Hatramo
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The Survivor, The Deliverer from Pain, Last Hope of the Hopeless

There are those who claim to make their own luck. That their own skills and plans will give them whatever it is they desire. But other people, possibly the majority, believe that no matter how competent you are and how good your plans might be, blind chance can lay you low and destroy everything you hold dear. And every time these people come into a situation when their plans and wits are at an end and they realize that their fate is up to chance, they pray to Hatramo for deliverance.

Said to be the older brother of Jorunnos, Hatramo's faith is an odd one. No grand temples are build in his name, for his priests travel from place to place, going wherever they are needed or wherever the winds of fate may carry them. These priests do believe in preparing themselves for any situation they might encounter, but they realize that this is never going to be enough, and they do not have any long-term plans of their own, instead trusting in Hatramo to guide their path.

Hatramo's name is on the breath of soldiers on the battlefield just before combat starts, on adventurers facing impossible odds in desolate catacombs, on peasants struggling to make it through yet another winter, and on the urban poor every morning as they try to get enough food or money to make it through yet another day. As a result, the faith might not be politically powerful, but few dare deny it its dues. Its most common rite is the creation of stone pillars - along many roads, people have erected crude pillars made out of small stones, and those who have reason to be grateful to Hatromo, or those seeking his favor, will not pass one of these pillars without adding one stone to it, thus gradually increasing its size. It is said that those who deliberately or accidentally knock it over will suffer bad luck in the same amount as the good luck those who added stones to it have received - thus balancing the cosmic scales of good and bad luck.

The followers of Hatramo believe the following:

  • Take life as it comes, for no one can predict what the future may hold.
  • Persevere in the face of adversity.
  • Provide succor to those down on their luck.

Hatramo's symbol is a pillar of stones.

Among some elves, Hatramo is worshiped as Handrel, who helps them endure the fickle nature of their sidhe rulers. The ethos of endurance speaks deep to the souls of the dwarves, who worship him as Harkat. In Gol Grungor, his cult is the state religion which preaches that all dwarves must accept the social order, including staying within the caste they were born into. In contrast, the dwarven diaspora looks up to the priests of Harkat to help them endure the pain from being far away from their ancestral homes, and to teach them how to still be a proper dwarf amidst the other races and their strange ways of life.

See Also

Adventure Ideas

Designer's Notes & Resources

In many fantasy settings, followers of deities of luck tend to be fairly upbeat about their lot in life. Yet in real life, it is the desperate who trust in luck the most. Hatramo was written to represent that.

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