Heretic's Guide to Devotion & Divinity Review

I've had my eye on this title from Eventyr Games for a while now. The Heretic's Guide to Devotion & Divinity delivers on tools that I was hoping for from Green Ronin's Book of the Righteous but which were missing.

Rather than outlining a pantheon and established lore, this title seeks to help a GM in the solo play of setting creation by providing practical advice on creating your own material that touches on themes of religion. 

I don't know that I can provide high enough praise for how Heretic's Guide to Devotion & Divinity delivers on its promises. In the spirit of sourcebooks from earlier editions, this book truly delivers a GM options into interweave religion and its themes into their RPG. It approaches its purpose from a mature perspective, and provides awesome tools. This includes a section on building stat blocks for deities should you decide that you want to go the way of previous editions of D&D and allow them to be fought—and possibly killed. 

Further chapters provide actionable and inspirational advice on weaving elements into your campaign, whether that be through descriptive or ritual elements, or in holidays. There are flavorful examples and idea seeds for religious ceremonies like funerals and weddings ready to employ in games, and providing an awesome vehicle to add lore or secrets and clues of your story into. Others include discussions of how to make the use of spells like Resurrection more impactful and descriptive. This makes sense! This is a powerful moment in a narrative, and giving a GM tools to make the use of these spells more evocative leads to more immersive games.

Compared to similar books on employing religion in your fantasy tabletop roleplaying games, this book stands head and shoulders above competition like the Book of the Righteous. The tools that it provides to GMs are the type of world building materials I wish were more common. I highly recommend anyone interested in exploring these themes or creating their own fantasy pantheons with realistic details for their games to check out Heretic's Guide to Devotion & Divinity.

My Homebrew World: The Cascades of Saints

This article is player focused lore for character creation. There will be a GM focused addendum providing additional information at some point. This article is also a bit of a work in progress, but I want my players to be able to use it (that means sorry for any blanks or more typographical errors than normally slip through this one man show).

There are many saints in the world, some obscure and relatively unknown in certain areas, others (and some we don't discuss because of that power that trumps the divine: copyright law. But I assure you that they exist too, at the game table). Saints are meant to provide a niche into which a player can shoehorn an odd cleric or archetype, while gaining the in game benefits of being associated with the Church and following the Nine rather than some other god. There is opportunity to collaborate on creating a saint for such players to follow. Given enough time, some retired or deceased characters may become saints in their own right.

St. Adelard

Title(s): The Sage, He Who Walked After Wontor

Alignment: NG

Domain(s): Knowledge, Travel

Associated Paladin Oaths: 

St. Adelard is said to have been a disciple of Wontor, so devoted that he walked the paths between worlds, seeking the great god’s knowledge. When at last he arrived at the gates of heaven, he was greeted as if by an old friend. Many followers of Wontor revere the saint and seek to emulate this journey in a spiritual, if not literal sense.

St. Adevalia

Title(s):

Alignment: 

Domain(s): 

Associated Paladin Oaths:

Story

St. Anne

Title(s): Lioness of the Faith, The Shield of Rosh-Haigar, Founder-Commander of the Holy Knights of the Nine

Alignment: LG

Domain(s): Justice, Knowledge, War

Associated Paladin Oaths: Battle, Conquest, Devotion, Eagle, Glory, Guardian, Safeguarding, Zeal

Saint Anne is a larger than life figure, said to have defended the holy city of Roshe-Haigar against some sort of great evil. The details are lost to time, but her order of the Holy Knights of the Nine makes up a major portion of the military strength the church can call upon.

St. Brirea 

Title(s): 

Alignment: 

Domain(s): 

Associated Paladin Oaths:

Story

St. Erstopholos

Title(s): Unknown

Alignment: Unknown

Domain(s): Unknown

Associated Paladin Oaths: Unknown

The story of St. Erstopholos is lost to time. Few devotees of his survive other than an isolated monastery in the mountains called the Light House of Morning Snow. Few have ventured there in many years, and none of its residents have ever come down to other settlements. What is told of the legend is that Erstopholos was martyred by the servants of a Demon Prince and his bones carried up to the monastery to be enshrined.

St. Heliodora

Title(s): The Radiant Star, Prophecier of 

Alignment: 

Domain(s): 

Associated Paladin Oaths: 

Story

St. Hurbert

Title(s): 

Alignment: 

Domain(s): 

Associated Paladin Oaths: 

Story

St. Lukricus

Title(s): Patron of Gamblers

Alignment: CN

Domain(s): Arcana, Avarice, Beer, Trickery,

Associated Paladin Oaths: Acquisitions, Mercy, Vengeance 

Unlike many Saints, Lukricus was not a cleric or a devoted follower of a deity. He was a great debaucher by all accounts, and most identified with the aspects of Culsani engaging in great excess, with none of the redeeming qualities of romanticism or love. But according to legend St. Lukricus won his salvation in a gambling contest with Cernunnos, in which he secured a promise from the god that he would ransom his soul back from the Devil Lord to whom he had lost it and grant him a place in the Heavens. Cernunnos dispatched great champions, including St. Brirea, to win back the scoundrel’s soul so that he could then rest in eternal bliss. Gamblers and those who live by fortune seek to emulate St. Lukricus’ cunning and guile.

St. Meynard

Title(s): The Scientist

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Domain(s): Arcana

Associated Paladin Oaths: N/A

Story

St. Navrejar

Title(s): The Reaver Priest, Northern King, Wrath of Tsovinar

Alignment: CN

Domain(s): Apocalypse, Dragon, Tempest, Ocean, Serpent, War, Wind

Associated Paladin Oaths: Ancients, Battle, Conquest, Devotion, Redemption

A devotee of Toutatis and Tsovinar, St. Navrejar was a northern raider who rose to be a jarl and a king of his people. Originally a cruel tyrant, he found religion when healed by a priest of the Church after contracting a terrible disease from the bite of a lycanthrope. St. Navrejar remained a raider, but was tempered by his experience, focusing his wrath upon monsterous peoples that raided the cities and towns of his jarldom. His tomb is in the Chapel of the Bastion at Vraugate. It is said he will rise to battle the creatures of the pit alongside Tsovinar at the end of all time. Raiders, sailors, and barbarians revere him for interceding to Tsovinar on their behalf. His followers recognize lycanthropes for bringing St. Navrejar to his rebirth, but loathe them, believing their condition is the result of the corruption of the endless Abyss and its Demon Princes.

St. Nithtari

Title(s): The Redeemed, Rebuker of Devils, The Gem Among Snakes, The Risen Angel

Alignment: LG

Domain(s): Atonement, Justice, Knowledge, Life, Light, Martyr, Mercy

Associated Paladin Oaths: Glory, Perfection, Purification, Redemption, Watchers

A tiefling woman, St. Nithtari stands as a symbol of transcendence. St. Nithtari rebuked her family in the name of the Nine. Her family were devoted disciples of Asmodeus. Nithtari was martyred by her uncle, the evil Lord Karcius, a powerful Illrigger said to have been dragged down to the Hells for his failures, but left to live on in eternal torment as a Dread Knight (Monsterous Menagerie). St. Nithtari herself is said to have so humbled Wontor that he persuaded Lucan to relinquish her soul from death and made her a Planetar angel of the Chorus of the Moon-Bathed Crescent. Thus some of her devotees revere both her aspects as a risen angel, and a martyred saint.

St. Orpheus

Title(s): Of the Iron Spike

Alignment: 

Domain(s): 

Associated Paladin Oaths:

Called St. Orpheus of the Iron Spike. Disciple of Tarin.

St. Protogonia 

Title(s): The Chained Scholar

Alignment: 

Domain(s): Knowledge, Prophecy 

Associated Paladin Oaths:

Story

St. Samira

Title(s): The Wise, Slayer of Liches, Most Holy Hierophant

Alignment: CG

Domain(s): Arcana, Travel, Speed, Trickery, Portal 

Associated Paladin Oaths: Ancients, Watchers, Zeal

St. Samira was a great wizard, trained in both the arcane arts at Uqance, the City of Mages, and a follower of Cernunnos. Samira is said to have discovered much deep magic and traveled to distant worlds searching the secrets of the Nine and the magical weave. Her final resting place is unknown, but her staff is kept in a shrine at the great Cathedral of St. Samira in Uqance, and her writings are part of the great arcane library also in the city.

St. Sucro

Title(s): Ashen-faced, 

Alignment: N

Domain(s): Death, Grave

Associated Paladin Oaths: Giving Grave, Vengeance

Sucro was said to be a grave-digger in the necropolis of Rosh-Haigar. His shrine and tomb are there, though he is revered by grave-diggers and those who have suffered great loss across the lands once claimed by the Empire and beyond. Little record remains of his life and legacy.

St. Selene

Title(s):

Alignment: 

Domain(s): 

Associated Paladin Oaths:

Story

St. Tedmund

Title(s):

Alignment: 

Domain(s): 

Associated Paladin Oaths:

Story

St. Tevra

Title(s): Holy Lancer, Apprentice, Golden Crown

Alignment: CG

Domain(s): 

Associated Paladin Oaths: 

Born a poor child in Uqance, St. Tevra is said to have been cast a blessed coin by St. Tedmund as he rode through the city on his departure to slay the green worm Goavraynth. She almost spent the coin on a bit of bread and a warm drink, but instead her feet led her to a wheelwright's shop where she was apprenticed. Many years later she embarked on adventures, the details of which are lost to time, until she was knighted and made a Holy Lancer of the Order of the Nine. 

St. Valdra

Title(s): Blessed of Culsani, Cleanser of Orzberg, Patriarch

Alignment: Neutral

Domain(s): Avarice, Moon

Associated Paladin Oaths: Acquisitions

St. Valdra was a unique Patriarch of the Church by becoming an Archbishop after working through the ranks of the deaconry. A dedicated follower and cleric of Culsani throughout her career, Valdra took over the Archbishopric of Orzberg following the revelation that the clerics of the city had been corrupted by a vampire. Through this experience she was a fierce and pragmatic defender of the faith. Her fellow archbishops elected her to the Patriarchy upon the death of Horeshtus IV. She is credited for revitalizing and expanding the greatest cathedrals of the Church (though it is rumored that she did this by collecting indulgences, or payments for the sins of nobles and great merchants). Her followers dismiss any of this as hearsay, and instead focus on her expansion of the great Cathedral and monuments at Rosh-Haigar, the holy city of the Church.

My Homebrew World: The Heavenly Choruses of Angels

The servants of the good and neutral deities of the Nine, the Heavenly Choruses of Angels are a strictly hierarchical ordering of certain classes of celestial. Some chaotic deities maintain their own chorus in addition to the general choruses.

This article is a work in progress, but I am putting it up for the benefit and collaboration of my players.

The Heavenly Choruses

The Chorus of Blazing Glory

The Chorus of Blazing Glory is the body of the Seven Archangels in service to the Nine. The evil gods have their own retinues of fiends. These angels are Solars, but may possess distinctive and powerful abilities.

Ceraman

Title(s): The Timekeeper of the Heavens, Judge of the Nine

Alignment: Neutral

Domain(s): Balance, Clockwork, Justice, Prophesy, 

Associated Paladin Oaths: Watchers

Ceraman is said to guard the sanctum of time, protecting its flow and seeing that it remains in proper order. The location of the sanctum is unknown, even to the gods for they know that Cernunnos or Culsani might cause irreparable damage in a moment of jest or spite. Demons seek to destroy the passage of time, throwing the universe into chaos like the infinite Abyss, while devils desire to use the power to subjugate all free creatures to their will and corrupt their souls. Ceraman only emerges to act as the neutral arbiter of justice on behalf of the Nine. It is said he was the judge when Asmodeus was cast out of the heavens.

Dalquiel

Title(s): The Doorkeeper, Guardian of the Way

Alignment: Lawful Good

Domain(s): Grave, Mercy, Travel

Associated Paladin Oaths: Ancients, Devotion, Guardian, Safeguarding, Silence, Watchers

Dalquiel is the angel who oversees and guards souls on their journey to the afterlife in the upper realms with the Nine. He is constantly in struggle and working to counter the schemes of fiends that would steal or divert these souls on their path and send them to the lower realms to become tortured thralls in the legions of the damned. 

Eda

Title(s): The Waves and the Wind, Storm of the Endless Stars

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Domain(s): Arcana, Portal, Speed, Tempest, Travel, Void

Associated Paladin Oaths: Elements, Thunder, Sanity, Silence

It is said Eda lives at the center of a storm that exists simultaneously on all worlds and planes. That she represents a singularity of chaos held in control by direction of the gods, else much of creation would be undone. 

Lakratel

Title(s): The Light in Darkness, Commander of the Hosts of Glory, Master of the Choruses, Archangel of the Armies, The Radiant Marshall

Alignment: Lawful Good

Domain(s): Apocalypse, Dragon, Justice, Knowledge, Light, Martyr, Order, 

Associated Paladin Oaths: Battle, Conquest, Eagle, Glory, Purification, Radiance

Lakratel is the leader of the armies of the Nine, and leads their eternal war against the powers of darkness on all worlds. He is ever present in history and legend at the forefront of the armies and battle during each epoch. It is said he fought alongside Asmodeus before the betrayer’s fall from grace. Lakratel has no tolerance for betrayal after this, and casts out or destroys any traitorous angel in the many hosts.

Mivi

Title(s): Tamer of the Song, Composer, Trumpet of Creation and Apocalypse 

Alignment: Neutral Good

Domain(s): Apocalypse, Creation, Mercy

Associated Paladin Oaths: 

Revered as the great muse by many bardic colleges and troubadours, Mivi is said to have been born in the gods’ song of creation and will sound the trumpet signaling the end of all things. 

Nakrav

Title(s): The Grower, Lover of Life

Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Domain(s): Life, Nature

Associated Paladin Oaths: 

Nakrav sees to all green and growing things drawing upon the elemental energies of Caturix for growth. He is a gentle defender of plants and animals, revered by some Druidic circles who do not worship old or forgotten gods as a nature deity.

Rindriaze

Title(s): The Executioner of the Gods, The Angel of Death

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Domain(s): Apocalypse, Death, Grave, Judgement, War

Associated Paladin Oaths: Balance, Battle, Conquest, Justice, Silence, Vengeance

Rindriaze is the weapon of the gods against evil. She is known in many cultures, and in other aspects is worshiped as a deity in her own right. She dispatches vindicators and other angelic servants to slay the foes of good when their efforts exceed the bounds decreed by the gods. Why certain evil beings are allowed to live on is a mystery known only to her and the gods.

Chorus of the Moon-Bathed Crescent

The Chorus of the Moon-Bathed Crescent is the order of Planetars that serve the Solar Archangels in the Chorus of Blazing Glory and the Nine Gods. It is said that there are nine hundred and ninety nine members of the Chorus of the Moon-Bathed Crescent. When a member dies, the Archangels select a member of the Chorus of Innumerable Stars that is advanced to the Chorus of the Moon-Bathed Crescent. These angels can intercede for mortals, and a sampling of those most well known to the Church is provided below:

Narkesi

Title(s): Demon Hunter, Bolt of Truth

Alignment: Chaotic Good

Domain(s): Demonology 

Associated Paladin Oaths: 

Narkesi is an Angel dedicated to destroying demons, hunting them across the planes, and studying their ways to destroy them. She leads a cohort of lesser angels that follow this path and guides mortals that walk the fraught path that skirts of the edge of madness by studying and attempting to destroy the power of demons.

Nithtari

Title(s): The Redeemed, Rebuker of Devils, The Gem Among Snakes, The Risen Angel

Alignment: Lawful Good

Domain(s): Atonement, Justice, Knowledge, Life, Light, Martyr, Mercy

Associated Paladin Oaths: Glory, Perfection, Purification, Redemption, Watchers

A tiefling woman, St. Nithtari stands as a symbol of transcendence. St. Nithtari rebuked her family in the name of the Nine. Her family were devoted disciples of Asmodeus. Nithtari was martyred by her uncle, the evil Lord Karcius, a powerful Illrigger said to have been dragged down to the Hells for his failures, but left to live on in eternal torment as a Dread Knight (Monsterous Menagerie). St. Nithtari herself is said to have so humbled Wontor that he persuaded Lucan to relinquish her soul from death and made her a Planetar angel of the Chorus of the Moon-Bathed Crescent. Thus some of her devotees revere both her aspects as a risen angel, and a martyred saint.

Chorus of Innumerable Stars

The Chorus of Innumerable Stars is composed of countless Devas comprising the Heavenly Legions. They serve the Archangels and Chorus of the Moon-Bathed Crescent. These angels do not generally act as intercessors on behalf of mortals, but will appear as messengers of more powerful Choruses. Their armies are said to be organized in tens and hundreds and twenties in their legions and cohorts, and fight alongside the gods from the beginning of time to the present and until the end of time. Other angelic beings like Valkyries also make up specialized cohorts of the Chorus of Innumerable Stars.

Chorus of the Flaming Blaze of Dusk

The Chorus of the Flaming Blaze of Dusk is unlike the other Choruses. It is the Chorus of angels that have had their physical form destroyed, but their immortal spirit has not been destroyed. These angels appear like shining spirits of light in the image of their physical bodies, and dwell in the heavens. They can still defend the heavens alongside their living comrades, but are confined to their world, and their souls can be destroyed forever by magical weapons.

Chorus of the Silent Grave

These are the followers of Dalquiel, who bring the dead and dying to the afterlife and guide them upon their path through the worlds to their eternal rest. They are solemn and quiet in aspect. Angels, celestials of all types, and chthonic scions are all part of this chorus.

Chorus of Fallen Glory

This Chorus is not often spoken of, but is the term to reference those angels that betrayed the Heavenly Legions and fled into the Hells after Asmodeus, along with all fallen angels until the present. These are the worst of traitors and most bitter enemies of the gods. Their names are secret and often not known by the Church for the good of all mortals. It is whispered that some of these have become devils and demons through twisted and dark magic. 

My Homebrew World: The Nine Gods

I really enjoy developed lore about the deities and cosmology of my fantasy worlds. It may be from reading the Belgariad as a kid or any number of fantasy series, but the idea of clerics and paladins choosing a god and fighting evil—or maybe being evil from a different point of view because of their fanatical beliefs—is intriguing. 

This post is intended for players. I will provide a GM only addendum eventually which will include secrets and potential adventure hooks. Gods from other materials can be incorporated by considering them an aspect or a different name for a similar deity, much like we see in real world history. Gender and other details may be swapped, but you can often treat them as literally being the same as other gods not included here.

You may also notice that at the time this is published originally that there remain many blank spaces for associated angels and saints. This is because those articles have not been written yet. Once they are up I will add the names and link to the respective articles.

The Nine

The Church worships the Nine as a collective. Thus the Church acknowledges all Nine in its iconography—and expressly prohibits any appeals to the Dark Ones. However, largely the Church encourages appeals to the Cascades of Saints or the Heavenly Choruses of Angels for intercession on the petitioner’s behalf to the Nine, which is why most clerics of the Church have patron Saints or Angels that they venerate. There are still however those who beseech one or more of the Nine directly. There might even be sects that prioritize the worship of one deity over the others, but few groups would dispute that the Nine are one group—at times fractious and divided, but always one pantheon.

Toutatis

Title(s): The Warrior, The Chief of Warlords, Master of the Noble Hunt

Alignment: CG

Domain(s): Hunt, Knowledge, Nature, War

Associated Paladin Oaths: Ancients, Battle, Conquest, Devotion, Eagle

Associated Angels: Yanvarra, Kolos, Riktar

Associated Saints: St. Navrejar, St. Tevra 

Toutatis is the warrior deity of the pantheon of the Nine. Devotees of Toutatis are often martial-types, or warrior paladins, or even rangers or barbarians that wander the deep woods and high peaks. Toutatis is the patron of many warrior angels and saints, and their respective orders. But his worshippers may also be found in deep groves or in mountain hollows open to the sky as well as in stone temples and citadels. The conflicting ideals of both duty and freedom define the various sects of the followers of Toutatis, one the aspect of the devoted warrior, and the other the unleashed energy of the wild, borne on the winds of one’s own passions and strength. 

Lucan

Title(s): The Gentle Sleep, The Resting Grave, Change and Decay, The Grim Lord, Gaoler of Afterlives, The Jailer

Alignment: N

Domain(s): Grave, Darkness, Death, Demonology, Life, Peace, Corruption, Vermin, Repose

Associated Paladin Oaths: Devotion, 

Associated Angels: Dalquiel

Associated Saints: St. Nithtari

Lucan represents the inevitability of death. He is not evil, rather Lucan represents the natural consequences of life and magic. He abhors the undead, liches, and others who prolong their lives through unnatural means. Lucan also represents the inevitable decay that exists in the duality of life and growth progressing into corruption, decay, and death. His followers seek to destroy the undead, specializing in hunting necromancers and those who would disturb the sleeping dead. He hates the followers of Orcus and demons in general for meddling with the order of the universe. Lucan is said to reside in the realm of shadows that mirrors the mundane world where he sends souls on their way to the outer realms. Other souls linger in the shadow plane, endlessly waiting for release from whatever holds them bound to it and the material plane.

Cernunnos 

Title(s): The Cunning, The Stranger, The Gambler, Master of Lies, Weaver

Alignment: CG

Domain(s): Arcana, Avarice, Labyrinth, Travel, Speed, Trickery, Portal, Void

Associated Paladin Oaths: Acquisitions, 

Associated Angels: Myika, 

Associated Saints: St. Lukricus, St. Samira

Cernunnos is a trickster god, and although he is good at the core, can be capricious. He is also a god of travelers, and those who entrust their lives and fortunes to chance, like gamblers. Cernunnos is described in myths as often playing tricks on the other gods or seeking to engage them in riddles. Sphinxes and similar creatures often are said to be descended from Cernunnos due to this predilection. He also is said to be the grandfather of the fey lords and ladies, and to animal spirits, all creatures that display cunning and cleverness. Many rogues revere him for these traits. Cernunnos also represents the shifting nature of magic and it is said that once when he transformed into a spider he woven the threads of magic that crisscross the universe, acting as a fount of arcane magic, particularly for those who study ley line magic.

Caturix

Title(s): Father of Dust, Flamebringer, The Tempest, The Wave, Endtime, Suns and Seasons

Alignment: CN

Domain(s): Creation, Life, Light, Air, Fire, Earth, Nature, Tempest, Water, Wind

Associated Paladin Oaths: Ancients, Battle, Eagle, Elements

Associated Angels: 

Associated Saints: 

Caturix is an old god, perhaps older than the others, and represents the power of the elements. The Inner Planes and the building blocks of the universe were created by him. Though the various jinn of these planes have differing stories about their creation and lineage these may be references to various aspects of Caturix. He may also be linked to many sorcerers gifted with elemental magic. He is also worshiped under various names by druidic circles.

Brigid

Title(s): The Hammer, Anvil of Truth, Master of all Makers, Exalted Artificer, The Chains of Eternity 

Alignment: LN

Domain(s): Avarice, Creation, Clockwork, Forge, Light

Associated Paladin Oaths: Acquisitions, Devotion, Eagle, 

Associated Angels: Ouron, Riktar, Ibeph

Associated Saints: 

Brigid is the smith and armorer of the gods. She is a versatile crafter, capable of working all mediums, and is thus a patron of creation, art, and innovation. Even some bards worship Brigid, desiring that their lays be as fine and cunningly wrought as her weapons and precious gem-set treasures. The dwarves and elf’s hold Brigid in high regard, although they know her by many other names. It is said she takes her materials from the Inner Planes to ensure the greatest purity from Caturix material creations. She also is said to inspire inventors and artificers of all types. She is said to have forged the chains that prevent fiends and celestials from running rampant across the planes, requiring them to be summoned by manipulation of her chains and Cernunnos’ magical weave.

Tsovinar 

Title(s): Lady of the Four Winds, The Breathe of the World, The Glittering Dragon, She of Might and Terror, The Appointed Destroyer, The End of All Things

Alignment: CN

Domain(s): Apocalypse, Arcana, Dragon, Knowledge, Tempest, Nature, Ocean, Serpent, War, Wind

Associated Paladin Oaths: Battle, Conquest, Eagle, 

Associated Angels: 

Associated Saints: St. Navrejar

Tsovinar is sister to Tiamat. In ancient times their battles tore the sky and sent wind and wave flying, destroying all in its path. Until Tiamat was cast into the Lower Realms and bound. Tsovinar is revered by all good dragons, no matter what the shade of their scales, but is often considered the mother of gemstone dragons. Those who seek the might of dragons or to emulate them are often followers of Tsovinar. She is a powerful god of storms, often worshipped by sailors and travelers desiring good weather. It is said that when the world reaches its true end, if it is not consumed by some evil deity in a terrible apocalypse, that Tsovinar will heed Lucan and Wontor’s command to end the world, retiring it from all violence and blood that is waged and spilt upon it, and giving it eternal rest from the evil of mortals.

Culsani 

Title(s): Fairest, Beauty of the Dew and Dusk, Budding Life, The Dancer, The Jealous Watcher

Alignment: CN

Domain(s): Avarice, Beauty, Life, Wine (Beer), Moon, Nature 

Associated Paladin Oaths: Acquisitions, 

Associated Angels: 

Associated Saints: St. Lukricus

Culsani is a goddess most identified with love and loss of inhibition. She is worshiped by festival and party-goers, but also is particularly highlighted at weddings and other events marking the possibilities of a new beginning. She also is said to love the gardens in moonlight, garnering her the devotion of many nature and moon focused clerics. While not evil, she can be unpredictable and cruel with her beauty and quick wit. 

Tarin 

Title(s): The Silvered Dragon, The Dragon Emperor, The Rock of the Mountains, Stoneheart, Unyielding, Unforgiving 

Alignment: LN

Domain(s): Arcana, Judgement, Justice, Balance, Dragon, Mountain, Order, Serpent, Speed

Associated Paladin Oaths: Battle, Conquest, Devotion, Eagle, 

Associated Angels: 

Associated Saints: St. Orpheus

Tarin is the third of the three dragon gods, consort and nemesis to both Tsovinar and Tiamat. He is the rock of the mountains, unyielding against the storms of the others. Revered by good dragons of all types and those who admire dragons, Tarin is stubborn in dispensing justice and order. He cannot tolerate creatures of disorder and is said to dislike Cernunnos intensely. Toutatis is at times an ally of Tarin when he is devoted to duty and order, and at other times a foe.

Wontor 

Title(s): The One-Eyed God, Father Time, Raven-Eyed, Scarred, King of the Nine

Alignment: LG

Domain(s): Arcana, Life, Knowledge, Apocalypse, Creation, Civilization, Martyr, Portal, Prophecy 

Associated Paladin Oaths: Ancients, Ascetics, Battle, Conquest, Devotion, Eagle, 

Associated Angels: 

Associated Saints: St. Adelard, St. Nithtari, 

Wontor is often said to be the leader of the gods. This may or may not be true, but at the least he is renown for his knowledge and power. He is said to be gifted the power of making and unmaking and will be there at the world’s end. Often depicted as missing an eye, he is said to see the bridge between worlds. Those who seeks knowledge and magical power, tempered by wisdom and good are seekers of Wontor. The patron of selfless sacrifice, his legends speak of the times he has sacrificed himself in defense of the gods. He is recognized as ruler of the Nine, even by those who follow the other gods to a greater degree.

The Dark Ones

Chergoth

Title(s): The Dark One

Alignment: CE

Domain(s): Apocalypse, Avarice, Hunger, War, Corruption, Darkness, Death, Demonology, Madness, Void

Associated Paladin Oaths:

Associated Angels: 

Associated Saints: 

Chergoth may be a mask of various demon lords, primarily Orcus. Or he may be a distinct entity, ruling the lower realm of Gahenna. He is generally recognized as distinct from the Darkest Low, who is largely ignored in the theology of the Nine, although its clerics will not dispute the existence of the King of the Hells.

Tiamat

Title(s): The Dark Serpent, Witch of the Dead, Season Turner

Alignment: LE

Domain(s): Apocalypse, Avarice, Darkness, Dragon, Serpent, Tyranny

Associated Paladin Oaths:

Associated Angels: 

Associated Saints: 

Called the dark serpent, the goddess Tiamat is sister to Tsovinar and sometimes consort, most time enemy of Tarin. Her battles with these other gods are legendary. Legend say that Tiamat is bound in chains by the gods, but her loyal followers seek to restore her and lift her up to rule over the Nine.

Piety Rewards

One focus area I’m working to improve as a GM on is providing rewards to my players for their efforts to role play and take their character in interesting directions of their own choosing. 

In my Lost Mine of Phandelver campaign I have a light cleric of Helm who does a great job roleplaying their devotion to their deity. In a recent session the party visited Helms Hold on their way to the ruins of Thundertree, and the cleric took the time to pray in the Cathedral of Helm...while of course the rogue pilfered from the offerings box. How can we reward great roleplaying like that?

Inspiration is a great way to reward players for roleplaying (when you remember to hand it out), but I think that the cleric's efforts deserve a more substantial (and more mechanical) reward.

I found the inspiration for how to implement this from a YouTube video by WebDM on the book Mythic Odysseys of Theros. They suggest that it almost acts as a sort of Deities & Demigods for 5e, just that you can “file the serial numbers off” and take the piety rewards for devotees of the various gods for use with the pantheon of your own world of choice.

As an example, I took the rewards for the god Helios and modified the flavor slightly so they could go to a follower of Helm. The powers from a couple appropriately themed gods became those of the wizard acolyte of Oghma.

I think this tip from WebDM is a great idea, especially to make use of the design work done for no fewer than fifteen gods in Theros. This also happily squeezes more value out of this book than it merely being a Magic the Gathering or a pseudo-mythic Greek setting (I will get around to a reaction post about Theros eventually). The mechanics for these gods effects also provide good templates to create additional ones for more specialized or distinct portfolios depending on your own pantheon. There are other similar systems, like Concordance from Strongholds & Followers, but I think the Theros implementation is particularly robust in terms of design that can reward a player throughout play. 

In the future I’d like to explore the theme of divine power in D&D, along with looking at various products and supplements that look at this topic. There are also only a few of these types of beings that have stat blocks, which is another area I’d like to explore, at the upper reaches of CR where reality and collective play experience start to get thin.