Chronepsis

Chronepsis

Game background
Title(s)	The Silent, the Watcher
Home plane	Concordant Domain of the Outlands
Power level	Intermediate
Alignment	Neutral
Portfolio	Fate, Death, Judgment
Domains	Death, Dragon, Fate, Knowledge, Planning, Time
Design details

In the Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game, Chronepsis is the dragon deity of Fate, Death, and Judgment. His symbol is an unblinking draconic eye.

In many campaign settings, the draconic pantheon of gods consists of the leader Io, as well as Aasterinian, Bahamut, Chronepsis, Faluzure, and Tiamat. Other draconic gods may be present in different campaign settings.

Creative origins

The name Chronepsis is probably derived from the Greek words chronos, meaning "time" and opsis, meaning "view."

Publication history

Chronepsis was first detailed in the book Monster Mythology (1992), including details about his priesthood.^[1] His role in the cosmology of the Planescape campaign setting was described in On Hallowed Ground (1996).^[2]

Chronepsis appears in 3rd edition in Defenders of the Faith (2000).^[3] His priesthood and his role as a draconic deity are further detailed for this edition in Draconomicon: The Book of Dragons (2003),^[4] and in Races of the Dragon (2006).^[5]

Description

Chronepsis is truly neutral in all things, dispassionate and unconcerned with the unfolding of events. He observes, but does not act except to guide the spirits of dragons into the afterlife. While he is a god of "eternal law," he cares nothing for justice, as Lendys does. Chronepsis never speaks or communicates. Chronepsis is said to know the future and how all things will end, but he will not reveal this knowledge to others.

The Watcher, as Chronepsis is known, appears as a colorless dragon with dull, decaying skin through which yellowed bones poke, making him an outsider in the struggle between metallic and chromatic dragonkind. A magical brass harp hovers above his head.

Relationships

Chronepsis is variously described as the son or brother of Io. The two gods are represented together as a dragon with nine heads consuming its own nine tails. In some draconic myths, Chronepsis is seen as a re-enfolding that mirrors and perfectly balances Io's extension of being into the worlds. As Io becomes all things, Chronepsis draws all things back to himself.

Chronepsis counts other faiths neither as allies nor as enemies. Boccob has a similar outlook to his, but they are not allied.

Realm

The Mausoleum of Chronepsis lies within a great cave found in hidden ruins on the Outlands and serves as the realm of the dragon power of fate. Within, Chronepsis watches the multitudes of hourglasses that can be found throughout. Each hourglass represents the life of a dragon and every dragon throughout the multiverse has an hourglass somewhere in the Mausoleum, slowly dropping its grains of sand, counting down the life of that dragon.

Worshippers

While all dragons respect Chronepsis, very few worship him, and even fewer become his clerics.

Rituals

Chronepsis' faithful each own a small hourglass, which they turn at least once a day in order to remind themselves of the passing of their lives. Often they turn the glass before sleeping, and spend a moment or two contemplating the emptied glass when they wake.

Worshippers of Chronepsis do not pray, as they know their prayers will go unanswered and unheeded. Instead, they contemplate the nature of death and life.

Worshippers of Chronepsis may go on quests to retrieve the corpses of dead dragon-blooded creatures to inter them in temples, or protect a dying dragon from molestation by others.

References

1. ^ Sargent, Carl. Monster Mythology (TSR, 1992)
2. ^ McComb, Colin. On Hallowed Ground (TSR, 1996)
3. ^ Redman, Rich, and James Wyatt. Defenders of the Faith (Wizards of the Coast, 2000)
4. ^ Colins, Andy, Skip Williams, and James Wyatt. Draconomicon: The Book of Dragons (Wizards of the Coast, 2003)
5. ^ Kestrel, Gwendolyn FM, Jennifer Clarke Wilkes, and Kolja Raven Liquette. Races of the Dragon. Renton, WA: Wizards of the Coast, 2006

Additional reading

• 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:[1]
• Grubb, Jeff. A Player's Primer to the Outlands. Lake Geneva, WI: TSR, 1995.