Saasskas
by Aaron NowackOne warning: This does contain some references to my Undersea timeline, and also greatly expands on the character and influence of Saasskas. Though it does not directly contradict "canon", AFAIK, it does introduce elements not included in canon. With that out of the way, enjoy:
Saasskas (The Destroyer, the Hissing Demon, the Dark Lady of Drownings)
Lesser Power of Pandemonium, NE/Celestial of Entropy, C
Portfolio: Devilfish, destruction of undersea races, aquatic undead and monsters, drownings
Aliases: Sakasi (Sind), Saasora (Sea of Dread coast)
Domain: Pandemonium/Phlegethon/Devil Sea
Date of Ascension: 500 BC
Sponsor: Thanatos
Allies: None (Brotherhood of Shadow during WotI)
Foes: Protius, Crakkak, Gorrziok, Kallala, Malafor, Polunius, Sharpcrest, Slizzark
Symbol: A broken trident
WAL: Any non-lawful. Most human worshippers true neutral or chaotic neutral. Very few worshippers are good.
Saasskas was a female devilfish who gained Immortality by sacrificing thousands of tritons. Since gaining Immortality, she has concentrated on destroying the nations of Undersea and Underocean. She is worshipped in Sind as Sakasi, and as Saasora on the coast of the Sea of Dread. Recently, small cults of worshippers of Saasora have appeared in the countries around the Alphatian Sea. She animates the bodies of drowned sailors and adds them to her immense undead horde.
The Church
Clergy: Priests (Drownlords)
CAL: NE, CE, CN, N. The higher ranks are exclusively NE or CE.
Weapons: Saasskas' human clerics are required to use a poisoned trident as their primary weapon.
Armour: Saasskas' human clerics may wear any armour.
Major Spheres: Elemental (water), Necromantic, Summoning
Minor Spheres: All, Divination, Combat, Weather
Granted Powers: Clerics of Saasskas may control undead (but not turn). At fifth level, the priest may breathe water at will. At tenth level, the priest may summon 2d4+4 zombies to his aid once every other day if he is near a seashore. At fifteenth level, this increases to 2d4+8, and at twentieth level he may use this ability twice per day.
Bonus Profs: Swimming, Weather Sense
Dogma: Saasskas' basic dogma is the destruction of the triton. For humans, she is seen as collecting the souls of the drowned to serve her.
Day-to-Day Activities: Her human clerics often preside over funerals for those lost at sea. Her devilfish followers are required to attack triton and other undersea races whenever they can.
Important Ceremonies/Holy Days: Followers of Saasskas "celebrate" the beginning of the shipping/fishing season in their area with a solemn ceremony for those who will drown over the course of the season.
Major Centres of Worship: Saasskas has two major temples above the water. One is a small temple in a Sindhi fishing village, which was the first temple of Sakasi in Sind. Her second major temple is a temple in Mirros, which is the main temple of the Sea of Dread branch of her religion.
Affiliated Orders: Saasskas has one affiliated order. This is the Chosen of Saasora, known in Sind as Sakasi's Chosen. It consists of adventurer's who have had the spell Chosen of Saasora cast on them [see spell description below].
Priestly Vestments: Saasskas' human clerics wear blue robes with black trimming. The higher members of the order wear black robes with blue trimming.
Adventuring Garb: Saasskas does not require any formal adventuring garb.
Saasoran Spells
Dark Tide (Alteration, Elemental
Water)
Level: 2
Sphere: Elemental (water)
Range: sight
Components: V
Duration: 1 hour per level of caster
Casting Time: 2
Area of Effect: 10 square ft. per level of caster
Saving Throw: NA
This spell causes an area of body of water's surface to become opaque. Under this area, creatures that take damage from sunlight do not take damage. Saasskas grants this spell only to her devilfish clerics.
Chosen of Saasora (Necromancy)
Level: 5
Sphere: Necromantic
Range: 30 yds.
Components: V, S
Duration: Permanent
Casting Time: 1 round
Area of Effect: 1 drowned person
Saving Throw: NA
This spell is identical to Raise Dead, but may only be cast on a drowned person. When the person is raised, the following effects happen:
* The person's alignment permanently changes to Neutral Evil. However, all magical means of determining alignment show him to be his previous alignment.
* He becomes a devout worshipper of Saasskas, and joins the Chosen of Saasora. If he is a cleric, he abandons his previous Immortal to follow Saasskas.
This spell is known in Sind as Sakasi's Chosen.
Saasskas's Manifestation Forms
Saasskas has two main manifestation forms. The first of these is that of a gigantic devilfish, and is the form which she appears to her devilfish worshipers as. She also has a mortal identity corresponding to this form, for when her presence is required on the Prime. Her second form is identical to that of the lesser Hissing Demons (Marilith for the AD&Ders out there). This is the form which she uses to deal with other Immortals, as well as to appear to her Sindhi worshippers. Currently, this is her "default" form, the one she spends the most time in.
Saasskas also has a third form, which, though not yet a true Manifestation Form, she still uses. This form is that of a human woman with long black hair and bright blue eyes with no pupils or "whites". This form is often seen wearing a robe that is a blue so dark that it is nearly indistinguishable from black. This is Saasskas' "Saasora" form, and is used when she appears in that role.
Saasskas's Home Plane (or domain for those using Planescape)
Saasskas' home plane is a dark and dreary place. It takes the form of a vast sea with no bottom or surface. There is no light source, but the sea is not totally dark. Instead it is kept at a light level just above total darkness, allowing a sight range of around five feet.
The water is breathable without special magics, but any creature "breathing" it, including sea creatures, will suffer a prolonged nasty form of the common cold for 1d4 months after leaving the plane, giving a -1 to Constitution until a cure disease is cast on the sufferer.
Both mortal and Immortal magic work normally on this plane, with one exception. Mortal-level fire and sun based magics (AD&D: Spells from the School of Elemental Fire and from the Sphere of Sun) simply fail to function. It is recommended that DM's also use PC3: The Sea Peoples (and presumably, of Ships and the Sea, though I don't have that product) to determine the effects of being underwater on other spells.
The only place of interest in this plane is Saasskas' castle, which is located at he exact centre of the plane. This immense structure is constructed of black coral, and is an excellent example of devilfish architecture, though few mortals would recognise this. Inside the castle, globes of continual light provide light equal to normal daylight on Mystara. This is where Saasskas "hosts" the rare visiting Immortal, as well as keeps those prisoners of sufficient importance to be relocated here from the Prime.
The main inhabitants of Saasskas' home plane are devilfish and undead, as well as kraken, sea dragons, and other sea monsters who have chosen to serve Saasskas. In addition, "corrupted" versions of many creatures found on the Elemental Plane of Water can be found. Versions of most normal aquatic plants and animals, which have adapted to the environment here, can be found in addition. A few humans serve Saasskas in her castle.