Oshozi
Guardian of the Wilds, the Silent Warden
Beneath the towering trees of the Antiek'Vee Forest, a young shifter notches an arrow, taking aim at a stag in the middle of a small clearing. Later, the young shifter spends hours near his family home tending to the creature. The meat they will dine upon; the leathers will be used for clothes. What cannot be used will be given as an offering; an expression of gratitude to the Spirit of the Forest. A woman stands at the edge of the forest, overlooking a burgeoning town. The inexperienced hunters that stand before her will make the next weeks challenging, but with her guiding hand, they too will learn to hear the forest breathe and the leaves sing. Perhaps one of them might join her within nature's embrace, leaving civilization behind. As a god of nature, Oshozi is an overseer of primarily wild nature; everything beyond the scope of civilization. However, Oshozi also serves as the god of agriculture and the region he oversees is the bread basket of the continent. Depictions of Oshozi vary, but he is typically depicted with dark skin and white tribal like tattoos covering his entire body. To represent his association with beasts and animals, he is often depicted with the head of one of Oshozi's favored and chosen creatures: a stag or a wolf. He is generally adorned with leather or fur bracers, archery gloves, and quiver of arrows to emphasize his role as both Guardian of the Wilds and patron of hunters. Occasionally, Oshozi has been known to take the form of a spectral forest creature, blending in with the members of his Court. Oshozi is believed to never speak and so, out of respect for him, those who worship Oshozi or call his region home learn sign language.
Antagonist: Harbinger, Archon of Rot
The Vow of Silence
Seated beneath Oshozi's altar, a woman remains perfectly still as the final white line is drawn over her lips. Any High Priestess or High Priest of Oshozi is required to take a Vow of Silence between the Great Hunt and the Great Harvest, serving as a representative of Oshozi during this time. However, this vow is not restricted to Oshozi's religious clergy. Anyone may take the Vow of Silence, embracing silence and allowing the sounds of nature to serve as the melody and symphony of life.
Divine Domains
Nature, Twilight, Peace, agriculture, the hunt, forests, wild nature, beasts, silence
Divine Symbols & Sigils
The Jade gemstone, leaves, bow & arrow, plow, stag, wolf head
Tenets of Faith
Honor the Hunt – Oshozi is the First Hunter. Following in his footsteps honors Oshozi. However, the First Hunter only sought to bring down his quarry out of necessity, not for glory or sport. Those who hunt for glory will find nothing but Ire from the Guardian of the Wilds. True hunters of Oshozi should strive to find a use for all parts of the animal and for all parts of flora collected. If a use cannot be found, then it should be offered to Oshozi so that the Spirit of the Forest may welcome that part of its essence back home.
Nature's Balance – Civilization is an inevitability, but that does not mean it should be all-consuming. The forest and the wilds are the domain of Oshozi and they should be preserved. Civilization should seek to integrate with the wilds; to live in harmony with them. A true follower of Oshozi will never pursue any action that would harm the balance between the wild nature of the world and civilization. Should the balance be shifted, the followers of Oshozi are expected to rise up and take action to right it before nature or civilization consumes the other.
Waste Not Silence on Idle Chatter – The world is filled with melodies and harmonies that can both humble and uplift. However, many feel the need to fill the space of nature with the sounds of civilization; with idle chatter from their own lips. Find peace in the silence. Take a moment to breathe. Allow the symphony of nature to take center stage for once. Words are precious and a gift, but they should not be used to silence the world.
Holidays
The Great Hunt and the Great Harvest
Divine Classification
Spirit of the Land
Alignment
True Neutral
Children
Pronouns
He/Him/His
Aligned Organization
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