Wave of creation just hit and I furiously typed up this deity over the last hour. Right before bed, too... Oi.
Anyways, I now present the Scorpion Goddess, Chelicera!
Chelicera
The Stinging Queen, Guardian of the Sands, Mother/Mistress/Queen of Scorpions
Lesser Goddess
Symbol: A scorpion with a Halfling woman’s face
Alignment: Neutral Evil
Portfolio: Halflings, desert, scorpions
Worshipers: Halflings, assassins
Cleric Alignments: Neutral Evil, Neutral, Lawful Evil
Domains: Animal (granted powers affect/are scorpion-only), Death, Protection, Trickery
Favored Weapon: Sting (shortspear)
Chelicera is a cold goddess of the desert, focused entirely on her domain and her chosen races – scorpions and the Halflings who care for them. She has little patience for those hailing from beyond the deserts and has been known to send her scorpion-kind children to murder those who meddle too much in the affairs of the sand kingdoms.
That said, when dealing with her children and their caretakers, she seems more the doting mother than calculating murderess. Perhaps it is because of the size of the Halflings and their uncanny bonding with the scorpions or perhaps the legends that she once loved a Halfling man are true. Whatever the reason, the little folk are the only humanoid race with whom she will actually deal.
Dogma
Chelicera is swift, deadly and silent. She calls for all who truly worship her to follow the same path. Protect the desert lands from those who would abuse them and their inhabitants. But do not hesitate to kill with any means necessary those who would betray the desert and her peoples. And honor the scorpions, the children of Chelicera.
Clergy
Clerics of Chelicera are almost exclusively Halflings. More often than not, they are women and they are as uncaring as their mistress when it comes to the ways of most folk. But if their nomad tribe or, gods forbid, their scorpions are threatened, the Scorpion Priests act as swiftly as their Queen strikes with her poison tail. Most of the time, clerics of Chelicera serve the tribe and act as advisors and guardians. (Clerics almost always have the Trickery domain and many also take the Animal domain to later be blessed by a Scorpion Companion.)
Druids and Rangers are also fairly common among Chelicera’s worshippers. Druids are less skilled in the ways of stealth, but they have a far stronger connection to the scorpions and are awarded a level of respect comparable to that of other priests. More Halfling men become Druids and Rangers than Clerics.
Chelicera’s followers tend to not get along well with any other faiths. Other desert gods dislike or even fear Chelicera for her cold and cruel ways and as such keep their distance from her and her deadly tail.
Quests
Tasks and quests from the Stinging Queen often involve protecting the desert and its people (especially Halflings) from marauders or purging the desert of troublemakers. Sometimes, if a mighty scorpion is threatened, Chelicera may call on her followers to protect the creature.
Prayers
Prayers to Chelicera are most often performed in the presence of her favored children. It is not uncommon for a worshipper of Chelicera to have a small scorpion in hand or nearby while praying to the goddess. They often involve asking for protection or a swift death, whichever Chelicera deems appropriate that day. Some more paranoid followers pray for protection several times a day, just in case the Queen of Scorpions starts losing interest.
Temples
Temples, or at least places of worship, are most often the same pen or tent the Halflings use to house their scorpions. Actual temple buildings to her tend to be solemn and bleak places. The husk of a large scorpion (whether dead of old age or simply a molt) is often in a place of honor, usually right one the altar.
Rites
Very few true rituals exist in the worship of Chelicera. Collecting venom is the most common one to be practiced (and is called The Scorpion’s Gift), and it is only done, at most, once a month. Priests will speak with the scorpion brood and then have the creatures repeatedly sting an empty bladder or waterskin, filling it with toxin. After the poison is blessed, it is given to the tribe’s poison-maker who distills it and makes it ready to be used with weapons.
The other major ritual is the Rite of the Sting. There are two parts to this ritual, though only one is required of all Chelicera’s worshippers. It is similar to a rite of passage or adulthood. The adult-to-be (whether male or female) must endure a sting from a dog-sized scorpion (Medium, usually the Animal Companion of a tribe Druid or Cleric). Almost all Halflings survive, though some suffer harsher effects than others. The second portion of the ritual is only performed if the adult-to-be wishes to join either arm of the priesthood of Chelicera (Druids or Clerics). In this version, the priest-to-be must survive three stings from the scorpion, rather than just one. Naturally, fewer Halflings survive this ritual, but it ensures the ones who do survive are hardy enough to be priests of the Stinging Queen.
Herald and Allies
The herald of Chelicera is a massive scorpion-like creature called Aradromoscor. It appears to be a Colossal Monstrous Scorpion, but with a vast intellect and keen mind (INT 20, CHA 16). Legends say Aradromoscor was part of the first brood of scorpions ever birthed by Chelicera. His siblings were all killed over time, by outside forces and by each other, and now only Aradromoscor remains. He has survived for eons and served his mother faithfully the entire time (likely part of the reason he has survived so long).
Allies of the Mother of Scorpions are few and far between. Fiends of various sorts and even a few beings of law (Inevitables) fall under her banner, but other deities steer clear of the dangerous goddess.
