Rhingor (RHINE-gore, REN-gore (regional))
The Stalwart, The Battlewise, Honorable One
Lawful Good Rhinokin Justice God
Depicted as a hulking and immensely strong rhinokin of noble bearing wearing sturdy chainmail with a purple-fringed white tabard, wielding a single-bladed battleaxe, and carrying a large round shield with a horned boss (which is his most common holy symbol).Rhingor is widely respected, and worshipped broadly amongst noble and honorable warriors across the land, as well as conservative and upright folk who value tradition and good works. Rhingor is always depicted in tales and legends as a stalwart, reliable do-gooder, always concerned with doing the right thing and forwarding order and decency.
However, while Rhingor is not portrayed as being stupid or foolish, neither is he described as being particularly swift of thought. This lack of mental nimbleness makes him a frequent target of Pookalon's pranks in many tales, but Rhingor's indomitable nature and in some cases outright obliviousness insulates him from such frivolity; consequently Pookalon and Rhingor stories are particularly popular with children.
Rhingor is unusually involved in mortal affairs, in constant opposition to Tuskgora, Baele, Th'sst, and Iz. He grants his support and favor to mortals who are willing to take up the gauntlet and face danger for the greater good. Consequently organizations dedicated to his worship are service based, with an impetus on deeds not words, and many champions, knights, clerics, paladins, and others take up arms in his name.
- Barbarians: Path of the Horn
- Clerics: War, Order, Protection
- Fighters: Champion, Battle Master
- Monks: Way of Peerless Virtue
- Paladins: Oath of Devotion
- Rangers: Monster Slayer
The Peerless
A stronghold known as Ban Goralin has stood near the central plains of Zoetrope since the dawn of known history, built around the base of an unusual basalt butte potruding horn-like from the otherwise flat plains. It was originally the first stronghold of the rhinokin people, and the begining of their culture. As a people they far outgrew the confines of Ban Goralin and expanded out into the world long ago, but the stronghold still stands today as it ever has, home to a fluctuating population of some few hundreds.
Perched atop the butte above Ban Goralin is a monastary known as the Temple of Rhin, where a small cadre of dedicated warriors train those willing to dedicate themselves to a life of weapon mastery and service to the creed of Rhingor.
- The Monk subclass Way of Peerless Virtue is available to player characters in this setting. However, due to concept reasons, it works best if a new player character of this class is starting play at 3rd class level or higher. This tradition has very strict and lengthy induction requirements, and only one temple. For a new campaign starting at 1st level, if a player is determined to play a Peerless a DM might consider starting the campaign at 3rd level instead to accomodate them, or perhaps allowing that player to start with a 3rd level Peerless and keep them at that level until the rest of the party catches up to them.