Gods, Goddesses, and Religion

[TheMyth]

Gods, Goddesses, and Religion

There are many gods worshipped in the world. Male gods. Female gods. Powerful gods. Weak gods. Big gods. Little gods. Good gods. Evil gods. Old gods. New gods. Demigods. Lost gods. Dead gods. Demons. Angels. Spirits. Malevolent presences. Divine forces of creation waiting to be awakened. Heroes yearning for their apotheosis.

There are many religions in the world. Many focus on one deity, some focus on a group of them, and a few seem to have no deity.

The following list of fifteen fairly benign deities are the most appropriate for player characters. They are not the only gods, but they are popular in the region. Clerics worshipping these beings may be any alignment, but those who match or are one step away will fit best.

- Sophia, the Grey-eyed Crone - Goddess of Wisdom, prophecy, advisors. Her symbol is an hourglass. Lawful.

- Invictus, the Unconquerable - God of War, combat, weapon skill. His symbol is a skull. Chaotic.

-Trismegistus, the Thrice-great One - God of Knowledge, engineering, alchemy. His symbol is a book. Lawful.

- Nodens, Lord of the Deep - God of the Sea, hunting, open spaces. His symbol is a white hand. Neutral

- Thor, the Bright Lady - Goddess of Thunder, lightning. Bringer of storms and gentle rain. Formerly a red-haired or golden-haired male berserker, the deity is increasingly seen as a blonde or tawny-haired taciturn woman wreathed by a halo of lightning. His/her symbol is a stylized hammer. Lawful.

- Shalamar, Bringer of Life - Goddess of Healing, herbalism, agriculture. Her symbol is a sheaf of wheat, an ear of corn, or some other vegetable produce. Lawful.

-Bonadea, the Horn of Plenty - Goddess of Fecundity, fertility. Her symbol is the cornucopia. Her rites include animal sacrifice followed by a ritual feast prepared from the remains. Neutral.

- Amora, the Gentle Soul - Goddess of Love, peace, family, marriage. Her followers are known for their whispered assignations of love and kindness, who can be roused to deadly anger when defending the weak and oppressed. Her symbol is a single rose, usually red, but also pink, white, yellow, and even black. Lawful.

- Muriel, the Angel of Glory - Goddess of Valor, chivalry, virtue. Her symbol is a sword on a red kite shield. Lawful.

-Tyraz, the Divine Judge - God of Justice, judgement, nobility. Twin of Muriel. His symbols are the rod and scepter upon a field of royal purple. Lawful.

- Crux, the Redeemer - God of Penitence, redemption, fortitude. A new deity, his symbol is a stylized X or + sign. Lawful.

- Nyssa, Dame Fortune - Goddess of Luck, fountains, wells. A new deity, she appeals to adventurers and travelers. Her symbol is a coin, horseshoe, or four-leaf clover. Neutral.

- Erak, the Lionheart - God of Strength, heroism, quests. His symbol is a club. Neutral.

- Ekatara, the Warden of Souls - Goddess of Magic, the afterlife, the moon. Her symbol is the crescent moon, or a triple moon (showing waxing, full, and waning moons connected). Neutral.

- Wysp, the Wily Trickster - God of Thieves, mischief, orphans. Known as a shapeshifter, his symbols vary widely. Chaotic (on principle, but rarely malicious).

A word of warning - there are many wicked, depraved cults of demon worshippers. Crazed cultists worshipping entities lost to time, buried long ago by the Ancestors. Sinister sects of known deities who use ancient rituals to invoke dark powers best forgotten. You know, stuff like that.