Umberle

Summary

Of all the gods, with perhaps the exception of The Raven Queen, Umberle is the most feared and respected. For millennia, sailors have paid homage to the patron goddess of water out of love and terror, as have those who waited for them to come home on land. Her clerics are pillars of their communities, and often serve as ships' navigators, warriors, and town defenders. Quartermasters everywhere clamor to hire talented storm clerics to see them to their destinations safely. Umberle's clergy commune with their goddess by storm-speaking--an incredibly dangerous method wherein they stand outside, preferably as high up as possible, and listen to large-scale rainstorms and hurricanes for her voice.
While her worship is popular out of necessity, Umberle is notoriously unpredictable and mysterious. She is one of the few celestials that do not take humanoid form at all, instead appearing as a gigantic sea serpent who ferociously guards the waters of The Feywild, the Primordial Plane of Water. Her elemental nature is evident in the forms she takes during communion with her followers; she appears in dreams as an ocean, a river, or an underground lake. Her voice varies depending on the force of her form, from whisper to roar. Often those who hear it have a form of tinnitus called Umberle's Call.
Umberle is one of the nine celestials who did not fight The Godbreaker, but unlike the others, Umberle did not surrender immediately--she fled. The stories say that Umberle led the Godbreaker on a chase that lasted years across the waters of Talonn, from streams to lakes to seas, and ending in a final confrontation at the bottom of the Sea of Abaddon, where Umberle slipped beneath the ocean floor into a "realm of monsters". After defeating the creatures that emerged from the "great spiral", Umberle and the Godbreaker came to a truce, and the goddess left for the Feywild.

Historical Basis

The myths and folklore of the Sea of Abbadon often reinforce the original tale of Umberle's flight to the "great spiral". It is well-documented fact that scientists and explorers often find new species in Abbadon, and often these creatures are dangerous and unlike other Talonn species.

Cultural Reception

Because of her deadly reputation, Umberle is mostly feared by the average person. Even among her devoutest followers, there is a sense of caution and bitterness; many have described worshiping her as "pleasing the dragon," a common Dwarvish phrase for feeling like prey in an interaction (often erroneously used to describe wives).

In Literature

Voyages, the account of Arturo Damien, a Umberle cleric and sea captain who notably discovered what would one day become Saffron Cove, is a common resource for researchers looking to understand more about the clergy's practices.

In Art

Umberle is a highly popular subject for figureheads and other boat design elements, as well as statuary, in her serpent form.