Chauntea (Chaun-tay-a)
Overview
Daughter of Camir and twin sister of Malar. Originally a deity of wild places and animal life, Chauntea has grown with her world, changing and adapting to its many developments which over the years have taught her patience to the point of being, at times, ponderous. Chauntea loves the inhabitants of her world, and she likes nothing more than instructing Aralla’s denizens on how the land itself might enrich their lives.Portfolio and Responsibilities
She is a goddess whose portfolio includes agriculture, plants cultivated, farmers, gardeners, summer. In the early centuries after the Calamity, Chauntea was known as a wild deity who ran with animal packs and rejoiced in the unhindered growth of wilderness. Though the people of a few beastfolk tribes continue to worship this aspect of the Great Mother, the deity herself has moved on, changing as the world changes. In the last several hundred years, Chauntea has become enamored with the inhabitants of her world (particularly humans) to the point at which she now focuses her attention completely on helping them live off the land. She preaches a reverence for nature and urges the folk of civilized lands to repair what they have damaged, but she long ago ceded the wildlands to other deities. This development has led to a cooling of relations with Camir--some of his more militant druidic worshipers believe that the Earthmother has betrayed herself and sold out the world to the all-too-rapid encroachment of civilization.Divine Domains
Animal (including all subdomains), Earth, Good, Healing, Plant (including Growth)
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Holy Weapon - Sickle, Staff
Holy Animal - Oxen, Horse
Holy Colors - Green, Brown, White
Holy Mineral - None
Holy Symbol - Blooming rose on a sunburst wreath of golden grain
Tenets of Faith
Edicts - Growing and dying is the natural cycle, you must respect it. Let no day pass in which you have not helped a living thing. Protecting trees and plants.
Anathema - Destruction without rebuilding. Using fire to fight or destroy.
Holidays
The clergy holds few organized holidays, instead instructing the faithful to give thanks to Chauntea at every sunrise, and in every moment the natural beauty of the world fills them with joy. A long-standing tradition within the church holds that a newly wedded couple should spend their first night together in a freshly tilled field, which is said to ensure a fertile union. Fertility plays an important role in the Chauntea faith, and a hedonistic celebration during Greengrass encourages excessive drinking, eating, dancing, and uninhibited behavior. The clergy observe solemn High Prayers of the Harvest during a ritualized annual ceremony coinciding with the start of the harvest.
Example Paladin Code
As a paladin devoted to Chauntea, Daughter of Camir and Guardian of Life's Abundance, I vow to uphold the following principles:- I shall treat the earth beneath my feet as sacred ground. Every step I take will be with gratitude and respect for the life it nurtures.
- I will aid in the cultivation of the land and the sowing of crops, understanding that the bounty of the earth sustains all life.
- It is my duty to teach others the ways of agriculture and the benefits of a harmonious relationship with the land. Knowledge shared is the key to a prosperous community.
- While I will defend against those who harm nature, my first response shall be to heal and restore. It is more virtuous to mend than to destroy.
- Whether wild or domesticated, every creature has its place in Chauntea's grand design. I shall treat every life with kindness and respect, intervening only when the balance is at risk.
- I will be a bridge between the wild and the civilized, understanding that both have their place in the world. It is through understanding and unity that we ensure the prosperity of all.
- Wherever the land is wounded by neglect or malice, I will seek to heal it, reminding all that the earth is our shared inheritance, and its well-being is the well-being of us all.
Physical Description
Body Features
Chauntea rarely manifests herself in physical form, preferring to diffuse her essence throughout the living land of Aralla. Religious icons depict her as a matronly, middle-aged woman with pale white hair and a welcoming smile. She wields a sturdy shock of grain as both walking staff and weapon, on the unusual occasion in which she finds herself in battle.
Divine Classification
Rank 19 Greater Deity
Alignment
Neutral Good
Realm
Church/Cult
Honorary & Occupational Titles
“Earthmother” or “The Grain Goddess”
Children
Pronouns
she/her
Aligned Organization
Other Affiliations
Ruled Locations
