New Release: Myths & Monsters Vol. 3 - Lilith & Lilim

 Walpurgis Night has given way to Beltane. But Walpurgis Week continues. Today I return to my roots in AD&D and bring the next in my Myths & Monsters series. This series grew out of my desire to cover more myths, legends, and monsters than the AD&D 1st Edition Deities & Demigods and my posting series here, One Man's God.

Today I cover some favorite and familiar ground.

Myths & Monsters Vol. 3 - Lilith & Lilim

“Of Adam’s first wife, Lilith, it is told.

The witch he loved before the gift of Eve...”

— Dante Gabriel Rossetti, “Lilith”

This is the next of a series of myths and legends that began as a thought experiment about gods, monsters, and syncretism of beliefs. 

These aim to provide your Advanced-era game with new gods and goddesses, as well as new monsters, demons, and other adversaries. 

Myths & Monsters Vol. 3 - Lilith & Lilim covers some familiar and favorite ground. Lilith and the Lilim. I have taken creatures that all have similar features and mythologies and combined them into a demonic family, the Lilim the Daughters of Lilith. I present creatures from around the ancient world who appear to be related and combine them into a single collective.

This is the third in my series of Myths & Monsters, where I take myths and legends from around the world and give them a new spin for the First Edition of the world’s greatest fantasy adventure game.

--

And don't forget all my new releases this week to celebrate Walpurgis Night!

The Left Hand Path - The Diabolic & Demonic Witchcraft Traditions (Basic Era)

The Witch Finder Class (Old-School Essentials)

Monstrous Maleficarum #4 - Lilith & the Lilim (5th Ed Era)

New Release: Myths & Monsters Vol. 2 - The Avenging Angels

 My next Myths & Monsters series is out.  Vol. 2 - The Avenging Angels covers the Dirae, the Erinyes and the Eumenides for your Advanced era games.

Myths & Monsters Vol. 2 - The Avenging Angels

 

“Who, if I cried out, would hear me among the angels' hierarchies? and even if one of them pressed me against his heart: I would be consumed in that overwhelming existence.

For beauty is nothing but the beginning of terror, which we still are just able to endure, and we are so awed because it serenely disdains to annihilate us.

Every angel is terrifying.”

- Rainer Maria Rilke

This is the next of a series of myths and legends that began as a thought experiment about gods, monsters, and syncretism of beliefs. 

These aim to provide your Advanced-era game with new gods and goddesses, as well as new monsters, demons, and other adversaries. 

Myths & Monsters Vol. 2 - The Avenging Angels covers the various myths of the Dirae, the Eumenides, the Erinyes, and the goddesses Rhamnusia, Nemesis, and Invidia. Most importantly, how I take those myths and make them work with the devils now known as the Erinyes.

I also have a few holy orders for the various goddesses and devils and plenty of new spells. 

This volume also features the art of Dean Spencer. I wanted one to have full-color art. 

New Release: Myths & Monsters Vol. 1 - The Black Forest Mythos

 I am finally releasing my latest project based on the Roman-Norse Myths I was playing around with last year. 

Myths & Monsters Vol. 1 - The Black Forest Mythos

https://preview.drivethrurpg.com/en/product/473864/myths-monsters-vol-1-the-black-forest-mythos?affiliate_id=10748

This is the first of a series of myths and legends that began as a thought experiment about gods, monsters, and syncretism of beliefs. These gods did not exist, at least not in the classical sense. They are, however, great for a fantasy adventure game where elves, dragons, and magic are real. They are also based on some of the most well-known myths in the world.

This product is the start of a new series of smaller publications aimed at covering the Gods, Demigods, Heroes, Demons, and Monsters of various mythologies. Some will be thought experiments like this one, a set of syncretized Roman and Norse/Germanic myths. Others will be reconstructions of some ancient and less well-known myths.

These aim to provide your Advanced-era game with new gods and goddesses, as well as new monsters, demons, and other adversaries. 

Myths & Monsters Vol. 1 - Black Forest Mythos covers the myths, gods, and monsters of the people of the Black Forest.  This began as an idea; what if Roman pagans and Norse/Germanic peoples met up somewhere in the Black Forest region of Germany circa 600 CE and combined their gods into one pantheon?  And what if I had created this pantheon based on what I knew of both groups back in 1986?

Roman-Norse (Black Forest) Pantheon 

Imagine, if you will, some Roman Pagans, say circa 300-900 CE. While Christianity is becoming the Empire’s official religion, not everyone is taking up the Christian Gods. There is still a mix of Pagan Roman gods, Greek Gods, local gods and spirits, house gods, and more. The further you are from Rome (and later, Constantinople), the more likely you will still hold on to your local gods.

Now, far to the North, there are the Nordic-Germanic tribes. They are the “barbarians” of Roman lore; they want Rome’s treasures and power. But most of these people just want to find new lands to grow food on. While the Viking raids to England and Ireland are so stamped into our collective subconscious there were other forays into other lands. Some we know went South. But most of these did not happen till the 800s CE when most of Europe was firmly Christianized. We know that the Romans interacted with the Norse and made connections between their respective sets of Gods. Romans were rather practical when it came to religion.   

Imagine a time between 300 CE and 900 CE when not all Northmen were Viking raiders, and not all Romans were Christians. Let’s say that a group of Roman pagans and Northmen headed south and north, respectively, but ended up in the Black Forest region of Southern Germany, moving slightly westward. Instead of going to war, they decided to build a community together by finding common ground in their beliefs. Since both groups were polytheistic, they could accept each other’s gods. As time passed, the gods merged, just like the people. For the purposes of this story, let’s assume it was around 600 CE.

This is that project. Now, it is updated and edited, and the art is all from Larry Elmore (used with permission).  This first volume has 24 Gods and Goddesses and 17 monsters. 

This volume features art from Larry Elmore, but future volumes will feature new art from other artists. I just have to make enough from this one to pay them. 

So get your copy. Any and all feedback is welcome. I want to make this series something people will find helpful. 

D&DGII The Black Forest Mythos: Fata Norne, the Fates

I am now at my last set of gods (or whatever the Fates are), which brings me full circle. Today, I want to talk about the Fates.

When I began this project I talked about this book of mythology I had that had stories of the Greek myths, the Norse myths, and ending in Beowulf. In my young mind, these looked like a continuum, one set of tales flowed into the next.  While age would teach me that these were separate myths, later age would also teach me they are still just one set of myths from an even older source (Proto-Indo-European, which I still want to tackle one day). But even way back then (I want to say 5th Grade) I saw the similarities between the Greek Fates and the Norse Norns. Three women, each representing the Past, Present, and Future, spinning, weaving, or otherwise looming the fate of humankind. Each person, from birth until death.

The image was powerful, and I was sure there was a connection between them. Even doing the briefest of surface research (ok, briefest of literature review. I am particular how people throw the word "research" around) one kind find similar beings all over the Earth and across time due to their PIE origins.

• Albanian: Fatia
• English: Wyrds
• Greek: Moirai
• Hinduism: Tridevi
• Hittite: Gulses
• Lithuanian: Deives Valdytojos
• Norse: Norns

Those are only the most obvious. 

For my Pantheon here I want to include them. They were important to the Greeks and Romans in their guise of The Fates (Moirai) and very important in Norse myth. Indeed, in Norse mythology, every living creature had a corresponding set of Norns that measured out their fates. 

I will also admit (and a little begrudgingly now) that some of my ideas of the Fates have also been colored by the Piers Anthony book series, The Incarnations of Immortality, with Book 3 With a Tangled Skein chief among them. The first five books were fun. The next two ok to falling apart at the end (it's like he had painted himself into a corner among other issues) and the last one? Well I have not read it despite owning it, I heard it was terrible. 

Fata Norne

The Fates of the Black Forest Mythos are not gods in the traditional sense. They are immortal, or more accurately, unending. They often appear as three young, mature, and old women in similar aspects of the Maiden, Mother, and Crone, though that is not who they are. Instead, they are Future, Present, and Past respectively. They can also appear as three identical sisters of indeterminate age. It is their job to measure the fates of the Gods and Mortals alike. No one, not even the Gods, can escape their decrees. It has led to a saying, "Once Fate has spoken, it is so."

FATA NORNE

Eternals

ARMOR CLASS: 5
MOVE: 24" 
HIT POINTS: 300 each
NO. OF ATTACKS: 1
DAMAGE/ATTACK: Special Only
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Decree of Fate
SPECIAL DEFENSES: See Below
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 100%

SIZE: M (5')
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
WORSHIPER'S ALIGN: None
SYMBOL: The faces of three women or a loom
PLANE: Erde (Prime Material)

CLERIC/DRUID: 15th level Cleric
FIGHTER: Nil
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: 15th level Magic-user
THIEF/ASSASSIN: Nil
MONK/BARD: 10th level Bard
WITCH/WARLOCK: 15th level Witch
PSIONIC ABILITY: II
S: 23 I: 25 W: 25 D: 16 C: 24 CH: 10

Fata Norne, the Fates, are the goddesses in charge of all fates, from the lowest vermin to the mightiest gods. They do not interact with mortals save in the direst of circumstances. They avoid direct contact with the other gods; likewise, the gods avoid and possibly fear them.

If the Fates are encountered, they need a mortal agent of fate to complete some quest. They will give this mortal what they need but no more than that. It is assumed that since they know all creatures' fates, their choice is correct, but that is not the same thing as the mortal succeeding or even living through the quest.

If anyone is foolish enough to attack the Fata Norne, they can pass the Decree of Fate. Which removes the threat permanently. They decree that the attacker was never born and they cease to exist; no saving throw is permitted. In some cases, the offending mortal (or god) is instantly replaced with an alternate version who lived the same life but was not as foolish as to attack them. 

They can't be hit by normal weapons; even magic is ineffective. In addition to the radical removal of the offending attacker from all existence, they can, more simply, remove their attacker's knowledge of whatever magic they would use to attack. 

At their choice, they can cast spells as a 15th-level spell caster, either as a Cleric, Magic-user, or Witch.

No one worships the Fata Norne, and they do not grant spells to clerics.

--

There you have it! All the gods and monsters of this syncretized set of myths. Hope you can find some uses for them.

Now to produce a PDF of these.

Links

• One Man's God Special: Syncretism Part 3, the Roman-Norse Pantheon
• The Monsters
• My overview and rules for these postings
• Dökkálfar and Ljósálfar
• Alp
• Die Hüne
• Jötunar
• Hautveränderer
• Heuler
• Draugr
• Doppelsauger
• Nøkk
• Ulmenfrau
• The Gods
• Unser Vater, Father of the Gods
• Sisters of the Dawn, Liebhaberin and Ôstara
• The Mother Goddesses Herde Oberin, Mutter Natur, and Großmutter
• The Divine Twins
• Hüne Vater, Großvater, and Großmutter
• Ides, Demi-Goddess of Protection and War
• Helga, Goddess of Magic, Ghosts, and Witchcraft
• Hüter, Lord of the Dead
• Betrüger, The Trickster God
• Kriegskönig, The God of War
• Verwildert, the God of Wild Nature
• Wood Maidens
• Vater Meeren
• Schmied
• Skalda
• Fata Norne, the Fates

D&DGII The Black Forest Mythos: References

The end is nigh! I have one more set of gods I want to do for this project, and then I'll see if I can put together a PDF for everyone.  

I said I was not going to treat this as an academic work. Especially since I blatantly ignored things like real archeology, anthropology, and ethnographic studies. But I thought others might be interested in some of the legwork I did to get where I am on this today.

This is not a comprehensive bibliography, not even a targeted one. It is a catch-as-catch-can one based on the books I was reading when I started having these ideas.

References

Daileader, P. (2013). The Early Middle Ages. The Teaching Company.

Drake, J. (2020). Viking Mythology: 2 Books In 1 – The Complete Guide to Norse Mythology and Celtic Mythology Including Legends, Beliefs, Norse Folklore, Norse Gods, and Celtic Myths. Josh Drake.

D’Aulaire, I., & D’Aulaire, E. P. (1962, 1992). Book of greek myths. Doubleday Books for Young Readers.

Gaiman, N. (2018). Norse mythology. Bloomsbury.

Gosden, C. (2021). Magic: A history: From alchemy to witchcraft, from the Ice Age to the present. Picador.

Hale, J. R. (2013). Exploring the Roots of Religion. The Teaching Company.

Harl , K. W. (2011). The Fall of the Pagans and the Origins of Medieval Christianity. The Teaching Company.

Harl, K. W. (2005). The Vikings. The Teaching Company.

Higginbotham, J., & Higginbotham, R. (2018). Paganism: An introduction to earth-centered religions. Llewellyn Publications.

Lecouteux, C. (2016). Encyclopedia of norse and germanic folklore, mythology, and magic. Inner Traditions.

Lewis, S. (2018). Mythology mega collection: Classic stories from the Greek, Celtic, Norse, Japanese, Hindu, Chinese, Mesopotamian and Egyptian mythology. Scott Lewis.

Line, P. (2015). The Vikings and their enemies: Warfare in Northern Europe, 750-1100. Skyhorse Publishing.

O’Donnell, J. J. (2016). Pagans: The end of traditional religion and the rise of Christianity. ECCO an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

River, C. (Ed.). (2018). The Ancient World’s Most Mysterious Religious Cults: The History of the Cult of the Apis Bull, the Eleusinian Mysteries, and the Mysteries of Mithras. CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform.

Voth, G. L. (2013). Myth in Human History. The Teaching Company.

Waggoner, B. (2009). The Sagas of Ragnar Lodbrok. The Troth.

D&DGII The Black Forest Mythos: Schmied, the Craftsman, Smtihs, and God of Fire

 One of the last major gods of this Pantheon is Schmied, the god of craftsmen, ironworking, fire, and dwarves. He is often depicted as a dwarf.

Schmied

Schmied is a syncretic god who combines aspects of the Greek Hephaestus, the Roman Vulcan, the Norse Sons of Ivaldi and the myth of Weyland the Smith and thus Goibhnie of the Celts. All of these figures are related and likely all trace their origin back to a Proto-Indo European Smith God. Given the book I am reading now on PIE language reconstruction this could have been the God credited with giving humanity the wheel.

Schied here has a bit of all these gods as seen through the idea of the grumpy dwarf. I opted to take this somewhat stereotypical route because I figure he is the source of this archetype. I wanted him dour, grumpy, and largely unlikable. This comes, I admit, more from my readings of Goidhnie (Gowan) of the Celts. Though Vulcan and the Sons of Ivaldi were not going to win any popularity contests. Which interestingly enough, gets me to the first myth of the god.

Both Hephaestus and Vulcan are married off to their myths respective Goddess of Love. Here is where I wanted to differ. I honestly can't see Liebhaberin getting married at all. She is too busy cultivating young (and thus pre-married) love. But I did want to have a myth where Schmied got married to a beautiful woman, largely by trickery. Like I said he is an unpleasant god.

Schmied and Skalda

Skalda (note: not exactly Skaldi) was the beautiful goddess of Song and Poetry, in particular epic poetry. She decided one day she needed a husband. So she sought out the Gods to find a suitable candidate. Skalda wanted to find a husband among the greatest of Gods so she announced her attention. Her eye was set on Jäger and she began to openly court the God. His sister Jägerin, would not have it seeing Skalda as trying to improve her own standing among the gods. So she convinced Schmied, who she knew desperately desired Skalda, to begin to send her gifts.  Schmied fashioned a lute of pure gold that would play itself if commanded to Skalda. He sent her a breastplate of gold. A spear fashioned out of the rays of the sun. And automaton handmaidens carved out of pure ivory and inlaid with gold that were indistinguishable from living nymphs. 

Skalda, who believed that it was Jäger who sent her all these gifts swore before the Gods that she would only marry the God who had sent her such wonderful treasures. Expecting Jäger to step forward she was shocked and disgusted to see it was not the Bright God of the Sun, but the twisted God of Smiths.  But an oath before the Gods is an oath unbreakable. 

They did produce a son, Künstler, the God of fine art. But she has refused his bed ever since. 

SCHMIED (God of Smithing, Crafting, Fire and Dwarves)

Intermediate God

ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVE: 9" 
HIT POINTS: 275
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK:  1d10+5, 1d10+5
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Summon fire
SPECIAL DEFENSES: +1 or better to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 70%

SIZE: M (4' 1")
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
WORSHIPER'S ALIGN: All, smiths, craftsmen, dwarves
SYMBOL: A large hammer
PLANE: Erde (Prime Material)

CLERIC/DRUID: 10th level Cleric
FIGHTER: 5th level Fighter
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: 10th level Magic-user
THIEF/ASSASSIN: Nil
MONK/BARD: Nil
WITCH/WARLOCK: Nil
PSIONIC ABILITY: II
S: 23 I: 12 W: 20 D: 16 C: 24 CH: 8

Schmied is the god of craftsmen, smiths, fire (in its creation aspect), as well as dwarves and kobolds. He appears as a heavily muscled dwarf covered in soot and grime from working in the forge. 

Schmied has very little to say to others. He prefers to spend his time in the forge working with his brothers (who have demigod status) creating items of great art. It is said that his forge can create anything and the magic items the gods wield were all created here.

In combat, he swings a giant hammer for 1d10+5 points of damage twice per round. He has the spell-casting ability of a 10th-level magic-user and a 10th-level cleric. He is quick to anger and will use his hammer attack first and his six brothers will join in (1d8+4 for their attacks).

He is also the god of the dwarves and kobolds, or knockers. 

Animal: Ox
Rainment: (Head) bare (Body) none
Color(s): Red, Black
Holy Days: The three days prior to the Summer Soltice and the three days after. 
Sacrifices: An ox or bull, sacrificed and cooked in a large fire. 
Place of Worship: Forges and Cave mouths. 

He is married to Skalda, the beautiful goddess of epic poetry and song, but she wants nothing to do with him.

He maintains a large home for them both in Himmel, but he stays on Erde in a cave where he toils over the forges with his brothers and their kobold assistants.

Skalda

Skalda is the beautiful but haughty and arrogant goddess of epic poetry and music. While her skill unmatched, she is jealous of the other goddess and always wants more. Though when she is sitting with her lute and creating new poems, few can match her charm and eloquence. 

SKALDA (Demi-Goddess of Epic Poetry and Music)
Demigoddess

ARMOR CLASS: -3
MOVE: 12"
HIT POINTS: 75
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d8/1d8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Charming voice
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Inspiring aura
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 25%

SIZE: M (6' 2")
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral
WORSHIPER'S ALIGN: All, Bards
SYMBOL: Lute
PLANE: Erde (Prime Material)

CLERIC/DRUID: 9th Level Cleric
FIGHTER: Nil
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: 5th level Illusionist
THIEF/ASSASSIN: Nil
MONK/BARD: 15th level Bard
WITCH/WARLOCK: Nil
PSIONIC ABILITY: II
S: 13 I:12 W: 16 D: 18 C: 14 CH: 21

Skalda is the demigoddess of epic poetry and music. She is beautiful, eloquent, and utterly vain. She knows that her gift is required by the gods to remain in mortals' minds. The apples of Ôstara may keep the gods young and immortal, but it is Skalda's songs keep them in their hearts.

This goddess appears as a very tall (6' 2") warrior goddess. She wears a golden breastplate that only fits her, granting her very low armor class. She wields a spear that when thrown, will return to her hand and her golden lute. Once she sets the lute to play it will play independently of her. 

Her voice has a constant Charm Person effect that is effective against all save for dwarves. Failing to save vs. spells means the victim is charmed and will do no harm to the goddess. She can also use her voice to inspire, granting all that hear it an additional 1d8 roll to use as needed: to attack, damage, saves or any other roll. This can be granted three times per day. 

She does not have many worshipers of her own, but all Bards pay her homage. 

Links

• One Man's God Special: Syncretism Part 3, the Roman-Norse Pantheon
• The Monsters
• My overview and rules for these postings
• Dökkálfar and Ljósálfar
• Alp
• Die Hüne
• Jötunar
• Hautveränderer
• Heuler
• Draugr
• Doppelsauger
• Nøkk
• The Gods
• Unser Vater, Father of the Gods
• Sisters of the Dawn, Liebhaberin and Ôstara
• The Mother Goddesses Herde Oberin, Mutter Natur, and Großmutter
• The Divine Twins
• Hüne Vater, Großvater, and Großmutter
• Ides, Demi-Goddess of Protection and War
• Helga, Goddess of Magic, Ghosts, and Witchcraft
• Hüter, Lord of the Dead
• Betrüger, The Trickster God
• Kriegskönig, The God of War
• Verwildert, the God of Wild Nature
• Wood Maidens
• Vater Meeren
• Schmied
• Skalda

D&DGII The Black Forest Mythos: Vater Meeren

 Working through the remaining Gods for my D&DGII The Black Forest Mythos. Today I have the God of the Sea.

Vater Meeren

Vater Meeren is an odd one for this group of gods. He is powerful and is a greater god since he controls the Oceans and the Sea, something that was very important to both groups these myths come from. But he is also a remote and distant god to these Pagans since at the time these myths would have been created, say the 6th and 7th Centuries CE, they are a little removed, geographically, from the sea. I also have this group as being fairly insular so their myths can grow with out the "contamination" of what is going on around them; ie the Christian conversion of Europe.

Vater Meeren himself combines aspects of Neptune/Poseidon along with other aspects of Odin (Odin had so many aspects his DNA is in every god) and Thor when he was a maritime God.  I also wanted to give him aspects of Ullr who had been a more important god. Thus Vater Meeren is the God of the Sea, Oceans, Death as a process (a Psychopomp), and Winter.

He is the brother of Unser Vater and Hüter, much like their Roman counterparts, but also refers to Odin's two brothers Vili and Vé in their role as Gods of Creation.

Like Neptune/Poseidon and Odin this god is also fond of horses.

VATER MEEREN (God of the Sea and Oceans)

Greater God

ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVE: 12" // Swim 48" // Horse: 36"
HIT POINTS: 380
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK:  1d10+5, 1d10+5, wave
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Wave, control weather
SPECIAL DEFENSES: +3 or better to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 50%

SIZE: M (6' 1")
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral
WORSHIPER'S ALIGN: All, Sailors
SYMBOL: A wave
PLANE: Erde 

CLERIC/DRUID: 20rd level Druid
FIGHTER: 15th level Ranger
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: 10th level Magic-user
THIEF/ASSASSIN: Nil
MONK/BARD: 10th level Bard
WITCH/WARLOCK: Nil
PSIONIC ABILITY: II
S: 23 I: 15 W: 22 D: 18 C: 20 CH: 17

Vater Meeren is the God of the Oceans and the Sea. He lives under the waves and everything that is not land or sky is his. He had once been more powerful, equal to his brother Unser Vater, but his power has waned, though he is believed to have another ascendence soon.

Vater Meeren appears as a heavily muscled man in his prime with a full head of red hair and beard with bright blue eyes. These eyes turn gray and cloudy when he is angry, which is often. 

When he attacks he uses a giant spear made from the horn of a titanic narwhal. He can also attack with a giant wave of water, doing 6d6 hp of damage (save for half). Additionally, he can control the weather around any body of water, summon up to 100 HD worth of sea creatures three times per day, as well cast spells as if he were a 20th level druid, 10th level magic-user, and a 10th level bard.

One of his roles is to make sure the dead are sent to their proper afterlife, either in Himmel or in Hölle. So in this respect, he works hand in hand with his brothers. 

Vater Meeren is not allowed to set foot on dry land. So if he has business he needs to attend to he will travel by horse. His horse for these tasks is Schnelläufer and he can run on water, land, or air with equal ease. Since neither Vater Meeren nor Schnelläufer need to rest, eat or sleep, they can run for days to complete whatever task they need and be back in the sea as they need too. 

Animal: Horse, Narwhal
Rainment: (Head) crown of coral (Body) none
Color(s): Blue, Red
Holy Days: Nights of the Full moon
Sacrifices: Gold, weapons offered to the sea. 
Place of Worship: Sea shores, near lakes or any body of water.

Vater Meeren took the Celtic-Roman Epona as a wife (one of many) and it is believed this is the origin of the Nøkk.

Links

• One Man's God Special: Syncretism Part 3, the Roman-Norse Pantheon
• The Monsters
• My overview and rules for these postings
• Dökkálfar and Ljósálfar
• Alp
• Die Hüne
• Jötunar
• Hautveränderer
• Heuler
• Draugr
• Doppelsauger
• Nøkk
• The Gods
• Unser Vater, Father of the Gods
• Sisters of the Dawn, Liebhaberin and Ôstara
• The Mother Goddesses Herde Oberin, Mutter Natur, and Großmutter
• The Divine Twins
• Hüne Vater, Großvater, and Großmutter
• Ides, Demi-Goddess of Protection and War
• Helga, Goddess of Magic, Ghosts, and Witchcraft
• Hüter, Lord of the Dead
• Betrüger, The Trickster God
• Kriegskönig, The God of War
• Verwildert, the God of Wild Nature
• Wood Maidens
• Vater Meeren

D&DGII The Black Forest Mythos: Verwildert, the God of Wild Nature and Wood Maidens

 Today's god leans a bit more into the Greek/Roman side of the equation, though there are still bits from the Norse and even Norse-Celtic influences.  Introducing Verwildert, the God of Wild Nature and the Protector of animals, grains, and other parts of nature.

Verwildert

This god combines aspects of Pan/Fanus as well as Bacchus/Dionysus.  From the Norse side, we get wilder aspects of Odin and Freyr, especially in Freyr's roles in fertility and fecundity. Many of Æsir gods of the Norse pantheon have more in common with Pan than the other Greek/Roman gods. 

My group of Pagans here are living very close to nature (and Nature). Not, out some sort of neo-pagan ideal dreamed up by 20th Century writers (and 21st Century game writers), but because that was their reality. This group was a bad winter away from total barbarism and they knew that. A God like Verdwildert was the manifestation of that. The god that gave them grains and crops they could cultivate, the wolf that ate their sheep, and the storms that destroyed their farms and homes.  

Nature is always just a few steps removed from madness.

VERWILDERT (God of Wild Nature)

Intermediate God

ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVE: 36"
HIT POINTS: 280
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK:  1d8+3, 1d8+3
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Inspire Madness, Druid magic
SPECIAL DEFENSES: +2 or better to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 50%

SIZE: M (5' 9")
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral
WORSHIPER'S ALIGN: All, Farmers, Druids
SYMBOL: Hawk
PLANE: Erde 

CLERIC/DRUID: 23rd level Druid
FIGHTER: 10th level Ranger
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: Nil
THIEF/ASSASSIN: Nil
MONK/BARD: 20th level Bard
WITCH/WARLOCK: Nil
PSIONIC ABILITY: II
S: 18 I: 15 W: 22 D: 18 C: 20 CH: 23

Verwildert is the God of and the Protector of Wild Nature. He first taught humans how to cultivate land, not to tame nature, but to learn how to work with it. He is not an agricultural god, per se, but he is the patron of all growing things. He is also the god of the storm and flood that destroys, the wolf that kills, and secrets hidden it dark places. 

This god appears as a grizzled old wild man of the woods, with the antlers of a stag as headdress. He is hairy and bearded. Often, his idols feature an enormous phallus, which some claim is true for the god himself. Verwildert has little time for humans, though he is not overtly hostile to them at first. Like all nature, he is dangerous and can destroy.  Even he fears the raw power of Nature herself in the form of Mutter Natur, who is his own mother. Despite this human worshippers usually find Verwildert to be more approachable than Mutter Natur.

Verwildert can attack with two great fists or cast spells as a 23rd-level Druid. Three times per day, he can Inspire Madness, which will cause those who fail to save to drop their weapons (or whatever they are holding) and attack anyone close to them. Spellcasters are unable to cast spells. 

Animal: All, but the Wolf is a favorite
Rainment: (Head) horns of a stag (Body) none
Color(s): Red, Green
Holy Days: Nights of the New and Full moon; Also May 1st
Sacrifices: Everything is sacred to Nature, the weakest animals culled so the pack may survive
Place of Worship: Any natural setting. 

Verwildert has two groups of followers/worshipers he is associated with. The Wild Hunt and Wood Maidens.

The Wild Hunt

This band of hunters is known across the continent. In the times when Verwildert leads them, they ride and run across the land on the nights of the New Moon. These hunters are a mixed lot. Supernatural hunting dogs (like Hell hounds), undead hunters (wights), ghosts of hunters who died while hunting, and warriors not allowed into Himmel. 

Wood Maidens

Wood Maidens are a type of demi-goddesses, or semi-goddesses, that are the personification of wild nature. They appear as nymphs, but are more akin to the Maenads of Greek/Roman myth. These goddess represent nature run wild. They are the goddesses of wine, ecstasy, and fertility. It is said that they are active to still the blood of men and women.

They are the face of Nature that humans try to tame but ultimately cannot. 

WOOD MAIDENS (Demi-Goddess of Wild Nature, Ecstasy, and Fertility)

Demigoddess

ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVE: 36"
HIT POINTS: 50
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d6+1/1d6+1 (claws)
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Inspire ecstasy
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Wild Aura aura
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 25%

SIZE: M (5'2")
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral
WORSHIPER'S ALIGN: All
SYMBOL: Maiden's face
PLANE: Erde (Prime Material)

CLERIC/DRUID: 4th level Druid
FIGHTER: Nil
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: Nil
THIEF/ASSASSIN: Nil
MONK/BARD: Nil
WITCH/WARLOCK: 5th level Witch
PSIONIC ABILITY: II
S: 13 I: 14 W: 16 D: 15 C: 18 CH: 24

Wood Maidens are demi-goddesses representing wild nature and the power to renew life. They are also the demigoddess of wine, ecstasy, and fertility. They claim they are the offspring of Verwildert and Liebhaberin or even Verwildert and Ôstara. Possibly both are true. 

They can be found roaming the lands, inspiring ecstasy to renew life where they can. But they also represent nature running wild; they create life and they also can destroy it. The same ecstasy that bring lovers together can also drive them apart, or drive people to jealousy. This aura extends 60' from their person. This is increased by an additional 30' for each Wood Maiden in a group. There can be as many as dozen in a single group. This will produce an aura up to 400'.

They appear as wild women. Often running through the wilderness wearing simple clothing and often barefoot even in the deepest of winters. When they run they often have wolves accompanying them leading to the belief they are werewolves (they are not).

Wood Maidens are the chaotic counterpart to the Ides.

May 1st, May Day

On the First of May, the Wood Maiden gather in large numbers of a score or more. They can be seen running across the land, where their wild aura can extend even further. At this time they are chased by the Wild Hunt. Overtly it is so the Wild hunt can run them down in an etiological myth of Man vs. Nature. Often the Wood Maidens are captured by members of the Hunt. Just as often the Maidens kill the Huntsmen. In the case where a Maiden is captured and she doesn't kill the Huntsman, the Maiden becomes a normal human; often as a high priestess of Verwildert. The moral here is that Humankind can't tame nature, much less conquer it. 

This is symbolically celebrated in a fertility rite where the young women of the community run through the woods in an attempt to be captured by the young men. The women wear flowers in their hair which they can give to whomever finds them. This is considered akin to a marriage proposal. It is said that any child conceived in these rites is blessed by the gods. 

For Use in NIGHT SHIFT

Of all the myths I have written, this is the one most likely to have survived to modern times to feature in NIGHT SHIFT. It is a Folk Horror sort of tale. Think "Midsommer" and "The Wickerman."

A good hook is something from Norse/Germanic myths. The PCs are on some sort of hiking trip, and they come across a nearly naked young woman running through the woods chased by something.  The PCs naturally try to help her, only to discover that she is part of an ancient rite.  Is she innocent? Is she the monster? Likely it will be more complicated than that. 

I'll need to develop these more.

Links

• One Man's God Special: Syncretism Part 3, the Roman-Norse Pantheon
• The Monsters
• My overview and rules for these postings
• Dökkálfar and Ljósálfar
• Alp
• Die Hüne
• Jötunar
• Hautveränderer
• Heuler
• Draugr
• Doppelsauger
• The Gods
• Unser Vater, Father of the Gods
• Sisters of the Dawn, Liebhaberin and Ôstara
• The Mother Goddesses Herde Oberin, Mutter Natur, and Großmutter
• The Divine Twins
• Hüne Vater, Großvater, and Großmutter
• Ides, Demi-Goddess of Protection and War
• Helga, Goddess of Magic, Ghosts, and Witchcraft
• Hüter, Lord of the Dead
• Betrüger, The Trickster God
• Kriegskönig, The God of War
• Verwildert, the God of Wild Nature
• Wood Maidens

D&DGII The Black Forest Mythos: Kriegskönig, The God of War

Getting down to the last few gods here before I can call this project done. I ended up with a lot more entries than expected. This is good for the first run I think. Even ended up with more feedback online. 

Now I just need to come up with a name for this collection. "Myth, Monsters, & Magic" has a nice ring to it, but is that too close to "Man, Myth, & Magic?"  I mean there is nothing wrong with "Deities & Demigods II" but I was going to put them on DriveThruRPG (for free) to get better distribution.

Anyway, let's talk about a guy whose sphere of control is on a lot of our minds right now. Kriegskönig, the War King, The God of War.

Kriegskönig

The Kriegskönig, aka the War King, is the god of war for these peoples. I am taking some liberties here with both Ares/Mars and Tyr/Tiwas. I am going to lean in more on the Tyr side of the this and make this guy more Lawful Neutral than Ares' Chaotic Evil.  Mostly because Ares was always my least favorite god in Greek Myth and I felt that by the time he became Mars, he had "matured" more. I think this has more to do with the different approaches the Greek and Romans had to war.

Similarly, Tyr is more of a Justice god and he had more prominence in the Pagan Germanic tribes' worship. After all he gets a weekday named for him (Tuesday) along side Odin (Wednesday), Thor (Thursday), and Frigg (Friday). 

So my Kriegskönig should also be important, but his demeanor is different since I decided that when these two groups of different Pagans met up they did not go to battle with each other but instead blend into a community. This might not be very historically realistic, but it serves my game purposes well. Besides I have gods of hunting, and for berserkers, and one more of wild nature and violence coming up.

Kriegskönig then is the God of War, but war as a last resort. He battles not because he lusts for it, but because he is very, very good at it. He was the leader of the armies of the Gods that fought Die Hüne. He is the one who fights the hordes of demons to keep Érde (Earth) safe.

KRIEGSKÖNIG (God of War)

Intermediate God

ARMOR CLASS: -4
MOVE: 24"
HIT POINTS: 300
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK:  1d10+4 x3
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Enspire Battle Frenzy
SPECIAL DEFENSES: +3 or better to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 75%

SIZE: M (6' 8")
ALIGNMENT: Lawful Neutral
WORSHIPER'S ALIGN: All, Fighters, Warriors, those that seek justice
SYMBOL: Hawk
PLANE: Himmel

CLERIC/DRUID: Nil
FIGHTER: 20th level Fighter
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: Nil
THIEF/ASSASSIN: Nil
MONK/BARD: 20th level Bard
WITCH/WARLOCK: Nil
PSIONIC ABILITY: II
S: 20 I: 17 W: 18 D: 18 C: 20 CH: 18

Kriegskönig is the War King, the God of War. He does not seek to start wars but he is there when he is needed. He appears as a very tall imposing warrior. His face is scarred from his many battles. 

In battle, he wields a great sword that he can use thrice per round. He has bonuses to hit and to damage due to his high strength. Though he is not a mindless brute in battle. Kriegskönig is well know for his battle strategies and can use 10 warriors to do the work of a 100 if needed. He can inspire a battle frenzy or battle trance where anyone under his command is a more effective fighter. This grants anyone in combat on the same side he is fighting an extra attack per round. Warriors in his armies or fighting by his side can never be frightened.

The Kriegskönig is not just the god of War. He is called on for matters of justice and legal disputes, so in this aspect, he is also the God of Judges. It is said that when souls go to their reward in the Afterlife it is Kriegskönig who decides where they go and what they will do in eternity.

Animal: Hawk
Rainment: (Head) warhelm or bare (Body) armor
Color(s): Black, red
Holy Days: Tuesdays
Sacrifices: War is sacrifice, so fallen enemies
Place of Worship: Battlefields, both present and former

Kriegskönig is not a demanding God except in times of war. Then he expects his worshipers, especially his warriors, to be brave. Clerics of this god tend to be dual-classed fighters or paladins.

Links

• One Man's God Special: Syncretism Part 3, the Roman-Norse Pantheon
• The Monsters
• My overview and rules for these postings
• Dökkálfar and Ljósálfar
• Alp
• Die Hüne
• Jötunar
• Hautveränderer
• Heuler
• Draugr
• The Gods
• Unser Vater, Father of the Gods
• Sisters of the Dawn, Liebhaberin and Ôstara
• The Mother Goddesses Herde Oberin, Mutter Natur, and Großmutter
• The Divine Twins
• Hüne Vater, Großvater, and Großmutter
• Ides, Demi-Goddess of Protection and War
• Helga, Goddess of Magic, Ghosts, and Witchcraft
• Hüter, Lord of the Dead
• Betrüger, The Trickster God

D&DGII The Black Forest Mythos: Betrüger, The Trickster God

 Keeping up with my gods of The Black Forest here. I said originally I was not trying to replicate the Proto-Indo-European Gods, but I think I have been drifting in that direction. So trying a bit of course correction.  Today's god actually got his genesis back when I was reading Robert A. Heinlein's "Job: A Comedy of Justice."  In it one of the main characters, Margrethe, talks about how Loki is not just other version of Hermes/Mercury.  This was followed by discussions in Dragon magazine on whether or not Loki should be Chaotic Neutral or Chaotic Evil.  

These ideas, all circa 1986, have led me to this god. 

Betrüger

Betrüger is a trickster god. One of the big archetypes for gods really. He often appears in the form of a talking fox, but due to his nature he can appear as anyone or anything. His favorites are a young androgynous man, an old man, a beautiful young woman (where he often plays jokes on Magni and Muthi), and various talking animals. His jokes can be somewhat dangerous, but he is rarely cruel. He saves his cruelest pranks on the dull-witted and those in power.

He adores humans, though in the same way a person might adore a particularly strange pet. His stories abound with him talking advantage of those unaware and rewarding clever behavior. His tongue often gets him into trouble as well as getting him out of it. He sees himself as the smartest of all the gods.

BETRÜGER (Trickster)

Intermediate God

ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVE: 24"
HIT POINTS: 275
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK:  4-24
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Charming voice, Spells
SPECIAL DEFENSES: +3 or better to hit
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 75%

SIZE: M (5' 7")
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Neutral
WORSHIPER'S ALIGN: All, Bards, Illusionists, and Thieves
SYMBOL: Fox
PLANE: Himmel

CLERIC/DRUID: Nil
FIGHTER: 10th level Fighter
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: 20th level Illusionist
THIEF/ASSASSIN: 15th level in each
MONK/BARD: 20th level Bard
WITCH/WARLOCK: Nil
PSIONIC ABILITY: II
S: 16 I: 23 W: 18 D: 20 C: 20 CH: 20

Betrüger is the trickster of the Gods. He is fond of jokes, lies, stories, and general mischief. To say "Betrüger is bored" is the same as saying there is trouble brewing somewhere.

This god typically avoids combat. Not that he can't fight or is unskilled; he is quite adpet. He just finds combat beneath his dignity. He would much rather talk his way out of a scrape without needing to raise a weapon of spell.

When pressed, he can fight with a raiper twice per round doing 1d10+2 per hit. He can sneak attack as a 15th-level thief and he can also cast spells as a 20th-level illusionist. 

He is the patron of thieves, con men, illusionists, bards, jugglers, and any who make a living of their wits alone.

Animal: Fox
Rainment: (Head) horns or bare (Body) simple, but well-made garments
Color(s): Black, red, green
Holy Days: Fridays
Sacrifices: A coin tossed into a well or pool.
Place of Worship: Anywhere.

Betrüger requires his clerics to multi- or dual-class into thieves or illusionists. He also requires that they have an intelligence score of at least 13. A score of 15 or higher is recommended.

Links

• One Man's God Special: Syncretism Part 3, the Roman-Norse Pantheon
• The Monsters
• My overview and rules for these postings
• Dökkálfar and Ljósálfar
• Alp
• Die Hüne
• Jötunar
• Hautveränderer
• Heuler
• Draugr
• The Gods
• Unser Vater, Father of the Gods
• Sisters of the Dawn, Liebhaberin and Ôstara
• The Mother Goddesses Herde Oberin, Mutter Natur, and Großmutter
• The Divine Twins
• Hüne Vater, Großvater, and Großmutter
• Ides, Demi-Goddess of Protection and War
• Helga, Goddess of Magic, Ghosts, and Witchcraft
• Hüter, Lord of the Dead

D&DGII The Black Forest Mythos: Hüter, Lord of the Dead

 I didn't get as many of these done as I wanted, but that is okay, it can extend into November.  Today is Halloween so I thought the Lord of the Dead might be a good choice for today.

The Romans and the Germanic people had different views on their Lords of the Dead. The Roman Pluto was not exactly the same as the Greek Hades. In truth, the Greek Hades was not even the same over time. Pluto is more of a blending of Hades and the god of riches Ploûtos. Conflating things further in the Eleusinian Mysteries, Pluto, or Ploutōn, became the God in charge of the Earth that helped the seeds to grow.

Greeks, and to a degree Romans, would never say the name of Hades/Pluto. Fearing doing so would attract his attention. Contrast this with the Norse and Germanic myths. While there was Hel, the protector of the dead was Odin or Wotan. Odin was held in very high regard and his name (all of them) was used many times.  Somewhere Hüter, my Lord of the Dead, needs to strike this balance.  Balance here seems to be the key.

Hüter

Hüter is the dispassionate Lord of the Dead. He is neither good nor is he evil. His role is to make sure the dead stay dead. Therefore undead are blasphemous to him. He controls the underground realm and thus all riches that come from the ground are his.

The Lord Underground does not cause death or control the dead but he does keep the souls of the dead under his care and protection. Prayers to Hüter are made in silence, not in fear of his name but in respect of his silent realm of Hölle. Here in this realm, he rules silently over a silent horde of the dead.  

HÜTER (God of the Dead and Riches)

Greater God

ARMOR CLASS: 1
MOVE: 24"
HIT POINTS: 380
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK:  4-48
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Death Touch
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Aura of Silence 60'
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Special

SIZE: M (5' 10")
ALIGNMENT: Neutral
WORSHIPER'S ALIGN: All
SYMBOL: Raven
PLANE: Hölle

CLERIC/DRUID: 20th level Cleric
FIGHTER: 15th level Fighter
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: 10th level Illusionist
THIEF/ASSASSIN: 15th level in each
MONK/BARD: 15th level Bard
WITCH/WARLOCK: Nil
PSIONIC ABILITY: II
S: 20 I: 23 W: 24 D: 18 C: 20 CH: 16

Hüter is the Lord of the Dead and Riches. He rules from his dark throne in the center of Hölle. Here he is surrounded by the dead and the riches of the land. He is the protector and guardian of the dead. The dead enter his realm never to leave. He is not their jailer, but their custodian and protector. He allows none to enter who do not belong and none may leave.

He has many names. The Silent One, The Rich One, the Lord of this World, the Last Confessor, the Whispered One, the Dread Lord, the Gray Lord, and many more. It is said that even the Gods themselves fear him. 

The Lord of the Dead prefers not to attack. Anyone who gets into his realm has already passed through Helga (who many believe is his daughter) and Heuler. If they have gotten this far it has been with his permission. If he does he has a sword of black steel that does 4-48 (4d12) hp per hit. He can command one creature per round to die.  Death in Hüter's realm is permanent and once dead they cannot be raised. On his command, he can also impose Silence 60' radius around him.

When communicating with his cleric the Dread Lord speaks in signs and portents that they must translate. Often these are in the form of his chosen animal the Raven. 

Animal: Ravens
Rainment: (Head) crown made of horns (Body) Rich garments of black. Robes of black
Color(s): Black
Holy Days: None
Sacrifices: All the dead are sacrifices to him
Place of Worship: Places of death.

Links

• One Man's God Special: Syncretism Part 3, the Roman-Norse Pantheon
• The Monsters
• My overview and rules for these postings
• Dökkálfar and Ljósálfar
• Alp
• Die Hüne
• Jötunar
• Hautveränderer
• Heuler
• Draugr
• The Gods
• Unser Vater, Father of the Gods
• Sisters of the Dawn, Liebhaberin and Ôstara
• The Mother Goddesses Herde Oberin, Mutter Natur, and Großmutter
• The Divine Twins
• Hüne Vater, Großvater, and Großmutter
• Ides, Demi-Goddess of Protection and War
• Helga, Goddess of Magic, Ghosts, and Witchcraft

This is another post for my RPG Blog Carnival Horrors, Gods, and Monsters.

--

That is the final entry for this month for my RPG Blog Carnival.  I have more gods and monsters for these myths and that will continue.

D&DGII The Black Forest Mythos: The Divine Twins

 This is really a fabulous October. We have five weekends, a full moon near Halloween, a Friday the Thirteenth (today) AND a total Solar Eclipse in some parts of the country tomorrow.  In celebration of tomorrow's solar/lunar event, I thought it would be good to discuss my God of the Sun and Goddess of the Moon, as well as other Divine Twins.

The Divine Twins in the Black Forest Mythos

The motif of the Divine Twins is one that comes up again and again in most religions and myths. Usually they are the children of the main sky God, and they serve complimentary functions. Other twins are heroes who have many adventures with the gods.

Jäger and Jägerin

These gods are my syncretized versions of the Roman Apollo and Diana with the Norse Freyr and Freyja. They are the gods of the Sun and Moon respectively. Their names mean "Hunters" to help stress the importance that hunting, more than war, is to these people. They also see these gods as Nature gods, so sometimes they are depicted with stag horns.  Curious note. The Norse and Germanic peoples of this time measured time in "Nights" not days. So these combined gods are both the stewards of time.

When needed, Jägerin can don the armor of war and gather Die Kriegerin, the Goddesses of war (much like the Valkyries).  They are also the patrons of the arts bringing music and poetry to the people. 

When the moon eclipses the sun, it is said that Jägerin has put up her shield to protect her and her brother in battle. 

JÄGER (God of the Sun, Music, Hunting)
Intermediate God

ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVE: 18" / 36"
HIT POINTS: 300
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2d8/2d8/2d8 + Fire
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Sunbolt
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Firey Aura
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 75%

SIZE: M (6' 2")
ALIGNMENT: Neutral Good
WORSHIPER'S ALIGN: All (mostly Good)
SYMBOL: Sun Disc or Bow
PLANE: Himmel

CLERIC/DRUID: 10th Level Druid
FIGHTER: 20th Level Fighter
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: Nil
THIEF/ASSASSIN: Nil
MONK/BARD: Nil
WITCH/WARLOCK: Nil
PSIONIC ABILITY: II
S: 20 I:18 W: 18 D: 20 C: 20 CH:20

Jäger is the god of the Sun but is not the sun. He rides his chariot across the sky, searching for the best game to hunt. His tales of his hunting prowess are matched only by tales of his amorous exploits. He is married to Liebhaberin, but both gods are free to choose other lovers as they see fit. He is the model of youth in his prime.

As the god of the sun he can cast any light, fire, or sun-based spell as a 10th-level spell caster and spells he can cast as a 10th-level Druid. His main weapon is his bow. He can fire three arrows per round each hitting a different target. If he chooses, each (or any) arrow can burst into flame for an additional 1d8 points of damage. Additionally he can fire a Sunbolt for 1d10 points of damage. He can also wreathe himself in the Aura of the Sun. This causes Blindness to any that look at him and 1d8 hp of damage to any with 5' of him every round.

He is often accompanied by a group of deathless hunters. These are men who died while hunting or who wished not to move on to their afterlife after death. They hunt in ghostly processions across the land. Anytime a person sees a falling star, they know a new hunter has joined Jäger's ghostly party. Each acts as 10th level fighter and are similar to spectres.

Additionally, he is the god, or rather patron of, music. When not hunting, he can be found singing or playing an instrument.

Animal: The hunting dog or stag
Rainment: (Head) a solar disc or a crown of antlers (Body) Simple hunting garments
Color(s): Yellow, Gold
Holy Days: Every day at sunrise and noon
Sacrifices: Animal sacrifice at sunset. Animals are then eaten by congregants.
Place of Worship: Any open space.

JÄGERIN (Goddess of the Moon, Poetry, Hunting, War)
Intermediate Goddess

ARMOR CLASS: 2
MOVE: 18" / 36"
HIT POINTS: 300
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 2d8/2d8/2d8 + Chill
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Moonbow
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Aura of Madness
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 75%

SIZE: M (6' 1")
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Good
WORSHIPER'S ALIGN: All (mostly Good)
SYMBOL: Moon disc or Bow
PLANE: Himmel

CLERIC/DRUID: Nil
FIGHTER: 20th Level Fighter
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: Nil
THIEF/ASSASSIN: Nil
MONK/BARD: Nil
WITCH/WARLOCK: 10th Level Witch
PSIONIC ABILITY: II
S: 20 I:18 W: 18 D: 20 C: 20 CH:20

Jägerin is the Goddess of Moon, hunting, poetry, and war. she drives her chariot across the sky as does her brother. On the days of the Solar eclipse she is holding up her shield to protect him. On days of the Lunar eclipse he is providing her protection.

Like her twin brother, Jägerin can attack with a bow. Her arrows do 2d8 and can also add an extra 1d8 hp of chill damage. She can surround herself with an Aura of Madness, any who come within 10' of her will attack anyone else but her.  She can cast any spell relating to night or the moon as a caster of the 10th level and as a 10th-level Witch.

Jägerin also has a retinue of hunters with her. These wild women will run through the forest with her in a blood lust for the hunt. They are not dead, but they are no longer alive either. Each acts as a 7th-level fighter and can transform into an animal. Wolves are most common. When needed though, she can call on her Hunt and don the armor of war. These wild women are then known as Die Kriegerin, or the Goddesses of War.

Like her brother, Jägerin is also the patroness of the arts, in this case poetry. She is equally as lascivious as her brother. One tale is told how she boasted she could hunt and kill as many animals as a group of men hunting in the wood. The all agreed to set out in the morning to hunt and return by night fall. Jägerin spent the night having sex with all the hunters and making them too tired to hunt the next day. She was able to go to the wood and hunt at her leisure, easily beating all of them.

Animal: The hunting dog or stag
Rainment: (Head) a moon disc or a crown of antlers (Body) Simple hunting garments
Color(s): Yellow, Gold
Holy Days: Every moonrise
Sacrifices: Animal sacrifice after sunset. Animals are then eaten by congregants.
Place of Worship: Any open space.

Siege and Glücke

These are the Goddesses of Victory and Luck, respectively. 

SIEGE and GLÜCKE (Goddess of Victory and Luck)
Lesser Goddess

ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVE: 18" / 36"
HIT POINTS: 150
NO. OF ATTACKS: 2
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d8/1d8
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Change Outcome
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Change Outcome
MAGIC RESISTANCE: 25%

SIZE: M (6' 0" and 5'19)
ALIGNMENT: Lawful Neutral (Siege) and Chaotic Neutral (Glücke)
WORSHIPER'S ALIGN: All
SYMBOL: Spear
PLANE: Himmel

CLERIC/DRUID: Nil
FIGHTER: 10th Level Fighter (Siege)
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: Nil
THIEF/ASSASSIN: 10th Level Thief (Glücke)
MONK/BARD: Nil
WITCH/WARLOCK: Nil
PSIONIC ABILITY: II
S: 16 I:18 W: 18 D: 20 C: 18 CH:18

These goddess are not worshipped in the strictest sense, but are called on often enough to grant favors to mortals. Siege is the Goddess of Victory; she represents success through skill and determination. Glücke is the Goddess of Luck; she represents success through luck and happenstance. 

Both Goddess can offer a boon to a mortal in the form of gift of Success. Mortal with this gift can re-roll any missed attack, ability check or saving throw and take the better of the two rolls. Most mortal only get this gift once in their lives. Others, such as the hero twins Magni and Muthi, get this boon often. 

Magni and Muthi

Magni and Muth are the Demigod hero twins of this myth. They are two fun and adventure-loving brothers whose tales are often used to teach moral lessons but also entertain. They typically begin with the brothers getting kicked out of their home because their mother (usually described as a hideously ugly witch but also described as the best cook in the world) is tired of them breaking things. The brothers devise a scheme to either get rich, get drunk, or find some maiden to bed. They often run afoul of some person in power, a barkeep, angry husband, father, and/or brothers. The more they try to solve their problems, the more (comical) trouble they get into. Magni is the Strongest Man alive, and there is nothing he can't lift or break. Muthi is the Bravest Warrior known, and he fears nothing, no man, demon, or god. Their tales will sometimes emphasize how much Magni is afraid of something or how something is too heavy for Muthi.

In the end, the brothers usually come out ahead. They get the money, the ale, and the girls and will be seen headed home, where their mother has made them a fantastic meal. They are mischievous but rarely evil. They only kill monsters and prefer to make fools out of human or divine opponents. 

It is said they are deeply in love with Siege and Glücke, but can't make up their minds about who is in love with whom.  

The only time the brothers fight each other is when they have their eyes on the same woman. And in these tales, the moral is always the same. While fighting each other, they lose the girl to someone else, and they return home to a scolding by their mother.

MAGNI and MUTHI
Demigods

ARMOR CLASS: 4
MOVE: 12" 
HIT POINTS: 110 (Magni), 120 (Muthi)
NO. OF ATTACKS: 3
DAMAGE/ATTACK: 1d10/1d10/1d10
SPECIAL ATTACKS: Nil
SPECIAL DEFENSES: Nil
MAGIC RESISTANCE: Nil

SIZE: M (6' 1" Magni) (5' 11" Muthi)
ALIGNMENT: Chaotic Good
WORSHIPER'S ALIGN: NA
SYMBOL: NA
PLANE: Erde (Earth)

CLERIC/DRUID: Nil
FIGHTER: 18th Level Fighter (Barbarian)
MAGIC-USER/ILLUSIONIST: Nil
THIEF/ASSASSIN: 10th Level Thief
MONK/BARD: Nil
WITCH/WARLOCK: Nil
PSIONIC ABILITY: Nil
S: 25 (Magni) 18 (Muthi) I:10 W: 8 D: 18 C: 20 (Magni) 25 (Muthi) CH: 19

Magni and Muthi are twin brothers. They are not worshipped in the traditional sense but are demi-god heroes of these myths, and their stories are told to children (about how they fight monsters) to adults (how they stop evil people and their sexual exploits). 

Magni can add +7 to his to hit and damage rolls due to his strength. Muthi is unaffected by any sort of fear, mundane or magical. This also extends to giving him +3 against any save vs. magic.

Characters encountering Magni and Muthi will often find them "mid-scheme." That is whatever it was they were trying to do has already failed spectacularly, and now they are either running from the authorities or an angry husband/father/brother. 

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Links

• One Man's God Special: Syncretism Part 3, the Roman-Norse Pantheon
• My overview and rules for these postings
• Unser Vater, Father of the Gods
• Sisters of the Dawn, Liebhaberin and Ôstara
• The Mother Goddesses Herde Oberin, Mutter Natur, and Großmutter

This is another post for my RPG Blog Carnival Horrors, Gods, and Monsters.