Believers of the Source

The Believers of the Source are a faction in the Planescape setting. The foundation of their philosophy is that there is a purpose to the multiverse. All the Planes exist as a test. The worthy ascend upon their deaths to a higher state of existence. Those who fail get reincarnated into a lower life form.   Their goal is to understand this testing process in order to bring about the end of the multiverse and ascend to a new existence.

We are all one - gods, mortals, even fiends come from the same source. Who knows? Maybe next time you’ll see a larva.

- Factol Ambar of the Godsmen

 

History of the Believers of the Source

Singing pounded me in the ocean waves. Without sight, without hearing, I perceived the radiance And the music Such was my Source, The origin from which all lives spring.

- A poem from the faction's beginning

Founding

Folks consider Perrine the first factol of the Godsmen - at least, he founded what would become the Believers of the Source back before the Great Upheaval. As a mangrel-hurler, Perrine was not only an athlete but a philosopher as well; who else would care how far a man can toss a heavy iron bar trailing a 3-foot leather strap fringed with iron spikes? This blood knew he could win mangrel tosses only after much prior preparation. No surprise, he figured victories in less athletic pursuits also stemmed directly from a body‘s previous decisions and actions. Not content to ponder the matter alone, Perrine founded a society of equally curious bashers. Together, they developed the Godsmen's core belief - existence is a forge that shapes us - and an accompanying lifestyle called “sequel observance.” See, a body pays strict attention to the consequences of every one of his actions, so he can figure the way to produce only good results in the future. Learning from experience, that’s the idea, and ability to reason clearly, that's the tool.  

Believers of the Source

During the Great Upheaval, a cutter named Augy of Faunel solidified the society as a faction and forever altered its philosophy. Seems Augy had been reincarnated a thousand times and could remember her past lives. Each built on the last, she said, and she went up or down the ladder of existence in response to her choices. Augy even claimed to recall her first incarnation and the glory that came before it. She introduced Perrine's society to the merits of intuition - it's usually a past life trying to get something across - and to the benefits of peering back beyond a body’s own memories. This philosophy lets a basher evolve without merely sticking to cold logic, in a process that reaches beyond death into one’s next incarnation. Evolve enough, and a body becomes a god.   Augy gave the society the name it bears to this day: the Believers of the Source. As factol, she directed her followers into intense research. They collected biographies and interviewed anyone claiming to recall a past life. Perhaps this study would reveal the reason the multiverse inflicts lives of tests on a body.  

Empyrean Harmonies

The work of a mathematician and musician named Luce sparked the next vogue among the Godsmen. See, Luce said that any given moment in time and space possesses a unique, associated resonance. This resonance, though beyond hearing range, could be transposed down several octaves for mortal listeners to enjoy. The Godsmen felt convinced this "Music of the Multiverse" could tell a basher which way he’s moving on the ladder toward godhood. When a new blood claimed to "hear" the celestial symphony, more Believers abandoned their biographies and work at the Great Foundryto try cultivating the sensitivity. Empyrean harmonies became the rage in Sigil. Mathematicians in every ward started composing, as did amateurs all 'round the Great Ring. The Hardheads saw the Godsmen’s discovery as an attack on their goal of peace through conformity. Verbal hostility reigned in the Hall of Speakers, while covert bloodshed raged between the City Barracks and the Great Foundry.  

Modern Times

Recalling the one-time popularity of empyrean harmonies, Factol Ambar Vergrove has organized a program to train all Godsmen in singing or playin gan intrument. Students learn mdelodies that provoke strong feelings in listeners, plus techniques to transform these emotions into debate among the audience after a performance.  

Faction Philosophy

To these characters, all things are godly. All things can ascend to greater glory - if not in this life, then in the next. Patience, that’s all it takes. See, here’s the chant: Everything - primes, planars, petitioners, proxies, the whole lot - is being tested. Survive, succeed, and ascend - that’s the goal of all beings. Fail and get reincarnated to try again. It’s pretty simple and straight forward. ‘Course, it ain’t that easy, either. First off, nobody really knows what the tests are. Is a body supposed to be good, evil, or what? Godsmen are trying to figure that out. Second, a fellow just might go in reverse - mess up and come back as a prime or something worse in the next life. It could even be that those who do really badly return as fiends. Finally, there’s one last step nobody even understands. Getting to be a power ain’t the end of the cycle. There’s something beyond that, something that powers, themselves, eventually ascend to. Cross that threshold to the ultimate form and get released from the multiverse forever.   Now, there’s a fixed number of beings out there, and sooner or later we’re going to run out, when everybody’s ascended. A lot of the worlds on the so-called “infinite” Prime Material Plane are already pretty thinly populated. When a prime ascends to the next level, then there’s one less prime in all the multiverse - unless, of course, a planar somewhere fails and falls back a rank. But sooner or later, everybody’s going to attain the ultimate goal, the final ascension, and when that happens the multiverse ends - closes up shop, fades right out of existence.   So you see, the Godsmen calculate that’s the whole purpose of the multiverse. The Prime Material, the Inner, and the Outer Planes - they exist to test and purge. It’s just a matter of figuring what’s being tested and how. When that happens, the Godsmen can hasten the end of the universe and get on with some new existence.

Roleplaying the Believers of the Source

Despite their concern for others, don't call Godsmen softies. They insist a basher learn from his mistakes, and they won't interfere in "life lessons." Sure, a body can count on a Godsman to help out in a pinch, but the blodd'll never rob another of a learning experience. 'Course, some lean on the notion that these lessons of the multiverse act as a forge, while failing to recognize that this forge works equally on everyone. These bashers figure some sods have more potential than others, so they have no qualms about contributing to the tough "education" of those that come up short. So, bubbers wanting sympathetic handouts from these Believers had better look elsewhere.  

Alignment

Having what looks like a compassionate outlook doesn’t mean a Believer has to espouse the principles of goodness. Many Godsmen are evil (wanting to inhibit others’ progress toward godhood) or neutral (professing that noninterference in others’ lives allows the multiverse to do its best work).
Lawful Godsmen view regulations as essential in the process of evolving toward divinity. “Follow the rules, and a body’ll pass all the tests the multiverse offers up,” they insist. Chaotic Godsmen evaluate all situations case by case. After all, giving one beggar a free dinner might give him the energy to play a pennywhistle for the entertainment (and coins) of passersby. Feeding another might just convince him to put off doing anything for himself yet one more day. Sometimes hilling a sod is the best thing a body can do for him. Neutral Godsmen fall somewhere in between.  

Class

A Godsman bas two preoccupations: his own progress up the chain of evolution and the progress of the rest of the bashers in the multiverse. ’Course, no two will express these concerns quite the same way - it depends on a body’s area of expertise. Fighters think battle teaches a basher life’s lessons, so they press conflict on others to help them grow. Godsman paladins believe they evolve by helping others and expect those they aid to offer succor, too. Rangers, biased toward beasts, frequently see their animal friends' potential unmatched in sentient races.
Godsman clerics seek to emulate the divine evolution of their deities, yet they know that no power leads to the Source. Druids trusting in the cycles of the natural world, believe these cycles will bring into a body's life trhe appropiate level of testing and illumination. Believer wizards, frequently arrogant, belive magic is the key to avolution and pity those who don't dabble in this art. Godsman thieves think secrets're best stolen and love forbidden knowledge. Bards know they can spark inspiration: After a heroic ballad, they want listeners to emulate the song's hero.  

Race

Due to their beliefs in the divine potential of every being, Believers of the Source welcome a diverse membership. Wemies, pixies, styrs, bariaur, tieflings, dwarves , and half-elves mingle with one another and the odd erinyes, lammasu, githyanki, slaad, or moon dog.

Faction Membership

Believers want to drill into members that life is a forge, shaping personalities and spirits. Therefore, to join the factions, bashers all have to take their turn at the forge. A body tells the guards at the Great Foundry's main gate that he's interested, and before he knows it, he's sweating rivers in the wire-works or one of the others. If the back-breaking labor doesn't send them running, these namers can seek greater involvement in the faction by asking a more experienced member to sponsor them.
Namers serve informal apprenticeships with these mentors, learning the rigors of Believer philosophy. But different mentors provide very different experiences: Some virtually ignore their charges, while others insist on daily lessons reinforced by assigned tasks. When a mentor considers his protege ready for a factotum's responsibility - to seek the inherent worth in all - he presents the namer to a factor for evaluation.
The candidate then undergoes a series of tests: unusual puzzles or challenging tasks, specifically tailored to probe his fears and limitations. 'Course, the factors don't measure prospects against perfection. they just try to gauge the malleability of a namer in the multiversal forge. A similar test is administered at Amar's Palace to factotums chose to advance to factor rank.  

Primary Plane of Influence

The Ethereal. The demiplanes of the Ethereal, formed by powerful wizards and the like, are evidence to the Godsmen that their philosophy is correct. In Sigil, the Godsmen maintain their headquarters at the Great Foundry, the symbolic forge of the planes.  

Allies and Enemies

Allies: The Athar get along with the Believers of the Source because of their shared beliefs that the powers aren't so special. However, the Believers of the Source don't have the denoucatory tone towards them: the 'powers' are part of the Source, another group of beings dedicated to reunion with their creator, only a little further along. Some attempt to emulate these beings through worship, but eventually most lose interest: they don't truly believe in the tenets of their power, only in their current position. The Sign of One, with its center of self, are great friends with the Believers of the Source and there is indeed a great deal of overlap between the two factions. The Sign of One believes that the multiverse is imagined by them, and the Believers of the Source believe that the multiverse is created to test them. Vaguely similar ideas, which usually means that the two factions don't quarrel so much.   The idea that the multiverse is a ring appeals to the Fraternity of Order, and they understand the Godsmen's view. However, they see the Godsmen randomly try to pick tests for themselves, while they're missing the whole point that the tests should be catalouged so that a distinct path to ascension can be laid out.   In general, the Believers of the Source find themselves well-liked wherever they go because of their open attitudes towards all people and races.   Enemies: The Bleak Cabal, seeing no point to the multiverse, doesn't find themselves on good terms with a faction that believes the whole multiverse to be a test for ascension. Of course, this isn't physical violence (it's never physical violence), just a dead loathing and resentment for another philosophy. Of course, the majority of the faction really just doesn't care.  

Eligibility

The Godsmen are open to all races, classes, and alignments. However, priests of specific deities suffer a -1 penalty on all saving throws, for lack of utmost faith in their high-up man.  

Faction Abilities

Regardless of rank, all Godsmen gain the same special benefits and hindranes. Their belief that everyone can achieve godhood generally translates into fair treatment of all they encounter. This Reputation for a consistent lack of prejudice makes them well received throughout the Great Ring. They gain a +2 bonus to all charisma skill checks with planar beings. However, Godsmen can't be resurrected or raised. With the DM's permission, they can be reincarnated as a PC race (chosen by the DM).   Godsman priests who venerate a specific deity (as opposed to the Source) suffer from lack of ultimate faith. After all, they know a power ain't anything special - just some basher who occupies the next-to-last rung on the ladder of evolution. This priestly problem of faith results in -1 penalties to all saving throws.   The Believers of the Source possess a faculty they don't truly understand. See, in the Great Ring, beliefs matter more than they do in prime-material worlds. Whole burgs can vanish or move because of belief - take Plague-Mort, the gate-town that's regularly pulled onto the Abyss, then pushed out. Entire planes can be born or destroyed because of belief. And, because the Godsmen believe ordinary bashers may one day evolve into powers, they actually can. So far, the Godsmen've seen only one of their fellows evolve to this stage: the previous factol, urrann, who grants her followers spells of healing and protection. Many think Ambar'll be next.  

Restrictions

In addition to the restrictions on priests described above, Godsmen can't be raised or resurrected by any means. However, they can automatically be reincarnated as a player character race (of the DM's choice).  

Safe Houses

Godsmen find they can rely on a network of people for help in a pinch, rather than on hidden caves, cellars, garrets, or other normal refuges. An innkeeper here, a farm wife there, a loyal monk, an herbalist, a castle guard - in the Outlands and on most Outer Planes, a place might fail a body, but friends won’t. Usually, bloods can borrow their friends’ resources too, which gives them easy access to weapons, clothes, medicines, disguises, or hits of news. The Godsmenoversee a barmy asylum called Harbringer House in either Lady's Ward or the Lower Ward - the chant can't decide. The factol has appointed Housemaster Bereth to care for the troublemakers brought here but will welcome bloods from the factions as well.  

Faction Life

The Believers of the Source are a rather loose group in their jobs: there are many paths to ascension. Some pick one task and stick to it. Others make it a point to better themselves through performing many tasks. Many serve as smiths within the Great Foundry itself, smelting the metal as if it were their own path of ascendancy. Others better themselves through physical means: becoming the strongest, the quickest, the most durable, and whatnot. Others teach themself a skill becoming a master at it, whether it be pottery, silversmithing, or scribing. Still others dabble in knowledge, writing sagely treatises on almost anything imaginable. These people base themselves into mastership: if they gain enough knowledge at something, surely they'll ascend. They usually gain this knowledge from apprenticeship and study; in the end, they all believe the Source, rising higher and higher towards their origins.

Notable Faction Members

Name	Rank	Race	Class	Gender	Description
Factol Ambar Vergrove	Factol	Half-Elf	Ranger	Male	Leader of the Believers
Factor Ombidias	Factor	Voadkyn	Occultist	Male	Overseer of the Great Foundry
Factor Dalton	Factor	Tiefling	Fighter	Male	Oversees the Believer's Foundry
Factotum Zena	Factotum	Tiefling	Ranger	Female	Expert at dealing with wild things
Factotum Bereth	Factotum	Human	-	Male	Oversees the asylum "Harbringer House"