Mahmatti Running Elk
by Marco Dalmonte English translation by Gary DaviesPatron of the Clan of the Elk
Level, Alignment, Sphere: 13th (Celestial), N, Energy
Symbol: a clay pipe
Portfolio: clan of the elk, protecting the children of Atruaghin, wisdom, nature, magic
Worshipped in: Known World (Atruaghin clans)
Appearance: a human of venerable age of wiry build, with his skin tight to his bones and burnt by the sun, a network of whitish wrinkles on his face and a wise and friendly look. He always carries with him a pipe, wearing simple clothes of hide (shirt and trousers) and wearing his hair shaved on the sides and collected in a pony tail that descends from the centre of his head.
History: Mahmatti was a member of the clan of the Elk and lived many centuries after the liberation of the clan and the creation of the Plateau by Atruaghin. Many legends tell that he was the most powerful shaman that ever lived, capable of commanding any force of nature. He was obsessed by the will of dispelling the present corruption of Atzanteotl on the clan of the Tiger and for this studied at length the way of druidic magic, of shamanism and even the arcane magic of the foreigners, until he was at the point of achieving his aim. Unfortunately, Atzanteotl was aware of the danger and sent some members of the clan of the Tiger into the village of Mahmatti, where they assassinated a violent man and left traces that indicated the guilt of Mahmatti. The shaman was incapable of exonerating himself and was thus condemned to death. Thanks to his magic he fled swearing that he would come back with the truth, and for this was banished by his tribe in a special ceremony according to the laws passed down by Atruaghin. Like the great unifier had in fact, Mahmatti also sought the knowledge by travelling abroad, and ended by being trapped in the web of lies of a witch that lived on the mountains of the Silver Sierras, to the border between High Lands (at that time still uninhabited) and eastern Sind. When he was heart-broken that the woman had been using magic to drain his spirit and gain power, Mahmatti fled but at this point was too weak and was prematurely aged (despite having thirty years to see the double-cross). Returning therefore to the land of the clan of the Tiger, he found and killed the true guilty of the murder of which he had been accused, and after having captured the head of the assassins, he brought him alive in front of the elders of the clan of the Elk. Here the sages gave their judgement, and he really died while his daughter completed the ritual for readmitting him into the clan: on his face all could see the serenity and great composure. Just for force of the achievement of this enlightened state, the soul of Mahmatti was welcomed by the Great Spirit (Ixion) who required him to make a choice: he could join with his ancestors with honour, eating and living in harmony with the spirits for all eternity, or he could enter the path that could lead to him being one with the universe and with the spirits, in a position to continue to watch over his people. Mahmatti chose the most roundabout way, and it was thus that he undertook the path of the Paragon in the Spirit World, finally becoming Immortal in 452 BC among the ranks of Energy.
Personality: Mahmatti is the spiritual guide of the various clans, a sage always on the search of new knowledge. He doesn’t like physical fights or hotheads, and is loyal to Atruaghin and to his mentor Ixion, while showing a mixture of pity and contempt for Atzanteotl, who he considers a creature devoured by his loneliness and by hate.
Patron: unknown [presumed: Ixion].
Allies: Atruaghin, Ixion
Enemies: Atzanteotl
Alignment of followers: Lawful or Neutral; clerics must be Neutral
Favoured weapon: none (allowed all bludgeoning weapons)
Clerics’ skills and powers: +1 bonus to Wisdom. Clerics of Mahmatti have access to the first three levels of druid spells as well as those of the cleric, but have the same limitations as druids for using weapons, armour and magic items.
Domains: Energy, Magic, Plant, Animal
Preferred weapon: quarterstaff
Source: GAZ14, WotI