Tyche

TYCHE Lady Fate, Lady Doom, the Lady Who Smiles, Kismet

Symbol: A huge horn, inside of which she was keeping all wealth and richness of the realm

Home Plane: Olympus/Olympus

Alignment: True Neutral

Portfolio: Fortune, luck, fate, misfortune, accidents, accountability, adventurers, explorers, traders, trade

Worshippers: Tyche was an extremely popular goddess among adventurers, and her faith was on the rise as more and more people pursued that career. Lady Fate was beloved of those who lived or worked in danger, for she rewarded the faithful and others who lived in the manner she deemed proper—daring all and trusting to chance—with her favor: good luck. The Lady’s ways could seem fickle to the uninitiated or nonbelievers, for by her very nature the support she gave was uncertain in all particulars. “The joy of the doubt and the danger,” also known as the Lady’s Joy and the Lady’s Way, was that which was most dear to her true followers.

Favored Weapon:A Silver Disk (Shurikan)

Cleric Alignment: Any non-lawful

NWN Domain: Chaos, Good, Luck, Protection, Travel, Evil, Fate, Trickery

History Relationships: Tyche (TIE-key) was the goddess of fate, luck, victory, and fortune. Since she governed both the good and bad things that happened in life, she was praised as well as placated by her worships, many of whom were more afraid of her allowing them to have misfortunes befall them than intent upon coaxing her to bless them with luck. She was seen as a fickle power, easily distracted and restless in her pursuits.

Dogma: The battle cry of the followers of Tyche was “Fortune favors the bold.” Those who had no direction or goals soon encountered ill-luck, for those on no set course were at the capricious mercy of misfortune, which was no mercy at all. A brave heart and willingness to take risks beat out a carefully wrought plan nine times out of ten. One had to place oneself in the hands of fate (meaning in the hands of Tyche) and trust to one’s own luck, and priests of Tyche were supposed to be showing their good fortune— and acceptance of bad fortune—as confidence in the Lady and in themselves. Lady Fate bid that each mortal chase his or her own unique goals—so long as they didn’t counter the express wishes of herself—and it was in this chase that the Lady aided her followers. Day-to-Day Activities: The clergy of the Lady went throughout Faerûn urging folk to take chances and pursue their dreams, instead of spending all their days planning and daring nothing. Having offered such counsel, Tychean clergy were duty-bound to aid those who had dared with healing spells and other magical aid (sometimes surreptitiously) so as to reinforce the message of the good fortune one can win by trusting in Tyche. However, the clergy of Tyche was not above enjoying acting mysteriously to manipulate simpler folk into serving them in matters both great and small, from providing them with food, luxurious shelter, and companionship, to giving them weapons to wield against their rivals.

Holy Days/Important Ceremonies: Whatever their differences throughout the years, the clergy of Tyche always adhered to rituals of greeting, touching their silver disks (the holy symbols of Tyche) to each other after watchwords of recognition had been exchanged. To unknown persons and beings, they knew to be worshipers of Tyche, they would say: “Life is short. Live it as Tyche means it to be lived!” This was answered by: “Dare all, and see victory through the Lady.” The watchwords between friends, or when both parties knew each other to be clergy of Tyche, were simpler: “Defy,” answered by “Dare much.” Midsummer was the most important festival of Tyche—a wild, night-long revel of reckless, mischievous daring-do and romantic trysts. It was a time for wandering clergy to gather and meet with those of allied faiths and relatives. Many missions and plans were hatched at such times.

Affiliated Orders: The church sponsored some adventuring companies, and countless adventuring groups independently dedicated themselves to the Lady after luck smiled on them during a sticky situation. The one knightly order affiliated with the church was the Honor Guard of Fate, a group of rangers who performed information-gathering missions for the church and served as bodyguards to high-level priests traveling in dangerous areas or engaged in dangerous missions for the church. Honored members of the clergy were inducted into the Society of the Elders of Free Fate, which sponsored an assortment of exploration and trade expeditions and attempted to improve Netherese relations with members of the other sentient races of Faerûn. Relations between several small halfling communities and the Elders were cordial. Priestly Vestments: Priests of Tyche wore stately robes of different shades of purple, blue-purple, mauve, and lilac, accented and accessorized with silver. The precise cut of the standard clerical dress varied from temple to temple. Personal taste of the matriarch or patriarch of a temple influenced the dress code, as did climate (natural and political) and availability of fine clothing. The common item worn by all priests was the disk of Tyche, usually carried on a small chain.

Adventuring Garb: All adventuring or traveling priests wore whatever garments they chose, though the colors purple and silver were still predominant. High boots also seemed favorite fashion elements. All priests continued to wear Tyche’s silver disk next to their skin, usually as a medallion worn around the neck; however, many also wore smaller holy symbols as anklets, bracelets, or at their hips, under their clothing