Pantheon: Human Deities

Pantheon: Human Deities

This post details three human deities. While Aventernus is a racial deity of the aventi, an amphibious race from Stormwrack, in my setting he is the main deity of the human pantheon.

  

Aventernus

Lesser deity

Alignment: Lawful Good

Symbol: a white spear striking and parting water on a diamond

Home plane: Elemental Plane of Water

Portfolio: humans, islands

Domain (-30%): water spells, communication and empathy spells

Worshipers: humans, island dwellers

Aventernus is a sea god whose nature has changed along with the lives of his favored people. Once a human deity of maritime concerns such as naval endeavors and fair mercantile work, Aventernus was the patron of an island nation of powerful magicians and skilled sailors. These island-dwelling humans called themselves Aventians to honor their patron. Aventernus’s priesthood played an important part in the daily workings of the city. All that changed, however, when a mighty catastrophe sank the nation into the waters of the sea.

Aventernus became a stern and strict god of justice and fair practices, and the honorable nature of the High Aventians can be traced back to the influence of his precepts on the lives of his people.

Dogma: Aventernus’s creed is the application of strength in the assistance of the weak. Do not tolerate treachery.

Urbanus

Lesser deity

Alignment: Lawful Evil

Symbol: green helm decorated with emeralds

Home plane: Outlands

Portfolio: cities, growth, improvement

Domain (-30%): making and breaking spells, spells that shape unliving matter

Worshipers: city dwellers

Urbanus is the god of cities. One day, in their dreams, the city planners began seeing a strange figure that showed them designs for new buildings, new streets, a completely new city layout. When each of the planners awoke, he remembered every detail of the dream. Later, the men shared their dreams, and they were awed to learn that each dream was the same. The city was built following the new designs, and the planners dedicated it to this strange visitor.

Since then, Urbanus has appeared in every large human settlement. He visits leading citizens in their dreams, encouraging them to improve and expand the city. He also watches over cities, protecting them and their inhabitants.

Urbanus appears as a male human, middle-aged and dignified. His skin is made of brick and stone and other building materials. His eyes are windows. His teeth are paving stones. His helmet (or perhaps it is his hair) is a domed spire. When he speaks, his voice sounds like wagon wheels and church bells and water pumps. Though primarily a human deity, Urbanus accepts the worship of anyone who lives in a city.

Dogma: Urbanus believes that the cities need to grow, but not always by becoming larger. Sometimes they need to destory and evil lurking within them, or to straighten crooked streats or repair old buildings. His followers often lead campaigns to restore old city sections, and they also help organize neighborhood watches.

Zarus

Greater deity

Symbol: golden face of a man over a golden star

Home plane: Elysium

Portfolio: humanity, domination, perfection

Domain (-30%): spells that improve physical and mental characteristics, spells that improve appearance, spells that improve charisma, mind control spells

Worshipers: tyrants, conquerors

Long ago, according to legend, Zarus was the first man, created by the world itself. No deity had a hand in his creation, because no deity could have conceived such a perfect creature. Members of the other races trembled to see him, for they knew that he was their superior in every way. His grace surpassed that of the elves, his sturdiness astounded the dwarves, his crafts were the awe of gnomes and halfl ings everywhere.

As long as Zarus was alone, the other races allowed him to live, secure in the knowledge that he could not reproduce. But Zarus was not content. He spoke with the world and begged for a mate—and it created his wife, Astra. She was as perfect a woman as Zarus was a man, and the other races trembled yet again, fearing that this perfect couple would spawn a new race that would overshadow them all. To prevent this, the leaders of each race gathered in secret and plotted Zarus’s demise. They brewed a poison and mixed it in fine wine, which they gave to him as a wedding present.

Zarus knew that the others plotted his death, but he could not honorably refuse the gift. He toasted their health, and drank. The poison worked swiftly, but as Zarus felt his life departing the world took pity upon him and elevated him to godhood. Now Zarus looked down upon the world, and he wiped away the tears of his wife Astra. “Do not weep for me, beloved,” he consoled her, “for I am now a god, and set to watch over our people. You will bear me children—they already lie in your womb—and these will be the start of our race. All the other races will quake in fear, knowing that they cannot match us.”

This is the story told in the Book of Zarus, the holy scripture of his church. Zarus is called “the true human god” and is considered the only god who places humans before all others. He cares nothing for the other races, only for humanity, and encourages his followers to prove themselves better than any nonhuman. Unfortunately, he also fosters the belief that humans deserve to rule the world, treating other races as servants. His priests teach that other races are inferior, in need of human guidance—and human masters.

The clerics of Zarus encourage conquest and slavery. The worst sin a human can commit, according to the Church of Zarus, is to mate with a nonhuman and produce a child. This child is a taint on the race and must be removed.

Zarus appears as an incredibly handsome human male in his prime, suffused with a golden glow.

Dogma: Zarus encourages his followers and priests to become as perfect as possible, and to dominate other races.