Showing posts with label Alaron. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Alaron. Show all posts

Thursday, November 1, 2012

Dalerain VII: The Winter Queen


Cheneitha
Winter Queen, Lady of Ice, Frost Maiden
Power of the Dalerain
Major AoC: Cold, Frost, Ice, Winter
Minor AoC: Frost, Death by Cold, Stagnation, or Being Trapped.
Symbol: A snowflake, a snowy owl.
Allies: None
Enemies: Brigit, Umoth
Avatar: Cleric 12 / Fighter 11 / Wizard 12

Cheneitha appears as a young woman of medium height, with silver-white hair and pale, almost colorless, blue eyes, clad in a robe of white fur and a gown of white silk. In combat she wears crystalline scale mail and helm and carries a spear of ice called Frausein, or Littlefrost. She is vain, and often wears pale or colorless jewels, and enjoys these as gifts. 

In a few rare myths, Cheneitha is represented as as a sister to Brigit, or Alaron and Eial, but tempted away from them and into Kajalla's influence. At one point she was part of a trinity of goddess, including Kajalla the Crone and Malis the False; her place in recent centuries has been overtaken by Yilwyn, the Bleak Maiden. She rarely deals with the Crone anymore, but any rumors of her desire to reconcile with her sister(s) are swiftly extinguished by her priesthood and probably untrue.

Cheneitha is worshiped by ice elementalists and those seeking to keep things as they are; she is appeased by nearly everyone. She is generous with those who please her, but fickle in her attentions; those who are not vigilant find her whims have turned against them. Her priests are solitary between themselves, preferring to surround themselves with minions and cohorts rather than rivals. They hope to win their goddess’s favor by eliminating warmth and the heat of change from the world, and bring unchanging cold. They often use undead in these tasks, and some see undeath as the ultimate existence, stagnant and cold.

Cheneitha is rare among the Dalerain in her rulership of a material realm, the High Ice. This desolate, glacial land has slowly expanded its reach over the centuries, and now covers almost everything beyond the Kameurhorns. Her interest in the High Ice has waned as its influence has grown, and the goals of the High Ice, whatever they may be, are increasingly determined by a shadowy power or powers embedded in the deepest ice.

Winterlady /Winterlord (3e)
Domains: Battle, Cold, Summoning, Water
Skills: Intuit Direction, Wilderness Lore
Favored Weapon: Spear.
Bonuses: +2 class bonus to Intuit Direction and Wilderness Lore checks in winter or arctic conditions.

The image is by Harald Siepermann; original is here http://haraldsiepermann.blogspot.com/2008/07/blog-post.html .  I probably shouldn't use it, since I didn't ask permission, but the Dulac Snow Queen is so...staring. 

Tuesday, June 30, 2009

Dalerain IV: Evergreen King [Dalerain]

Samaan
Lord of the Green, Evergreen King
Power of the Dalerain
Major AoC: Forests
Minor AoC: Animals, Primacy of Nature over Civilization
Symbol: An oak tree or leaf, a wolf of leaves and branches
Allies: Alaron, Eial
Enemies: Umoth, Ragavar, Urjin
Avatar: Barbarian 5 / Druid 15 / Ranger 15

Samaan usually appears as a eight-foot tall man with a long, stern face, antlers, grey hair and beard, and ragged clothes. In this form he carries a quarterstaff called Soltreow, or One Tree. He may also appear as a antlered dire wolf, or a wolf with leaves and branches in place of flesh and bone.

Samaan spends most of his time in the Wyrld, wandering the forest lands he holds dominion over. He visits Alaron and Eial in their sacred places in the Wyrld, but otherwise prefers to keep to himself. Any divinities seeking council with him must locate and travel to him. His relationship with Uller is respectful but cautious; both powers are dislike interference in their domains, and have clashed on occasion, though these conflicts are rare and brief. He neutrally regards the other elemental powers, notably Aela, Eides, Larril, Tamati, and Linon. He appreciates both destruction and growth as natural and necessary aspects of forest life, but opposes their support of mortal endeavors towards taming the land (or, in Tamati’s case, filling it with bloodshed). The Forest King’s greatest wrath is reserved for deities that twist and destroy the woodlands, most particularly Umoth, Ragavar, and Urjin the Rotted God.

The Lord of the Green is worshipped by those who live in, or make their living from, woodlands and forests. Rangers and barbarians often worship him, and forest druids may leave offerings at his shrines and holy sites in addition to their own worship of the Wyrld. Undead are regarded as unnatural, but only singled out for destruction when they become a hazard to the forest life.