Ben Leskey | DCSS deities on the surface

Dungeon Crawl: Stone Soup has a large pantheon, but in the dungeon their abilities and themes are heavily combat-focused. What might they be like on the surface of the world?

Ashenzari the Shackled

Ashenzari is the chained god of secrets and curses. It is said that Ashenzari is eternally bound to the sky. On the surface, Ashenzari is the patron of secrets and hidden knowledge. In rural areas Ashenzari is said to offer divining knowledge of deep water springs and rich coal mines, always in exchange for a curse. In the city Ashenzari is evoked by politicians seeking secrets and those trying to pry out the hidden dalliances of their spouse. The knowledge Ashenzari offers is great, but something must be cursed for Ashenzari to reveal.

Beogh the Brigand

Beogh is the god of the wanderers and outcasts. Native deity of the orcish race, Beogh does not discriminate. All those who seek to scrape a living on the borders of society may offer their worship to Beogh. Outlaw farmers outside the jurisdiction of a king pledge their fidelity to Beogh, hoping to stave off raids by other ne'er-do-wells and keep their harvest for themselves. All manner of rogues and thugs use the tenuous tie of Beogh-worship to avoid conflict within their ranks; this is a form of honor even among thieves. An offering or supplication to Beogh is usually of social purpose.

Cheibriados the Contemplative

Cheibriados is most often called upon by the elderly seeking to slow the passage of time and enjoy what years they have remaining. Mighty kings have given great offerings to preserve their kingdoms, and farmers dreading the arrival of winter have begged Cheibriados to hold back the changing of the seasons.

Dithmenos the Shadowed

If Beogh is the god of social outlaws, then Dithmenos is the god of the loners. All deeds that must be kept hidden are best done under a prayer to Dithmenos. Small shrines in the cities are visited at the witching hour by desperate men seeking not forgiveness but a cloak to hide their sins. It is said that those who wear the symbol of Dithmenos are never sorry for what they've done, and neither will they have to be sorry for being caught.

Elyvilon the Healer

All peoples of the world pray to Elyvilon the healer. The symbols of Elyvilon are found in every city, over every hearth, for Elyvilon gives health and life to a world struggling with pain and darkness.

Fedhas Madash

Fedhas Madash was originally the god of the Elvish people, but over time all people have come to offer their crops and services in exchange for rich harvests and long-preserved food. When Fedhas Madash is angry, all suffer, but when Fedhas Madash is pleased, civilization blooms.

Gozag Ym Sagoz

Gozag Ym Sagoz was brought from the underworld by the Gnomes and the Dwarves, but Humans found Gozag a pleasant companion in business and trade, for like Gozag, humanity enjoys the sound of clinking gold coins. All merchants and politicians will whisper a few words to Gozag on occasion, and to many the temples of Gozag Ym Sagoz are the pinnacle of their social circles.

Hepliaklqana the Forgotten

It is said that the humans remember their ancestors most out of all races of the world, because of their uniquely short lifespans and struggle to remember the past. Hepliaklqana might, therefore, be said to be a human god, but this is far from the truth. Anyone who wishes to remember the past will make an offering to Hepliaklqana, and the most devoted priests and faithful bards can recall in great detail long histories and storied individuals, albiet at the cost of their own health.

Stories have been told of misers who forgot the location of their hidden gold and made offering to Hepliaklqana, only to find their deceased ancestors standing at the very spot and calling to join them in death.

Ignis the Dying Flame

In ages past, Ignis was the god of humans. They found fire in the wilderness, and there Ignis burned like a flame. But now humanity has moved past the primal fire, and their concerns are with the likes of Gozag Ym Sagoz and Vehumet. Ignis is a fading god, and Ignis's flames will soon die out, but in hovels and distant villages there are still fires burning in service to Ignis, and there they are more warm and comforting than the furnaces of the city.

Jiyva the Shapeless

The slimes and creatures of chaos worship Jiyva: lycanthropes, aberrations, horrors from beyond. It is said that Jiyva is not from this plane of existence, but dallies here on some cosmic interlude. Those who make petition of Jiyva are seeking some change in their lives or their bodies, and more often than not the strange priests of Jiyva are happy to oblige. If Elyvilon fails, then the most desperate will turn here next.

Kikubaaqudgha

Kikubaaqudgha gives knowledge and power to those who practice necromancy. In all civilized realms Kikubaaqudgha-worship is banned, but small bone pyres and hidden shrines can be found in the dark places of the world.

Lugonu the Unformed

Lugonu is, like Jiyva, from far off. But unlike Jiyva, Lugonu desires to change not only the bodies of creatures, but the world itself. At times Lugonu has been called upon during war, to scour the earth, or during times of great disaster, to reshape nature. But there is little that Lugonu does for those who supplicate, and much that Lugonu does for Lugonu.

Makhleb the Destroyer

An ancient god of violence, Makhleb is keeper of the fiendish keys. Those who wish to cause chaos and summon demons to do their will call upon the name of Makhleb. A man seeking revenge might give up his sanity in exchange for strength, and a general desiring victory might gain preternatural charisma from a visit to the blood-temple of Makhleb.

Nemelex Xobeh

The gambler's god, Nemelex Xobeh is also a favorite of the merchants. Shysters, stock brokers, and investors willing to take risks will at times make sacrifice to Nemelex or consult the cards to see what might be in their future.

Okawaru the Warmaster

Every soldier knows the name of Okawaru, and adventurers and knights alike will devote much time to this study. The strength of Okawaru, in the heat of battle, may be the difference between living and dying.

Pakellas

Pakellas is the patron of artificers and scientists. Those who create machines and magical devices call upon Pakellas to support their efforts, and the temples of Pakellas are great libraries and laboratories of learning.

Qazlal Stormbringer

The great dragon, Qazlal is a bolt of thunder in the sky and a gentle mist on a spring evening. Farmers and sailors beg Qazlal to change the course of nature's fury, and it is said among the merchant captains that no good voyage begins but with the crew in a temple to Qazlal.

Ru the Awakened

Like Ashenzari, Ru demands sacrifice in exchange for knowledge. But Ru's sacrifices are not of posessions or curses laid upon your belongings. Ru demands your body and mind, and the knowledge received is metaphysical. Those who worship Ru seek enlightenment or cannot find peace in any other way. All those who sacrifice will receive the secrets of the universe, but the weight of Ru's revelation is often too much to bear.

Sif Muna the Loreminder

Magical secrets live within the heart of Sif Muna. All wizards worship Sif Muna, and the loremasters flock to the temples of Sif Muna for ancient tomes and crumbling scrolls preserved by her power.

Trog the Wrathful

Trog is a hunter's god. Those who worship Trog do so in the wilderness, summoning the courage and stamina for a long hunt, be their quarry man, beast, or monster.

Uskayaw the Reveler

Uskayaw demands a party! Every joyful gathering can be made better with an invocation of Uskayaw, and the temples of Uskayaw are filled with music and drums even in the dimmest hours of the night.

Vehumet

Vehumet is the god of magic energy. Where Sif Muna controls the forces of the arcana, Vehumet is the force itself. Ignis is the god of the fire, Vehumet is the god of the energy behind the fire. Vehumet is not personable, but where power is needed, whether in a great engine or in a work of magic, folk are wise to call upon Vehumet.

Xom the Unpredictable

Xom is a trickster, but even those who visit a shrine to Xom's insanity will find it a toss of the coin whether they will be helped or hindered. Many fey are bound to Xom, or Xom to they, and it is said that the greatest fey creatures are Xom's own spawn, albiet slightly more sane.

Yredelemnul the Dark

Yredelemnul is the dreadful god of death. The domain of Yredelemnul is cold, and concerned with matters of ghosts and reanimation. If one has need to call upon Yredelemnul, it may be to offer a ripe harvest of battle, or to lay claim upon a spirit ere it leaves the world.

Some fear that Yredelemnul is the force awaiting all life after it has died, but Yredelemnul does not hold sole sway over these matters. Yredelemnul is concerned with the bones and echoes of that which is deceased. It is said that Elyvilon, Hepliaklqana, and Ru hold equal part in death: Elyvilon brings comfort, Hepliaklqana records the memory and deeds, Ru guides the spirit out of the world into the brilliant horizon, and Yredelemnul vainly rages that life may thus be held so sacred. Only the most vile deeds and horrific abuses lead away from the Three Guardians and to the black torch.

Zin the Law-Giver

Where Elyvilon is forgiving and merciful even to the evil, Zin demands justice. Magistrates are wise to invoke Zin's name, but let them beware if they fall into corrupt deeds. An innocent man would do well to offer tithe at the temple of Zin before appearing in court, and woe betide one who swears falsely before Zin's clerics.

The Shining One

The forces of darkness, corruption, and evil are met with The Shining One. Paladins of The Shining One destroy demons and the undead where they find them, and are mortal enemies of Yredelemnul, Lugonu, and their ilk. If a dark presence finds its way into the corner of an attic, it is a cleric of The Shining One who will drive the specter away.