Difference between revisions of "Gods of the Vale"

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The people of Nentir Vale, by and large, worship a syncretic collection of deities known variously as the Lords of the Sky, the High Gods, the Elders, and the Great Ones. They are drawn from the ancestral pantheons of the four dominant races, but have largely been combined into a single unified pantheon over the years.
 
The people of Nentir Vale, by and large, worship a syncretic collection of deities known variously as the Lords of the Sky, the High Gods, the Elders, and the Great Ones. They are drawn from the ancestral pantheons of the four dominant races, but have largely been combined into a single unified pantheon over the years.
 
Some people feel especially drawn to one individual deity or another, but most respect and revere the pantheon as a whole, and most churches are dedicated to the gods in general. There are regional variances, of course; a given deity may have especial prominence in one community, only to be relegated to secondary status in another, but it’s a rare community that doesn’t at least acknowledge them all.
 
Some people feel especially drawn to one individual deity or another, but most respect and revere the pantheon as a whole, and most churches are dedicated to the gods in general. There are regional variances, of course; a given deity may have especial prominence in one community, only to be relegated to secondary status in another, but it’s a rare community that doesn’t at least acknowledge them all.
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Direct signs and miracles from the High Gods are rare to the point of being legendary (although small gods are less remote). While most communities have a cleric or two with some healing spells, many priests lack spellcasting power, but are not less respected for it. Rare and powerful clerics are said to be able to cure diseases with a touch and call upon angelic beings for aid, but such people are near-mythic.
  
 
By and large, the Lords of the Sky are distant beings who do not directly interfere in mortal affairs; they may send prophetic dreams and cryptic messages, but they almost never take a direct hand.
 
By and large, the Lords of the Sky are distant beings who do not directly interfere in mortal affairs; they may send prophetic dreams and cryptic messages, but they almost never take a direct hand.
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Revision as of 15:22, 7 February 2021

The gods are covered in more detail HERE.

The High Gods

The people of Nentir Vale, by and large, worship a syncretic collection of deities known variously as the Lords of the Sky, the High Gods, the Elders, and the Great Ones. They are drawn from the ancestral pantheons of the four dominant races, but have largely been combined into a single unified pantheon over the years. Some people feel especially drawn to one individual deity or another, but most respect and revere the pantheon as a whole, and most churches are dedicated to the gods in general. There are regional variances, of course; a given deity may have especial prominence in one community, only to be relegated to secondary status in another, but it’s a rare community that doesn’t at least acknowledge them all.

Direct signs and miracles from the High Gods are rare to the point of being legendary (although small gods are less remote). While most communities have a cleric or two with some healing spells, many priests lack spellcasting power, but are not less respected for it. Rare and powerful clerics are said to be able to cure diseases with a touch and call upon angelic beings for aid, but such people are near-mythic.

By and large, the Lords of the Sky are distant beings who do not directly interfere in mortal affairs; they may send prophetic dreams and cryptic messages, but they almost never take a direct hand.


Deity Symbol Origin Domains Portfolio
Artheon
The Green Shadow
The Healing Hand
Oak leaf Halfling Life, Nature Nature, animals, herbalism
Bu'jor
The Survivor
Master of Trade
Coin on an open hand Goblin Forge, Nature Survival, trade, ingenuity
Forutan
The Lawful Trickster
The Honest One
Raven Gnome Knowledge, Trickery Law, pacts and bargains, tricks
Fu'gils
The Small
The Wise One
Mouse Goblin Nature, Trickery Cleverness, wisdom, children
Garutan
The Necromancer
The Opened Book
Skull on a book Gnome Death, Knowledge Necromancy, secrets
Hireus
The Lady of the Hearth
The Orderly One
Hand within a circle Halfling Life, Order Communities, families, marriage, ceremonies
Hertain
The Scribe
Lady of Scrolls
Scroll Gnome Arcana, Knowledge Knowledge, language and writing, wizardry
Jordain
The Craftmistress
The Cunning Hand
Hand grasping a hammer Gnome Forge, Knowledge Handcrafts, excellence, the forge
Khorg
The Dragon's Wings
The Soaring One
Flame between two dragon wings Kobold Arcana, Tempest Ambition, sorcery, wind and the sky
Kutul
The Dragon's Scale
The Shining One
Four scales in a compass rose formation Kobold Order, Tempest Organization, defense, traps and mechanisms
Lyraen
Lord of the Long Sleep
The Gray Judge
Stone hammer Halfling Grave, Life Birth and death, judgment, fate
Rayge
The Dragon's Fire
The Storm
Whirlwind Kobold Death, Tempest Storms and disasters, fear, power
Slythe
The Dragon's Eye
The Night Watcher
Reptilian eye Kobold Light, Tempest The moon, light, visions and revelations
Soleus
The Sun Queen
The Dawnbringer
Sunburst Halfling Life, Light The sun, crops and farming, light and life
Tor'gus
The Lord Beneath
The Slow One
Mushroom with a skull for a cap Goblin Grave, Nature Fungus, disease and weakness, the earth
Wo'gar
Master of the Hunt
Hunter Under Moonlight
Wolf's head against a moon Goblin Nature, War Hunting, wolves and predators, protection

The Dark Ones

The gods of evil are little-known to most folk, and never openly worshiped. They are respected, and offerings are made to avert their wrath, but there are no churches to their glory or priests who revere them.

Deity Symbol Origin Portfolio
Asmodel
The Laughing Liar
Lord Misrule
Two dice showing snake eyes Gnome Trickery, deception, misfortune
Grum
One-Eye
The Strong
A fist clutching an eye Orc Strength and conquest, gluttony
Samaeus
The Spiteful Queen
The Golden Hoarder
Golden crown Halfling Greed, pride, rulership
Tharizdun
The Mad God
Lord of the Outer Abyss
Black spiral Unknown Madness, entropy, the void
Tymath
Mother of Monsters
The Egg-Breaker
Broken egg Kobold Monsters, curses, aberrant births
Ze'thir
The Venomous Shadow
Lord of the Knife
A coiled serpent Goblin Poison, murder, betrayal

Small Gods

Saints, folk heroes, and legendary figures are also revered, sometimes as agents of a deity, sometimes just as powerful and charismatic heroes of yore. Some are old gods whose time has passed, lesser survivors from the ancient pantheons; others are mighty elemental spirits, powerful fey, or lost and forgotten things. Although they lack the power of the High Gods, these figures can still have worshipers and grant spells, although most have only a small handful of true clerics. Some act as patrons for warlocks, especially those of a more sinister bent. They tend to be more broadly known as names out of songs and legends, morality tales and ballads of forgotten heritage.

Unlike the true gods, small gods and their kind occasionally meddle in the lives of mortals, and can even be found walking the land in mortal guise at rare times.

There are many small gods, and most villages have a few local legends; only a few are listed here.

  • Black Anna: The queen of the hags, this ancient elven outcast haunts the land, searching for children to eat.
  • Rond the Iron Hunter: A mighty hunter of witchfolk, he wields a cleaver of supernatural iron which cannot abide the touch of evil. It is said that he tricked this cleaver from Asmodel. All the races claim Iron Rond as their own.
  • Silver Jon: A bard of legendary skill, believed by most to be a halfling, Jon does battle with evil beings wielding a fiddle with silver strings.
  • Uktena: A mighty horned serpent; wise, cunning, and deadly venomous. Associated with waterways, and said to have powers of transformation and healing.
  • The Witch-King: Said to be a powerful witchfolk of ages ago who was slain by a mortal hero, his spiteful spirit lingers in dark and forgotten places. The Witch-King is believed to command the witchfolk, and on occasion to bargain with mortals, searching for his lost bones.

Elven Gods

The elven religion is secretive, and they perform no religious rites outside of their homeland. They are known to revere a moon god named Vorynn, patron of magic and change, but beyond that little is known.