11 May 2024

More lore for my D&D world! This isn’t necessarily super relevant to my campaign, but the region described was the focus of my previous campaign, and played into the dynamics there. And who knows? Maybe it will matter more than I think. That’s the nice thing with having information handy; it’s easier to come up with ideas if you already have options available.

The Kadrashan War

A little over three hundred years ago, the region around Kadrashal used to be a verdant jungle, with a number of great cities. Unfortunately, perhaps because of their great wealth, many of the ruling class started making deals with all manner of devils, allowing the fiends more an more free reign within the country.

This did not go unnoticed, and under the banner of the Radiant Queen, two great armies formed. One hit Kadrashal from the north, including forces from the barbarian tribes of the north, Solstrana, Duladel, Marruecos, Piege, and even a small contingent of Serni elves. The other, coming up from the south, centered around the great army of the Tailong empire and their dragonborn allies, though the hobgoblins also sent a large force of their cavalry. One of Essayna’s heralds, the lioness Sekhmet, even came down to joining the battle.

Trapped as they were, the witch-king of Kadrashal hosted a massive ritual, sacrificing hundreds of his citizens to open a hole straight to the Nine Hells, which in turn corrupted the region. Even Sekhmet herself was tainted by the infernal energy, though the significance of that would not be discovered until the war was over.

However, the portal gave Essayna enough leeway to intervene directly, and the Radiant Queen herself led the charge to purge the region of both the devils and their allies. The clash of her divine flame and the infernal corruption scoured the region until the land itself burned, and the once-lush jungle was transformed into the sandy desert it is at the present day.

The lingering effects in the population turned many into tieflings, regardless of their dealings or lack with the devils, and the majority of the following generation were born as such. Over the course of the war, combined with her corruption, Sekhmet developed a monstrous thirst for blood, and had to be sealed by Essayna to prevent the herald from turning on her allies. Many of the armies returned home, though many, including several orcish tribes, opted to settle nearby instead.

4 May 2024

And here we finally have the rest of the major gods and goddesses of my D&D pantheon. If you like them, feel free to use them as you wish, though in any public setting credit would be appreciated.

Leilari, the Eternal Rose

Also known as the Beautiful, the Moonlit princess, and She Who Sings, Leilari is the goddess of beauty, and the twin of the Shadowed Princess. No two temples depict her exactly alike; the only consistent traits she has, even within the same nation, are her gender and the flowers in her hair. Stories about her also vary wildly, and with the recent turmoil caused by the Shattered Rose War, a number of more insidious or blatantly false tales about her have spread, and even if they aren’t widely accepted, most have heard a few of them.

Among these include rumors that her beauty was stolen from the Shadowed Princess in the womb, or that she actually did fall from grace during the Great Fiend War thousands of years ago, but has kept that fact hidden from the rest of her divine family. Such theories have generally been debunked, but as anything that fascinates the mind, proof isn’t enough to remove the idea from some people’s heads.

She has power over beauty, diplomacy and dreams. The domains her clergy ascribe to typically focus on Peace, Moon, and Nature domains, though Twilight, Trickery, and Life are also relatively common. There is also a great deal of overlap with the Shadowed Princess’ domains among the Order of the Butterfly, a sect worshiping both goddesses as a set.

Known Heralds:

1) Some sort of magical, sentient flower?

2) Dream Butterfly; kind of like a less powerful version of Pathfinder’s Desna.

3) Some sort of gallant, knightly figure, never seen without his (her?) armor

4) Archfey of some kind?

5) 

Velka, the Shadowed Princess

Also known as the Undying Princess, Heir of Death, the Hidden One, and She Who Mends, Velka is the patron goddess of the lost, the forlorn, and the downtrodden. Perhaps because of that, she is also the deity most closely associated with the undead, especially those who were turned against their will. Perhaps as such, she is generally regarded with some degree of trepidation, particularly among the upper class of society. The Shattered Rose War only heightened those concerns, though rather than dealing with that trepidation by ignoring her worship, many large cities now make showy presentations and donations to her and her faithful, especially during holidays dedicated to her. There is a great deal of debate whether such shows of false generosity actually help or make things worse, but such it is.

She is general depicted as a raven-haired woman with a white porcelain mask covering the left side of her face. Her left hand is withered and skeletal, and she is often depicted as if her left side grew progressively more ghost-like, as if that half of her had already died. (Inspired by description of Hel/Hela in Norse mythology).

In connection to her sphere of influence, her primary domains include Twilight, Death, and Trickery, though almost any domain has been found among her worshippers. There is a great deal of emphasis on the Eternal Rose’s domains, as well, in large part due to the connection forged by the Order of the Butterfly.

Known Heralds:

1) The Forgotten, a deified changeling who is enamored with Velka

2) Alice, the primal vampire, and greatest of the vampire lords.

3) The Beggar, an old man who appears to random people periodically to test them or offer cryptic advice. Curiously fond of the names Haj and Hoid.

4) 

Ariel and Tesla, The Twins

Also known as the Keepers of the Library and They Who Teach, the Twins are the youngest of Life’s and Death’s children. Together, they are the gods of knowledge and magic, but which twin governs which changes frequently. Indeed, it is theorized they freely swap their names between themselves, so a prayer to Tesla, goddess of knowledge, could easily be answered by her brother after he assumes the name.

Unlike their older siblings, their worship is not particularly widespread, generally limited to the grand academies and other institutions of learning. They understandably focus on the Knowledge and Arcana domains, but count many spellcasters among their followers, and most divination wizards often appeal to them as well. Beyond that, perhaps because of their shared status as the youngest of the family, they are heavily involved with the Trickery domain.

Known Heralds:

1) Old dragon currently serving as a headmaster somewhere. Students likely don’t know about either his status as a dragon or his divine status.

2) Prankster of some sort; eternal child? Not quite Peter Pan, but maybe?

3) The Archive, a living, sentient library containing all the knowledge that’s ever been recorded in the world.

4)

22 April 2024

And here are the next three; the dad and the two oldest siblings of the lot. I quite like the idea of all the different facets of the Storm King, too.

Karthos, Father Death

Also know as the Grim Father, the Judge in Darkness, Lord of the Grave, and He Who Reaps, Karthos is generally depicted within human nations as an old, tired man in a billowing black cloak with a long beard, wielding a scythe with skeletal hands.

He rules over death and its role in the circle of life; he also guides souls to their resting places after death. His clerics generally follow the Blood, Death, and Grave domains, though it is not unheard of for them to ascribe to the Life, Nature, and Order domains. He bears a strong hatred for those who proactively try to “cheat” death, especially as most known methods to do so require harming those around them, but unbeknownst to many, he bears no ill will who unwillingly stumbled into undeath.

Known Heralds:

1) Some kind of skeletal knight

2) His steed, the Nightmare

3) 

Essayna, the Radiant Queen

Also known as the Burning Child, General Inferno, and She Who Smiths, Essayna is the goddess of the flame and the sun. She is often portrayed as a glowing, armored woman with flaming yellow hair, astride a warhorse, though depictions of her in a leather apron at a forge are also relatively common.

Through her rule over fire, she came to represent civilization as a whole, and has a strong association with law and order. As such, she is regarded as the patron goddess of the Skybreaker order, and her worship is especially strong in Solstrana; her ties to the forge also lead to a high concentration of worship amis=dst the Dwarf Holds in the mountains.

Clerics of the Radiant Queen typically ascribe to the domains of Order, Light, or the Forge, though Knowledge and Peace are not unheard of. A very few ascribe to the Twilight domain, but such are often considered borderline heretical by the rest of the clergy.

Known Heralds:

1) Sekhmet (Fell into bloodlust during the Kadrashan War 300 years ago; currently sealed)

2) Her war horse, a stallion; either mate or son to Death’s Nightmare

3) Dwarven god of the forge

4) 

Zatir, the Storm King

Also known as the Raging Tempest, Brother Fortune, and He Who Trades, Zatir is the chaos to his older sister’s order. Perhaps because of that, his characterization fluctuates the most greatly depending on where and how he is worshiped. Among the barbarian tribes of the Unclaimed Lands to the north, be they human, orc, or goliath, he is hailed as a great blue-skinned warrior wielding the storms against his enemies. In the mercantile regions of Oileanda or Duladel, he is worshiped as a gallant seaman opening the path for merchant ships.

He rules over storms, wind, and rain. As a result, he also gradually became associated with the winds of fortune, and “storm bless us” has become a common phrase for invoking luck. His clerics tend to be associated with the domains of Tempest, Nature, and Twilight.

Known Heralds: 

1) His wife, a storm giantess [Lady luck? If not, a separate herald for that idea]

2) A rare, non-malevolent kraken of great power; Neptune as a name?

3) Grizzly bear of some kind. Reference Elden Ring Rune bears

4) Famous pirate/merchant type with his ship; Davy Jones type idea?

5)

20 April 2024

So, I’m starting a D&D campaign with my family, and I wanted to centralize the lore, make it more accessible. Still very much a work in progress, there. So this is where I started, with the pantheon, since that’s what I have the clearest idea about in my head. I only got one done here, but there’s another three coming in the next post. Heralds are kind of lesser gods, along the lines of ascended mortals or whatnot.

Alyndra,  The Life Mother

Also known as just the Mother, the Wildmother, and She Who Hunts, Alyndra is often depicted as a tall, antlered woman with long, flowing green hair, at least in the human nations. She and her husband Death created this world after unknown events forced them to leave their previous one.

She is responsible for the cycle of life, in all its facets. Her clerics are most commonly associated with the Grave, Life, and Nature domains, though Blood, Death, and Light are not unheard of. She and her husband tend to take a more “hands off” approach to governing the world, preferring to let their children and the world’s inhabitants decide their own futures. The one known exception on a grand, historical scale was many thousand years ago, in the Great Fiend War, when they sealed the Archdemon of Lust after its failed attempt to seduce their daughter Leilari, the Eternal Rose.

Known Heralds: 

1) The Predator 

2) The White Stag? [Could also be an archfey; not mutually exclusive options, either] 

3) Yggdra, the Great Tree

4)

18 September 2022

This is the creation story for my homebrewed D&D story. Or, well, the first part of it. I may add more later. It’s been ages since I’ve played, but I do enjoy it, and I enjoy the worldbuilding aspect it inspires. My setting does differ from mainstream D&D settings in a few ways here and there, but that’s part of the fun for me. I’m not the first person to think of Life and Death being a couple who gave birth to everything else, but it’s an idea I find fascinating.

If I were ever to make this serious, there are definitely some things in this I’d expand upon. Also, this is 100% fiction, and doesn’t represent my actually religious beliefs. I probably didn’t need to say that, but you never know.

Before the beginning, there were only two, Mother Life and Father Death. Some say they were exiled from other realms, others that they wandered from their home to grow beyond the limits of what they were. And they stepped into the dark, and it was empty, and cold.

To stave off the cold, they embraced each other, and Mother Life conceived. To comfort her in her pregnancy, Father Death formed earth for her to lie on, and soon a baby girl was born to them, with flaming gold hair, and brought light to the darkness. In joy, the two gods wept and held their baby close. The Mother’s bed became the earth and the spirit Genbu, and their tears became the oceans and the spirit Aruna.

The baby grew, and as she grew she laughed loud and often. When she did, her hair would flare flames so furious it would boil the new oceans. The first flames fell deep in the earth, and became the spirit Pele. Mother Life wished for her daughter to know beauty, and so with her power grew a garden bed for her little girl. And even as her flames burned it, so too did her light sustain its life.

In time, Mother Life and Father Death again conceived and bare a son, who could shatter mountains with his cries. His first wail became the winds and the spirit Zephyr. With his winds, the boy learned to bring water to the garden the children now shared and let it rain, softening his sister’s flames and creating the first storm.

The two children would often fight and grieve Mother Life and Father Death. When they saw this, the four great spirits gathered and said, “We must do something.” So each shared of their essences to create a being in the image of their makers, and thus the first giant was born. They made many more, and brought them to the children, who stopped fighting to admire them in wonder, and play with them.

Mother Life and father Death were also impressed, and praised the spirits. “However,” Mother Life said, “they do not yet truly live. They are still little more than puppets.”

The spirits sorrowed, and Father Death cautioned, “If we grant them life, we must also grant them death. They will not be eternal, as the gods or the spirits. Do you still wish them to live?”

With one voice, the spirits pleaded for them to make it so. And the Mother and the Father granted life to the giants.