Sep 19, 2013

Gods of Hommund

Weirdunn, the Grieving God
Weirdunn is the most ancient of the gods. He is father to the natural world and to the other gods. After he had created the earth, he was seduced by a woman, who bore him three children and revealed herself to be the evil goddess Vessa. Vessa brought chaos into Weirdunn's world, and he wept for what his creation had become, and his tears became the world's heroes.
  • Weirdunn presides over the fortunes of heroes, and is the god of wisdom and learning.
  • He is depicted as an old man, often weeping.
  • Weirdunn is worshipped in temples of marble, usually only sparsely decorated. The church looks down upon opulence, and prefers minimal frivolity in its architecture.
  • Weirdunn's followers fast at the change of seasons to feel the sorrow of their god. This is usually accompanied by meditation. Winter is the most important fast.
  • Weirdunn's color is white, sometimes with blue trim.
  • His elements are water and ice.
  • His animal is the owl, and white owls are especially sacred. It is believed that there is somewhere a white owl with a man's eyes, through which the god can see his world more closely.
  • His clerics wield the halberd, some scholars believe this has to do with the extensive reach of the god, or possibly with his greater distance from the mortal world.
  • The church of Weirdunn preaches understanding toward heretics and nonbelievers.
Rensol, The Avenger
The first son of Weirdunn and Vessa, Rensol was born and went forth unto the world, told by Vessa to create as he would. Rensol gave form to the Dwarves, a fierce race after his own mind, and gave them courage and skill in practical crafts.
  • Rensol is the god of battle and all honorable competition. He watches over soldiers and the brave. He is the patron of the Dwarves, and among them is known as Dwarvenhammer. The souls of those who die in battle are his to reassign.
  • Rensol is always depicted in armor.
  • Rensol is worshiped in mead halls constructed out of the strongest trees. The prestige of such halls, used for warriors' celebrations, is judged by the weapons and armor hung on the walls by storied and pious soldiers and heroes.
  • Those who wish to serve Rensol as priests must have served in conflict before appointment, and upon each rise in rank swear an oath to combat a chosen sin. In order to maintain rank, the highest ranking member of any congregation of Rensol must lead a crusade against his chosen sin every five years, and rid the world of one sinner for each man under his command. As such, many armies have a squadron, sometimes even a legion, of battle priests fighting in the name of Rensol to purge the world of the wicked.
  • Rensol's color is red, with black and sometimes gold.
  • His elements are stone and lightning. Which of these is most prominent varied by culture.
  • His animal is the ram.
  • His clerics and paladins wield the hammer or the great sword. This too varies by region.
  • Rensol's priests think nonbelievers honorless cowards, and will respond violently to heresy.
Tsura, The Gladewalker
The only daughter of Weirdunn and Vessa, Tsura went forth into the world and created the Elves. She gave them the forests that she so loved, and imbued them with her special gift: arcane magic.
  • Tsura presides over the forests, and governs the forces of arcane magic. She is the goddess of love, lust, and marriage. She is the patron goddess of the Elves.
  • Tsura is depicted in thin or sheer robes, or in a garb of vines, with fine features and long black hair worn down or in braids.
  • Tsura is traditionally praised in natural, often vine-covered and surrounded by gardens, wooden buildings. Her priests are all women, and none who serve her may be virgins, for all who serve Tsura must know Her gifts. For this reason, many houses of prostitution will contain a small shrine to the goddess, and many temples are havens for sorceresses.
  • Houses of Tsura year-round practice the growing of grapes for wine where possible, and at the start of Spring a festival is held. Plays are performed (comedies are the most honored), wine and other drugs are consumed, and often orgies break out, but violence is absolutely forbidden. The festival lasts until all the temple's wine from the past year has been consumed, and it is custom for attendees to bring their own stores to extend this time. This festival usually takes place in a field outside town, and the festival is seen as a necessary release of restraint, so that it does not build up in the public so as to become harmful.
  • Tsura's colors are green and pink.
  • Her elements are air and vegetation.
  • Her animal is the elk.
  • Her clerics wield staves, either the thick bludgeoning sort, or quarterstaves, varying by region.
  • Her church preaches understanding towards nonbelievers.
Gulmar, The Gluttonous God
The last child of Weirdunn and Vessa was diverted from the others. When Weirdunn was able to caution Rensol and Tsura about their dual nature, Vessa distracted Gulmar with the promise of food, and told her favorite son to create whatever he wished. So Gulmar in his sloth lazily created the humans, a race without any particular talents.
  • Gulmar is the god of wealth and civilization. He is the creator of humans. His nature makes him a gluttonous god, and his vices make him Vessa's favorite son. Merchants and politicians pray to Gulmar.
  • Gulmar is depicted as a jovial and rotund man in elaborate robes.
  • Gulmar is worshiped in elaborate and ornate marble temples, often with high ceilings and decorations of gold.
  • Gulmar's pious observe a day of rest every tenth day, where shops are closed and families are expected to eat together. A feast is held in the temple, with wealthy members bringing dishes and drinks. During the night, the doors are left open for the poor to feed on the scraps.
  • Gulmar's colors are green and black, sometimes gold.
  • His element is metal.
  • His animal is the boar, though sometimes satirized as the pig.
  • His clerics wield the mace primarily, and any of their weapons is often richly crafted and decorated.
  • Gulmar's church denounces heretics and nonbelievers.
Vessa, The Queen of Devils
Vessa seduced the Father of Gods to loose her creation upon the world, but seeing most of her children won back to the side of Weirdunn, she was enraged and cursed their creations. She banished the Dwarves to deep below the earth, where no one could ever see their magnificent towers and wondrous fortresses. She cursed the Elves with near-endless life, such that they would be forced to watch all the mortal things in their forests wither and die, and when the other gods in pity granted the humans their best traits, Vessa imbued them also with her worst, and forced them to always be in conflict between their natures.
  • Vessa is the goddess of chaos and evil creatures. The souls are the wicked fall under her domain, to be reincarnated as twisted monsters.
  • Vessa's face is never depicted, as to do so is believed to bring the worst of ill-fortune, even to her own followers.
  • Her colors are black and grey, and occasionally deep purple.
  • Vessa's worshipers are opposed to any sort of law or government.
  • Her animal is the jaguar, or similar cats. Black panthers (/lions/cougars/etc) are especially sinister.
  • Her clerics wield morning stars, or sometimes whips.

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