Naralis Analor, the Watcher of Souls

Another of the minor Seldarine deities published originally in Dragon #155 and updated in #236, Naralis is a god of healing and death. He serves Sehanine in this capacity, while his priests often serve the elven nations in classic medic roles.

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Naralis Analor (PDF Version)
(The Healer, the Watcher of Souls)
Lesser Power of Arborea and Elysium, NG

Portfolio:                 Healing, the easing of pain, death
Aliases:                     Naris Analor
Domain Name:           Olympus/Arvandor (the Healing Glade) and Amoria/the Healing Glade
Superior:                   Sehanine Moonbow
Allies:                       Apollo, Asklepios, Berronar Truesilver, Chronepsis, Diancecht, Eachthighern, Eilistraee, Goibhniu, Iallanis, Ilmater, Kelemvor, Kheiron, Labelas Enoreth, Pelor, Urogalan, Yen-Wang-Yeh, the Seldarine, the Seelie Court
Foes:                           Bhaal (dead), Cyric, Daragor, Faluzure/Null, Incabulos, Iuz, Loviatar, Myrkul (dead), Nerull, Talona, the Queen of Air and Darkness, the drow pantheon (except Eilistraee), the orcish and goblinoid pantheons
Symbol:                     White dove on a round shield or white shield
Wor. Align.:              LG, NG, CG, LN, N, CN

Where Sehanine Moonbow is the elven deity of death, Naralis Analor (nah-RAWL-is ANN-all-or) is that pantheon’s deity of the dead. He guards the spirits of those elves who have passed on to Arvandor, and guiding them back to Sehanine when they wish to reincarnate. However, death itself is displeasing to Naralis, and so he has adopted the mantle of keeping it from elves as long as possible and ensuring it is peaceful when it does come, through the healing of wounds and the soothing of suffering.

Naralis is held to be of a younger generation of deities than the major powers such as Erevan and Solonor, having appeared within the pantheon after the banishing of Lolth. His parentage is not mentioned in myths, although it is somewhat common among elven theologians to name him as a child of Labelas Enoreth. Others hold that he is a child of Sehanine, given her known relation to him, although this is a minority opinion. Whatever the case, Naralis serves Sehanine directly, taking charge of the spirits of dead elves that she guides to Arvandor, and releasing them back into her care should they desire reincarnation. He takes his duty seriously and believes wholly in the responsibilities placed upon him, but it is said that long ago the idea of the long-lived elves dying filled him with such sadness that he sought a way to ease that melancholy by healing the wounds and tending the pain of injured and suffering elves, in order to ensure that they do not reach his care too soon. In that way, death is his duty, but healing is his passion.

Myths revolving around Naralis often focus on or describe the reasons for the dichotomy of his portfolios. These myths are thematically similar across elven nations and peoples, but typically involve the lives of famous or legendary heroes and founders specific to the teller’s cultural background, and only briefly mention Corellon, Sehanine, or other deities. These myths tend to focus on a great hero dying of wounds, who calls out to the elven gods to plead with them for aid, usually because some important quest is unfinished. Naralis, long saddened by the early deaths of the long-lived elves, acts to soothe the hero’s pain and restore them to health, allowing the quest to continue and introducing medicine and healing magics to the elves. In some tales, he is chastised by Sehanine or Corellon for this interference, but he succeeds in convincing them of the wisdom of aiding the injured. A very small subset of these tales have his argument backed up by Labelas Enoreth or even Erevan Ilesere, while the least common of these tales have Naralis acting directly at the behest of Corellon himself.

As one of the younger members of the elven pantheon, Naralis often appears in tales of adventure focused on the other “Second Born” deities. He maintains close friendships with these other members of his divine generation, but his strongest alliances are with those powers who share his desire to ease suffering and protect the spirits of the dead from evil necromantic magic. He has long worked closely with Ilmater of Realmspace in opposing the suffering inflicted by Loviatar and other cruel deities of that sphere. The recent ascension of Kelemvor as the human power of death has been met with relief by Naralis, for the new Master of the Crystal Spire is not the cruel lord of the dead that his predecessors were. He has made repeated overtures of friendship to Meriadar in hopes of aiding the long-suffering mongrelmen, but so far the Patient One has firmly but kindly rebuffed his attempts; Meriadar does not believe entreating with a traditional enemy of the goblin races would help his cause of turning them from evil. Naralis has also recently made attempts to form an alliance with Psilofyr through Darahl Firecloak, but as yet his requests have gone unanswered. His realm in Arvandor also opens onto Elysium specifically to facilitate these relationships he cultivates outside of the Seldarine.

While not the most active member of the Seldarine, Naralis does dispatch his avatars to the Prime Material Plane in times of crisis for elves. He works to alleviate suffering and pain foremost among civilian and refugee populations of elves, but also aids worries as often as he can. He dislikes battle and generally avoids confrontations unless it is necessary to protect the injured and dying. He also sends his avatars to perform tasks designated by Sehanine or Corellon, which often involve protecting or aiding especially important elves.

Naralis’s Avatar (Cleric 26, Mage 18, Fighter 14)
Naralis appears as a silver-haired elf with blue-grey eyes wearing a white and grey robe with silver trim and doves decorating it. This appearance often causes viewers to underestimate his skill at arms, for beneath the robe he wears a fine suit of elven mail +4, and is quite skilled with a sword and shield. He draws his spells from all spheres and schools, but prefers to use those of the sphere of healing and the school of abjuration, as well as any magic that harms undead.

AC −2; MV 12; HP 174; THAC0 4; #AT 5/2
Dmg 1d8+12 (long sword +3, +7 Str, +2 spec. bonus in long sword)
MR 50%; SZ M (6 feet tall)
Str 19, Dex 20, Con 19, Int 20, Wis 22, Cha 19
Spells P: 12/12/12/12/11/9/4, W: 5/5/5/5/5/3/3/2/1
Saves PPDM 2; RSW 5; PP 5; BW 5; Sp 6

Special Att/Def: If forced into melee, Naralis uses Watcher’s Punishment, a long sword +3 that drains two life energy levels from any evil creatures that have harmed good or neutral elves without cause within the last year. He always wears two distinct rings on either hand. The left one, called Death’s Edge, is made of iron and set with a black tourmaline while the one of his right, called Life’s Edge, is made of mithril and set with a clear glowing diamond. He can use the iron Death’s Edge to inflict a harm spell on one target within 180 yards, and the mithril Life’s Edge can heal a single target at a like distance. He may only use one ring at a time, but their powers can be used once per round.

The touch of Naralis can eliminate any pain or mental anguish, as well as healing any long-term injuries suffered by a creature. Once per day, he can cast a symbol of persuasion and regenerate, and three times per day he can neutralize poison. Finally, all cure wounds spells heal the maximum possible damage with each casting.

Naralis is immune to disease, poison, caused wounds, death magic, energy draining, and withering, as well as all harmful necromantic magic. He can be struck only by weapons of +1 or better enchantment.

Other Manifestations
Naralis typically manifests to aid and protect elves in danger of dying. Such manifestations often take the form of a heal or regenerate spell, especially if a particular elf is the bulwark against greater harm to innocents, the injured, or other non-combatants (including non-elves). Such gifts come with a price, however, in the form of a geased task suitable for the individual’s capabilities. He can also resurrect the fallen on a fervent prayer from a member of his clergy, but this occurs only in the rarest of situations and only when the dead creature can perform a geased task of great importance. In at least one extraordinary case, this boon was granted to a non-elf. Slightly more common than these manifestations, the Watcher of Souls may remove the pain from a dying elf so they may pass on in peace and dignity. He has also been known to protect an elf from the pain of torture during an interrogation; wounds are still inflicted, and death may still occur, but the elf under question will never break from pain. Lastly, he also occasionally grants an elf the temporary ability to cast feign death upon themselves in order to foil pursuers or foes slaying wounded survivors after a mass battle. This ability can be used up to three times per day for one week in most cases.

The Seldarine call on agathinon, asuras, and ancient treants as their preferred servants, but Naralis is also served by aasimar, aasimon, einheriar, eladrins, hollyphants, incarnates of courage and wisdom, phoenixes, sunflies, unicorns, and white doves. He demonstrates his favor through the discovery of single dove feathers, diamonds, moonbar gems, moonstones, tourmalines, iron, mithril, silver, and iron and mithril intertwined in one place. His displeasure is displayed through the sudden rusting of iron objects, the discovery of raw, rusted iron, and phantom pains of the sort an individual has failed to properly care for in others.

The Church
Clergy:                      Clerics, specialty priests
Clergy’s Align.:      LG, NG, CG, LN, N, CN
Turn Undead:           C: Yes, SP: Yes, at level +2
Cmnd. Undead:         C: Yes, SP: Yes

All clerics (including multiclassed half-elven clerics) and specialty priests of Naralis receive religion (elf) and reading/writing (elvish) as bonus nonweapon proficiencies. While both clerics and specialty priests are allowed to command undead, they may only do so for short times in the most dire of circumstances, such as to defend or protect innocents or the injured.

While one of the more popular churches of the “Second Born” of the Seldarine, Naralis’s faith seems perpetually in the shadow of that of Sehanine. This does not bother most of the clergy, who prefer a humble lifestyle taking care of the sick and injured, and ministering rites to the dead. They are well-regarded in this, and rarely antagonize the other faiths; even members of the priesthood of Fenmarel Mestarine seem to soften in their presence. Because of the risk of injury and death to elven warriors, Naralis’s priests are disproportionately common in elven armies and the Elven Imperial Navy of wildspace, where they are especially respected. It is said by some that the white doves emblazoned on the shields of military healers is what led to the common human usage of the white dove as a symbol of peace.

Temples to Naralis are usually found neighboring cemeteries or operating as houses of healing. They are delicate, light structures designed specifically to be cheery and beautiful in order to improve the moods of the sick and injured. They are typically constructed of white marble and feature wide enclosed gardens for peaceful contemplation, and white doves are encouraged to nest in the trees of these gardens. The worship areas of the temples are actually outdoors, located in a portion of the gardens densely packed with trees. Many individual priests maintain shrines to Naralis in their personal quarters which consist of a pair of tiny trees carefully grown so that their branches intertwine. A silver dove is then placed at the apex of these two trees. If the priests live in a location where such a shrine impractical, a delicately carved or forged facsimile in wood, stone, or metal may be substituted.

Novices in the service of the Watcher of Souls are known as Dovelings, while full priests of Naralis are known as the Compassionate. In ascending order of rank, the titles used by Naralar priests are Wound Tender, Bone Mender, Holy Surgeon, Divine Surgeon, and Blessed Healer. High-ranking priests have unique individual titles. Specialty priests are known as heralars. The clergy of Naralis consists of clerics (60%), including multiclassed half-elven clerics, and specialty priests (40%). Naralis’s clergy includes high elves (57%), grey elves (33%), half-elves of various ancestries (6%), sylvan elves (3%), and a smattering of dark elves, sea elves, and winged elves (1%). The clergy is evenly split between males (50%) and females (50%).

Dogma: Pain, suffering, and death are anathema to the elven love of life. Cure the sick, heal the injured, and ensure those who cannot be saved pass with dignity and without pain. Honor the fallen and conduct the rites to guarantee they reach Arvandor.

Day-to-Day Activities: Naralis’s clergy spend most of their time tending to those who are sick or injured. They seek to alleviate pain of all sorts, and are among the most tender and compassionate of elven priests. They are especially valued and respected in elven military forces, as well. Their other primary duties are the conducting of funerals and death rites, and they work to console the bereaved and alleviate the pain of the loss of loved ones. A small few who are of a more martial bent seek to put an end to undead in order to release the souls of those trapped on the mortal plane and send them on to their proper places of rest.

Important Ceremonies/Holy Days: Once a month on the night of the new moon, the Naralar clergy hold a ceremony called the Long Night’s Dark; this ceremony honors the memories of those who have passed not only in the last month, but also those who have died in the months, years, and centuries before. They do this to remind themselves of the value of life, and how important it is to enjoy living. In addition to their prayers to the memories of the fallen, they sacrifice items crafted within their community as a symbol of the fleeting nature of material goods, and the importance of personal connections with those around them.

Besides their regular monthly ceremony, Naralis’s priests oversee funerals and remembrance ceremonies for the dead. The nature of these ceremonies vary but the Naralar priests always place grave goods with the body whether it is to be interred or cremated. A long-held belief is that the tradition of planting a tree over the grave of a dead elf was started by the Naralar priesthood, and they take pride in continuing that tradition.

Major Centers of Worship: Major elven cities often have dedicated temples to Naralis, but smaller settlements typically have simple shrines located within the temples of Sehanine. Temples can be found in Evermeet and Evereska on Toril, Celene on Oerth, and other such elven enclaves, but the most important holy sites are usually locations of great elven battles. Such places, including the High Moor on Toril and the ruins of fabled Myth Drannor are often too hazardous to warrant pilgrimages, but those brave followers of Naralis who venture into their environs often do so with the intent to seek out the restless spirits of elves and lay them to rest. By the same token, locations of great elven suffering are also sacred to the Naralar faithful, such as Sehanine’s sacred site in the Ardeep Forest of Toril, known as the Tears of Aloevan.

A recent development in the elven crystal sphere of Darnannon is the recovery of a seedling from an ancient magical tree known as the Lifetree of Naralis. This tree had long served as a potent force for healing wounded members of the Elven Imperial Navy until it was lost in a surprise attack during the First Unhuman War. After the war concluded, the navigable flow rivers had shifted and the site of the battle was thought long lost until an intrepid group of adventurers, under a special geas from Naralis himself, managed to find a new route to the sphere. The Lifetree itself was destroyed in a titanic battle against a witchlight marauder the tree had been holding at bay, but the group recovered a seed and returned it to the Elven Navy. Under the care of the priestess Belloriana Callurian, the seed has already sprouted into a small sapling, inspiring many young elves to join the reinvigorated priesthood.

Affiliated Orders: The only order sponsored by the church of Naralis is a martial order known as the Quieters of Naralis. This order is dedicated to destroying undead and sending the spirits of those trapped on the mortal plane on to Arvandor. The Quieters consist mainly of elven clerics (mostly with the Undead Hunter kit), fighters, and half-elven fighter/clerics, and they are mostly based on the frontiers of elven society near locations of known undead activity. They are also known to join elven armies should they expect to face necromancers or other foes likely to raise undead legions against them.

Priestly Vestments: When performing ceremonies, the Naralar priesthood wears white and grey hooded robes. These robes are cinched at the waist with simple white cords, with silver threading woven in to signify rank. Those cords that are fully silver are used by the highest-ranking priest in a given temple, while junior priests and novices, as well as individual priests in a community with no others, use the pure white cords. The holy symbol used by the priesthood is a silver or white dove on a grey disc.

Adventuring Garb: When adventuring, the members of Naralis’s priesthood favor swords or staves as weapons, as well as mail armor. They are not restricted from better protection, but they prefer the additional freedom of movement provided by mail and other medium-weight armor. Shields are almost always emblazoned with the white dove of Naralis as well. Unless conditions dictate otherwise, they also favor clothing that prominently features white or grey in some form, such as a white vest, a grey cloak, or the like.

Specialty Priests (Heralars)
Requirements:          Constitution 12, Wisdom 14
Prime Req.:                Constitution, Wisdom
Alignment:                NG
Weapons:                   Any bludgeoning (wholly Type-B), plus, dagger, knife, long sword, short sword
Armor:                       Any
Major Spheres:         All, creation, divination, guardian, healing, necromantic, protection, sun, time, wards
Minor Spheres:         Charm, law
Magical Items:         Same as clerics
Req. Profs:                Healing
Bonus Profs:             Ancient history

  • Heralars must be elves or half-elves. While most heralars are high elves or grey elves, elves and half-elves of every subrace are called to be specialty priests of Naralis’s clergy.
  • Heralers are not allowed to multiclass.
  • Any cure wounds spells cast by a heralar never restore less than half of that which is possible by the spell. For example, a cure light wounds spell always heals a minimum of 4 points of damage. The amount restored by these spells is rolled normally, and any roll below the halfway mark is automatically elevated to that point.
  • Heralars can remove the pain from a suffering being twice per day, and the recipient must make a saving throw. If it is failed, the pain is gone for only 2–7 hours, but if the save is successful then it is banished for one day per level of the priest. This touch can be used to nullify the effects of certain spells (such as symbols of pain).
  • Heralars can cast invisibility to undead (as the 1st-level priest spell) once per day.
  • At 3rd level, heralars can cast draw upon holy might or slow poison (as the 2nd-level priest spell) once per day.
  • At 5th level, heralars can cast accelerate healing or cure disease (as the 3rd-level priest spells) once per day.
  • At 7th level, heralars can cast cure critical wounds (as the 5th-level priest spell) once per day.
  • At 10th level, heralars can cast heal (as the 6th-level priest spell) once per week.
  • At 12th level, heralars are permanently protected by negative plane protection (as the 3rd-level priest spell).
  • At 16th level, heralars can cast spirit of power (as the 7th-level priest spell) once per month.

Naralar Spells
In addition to the spell listed below, priests of the Watcher of Souls can cast the 2nd-level priest spell create healing potion and the 6th-level priest spell blessed concoction, detailed in Warriors of Heaven.

1st Level
Ward of Final Repose (Pr 1; Abjuration)
Sphere:                    Necromantic
Range:                     Touch
Components:           V, S, M
Duration:                 Special
Casting Time:          1 rd.
Area of Effect:         1 corpse
Saving Throw:        Special

By means of this spell, the caster places a magical ward on a single corpse, which prevents it from animating as a corporeal undead creature. This ward remains in place and prevents the animation if the magical attempt is weak, such as that used to create skeletons or zombies. If the corpse is of a creature slain by a more powerful form of undead and would rise as one of the same (ghoul, wight, vampire, etc.), then a saving throw versus petrification is made against the caster’s level, with a +4 bonus. If the save is successful, the transformation is prevented and the ward remains in place. This same saving throw is used should the corpse be the target of animating magic such as mummy creation and similar spells or rituals. However, if the transition to undeath would be at the will of the dead creature, as in the case of a wizard becoming a lich, the individual rising as a revenant, or similar situations, this spell only prevents the transition if the warded corpse fails a saving throw versus petrification with a −4 penalty, based on the corpse’s former hit dice or level. This spell has no effect on undead that have already been animated, nor does it prevent the animation of spectres, wraiths, ghosts, or other non-corporeal undead.

The ward can be dispelled normally, but a dispel magic spell can only eliminate one ward per casting; for example, to eliminate the wards on ten corpses, it would take ten successful castings of dispel magic even if they all fall within the normal area of effect. Corpses protected by this spell radiate faint abjuration magic, easily overwhelmed by any other emanations in the area.

The material components for this spell are the priest’s holy symbol and burning incense, holy water, blessed dirt, or some other element for an appropriate funerary ceremony.

2nd Level
Dirge of Doom (Pr 2; Enchantment/Charm)
Sphere:                    Charm
Range:                     30 yds.
Components:           V
Duration:                 1 turn + 1 rd./level
Casting Time:          5
Area of Effect:         1 creature
Saving Throw:        Neg.

With this spell, the caster sings a funeral dirge directed at one specific target. If a saving throw versus spell is failed, this song fills the individual with a fear of impending doom. This feeling is so strong that a creature will do whatever it takes to avert this perceived doom, which they believe will take place if they continue their current course of action. Exactly how they will try to avoid this fate is determined by the individual’s personality. Unless a DM has a specific idea on how they will react, assume that they either surrender or flee (50% chance of either) if they fail a morale check with a −4 penalty, while a successful check indicates they fight more ferociously (+1 to hit and damage, −1 penalty to AC). If the casting priest has the Singing nonweapon proficiency, a successful check adds a −2 penalty to a target’s saving throw. If the caster does not speak a language the target can understand, however, saving throws are made with a +2 bonus.

3rd Level
Naralis’s Touch (Pr 3; Necromancy)
Sphere:                    Healing
Range:                     Touch
Components:           V, S
Duration:                 Instantaneous
Casting Time:          7
Area of Effect:         2 creatures
Saving Throw:        None

This potent healing spell allows the caster to heal two individuals at the same time. Upon touching two different targets (one of which can be the caster), each creature has 1d6 points of wound or other injury damage restored, plus 1 point per three levels the caster has attained to a maximum of 1d6+5 at 15th level. All restrictions of the cure light wounds spell applies to Naralis’s touch, and it cannot be reversed. Both of the caster’s hands must be free to make use of this spell.

One Response to Naralis Analor, the Watcher of Souls

  1. Barastir says:

    Good entry, and the healing ability is always very useful for adventuring priests. Found only one typo: in 2nd entry of the special porwers of Heralars they were called “Heralers”. Besides, I have a doubt about one thing: wouldn’t it be right to write “Naralis’ touch”, without doubling the “s”? Sa far as I have learned, if the last letter is an “s” you don’t double it, but only uses the apostrophe at the end of the word.

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