Pantheon: Halfling Deities

Pantheon: Halfling Deities

This post details two halfling deities from D&D. Have to mention that there are many more described in D&D splatbooks.

Yondalla

Greater deity
Alignment: Lawful Good

Symbol: a cornucopia

Home plane: Celestia

Portfolio: halflings, explorers, family

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

Worshipers: halflings, explorers

The deity of halflings, Yondalla, appears as a strong female halfling, with a proud bearing. She dresses in green, yellow, and brown, and always carries a shield. Yondalla is the creator and protector of the halfling race.

            Dogma: Yondalla espouses harmony within the halfling race and stalwart defense against its enemies. She urges her people to work with others but to remain true to their halfling heritage. Most halflings heed this advice, which allows them to form close-knit enclaves where halflings are welcomed, even when they have settled in areas where other creatures predominate. Yondalla also teaches that opportunities are there to be seized, which leads most halflings to be both adaptable and somewhat opportunistic. Yondalla brooks no evil among halflings, but she does not despise any halfling. Rather, she seeks to guide halflings who have lost their way back to their homes and friends.

Dallah Thaun

Intermediate deity
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral

Symbol: a coin purse cut open

Home plane: Outlands

Portfolio: halflings, secrets, guile, thieves, rogues, acquisition of wealth, death

Domain (-40%): stealth spells

Worshipers: halflings

Dallah Thaun, the Lady of Mystery, is the dark aspect of Yondalla. Physically split off from Yondalla when she created the Halfling race, Dallah Thaun is worshipped both as a deity in her own right and also as pary of Yondalla. Anyone who worships one goddess worships both, and prayers to one are heard by both. Each goddess knows everything the other knows and is privy to the other’s plans. Since they both work toward the same goal – the benefit of the halfling race – they do not quibble over one another’s methods. Instead, the two goddesses utilize each other’s strengths and compensate for each other’s weaknesses. For example, when someone evil harms a great number of halflings, Yondalla’s followers nurture the survivors while Dallah Thaun’s seek vengeance.

            Very few outsiders know of Dallah Thaun’s existence, and the halflings like to keep it that way. Since she is an aspect of Yondalla, halflings who venerate her can truly say that they worship Yondalla – who, as everyone knows, is a benevolent deity. Since no one except halflings realizes that Dallah Thaun exists, she is not as powerful as her other half. In many ways, the two goddesses epitomize the dichotomy between openness and secrecy that is so characteristic of halflings.

            The Lady of Mystery appears as a beautiful female Halfling with dark hair and eyes. She dresses all in black and wears a voluminous black cloak with a hood that conceals her face. She tosses a gold coin in her gloved face.

            Dogma: There is no inherent evil in accumulating wealth. How one gains this wealth is another matter. The Lady of Mystery does not condone killing or even harming others for money, but relieving the overly wealthy of a portion of their burden is quite accessible. In fact, any method that harms no one is fine with Dallah Thaun, so long as the perpetrator does not get caught. Avenge any wrong done to your people.

Arvoreen

Intermediate deity

Alignment: Lawful Good

Symbol: two crossed short swords

Home plane: Celestia

Portfolio: defense, war, vigilance, halfling warriors, duty

Domain (-40%): protection and warning spells

Worshipers: halflings

Arvoreen, also known as The Defender or The Wary Sword, is the closest the halflings have to a war god, but he is actually the halfling pantheon's deity of defense, guardians, and watchers.

Brandobaris

Lesser deity

Alignment: Neutral

Symbol: halfling’s footprint

Home plane: none

Portfolio: stealth, adventuring, halfling rogues

Domain (-30%): illusion and creation spells, movement spells

Worshipers: halflings, rogues, adventurers

Brandobaris is the halfling deity of thievery. He is the misapprehensions of halflings held by most races in divine form. He is constantly scheming and meddling, as he is curious and with a short attention span. Where the tall races would put more interest in one's purse than his character, Brandobaris cares for character more. Brandobaris has few enemies, as his charm and wits allow him to escape from trouble.

Cyrrollalee

Intermediate deity

Alignment: Lawful Good

Symbol: open door

Home plane: Celestia

Portfolio: friendship, trust, the hearth, hospitality, crafts

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

Worshipers: halflings, artisans, cooks, innkeepers

Cyrrollalee is the halfling deity of trust, friendship, and hospitality. The Hearthkeeper is a caring deity who represented the home-life of halflings. As such, she s interested in hospitality and generosity, and frowns upon those who treat guests poorly. She particularly disdains those who burgle homes or betray the trust of hosts.

Sheela Peryroyl

Intermediate deity

Alignment: Neutral

Symbol: daisy

Home plane: Outlands

Portfolio: nature, agriculture, weather, song, dance, romantic love

Domain (-20%): communication and empathy spells, weather spells, plant spells

Worshipers: halflings, rangers, farmers, bards, druids

Sheela Peryroyl is the halfling goddess of nature, song, dance, agriculture, and romantic love.

Urogalan

Demigod

Alignment: Lawful Neutral

Symbol: silhouette of black dog's head

Home plane: Elysium

Portfolio: earth, death, protection of the dead

Domain (-30%): earth spells, necromantic spells

Worshipers: genealogists, grave diggers, halflings

Urogalan is the halfling deity of earth and death. Urogalan is a gentle deity for a god of death, respected and revered by his chosen race but never feared. He is seen as a protector of the dead. Because halfling dead are usually buried in the earth, he is also the guardian of the earth itself (as opposed to the green plants that grow in the earth, which were the dominion of other halfling deities).