Faiths of Sublanarya: The Mother Plenty (Aphizia) & Honey-Blessed

Queen Aphizia is one of the nobility of the Court of Dawn but her origins are stranger than fey. She is an alien goddess, like Grimnir, who comes from beyond the stars. She made her home in Narya, long ago, and made herself a kingdom that would make anyone jealous. Her fey kingdom is a gorgeous and endless valley of wildflowers and fruit trees, the air humming with the busy work of fey bees and the singing of her children the kleodora, and in the middle of it all her massive golden castle. Inside, she sits upon her throne, attended and attending to her children.

She has had at least a short relationship with Aurellion that often leads their priests to be at odds.

Aphiza is a goddess whose cults find their way into desolate lands. Her daughters, the kleodora, are beautiful, alien and secretive missionaries who work to spread her influence into these lands by offering gifts of fresh produce and honey. While perhaps put-off by the strange appearance of the kleodora, desperate communities welcome them. It does not take long for the kleodora to offer to give the gift of apiaries, bee hives, and, in exchange for a small temple being built, teaching acolytes how to raise and care for the bees. Within a year, they can turn a famine into a bounty, but in following years, the queen gets her payment.

In order to appease her and the bees, Aphizia demands a yearly human sacrifice. The more elaborate and joyous the festival, despite the gruesome execution of the sacrifice, the better the following season's harvest. Such is the wicked pleasure of a goddess both alien and fey.

Those who fail to appease the queen are punished swiftly either by a plague of flying insects or worse. She is known to make deals, especially from women, for anything from a good harvest or a cured illness. But there is always a price and she is an easily offended goddess.

Particularly pleasing communities are even known to be "pollinated" by the kleodora and these children are called the "honey-blessed". Honey-blessed are often priests and agents of the goddess. Honey-Blessed are notoriously gifted with the beauty and wisdom of their forebearers. The features that stand out are their antennae, which they usually disguise by laying them down in their hair, a thin-layer of fine hair across their body and their eyes which have a composite pattern. While most honey-blessed serve the Mother Plenty, others escape their cult life and attempt a free-life. But the mother does not forget her children.

Ability Score Increase. Your Wisdom increases by 2 and your Charisma increases by 1.
Age. Honey-Blessed have lifespans equivalent to humans.
Alignment. Most honey-blessed are lawful sense the represent the authority of the cult and enforce it with a smile, so they tend towards lawful alignments. Those that break free from the cult might rebel and embrace freedom.
Size. A half-kleodora has the build of a human woman. Your size if medium.
Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Fey Ancestry. You have advantage on saving throws against being charmed and magic can't put you to sleep.
Mother's Blessing. You have advantage on saving throws against poison, and you have resistance against poison damage.
Insect Empathy. You have an innate ability to communicate with insects. You have the ability to communicate simple ideas through sounds and gestures with insect-like creatures.
Sting. You know the Infestation cantrip. Your infestation cantrip's spell manifests as a swarm of fey bees. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this spell.
Honeyed Words. Your bodily fluids have hypnotic qualities that allow you a limited version of the hivemind-like effect used by kleeodora. When your magic saliva, sweat or tears is consumed, via skin contact or ingestion, the creature must make a Wisdom saving throw. If it fails it is charmed by you until the effect ends, after 1 hour, or until you or your companions do something harmful to it. The charmed creature regards you as a friendly acquaintance. You can only affect a number of creatures with this spell equal to your level. If you attempt to use it on an additional creature, the effect must end on affected creature of your choice. If a creature succeeds, nothing happens and they are immune to this ability for 24 hours. Wisdom is your spellcasting ability for this effect.
Languages. You can speak, read, and write Common and Sylvan.

APHIZIA THE MOTHER PLENTY
Title(s)

The Giver, The Golden Queen, The Queen Bee, The Hivemind

Pantheon(s)

Naryan

Power Level

Lesser Deity

Alignment

Lawful Evil

Symbol

A golden hexagon with black stripes

Portfolio

Bees, insects, harvests, fertility, beauty

Domains

Nature

Worshipers

Farmers, bee-keepers, druids, witches, midwives

Favored Weapon

Spears

Monster Mash: K is for Kinnar

The kinnar are depicted in the tapestries and mosaics of palaces. They are beautiful and enigmatic creatures, resembling fey humans with flowing hair from the waist up and exotic, colorful and long-legged flightless two-tailed birds from the waist down, and they are always a pair: the male kinnara and the female kinnari.

Created By Love.  Kinnar are often hunted by fey who either despise their beauty or goodness, desire their feathers for fashion, or wish to capture them to perform. They are usually difficult to catch, as they don't require food, water or even sleep, instead meditating in each other's embrace for brief stints under the night sky.

Kinnar are love-sick creatures obsessed with their mates from the moment they meet. They are literally created in the the Twilight Realm of Dawn from feelings of unrequited love. Due to the fey lords sending hunters after them, the kinnar often escape to the relative safety of the material plane where they are legendary.

The shy and cautious creatures generally avoid humans. They live in remote jungles and forests away from prying eyes. But they have a weakness that lures them from safety towards other creatures. Kinnar are attracted to burgeoning love.

Drawn to Love.  Kinnar can detect romantic thoughts from a long distance. When they detect these thoughts, they are attracted to the scene. If the love is strong enough, they are drawn to it like a magnet and cannot resist. They seek the young couple out and, if they appear to be alone, the kinnar will perform a ritualistic dance and sing for them. In many couples this is believed to be a powerful blessing and it is considered bad karma to ignore the endorsement of two lover's romance by the kinnar. After performing, they will usually return from whence they came.

Sometimes their desire to witness romance is used against the kinnar.

Exotic hunters who specialize in catching the most exotic creatures will attract the kinnar by throwing parties for the young or bringing a new couple close to the area where the kinnar have been sighted, so that they can set up a trap. They then capture the kinnar and sell them to wealthy nobility that would keep them for entertainment. They are valued as divine creatures by many cultures and their performances are said to have many magical qualities. Their dance is often their best defense as it usually charms creatures that see it for the first time long enough for the kinnar to escape but there will always be hunters who find ways to counteract the effect.

Til Death Do Us Part. Hurting the kinnar is considered extremely bad karma and killing a kinnar is a terrible act. If one kinnar of a pair is slain, the other kinnar will go mad. It will sing a song that has been known to kill and attack the responsible party, and all around it, until it literally collapses and dies of a broken heart.

Monster Mash: D is for Dactyli!

Few creatures have the same sort of old wives tale feel to them as the "little people"; there are countless stories of diminutive fairy folk that live in the walls and under the floorboards, like mice, and come out at night to steal away food and trinkets. It's a whimsical excuse for the disappearance of valuable odds and ends from socks to jewelry to the last piece of cake that are, more than likely, the result of bad memory or filching servants or midnight cravings.

But, in a fantastic setting, all fables and myths have a little truth in them. And the little people are real.

They are called the dactyli or "finger-folk" and they are split between three tribes: brownies, duende and fenodyree.

Brownies, duende, & fenodyree.

Brownies are considered to be the "domestic dactyli" subspecies. They are also called "house elves" because they like to live in the homes of humanoids.

Brownies make their homes, carefully, hidden away under the floors or in the walls and, much like the fairy tales, and only come out at night to steal away small things to feed themselves or improve their homes. While this might seem to be the tendency of a pest, brownies are considered good luck by the wise because they keep out vermin like rats and spiders. Furthermore, the stories of brownies fixing shoes and leaving coins on bedside tables are not inaccurate. They usually prefer to stay to themselves and to be allowed to go about their little lives. A brownie doesn't want to cause too much trouble for their housemates.

Each brownie is about four to six inches tall and resemble humans, though they often have exaggerated features, and wear elaborate clothing stitched together from bits of this and that stolen from the household above. Their clothing often says a lot about them. They are craft creatures and are capable of making small machines and gadgets that help them get around the home unnoticed.

If they have a choice, though, brownies prefer the homes of gnomes and elves, who are less superstitious than humans, and have been known to befriend them. In some elf and gnome communities, they even help build little homes for the brownies and cooperate with them. In exchange, brownies keep an eye and ear out for trouble.

When threatened by the residents of a home, they will turn to the wild for safety and have a way with small animals.

Duende are pests.

While brownies try to go unnoticed, duende like to irritate or frighten larger humanoids or "biggins" as they like to mockingly call them. They make messes, break and steal valuables, make noises, invite in vermin (who they also enjoy preying upon), and generally stressing their housemates out. To be frank, duende give their kin a bad reputation.

These foul sprites are the smallest dactyli, standing around three to four inches tall, with exaggerated fey features and bitter little eyes. They prefer to dusty attics and dank basements, riding spiders and rats to get around faster, and steal more precious materials and jewellery to make their ornate outfits.

They particularly dislike their kin and go out of their way to run any brownies or fenodyree out of their territory.

Fenodyree are even more reclusive than their smaller kin.

Fenodyree can stand about eight to ten inches tall and are distinctly different than their domestic kin with long faces, furry bodies and tails. They do not like wearing pants, perhaps as a result of their fur and tails, but do wear smocks and robes. Despite their more exotic and animalistic features, fenodyree are the least likely to bother humanoids or animals for that matter.They live in burrows and caverns under the ground, only leaving their homes out of curiosity or to steal vegetables and fruit from local farms and orchards.

While seen as less industrious, fenodyree are known, strangely enough, for being the most artistic of the dactyli. They have a rich story-telling tradition, through art and music, that makes them the loremasters for their species. They even like to tell stories about the above-world but often miss out on details or misinterpret events.

All dactyli like sweets and are capable of small feats of magic.

Character Crunch. Tuathans and Faiths of Sublanarya: Dagda the Stag Prince

The following is an excerpt from a previous article... Witchcraft Part 4: Morgana La Fey the Terrible and Magnificent 

When an animal dies in Sublanarya, they move onto the afterlife just the same as any other sentient life forms, usually finding an immortal resting place in the Heavens. When animals die in the Feywild, they instead become spirits until they can reincarnate. Being touched by the fey changes these animals and, after many generations, a tribe of these animal spirits became sentient and known as the Yenna-goshi.

Yenna-goshi are one of the most mysterious species of shape-changers since they have a non-corporeal spirit form, an animal form, and a humanoid like form. They are strange primal entities that, in their humanoid form, having a mix of nondescript animal traits obscured by a cloak of animal hides with great glowing eyes looking out from under the hood.They usually watch over special places of nature in the Feywild and material plane. They are the spirits often responsible for the creation of Hengeyokai, sentient animals, born from normal animals, with the ability to transform into a human-like form. They are responsible for other yokai such as giant beasts, "animal gods", that serve as paragons of their kind and protectors of nature. There are also responsible for the Tuath De Yenna or Tuathans.

Thousands of years ago, there was a tribe of humans. They were known to be a peaceful and friendly craftsmen with use of bright colors, ornate patterns and unusual materials that create designs that were somehow both natural and unnatural. They were a simple people, living in harmony with the land, and did not seek war. They once had a homeland but were chased out by invaders. They became lost on a foggy morning and found themselves in a strange land, having crossed over into the Feywild, and it seemed there was no escape.

The tribe was lost in a strange and dangerous place, but they soon found friends. They had found themselves in a secluded forest, deep in the Dawn realm, protected by the yenna-goshi. Usually anyone foolish enough to step into or, much worse, damage the lands of the yenna-goshi would be scared off or meet some misfortune. It is said the yenna-goshi were bewitched by the colorful garments and tents of the people, the aroma of their tea and food, and the songs played by the young and old. Rather than scaring off the tribe, the yenna-goshi helped the humans and befriended them, allowing them to make the woods their home.

And, as the humans spent time in the Feywild, they changed as they were touched by the spirit of the animals. They gained the ability to shape-change into animals, they learned fey magic and knowledge, and helped protect the forests of the yenna-goshi. In time, they became known as the Tuatha de Yenna-goshi or "tribe of the animal spirits" or tuathans ("the tribespeople") for short.

Some tuathans eventually discovered a way to return to the material plane and, with their knowledge of fey magic, shape-shifting, and other gifts they had obtained abroad, they became a powerful small empire that stood for a thousand years. And then, mysteriously, the empire collapsed. Today, descendants of the tuathans can be found in the material plane and it is still believed they live hidden away in the forests of the yenna-goshi. They do not advertise their shape-shifting or heritage to avoid the superstitious fear of humans but also other enemies.

Their blood, their very heritage, is sought after by any number of powerful magic users and fey lords that seek to tap into the power of their mysterious race.

Tuathans are a race scattered to the four winds with small families, clans and communities hiding themselves away in the corners of the wild. They try to preserve their heritage but mostly want peace from the "wild hunt". A few tuathans either seek adventure or, by tragedy, are forced to seek out their own path in the world.

They resemble humans with fey-like features, often being mistaken for half-elfs or having elf blood, but have features resembling their unique animal form. From unique eye color and shape, such as having the eyes of an eagle, to hair the color of their fur or feathers in their animal form, such as tawny brown hair that turns white in the winter and back in the spring. Their closeness to nature, or at least their kindred animals, often leads them to druidism or ranging.

Ability Score Increase. Increase two ability scores of your choice each by 1 or one ability score of your choice by 2.

 It is recommended you base the ability score on your Kindred Animal. EX. A bear would have a +1 to Strength and a +1 to Constitution but a Bat would probably have a +2 to Dexterity.

Alignment. While Tuathans were once the ruling class of an ancient kingdom, since their downfall they have returned to their wild heritage. They tend towards neutrality, focusing on the survival and welfare of their kin, but some take their desire for freedom and turn it into an ideal of allowing themselves and others to live free. They tend towards neutral and chaotic alignments.

Size. Your are similarly sized to a human. Your size is Medium.

Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
Wild Folk. You have proficiency in the Nature skill.

Kindred Speech. You have the ability to comprehend and verbally communicate with beasts similar to your kindred animal as if using the Speak With Animals spell.

The following are the beasts you can choose as your Kindred Animal. If you want to use a different beast, consult with your GM.

Ape, Axe Beak, Baboon, Badger, Bat, Black Bear, Blood Hawk, Boar, Camel, Cat, Constrictor Snake, Crocodile, Deer, Draft Horse, Eagle, Elk, Flying Snake, Frog, Giant Badger, Giant Bat, Giant Frog, Giant Goat, Giant Lizard, Giant Owl, Giant Poisonous Snake, Giant Rat, Giant Weasel, Goat, Hawk, Hyena, Jackal, Lizard, Mastiff, Mule, Owl, Panther, Poisonous Snake, Pony, Pteranodon, Rat, Raven, Riding Horse, War Horse, Weasel, Wolf, Vulture,

You can pick from the following but must be at least Level 4.

Brown Bear, Dire Wolf, Giant Eagle, Giant Hyena, Giant Toad, Giant Vulture, Lion, Tiger

Kindred Animal. You can take a bonus action to magically transform into your specific and unique kindred animal. Pick a creature from the list above. You can use this ability for up to four hours. Every time you use this ability to turn into your kindred animal and then turn back into your normal form, it expends at least one hour of your potential time in your kindred animal form. You regain one hour when you take a short rest and all hours when you take long rests.

You can willingly return to your normal form by using a bonus action to do so.

The creature is limited in the actions it can perform by the nature of its new form, and cannot perform spells. Your intelligence, wisdom, and charisma ability scores remain the same and you may choose to use your hit points from your normal form instead of those of the creature. If your hit points become 0 or less in this form or you are knocked unconscious, you remain in this form.
 
The target’s gear melds into the new form. The target can’t activate, wield, or otherwise benefit from any of its equipment. 
Extra Languages. You may speak, read and write Sylvan and Elven.

The racial god of the Tuathans, Dagda, is similar to Sylvanis. In fact, some legends say that he is the son of Silvanus and a powerful Fey lady. While able to take any animal form, as a god of nature, his kindred animal is the stag and his favored form is that of a great and powerful stag. For this reason, he wears a crown of stag horns. He is said to be a capricious personality; wild, untamed and unpredictable. And yet, incredibly cunning and skilled. His guile allowed him to lead the Tuathans to rule an empire that is still spoken of in legend that stretched across many forested lands. And yet, even quicker than he rose to power, Dagda vanished. This was the beginning of the end for the empire and, shortly after his disappearance, it fell to ruin.

Those who still adhere to Dagda see him as a savior who will return to reunite the Tuathans. Some say he is still out there now, helping his people when he can, and punishing the wicked. He is said to take the forms of a beautiful young man or a bearded giant. He is also said to carry a long oak club that could take life or give it with a single swing, a cauldron that never runs empty of whatever drink or elixir he pleases, and a magical harp that can change the seasons as easily as it can change moods.

And yet, if he is still out there, why has he abandoned his throne?

It remains to be seen, but his people still wait for him.

  DAGDA THE STAG PRINCE

Title(s)

King of the Tuathans, The Mighty and Many-Skilled, The King of the Forests, Cernunnos, The Wild-Eyed Lord

Pantheon(s)

New Gods

Power Level

Lesser Deity

Alignment

Chaotic Good

Symbol

A pair of antlers with a star between them

Portfolio

Druids, the forest, tuathans, rangers, talent

Domains

Nature

Worshipers

Druids, foresters (hunters, trappers, loggers), tuathans, fey, wood elves

Favored Weapon

Clubs, mauls

Holy Day(s)

Festivals and rituals for the seasonal equinoxes