Klothys
God of Destiny
Klothys’s Influence
Klothys is the embodiment and enforcer of destiny. Largely forgotten after ages spent in the Underworld, Klothys has only recently emerged, brimming with silent frustration at the state of Theros. Each strand of Klothys’s hair is part of the fabric of destiny, the natural order that underpins all existence. Her followers claim to see these strands woven into all things, granting them understanding of cosmic truths and insights into how the future should unfold. Klothys withdrew to the Underworld ages ago to keep watch over the imprisoned titans and ensure they couldn’t escape and destroy the order she had established. Due to this undertaking, she is also the god of secrets best kept quiet and powers best untouched.Klothys’s Goals
Once content to oversee and preserve destiny from the Underworld, Klothys now endeavours to undo the cosmic damage caused by Heliod, Xenagos, and ambitious mortals in recent years. The ways in which they ravaged reality to realize their selfish dreams has threatened Theros, and only by untangling the strands of destiny can Klothys set things right. The status quo she seeks to restore, however, comes with a cost in mortal casualties and societal upheaval that would accompany this process. She intends to humble the same institutions that condoned or committed these crimes against Theros. When her efforts have laid low the proud, the defiant, and the exploitative, then Klothys will have restored the natural order and ensured the world’s survival.Divine Relationships
Klothys views many of the gods with disdain, considering them to be complicit in Xenagos’s theogenesis, Heliod’s acts of arrogance, or both. She reserves special contempt for Heliod and his champions, relishing every opportunity to teach them humility. Klothys also clashes with other gods associated with order and progress, seeing their defiance of the natural order as a dangerous affront. Ephara’s ravenous colonization, Iroas’s passion for overcoming insurmountable odds, and Karametra’s taming of nature all run the risk of inspiring ambitious mortals who lust for ever more power and strain to break away from their proper place in the cosmos. Klothys respects the other gods whose interests balance creation and destruction, such as Thassa, Purphoros, and Nylea, considering them better attuned to Theros’s needs and destiny’s myriad outcomes. Nylea shares Klothys’s delight in the world’s natural cycles. Purphoros’s willingness to build and demolish appeases Klothys—as well as the fact that he despises Heliod as much as she does. Klothys’s relationships with Erebos and Athreos are complicated. Ages spent in the Underworld with Erebos have driven home for her how arrogant and tyrannical he is, as ready to commit the same sins as Heliod if given the opportunity. Even so, Erebos and Klothys maintain a level of mutual respect. Until recently, Klothys and Athreos were unflappable allies. But now her emergence from the Underworld has blurred the borders between the realms, as she draws horrors into the mortal realm with her and thereby raises Athreos’s ire. Of course, Klothys trusts no other god as much as she does Kruphix, who also recalls Theros’s earliest hours. The two have a deep respect for one another.Worshiping Klothys
Klothys doesn’t trace her origins to mortal devotion, and she has languished in obscurity for almost the whole of human history. Unlike the other gods (except Kruphix), she doesn’t need worship to sustain or empower her, and she doesn’t seek out reverence or demand it. By and large, mortals are irrelevant to her, except insofar as they have played a role in tangling the strands of destiny by defying nature’s order.Klothys’s Champions
Alignment: Usually neutralSuggested Classes: Barbarian, cleric, ranger, warlock
Suggested Cleric Domains: Knowledge, War
Suggested Backgrounds: Folk hero, hermit, outlander, sage
Most champions of Klothys believe it is their destiny to fulfill a particular role or seek answers to omens they struggle to understand. They are passionate about punishing those who violate the cosmological order.
Klothys’s Favour
Klothys hasn’t had a mortal champion before. Upon emerging from the Underworld, she created a host of Nyxborn agents to help her restore Theros to its proper path. You might be one of these so-called Agents of Destiny (if you choose the Nyxborn supernatural gift), single-minded in the purpose for which you were made. Or you might be among the first of a new cadre of followers of Klothys.The Klothys’s Favour table suggests some possible connections between the god and a mortal follower. Klothys’s Favor
1 | Your family suffered during the rise of Xenagos, leaving you with unresolved rage. |
2 | You swore yourself to Klothys, offering your service in exchange for reprieve from a mundane destiny. |
3 | Born under an ill omen, you were victimized by your neighbours’ superstitions before realizing that you were destined to serve Klothys. |
4 | You lost a loved one to the upheaval that followed Klothys from the Underworld. You planned revenge, but were awed at the sight of her and devoted yourself to her service. |
5 | You were a champion of Heliod until the emergence of Klothys showed you the danger of Heliod’s hubris. |
6 | You don’t know why Klothys has shown interest in you. |
Devotion to Klothys
To follow Klothys is to accept the natural order of the cosmos and your place in it. It means accepting your destiny even as you strive against the bonds of fate. As a follower of Klothys, consider the ideals on the Klothys’s Ideals table as alternatives to those suggested for your background. Klothys’s Ideals1 | Devotion. My devotion to my god is more important to me than what she stands for. (Any) |
2 | Stewardship. Preservation of the natural order supersedes the needs of civilization. (Neutral) |
3 | Humility. It is hubris to aspire to a higher place in the natural order than we are given. (Lawful) |
4 | Vigilance. Those who defy or manipulate destiny are menaces that must be stopped. (Neutral) |
5 | Fury. The world must be cleansed to make way for a new start. (Chaotic) |
6 | Protection. When gods or mortals go mad with power, it’s the powerless who suffer, and I mean to keep them safe. (Good) |
Relationships
History
The newly formed gods Kruphix and Klothys emerged from opposite sides of the roiling tangle of possibilities that eventually gave birth to Theros. At first, the two battled for supremacy, but they soon realised that their conflict left their young world vulnerable to dangers from both inside and out. Putting their rivalry aside, the pair agreed it was better to share and have something than to let their struggles destroy all creation. Since then they have grown to love and care for each other deeply, producing four children together - the Gods Heliod, Erebos, Thessa and Nylea.
Relationship Reasoning
Of all the Gods, only Klothys truly concerns Kruphix. He hoped that she would remain secret and secluded in the Underworld, and he doesn't know what her emergence portends. She is the only other God whose existence predates mortal belief, and though he is unlikely to draw her ire by manipulating destiny, he doesn't know how her return will affect the pantheon. Klothys trusts no other God as much as she does Kruphix, who also recalls Theros' earliest hours. The two have a deep love and respect for one another.
Relationship Reasoning
While Heliod pays little notice to his mother, Klothys views him with disappointment and disdain, considering him complicit in Xenagos’s theogenesis and angered by his acts of arrogance. She reserves special contempt for his champions, relishing every opportunity to teach them humility.
Relationship Reasoning
Concerned as she is with the acceptance of destiny, Klothys, is one of the few beings Erebos trusts to be as committed as he is to ensuring that the dead remain dead. On her part, Klothys’s relationship with Erebos is complicated. Ages spent in the Underworld with Erebos have driven home for her how arrogant and tyrannical he is, as ready to commit many of the same sins as Heliod if given the opportunity. Even so, Erebos and Klothys maintain a level of mutual respect.
Species | God |
Gender | Female |
Pronouns | She/Her |
Birthplace | Nyx |
Piety Rewards
Piety 3+ You may cast Command with this trait a number of times equal to your Wisdom modifier (minimum of once), regaining all uses after a long rest. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this. Piety 10+ Once per long rest, you may cast Clairvoyance with this trait. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell. In addition, you have advantage on saving throws against being charmed. Piety 25+ You develop a second sense, allowing you to intuit the tug and pull of destiny. You can’t be surprised, provided you aren’t incapacitated. Piety 50+ STR or WIS +2 (choose one) and also increase your maximum for that score by 2.Earning and Losing Piety
Earn piety when you:
- Defeat a creature that has stepped out of its place
- Repair a significant wound dealt to destiny by the gods’ ambitions
- Teach people about Klothys, her nature, and her return
Lose piety when you:
- Undo a deserved punishment or curse suffered by another creature
- Willfully destroy a natural wonder
- Assist a creature in undermining the natural order or exploiting destiny
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