![[Obad-Hai.png|400]] **Lesser Deity** **Alignment**: True Neutral ### Overview Obad-Hai, known as _The Shalm_, is the intermediate deity of nature, woodlands, freedom, hunting, and beasts. One of the oldest deities worshipped by the Flan peoples of Oerth, he embodies the natural world in its entirety, including its beauty, abundance, danger, and cruelty. His teachings emphasise the preservation of natural balance, respect for the wilderness, and the acceptance of life and death as inseparable parts of existence. Obad-Hai is a patient but uncompromising deity who believes that nature must be permitted to follow its own course. He considers the wilderness neither inherently benevolent nor malevolent, regarding predators, prey, disease, growth, decay, and renewal as necessary elements of the natural order. His followers are encouraged to live in harmony with their surroundings rather than impose unnecessary control upon them. Unlike deities who concentrate upon protecting individual animals or preserving particular landscapes, Obad-Hai is concerned with the balance of the entire natural world. He accepts that creatures must hunt to survive, that forests experience periods of destruction and regrowth, and that death provides the conditions necessary for new life. However, those who deliberately devastate forests, slaughter animals without purpose, or corrupt natural environments are regarded as enemies. Obad-Hai is traditionally depicted as a lean, weather-beaten elderly man of indeterminate age, dressed in simple brown or russet garments. His appearance resembles that of a wandering hermit or rustic traveller, and he carries a wooden staff known as the **Shalmstaff**. He is also known for playing a double-reed woodwind instrument called a _shalm_, or _shawm_, from which his principal title derives. The instrument is closely associated with his divine identity and appears frequently in religious depictions. Obad-Hai can assume numerous forms, including those of humans, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, centaurs, satyrs, sprites, pixies, treants, and woodland animals. These manifestations reflect his authority over the many creatures inhabiting the wilderness. His worship is particularly widespread among druids, rangers, hunters, woodsmen, barbarians, and communities living in close association with the natural world. Although originally a Flan deity, his religion has spread throughout the Flanaess and is recognised by humans, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, and numerous fey creatures. Among the Flan, Obad-Hai is also associated with summer and the annual cycle of the seasons. Ancient traditions describe his symbolic death and rebirth each year, reflecting the continual transformation of the natural world. ### Domain and Influence Obad-Hai's divine authority encompasses nature, woodlands, freedom, hunting, beasts, and the preservation of natural balance. His influence extends across forests, mountains, grasslands, wetlands, and other environments where living creatures exist within the natural order. His teachings maintain that mortals should live in harmony with nature rather than seek to dominate it. The wilderness possesses its own laws, and those who ignore them must accept the consequences. Obad-Hai does not promise that virtuous individuals will be protected from natural dangers, believing that even well-intentioned creatures may perish through misfortune or poor judgement. His conception of freedom is closely associated with the independence of the wilderness. Animals must be permitted to follow their instincts, forests must be allowed to grow and decay, and natural environments should not be subjected to unnecessary control. Obad-Hai accepts hunting as an essential part of life. His followers are taught to imitate natural predators, preferentially taking weak or sickly animals rather than indiscriminately destroying healthy populations. Hunting for sustenance is considered legitimate, while needless slaughter and deliberate disruption of the natural balance are condemned. His priests oppose the wanton destruction of woodlands, the poisoning of rivers, the corruption of natural habitats, and activities that threaten entire populations of animals or plants. However, their judgement is not based solely upon the suffering of individual creatures. Natural predation, starvation, disease, and death are accepted as necessary aspects of existence. Obad-Hai is strongly associated with **the Old Faith**, the ancient druidic tradition of the Flanaess. The Old Faith venerates several deities connected to nature, particularly **Beory**, the Oerth Mother, and Obad-Hai himself. Although the Old Faith possesses its own religious hierarchy and traditions, it is not exclusively devoted to a single deity. Obad-Hai is frequently grouped with **Beory** and **Berei** among the ancient agricultural and nature deities of the Flan. Beory embodies Oerth itself, while Berei is concerned with agriculture, the home, and the family. Their portfolios overlap in matters of growth and the natural world, although Obad-Hai places considerably greater emphasis upon untamed wilderness. His relationship with **Ehlonna**, the goddess of forests, woodlands, flora, fauna, and fertility, is marked by an unfriendly rivalry. Both deities oppose unnecessary destruction of nature, but their teachings differ concerning the treatment of living creatures. Ehlonna places greater emphasis upon compassion and protection, while Obad-Hai accepts suffering and death as unavoidable elements of natural balance. Despite their differences, the two deities were once sufficiently friendly for Ehlonna to fashion a magical suit of armour from leaves and present it to Obad-Hai as a gift. Obad-Hai is a sworn enemy of **Phyton**, the Suel god of nature, beauty, and farming. Their conflicting approaches to the natural world place them in opposition, particularly concerning the relationship between untamed wilderness and cultivated environments. He is also an enemy of **Karaan**, a deity associated with savage nature and bestial destruction. Obad-Hai's concern with natural balance conflicts with the uncontrolled savagery and cruelty associated with Karaan's worship. Obad-Hai's divine dwelling is described differently among the traditions of the planes. Ancient accounts identify the **Material Plane** as his home. These traditions emphasise his direct connection to Oerth and the wilderness of the mortal world. Other established planar traditions identify his divine realm as **the Hidden Wood**, situated within the **Concordant Domain of the Outlands**. This extraordinary region consists of thick forests, open glades, orchards, cultivated fields, and rolling countryside existing together in a delicate supernatural balance. All four seasons are present simultaneously within the Hidden Wood. Travellers may pass from snow-covered ground into autumn forests, flowering spring meadows, and orchards heavy with summer fruit within a comparatively short distance. The precise location of the Hidden Wood is uncertain. Planar explorers have reported encountering it near **Fortitude** and **Faunel**, although it is notoriously difficult to locate deliberately. Travellers who become lost within the surrounding wilderness sometimes discover its boundaries unexpectedly. The realm contains both wild and domesticated creatures, reflecting Obad-Hai's authority over nature in all its forms. Many of its inhabitants are hostile toward strangers, an attitude the deity does not discourage. The souls of devoted followers may continue their existence within the Hidden Wood, undertaking familiar activities such as hunting, herding, planting, harvesting, and tending gardens. These spirits possess the ability to communicate with animals and plants, and great feasts are common within the realm. ### Symbols and Icons ![[Obad-HaiSymbol.png|300]] Obad-Hai's principal holy symbol is a mask fashioned from oak leaves and acorns. Another recognised representation consists of an oak leaf accompanied by an acorn. Both forms reflect his association with the wilderness, the life cycle of trees, and the renewal of nature. The oak is particularly important within his religion, representing endurance, growth, and the continuity of natural life. Its leaves and acorns are frequently incorporated into religious decorations, garments, and objects used during druidic ceremonies. His followers may display the symbol upon wooden amulets, travelling staffs, cloaks, and the entrances of woodland shrines. Sacred emblems are commonly fashioned from natural materials rather than precious metals. Brown and russet are traditional colours of his clergy. Priests favour simple clothing suitable for travelling and living in the wilderness, while druids may wear garments reflecting the plants and materials of their surroundings. Obad-Hai's favoured weapon is the **quarterstaff**, associated with his personal Shalmstaff and the wandering traditions of his priests. His double-reed instrument, the **shalm**, is another important symbol of his identity. Religious imagery frequently depicts him playing the instrument while surrounded by woodland creatures. ### Worship and Tributes Obad-Hai's worship centres upon the natural cycle of life, death, growth, decay, and renewal. His followers believe that devotion is demonstrated through living in harmony with the wilderness and respecting the balance governing living creatures. Religious services are generally brief and informal. They are frequently conducted outdoors, particularly within sacred groves, forests, and other natural environments. Traditional ceremonies incorporate earth, fire, living flowers, and water. These materials represent the natural forces and conditions upon which life depends. Prayers and religious verses often begin with references to birth and growth before concluding with death and decay, emphasising that neither can be separated from the other. Established religious practices include: - **Midsummer's Night**: Celebrated on the evening of **Richfest 4**, the summer solstice, this is the holiest observance of Obad-Hai's faith. Druids devoted to Obad-Hai, Beory, and other nature deities set aside religious disagreements to celebrate Oerth and the balance they serve. The occasion is particularly important because both Luna and Celene are full. Midsummer's Night is considered the most favourable time for gathering sacred mistletoe. - **Seasonal Observances**: Ceremonies are frequently associated with natural events rather than predetermined dates. The first birdsong of spring, the arrival of autumn, or the first snowfall of winter may signal an appropriate occasion for religious observance. - **Consecration of the Natural Elements**: Religious services incorporate earth, fire, living flowers, and water. These materials are consecrated during worship and represent the connection between the deity and the natural world. - **Prayers of Life and Death**: Traditional prayers acknowledge the complete cycle of existence. They begin with birth and growth before turning toward death and decay, emphasising that neither can be separated from the other. - **Gathering of Mistletoe**: Mistletoe possesses considerable significance within the druidic traditions of the Old Faith. Its collection during Midsummer's Night is an important religious activity, particularly among druids preparing sacred materials for future ceremonies. - **Protection of Sacred Groves**: Worshippers maintain and defend natural sanctuaries, particularly oak groves. Protecting such places against deliberate destruction is regarded as an important expression of devotion. - **Responsible Hunting**: Followers who hunt are expected to respect the balance between predators and prey. The weak and sickly are preferentially taken, reflecting the belief that hunting should resemble the behaviour of natural predators. - **Restoration of Damaged Lands**: Priests and druids undertake efforts to protect or restore environments threatened by unnatural corruption, destructive deforestation, or catastrophic disturbances that undermine natural balance. Obad-Hai's religion places greater importance upon recognising natural events than maintaining an extensive calendar of formal festivals. Apart from major observances such as Midsummer's Night, ceremonies vary considerably among different communities and druidic circles. ### Clergy and Temples Obad-Hai's clergy consists primarily of druids, with a smaller number of clerics, rangers, and other nature priests. His worship is especially important among communities living in remote forests, sparsely populated territories, and regions where survival requires extensive knowledge of the wilderness. His clerics maintain no universal hierarchy. Members are generally treated as equals, and religious authority arises from experience, wisdom, and an individual's understanding of the natural world. Clerical training is largely conducted in isolation. A prospective priest receives guidance from an experienced member of the faith at the beginning of training, then spends an extended period living independently in the wilderness. During this time, the initiate must survive through knowledge of the land, develop familiarity with local animals and plants, and learn to recognise Obad-Hai's will without constant instruction. At the conclusion of training, the initiate returns to an established priest for further assessment and guidance. Many clerics live as hermits or wandering pilgrims. They avoid unnecessary involvement in political disputes and prefer the company of animals, druids, rangers, and individuals who respect the wilderness. Traditional clerics wear russet-coloured garments and carry wooden quarterstaves. Their equipment is usually simple and practical, reflecting the importance placed upon self-sufficiency. The majority of Obad-Hai's religious influence is exercised through druids, particularly those belonging to **the Old Faith**. Unlike Obad-Hai's independent clerical tradition, the Old Faith possesses an established organisation. Its members progress through a hierarchy beginning with **Aspirants**, followed by **Ovates** and the **Nine Circles of Initiation**. Above the Initiates stand the Druids, Archdruids, and Great Druids. Each of the nine recognised regions of the Flanaess is overseen by a Great Druid, assisted by three Archdruids. A further tradition describes a single **Grand Druid**, whose authority extends across Oerth, and an inner circle of ascended mystics known as the Hierophants. These ranks belong to the Old Faith as a whole and should not be regarded as a hierarchy imposed upon every cleric of Obad-Hai. Several important figures are associated with his worship. **Archdruid Immonara** is a prominent druid devoted to Obad-Hai who resides within the **Adri Forest**. She is an important figure among the druids of the region, where worship of the Shalm remains influential. **Reynard Yargrove**, also known as **Reynardia**, is the **Great Druidess of the Sheldomar Valley** and a devoted follower of Obad-Hai. She resides within the Dreadwood and occupies the highest position among the druids of the Old Faith in the Sheldomar region. Reynardia participated in the expedition that recovered the **Crook of Rao** from the Isle of the Ape. Her companions included Agath of Thrunch, Franz, Lord Torkeep, Rowena of the Silverbrow, Warnes Starcoat, and Rakehell Chert. Temples dedicated to Obad-Hai are generally constructed from wood and situated within rustic surroundings. They are particularly associated with groves of oak trees and are frequently concealed deep within forests. Some shrines consist of circles of standing stones or carefully preserved groups of living trees rather than conventional buildings. Sacred groves are commonly protected by animals, woodland creatures, and other inhabitants of the surrounding wilderness. Visitors who threaten these locations may encounter considerable resistance from their guardians. One notable site associated with his worship is **the Stone Ring**, situated outside the Free City of Greyhawk. Druids devoted to Obad-Hai use this ancient stone circle for religious gatherings and ceremonies. Another established sanctuary is the **Sea Grove of Obad-Hai**, situated outside the town of **Saltmarsh**. This open-air grove attracts seagulls, sailors, swamp folk, traders, and trappers, who gather there to exchange information. The shrine is maintained by **Ferrin Kastilar**, a halfling druid accompanied by his bullfrog companion, **Lorys**. Ferrin maintains contact with elves dwelling within the nearby Dreadwood and closely follows reports of aberrations or dangerous creatures emerging from the forest. When such threats approach Saltmarsh, Ferrin may recruit adventurers to locate and destroy them. His activities reflect the willingness of Obad-Hai's followers to oppose unnatural creatures that threaten the balance of the surrounding wilderness. Other important centres of worship are found among the Flan peoples of the **Bright Lands**, **Geoff**, **Gran March**, **Rovers of the Barrens**, **Stonehold**, **Tenh**, **County of Ulek**, and **Verbobonc**. ### Powers and Abilities Obad-Hai possesses extraordinary divine powers associated with nature, plants, animals, the elements, and the transformation of living creatures. His abilities reflect his authority over the wilderness and the natural forces governing the world. His principal abilities include: - **Shapechanging**: Obad-Hai can assume numerous physical forms, including humans, dwarves, gnomes, halflings, woodland animals, and various fey creatures. He may also manifest as a centaur, satyr, sprite, pixie, or treant. - **Command of Animals**: Obad-Hai possesses divine authority over wild beasts and other natural creatures. Animals recognise his influence, and his powers can protect him or his servants from hostile wildlife. - **Mastery of Plants**: Obad-Hai can influence vegetation, allowing plants to move, grow, or provide passage through otherwise difficult terrain. - **Elemental Magic**: His divine abilities encompass air, earth, fire, and water. He can command elemental forces and exercise extraordinary influence over natural environments. - **Druidic Power**: Obad-Hai possesses exceptional mastery of magic associated with animals, plants, the weather, and the natural world. His divine realm strengthens druidic magic and spells affecting plants and animals. - **The Shalmstaff**: His personal magical staff enables its bearer to travel without fatigue, food, or water. Animals will not harm the bearer, while vegetation parts to allow unobstructed passage. - **Protection of the Wilderness**: Obad-Hai can employ divine power against individuals who threaten natural environments, particularly those responsible for deliberate destruction or corruption. - **Communication with Nature**: His divine authority allows him to communicate with animals and plants. Souls dwelling within the Hidden Wood may also receive the ability to speak with natural creatures. - **Control of His Divine Realm**: Within the Hidden Wood, Obad-Hai can influence the environment and enhance the effectiveness of druidic magic and spells affecting plants and animals. Several important magical objects and artifacts are associated with his worship. **The Shalmstaff** is Obad-Hai's personal weapon and one of his most recognisable artifacts. Fashioned from hornwood, the staff grants its bearer the ability to walk indefinitely without tiring or requiring food and water. Animals will not attack its bearer, and plants automatically part to allow passage. When Obad-Hai releases the staff, it immediately flies to the nearest hornwood tree, remaining there until he summons it again. **The Armour of Fallen Leaves** is a sacred relic fashioned from actual leaves. According to tradition, Ehlonna created the original suit and presented it to Obad-Hai during an earlier period when their relationship was friendlier. The armour resembles overlapping red, yellow, and orange leaves sewn into a protective garment. Despite its appearance, it possesses supernatural defensive properties. Its most extraordinary power allows a properly devoted wearer to merge with its leaves as they turn brown and scatter upon the breeze. The wearer can move in this dispersed state much like a gaseous creature before returning to normal form. This transformation can last for up to thirty minutes. **The Staves of the Unyielding Oak** are three extraordinary relics associated with Obad-Hai's faith. Each staff is actually a treant that voluntarily assumed the form of a quarterstaff to assist the deity's followers. These enchanted staves can return to their true treant forms when commanded by their wielders, allowing them to serve as both magical weapons and powerful woodland allies. **The Singing Stones of Vesve** are an ancient stone circle situated within the **Vesve Forest**, west of the Sepia Uplands and southwest of the headwaters of the Deepstil River. The circle consists of forty-two standing stones arranged upon a grassy hill approximately forty feet across. The stones range from three to twelve feet in height. When a westerly wind blows across them, they produce gentle music that can suddenly deteriorate into harsh discord when travellers approach. Afterward, the stones may remain silent for three to five years. The stones were erected by an ancient druidic sect, almost certainly of Flan origin. Their precise purpose remains unknown, although magical investigations indicate that they await a particular response or mystical tuning. Activating their hidden power requires a complex ceremony performed during one of the rare periods when the stones are singing. The ritual involves a **harp of charming**, which must be played by someone possessing bardic magic, and a **staff of thunder and lightning**, which must be wielded by a cleric of Obad-Hai. Additional spellcasting is also necessary. The complete effects of the activated stones remain uncertain. Some interpretations suggest that they may enhance elemental or woodland magic, strengthen summoned creatures, or grant powerful protections resembling the resilience of bark or stone. These remain possibilities rather than established manifestations of the artifact's power. ### Treatment of the Chosen and Faithful Obad-Hai treats his followers according to their respect for the natural world rather than their wealth, social standing, or political authority. He values independence, practical knowledge, self-sufficiency, and the willingness to accept the consequences of natural events. His divine protection is neither unconditional nor motivated by universal compassion. Individuals who live in harmony with nature have less to fear from his displeasure, but even devoted followers may fall victim to storms, predators, disease, or accidents. Obad-Hai does not consider every death a failure requiring divine intervention. His teachings maintain that mortality is essential to the natural order and that attempts to prevent all suffering can produce consequences that disrupt the wider balance. His treatment of devoted followers is reflected in several established traditions: - **Harmony with the Wilderness**: Worshippers who understand and respect nature may receive divine assistance in surviving difficult environments. - **Protection from Animals**: Obad-Hai's powers can prevent animals from attacking favoured individuals. His personal Shalmstaff possesses this protection as an established magical property. - **Gifts of Natural Magic**: Druids and clerics devoted to Obad-Hai receive magical abilities associated with plants, animals, the elements, and the natural world. - **Recognition of Self-Sufficiency**: The clergy places considerable importance upon individuals who can survive independently and demonstrate an instinctive understanding of the wilderness. - **Protection of Sacred Places**: Those who defend important natural environments may receive the support of druids, woodland creatures, and other servants of the Shalm. - **Divine Retribution**: Obad-Hai teaches that those who wantonly destroy nature deserve swift vengeance. His priests may act against such offenders when ordinary protection is insufficient. - **The Fate of the Faithful**: According to the traditions of the Hidden Wood, devoted souls may enter Obad-Hai's realm within the Outlands, where they continue an existence closely connected to natural life. Petitioners commonly tend plants, cultivate fields, herd animals, hunt, and participate in communal feasts. Obad-Hai does not maintain a single universally established order of mortals formally designated as his Chosen. His most influential servants are druids, clerics, wilderness guardians, and individuals whose lives demonstrate exceptional harmony with the natural world. His favour should not be confused with guaranteed safety. The faithful are expected to accept that nature can be beautiful and nourishing while also remaining dangerous and unpredictable. ### Myths and Legends Obad-Hai's mythology is primarily concerned with the changing seasons, the continual renewal of nature, the relationships between divine powers governing the world, and the sacred mysteries preserved by the Old Faith. His best-known religious tradition describes his death and rebirth through an annual cycle involving Nerull, Pelor, and Beory. - **The Birth of the Shalm**: According to the ancient traditions of the Old Faith, Obad-Hai is reborn each spring, emerging as a young boy from a fruit produced by a sapling growing upon his own grave. His birth marks the return of growth and the beginning of another natural cycle. - **The Stag King and the Wild Hunt**: As spring gives way to summer, Obad-Hai matures into a powerful young man known as the **Stag King**. In this form, he leads the **Wild Hunt** against those who defile nature. The Stag King embodies the strength and abundance of summer as well as the willingness of the natural world to defend itself against destruction. - **The Ageing of Obad-Hai**: During autumn, Obad-Hai gradually assumes the appearance of a weathered elderly man. His transformation reflects the ageing of the natural world as the growing season ends and living creatures prepare for winter. - **The Death of the Summer King**: At the beginning of winter, **Nerull**, the god of death and darkness, slays Obad-Hai and hangs his body upon the **Summer Tree**. The death of the Shalm represents the apparent triumph of winter over the warmth and vitality of the preceding seasons. - **The Burial by Pelor**: After seven days, **Pelor**, the god of the sun, removes Obad-Hai's body from the Summer Tree and buries it within the earth. His action represents the preservation of life's potential even during the apparent lifelessness of winter. - **The Tears of Beory**: **Beory**, the Oerth Mother, weeps over the burial place of Obad-Hai. Her tears cause a sapling to grow from the grave, eventually producing a fruit containing the reborn deity. When spring arrives, the young Obad-Hai emerges and the cycle begins again. Together, these accounts form the **Legend of Obad-Hai and the Summer Tree**, one of the seasonal myths preserved by the Old Faith. The story explains the continual movement between growth, maturity, decline, death, and renewal. Other traditions concern the deity's relationships and the sacred places associated with his worship. - **The Gift of Ehlonna**: According to religious tradition, Ehlonna once fashioned a suit of armour from fallen leaves and presented it to Obad-Hai. The gift recalls an earlier period when relations between the two nature deities were more amicable. Their subsequent rivalry reflects their different attitudes toward compassion, suffering, and the preservation of natural balance. - **The Origins of the Treants**: Certain ancient traditions identify Obad-Hai as the father of the treants. Although the details of this relationship are not universally established, the claim reflects the close association between the Shalm and the oldest living guardians of the forests. - **The Three Unyielding Oaks**: The Staves of the Unyielding Oak preserve the account of three treants who voluntarily surrendered their ordinary forms to assist Obad-Hai's followers. Their transformation into magical quarterstaves reflects the willingness of living woodland creatures to support those who protect the natural world. - **The Mystery of the Singing Stones**: The Singing Stones of Vesve preserve an ancient druidic mystery. Their unpredictable music and prolonged periods of silence have resisted complete explanation. Divinations suggest that the stones await a particular response or ritual. Although the necessary musical instruments and magical staff have been identified, the complete nature of their dormant power remains unknown. These traditions establish Obad-Hai as a deity concerned with the complete cycle of existence. His mythology does not portray death as the permanent defeat of nature, but as an essential stage preceding eventual renewal. ### Encounters with Obad-Hai's Influence Obad-Hai's influence is most frequently encountered through druidic circles, secluded woodland temples, sacred groves, ancient stone monuments, and regions threatened by the destruction or corruption of their natural environments. - **The Adri Forest**: The worship of Obad-Hai is influential within the Adri, where Archdruid Immonara leads an important druidic community. - **The Sheldomar Valley**: Reynard Yargrove, the Great Druidess of the region, is a devoted follower of Obad-Hai. Her influence extends through the Old Faith and the religious traditions of the surrounding wilderness. - **The Old Faith**: Druids devoted to Obad-Hai operate alongside worshippers of Beory and other nature deities. Their shared responsibilities include preserving natural balance and responding to extraordinary threats against the wilderness. - **Sacred Oak Groves**: Woodland sanctuaries dedicated to Obad-Hai are frequently situated among ancient oak trees. These locations may be guarded by animals and other inhabitants of the surrounding forest. - **The Stone Ring**: This ancient stone circle outside the Free City of Greyhawk is used by druids of Obad-Hai for religious observances and gatherings. - **The Sea Grove of Obad-Hai**: Located outside Saltmarsh, this shrine is maintained by Ferrin Kastilar and serves as a gathering place for travellers, traders, and inhabitants of the surrounding wilderness. Ferrin may recruit adventurers to confront aberrations approaching from the Dreadwood. - **Midsummer's Night**: The evening of Richfest 4 brings together druidic circles to celebrate the natural balance. Followers set aside religious disagreements, honour Oerth, and collect sacred mistletoe. - **The Singing Stones of Vesve**: Travellers exploring the Vesve Forest may encounter this mysterious circle of standing stones. Its unusual music and dormant magical properties remain important subjects of druidic investigation. - **Guardians of the Wilderness**: Priests and druids may confront woodcutters, hunters, miners, or other individuals whose activities threaten important natural environments. - **Unnatural Corruption**: Followers of Obad-Hai may undertake expeditions to cleanse corrupted swamps, protect sacred forests, or oppose unnatural disturbances that threaten the survival of entire ecosystems. - **Sacred Relics**: Objects such as the Armour of Fallen Leaves and the Staves of the Unyielding Oak may be entrusted to exceptional servants of the Shalm or sought by those attempting to protect threatened wilderness regions. - **The Hidden Wood**: Planar travellers entering Obad-Hai's realm within the Outlands encounter a landscape where all four seasons coexist. Its inhabitants reflect the full diversity of nature, and visitors cannot assume that peaceful intentions will guarantee safe passage. ### Conclusion Obad-Hai is the intermediate deity of nature, woodlands, freedom, hunting, and beasts, and one of the most ancient divine powers associated with the Flan peoples of Oerth. His teachings emphasise the preservation of natural balance and the acceptance of growth, decay, life, and death as inseparable elements of existence. His clergy consists primarily of druids and independent nature priests who devote their lives to understanding and protecting the wilderness. Unlike highly organised religious institutions, his faith places considerable importance upon individual experience, self-sufficiency, and practical knowledge of natural environments. His relationship with Beory, rivalry with Ehlonna, and opposition to Phyton and Karaan establish his position among the divine powers concerned with the natural world. His involvement in the seasonal mythology of the Old Faith further demonstrates the importance of the continuous cycle of death and renewal within his religion. The traditions of the Hidden Wood, his Shalmstaff, the Armour of Fallen Leaves, and the mysterious Singing Stones of Vesve reflect his authority over living creatures, the elements, and ancient druidic traditions. The Shalm's enduring purpose is the preservation of nature in all its forms. His faithful believe that the wilderness must be respected rather than conquered and that the survival of the natural world depends upon accepting both its nurturing qualities and its capacity for destruction.