Level Up (A5E) Sins of the Scorpion Age: Deities, Gods, and Religion

Steampunkette · Jul 12, 2021

Cracked stone and desert sands, scrub grasses and twisted trees. Our world was not always so. In an age lost to the world the Gods battled each other upon the mountains, the plains, within the forest, and the seas... and we stood beside them against cruelty, and ignorance. But along the way we committed terrible acts upon those very monsters we battled, and some act so profane, so foul, was committed in those horrible wars that the gods withdrew from the world. Laid upon it their many curses, laid them upon us for our trespass, an act now lost to history. Our forbearers, prideful fools that they were, did not acknowledge their crime. It became hidden, taboo to discuss, to even consider, until knowledge of it was lost. And now, none know what we must atone for.

And so we atone for all things.
-The Chronicler-

Six gods. All capricious, some cruel, some horrid. With a seventh as a martyred saint, someone who was mortal and is worshipped posthumously as a god by a Cult of Flowers. Seven is a powerful number, culturally. And I think that's a solid base for a world. Further Demigods and the like, of course, may crop up. But I think it might be better if we keep the list small, at least to start.

The Weaver
Portrayed as a spider-entity, the Weaver creates the silken strand of a mortal's life and spins it as long or as short as she desires. That thread is woven into history, into the tapestry of existence... But it can be cut short. And those lives who are of little import form the backing for the tapestry of history. Dirty and hidden, they are the dun-colored thread against which more vibrant colors appear. Of late, all of her threads have been short, and woven erratically against the tapestry. It is thin in far too many places, torn and frayed, and we suffer for the thinness we have created in the weave.

The Serpent
A great serpent, oft worshipped by those who seek to survive in terrible conditions. Sand wastes are rife with vipers who thrive even in places mortals fear to tread. In darkness, in marshland, in jungle, and forest. The Serpent and his offspring are omnipresent. Thousands of eyes to watch for betrayal, for failure, and poison to swiftly dispatch those who do not hold up to his design. The Serpent's curse upon us all is his gift. The children of the Serpent travel the land and take what they seek back into the sands, and the shadows.

The Mountain
A stone god, a steel god. A god of forge and fire. Of volcanoes and ash. As indifferent to mortals as the stone upon which they tread. For every one of their lives ends so swiftly as to not exist before the mountain's steady gaze. It is said that from him, mortals stole fire and steel. But he cared no more for the theft than for the lamentations offered at the graves of those thieves. For him, the gap was as the blink of an eye. To call for the help of the Mountain is to ask stone to part itself that you might pass through it.

The Witch
Magic is hers, and hers alone. She who helped mortals steal fire and steel from the Mountain. She who in benevolence taught the first Sorcerer magic. She who now twists it within the grasp of any who use it. Who seek to wield a weapon she commands. Perhaps it was her who was so sorely scorned that the gods cursed mortals. Whatever the case, those who whisper words of power often seek to appease her in the wake of it's use, lest they find themselves unable to be purified of the corruption that sets in.

The Beast
Before man and magic, before fire and steel, the world existed. And unto it the Beast delivered life. Delivered savagery and blood. For this is the heart of all life, is it not? To destroy and devour, to consume and grow. The druids who obey his edicts of savagery gain strange powers of transformation to become more bestial, more terrible, more savage. And they alone escape his curse, for they alone embrace it. It is said that when the world darkens, when the sun falls from the sky, the Beast will consume all. And return the world to what it was in the beginning.

The Dweller
In the darkness of the world, the Dweller was bound in the beginning of all things. A twisted abomination, aberrant and antithetical to life, he alone was placed in the pit of fire and darkness to shepherd souls from the land of the living to the land of the dead, for only the dead could look upon him. His reach, though, is long. Longer, now, that the Godscurse is upon the world. Now that the gates of Hell itself are opened and all manner of horror crawl up through the cracks of the world to harry all mortal kind.

The Flower
A Martyr. A heroine of the people who died an age past while rising against the cruelty of the Gods, against the fiends of the Dweller, against the Beasts and the Serpent. Those who follow her cause bear flowers instead of steel. Beat their breasts and wail chants of hope and cry out to the uncaring gods to end their curse for her purity. In recent years, their curse has lessened, their burdens been relieved. And it is said that the Flower now rises among the gods in power, that she can cure your ills, and mend your heart, and end the curse at last.

But who can say if this is true?

As a fun thought... What if the gods do not grant specific domains, like you might find in Faerun, but instead provide their priesthood with any, or even all, available domains... Save those they personally do not wish their followers to hold? The Flower, for example, might allow any domain -except- for War. A tale told not by what they offer, but by what they explicitly exclude. By what power they refuse mortals in their service.

You'll notice I offer no god of Elves. Nor of Dwarves. Of Giants or of Kings. This is because all are meant to worship one of these seven gods... or the six True Gods and the Heretical Cult of Flowers. Or simply offer lip-service and appropriate offerings to all the gods whenever it would seem appropriate to the lay person.

I'll probably want to name these gods, eventually. But there is another very large benefit to having only six gods. More space to write about each individual god. What rituals they demand, what prayers they hear, what legends they might appear in, and what tasks they've accomplished that can be referenced by Priests looking to gain converts.

I also think it's a powerful allegory that at some point we, as mortals, transgressed against the gods. And we seek forgiveness and atonement for that forgotten act. For that thing we do not know. Or. Mortals can rebel against the Gods. Ignore the curse and live their lives as they choose. Free of guilt, but burdened by society...

Could be neat... Thoughts?

Compilation of Project Chronicle Links: Project Chronicle: Master List - The Homebrewery

GuyBoy · Jul 12, 2021

This could be a lot more than neat.
I love your writing style; it conveys a sense of bleakness alongside the swords and sorcery. Dark Sun meets (an inclusive version of) Hyboria.

Blue Orange · Jul 12, 2021

The writing is great, I agree!

The idea of having only one domain missing is actually a nice lore-rich way of dealing with a game mechanics problem (clerics not having enough spell variety). This way they'll have everything except the one the god doesn't give them--6 out of 7 if you're doing PHB.

My first thoughts for forbidden domains were: Flower-War (you said so plus peace is the antithesis of war), Beast-Knowledge (the animal versus the human), Serpent-Light (he likes the dark right?), Dweller-Life (he seems to be portrayed as the closest to the traditional devil figure, though as a psychopomp it could go the other way), Witch-Nature (magic is unnatural), Weaver-Tempest (order vs chaos), Mountain-Trickery (nothing sneaky about stone)

Depending on where you go with this, the gods could have different names for different nations (Dragonlance did this as I recall).

Tales and Chronicles · Jul 12, 2021

ohhhh pretty good, real impressive.

Faolyn · Jul 12, 2021

My only issue is with the number. Seven is, indeed, an important number, but I feel like there is room for some more: The Blade, who is worshiped by those who live and die by the sword. The Storm, who sends her winds and waves to batter against the Mountain.

Tales and Chronicles · Jul 13, 2021

Faolyn said:
My only issue is with the number. Seven is, indeed, an important number, but I feel like there is room for some more: The Blade, who is worshiped by those who live and die by the sword. The Storm, who sends her winds and waves to batter against the Mountain.

I'd maybe merge The Mountain and the Dweller, to go all in on the theme of ''what lurks beneath the stone''. Think Torog from Nentir Vale or the Daelkyr-loving dwarves from Eberron. It would also give a new flavor to dwarves, being from the ''world under'' instead of just being short, stocky humans who love metal.

More ''The Descent'' and less ''The Hobbit''

The Weaver could cover the ''Tempest'' theme, shaping the weather like a giant web around the land. There's always a passive feel to the idea of ''Fate'' so merging it with a more devastating theme would be nice. And I feel there's a nice link to be made between both themes when you want to play on the frightening, high tension moment before a storm and the uncertain tomorrow of a devastated land.

More ''Bad Moon of the Rise'' and less ''Greek Moira''.

This would leave space for a god called ''The Steel'' or ''The Iron''. Full on war, forge and industry.

Steampunkette · Jul 13, 2021

There's definitely a room for additional deities, or the collapsing of different deities together. I chose seven because it's a very small number! For the same reason that the farmers were asked to find only four samurai.

Not to tip that hand too heavily.

Each of these deities is based on an archetype from Conan's Pantheon. The Serpent as Set. The Mountain as Crom. The Dweller as Yog.

The Weaver and the Flower are exceptions.

Faolyn said:
If you need any help with any of it, I offer my services.

Post here. With ideas. With names. With Legends and Heroes. Demigods and Angels. Offer names and conceits and identities.

And you will help.

Blue Orange · Jul 13, 2021

Sacred creatures:

Weaver-spiders Serpent-snakes Mountain-golems Witch-hags (of all genders) Beast-lycanthropes Dweller-devils Flower-plant creatures

Heroes/legends:

The Weaver: The greatest seamstress of all time, Chelicera, was said to be able to weave enchanted cloaks, boots, and tunics that could turn away spells or fire. There were those who rumored she was greater than the Weaver herself. When the rumors became loud enough, the Weaver turned her into a spider. Chelicera now weaves the Weaver's webs, and is said to provide enchanted cloth for those who do the Weaver's wishes.
(Arachne, Greek mythology)

The Serpent: The greatest of all thieves was Paulus, and he led a huge band of rovers through the wastes. They said he passed without trace and could see the future. One day, as his life was growing short, he walked into the wastes alone, and the snakes came to claim him. Now he is the greatest of snakes save the Serpent himself, and those who seek to survive where none else can will beseech his aid.
(Dune, Frank Herbert)

The Mountain: The convict Jake Haggard was condemned to quarry rocks from a cliff wall. One night he disappeared, and became the cliff itself. They still say you can hear his pounding on nights sacred to the Mountain, and when sites holy to the Mountain are threatened he appears and smashes desecrators to bits.
(John Henry, American folktale)

The Witch: If the Witch gave magic to the first sorceror, the wizardress Sefketabwy made it teachable to others. By recording the steps of the dance of sorcery on her palm stem, she turned the intuitive, charismatic art of magic into a reproducible, legible science. It is said that she wrote the first spell, and that all spells are derived from her formulae. It is said a wizard who researches a new spell will gain her blessing.
(Seshat, Egyptian mythology)

The Beast: Udiken the bull-man wrestled the first man. The followers of the other gods say the first man won, and spared Udiken; the followers of the Beast say Udiken won, but the first man deceived him through trickery. Those who can remain true to their bestial nature may call on Udiken, and he may give aid, but whosoever takes his aid may become a beast and remain so forever.
(Enkidu, Sumerian mythology)

The Dweller: They said Heylel was cast into hell for his hideousness, but in fact Heylel's crime was to raise his fist against the tyranny of the other gods, and for this he was cast into the pit of fire with the Dweller. But he still is honored by rebels, outcasts, and those who would not accept the will of others, and it is said those who fight for freedom may call on him, at a terrible price.
(Lucifer, Christian mythology-though mostly Milton)

The Flower is yours, I think.

Steampunkette · Jul 13, 2021

It is said that in Il'sha-ah upon the great river Cobra where his hood opens as he bites into the sea of Khufu, there came a drought in the forty and second flooding season in the First Dynasty. The Pharoah Am-Tet, blood of the Serpent still cool in her veins, called forth her armies to guard the failing river as she, with the wisdom of the Serpent, made the trip south to the River's Source.

In the great desert Annam, beneath the sweltering sun, she took her personal guard, forty and two, and sought to end the drought. Forty and two nights they traveled, and forty and three days, and each day a member of her Guard refused to go further, for no sign of the cause was found on each of these days. Each day these men would seek water from the sickly river, seek comfort from the heat, and find themselves absent the Pharoah's company.

Am-Tet continued on the forty and third day, alone, to walk through the Annam, to pass across the ruined plants upon the sickly river's banks, to see the dying herds of animals upon it's shores, until she came upon the source of all ire. There, across the river on the forty and third evening, before the night fell, Am-Tet found a great dragon had lay across the Cobra's tail.

The beast was so large, so bold, that when it raised it's mighty head Am-Tet, Pharoah of Balam, Third of the Blood of the Serpent, First of her name, fell into shadow and darkness. The great dragon's bulk had diverted the river from it's bed, and cast the life-giving waters beyond into thirsty sands which drank the Cobra. And it had been drinking of the river, as well, taking the greatest share of water for itself.

For a night Am-Tet pled with the great beast. Her every argument met with refusal. "Your people would drink, but I would thirst." claimed the dragon. "The Khufu is too salty for me to drink down." it reasoned. "My scales would grow hot if I left the riverbed to let the river flow as I drink." it complained.

And on the dawn of the forty and fourth day, Am-Tet's patience drew thin. And in glorious battle she slew the dragon, setting it's waters to join the flow and releasing the Cobra from bondage. For forty and seven days the river ran red and lapped high upon the floodstones of the Cobra's bank. Forty and three days she walked back to Il'sha-ah, not drinking of the poisoned river.

And each day she came upon one of her guard, bloated with water and poisoned with Dragonsblood. But when she reached the Cobra's hood the water ran clear of blood, of poison, drank down by those who betrayed her for their own ends, of those who put themselves first before Il'sha-ah, as had the Dragon.

Or so it is said.
-The Chronicler-

This myth makes a strong point of repeating numbers and ideas. It shows that selfishness can poison and kill. But also eludes to a strange and important event that may be couched in metaphor. Perhaps the Dragon was a neighboring threat that her "Guard", in truth members of her court, sought to betray Am-Tet to for their own gains. And the blood of the serpent in her veins is a phrase meaning "Poisonousness" that their actions against her lead to their own demise. Perhaps the "Dragon" sought to claim the Cobra for themselves, and perhaps attempted to dam the river or divert it for their own purposes?

... or maybe there really was a Dragon that she slew, alone, in personal combat. The metaphor and numerology are present so it could go either way. And such a legend could be a powerful basis for a Priest's sermon on the wisdom of the Serpent and the foolishness of selfishness. Of laziness. Of obstinance.