The Passions shape the spiritual beliefs and customs of Barsaive’s people. According to many of Barsaive’s finest scholars, the Passions are living embodiments of the life force of the universe, giving shape and form to the collective emotions and ideals of the world such as Love, Wealth, or Growth. As the universe nurtures an Adept to keep the energies of life alive in the world, so the Passions nourish the many people who cannot find the strength or patience to become Adepts or magicians. The Passions serve as intermediaries between these common folk and the awesome power of the universe.

Most observers assume that what we know of the Passions holds true for the world outside Barsaive. It would be odd indeed if the universe interacted with our world in different ways from place to place. Yet ours is an odd world, and perhaps the universe’s connection to it does change. The Passions we know in Barsaive may not exist on the other side of the globe; other Passions as yet unknown may take their place. More likely, men and women in distant lands know the same Passions but call them by different names. Whatever the truth, the reader will find in these pages all that we know of the Passions of Barsaive.

THE NATURE OF PASSIONS

Potent beings, the Passions have powers that dwarf the magical talents of Adepts and the spells of magicians. Though they exist on the physical plane, the Passions possess abilities that enable them to travel at incredible speeds, sometimes by traveling as winds, sometimes by taking the forms of eagles or hawks. Some can even transport themselves by simple thought.

The Passions physically exist in our world and sometimes interact with it directly as well as through their questors. For example, many adventurers tell stories of meeting the Passion Thystonius while traveling along the road. Sometimes a group of explorers wandering through a forest or across a dusty plain stumbles across a humble hut or a huge fortress that houses a member of Barsaive’s pantheon. The Passions move these homes around with them, setting up residence for a period of time that may last anywhere from a day to a year or more. On occasion, a Passion welcomes a polite knock at his door. Other times, visitors had best keep well away.

Stories and legends hold that the Passions care nothing for Barsaive’s political alliances and rivalries, and most of their documented behavior supports this belief. They champion neither the dwarven kingdom of Throal nor the magical empire of Thera because they believe the conflict between these two mighty states generates the passions and adventures of life that the universe craves. Though they do not intercede in worldly conflicts on their own, they will eagerly support any side that calls to them for help. The Passions bring their powers to these conflicts through the questors, their human agents. If a questor sides with you, his Passion supports your cause, and the power the questor brings can make the difference between victory and defeat.

For years scholars and historians have debated the true appearance of the Passions. If one travels throughout Barsaive and asks people to describe the Passion Thystonius, one will receive a variety of answers. Humans describe a tall man with a flowing black beard and piercing blue eyes. Trolls tell of a troll carrying a warhammer as heavy as a boulder. Dwarfs speak of a massive dwarf, standing fifty feet tall, who makes his home in the Throal mountains. These differences in appearance are not confined to race, but encompass gender and other aspects of physical appearance. For example, many people think of the Passion Garlen as a woman, because she is depicted as female in the many statues gracing kaers and villages across Barsaive. But if Garlen comes to them in dreams, often during the deepest crises of their lives, they see the Passion as a man.

Most observers believe these varied appearances occur because a Passion tailors its physical form to the individual who sees it, so that the individual can easily recognize the ideals and forces embodied by the Passion and will be receptive to its message. However, all the manifestations of a Passion contain certain identifiable, common elements, described later in this section.

Scholars continue to debate whether or not the Passions have a “true” appearance. So far no one has formulated a definitive answer, and many believe the mystery may never be solved. Most people do not care to know, believing that the true forms of the Passions remain hidden for good reason.

PASSIONS IN CONFLICT

Before the Scourge, the Passions appear to have wasted little energy fighting among themselves. They did not compete for followers, nor did they exhibit jealousy of each other. Instead, they focused their vast power on bringing their particular ideals to the people of the world. The variety of human nature ensured that none lacked followers, and the Passions seem to have existed in mutual harmony.

The Scourge changed this, as it altered or destroyed so much else good and beautiful in Barsaive. Those dark times apparently drove three of the twelve Passions mad, and these three now work toward the destruction of the other Passions. No longer content with inspiring fervor and embodying ideals for mortals, these Mad Passions selfishly desire power and influence as mortals might. Fortunately for the world, the Mad Passions also share the mortal characteristic of distrust. Though sometimes the Mad Passions work together to accomplish their goals, more often they work alone or against each other.

The remaining Passions, unaccustomed to either cooperation or competition, have only just begun to respond to the threat posed by the Mad Passions. As far as we know, these beings seldom fight their crazed counterparts directly. Instead, they throw their questors and followers against those who follow the Mad Passions. The conflict among the Passions has sown strife among their mortal followers; though they seldom fought over their differences in the past, the presence of the Mad Passions has triggered ideological skirmishes across the land that may yet lead to a full-scale war.

The danger the Mad Passions pose to the world remains uncertain. Some contend the Passions will meet in final battle and wreak destruction across the earth that will dwarf the devastation of the Scourge. Others claim the insanity that possesses the Mad Passions will render them impotent in the long run, and expect them to fade away like the many arrogant, mortal dictators before them. Only time can tell whether the Mad Passions will destroy the world, or simply depart from it.

QUESTORS

Most people invoke different Passions depending on their current circumstances. For example, a family hiding in their shuttered home as a pack of hungry wolves howls outside might seek the protection of Garlen, the Passion of the Hearth and Healing. If a family member ventures outside with sword in hand to slay the predators, the family might invoke Thystonius, the Passion of Physical Conflict and Valor.

Questors, on the other hand, pledge themselves to one Passion. They dedicate their lives to it, trying to foster its ideals in the lives of all people. The characteristics of questors vary from Passion to Passion. Some general traits exist among most or all questors, as discussed below.

With the exception of those who follow the Mad Passions, questors with different patron Passions do not bear each other ill will. Each Passion embodies different ideals and emotions, and their questors understand that they are all equally significant parts of a whole that comprises the life of Name-givers.

Though the Passions do not directly support political factions or causes, questors can and often do. For example, many dwarven questors in Throal call Thystonius their patron Passion. Their questor order has a military nature, and they use gifts from Thystonius to give the kingdom of Throal military protection. If other questors of Thystonius chose to attack Throal, such an act would bring questors of the same Passion into direct conflict with each other. Such a development would gladden Thystonius. Though he would mourn those killed in the conflict, the bravery of his questors on both sides would bring him great joy.

Patron Passions also bestow abilities on their questors. Like A-depts, questors cultivate these abilities by focusing their lives around a certain behavior—in this case, spreading their Passion’s ideals across Barsaive. Some of these abilities, such as Healing, are shared by the questors of several Passions. Others are unique to one Passion.

Unlike Adepts, Questors enjoy respect throughout the land. Because Adepts draw the immense power of the universe to themselves directly, most common folk distrust them. Many view Adepts, especially magicians, as presumptuous and arrogant. Questors, on the other hand, receive their power by working through the Passions, in whom every inhabitant of Barsaive places trust. The people’s warm regard for the Passions includes the questors, and they therefore enjoy the trust of most people. An old Barsaivian saying perfectly expresses these sentiments: “Hide from magicians, hire Adepts, and say hello to questors.”

WORSHIP OF THE PASSIONS

The people of Barsaive hold spiritual beliefs based on their faith in the Passions, but no Barsaivian race or community has established a formal religious institution. None of the Passions has any organized following, though questors of a particular Passion often form small bands to achieve a common purpose. The Passions apparently have chosen to propagate their ideals through their questors rather than through institutions or written laws that are vulnerable to error and misinterpretation.

Though the people of Barsaive do not form organized religions centered on the Passions, they do worship the Passions. Most believe in all the Passions, appealing to whatever Passion best meets their current needs.

Some people, including the questors, worship one Passion over the others. Though they recognize the existence of other Passions, they believe the ideals of their chosen Passion are superior. These worshippers often express their beliefs by stating that they follow the ideals of their chosen Passion. For example, a farmer who worships Jaspree might say, “I follow the ideals of Jaspree.” Many questors make such statements, the most common method of declaring worship.

Unlike questors, Name-givers rarely declare a belief in only one of the Passions. Most people accept the entire pantheon of Passions and would fear losing a Passion’s protection by proclaiming that they did not believe in it.

PASSION DESCRIPTIONS

The following descriptions reflect the common understanding of the Passions. However, our knowledge of these mysterious and powerful beings is almost certainly neither complete or entirely correct.

Each entry begins with a list of the ideals, typical appearance, and common elements associated with each Passion. The Ideals represent the universal concepts and emotions the Passion embodies; the Passion’s questors focus on these qualities. Typical Appearance describes the Passion’s usual manifestation. Common Elements include sights, sounds, textures, and other phenomena that usually accompany any manifestation of the Passion. These common elements often appear in the dreams of an individual thinking about the Passion or the ideals it embodies, and the presence of such common elements may also indicate that the Passion is nearby or easily summoned. Powers refers to the unique, personal abilities each Passion possesses. Questors describes the typical appearance and behavior of each Passion’s questors. Finally, Commentary offers a brief description of each Passion’s nature and personality.