Keranos, God of Storms

As the embodiment of wisdom, Keranos is intolerant of mortals, whom he sees as reckless. Yet he also respects those who take action with clear purpose, especially if they seek his approval first. Such individuals earn a two-edged blessing: momentary glimpses of the future, but the inability to change what is to come. Among mortals, Queen Cymede of Akros is Keranos's greatest servant and has done much to spread the god's worship in the city. Keranos embodies wisdom and insight but is unhindered by compassion or patience. Just as the storm vents its fury unpredictably and without warning, so does Keranos deliver the wisdom he chooses to impart. Those who seek to solve enigmas and create wonders of art and science often invoke his name. The creative process is fraught with frustration, and his insights make short work of such hindrances as easily as the lightning parts a mighty oak. Keranos dispenses inspiration without regard for the morality of its application. He is just as likely to reward the shrewd general seeking to topple a polis as a gentle healer searching for a cure for a malady. Good and evil don’t color his thinking, only action and the thrill of birthing new ideas into the world. Furthering the act of creating—be it ideas, weapons, art, or magic—is what matters most. Keranos’s name is often invoked by those amid a storm who seek safety, or by someone who is faced with a particularly difficult problem. Only the foolhardy call out to Keranos frivolously or in jest, since he might well smite the offender with a bolt from the blue.

Champions of Keranos

Most champions of Keranos are calm under pressure, creative, and clever. They often seek to challenge the status quo and thrill at wielding the power of the storm.

Keranos’s Favor

Keranos chooses champions who are deliberate and wise, yet able to bring the storm’s fury when needed. He expects his champions to be aggressive and self-reliant and disdains the lazy and the foolish, who deserve whatever ill fortune befalls them. The god of storms is inscrutable at the best of times; thus, it can be difficult to discern why you’ve earned his favor. What prompted him to gift you with foreknowledge of important events? How have you demonstrated your potential? The Keranos’s Favor table offers a handful of suggestions.

d6	Circumstance
1	You were born amid a great storm that destroyed most of your village.
2	One of your parents was struck by lightning.
3	As a child, you were favored by an oracle of great power who saw Keranos’s spark within you.
4	You solved a riddle, puzzle, or cipher that was previously thought unsolvable.
5	You were born under auspicious stars.
6	You have no idea why Keranos grants you visions, and the burden weighs heavily on your soul.

Devotion to Keranos

Just as the storm is unpredictable and often dangerous, so is service to the lord of storms. Keranos’s devotees hatch their grand designs always with an eye on the darkening sky. As a follower of Keranos, consider the ideals on the Keranos’s Ideals table as alternatives to those suggested for your background.

d6	Ideal
1	Devotion. My devotion to my god is more important to me than what he stands for.
2	Wisdom. The pursuit of knowledge and insight is the highest aspiration one can achieve.
3	Foresight. Fortune favors the prepared, not so much the bold.
4	Fury. I am the storm and will not be denied.
5	Impatience. Whatever it takes to reach an epiphany, I will do it.
6	Change. There are no constants in this life. If we don’t innovate and adapt, we are doomed.

Approval

You earn Keranos' approval when you expand the god’s influence in the world in a concrete way through acts such as these:

Solving a challenging riddle or puzzle
Smiting the unwise and foolish in Keranos’s name
Helping a polis successfully plan for or adapt to a threat
Building or restoring a temple to Keranos

Keranos' approval decreases if you diminish Keranos’s influence in the world, contradict his ideals, or make him look ridiculous or ineffectual through acts such as these: