The Civilizer, The Trailblazer, He Who Tames The Beasts
Poets might wax philosophically about the beauty of the pristine wilderness, but those who have actually been there knows that the wilderness is a harsh environment, full of savage creatures and innumerable dangers that will kill the unwary. To protect and expand civilization, then, this wilderness must be fought and tamed, measured and opened up to development. This is not an easy task, but judging by their record, the followers of Bucatar have been up to it.
The cult of Bucatar has never been large - it is filled with hardy people who can thrive in the dangers of the wild without succumbing to its lures, and this is a style of living attractive only to a select few. But few city folk appreciate just how much these people have done to protect them from the savage creatures roaming the remote parts of the world. Trolls, ogres, giants and much, much worse - without strong protection, human civilization wouldn't have lasted for long. The followers of Bucatar are this protection, and they stand at the very edge between civilization and the wild. They have done their part to make sure that this edge has mostly been expanding outwards in the last few centuries, and they are always ready to move on to new challenges. As of late, quite a few have turned their attention to the other planets newly explored and settled by a few humans, for a more hostile environment - and a greater challenge - is hard to imagine.
However, not all followers of Bucatar are found far from the cities. As the city-states of the world grow, many parts of the cities have become a wilderness of their own, with deep shadows, hidden pathways, and dark and dangerous secrets possibly hiding behind just the next wall. As a result, Bucatar has increasingly gained a following among dedicated watchmen, investigative journalists, and others who seek out the darkness in the cities and try to bring it into the light, or who simply guard against the darkness so that it does not consume all.
Bucatar demands of his followers:
- Seek out the strange, far places of the world and make them safe for civilized people.
- Though your deeds create light out of darkness, and civilization out of anarchy and chaos, it is the shadows where your true path lies. You will struggle there so that others can live without fear of the wild.
- Trade your knowledge of the darkness with those you trust so that the darkness will not grow after your death.
Bucatar's symbol is a dark humanoid silhouette holding up a scimitar and a torch, with cowering monsters at his feet.
Dwarves who patrol the fringes of the tunnel networks of the dwarven realms to make them safe from enemies worship Bucatar as Bannok.
Most places of worship for Bucatar are simple shrines, perfect for the eternally roving priests. Actual temples are largely maintained by lay members, or by priests who either too old and infirm to travel, or by those priests who currently have to take care of small children who cannot yet accompany their parents into the wilds. Those temples all maintain a central fire, called the hearthfire, which symbolizes the light of civilization the faith is supposed to protect. It is considered a great shame if this fire ever goes out, and it may only be rekindled with fire from another temple of Bucatar.
See Also
Adventure Ideas
Designer's Notes & Resources
In most D&D settings, followers of deities with nature-related portfolios tend to be tree-huggers. I wanted to create a deity for rangers to follow that doesn't require them to be "in harmony with nature".
The original concept of this deity was too much focused on wilderness, and after some feedback I received I added in the newer urban aspects of the faith. Urbis is supposed to be all about the cities, after all.