Lesser Gods: Archrist and Bagold

Here, I'll be introducing two gods that aren't as widely known as the ones listed on the deities page.

Archrist

Lesser Deity

Superiors: Argovas and Orlag

Symbol: A blank scroll

Home: Dune-Swept Library of Scienterna

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Portfolio: records, finances, knowledge, written word

Worshipers: scribes, librarians, merchants

Domains: Knowledge, Law, Luck, Rune

Favored Weapon: Rapier

The scribe and archivist of both Argovas and Orlag, Archrist spends most of his days recording information of any sort. Unlike many of his fellow gods, Archrist hates mortal worship. He taught the early races the first written language and promptly lost interest in them.

Behind the Screen: Divining Divinities I - Vaanti Wisesword

This week's Behind the Screen looks at one of the, in my opinion, most enjoyable parts of world-building: creating the gods. This time will contain my favorite method when I need a god and don't have anything that I need to tie into: randomly generated portfolio. While this can be used for any edition, the page that I will be utilizing is a list of domains from D&D 3.5.

Kyrnash, Lady of the Forest

"How would I describe Kyrnash? I would say that she is all that is nature. She is kind, she is ruthless, she is cruel, she is motherly; basically, if an adjective applies to the world outside of cities, it applies to her."
  - Old Growth Edric Greenbeard

Alternate Names: Hellededd (elf), Soliturae (gnome), Tasagdo (orc), Wegleas (halfling), Zerloi (dwarf)
Expanded Domains: Animal, Decay, Earth, Fire, Growth, Plant, Seasons, Water, Weather
Portfolio: animals, forests, seasons, stone, volcanoes

Knowledge (religion) DC 10:
The eldest of Aelma and Erb's children, Kyrnash shaped the lands when the world was forged. Known as Lady of the Forest and Mother of Beasts, Kyrnash designed and created nearly every animal after she created the wilds. She tore water from the sky to fill lakes, pulled the mountains from the ground, created predator and prey. Prayers are made by hunters for her grace, and settlements of all sizes make offerings of incense and the destruction of axes and saws to avert her wrath. It is said that villages that do not make acceptable offerings to Kyrnash find their crops suffering from blight, decaying when they should be flourishing.
     Acolytes dedicated to Kyrnash are called Saprolings, and upon finishing their training they are elevated to Growths. The highest ranking members of Kyrnash's followers are Old Growths, sometimes called Archdruids by outsiders. In art, Kyrnash is most frequently depicted as a black-haired woman clothed in rustic leather with a hunting bow. Often birds and small forest animals such as squirrels and foxes are depicted either next to her or on her shoulders.

Argovas, the Trade Prince

"It has been five years to the day that our fair town was founded, let us celebrate!"
  - last sober words of the day by Mayor Brimbol of Mudshire

Alternate Names: Ceapuna (halfling), Civimerc (gnome), Kereskizac (dwarf), Khudirgen (orc), Maswareid (elf)

Expanded Domains: Artifice, Community, Earth, Law, Metal, Nobility, Toil, Trade, Travel

Portfolio: affluence, alcohol, brewing, civilization, gold, rule of law, trade, wealth

Knowledge (religion) DC 10
Called the Trade Prince and Count of Coins, Argovas is one of the most widely revered of the deities in the Green Coast. Brewers and merchants from the Veridian Mere as far north as Sylvanor make regular offerings in his name for safe streets and good business. Taverns pour the first pint a night into a glass that isn't drunk to honor his gifts. Nobles make regular offerings of wealth to the Church to encourage their works.
     In art, Argovas is often depicted surprisingly simply. A clean-shaven human male working in the sun, torso bare. The priests of Argovas are called Laborers, the acolytes Tools, and the knights that swear their swords to him are called Coins.

Maidanaa, the Matron

“The Lady beseeches us to care for our families and communities, and to beware those that hide in the shadows. Beware the well-meaning heretic, who seeks to replace the voice of truth with the lies of falsehood.”

—    Crescent Moon Artain to his constellation

Alternate Names: Anyold (dwarf), Eksah (orc), Ileumel (elf), Luna (gnome), Mona (halfling)

Expanded Domains: Chaos, Community, Family, Good, Healing, Love, Protection, Rage, Restoration

Portfolio: childbirth, devotion, fertility, healing, kinship, marriage, motherhood, the night sky, wrath

Yalma, the Blind Judge

"The man that passes the sentence should swing the sword. If you would take a man’s life you owe it to him to look into his eyes and hear his final words. If you cannot bear to do that, then perhaps the man does not deserve to die.”

—    George R.R. Martin, A Game of Thrones

Alternate Names: Aequitas (gnome), Cyfamd (elf), Dema (halfling), Igazvedo (dwarf), Khagaal Yol (orc)

Expanded Domains: Glory, Good, Honor, Law, Leadership, Nobility, Protection, Resolve, Strength

Portfolio: honor, guardians, law, leadership, justice, protection

Orlag, the Keeper of Secrets

“So much knowledge has been lost to the ages, it is our job to recover what has been forgotten or die trying.”

—    Professor Agrippo Gorinus Fludinus, high priest of Orlag

Alternate Names: Cyfrin (elf), Eruditio (gnome), Gealdor (halfling), Meduuts (dwarf), Tudok (orc)

Expanded Domains: Air, Artifice, Earth, Exploration, Knowledge, Language, Rune

Portfolio: divination, history, knowledge, language, restoration, ruins, secrets

Knowledge (religion) DC 10:

God of knowledge both known and hidden, Orlag is beseeched by scholars, researchers, and archaeologists alike for blessings and insight. Known as the Keeper of Secrets and Archivist of the Gods, it is said that Orlag knows all that there is to be known and that no secrets can be kept from him.

     Orlag is most often portrayed in art as a weathered human male with a trimmed goatee and mustache in rough clothes suited for long digs. No temples or churches to Orlag exist, but every library, museum, and archaeological dig site has at least one alter for prayers.

Moros, Mother of Blood

Moros, Mother of Blood

“I have heard some refer to war as being similar to the Nine Hells. Having experienced both, I can say that these ignorant souls are so wrong. Only those suited for it go to the Nine Hells, whereas war spares no one.”

—Illuyin Deileddyf, High Archmage of Wainryn

Alternate Names: Byrnwiga (dwarf), Dusnain (halfling), Gwaeful (elf), Pugnatas (gnome), Veru (orc)

Expanded Domains: Chaos, Evil, Glory, Heroism, Liberation, Revolution, Strength, War

Portfolio: battle, combat, free will, glory, revolution, strength, victory, warfare

Recommended Music: Furious Retribution, Massive Assault

Aelma, Lady of Light

"Your heart weeps for your brother, but do not despair. Though he has given to temptation, do not give into fear. Bonds of blood are stronger than many realize.”
  - Aelma to Yacob, the protagonist and title character of the play King of Dawn

Alternate Names: Apria (orc), Brelauhines (elf), Kirapeny (dwarf), Scimeria (halfling), Solnys (gnome)

Expanded Domains: Charm, Family, Good, Knowledge, Light, Love, Lust, Magic, Protection, Sun

Portfolio: diplomacy, family, guardians, light, lore, magic, purity, sex, the sun, wizards

Recommended Music: Into Sunlight

Knowledge (religion) DC 10:

Known as the White Archmage, Mother of the Gods, and Lady of Light, Aelma is the god of light magic and all that it entails. Aelma taught the mortal races all forms of magic that protect, guard, and enchant.

     Aelma is the estranged wife of Erb. When her husband’s cruelty grew too great for her to bear, she cast him away. She teaches her followers to bring light to the dark regions of the world in the hopes that one of her followers may find her estranged husband. Her exact reasons for such are a matter of lively and enthusiastic debate.

     Temples dedicated to Aelma only accept women as acolytes and priestesses. Second only to the churches of Maidanna, the priesthood of Aelma is the most sought after for performing marriages. In art, Aelma is typically depicted as a beautiful woman in a simple white dress with the sun behind her head.

Tetsuor, the Deep One

Tetsuor, the Deep One

“A ship’s not just a rudder and some sails, that’s what a ship needs. But what a ship is…is freedom.”

 - Captain Jack Sparrow, Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl

Alternate Names: Brimwylm (halfling), Dayal Juul (elf), Morethivy (dwarf), Saevio (gnome), Tenutaz (orc)

Expanded Domains: Chaos, Exploration, Freedom, Luck, Travel, Water, Weather, Wind

Portfolio: fortune, freedom, journeys, lakes, oceans, water, weather

Recommended Music: www.listenonrepeat.com/watch?v=Et3CyRkkubE | www.listenonrepeat.com/watch?v=6LVP4usV4Jk

Lyc, the Great Calamity

Lyc, the Great Calamity

“Introduce a little anarchy. Upset the established order, and everything becomes chaos.”

 - Joker, The Dark Knight (2008)

Alternate Names: Dofung (halfling), Draowg (elf), Emaas Barzam (dwarf), Furorem (gnome), Kanosz (orc)

Expanded Domains:  Chaos, Destruction, Evil, Fur, Liberation, Madness, Murder, Trickery

Portfolio: anarchy, beasts, freedom, lies, murder, rebellion, traps

Recommended Music: http://listenonrepeat.com/watch/?v=y9TQahWGK1I | https://www.listenonrepeat.com/watch?v=1zyhQjJ5UgY

Zarth, the Dead

Happy Halloween! In celebration we are providing an early post, featuring the god of death: Zarth.

Zarth, the Dead

“Zarth is dead, but what is death to a god? For even dead gods can still dream.”

 - A priest of Zarth, preaching to villagers

Alternate Names: Cwalu (elf), Hal (dwarf), Maer (gnome), Tab (halfling), Ukh (orc)

Expanded Domains: Curse, Death, Evil, Fire, Law, Nightmare, Trickery

Portfolio: curses, the dead, dreams, fire, judgment, nightmares, pacts, rot, undead

Recommended Music: Old Tristram | Cathedral of Tristram

Erb, the Darkness

For our first post providing more detail on the deities in the setting, we’d like to provide a shout-out and thanks to LudicSavant for providing inspiration for the layout of our deity posts as well as being okay with us using his general layout. A few of the domains within the Expanded Domains section are actually Subdomains, which are modified versions of the main domains.

Erb, Lord of Darkness

“There is a spark of power within you, mortal. Are you foolish enough to let others hold you back from your potential?”

- excerpt from the play King of Dawn, where Erb is tempting the brother of the protagonist

Alternate Names: Deorc (halfling), Kharidet (orc), Tenevris (gnome), Thudwyll (elf), Varetsleg (dwarf)

Expanded Domains: Blood, Darkness, Destruction, Evil, Magic, Repose, Smoke, Undead

Portfolio: ambition, blood, magic, potential, power, ritual magic, sacrifice, self-improvement, self-realization, sorcery

Recommended Music: Mirror of the Night