Cernunnos

The Horned One (a.k.a. The Watcher in the Wood)

The Horned One has his origin in the mists of prehistory, an archaic spirit of nature. The forms he adopts are invariably male, giving rise to speculation about whether this being is really as ubiquitous as stories say, or whether there is a female counterpart that has never been identified. Although he has the abilities of a greater god, he does not have an organized religion through which he is worshiped and the devotion or revulsion of mortals is of no consequence to him. Unlike other gods, Cernunnos dwells on the Prime Material Plane and his spirit may in fact be intertwined with it.

Divine Domains

Nature, Woodlands, Animals

Physical Description

General Physical Condition

Cernunnos appears as a well-muscled man of divine stature. He has clawed hands and hooved feet with a skin tone that always takes on the color of the wood, whether deep green, grey, or brown. His hair and beard are thick, long, and in some places even leafy. His eyes and ears are wolf-like and a magnificent set of antlers grows from his head. Although he appears massive and heavy, he is surprisingly agile and swift, never even disturbing the flowers as he passes.

Special abilities

The Horned One always passes without trace. He is also able to shapeshift at will into the form of any woodland creature he desires. He most frequently takes the shape of a wolf or a stag, but other favored forms include raven, hawk, and serpent. His close connection with all creation allows him to merge even with inanimate or semi-animate matter. At times, he disappears for decades or even centuries while inhabiting a mountain peak, or a lake, or taking the form of an oak to experience its slow growth over the years.
Cernunnos can summon any woodland creature at any time. He is likewise able to call on those fey creatures most strongly connected with the elements--nymphs, sylphs, dryads, nixies, naiads, brownies, and grugach. All beings he summons will obey him without question and defend him to the death.

Divine Classification

Greater God

Religions

• Circle of the Deru-Weid

Alignment

Neutral

Church/Cult

Circle of the Deru-Weid