Vita, Goddess of Life

Great Mother, the Matriarch

Symbol: Ankh on red background
Home Plane: Font of Life
Alignment: NG
Portfolio: Life, birth, healing
Worshipers: Healers, midwives, farmers, gardeners, druids
Cleric Alignments: CG, LG, NG
Domains: Animal (PH), Family (SC), Healing (PH), Plant (PH), Renewal (SC)
Favored Weapon: “Walking Stick” (Quarterstaff)
Dogma: Life is precious. Do something every day that helps a living thing to flourish. Plant a seed at least once a month. Nurture and tend to plants, animals, and people whenever possible. Help heal the sick and educate others against harmful practices. Needless violence and destruction should be prevented and discouraged. Avoid taking a life whenever possible, resorting to lethal force only as a last resort.
History/Relationships: Vita is one of the deities who helped create the world of Embril. She is known as the goddess who breathed life into the world, allowing it to flourish. At the beginning of time, Vita tended Embril with her husband, Mundus, God of Nature. Thus Caelum, God of the Sky, Pontus, God of the Sea, and Terra, Goddess of the Land were born. Centuries later, Mundus had an affair with Luna, Goddess of the Moon, from which was born Clades, Goddess of Disaster. Vita, distraught, sought comfort, and a measure of revenge, in an affair with Mortem, God of Death, who always coveted her. From this union, Umbra, Goddess of Shadow, was born. After both of these events, Vita’s marriage to Mundus became unsalvageable. The two separated and Vita created her own plane of existence, the Font of Life. Of all deities, Vita truly sees no one as her enemy. She loves life in all its forms and is cordial will all the other gods, though sometimes, meetings between those she has sordid history with are awkward. Some evil deities, such as Clades and her son, Vastator, God of Destruction, might hate her, but she holds no animosity towards them. Her greatest regret is attempting to hide away the existence of her own daughter, Umbra, which only served in pushing her away, causing lasting damage in their relationship.
Clergy and Temples: Clerics of Vita often offer services as healers and midwives. They help farmers tend to crops, and gardeners tend to gardens, teaching them techniques to promote life in their plants. Vita is also considered one of the gods of nature, so many druids and rangers are in her ranks as well. Nonviolence is one of Vita’s tenets and those who adventure in her name rarely use lethal force, preferring to incapacitate enemies whenever possible. For this reason, clergy of Vita are rarely sought after for their battle prowess, and instead highly regarded for their healing capabilities. Temples of Vita are often understated structures, neatly decorated with greenery and gardens. They often double as hospitals and their staff help tend to the sick. The clergy wears ceremonial garb of red and white robes with their holy symbol hanging from a silver chain.
Holidays:
Jubilee – Officiate marriage ceremonies, blessing marriages, expectant mothers, and those planning families.
Spring Festival – Celebrate the coming spring helping farmers and gardeners plant crops and gardens.
Nature’s Blessing – Celebrate life in all its forms, blessing newborns and infants.
Festival of Flowers – Perform the dance of the petals.
Harvest Festival – Celebrate the coming autumn, blessing the crops and praying for a bountiful harvest.
Known Temples:
Shrine (Alim, Athayra)
The Living Temple (Nascadia, Athayra)
Shrine (Elmar, Camlund)
The Grand Temple of the Matriarch (Church)
The House of the Healer (Glimwood, Escaria)
The Living Hall (Thar, Escaria)
Shrine (Woodmarch, Escaria)
Shrine (Daymark, Frithia)
Vita’s Sanctuary (Kamlin, Frithia)
The Temple of the Great Mother (Laragos, Frithia)
The Altar of Life (Alidar, Kainan)
The House of the Bountiful Harvest (Boros, Kainan)
The House of the Great Mother (Delvine, Kainan)
The House of Life (Enera, Kainan)
The Grand Garden (Grenace, Kainan)
The Hall of the Golden Grain (Kelter, Kainan)
The Harvest House (Kingswood, Kainan)
The Living Garden (Mantle, Kainan)
The House of Healing (Penton, Kainan)
The Chapel of the Living Goddess (Rindell, Kainan)
Vita’s Blessing (Sylvia, Kainan)
The Temple of Life (West Andaria, Kainan)
The Sprouting House (York, Kainan)
The Glade of Life (Karavale)
The House of the Sacred Seeds (Luthia)
Vita’s Bountiful Table (Molinay)
Shrine (Pelinhal, North Durman)
The Green House (Green Hills, Oathendale)
The Lady’s Gift (Helmsford, Oathendale)
Vita’s Bounty (Prend, Oathendale)
Shrine (Tall Rock, Oathendale)
Goldenfields (Wistor, Oathendale)
The Gardens of Life (Rowadin)
The Chapel of Life (Falfar, South Durman)
The Holy Harvest Hall (Espina, Thayland)
The House of the Living (Oakhead, Thayland)