Deities native to the realm

These are of course not the only deities to follow. Just some of the ones that have been created over time. Some were used way back in TMT, and were brought over to OTI some time later. Please feel free to create others an add them to the list!

- Ian

The Scorned Woman - A Goddess of retribution, revenge and extralegal justice

People who petition her are often angry or outraged. Religion is often persecuted because it encompasses revenge outside of the law often, and is thought to be bad luck for those who run afoul of worshippers. Assassins sometimes follow the religion, and that gives it a stigma; it is less about the letter of the law than what is proper. This is a religion of vigilantes rather than judges.

For example, a woman whose husband is scum and takes their kid away after separation might pray to the Scorned Woman and find that her husband has some misfortune befall him. Another woman who slept around on her husband and lost her child might find that nothing happens. Someone who tries to gull the god, or prays for unjustified ills tends to have something bad befall them as a punishment for assuming too much. Another good scenario is that of a banker legally evicting someone from their home to use the home as collateral on a debt.

While legally right, it''s not exactly the right thing to do. On the other hand, neither is the retribution the banker suffers for his greed. A god of justice would be satisfied with the law being followed, whereas the Scorned Woman would see a law being put to abusive use. Various bad things might befall the banker as he tries to use the wealth he gained at the expense of the people he turned out on the street, until he makes restitution in some form.

Worship often comes about in the form of speaking to a priestess/witch of sorts; an Auditor. The Auditor works as a wise woman of sorts that others go to and explain their problems to. The Auditor listens with the Scorned Woman''s ears. What most worshippers don''t know is that prayers with no real justification are either ignored or returned in kind with interest. Eventually, rumors begin to surround the Auditor and she is either usually given an important informal place in a community''s affairs or is driven out. Of course, driving the Auditor out tends to bode badly for those who drive her out.


Vigilante or The Bloody Hand of Vengeance - Deity of Vengeance

Vigilante is the polar opposite of the Scorned Woman. Where the Scorned's justice is more poetic, Vigilante's is quite clearly, eye for an eye. The bloody hand of vengeance takes the job very seriously, and vengeance is usually served coldly and callously to all that oppose.


The Dark Librarian - A deity devoted to hidden knowledge

The Dark Librarian isn't merely a deity that caters to scholars of the occult and the forbidden, but also those who ply information that is not generally known, and is generally quite useful. Therefore the Dark Librarian has a following among those who study certain branches of medicine and necromancy, as well as those who blackmail and manipulate, such as courtiers and merchants.

The Dark Librarian's few temples tend to be repositories of lore that ranges from secret histories of famous rulers (often unflattering to said ruler) to blackmail material, items best left destroyed and other such things. The items tend to range from amusing songs about tyrants long dead that were sung in secret, to accounts of religions practiced in secret despite persecution to the most disgusting and horrible experiment results possible. A Dark Library tends to be an unpleasant, musty sort of place that puts a person''s neck-hairs on end, but it is a place to go for knowledge of things that most others avoid.

An appeal to the Dark Librarian usually involves one of the following themes; a supplicant seeks hidden knowledge of some sort or seeks to have certain knowledges hidden. In return for such a knowledge, the supplicant must supply some sort of dark secret, even if it's something trivial, to a priest of the Dark Librarian. Those who attempt to lie to the Dark Librarian's representatives are usually cursed, with some exceptions; the Dark Librarian likes public misinformation as much as it is a deity that enjoys being "in" on things.


The Veil - Deity of secrets and shadows

The Veil is, as most deities, androgynous by name, though many followers feel that this one is most assuredly female. The Veil isn't the patron of secrets entirely, though does share some of that responsibility with the Dark Librarian. However, the Veil is fickle and more often than not uses the guise of the Dark Librarian to serve his/her own devices.

The Veil controls all things shadow and shadowy by nature, which makes it a perfect deity for assassins, thieves, and others who prefer to walk a darker path. There is no known temple, but there are altars in various thieves'' guilds that are scattered throughout the lands, where tithes are paid in respect and service to the shadowed one.

More often than not, the Veil's services come in the form of a living shadow to speak words of wisdom to the one requesting guidance or assistance. Extremely practiced rogues are even granted the boon of being able to walk in the shadows themselves. And those who have shown the Veil exceptional service are often granted the ability to control shadow at a whim, as long as it is used to further the reach of the Veil and not their own reasons.
Punishment for those that defy the Veil isn't well documented. The accused usually ends up going missing, never to be seen again.


The Harvester of Sorrow - Patron deity of death and the dead

The Harvester is reclusive, existing within those that serve. As the patron of death and the dead, priests generally wear funeral shrouds at all times, and have an obsessively morbid fascination with death. The Harvester also caters to those with the unsavory profession of necromancy, as those with the knowledge of the dead seem to have a brotherly or sisterly kinship, rather than a child of this one, or a mere servant.

Little is truly known beyond what little is gleaned from priests of this faith. Even the Dark Librarian is loathe to offer such secrets of death and the dead, as the Harvester does seek to usurp other deities and gain ultimate control over the living through death. For this reason, most serving this faith are outcasts, or hide themselves by claiming another faith, serving in solitide and secrecy.


The Gatekeeper - A deity of Death and Judgement; Reward and Damnation

The Gatekeeper sits judgement on all things that must die, and is the decider of where a soul's place is in the afterlife. Accordingly, he is often potrayed as a stern deity by outsiders. Depending on where the worship is established, one either emphasizes him as the enabler of reward after death or the gateway to torment for a damned soul. The duality in all representation of this god show him as a stern but fair bearded man, or even as a cold-featured woman, bound by duty to send people on their way.

Those who follow his creed understand that life is composed of responsibilities and consequences for one's actions, and act accordingly.

For the most part, the priesthood of the Gatekeeper is misunderstood in their mission and creed, sometimes mistaken for the Harvester of Sorrow's own.

Ironically, the Harvester's faith stay well away from the Gatekeeper's kind, for they are at opposites; the Gatekeeper is indeed the Harvester's jailer, though the jail is imperfect and ever-evolving, and souls have been known to escape their fate and lead an existence of deprived hatred towards the living, surviving parasitically by destroying life in order to perpetuate their existance.

As a result, the priesthood takes on a primary mission of eradicating and preventing the spread of the undead. In some places secretly and in others quite openly, the Deathwardens, as the priests are called, often function to hunt and eradicate the undead and bring irresponsible necromancers down. In those places that suffer particularly from the undead, the Deathwardens establish a priory and often devleops a military presence. They also offer services to handle the burial of the dead consistent with the dead''s beliefs so that there is no chance of the body being used in necromantic ritual.
Where necessary, they act in secrecy, but usually maintain a good information network as they have learned, over the centuries, that liches and vampires and more intelligent undead often use a shield of mortality to cover their schemes. The Deathwarden''s methods may vary from subterfuge to open combat, and different Deathwardens are given the free run of tactics to accomplish their goal. It suffices to say that tactics vary from one to the next.

Worship is usually very informal and de-ritualized, but faith is very necessary to the work. Most people use the services of the Deathwardens, but do not swear fealty to the Gatekeeper; the deity is not one that is widely worshipped so much as widely appreciated. Typical rituals are performed by supplicants to protect particular bodies and souls from tampering by other forces.


Nateela, Mistress of the Black Tide - Deity devoted to Rivers, Seas, and Storms

Affectionately known as the Sea Witch, Bitch of the Black Tide, or shortened to the Black Tide, Nateela caters to those that use rivers and seas for trade, travel, and leisure. Pirates and pirate-hunters alike are known to ask for a blessing, and it is usually the Black Tide''s whim as to the blessing She will readily accept.

Her major temple is the Black Tide Cathedral, located on an island far from Seedorf. This is said to be the center of Her supposed power, though there are small shrines dotting islands, mainlands, and riverbanks for Her worshippers to pay their tithes and ask for Her blessing upon the waters. Nateela is vengeful, however, and is known to turn on even Her most faithful to serve Her own desires, calling forth raging storms to swallow a follower''s ship at sea, never to be found again.

Acolytes of the Black Tide serve proudly, no matter what She deems fit for them. However, they only accept those who come willingly, into Her embrace. They do not preach but to Her followers, and do not convert, but simply inform if one so desires.

Acolytes perform the funeral rites of the Black Tide, which is known to be a horrifying process. The flesh of the dead is stripped and given as a sacrifice to Her, buried at sea, while the bones of the deceased are buried at a site behind the shrine the rites are performed at.

Rising Tide - A three day ritual before the rising of the tides, marked by a debaucherous celebration within the town. Food, wine, and other pleasures a-plenty. Even the Acolytes are known to participate, but mainly they oversee the festivities to ensure that no one overdoes it and ends up being a casualty of the celebration. A celebration that is done cheaply, if enough is not provided, this can result in a tidal wave, wiping the blasphemous followers from Her sight. But the last celebration that incurred such wrath was in the summer of 325, when a notable merchant shorted the delivery of wine. As he tried to flee, the tidal wave swallowed he and his ship, and neither were seen again.

Call of the Storm - This ritual is usually performed at sea or on larger rivers, and usually by those being persued, be it pirates from pirate hunters, or others by pirates. Begging for Her help, the ritual demands a sacrifice of flesh, blood, and gold to be dropped overboard into Nateela''s gaping, tumultuous maw. Those who beg for this help, but refuse the sacrifice are often found washed up upon shore the following night, bloated, blue, and lifeless. A successful ritual calls a rising storm from the depths of Her domain, to slow or even destroy the persuers, keeping them from their target.

Symbol of the Black Tide: Blue waves devouring a ship at sea, on a black background.