Koltai
Beloved of the Ancient Wyrms
Intermediate God

Epithets:	The Gray Shifter, Lord of the First Wyrms
Alignment:	Lawful neutral
Symbol:	Three-headed steel-gray dragon
Primary followers:	Neutral dragonkind and all neutral-aligned sentient monsters

     The true form of Koltai is that of a massive, three-headed dragon some 1200 feet in length. The individual scales of the True God range from white (mostly on the underbelly) to black (mostly on the neck and tail), with all shades of gray in between. Each scale also bears a metallic sheen, ranging from mirror brightness (especially in the wings) to a frosty, sandblasted appearance (predominantly in the limbs).

     Koltai's epithet of "the Gray Shifter" is most appropriate. At the whim of the True God, its three heads can assume the form and function of any dragon specie of its worldly "family".

     Of all the True Gods of Minarra, only Koltai can be described as a neuter being (though it may appear as male or female as the god wishes). When taking on a definite gender, Koltai's three voices will alter their pitch to accommodate.

     The three distinct voices of the Shifter reveal much about the god's temper. When it is thoughtful, pleased, or otherwise quiet of mood, its voices are soft, melodic, and ever so slightly out of synch, having the same effect as a gentle choral arrangement. Anger and disgust produce the opposite effect: the three voices fuse together with the cold precision of a machine, while their harsh, discordant tones bludgeoning all within earshot with the wrath of the Shifter.

     Koltai's first appearance in the Astarith takes place about halfway through the scripture's Second Book, by far the earliest of any Power of the Draconihm. As the nightmarish war between the Giants and the first Dragons raged on, the First Gods decided to shift the balance in their favor by granting clerical spells to the Giants. The strategy worked, and the Dragons found themselves losing ground with each encounter.

     Enter a mocking and spiteful Daskaandolon. Appearing before the Overlords of the Dragons, he made an offer he knew they couldn't refuse: the Lord of Chaos would open a portal to the Beyond, allowing the Dragons to try their own luck in "begging for a miracle". But when the portal opened, the proudest, fiercest, and wisest of the Great Wyrms hurled himself into the Beyond, hoping against hope that some unknown Power would notice his presence and deign to grant its blessings.

     And some Power did. Intrigued by the spirit and courage of the Dragon, the Power melded body and soul with the Wyrm, becoming a single miraculous entity: a True God with the shape of a Dragon. Realizing what had happened, Daskaandolon slammed the gate shut, but forgot the fact that a very vital part of this new being was of Minarra itself, and therefore didn't need a portal to return to its own home.

     The new Power, whom the Dragons called Koltai ("the Divine") proved generous in its granting of clerical spells, but that was only the beginning. As Koltai absorbed the last of the Great Wyrm's essence, it knew instinctively how its people should be fighting back against the Giants. In the end, it was the First Gods who had to stop the war and curb the Giants, for fear of unraveling the very world itself.

     But with the arrival of the New Races and their magnificent stand against the Dragons in the War of Dominion, Koltai realized that its people would have to come to terms with their tiny rivals sooner or later. When the Dragons of Light and Darkness began to emerge and the War of Souls seemed imminent, Koltai urged its neutral wyrms to remain as aloof as possible from the coming catastrophe. Finally, as the Astarith drew to a close, Koltai was among the first to heed the prayers of all Minarra for the divine visitations that would ultimately lead to the Covenant.

     As far as Koltai is concerned, its "membership" in the House of Shadow is largely a matter of propriety and utility. Given how its fellows in the Draconihm have their "allies", Koltai sees no reason why it shouldn't play the game as well. The Shifter has a sincere if unspoken respect for Cydot the Lawgiver, and can (on rare occassion) reconcile himself to quietly assisting the Patron of Civilization should their needs coincide.

     Avatars: In the millennia since the close of the Astarith, Koltai has generally kept its own discreet distance from the world. Its visitations are rare, and have been witnessed by the New Races but seven times in over three thousand years.

     In remembrance of its first arrival, Koltai's Avatars never have a physical body in unto themselves; instead, the spirit of the True God manifests itself within the body of one of its dragons. When a wyrm is filled with the presence of the Shifter, its eyes gleam with the brightness of polished steel, and its single mouth speaks with the three voices of the god. Koltai's choice of hosts seems to defy logic at times, but that is exactly the point: if a hatchling can illuminate the Avatar's message better than a dragon in dignified old age, that's what the Shifter will use.

     Koltai usually sends its Avatars when tensions between its people and the New (or Old) Races threaten to degenerate into open conflict. The True God will first resort to reason, compromise, and the enlightened self-interest of both sides to resolve the matter. Failing that, it will make it painfully clear that if conflict should arise, it will be the outsiders who will start it—and the neutral wyrms that will finish it. Koltai might also appear to resolve disputes between the wyrms of neutrality and their chromatic and metallic cousins, disputes usually involving territory or treasure.

     Mortal Servants: Koltai relies solely on the Silahr Draconev of its draconian peoples and on the priests and shamans of the monstrous sentients of neutrality. The Shifter is very conscientious when it comes to granting clerical spells to its monstrous worshipers, and will often extend their spellcasting powers to meet the challenges that life places before them. (In game terms, the levels/hit dice of the priests and shamans of the mongrelmen, etc. may easily exceed the stated maximums in the Monstrous Compendium.)

     It has been long known by the myriad races of Minarra that many of the Shifter's draconian "priests" are particularly adept in the arts of diplomacy. Down through the centuries, scores of political disputes have been settled and many treaties hammered out with the help of the Shifter's dragons. Despite its own reluctance to interfere in mortal affairs, Koltai gives silent assent to these efforts: anything that keeps the world quiet—and gives its peoples respect and prestige—is fine by the True God.

     Philosophy/Tenets of Faith: As hackneyed as it sounds, Koltai's most essential teaching is best stated in the old chestnut, "live and let live." Encouraged by the True God to keep their distance from the various races of Minarra, the wyrms of neutrality prefer to live deep in the wilderness, far from the centers of civilization.

     Should outsiders appear in the territories of its peoples, Koltai would rather have its peoples use their eyes and ears and sound judgment before reaching for their weapons. Regardless of why the intrusion took place, a true servant of the Shifter should (at least in theory) give the intruder the benefit of the doubt. Who knows? The outsiders could be lost, fleeing some disaster, or even be seeking the wisdom borne of a dragon's long life. Should the intruders prove to be deceitful, manipulative, or hostile, the dragons may then take their lives without hesitation or regret.

(Draconihm)

(Draconihm)

(Draconihm)

(House of Shadow)

(X)

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