Usumu

Usumu
Titles	The Earth-Shaker Fair Weather Friend The First of Flight The Spires and the Canyons
Type	Greater deity
Areas of concern	Nature, weather, air, water
Typical worshipers	Druids, farmers, hunters, those that live in wild places
Domains	Air, Cold, Earth, Fire, Nature, Water
Divine font	Heal or Harm
Divine skill	Nature or Survival
Divine ability	Constitution or Strength
Favored weapon	Hatchet
Symbol	Animal skull surrounded by foliage
Sacred animal	Varies by pantheon
Sacred color	Green and brown

Sometimes Usumu weeps, and the skies darken and the rains pour. Sometimes she smiles, and the clouds part. Sometimes she laughs, and the ground trembles and shakes. Her moods are mercurial, her temperament unpredictable. Our lives are shaped by her whims, by her great forces that surround us.

—Excerpt from writings by an unknown Meklovian author

Usumu (pronounced ooh-SOO-moo) is the goddess of nature, weather, air, and water.

Edicts and anathema

Edicts

Respect the natural world

Anathema

Cause pollution, destroy natural ecosystems, waste natural resources

Description

Usumu is the goddess of the natural world, a deity of the earth, seas, and skies. She is carried by the winds and the waves to every corner of Kishar. Her influence is almost inescapable. And yet, the ongoing events of the world do not interest her much, even as she indirectly shapes them - the processes of nature will continue much like they always have, with or without her firsthand involvement. Disregard for nature or destruction of its often fragile systems, however, invariably stirs her most devout followers to action.

Even more so than with other greater deities, stories about Usumu's origin are contradictory. In some, she was the architect of the natural world during the moments of creation, while in others she was born from the ground itself itself in order to bring an otherwise static world to life. Regardless, none doubt her primacy over her the natural world since.

Followers

The natural world has no inherent motivations or causes, and therefore Usumu accepts followers of any alignment. All those that find a connection to nature are welcomed by Usumu. Druids often follow her, as do sailors, farmers, hunters, and others whose livelihoods are inextricably tied to the earth, air, or water.

Many nature spirits, themselves sometimes worshiped as lesser divines, pay deference to Usumu as well, seeing her as a powerful matriarch.

Church structure

Usumu has no church. Her followers usually prefer secluded locations for their temples and shrines. Remote places away from major settlements work best, but a refuge in a park can work if there are no other options.

Holy text

Usumu has no singular holy text. Devotees of the goddess of nature often leave inscriptions to Usumu on standing stones or dead trees, though never in places where doing so would harm a plant or animal.

Relations

Followers of Usumu have generally neutral relations with the faiths of other deities. The natural world cares little about those that believe in other divines, a stance mirrored by Usumu's faithful. Some, however, oppose the Hellean and Chaskan aspects of Hasamel, owing in large part to how the god's religion encourages the destruction of natural places in the name of development. Nyxras is widely seen negatively as well, due to her tenets of constant consumption and excess.

Depiction

Usumu is almost always characterized as highly capricious, a figure to be simultaneously respected and feared. Some cultures, many in Brightmarch for example, consider Usumu to be fundamentally benevolent but prone to outbursts, while others, like in Rothurland, think of her as generally antagonistic yet not evil. She is variously depicted as a giant figure made of stone or air, often emerging from a cloud bank or mountainside.

Variations by pantheon

Pantheon	Name	Notes
Aserdian	Auva	In the Aserdian pantheon, Auva is seen as benevolent yet prone to outbursts. Though largely a passive deity, she takes a very active role in the defense of nature - animals that fight back against those that get too close to their nests or young are seen as acting out Auva's will. Thorns, poisons, tusks, claws, and other means by which nature can defend itself are thought to be gifted by the goddess. Auva's holy animal is an okapi.
Chaskan	Usumu	In the Chaskan pantheon, Usumu is more closely connected with the sea than she is in other pantheons. She is the patron of sailors and fishermen especially, who often pray to her when encountering rough waters or headwinds. Usumu is still important as a terrestrial nature deity, however, particularly as the protector of forests. Usumu's holy animals are elk and dolphins.
Hellean	Ino	In the Hellean pantheon, Ino is especially associated with mountains. Many believe she formed the first and tallest mountain peaks, and her most devout followers often take to pilgrimages to the ranges around Hellea to seek solitude for their prayers. Ino's holy animal is a deer.
Khapeshan	Iabet	In the Khapeshan pantheon, Iabet is a goddess of the sky first and foremost. She watches the world below, shifting the winds according to her whims. Sometimes she brings calm, pleasant breezes, and at other times she aids in bringing Sutekh's sandstorms in from the desert. Her holy animals are geese and antelopes.
Laurentian	Nemedaz	In the Laurentian pantheon, Nemedaz is a goddess of central importance. While not evil, she is often seen in an antagonistic role. Nemedaz is the embodiment of the harsh landscapes in regions that follow the Laurentian pantheon, forcing those that live there to develop strength and self-sufficiency. These traits are believed to be favored by the goddess. Nemedaz's holy animal is a moose.
Dwarven	Nobatir	In the Dwarven pantheon, Nobatir is a goddess of the underground world. She is believed to have dug the first primordial cave systems, filling them with plants and animals adapted to life away from the light. Nobatir is not a benevolent deity, however, as she is also the embodiment of the forces that continue to change the underground. Sometimes she shifts in her sleep and the earth trembles and shakes, causing tunnels to collapse and new ones to appear. Nobatir's holy animal is a mountain goat.
Elven	Hurtate	In the Elven pantheon, Hurtate's role as a goddess of fire is particularly emphasized. Wildfires are seen as divine gifts, burning away the old in favor of something new. Worship of Hurtate is especially important to Wilds Ones. Her other aspects as a goddess of nature remain important as well. Many of her followers gently aid in the growth of natural places as a form of prayer and meditation, tending to groves of trees and other sites to ensure they can thrive. Hurtate's holy animal is a mouse-deer.
Orcish	Umuth	In the Orcish pantheon, Umuth is seen as a slumbering deity whose movements as she sleeps can bring either calm weather or havoc to the world below. Clear skies, torrential rains, wildfires - all are seen as unintentional on the part of their goddess. Umuth's holy animal is an elk.