Deities of Solpertaine part Three

Nuada
Nuada may have once been a mortal man as his worshippers claim, but if so it was long ago and from an unknown people. His symbol is a starburst of rubies and while he takes many forms (including that of a common yokel or white-haired mustachioed man in plate mail) he usually is shown with an oaken mace. He reacts favourably to other lawful non-evil deities. The words of Nuada are wise, practical, and sensible. The word of the Mace is law, and the word must be spread so that all may benefit from his wisdom. Weakness in faith and acting against his teachings are intolerable in believers. Unceasing effort should be made to bring unbelievers into the fold. Honesty, truthfulness, practicality, and reasonableness are the highest virtues. Nuada's clergy consists of three divisions that have different purposes: the Chapeaux, which seek to convert people to the faith, the Stars, which exist to retain doctrinal purity among the faith, and the Billets, which minister to and protect the faithful. Clerics of the Mace are stern folk who speak their minds plainly. They do not suffer fools and discipline those who backslide in faith. They train in the arts of war and keep themselves physically fit. The Chapeaux wear traditional crumpled hats, the Stars wear a starburst insignia of copper, gold, or platinum, and the Billets wear an oaken holy symbol.

Silvanus
Silvanus rules nature and the wilderness, and he is a friend to all who live in harmony with the natural world. He expects his followers to live in harmony with nature in all it's variety. Those who destroy or otherwise harm nature deserve swift vengeance in an appropriate manner, says Silvanus. Those who are one with nature, however, have little to fear, although the well meaning but foolish are sometimes brought down by a danger they could not avoid or divert. Silvanus teaches that the wilds can sometimes be ugly, dangerous or terrible, but that these things are a part of nature and should be respected as much as those that are beautiful, harmless or wonderful, for these characterizations mark a newcomer's perspective.

Skadi
Skadi is the wife of the god Njord, but is herself of unknown origin. Built like a dwarven woman but with the facial features of a gnome, she is worshipped by both of those races and humans. Her enchanted hammer Skull Ringer was forged on the same anvil as her husband's weapon. Earth elementals serve her and she can pass through stone. Her holy symbol is a mountain with a ruby heart; she places rubies in the earth as gifts to those who do her work. The hills and mountains are sacred and beautiful places, whether on the surface or within tunnels that hole them like veins. Working with stone for any good purpose is a blessed task, but cutting rock out of pure greed or evil intent is an abomination. The greatest gift the earth gives arc gemstones, each a tiny part of the earth's power and beauty reflected a thousand times upon itself. Skadi's clerics live on or in the mountains, protecting them from those who would enter for the sake of greed or evil. They protect their community, root out dens of evil non-humans, and teach miners and quarrymen how to spot the best places to work. They act as guides for those passing through their lands, travel to see other stony examples of the earth's beauty, and abhor slavery.

Taiia
Taiia is fickle and passionate, giving and withholding her favours without evident regard for alignment or fairness. Her worshippers represent the whole range of mortal life: adoring devotees who seek mystical union with her light, fanatic assassins who believe they are carrying out her sentence of condemnation, and humble peasants who plead for bountiful harvests and mild winters. Different people and different sects emphasize one of her aspects over the other. A balanced view of them all is difficult to find, but it may be expressed best in the peasant view: “Taiia gives and she takes. We live and we die according to her will. The crops grow or wither under the frost if she speaks a word. Does she care? I don't know. But I know she hears the prayers I offer in the temple, and sometimes she grants what I ask. She is life. And in the end she is death as well, and she will eat my soul and let me be a part of her if it pleases her.” The religion of Taiia denies not only the potency but even the existence of other gods, and therefore it prohibits the worship of any other deity. Taiia's followers hope to be joined with her after death, their souls consumed to feed her eternal flames. Those she does not favour, for whatever reason, are condemned to remain in darkness, apart from her, for eternity.


Tiamat
Tiamat concerns herself with spreading evil, defeating good, and propagating evil dragons. She enjoys razing the occasional village, city or country, but only as a diversion from her subtle, world spanning plots. She is the villain who lurks in the shadows. Her presence is felt but seldom seen. Tiamat constantly seeks to extend the power and dominion of evil dragons over the land, particularly when her subjects find themselves embroiled in territorial disputes. Tiamat also unfailingly demands reverence, homage and tribute from her subjects.

Tyche
Tyche has a variety of faces. She is the giver of good fortune and the bringer of evil, a goddess of whimsy and an emblem of inescapable destiny. Tyche propagates different dogmas among different people at different times, leading to a wide variety of views about her true nature. Some followers of Tyche believe that life is essentially a game of dice, where every situation's outcome is determined by chance. They offer prayers and sacrifices to Tyche in the hope that she will turn their dice to high numbers, allowing them success in their endeavours. Others believe that the course of life is all laid out by the gods in advance and cannot be altered – except by Tyche. Tyche, they believe, can liberate mortals from the fate that lies before them, freeing them from the tyrannical whim of destiny and allowing them to forge their own destiny. While many people humbly accept whatever fate the gods choose for them, followers of Tyche try to take their fate into their own hands.

Uller
Members of Uller's cult exult in combat, but they see no reason to fight up close when they can use their bows from a distance. When it comes to personal contests, they would rather compete at archery than with swords. The cult guides those who prefer melee to the worship of Uller's mother, Aeris. As a hunter, Uller teaches respect for wildlife and nature. He warns against interfering with the natural balance and urges his followers to act like predators of the animal kingdom, hunting the less fit and leaving the young to carry on and continue the species.
.
Vecna
Vecna plots the destruction of the other deities so that he may take the world for himself. According to Vecna, there exists a secret that can destroy any being, no matter how powerful that being is. In the middle of every heart hides a seed of darkness kept hidden from all but the self. Finding that secret evil and exploiting it is the key to undoing one's enemies. Strength and power, says Vecna, come from knowing and controlling what others do not. He also admonishes followers never to reveal all that they know.


Woden
Woden is a distant deity who promotes no special agenda, except proclaiming magic the most important force in the world – more vital than good, evil, law or chaos. Most of his clerics observe strict neutrality. One missal advises Woden's followers to seek balance above good, evil, law, or chaos and to push back encroachments of good or evil. This steadfast moderation in political, ethical and philosophical affairs earns Woden and his followers few friends. Nevertheless, Woden's worshippers are respected for their knowledge and magical prowess, and their advice is valued (if not always completely trusted).

Comments

  1. Love these images. Are they yours or taken from another source? Excellent stuff!

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Did a search under Google images to find appropriate illustrations for my backround stuff. I'll grab anything if I think it fits and enhances the campaign.

      Delete

Post a Comment

Speak now, or face the wrath of Malodius Grimbach!

Popular Posts