Dian Cécht
Diancecht, Physician of the Gods. LG intermediate power of medicine, healing (He/Him)
Pantheon: Celtic (Tuatha de Danann)
Symbol: Leaf, crossed oak and mistletoe branches
Realm: Outlands / Tir na Og / Wandering
Proxy: Cian (proxy human priest [he/him] / LG)
Dian Cécht (pronounced: dee-ann kyekt) is the healer extraordinaire of the Celtic pantheon. Now he’s a right barmy cutter, devoted to the healing arts like a bubber to his ale. Travelling across Tir na Og and the Great Ring, he’s a walking, talking infirmary, fixing up everyone he comes across–friend or foe alike. But don’t go thinking he’s a soft touch; this blood can swing a staff with the best of them, defending himself when the need arises.
Now, here’s the dark of it—Dian Cécht’s got an ego as big as the Outlands when it comes to his healing prowess. He’s constantly at loggerheads with other top-shelf powers of healing like Apollo, Mishakal of Krynn, and Pelor of Oerth. His drive to be the best even led him to write his own son, Miach, into the dead-book out of fear of being eclipsed. That’s a tale as tragic as it is barmy, but it shows how far he’ll go for his craft. He’s a healer without peer, but also a father haunted by his own fears and ambitions.
Dian Cécht’s also got into a bit of a tiff with Arawn over the fine line between life and death. He can’t resurrect a Celtic follower without Arawn’s say-so, but he’s quick to grab back a soul that hasn’t fully trotted off to Annwn through the Underlands yet.
What’s really odd is that Dian Cécht doesn’t have a realm of his own. He’s a nomad, roaming about looking for sods to help and drawing his juice from the act of healing itself. And he’s not much for handing out special powers to his proxies, which makes him less of a draw for would-be followers. Still, his proxy-son Cian, a paragon of the lawful good sort, carries on his father’s work, powers or no.
Canonical Sources:
- On Hallowed Ground [2e] p70-71,74-75,172
- Planescape Campaign Setting: Sigil and Beyond [2e] p70 & Factol’s Manifesto [2e] p133 (Society of Sensation Factol Erin Montgomery as a priestess of Diancecht)
