Loops' Small Gods Thread

[Loops]

Hi,

I wasn't sure where to put this but it says general is for discussing ideas and stuff. I thought there was another thread that covered this, but couldn't find it! I came up with a few ideas for small gods of the city and drew inspiration from a few different things. I'm thinking of making a cleric and always wanted to run a custom small god if I made one. I'm not entirely sure if I'll use these ones I came up with but instead of just keeping them in a word doc I thought I would share them, in case anyone else likes them or is inspired to come up with their own ideas after reading them. I'll probably update this thread with other stuff I come up with.


Mulgogi (small goddess of fish scales and fishrot)

Titles: The Scaly Lady, Mama Squamous
Alignment: True Neutral
Domains: Water, Illusion, Trickery
Favoured Weapon: Dagger

The Goddess Mulgogi is said to walk unnoticed at the docks, where the fishermen shore their catch. There she collects the scales that the mongers scrape off of the fish. It is also said that she can be found walking alone collecting the scales of dead fish that have washed up on the shores of the sea, lakes and estuaries.

Her hair is said to be like seaweed and her eyes are depicted as sunken and black. Some fishermen claim to have seen her and amongst them her scent is often confused for the smell of the gutted fish. A timid and sequestered creature, when found she has been said to retaliate by invoking a gentle breeze to bring about an unbearable odor, enough to cause even a seasoned fisherman to choke. Mulgogi then uses this opportunity to slip away.

Those unusual fellows who revere Mulgogi favour their isolation, living segregated from large associations or groups. They tend to carry a knife, which they use to defend themselves and to collect scales to offer to their Mama. In turn, they receive the gift to hide and stay hidden, provided that they use this boon to shield their ugly lives and not to bring about calamity or to seek gross profit.



Ibithas (small god of oaths, wells and moats)

Titles: Holder of Oaths, God of The Well
Alignment: Lawful Neutral
Domains: Law, Water, Renewel, Retribution
Favoured Weapon: Greatsword

Ibithas is the Holder of Oaths. It is said that he brings luck and good will to those who hold to their oaths and and woe to those who do not. It is he who witnesses all oaths offered to The Well, where the words are remembered for eternity. He is depicted as an old, knightly figure with princely raiments and a mighty sword.

Followers of Ibithas say that he strengthens the bonds between all honourable men and women, claiming his movements are tied to the waters of the world. They claim that he can travel between all the wells of the The City at will, cleansing the waters of those who hold true to their word or spoiling the waters of communities that harbour betrayers and oathbreakers. To some, offering a tithe of coin or gold to The Well is a way to seek good fortune or to pray their wishes granted.

Of those that claim to be a part of his clerigy, Deacons are the most widely travelled. Rumours persist of befouled waters and gut-rot plaguing wards that turn them away. Followers of Ibithas will always set terms before any combat and will abide by those terms until such time as their foe abandons them. It is rare that a follower of Ibithas will strike a killing blow against someone who has held to the terms of their engagement.

The Deacons of Ibithas claim that he is not one to concern himself with the day-to-day lives of mortals. Instead they record oaths and pledges and offer these down to him each evening. Once so offered, it is said that to break your word is to invite a terrible curse...



Pandeo (small god of lost idols)

Titles: The Bauble Bearer, Friend of the Forgotten
Alignment: True Neutral
Domains: Gnome, Knowledge, Planning, Portal, Travel
Favoured Weapon: A Spear or Walking Stick

Pandeo is said to be the god of lost idols, forever pledged in the task to reunite lost idols, religious statuary, and holy symbols with their faithful, regardless of their alignment, their acts, or any other consideration. He is often depicted as a squat human or gnome, balding and pudgy, with greying clothes adorned with ancient royal medals.

Perhaps unusually, Pandeo is said never to acknowledge being worshipped by mortals. Instead, he is said to invite followers join him as companions in his unending quest, and to occasionally grant them with blessings to ensure that the task is done more effectively.

His companions claim that Pandeo is the servant of all the other small gods, ensuring that their idols and other paraphernalia find their way back to their rightful place when lost. Because of this, the primary task of his companions is to recover idols that are lost or forgotten. They often swear not to contest thieves or interfere with those that simply find and keep them.

They say his followers will return recovered idols to the appropriate temple or group of faithful secretly, without leaving any indication of how they came back. Indeed, whispers say that many of these returns are falsely attributed to the gods of the idols, that such divine intervention is a hollow promise.

Because of the nature of his service, followers of other gods leave Pandeo's companions alone. Whilst they are not troubled, they are also almost never acknowledged, a religious underclass of unmentionables ensuring that the treasured idols of The City never entirely disappear. Interestingly, it is said that the more obscure and weak the god of the lost idol, the more interested in returning it Pandeo becomes, feeling compassion for these sorts of gods.



Buffo of Anura (small god of ring running, stashes and caches)

Titles: The Old Toad, The First Ring-Runner
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
Domains: Water, Reptilian, Trade, Travel
Favoured Weapon: Trident

Buffo of Anura is depicted as a testy, grumpy, incredibly ancient toad the size of an ox. He is said to love coins and treasure, revelling in sitting on his stash pile, which is hidden in the depths of a sunken palace, located in a deep ring, built in a forgotten age. It is said that he will never hesitate to attack those coming near his sacred pit should he, even for a moment, think that they want his loot.

Despite his nature, Buffo has developed an ecclectic following of none-bullywugs. Myths amongst his disparate cult claim him to have been the first to run all the rings of The City, when the walls first rose, and his experience, his skills and the riches he gathered serve as inspiration to many kinds of people. Despite many other legends contending with this, the cult of The Old Toad persists, true or not.

They say that The Old Toad's attention may be summoned by an earnest commoner. The commoner must collect a stash of coins and worms in a pit, then sob and weep for the attention of the god. His sight is said to be ushered by a chorus of frog song that lasts an entire night, though whether he pays attention or not is a fickle thing. Some folk of the rings beg him to stump troublesome monsters or bandits, and it is said he chooses to solve problems by serendipitiously guiding ring runners to the right place at the right time.

Those who claim to have met The Old Toad warn that he may grant the wisdom of the ancient ones who remember proto-historic secrets of The City. It is said he is crotchety and may wander off topic whenever he is asked a question. Warnings say travellers fortunate (or unfortunate) enough to meet him best quickly offer food so he doesn't get hungry watching twitching, tempting, pink-meatpeople.

Swamp folk, old misers, farmers, and poor and desperate people call upon him for protection. Ring runners are known to beseech him for guidance when they cannot go any further, and appease him by leaving stashes of gold and treasure in their wake for others to find. They say that if an insincere person summons him seeking only his treasure, that their journey will be very short indeed...