Protius
by Marco Dalmonte English translation by Gary Davies(AHTI, MANADYN, MANWARA, NITHYS, FATHER OCEAN, THE SPUMING NOOGA, OLD MAN OF THE SEA)
Sovereign of the Oceans and Water, Patron of Sailors, Protector of Marine Fauna
Level, Alignment, Sphere: 29th (Eternal), N, Time
Symbol: a blue trident
Portfolio: oceans and marine creatures, water, unpredictability, travel
Worshipped in: Alphatia, Bellissaria, Cathos, Cestia, Davania (Thyatian Hinterlands, Izonda, Meghala Kimata), Isle of Dawn (Caerdwicca, Dunadale, Helskir, East Portage, West Portage, Redstone, Trikelios, Westrourke), Pearl Islands, Hollow World (Anathy, Antalians, Milenians, Nithians, Merry Pirate Seas, Traldar), Known World (Darokin, Ierendi, Minrothad, Northern Reaches, Thyatis), Norwold (Autuusmaa, Landfall, Oceansend), Qeodhar, Skothar (Minaea, Zyxl), Undersea, Thanegioth
Appearance: the race of Protius’s manifestation form varies based on each type of follower that worships him, but all (either human, or triton, or merrow, etc.) share certain characteristics. Always with the traits of a male individual of advanced age, with beard, moustache and hair made from greenish algae, with a nude body or enveloped by algae that constantly drips salt water and a trident held in his fist. His face is mercurial: at one time he is calm and seraphic, then suddenly he is happy, only to get angry the moment after, passing to alternate stages of reflection or determined by his fixed expression.
His other manifestation forms are a great dolphin of remarkable intelligence and gigantic whale.
History: Protius is one of those Immortals of the so-called First Generation, so ancient that there is no record of his mortal form, even if he ever had been one*. He has always been associated with the water and the immensity of the sea as well as to its awful force, because of his disinterest for the fights of power and of his lack of ambition remains always at the margins of the living Immortals, content with his place in the hierarchal scale until the point he looked with favour on the rise of the younger Khoronus to Supreme Hierarch of Time. Presently Protius is worshipped all over the world by those cultures that have to deal with seas and rivers, and was often shown as the Old Man of the Sea, to prove that his true race is unidentified, and each marine culture considers him as a member of their own species. By the sub aquatic creatures he is known as Manwara, and every one of the more important races attribute to him a different role in their own pantheon. Manwara for the elves is the Guardian of Time and the Harbinger of Change. For the kna he is the patron of the diversity of sub-aquatic life, creator of the aquatic races and the kna, to which he has given the wisdom for earning the talents of all the other races. For the kopru Manwara is the patron of diversity and chaos, of warmth and of cold, and he is considered important because Manwara who has given them the ability to withstand the cold water and ice and for watching the sources of heat and volcanoes; Manwara commands the other races and to the same way the kopru, that possessing the domination, are his darling children because they can command others. For the merrow Manwara is the Creator of all the Oceans and Father of Life, present in each single drop of water, those that have given to all the aquatic creatures the freedom of movement in the sea that is without borders, and anyone use the riches of the sea for enjoying life and to bring stability by his will. For the tritons he is the Creator of the Sea and Magic, as well as depositary of the mysteries of life, and has chosen to give to the tritons, the wisest among the sub aquatic peoples, the magic knowledge necessary for commanding the aquatic elements. Finally, for the shark-kin Manwara has created the sea as their hunting lands, and in exchange they must go regularly onto the mainland for controlling the land dwellers, preventing them from dominating in the kingdom of Manwara, and seek information by reporting them.
Personality: For millions of years Protius has embodied the sea in all its aspects: beauty, abundance, unpredictability, danger, immensity, wealthy and mystery. During the evolution of the species, he has always presided and watched over the oceans; causing storms and calming the oceans to his will for making the mortals understand only one thing: that he is the uncontested lord of the waters of Mystara, and it is effectively the only thing that matters to him. Protius is a loner and doesn’t particularly love the human or humanoid races, even if he doesn’t detest them: he is simply not interested in their destiny. Normally he receives the prayers of sailors and fishermen, and he takes the freedom of listening or ignoring them based only on his whims. What he really appreciates and for which he has interest are only the sub aquatic races, animals (including those intelligent) and plants, even if he can be persuaded to help any human or demihuman of land if he performs particularly generous acts towards the sea and the marine beings that Protius protects.
Patron: Khoronus
Allies: Al-Kalim, Water Elemaster
Enemies: Saasskas, rivalry with Calitha
Alignment of followers: Neutral or Chaotic
Favoured weapon: trident (allowed all bludgeoning weapons, harpoon, net and short spear)
Clerics’ skills and powers: can breathe underwater (or breathe air if the cleric is of a sub aquatic race) permanently (the ability is innate and cannot be dispelled) and can swim at the same rate as he can walk on the ground, +2 bonus to navigation and sailing (not free)
Domains: Time, Water, Animal, Travel, Sea
Preferred weapon: trident
Source: HW, DotE, WotI, GAZ2, HWR3
*This supplement uses the first written version for the history of Protius from the Hollow World manual. The later version written by Aaron Allston in Wrath of the Immortals, considered reductive for the figure of Protius, can be resolved in this way: Protius was in life the most intelligent specimen of a race of mammals similar to seals living millennia before the appearance of the human species. Being capable of mastering the arcane magic, he succeeded to discover the secrets for travelling in time, and he is projected into the future of his world… arriving in the past of Mystara! Here Khoronus contacted him and followed his journey, helping him to become an Immortal, after which he remained behind in his time.