Why wait to be given what you could claim for yourself? Take from the table, don’t be content with scraps. No law that constrains is worth the clay in which it is written. Be unbound.—Excerpt from writings by the Orange Lotus Fleet cleric Eye of the Typhoon
Laverna (pronounced lah-VER-nah) is the goddess of trickery, personal freedom, self-interest, and spite.
Edicts and anathema
- Edicts
- Take what you desire, take revenge on those that have slighted you, pull pranks
- Anathema
- Allow others to compromise your goals, follow laws you disagree with, admit defeat
Description
Laverna is the sister of Marya, twin goddesses born from the same moment. Both sprung forth when the first mortal beings observed the world the gods had created and desired something else. Where Marya personifies the drive for freedom and self-determination for one's community, Laverna instead represents the desire for complete personal independence. Despite their similarities in the beginning, the followers of each goddess have taken their faiths in quite different directions.
Neither Laverna nor her worshipers tolerate others telling them what is allowed and what is forbidden. To her faithful, to desire something for oneself is all the justification needed to take it. Opportunism, self-interest, self-preservation - these are the highest tenets of Laverna.
Laverna particularly favors those that find creative means to undermine others who stand in their way. Tricksters, pranksters, and those that find ways to thrive in the cracks in society are said to be smiled upon by Laverna. According to her clerics, she cares not if one attempts to change an unfair situation, only if one manages to thrive despite the odds against them.
Followers
Though the best known of Laverna's followers are the pirates, bandits, and other outlaws attracted to her faith, most are simply individuals who wish to find their own ways, free of the constraints imposed by others. Adventurers, wanderers, misfits - many find reason to worship Laverna. Those that chafe under authority yet are not particularly drawn to the revolutionary ideals of Marya often find their way to Laverna. Many lycanthropes, especially those unwillingly cursed with their condition, also see Laverna as their patron.
Church structure
There is no organized church to Laverna. There are few temples to the goddess either, as most of her followers prefer to find their own interpretations of their goddess' values.
Holy text
Two of Laverna's holy texts are particularly widely read:
- Code of Laverna
- The Code of Laverna is a collection of tenets that her faithful attribute to their goddess. Most provide instruction on how to respond if one is slighted in some way. This text is particularly favored by pirates.
- Under the Surface, Under the Skin
- Under the Surface, Under the Skin is a long narrative about an unnamed thief and their struggles to survive and thrive as they travel between Viridia and Kea Racha during the early 9th millennium. Her followers debate endlessly as to whether the story is fictional or an accurate account.
Relations
Followers of Laverna generally have quite good relations with those of Marya, though they often see her faith as being too bound up in notions of fairness. Other deities are rarely of major concern to Laverna's faith, usually tolerated only as long as they do not attempt to impose on an individual's interests.
Depiction
Laverna is often depicted in an animal form, frequently a cat, seagull, racoon, or other small, mischievous creature. Her followers eschew portraying her as larger than life or in a dramatic manner, viewing her more as an old friend than a remote deity to be obeyed unconditionally. Unusually, clerics of Laverna openly promote questioning the tenets of the goddess, without fearing that it could invoke her anger.
Variations by pantheon
| Pantheon | Name | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Aserdian | Kalausi | In the Aserdian pantheon, Kalausi is the patron of those that wish to remain hidden. In some stories she taught mortals how to camouflage themselves and use invisibility magic to better remain out of sight. Isolated communities that do not want to found by the broader world often worship Kalausi, as do those that have left society for their own reasons. |
| Chaskan | Laverna | In the Chaskan pantheon, Laverna is most associated with pirates, bandits, and those who take the wealth of others by force. Followers of Laverna reject subtlety in favor of strength, and believe the only way to make your way in the world is through your own abilities and those of the few who have proven themselves trustworthy. |
| Hellean | Leucothea | In the Hellean pantheon, Leucothea is a trickster goddess and the patron of thieves, everyone from the lowliest pickpocket to those that steal from the vaults of the nobility. Leucothea teaches that one must always be one step ahead of their targets, fast-thinking yet never impulsive. |
| Khapeshan | Amathaunta | In the Khapeshan pantheon, Amathaunta is associated with outcasts and outlaws, those who have rejected the rules of society and now live on their own terms. Communities that live on the margins of the inhospitable desert often worship Amathaunta, as they believe she gives them strength and motivation to continue life in a harsh landscape. |
| Laurentian | Runo | In the Laurentian pantheon, Runo is the patron of raiders, those that take from others to survive. She is viewed as a goddess of necessity, who tolerates actions that may occasionally be evil when in service of keeping oneself alive. |
| Orcish | Lashza | In the Orcish pantheon, Lashza takes a more evil form. She is the goddess of betrayers, those that would abandon or turn on their friends and family for their own gain. Followers of Lashza often avoid each other, seeing other worshipers of the goddess as competition rather than potential allies. |