Kelanen
Encyclopedia
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting
for the Dungeons & Dragons
fantasy
role-playing game
, Kelanen is the hero-deity of Swords, Sword Skills, and Balance. Possibly the most popular hero-deity in the Flanaess, Kelanen's symbol is nine swords arrayed in a star shape, points outward.
.
Kelanen appears as one of the assembled lords of Balance in Gary Gygax's novel Come Endless Darkness.
in Dragon
#71 (1983). Kelanen was subsequently detailed in the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting
(1983).
Kelanen is always accompanied by his intelligent swords, Swiftdoom and Sureguard.
, Heward
, and Murlynd
in order to bind Iuz
beneath Castle Greyhawk
, and therefore bears Iuz's eternal enmity. Kelanen has no real friends or confidants, however, apart from his swords.
, either on Oerth
or some parallel world as the adventure takes him.
, especially in the Hold of the Sea Princes, the Wild Coast, and neighboring lands. His worshippers can be of any alignment.
Priests of Kelanen practice their sword skills assiduously and spend much of their time teaching others. They work to support the cosmic Balance, making temporary alliances with groups of every alignment and breaking the alliances when they are no longer perceived as being needed.
, who has been training a new generation to replace the old.
A temple to Kelanen once existed in Elredd, but it was destroyed by followers of Turrosh Mak. Wrathful at this affront, Kelanen has dispatched his priestess Fina Fen Kela to rid Elredd of Turrosh Mak's humanoids and rebuild his temple. Kelanen views Turrosh Mak's hordes as an unbalancing presence on the Wild Coast.
, upon which his holy symbol is based.
The Prince of Swords also once possessed the sword Vilharian, having won it in a duel from the hero Sellanus.
. He only recently crossed the boundary between quasi-deity and hero-deity, however, having gained the ability to grant spells to his clerics only in the last century.
Campaign setting
A campaign setting is usually a fictional world which serves as a setting for a role-playing game or wargame campaign. A campaign is a series of individual adventures, and a campaign setting is the world in which such adventures and campaigns take place...
for the Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons
Dungeons & Dragons is a fantasy role-playing game originally designed by Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson, and first published in 1974 by Tactical Studies Rules, Inc. . The game has been published by Wizards of the Coast since 1997...
fantasy
Fantasy
Fantasy is a genre of fiction that commonly uses magic and other supernatural phenomena as a primary element of plot, theme, or setting. Many works within the genre take place in imaginary worlds where magic is common...
role-playing game
Role-playing game
A role-playing game is a game in which players assume the roles of characters in a fictional setting. Players take responsibility for acting out these roles within a narrative, either through literal acting, or through a process of structured decision-making or character development...
, Kelanen is the hero-deity of Swords, Sword Skills, and Balance. Possibly the most popular hero-deity in the Flanaess, Kelanen's symbol is nine swords arrayed in a star shape, points outward.
Publication history
Kelanen was created by Gary GygaxGary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
.
Kelanen appears as one of the assembled lords of Balance in Gary Gygax's novel Come Endless Darkness.
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 1st edition (1977-1988)
Kelanen was first detailed for the Dungeons & Dragons game in "Greyhawk's World: Quasi-deities" by Gary GygaxGary Gygax
Ernest Gary Gygax was an American writer and game designer best known for co-creating the pioneering role-playing game Dungeons & Dragons with Dave Arneson. Gygax is generally acknowledged as the father of role-playing games....
in Dragon
Dragon (magazine)
Dragon is one of the two official magazines for source material for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game and associated products, the other being Dungeon. TSR, Inc. originally launched the monthly printed magazine in 1976 to succeed the company's earlier publication, The Strategic Review. The...
#71 (1983). Kelanen was subsequently detailed in the World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting
World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting
The World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting and the World of Greyhawk Fantasy World Setting are two closely related publications from TSR, Inc. that detail the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game...
(1983).
Advanced Dungeons & Dragons 2nd edition (1989-1999)
Kelanen appeared in Greyhawk: The Adventure Begins (1998). Kelanen also appeared in the sourcebook Slavers (2000).Description
Kelanen is traditionally depicted as a fair-skinned human male bearing a silvery scar on the right side of his face, though he can appear in any humanoid form. His true form is slender and sinewy, just under six feet in height. He wears elfin chain mail and prefers garments of gray or blue-gray, wearing ornaments of silver or platinum.Kelanen is always accompanied by his intelligent swords, Swiftdoom and Sureguard.
Relationships
Kelanen temporarily allied himself with Zagig Yragerne, KeoghtomKeoghtom
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Keoghtom is the hero-god of Secret Pursuits, Natural Alchemy, and Extraplanar Exploration. His symbol is a round disk, bisected by an upward-pointing arrow....
, Heward
Heward
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Heward is the god of Bards and Musicians. Heward is notable not only for his musical prowess, but also for his technological skills....
, and Murlynd
Murlynd
In the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, Murlynd is a minor deity. He began as a player character created by Gary Gygax's closest friend Don Kaye in 1972 for the second-ever session of the game that would become D&D...
in order to bind Iuz
Iuz
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Iuz is the chaotic evil demigod of Deceit, Evil, Oppression, Pain, and Wickedness. Iuz is variously called "The Old One" and "Old Wicked," among other titles. Unlike most Greyhawk deities, Iuz makes his home on...
beneath Castle Greyhawk
Castle Greyhawk
Castle Greyhawk is one of the central dungeon settings in the fictional World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. The Castle was originally developed by Gary Gygax for his own campaign and later detailed for publication...
, and therefore bears Iuz's eternal enmity. Kelanen has no real friends or confidants, however, apart from his swords.
Realm
Kelanen has a demiplanar stronghold, but is usually found on the Prime Material PlanePrime Material Plane
The Prime Material Plane is the central plane of existence in the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game...
, either on Oerth
Oerth
In the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, Oerth, pronounced as "Orth" or "oyth", is the name of the fictional planet on which one of the earliest campaign settings, the World of Greyhawk, is located...
or some parallel world as the adventure takes him.
Dogma
Kelanen is obsessed with all types of swords, as well as preserving the balance between Law, Chaos, Good, and Evil (the "Four Dooms"). He has been known to aid any of these alignments in order to centralize the balance of power. He encourages the mastery of swordsmanship among all his followers, and warns them to avoid all extremes.Worshippers
Kelanen is worshiped throughout the FlanaessFlanaess
The Flanaess is the eastern part of the continent of Oerik, one of the four continents of the fictional world of Oerth in the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game. The Flanaess has been the setting of dozens of adventures published between the 1970s...
, especially in the Hold of the Sea Princes, the Wild Coast, and neighboring lands. His worshippers can be of any alignment.
Clergy
Kelanen's priests are forbidden from using any weapon that isn't classified as some sort of sword (including falchions, rapiers, scimitars, and two-bladed swords), dagger, or crossbow. The vast majority of his priests are neutral, for those with adherence to any other alignment are seen as having no regard for his teachings.Priests of Kelanen practice their sword skills assiduously and spend much of their time teaching others. They work to support the cosmic Balance, making temporary alliances with groups of every alignment and breaking the alliances when they are no longer perceived as being needed.
The Order of the Star
The Order of the Star, named for Kelanen's holy symbol, is an organization that spans the western nations of the Flanaess. Its members honor the Prince of Swords and seek to personify his teachings.Temples
The Chapterhouse of the Star is the headquarters of the Order of the Star in Istivin. Most were slain defending the city against giants, and it is currently under the charge of the aged swordsman BaldramBaldram
Baldram is a village in the administrative district of Gmina Kwidzyn, within Kwidzyn County, Pomeranian Voivodeship, in northern Poland. It lies approximately north of Kwidzyn and south of the regional capital Gdańsk....
, who has been training a new generation to replace the old.
A temple to Kelanen once existed in Elredd, but it was destroyed by followers of Turrosh Mak. Wrathful at this affront, Kelanen has dispatched his priestess Fina Fen Kela to rid Elredd of Turrosh Mak's humanoids and rebuild his temple. Kelanen views Turrosh Mak's hordes as an unbalancing presence on the Wild Coast.
Rituals and holy days
The Tocsin of Kelanen is a swordmeet held annually during Brewfest in the County of Cryllor in Keoland. Participants from throughout the Sheldomar Valley gather to display their skill, adding considerably to the coffers of Cryllor's count Ignas Manz in the process.Myths and legends
Kelanen is said to have wrested the now-lost blade Fragarach the Answerer from the hands of an alien god. He is also said to have discovered the location of three magical blades known as the Pillars of Heaven. Kelanen created the renowned Swords of AnsweringSwords of Answering
The Swords of Answering or "Final Word" swords are a collection of 10 named magical swords introduced in the campaign settings for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game...
, upon which his holy symbol is based.
The Prince of Swords also once possessed the sword Vilharian, having won it in a duel from the hero Sellanus.
History
Kelanen is an ancient being of unknown race and origin, having been around since at least the Great MigrationsGreat Migrations (Greyhawk)
In the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, the Great Migrations is a general term applying to the migration of great hordes of Oeridians and Suel humans into the Flanaess from western Oerik...
. He only recently crossed the boundary between quasi-deity and hero-deity, however, having gained the ability to grant spells to his clerics only in the last century.
Additional reading
- Baas, Walter, et al. Treasures of GreyhawkTreasures of GreyhawkTreasures of Greyhawk is an adventure module for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy roleplaying game, set in the game's World of Greyhawk campaign setting.-Plot summary:...
(TSR, 1992). - Brown, Anne. Player's Guide (TSR, 1998).
- Conforti, Steven, ed. Living Greyhawk Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign, version 2.0 (Wizards of the Coast, 2005). Available online: http://www.wizards.com/rpga/downloads/LG_Deities.zip
- Gygax, Gary. Come Endless Darkness (New Infinities, 1988).
- Holian, GaryGary HolianGary Holian is an American author of several products and articles for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, especially for the World of Greyhawk campaign setting...
. "The Kingdom of Keoland." Living Greyhawk JournalLiving Greyhawk JournalThe Living Greyhawk Journal was a periodical published by the Role-Playing Games Association as a stand-alone magazine from 2000 to 2004. The publication was intended to supplement the RPGA's Living Greyhawk campaign, though many consider the content within to be canon for the Greyhawk setting in...
#1. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000. - "Silent Sorcery: The Silent Ones of Keoland." Living Greyhawk JournalLiving Greyhawk JournalThe Living Greyhawk Journal was a periodical published by the Role-Playing Games Association as a stand-alone magazine from 2000 to 2004. The publication was intended to supplement the RPGA's Living Greyhawk campaign, though many consider the content within to be canon for the Greyhawk setting in...
#4. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2001. - Holian, GaryGary HolianGary Holian is an American author of several products and articles for the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game, especially for the World of Greyhawk campaign setting...
, Erik MonaErik Mona-Career:Erik Mona served as the editor-in-chief of Dragon magazine since 2004 and Dungeon magazine from 2004 to 2006; at the time, both magazines were published by Paizo Publishing, until the license through Wizards of the Coast expired in September 2007...
, Sean K Reynolds, and Frederick WeiningFrederick WeiningFrederick Weining is among those credited for design of the Dungeons & Dragons Gazetteer and the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, both published by Wizards of the Coast. He has also authored or co-authored a number of Greyhawk articles for the Living Greyhawk Journal, the Oerth Journal, and...
. Living Greyhawk GazetteerLiving Greyhawk GazetteerThe Living Greyhawk Gazetteer is a sourcebook for the World of Greyhawk campaign setting for the 3rd edition of the Dungeons & Dragons roleplaying game. Despite the title, the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer is not exclusive to the Living Greyhawk Campaign...
(Wizards of the CoastWizards of the CoastWizards of the Coast is an American publisher of games, primarily based on fantasy and science fiction themes, and formerly an operator of retail stores for games...
, 2000). - Mona, Erik, et al. "Critical Threats: DantalionDantalionIn demonology, Dantalion is a powerful Great Duke of Hell, with thirty-six legions of demons under his command; a Jinn, he is the 71st of 72 spirits of Solomon. He teaches all arts and sciences, and also declares the secret counsel of anyone, given that he knows the thoughts of all people and can...
." DungeonDungeonA dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...
#106. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2004. Page 53. - Reynolds, Sean K, Frederick WeiningFrederick WeiningFrederick Weining is among those credited for design of the Dungeons & Dragons Gazetteer and the Living Greyhawk Gazetteer, both published by Wizards of the Coast. He has also authored or co-authored a number of Greyhawk articles for the Living Greyhawk Journal, the Oerth Journal, and...
, and Erik Mona. "Blood of Heroes." Living Greyhawk JournalLiving Greyhawk JournalThe Living Greyhawk Journal was a periodical published by the Role-Playing Games Association as a stand-alone magazine from 2000 to 2004. The publication was intended to supplement the RPGA's Living Greyhawk campaign, though many consider the content within to be canon for the Greyhawk setting in...
#3 (Paizo Publishing, 2001). - Sargent, Carl. Ivid the Undying (TSR, unpublished). Available online: http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads
- Vaughan, Greg A., and Erik MonaErik Mona-Career:Erik Mona served as the editor-in-chief of Dragon magazine since 2004 and Dungeon magazine from 2004 to 2006; at the time, both magazines were published by Paizo Publishing, until the license through Wizards of the Coast expired in September 2007...
. "Touch of the Abyss." DungeonDungeonA dungeon is a room or cell in which prisoners are held, especially underground. Dungeons are generally associated with medieval castles, though their association with torture probably belongs more to the Renaissance period...
#117. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2004. Page 38. - Living Greyhawk Journal no. 3 - "Gods of Oerth"