; THAC0 2; #AT 5/2 (8)
Dmg 1d6+11 (trident +2, +6 Str, +2 spec bonus in trident) or 1d8 × 8 (pseudopods)
MR 35%; SZ L (8 feet tall)
Str 18/00, Dex 16, Con 19, Int 17, Wis 19, Cha 17
Spells P: 12/11/11/10/9/9/8, W: 6/6/6/6/6/5/4/4/3*
Saves PPDM 2; RSW 5; PP 5; BW 4; Sp 6
* Numbers assume one extra elemental water spell per spell level.

Special Att/Def: In locathah or merman form, Eadro wields a golden trident +2 known as the Deepfork. Any creature struck by this trident must make a saving throw vs. spell of be feebleminded (as the spell). In his amorphous form, Eadro can focus up to four pseudopods on one creature, or strike eight different targets. He has access to the Watery Mirror in Shelluria that can show him any aquatic scene he desires on the Prime Material Plane.

Eadro can negate water breathing at will within a 60-foot radius. No save is allowed to prevent this, nor does magic resistance apply. Only creatures with biological water breathing (i.e. gills) or divine-level beings are immune to this effect. Twice per day, he can summon 1d4 water elementals that serve him unquestioningly for up to 12 turns. No other creature save another deity can wrest control of these elementals from him.

No natural aquatic creature will attack the Deliverer, and he is immune to elemental water and cold-based attacks. He can be struck only by +2 or better magic weapons.

Other Manifestations
As with his avatars, Eadro is reluctant to manifest his power on the Prime Material Plane. On the rare occasions he does so, it typically takes the form of a green phosphorescent glow (as faerie fire) that envelops a creature or object. When affecting an object, it is designed to lead a follower to safety or an item of particular import; such lights have been known to surround objects in a sequence, leading a follower along a trail, assuming they are swift enough. On some occasions, the glow has surrounded a small fish that acts as a guiding light, as well. When surrounding a follower, the glow grants the benefits of bless, aid, and prayer, although it also has the detrimental effect of the faerie fire spell. Other followers of Eadro who can see a creature under this manifestation gain courage from the sight, and gain the effects of a prayer spell.

Eadro much prefers to send omens and messages to his followers; he believes in their abilities, but also does not believe solutions should be easy. His omens typically appear in the form of unusual behavior by moray and other eels. The eels behave oddly in the presence of the recipient, swimming in odd patterns before delivering a small, smooth pebble of an unusual color; the patterns and especially the color of the pebble represent the message, which is most often a warning of some sort. If a message is complex and of particular import, Eadro dispatches a small blue fish with scintillating scales that speaks with his voice.

The Lord of the Sunlit Shallows is served primarily by ordinary eels, fish, and snails of all sorts and water elemental creatures, as well as aballin, dragon turtles, flawder, hippocampi, marid, mussels, sea lions, and shelled cephalopods. He displays his favor through the discovery of blue and green gemstones conch and other snail shells, intact shipwrecks with no bodies, and shells, anemones, and fish in blues and greens. His displeasure is displayed by a brief and discomfiting silence of the normal sounds of the deep, sickly-looking fish and anemones, bleached coral, and shipwrecks with no treasure but many bodies.

The Church
Clergy:                      Clerics, crusaders, druids, specialty priests, shamans
Clergy’s Align.:      NG, LN, N, CN
Turn Undead:           C: Yes, Cru: No, D: No, SP: Yes, Sha: Yes
Cmnd. Undead:         C: No, Cru: No, D: No, SP: No, Sha: No

All clerics, specialty priests, and shamans of Eadro receive religion (merman/locathah) and religion (asathalfinare) as a bonus nonweapon proficiency. Clerics, specialty priests, and shamans are unable to affect non-aquatic undead, but turn aquatic undead normally.

While merfolk and locathah are often valued allies among the non-evil undersea political landscape, their priests rarely get deeply involved with other races, being concerned primarily with their own communities. The safety and wellbeing of their people is paramount, and issues of territorial rights and commerce can frequently put them into conflict with other non-evil races, even other groups who worship Eadro. Such concerns are put aside when outside threats from sahuagin, morkoth, koalinths, and other evil races rise, but only until the threat is neutralized or destroyed. Within such alliances, priests of Eadro rarely hold leadership positions, which are filled by secular members of the community. When they involve themselves, it is typically in a support fashion by healing the injured or protecting noncombatants.

Temples dedicated to the Bather of Gills are only built by sedentary communities of merfolk and locathah, and usually only if they rise above a simple village or single community. Merfolk create large, rectangular buildings with long, shallow peaked roofs supported by a multitude of columns. They favor pink and white marble or coral for building material, and they decorate the triangular space at each end of the roof with carvings and mosaics with bright colors and inlays. Columns are either smooth or fluted, and they are topped by carved designs reminiscent of spiral shells. Temples are surrounded by fine statuary, and within the center of the temple stands a large majestic statue of Eadro in merman form. Locathah temples are typically built within caves on the edge of settlements, or within their fortresses. They are round in shape with an altar at the opposite end from the entrance, and four statues of Eadro as a locathah holding a trident, all facing the center of the chamber. The sides of the flat-topped altar are carved to resemble a teeming school of fish, although a fine cloth often covers the whole surface during ceremonies. Larger temples, built within cities or great fortresses may instead be carved into the form of a long rectangular chamber with false columns along the sides and a vaulted roof. At the far end opposite the entrance is an icon of the Bather of Gills, such that those entering the temple immediately see the figure, and continue to do so as they make their way through the temple. Before the icon rests a low altar with thin, spiraled shell spires and a raised stand to the side from which religious ceremonies are conducted. Between the false columns are tall, colorful mosaics that display scenes from locathah myth and history. Altars and statues sanctified by especially powerful priests typically glow with a permanent faerie fire spell.

Novices of Eadro are known as Spawnlings, while full priests of the Bather of Gills are called Pelagirs. Titles used by the clergy, in ascending order, are Cowrie, Limpet, Cockle, Clam, Oyster, Murex, Nautilus, and Conch. Titles used by high priests are unique and granted by Eadro directly through visions or omens. Specialty priests are called eadrissaans, a term that means Chosen of Eadro in both the locathah and merfolk tongues. Locathah and merfolk maintain separate and unrelated priesthoods, and the nature and personality of each differs based on whether the community is sedentary or nomadic. Among merfolk, males dominate the clergy (90%), and they virtually never allow other races into their priesthood. When contained in large bays or inland seas, their societies tend to be more open, especially if they need to work with other good and neutral races to combat evil races, and their priesthoods reflect this. Locathah tend to be more open and accepting of others, although still cautious. Males slightly dominate the clergy (60%), and while other races are rare, they are occasionally found within the ranks of their priesthood. In contrast with merfolk, when located in smaller bodies of water, locathah often adopt a nomadic existence, and are frequently enslaved by the evil races in the seas. This makes them a resigned people, often devoted to strict cultural customs, yet still open to small groups of outsiders. However, they zealously protect their freedom, and will fight or flee if they suspect their neighbors might attempt to enslave them. Shamans dominate the small communities of both locathah and merfolk, and although they are rarely found in larger communities, they still make up half of all priests (50%). The rest of the clergy is composed of specialty priests (30%), clerics (including fighter/clerics and ranger/clerics, 15%), crusaders (3%), and druids (locathah only, 2%). Merfolk (55%) and locathah (35%) make up the majority of the priesthood, but small numbers of crabmen (4%), sirines (2%), ningyo (1%), kna (1%), pahari (1%), and other races (1%) are also drawn to his faith. Crabmen who worship Eadro tend to hold that they can become perfected and metamorphose into locathah or merfolk if their faith is strong enough, while kna and ningyo mirror the faiths of locathah and merfolk, respectively. Those sirines who worship the Deliverer do so to unify their communities or they become hermetic druids.

Dogma: All life swims the same currents. Be as the tides—constantly moving, physically and spiritually. Individual growth is achieved through unity of the community. Ensure the safety and prosperity of your people. Look within for strength and guidance. Conflicts with others are inevitable, but need not be violent. Negotiate with those who will speak to arrive at mutually beneficial arrangements. Keep the traditions of the people alive, for they are the decrees of your creator.

Day-to-Day Activities: Priests of Eadro sing personal prayers to their deity every 12 hours. Such prayers are typically thankful or beseeching in nature, and higher ranked priests often require more time to complete them due to their greater responsibilities. They often act as teachers for the young, ensuring they are raised to respect and continue the community’s traditions. They rarely take part directly in warfare initiated by their community beyond taking on a support role, although they will actively defend their people, to the death if necessary.

Important Ceremonies/Holy Days: Eadro’s church maintains many holy days, but these vary from community to community, and commemorate important events in their history. Sacrifices and offerings are rarely made, as the Bather of Gills never demands them. Regular religious ceremonies are held about once per week, and holy days are little different. Worshipers gather in the central chamber of the temple, or in an open space nearby if the congregation is too large, and the head priest leads them all in a song of praise to Eadro, thanking him for their creation.

Major Centers of Worship: Few temples dedicated to the Deliverer rise to such prominence that they attract pilgrims. One of these few is the Mosque of Eadro, located in the Citadel of Ten Thousand Pearls. This large temple is constructed in classic merfolk style out of pink coral and marble, and contains an incredible 120 columns that are over 100 feet tall. The upper surfaces of the temples are covered in colorful frescos and mosaics. Within the inner sanctum of the temple rests an enormous figure of Eadro in his amorphous form, carved from a single aquamarine gem over 80 feet tall.

Affiliated Orders: Among locathah, there exists an independent order of sea druids and rangers dedicated to ensuring the watery environments that Eadro’s children inhabit stay pure and clean. They hold that it is Eadro’s hands in the water that bathe the gills of his children, supplying them with needed air to breathe. They concentrate on spreading aquatic plants and animals that naturally filter the water, such as corals, anemones, and mollusks. They seed shipwrecks and ruins with coral to create new reefs while cleaning the water of surface-world toxins, and treat those who release toxins into the water intentionally very harshly. They generally have little interest in associating with others of the faith, and are rarely encountered.

Serving large kingdoms of both locathah and merfolk, the Spears of Eadro is an order of crusaders and fighter/clerics who function as elite defenders of their realms from the evils of the depths, particularly krakens, morkoth, and ixitxachitl. Against other races that aren’t existential threats, such as sea elves, shalarin, and tritons, they refuse to join battle, pointing out that Eadro dictates peaceful solutions to such conflicts.

Priestly Vestments: During ceremonies, Eadro’s clergy may wear short, open robes of a sandy color, fringed with light blue, although just as often they wear no special clothing whatsoever. Merfolk priests often have Eadro’s symbol tattooed on their chest or shoulder to signify their status as a priest, and both merfolk and locathah will be decked out in excellent jewelry of coral, silver, or gold, with gems of yellow or blue favored. The holy symbol used by the clergy is a conch shell, small enough to be worn as an amulet around the neck. In areas that lack conch, any spiraled shell will do.

Adventuring Garb: Members of Eadro’s priesthood rarely wear armor, although his crusaders and fighter/clerics favor aquatic armor of some variety. Locathah favor spears and short swords for weaponry, while merfolk prefer tridents and daggers.

Specialty Priests (Eadrissaan)
Requirements:          Wisdom 9
Prime Req.:                Wisdom
Alignment:                NG, N
Weapons:                   Any aquatic
Armor:                       Any aquatic
Major Spheres:         All, creation, divination, elemental water, guardian, healing, necromantic, protection, summoning
Minor Spheres:         Animal, combat
Magical Items:         Same as clerics
Req. Profs:                Singing
Bonus Profs:             Musical instrument (conch horn

• Eadrissaans may be locathah, mermen, crabmen, kna, ningyo, pahari, shalarin, and sirines, although most are locathah and mermen.
• Eadrissaans are not allowed to multiclass.
• Eadrissaans may cast wizard spells from the elemental water school as defined in the Limited Wizard Spellcasting section of “Appendix 1: Demihuman Priests” in Demihuman Deities.
• At 3rd level, eadrissaans can cast augury or chant (as the 2nd-level priest spells) once per day.
• At 6th level, eadrissaans can summon a 12 HD water elemental for 6 turns once per day using their conch horn. The eadrisaan does not need to concentrate to maintain control of the elemental.
• At 9th level, eadrissaans can cast shellskin or water form (as the 4th-level priest spells) once per day.
• At 12th level, eadrissaans can cast rapture of the deep (as the 6th-level priest spell) once per day.

Eadran Spells
In addition to the spells listed below, priests of the Deliverer may have access to some of the aquatic spells listed in Of Ships and the Sea, Sea of Fallen Stars, and the Priest’s Spell Compendium under the list “Sea Priests” at the DM’s option.

3rd Level
Viscous Water (Pr 3; Alteration)
Sphere:                    Elemental Water
Range:                     90 yds.
Components:           V, S, M
Duration:                 1 rd. + 1 rd./level
Casting Time:          6
Area of Effect:         1 creature
Saving Throw:        Neg.

By means of this spell, the caster thickens the consistency of the water surrounding a creature, to a radius of 20 feet. This operates much like the slow spell, reducing movement and attacks to half their normal rates, and imposes an Armor Class penalty of +4, an attack roll penalty of −4, and all Dexterity combat bonuses are negated. The penalties of this spell are not cumulative with the slow spell or other spells that impose similar penalties (such as the aquatic hypoxia spell below), but it will negate haste, potions of speed, righteous wrath of the faithful, and other magical effects that increase attack rates or movement. A creature under the effects of free action or a helm of underwater action is not affected by this spell.

The material components for this spell are the priest’s holy symbol and a small sea slug or snail.

4th Level
Water Form (Pr 4; Alteration)
Sphere:                    Elemental Water
Range:                     Touch
Components:           V, S, M
Duration:                 1 turn + 1 turn/level
Casting Time:          7
Area of Effect:         Creature touched
Saving Throw:        Special

When this spell is cast on a creature, the recipient can move and act without hindrance within any liquid at a rate of 12, regardless of currents or other natural impediments. The creature retains its hit points, THAC0, and any spellcasting ability. It also gains a minimum base Armor Class of 4 and a water-based hand-to-hand attack for 1d8 points of damage. Magical weapons are required to hit the creature. Unwilling creatures are entitled to a saving throw vs. spell. Within water, both fresh and salt, the affected creature is functionally invisible, even after attacking, unless true seeing, detect invisible, or similar magics are used to locate them.

The material component for this spell is the priest’s holy symbol.

5th Level
Commune With Water (Pr 5; Divination)
Sphere:                    Divination
Range:                     0
Components:           V, S, M
Duration:                 Special
Casting Time:          1 turn
Area of Effect:         Special
Saving Throw:        None

This spell enables a priest to become one with the surrounding water. The priest is able to learn one fact about the surrounding area for each level of experience, in much the same manner as the druid’s commune with nature spell. The caster can “know” facts—upcurrent, downcurrent, upcolumn, or downcolumn, about the following subjects: the floor or bed of the body of water, corals, hydrothermal vents, people, ships and boats, general aquatic animal population, aquatic flora, and so on. The presence of powerful unnatural creatures can be detected, as can the general state of the water. This spell is only effective in oceans, rivers, lakes, and other bodies of water large enough to contain aquatic humanoid populations natively. The spell operates in a radius of one-half mile per level of the priest. The DM may limit the casting of this spell to once per month. In addition, at the DM’s option, in areas of strong currents the spell may convey no information from locales downcurrent; for example, a caster in a body of water above a waterfall may learn nothing about the waters below the waterfall.

The material components are the priest’s holy symbol and a piece of coral, mollusk shell, or fish bone.

6th Level
Aquatic Hypoxia (Pr 6; Alteration, Necromancy) Reversible
Sphere:                    Elemental Water
Range:                     30 yds.
Components:           V, S, M
Duration:                 1 rd./level
Casting Time:          1 rd.
Area of Effect:         10-ft. radius sphere
Saving Throw:        Neg.

This spell induces an environment of low oxygen within an area of water, suffocating any creatures who fail a saving throw vs. spell. In addition, if targeted on a specific creature, the aquatic hypoxia follows them if the saving throw is failed.

Each round, a victim of this spell must attempt a Constitution check. If failed, the creature suffers 2d4 points of damage. If successful, the subject has extracted enough air from the water to reduce the damage to 1d4. (A creature without a Constitution score makes a saving throw vs. paralyzation instead.)

As they struggle to force more air across their gills, affected creatures move and attack at half their normal rates, have a −4 Armor Class penalty, an attack penalty of −4, and lose all Dexterity combat bonuses.

Effects of this spell continue each round that creatures are within the area of effect, and for 1d3 rounds after leaving or the spell’s expiration; damage only accumulates while within the area of the spell. The spell can be countered with airy water or dispel magic spells. This spell instantly dispels water breathing spells and potions, airy water, and similar effects, while permanent effects such as a helm of underwater action continues to function normally. Air-breathing aquatic creatures, such as dolphins, can be targeted by this spell, and if they fail a saving throw vs. spell the water around them can become hypoxic, but they suffer no ill effects; similarly, sea elves and other aquatic creatures that can breathe water and air can circumvent most of the effects of this spell by swimming to the surface and taking in air; the penalties of the spell last for 1d3 rounds after they begin breathing air, however.

The material component for this spell is a small sealed bottle containing water from nutrient-rich off-shore run-off or a large algae bloom; the bottle and water are consumed in the casting.

The reverse of this spell, aquatic normoxia, dispels natural and magical hypoxia and hyperoxia, and protects against any spells or effects that would harm or interfere with the normal breathing of water. In terms of duration and area of effect, it matches the aquatic hypoxia spell, but does not interfere with magical water breathing from spells, potions, or items, although it does dispel the airy water spell. Note that while it counters aquatic hypoxia, it is not dispelled by that spell.

The material component for this spell is a small sealed bottle of normal water, fresh or sea depending on where the spell is to be cast. Both the bottle and the water are consumed in the casting.

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