Father Claw
From Praemal
Father Claw, the Serpentine Lord, the Firelord, the All-Destroyer, the Cleanser of Worlds, is one of the oldest of the gods.
He symbolizes the sheer power and destructive force of dragonkind. Some argue that he is actually insane, as a result of his long imprisonment. He appears much like a great wyrm black dragon.
He has few worshippers today. All followers of Father Claw put the prefix "Ni-" in front of their names to designate their devotion.
The Saga of Father Claw and Ni-Gorth
From the Kordallian Sagas, Book 2, Chapter 1
"Long ago, my children, the world was young. Young like a boy with whose face was still smooth. Even worlds have a birth, a life, and, yes, a death.
"In the days just after our world's birth, when men had not yet mastered the magic of the written word, when elves walked the world in many forms, and when dwarves hid from both day and night for the consistency of the lightless caverns, there was a dragon.
"Now, you may say, surely there were many dragons. And so there were. But there was only one Dragon.
"Men named him Father Claw out of respect and fear. His flying form could darken the brightest day, his breath could lay waste to a city -- and there were few enough cities then as it was. Father Claw's heart was as black as his scales, and he brought only misery and death.
"Where did such a dragon come from, children? Was he the first of his kind? In those days, they used the term 'uncreated,' for those things that were not crafted by the Creator's hand, but had seeped into the world from elsewhere. Perhaps Father Claw was such a thing, for surely neither the Creator nor his children would give life to such a peril. Oh, they crafted evil as well as good, it is true, but Father Claw's power could have allowed him to challenge even them. Was he a god himself? In those timelost days, who can say? Today? Absolutely, my children.
"Great was his power and the terror he inspired. Nevertheless, there were those who turned toward Father Claw rather than away in fear. They erected tall obelisks of the blue-black stone of Nethasokar in his honor. They offered blood sacrifices on altars of obsidian in his name.
"And Father Claw was pleased.
"Each of these new priests of Father Claw took upon themselves a new name to brand their very essence with their devotion. Geddis became Ni-Geddis. Verrath became Ni-Verrath, and Sodoll became Ni-Sodoll. These dark souls learned to use acid as a weapon. They forged swords that hungered for blood, death, and even souls in the same manner that their master hungered. The priests of Father Claw were feared and hated and put to the sword if found.
"And so in time the priests of Father Claw followed their master's directive and retreated to the secret city of Shoggoth, whose location remains hidden in the mists of mystery even still today.
"Time passed, as time is wont to do, and a priest of Father Claw rose through the ranks. His name was Ni-Gorth. This mortal soul knew the Dragon like none before him, but in those dark serpent's eyes he saw not salvation but dread, despair, and death. Ni-Gorth discovered that Father Claw was not a creature to be venerated. Does the hare revere the wolf? Does the fawn revere the lion? He learned that the Dragon could only be reviled. To do otherwise was a form of suicide.
"In secret, then, Ni-Gorth labored as none before him. Using skill unknown today, he forged the mighty dragonchain, a word spoken today only in whispers. Then Ni-Gorth, a man above men, took his creation and tricked his dread master, binding Father Claw to the heart of a mountain which today is long forgotten, even by the earth itself.
"Ni-Gorth chained Father Claw and rid the world of his evil. And for his efforts, this priest found as his reward only the curved knives of his fellows. The other priests fell upon him with vengeance and fury until he lay dead. Still, no effort on their part, no scheme they could dream would break the dragonchain. Father Claw remained imprisoned, and they rotted away waiting for their lord to free himself.
"But that is not the end of the tale. No, children. For so great was the power and purity of Ni-Gorth that he returned. You see, as difficult as it is to believe on some dark days, there is a sort of justice in the world. Ni-Gorth himself ascended to godhood, the first of what we call today the New Gods. Those who revered him for his skills and deeds were great craftsmen in their own right. Books read still today speak with respect of the Wizard-Priests of Ni-Gorth and their wondrous creations. It was their hands that crafted the Seven Jewels of Parnaith, which encompass all things and yet more. But that, my children, is a tale for another day.
"Of course, never forget that Father Claw, with heart as black as his scales, broke free of the dragonchain many lifetimes later. And, yes, he remains free even today."
One of the gods of Praemal.
Father Claw is Chaotic Evil and his domains are Chaos, Destruction, Dragon and Evil. (The Dragon domain is found in the Draconomicon.)
His priests all wear black hooded robes and carry silver daggers, his favored weapon. All take the moniker "Ni-" before their name. His symbol is a black dragon or a black dragon's head.
His followers include a few druids, who believe he symbolizes the destruction that precedes rebirth. He has few temples, although is followers are known to inscribe his symbol at the site of their handiwork.
Father Claw substitutes for Garyx in the core books for the purposes of feats, spells, prestige classes and magic items.
