Bel

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In the time of the Elder Gods, Bel, god of thieves, used his dark powers to conjure up an army of undead thieves in order to plunder the wealth of all nations. In desperation, the people of Shem called on the goddess Ashtoreth for help. In the ensuing battle, the goddess severed Bel's sixth arm. Thereafter, Bel was driven into exile in present-day Zamora. None have ever seen the face of Bel, as befits a god of thieves, though several idols and amulets depict him variously as a stocky dwarf with a grinning face, a six-armed elephant man, or a lithe panther-like human wearing a black mask. Bel is worshipped, or at least paid tribute to, by all who "earn" their living as thieves, outlaws, and beggars, and some even go as far as cutting their own tongue as a vow of silence. The priesthood of Bel is independent in each major city and region, in order to prevent the frequent actions against one thieves' guild or temple from spilling over and affecting the others. In areas with a single guild of thieves, the temple or shrine of Bel is usually connected to the guild hall through a series of underground tunnels. In large cities with competing guilds the temple is in an underground location and is recognized as neutral ground by all sides. To maintain their benefits as priests of Bel, they may never buy or trade for anything. Should they slip, Bel can only be appeased by a sacrifice of stolen goods ten times the value of an item purchased. "Bel, too, is Shemitish, for he was born in ancient Shumir, long, long ago and went forth laughing, with curled beard and impish wise eyes, to steal the gems of the kings of old times."