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 pantheonic 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 | Auva (pronounced OW-vah) is a goddess of the natural world. 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.
Her clergy can be found both in dense urbanized regions and in places that are extremely sparsely inhabited. In cities her clergy ensures that the natural world maintains a presence and is never forgotten, while in wild lands they seek to commune with their goddess as directly as possible. Her followers often leave inscriptions in her name on dead trees or prominent rock outcroppings, prayers for passing animals to see. Auva is typically depicted in a giant anthropomorphized form, usually as a figure made of stone or air emerging from a mountainside or cloud bank respectively. Her 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 | Hurtate (pronounced hur-TAH-tay) is a goddess of nature, water, wildfires, hunting, and cultivation, the patron both of the natural world and those that take their food from it. She keeps the world bountiful though wildfires, one of the other major aspects of her domains. Wildfires are seen as divine gifts from Hurtate, burning away the old in favor of something new. Worship of Hurtate is especially important to Wilds Ones. 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.
The priesthood of Hurtate can be found both in larger settlements and in the less developed parts of the world. Though they often teach methods of cultivation and hunting that minimally disturb the surrounding landscape, some of their other religious practices can be far less hands-off. In particular, Hurtatean clergy will sometimes intentionally start plain- or forest-fires, ritually allowing their goddess to bring new life into being from the ashes. Hurtate is typically depicted in a giant anthropomorphized form, usually as a figure made of air or fire emerging from a cloud bank or raging wildfire respectively. Her 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. |