View source for Kelanen

{{Deity
|image        = [[Image:Kelanen01.jpg|250px]]
|caption      = Kelanen, the Prince of Swords, as depicted in ''[[Dragon mag|Dragon]]'' #71 (1983).
|name         = 
|alt_spelling = 
|titles       = The Sword Lord,{{cite dungeon|106|52}} Prince of Swords
|home         = [[Material Plane]]
|rank         = Hero-deity
|gender       = Male
|class        = Fighter 20/Magic-user 5/Illusionist 5/Thief-acrobat 10
|alignment    = Neutral
|portfolio    = Swords, Sword Skills, Balance
|domains      = Travel, War
|alt_name     = none
|super        = unknown
}}
'''Kelanen''' is the hero-deity of Swords, Sword Skills, and Balance. Possibly the most popular hero-deity in the Flanaess, Kelanen's symbol is nine swords arrayed in a star shape, points outward.

==Description==
Kelanen is traditionally depicted as a fair-skinned human male bearing a silvery scar on the right side of his face, though he can appear in any humanoid form. His true form is slender and sinewy, just under six feet in height. He wears elfin chain mail and prefers garments of gray or blue gray, wearing ornaments of silver or platinum.

Kelanen is always accompanied by his intelligent swords, ''[[Swiftdoom]]'' and ''[[Sureguard]]''. 

==Relationships==
Kelanen temporarily allied himself with [[Zagig Yragerne]], [[Keoghtom]], [[Heward]], and [[Murlynd]] in order to bind [[Iuz]] beneath [[Castle Greyhawk]], and therefore bears Iuz's eternal enmity. Kelanen has no real friends or confidants, however, apart from his swords. 

==Realm==
Kelanen has a demiplanar stronghold but is usually found on the [[Material Plane]], either on [[Oerth]] or some parallel world as the adventure takes him.

==Dogma==
Kelanen is obsessed with all types of swords, as well as preserving the balance between Law, Chaos, Good, and Evil (the "Four Dooms"). He has been known to aid any of these alignments in order to centralize the balance of power. He encourages the mastery of swordsmanship among all his followers and warns them to avoid all extremes.

==Worshipers==
Kelanen is worshiped throughout the [[Flanaess]], especially in the [[Sea Princes|Hold of the Sea Princes]], the [[Wild Coast]], and neighboring lands. His worshippers can be of any alignment.

===Clergy===
Kelanen's priests are forbidden from using any weapon that is not classified as some sort of sword (including falchions, rapiers, scimitars, and two-bladed swords), dagger, or crossbow. The vast majority of his priests are neutral, for those with adherence to any other alignment are seen as having no regard for his teachings.

Priests of Kelanen practice their sword skills assiduously and spend much of their time teaching others. They work to support the cosmic Balance, making temporary alliances with groups of every alignment and breaking the alliances when they are no longer perceived as being needed.

===The Order of the Star===
The Order of the Star, named for Kelanen's holy symbol, is an organization that spans the western nations of the Flanaess. Its members honor the Prince of Swords and seek to personify his teachings.

===The Fraternity of the Brazen Blade===
Ostensibly a religious order dedicated to Kelanen, the Fraternity of the Brazen Blade is actually a violent revenge society made up of minor nobles of the old [[Hold of the Sea Princes]] regime.

==Temples==
The Chapterhouse of the Star is the headquarters of the Order of the Star in [[Istivin]]. Most were slain defending the city against giants, and it is currently under the charge of the aged swordsman [[Baldram]], who has been training a new generation to replace the old. 

A temple to Kelanen once existed in [[Elredd]], but it was destroyed by followers of [[Turrosh Mak]]. Wrathful at this affront, Kelanen has dispatched his priestess [[Fina Fen Kela]] to rid Elredd of Turrosh Mak's humanoids and rebuild his temple. Kelanen views Turrosh Mak's hordes as an unbalancing presence on the [[Wild Coast]].

==Rituals and holy days==
The Tocsin of Kelanen is a swordmeet held annually during [[Brewfest]] in the County of [[Cryllor]] in [[Keoland]]. Participants from throughout the [[Sheldomar Valley]] gather to display their skill, adding considerably to the coffers of Cryllor's count [[Ignas Manz]] in the process.

==Myths and legends==
Kelanen is said to have wrested the now-lost blade ''[[Fragarach]]'' the Answerer from the hands of an alien god. He is also said to have discovered the location of three magical blades known as the ''[[Pillars of Heaven]]''. Kelanen created the renowned [[Swords of Answering]] or "Final Word" swords patterned after Fragarach, upon which his holy symbol is based. The Prince of Swords also once possessed the sword ''[[Vilharian]]'', having won it in a duel from the hero [[Sellanus]].<ref>[[Living Greyhawk Journal]] 3, pp.11-12</ref>

==History==
Kelanen is an ancient being of unknown race and origin, having been around since at least the [[Great Migrations]]. 
Roughly two centuries ago, in Bissel, he fought and defeated in a duel, [[Dorl Tavyani]], a vain, mortal man with aspirations to divinity, cursing Tavyani's followers and a temple dedicated to him.
Kelanen only recently crossed the boundary between quasi-deity and hero-deity, however, having gained the ability to grant spells to his clerics only in the last century.

==Creative origins==
Kelanen was created by [[Gary Gygax]] with assistance from [[Francois Froideval|François Marcela-Froideval]].{{cite dragon|71|21}}

==Publishing history==
Kelanen appears as one of the assembled [[Lords of Balance]] in Gary Gygax's novel ''[[Come Endless Darkness]]''.

==References==
=====Citations=====
<references />
=====Bibliography=====
*Baas, Walter, et al. ''[[Treasures of Greyhawk]]''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1992.
*[[Anne Brown|Brown, Anne]]. ''[[Player's Guide]]''. Renton, WA: TSR, 1998.
*Conforti, Steven, ed. ''[[Living Greyhawk]] Official Listing of Deities for Use in the Campaign,'' version 2.0. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2005. Available online: [http://www.wizards.com/rpga/downloads/LG_Deities.zip]
*[[Gary Gygax|Gygax, Gary]]. ''Come Endless Darkness''. Delavan, WI: New Infinities, 1988.
:———. "Greyhawk's World: Quasi-deities." ''[[Dragon (magazine)|Dragon]]'' #71. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1983.
:———. ''[[World of Greyhawk Fantasy Game Setting]]''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1983.
*[[Gary Holian|Holian, Gary]]. "The Kingdom of Keoland." ''[[Living Greyhawk Journal]]'' #1. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000.
:———. "Silent Sorcery: The [[Silent Ones]] of Keoland." ''[[Living Greyhawk Journal]]'' #4. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2001.
*[[Gary Holian|Holian, Gary]], [[Erik Mona]], [[Sean K Reynolds]], and [[Frederick Weining]]. ''[[Living Greyhawk Gazetteer]]''. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2000.
*[[Mona, Erik]], ''et al''. "Critical Threats: [[Dantalion]]." ''[[Dungeon]]'' #106. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2004. Page 53.
*[[Moore, Roger E]]. ''[[The Adventure Begins]]''. Renton, WA: TSR, 1998.
*[[Sean K. Reynolds|Reynolds, Sean K.]], and [[Chris Pramas]]. ''[[Slavers]]''. Renton, WA: TSR, 2000.
*[[Sean K. Reynolds|Reynolds, Sean K]], [[Frederick Weining]], and [[Erik Mona]]. "Blood of Heroes." ''[[Living Greyhawk Journal]]'' #3. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2001.
* [[Carl Sargent|Sargent, Carl]]. ''[[Ivid the Undying]]''. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1995. Published online. [https://greyhawkonline.com/download/16370/?tmstv=1727302323 PDF by William Allman with maps].  Original RTF archived:[http://web.archive.org/web/20081218001449/http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/dnd/downloads Wizards.com]. WGR7 or WGRx
*[[J. Bradley Schell]]. "Vanity." ''[[Dungeon]]'' #93. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2002. Page 14.
*[[Greg A. Vaughan|Vaughan, Greg A.]], and [[Erik Mona]]. "Touch of the [[Abyss]]." ''[[Dungeon]]'' #117. Bellevue, WA: Paizo Publishing, 2004. Page 38.
{{index}}


[[Category:Deities of neutrality]]
[[Category:Human deities]]
[[Category:Deities of war]]