View source for The Athar

According to '''the Athar''', the great and feared powers are liars! Those who claim to be the "gods" of the planes are just mortals like us. Yeah, they're unbelievably powerful, but they're not gods. After all, they can die, they've got to keep their followers happy, and they often feud among themselves like children. [[Thor]], [[Zeus]], and the others - they're all impostors.

Sure, there might be a true god, or maybe even more than one, but such power is beyond all understanding. Such beings cannot be seen, spoken to, or understood by mortals. What's the proof? Look at the spells and granted powers of priests. Where do these abilities really come from? Why, it must be from the unknowable, from the true god that is behind everything, and the powers are nothing but channels for its will.

Foolish mortals believe the powers are the source of all majesty, and why would the powers do anything to correct that mistake? [[Ysgard]], [[Mechanus]], [[Baator]], and the like are all lies, too. These planes aren't the abodes of supreme beings, just lands shaped by the wills of the powers. Anyone could do it with enough expertise. All the sweat and worry of petitioners ain't just for oneness with their plane - it's for a greater reward, if there's any at all. [[Proxy|Proxies]] are merely magical or bio-magical transformations, the result of natural planar magic.

'Course, the Athar ain't stupid. "Let the powers call themselves gods," they say. "It ain't worth the laugh, because there's no point upsetting the powers." With all that might, an angry power'd be a dangerous enemy. All the Athar want is to part the veil, discover the secret behind everything, and look on the face of the unknowable.

The Athar point to the bodies of the dying powers on the [[Astral Plane]] as proof of their beliefs. The Athar headquarters in [[Sigil]] is [[the Shattered Temple]], a place once dedicated to the now dead and forgotten god [[Aoskar]].

The philosophy of the Athar is similar to the [[Believers of the Source]]. They are frequently allies, but not always.

''Note: The Athar originally appeared in the [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B01HCA2R42/johnshelprous-20 Planescape] AD&D campaign setting from TSR. Additional information can be found in [http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/B0006PHVOW/johnshelprous-20 In the Cage: A Guide to Sigil]. Their use here is for the purposes of providing context for the campaign only.''

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[[Category:Planar factions]]