Gozreh
Gozreh is a deity of two aspects, depicted in art as
one, the other, or both, depending on where the piece is
featured. When coming from the ocean, she is shown
as a woman with hair made of sea-foam rising
waist-high from the waves. Over land and from
the sky, he is drawn as an old man with a long
beard, flecked black and gray by storm clouds
with eyes of lightning. When depicted together,
such as along shorelines, the two are portrayed
reaching towards each other, their fingers separated by the
smallest of margins. Yet these aspects are not separate:
they represent the Wind and the Waves, but the deity is
both of them and also neither, for they transcend the
mortal concepts of gender and body.
Much like the winds and seas, Gozreh is
temperamental and prone to sudden outbursts of
wrath. They see all, flitting from the north breeze to
the eyes of a starling to the roots of a mighty oak on
the other side of the world. Those who pollute nature
or destroy the unspoiled wilds might feel a sudden storm
of Gozreh’s wrath descending upon them, but such fits are
unpredictable and indiscriminate, sometimes striking years
later and upturning the lives of nearby innocents with no tie
to the original trespass. While Gozreh is volatile, they are not
malicious. Their rage ceases as quickly as it begins, leaving the
sky and waters calm again. The Wind and the Waves sees and feels
everything at once, and they do not have the luxury of remaining
focused on a single act of desecration for long.
identities. The deity’s dual nature resonates with these worshippers, and
the faith accepts all identities as part of the natural order. The church
doesn’t place an emphasis on marriage in particular, and seasonal
trysts are equally as common among worshippers as unions that last
for life. Members of some of the more secluded sects of the faith
remain celibate and isolated, residing in the most remote mountains
or shoreline caves and reflecting on Gozreh’s independence from
relationships—after all, as a deity of dual natures, Gozreh is never
truly alone.
Most of Gozreh’s followers wear their hair long—sometimes all
the way to the ground—and weave seaweed, coral, or shells into it in
intricate patterns. Clergy who can do so grow their beards long, often
braiding them into tangled tresses. It is not uncommon for Gozran
priests to grow their beards or hair to provide nesting material for
small, local creatures, matting their hair over several months before
cutting this hair to create small nests. Only the occasional priest houses
small birds, frogs, or rodents in their hair while it is still attached.
DIVINE INTERCESSION
Gozreh is pleased when their creatures and waterways are treated with respect but quick to show their displeasure. Minor Blessing: Gozreh grants their guidance while at sea. You are under the constant effects of know direction and become trained in Sailing Lore (or another Lore skill if you are already trained in Sailing Lore). Moderate Blessing: You gain the touch of the sea. You can breathe underwater and gain a swim Speed equal to your land Speed. Major Blessing: Gozreh has blessed you with their wind in your stride. You gain a +30-foot status bonus to your Speeds, and you gain a fly Speed equal to your land Speed. Minor Curse: Lightning begins to strike twice. You gain weakness 5 to electricity, and any natural or magical bolts of lightning always target you rather than the other creatures around you. Moderate Curse: The current of the waves constantly fights against you, putting you at risk of drowning any time you must Swim. You lose any swim Speed you have, unless it’s your only Speed, in which case you take a –20-foot status penalty to your swim Speed. When you roll an Athletics check to Swim, you always use the outcome for one degree of success worse than the result of your roll. Major Curse: Those who displease Gozreh are shunned by nature itself. All animals and nonsapient plant creatures are hostile to you, and any animal companion or familiar abandons you. Sapient plants’ attitude toward you begins two categories worse than normal, as something about you seems repugnant to them. While plants and animals might not attack you outright if it’s not normally in their nature to do so when they are hostile, dogs growl at you, cats hiss, and so on.
Comments