Deities

Hval Maluk

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 16, 2026.

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“If you listen carefully to the wind, you can hear his voice behind it. His voice says the weak shall rest upon the ocean floor.”

– Old Mackie One Eye, Bosun’s Mate.

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Legends tell of a great Walrus in the North seas. Sailors credit this lord of the icy waters with producing great winds and terrible storms. Hval Maluk regards arctic waters as a home to the strong and the brave, and he is offended at the mere thought of a weak-willed soul in this, his own domain. He regards all humans and their kindred with great suspicion, and He sends his storms to drive away the weakest from among these creatures. Hval detests weakness of all kinds, and hH will not hesitate to kill those proving too frail to thrive in the harsh world which is his home.

It is possible that Hval Maluk may, on occasion, send a welcome wind blowing in just the right direction, but most would tell you not to count on it. Many would deny that such aid ever occurs, even if they sometimes toss an offering into the sea in the hopes that they might be wrong about the matter.

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Religion: There is no organized religion worshipping Hval Maluk, though wise people will honor His name whenever entering His domain. Individuals finding themselves in arctic waters would do well to pay him heed of some kind. Whether Vikings in their longboats or Inuit out on the ice, travelers on the outermost seas will often make a sacrifice to this god. This commonly takes the form of leaving a small bit of food behind in camp or tossing some overboard at the beginning of a meal. Only a fool would pray that Hval Maluk show mercy, but a strong sailor might hope that respects would be repaid in kind to those deemed worthy of the aid. Those with sense ask only that they should themselves have the strength and courage to weather any challenges sent their way.

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Domains: Cold Waters, Winter Weather

Symbol: Two long tusks under a bunch of whiskers.

Favored Offerings: Hval Maluk is most pleased with offerings of Meat and Fish.

Raven

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 14, 2026.

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“Yes, The Raven is ever the benefactor of mankind, but Raven does not always choose for men what men would choose for themselves.”

– Agnor, The One Eyed

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This deity appears to be an exceptionally large raven. He is an accomplished trickster whose skills have often benefited mankind. Raven is also greatly feared as his blessings are almost always mixed with some cause of misfortune.

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Religion: The cult of the Raven is strong in the outermost regions of the Turtle Islands as well as the Sunset Islands. He has few priests, or even dedicated followers, but in the more remote lands it is common to find that a shaman or a healer who sing his praises on a regular basis. Whatever their own deity, hunters and travelers will commonly pay tribute to Raven, hoping that he will show them the way to their game or to their home.

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Domains: Fire, Birds, Trickery.

Symbol: Raven

Favored Offerings: Food. Offerings to Raven are customarily tossed outside a campsite or home-site

Gern

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 13, 2026.

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“A Child does not cry for no reason.”

– Old Wives Wisdom.

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Rumor has it that Gern has always been old, that he never experienced the pleasures of childhood. It is no rumor, however, that Gern does not dream. He sleeps to be sure, but Gern never awakens refreshed from his sleep. Driven mad by the desire to experience just a taste of dreams, especially those of childhood, Gern plagues children all about the world in an effort to steal their dreams. Gern’s efforts always prove fruitless, however, insofar as his presence in the dreams of a child are always sufficient to frighten the poor creature, leaving both Gern and his victim to suffer the horrors of a nightmare. And still, that brief taste of a dream, particularly the dream of a child is enough to keep Gern trying.

Gern is an accomplished spell caster, but his body is quite weak and fragile. He will never subject himself to an encounter without ensuring his own physical safety. But of course, Gern need not confront anyone directly as he has the power to invade the dreams of anyone who does not take adequate steps to protect themselves.

Although Gern is always interested in adding to his own knowledge, and he is happy to share the fruits of his labor, his studies (and experiments) always seem to cost more than the benefits they deliver.

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Religion: Although Gern himself has no desire to spread evil, his lack of compassion for those subjected to his power is a great inspiration to malicious souls everywhere. Gern is accordingly blessed with a great Priesthood known for its evil. Priests of Gern might wish themselves to be thought patrons of science and keepers of knowledge, they are alwayss regarded by others with great suspicion. Rightly so!

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Domains: Nightmares, Old Age.

Symbol: A Tear Drop.

Favored Offerings: Gern’s favorite offering is of course a small child. Such children will always survive the experience, but the horrors of Gern’s powers will inevitably leave scars few could forget.

Feliah

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 7, 2026.

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“Do you know, there was once a god of fire? And god the waters too! It was over the goddess, Feliah that they fought and slew one another, much to her delight. In her day, whole kingdoms fell, entire peoples faded into history, all to the delight of this fickle goddess. But with the death of these two gods, the other deities had had enough. And so they imprisoned her in a castle and placed the castle itself in a place unimaginable. Feliah will never leave the castle, though she has many ways of bringing others to her. The goddess will never be free, but many will share her fate.”

– Annals of the Library Philosophic

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All agree that Feliah appears to be a beautiful woman in her early twenties. On her specific charms, many seem to differ. Some have said that she has bright green eyes and bright red hair the length of her shoulders. To hear others speak, she has soft blue eyes and luxurious golden hair, flowing past the length of her body to trail along her on the very floor. Scarcely an attractive quality has not been attributed to this goddess, though few can agree on the details.

By all accounts, the beauty of Feliah is little more than a trap set for those foolish enough to fall for her. She takes no pleasure in the approval of others, not even that of other deities. Her sole pleasure lies in sowing discontent and bringing others to ruin. If she can lead someone to harm himself, Feliah will sleep with a smile.

As she is imprisoned in a castle, Feliah devotes her time and energies to ensnaring others to inprison them along with her. How she does this remains a mystery.

Feliah does her best to keep life in her castle desperate, sowing discord among her prisoners that life in her presence remains violent, brutal, and short.

If there is anyone in the world for whom this Goddess might feel a trace of empathy it is those condemned to imprisonment. And thus, prisoners around the world often pray to Feliah, hoping that she will help them in some small way to improve upon their own conditions (if not to escape altogether).

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Religion: The cult of Feliah is filled with disturbed individuals and the communities unfortunate enough to listen to them. Priests of Feliah seek to spread influence wherever possible, always using that influence to spread discord. It is no small wonder then that the cult remains weak and marginal. For her own part, Feliah does little to help the growth of her church, choosing instead to concentrate her efforts on the suffering of her own prisoners. When someone is about to enact a good bit of mischief, he might get some aid from Feliah, escpecially if that mischief may lead to genuine suffering. She is always happy to see such things, and quite pleased with those who bring them about.

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Domains: Imprisonment, Social Intrigue.

Symbol: Feliah may be represented by a winking eye (usually depicted with long lashes).

Favored Offerings: Any item of great sentimental value to someone other than the one making the sacrifice (Feliah is unimpressed with offerings of great value to those who make them).

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 13, 2026.

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“Tis not the object of faith that redeems the faithful. Tis her faith itself that proves her heart, its object being of lesser importance.”

– Scea Klare, Priest of Eleenian.

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Eleenian appears as a woman of great beauty, always clad in a long shimmering white dress. There is some disagreement over the details of her physical appearance, as those fortunate enough to meet Eleenian often describe her features in vastly different ways. Her most devoted worshippers say that it is the power of faith which enables those who look upon Eleenian to see what they most admire in a woman.

Of all the gods, Eleenian is the most devoted to the power of faith itself, seeking to reward this virtue even when it is directed to other gods. She is friend to any mortal recognizing his own limitations, and Eleenian smiles upon all who seek divine aid in a time of need.

It is said that Eleenian may turn the power of faith to her own ends, regardless of its intended recipient. And herein lays a source of great tension between her and other gods. For, even as Eleenian aids the faithful of any and all deities, she does so for the clear purpose of promoting goodness and helping those in need. To those with less generous designs, her aid may be viewed as meddling, and indeed many an evil sect has found itself guided by her hand to victories which were non-violent and unsatisfactory. Where Eleenian may find common cause with another deity and its worshippers her aid is more likely to be welcome, but only the most foolish would think her (or her followers) simple. As with faith itself, the purposes of this powerful deity remain a mystery. But she always has designs of her own.

Eleenian is essentially non-violent. She carries no weapons of any kind, and she has never been known to physically attack anyone. The goddess relies instead on her beauty and persuasiveness to prevent others from attacking her. When necessary, she will use her Mind Affecting magic to cause confusion amongst her enemies and enlist the aid of weaker willed opponents in fighting on her behalf. Pressed into battle herself, Eleenian will most certainly seek to escape as she has little to gain and everything to lose from such conflict.

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Religion: The cult of Eleenian is comprised of wandering followers, the majority of whom are female. Like their benefactor, followers of Eleenian are prone to help those in need, even those who may not have been kind themselves in past times. And as with their benefactor, the priests of Eleenian are always intent on some greater good, even if that good isn’t readily understood by others. A priest of Eleenian may well be found protecting an orc village from would-be heroes intent on destroying them. And she may well be found in that same village many years later, teaching the virtues of kindness and compassion to those same brutish creatures.

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Domains: Compassion and Faith

Symbol: An Outstretched Hand under a Kind Eye.

Favored Offerings: Eleenian favors all offerings made in good faith to her.

The Hellion

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 13, 2026.

***

“Dearest Lord Kearadin,

“I am filled with joy to know that you have interested yourself with the safety of the city of Crarlione. I am told you have addressed a number of questions about the Order of Twilight, a number of whom have recently arrived in your city. I appreciate your concerns. As a friend to the knights of this order, and a Priest sharing their devotion to Great Eye in the heavens, I can assure you that these devoted men pose no danger to the lawful citizens of our great community. Indeed, their only concern the defense of this city and its laws, and interest that you and I no doubt share with them. If you would but meet with him, I am quite sure the Captain of the mission to your city will be happy to explain the cause for each and every one of the executions carried out within your beloved city. I am equally confident that he will answer any questions you may have about the manner of questioning given to certain parties.

“I understand that Lady Kearadin has been most fretful of recent days, and I would like to take this opportunity to suggest a means of settling her fears. Rumors of indiscrete relationships mean nothing to me, not even those pertaining to your close friend, Lord Baltic. I am quite certain that their meetings in the south garden are entirely innocent, and that she has her own reasons for keeping them to herself. Neither should your lovely wife waste any worries on allegations of bribery and corruption, particularly those alleging that a certain shortfall in payments to the architects building our city’s defenses. As I hold you and your lady in the highest of esteem, and as I know that her husband holds the health and safety of the city close to his heart at all times, no such proof could ever be forthcoming, not even in a letter from a certain ambassador to your lovely home. You can rely on the Order of Twilight to reveal the truth of any such matters and to stand in favor of that truth, which of course we both know will be in your favor. Please tell your dear lady, it is quite certain that she need not fear for her husband on account of such petty gossip. Neither do you, I am sure.

“May the sun greet you and yours with warmth and a smile. I am quite certain that you have all earned at least one more beautiful day in this lovely city of ours.”

– Skirna Shé, High Priest of the Hellion.

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The Hellion appears as an unblinking eye. Its gaze is always described as disconcerting. Even those who worship the Hellion have been known to experience fear at the sight of it. It is said that the Hellion floats high above the world and all its inhabitants, watching every action and peering into the lives and even the thoughts of all living things. The Hellion acknowledges no domains of privacy and no limits to its own interests. It seeks to know the heart of all living things, and to judge the same.

The Hellion is a powerful force for justice and order, but it is a force utterly without any sense of mercy or compassion. The Hellion would have all sentient creatures obey the laws of their own land. If there is any exception to this quest for law and order, it is only to be found in restraints upon those charged with executing the law. The Hellion and His follower have been known to bend or even break any rules calling for such restraint. This Hellion acknowledges no reasonable grounds for deviation from the official rules of any land, insisting on obedience to rules long since abandoned in practice. Selective Enforcement is to the Hellion nothing but corruption, and those rulers foolish enough to show mercy are unworthy of the powers granted to them.

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Religion: Th cult of the Hellion is strongest in the Sunset Islands. Followers of the Hellion are unremitting proponents of law and order. They will support the laws of whatever land they find themselves in, often acting as self-appointed investigators of others’ wrongdoing. Given time, followers of the Hellion will try to insert themselves into the official authority structures of the land. If successful, they will quickly become ruthless enforcers of the law.

It would be foolish to think of followers of the Hellion as caricatures. They are well aware of the limits of their own power, and they can be quite shrewd when picking their battles. It is always the goal of the Hellion and His followers to attain perfect enforcement of the laws and perfect compliance from those subject to it. Laws deemed unwise are to be repealed, not merely allowed to lapse into non-enforcement. And indeed, the followers of this powerful deity can be very discerning with regards to the wisdom of many laws. They will however seek to minimize the rights of citizens against those in power, and they recognize no rights of privacy against the authority of law.

With few exceptions, Priests of the Hellion will take up the Divination School of magic and use that to learn any number of secrets which they will share with others only when it suits them to do so.

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Domains: Punishment, Spying.

Symbol: The Symbol of the Hellion is a menacing eye.

Favored Offerings: The Hellion is most pleased with human sacrifices involving the execution of guilty parties. The Hellion is not pleased with any sacrifice that is not carried out as punishment for someone properly sentenced to death for their own guilt.

 

Heaven

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 13, 2026.

***

“This morning trees in the forest shook, as did the flowers in the meadows, With little grain on the stalks to show for the season, our fields offer little solace. Water has long since left the wells, and barbarians gather at the gates of our cities. Clearly the emperor has lost the favor of Heaven.”

– Yi Qin, Temple Master

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Heaven appears to be a tall formidable warrior. He wears no armor, and carries but two simple weapons, a Long Bow and a Weighted Chain.

Heaven is solely concerned with determining the rulership of men, always by means of dynastic succession. Toward that end, Heaven chooses the ruler of a single kingdom and works toward the benefit of that kingdom. He will aid that one kingdom so long as its rulers maintain conduct themselves in a worthy fashion. They must serve their people well and carry the Favor of Heaven with dignity and grace. They must also insist on the respect of others, for a ruler that allows others to disrespect his throne allows them to disrespect the favor of Heaven. Should a king lose the favor of Heaven, a dynasty may fall quite quickly. Seldom does a single generation pass in the wake of a fallen dynasty before Heaven chooses a new lineage to succeed the old one.

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Religion: The Cult of Heaven is always the official faith of any kingdom receiving his favor. This cult is strongest in the Wisdom Isles where Heaven has a well established influence over the affairs of certain kingdoms. While worship of Heaven is always led by the ruling classes, even the poor will pay their respects to Heaven as well, seeking to benefit from peace and prosperity under a stable (and hopefully wise) king. Rival kingdoms will sometimes court the favor of this great deity, but it is rare to see him change his mind about the suitability of a dynasty.

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Domains: Royalty, Storms, Wind.

Symbol: Clouds.

Favored Offerings: Coins, Gems and Jewelry.

Hare

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© Daniel S. Wall, April 13, 2026.

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“Catching Hare”

– An expression for epic failure.

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Hare appears to be extraordinarily large in comparison to others of his kind. He is usually described as grey in color. More interesting still, he is able to use his paws with considerable dexterity. Although he lacks opposable thumbs, Hare is somehow quite capable of gripping items and using tools.

Hare is also fond of wearing selected items of human-like clothing such as a hat or a coat.

When threatened, Hare uses his agility and his wit to out-maneuver and trick opponents into harming themselves or their allies.

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Religion: Hare does not have an organized church, but he is a common character in many people’s stories. Those facing long odds against dangerous enemies have often been known to pay tribute to Hare.

Domains: Cunning, Lost Causes, Rodents.

Symbol: A Jumping Hare (often wearing a hat or comparable headdress).

Favored Offerings: Fruit and Vegetables left outside.