G O D S & M A G I C

Magic

From disappearing islands to carnivorous mists, magic is what makes the Godsea such an unpredictable and unknowable place. Magic infuses every drop of the oceans, wielded by endless unfathomable creatures and terrible monsters beneath the waves.

Mortals cannot themselves wield magic, though wizards have unlocked the art of enchanting magic objects. From crystals and talismans to weapons and poisons, mortals must channel magic through a tool instead of directly… but for one exception.

Sigils

Mortals can wield magic blessings from the gods. Each of the pantheon has a set of powers, called sigils, that can be borrowed by their devouts. A person can only receive a gods’ sigils through two methods: 1) devoting their lives to the worship of a certain god, or 2) a god blessing a mortal of their own accord. Because sigils cannot coexist—for example, one cannot wield sigils of both Sun and Moon—gods occasionally do this to “lay claim” to mortals, whether from genuine fascination with the mortal, or simply to keep another god from “having” them in the future.

Minor Deities

Some powerful magic-wielding creatures have become so notorious that they are worshipped as minor deities on various islands—consider the Mantis God of the eastern seas, or the Horned Whale of the north. None of these, however, can compare to a fraction of the mighty and terrible power wielded by the true pantheon.

Storm

When the rains have receded, all is left clean. Known as a conqueror and a warrior, Storm waged many mythological battles, washing away his foes and laying claim to islands far and wide across the Godsea. Some say this is why Storm is the god with the most populous following.

Storm is a god of wrath and justice, power and purification. In the face of thunder, lightning, hurricanes, and tsunamis, kings are laid low and made equal with peasants. Therefore, Storm is also the god of balance, justice, and equality, beloved by the impoverished. In reality, Storm rarely seeks to actively right inequalities; they are merely often leveled in his wake.

Storm is the most stubborn of all gods. A proud man, he respects only those who can defeat him in battle. In different points of history, he has sided with or against every god in the pantheon; his loyalties lie not among predetermined lines, but along what he believes to be just. He has an incredible temper, and in mythos, he has wiped several islands off the face of the Godsea due to disrespect or heathenism.

Storm’s largest ally is Harvest—even though his rains can wash the earth away, they also nourish. Storm despises the deceptive, flighty Moon; however, Storm has never succeeded even in plucking a hair on Moon’s head. There are several tales of Moon escaping Storm in ways that left the storm god humiliated.

Storm is represented by iron, alcohol, and frankincense. His animal patron is the wolf.

It is said that Storm’s presence can be detected with bells, and so the Temples of Storm are often strung up with dozens of enormous iron bells, ringing slowly and dolefully when the breeze stirs them. Bringing bells onto ships is a popular method of appeasing Storm for safe journeys; some ships are strung from stern to bow with enough bells that you can hear them from clicks away. It’s an open joke that even some of the most agnostic sailors will secretly tend bells on their journeys.

Those who take the Sigil of Storm can sample his lightning abilities to manipulate energy.

Storm Sigils

• You harness the energy found in lightning to move objects without touching them. If the object’s weight is within your bodily limits, you can move it freely; push too far, and you may exhaust yourself.

• You can manipulate kinetic energy offensively, launching powerful force waves and force bullets, or causing explosions, with a +8 to your attack roll. You can also create invisible force objects, such as placing a cube of force in someone’s path.

• You can manifest a protective energy skin around your person for 30 minutes, maintaining pressure and temperature even in vacuum conditions. You can ignore temperatures at a range of plus or minus 100 degrees Celsius, equalize pressures, maintain breathability, and filter particulates for airborne toxins. You must maintain “concentration”: if injured or surprised, the energy skin disappears.

• You have a purifying presence. You can ingest seawater, and poisons cannot kill you, though they may be unpleasant. You do not fall ill as easily as other people. Sprays are attracted to you.

• You can levitate up to 15 ft. high by cooperating with the winds.

Harvest

Most gods are controversial in one culture or another. One of the only universally-supported deities is Harvest: bringer of life, fruit, flowers, and the changing seasons.

Patient and nurturing, Harvest is known for her seemingly endless ringlets of hair adorned with flower petals and fruit, and her loose, flowing clothing is often mimicked by her devouts (and the subject of great attention by the Godsea’s famous painters and sculptors). Flowers bloom wherever she steps, and it’s said she spends all winter in a sleeping state before finally waking to welcome in spring—an event marked by boisterous festivals and feasts. Her temples house entire communities, and young Harvest devouts leave their communes on symbolic pilgrimages to aid those they find along the path.

Due to her amiable nature, Harvest has no enemies in the pantheon. She’s exceptionally kind to all she comes across and rises above infighting. Her mutually beneficial relationship with Storm places him as her closest ally. Historically, many other members of the pantheon have pursued her romantically—sometimes resulting in wars that are cataclysmic for the Godsea’s mortals—yet Harvest either does not notice their affections or simply ignores them.

Prior to the Godgoing, Harvest often took the form of a cow to lead weary travelers home. Now, cows are seen as her animal patrons, and common Harvest offerings include cornucopias, pomegranates, honey, wreaths, garlands, and seeds.

However, Harvest has one fatal flaw: her unyielding pacifism. Even in times when it would have saved many lives, Harvest has neglected to step in on behalf of the mortals, or even her own devouts. After all: death is part of the cycle of life.

Harvest Sigils

• Your physical touch can repair... or inflict... wounds on living matter. However, healing wounds requires you to give your own life force in return. You can heal up to 2d6 damage, suffering equal damage.

• You can cure or inflict most poisons and diseases (rattles is a notable exception). However, you give your own life force in return. You can add +10 to your attack roll for any enemy you touch, suffering half the damage you deal.

• You have an affinity for plants. Herbs taste stronger, flowers bloom brighter—and you can even communicate with them for information about their immediate surroundings.

• You can alter your appearance, altering up to 50% of your biological mass.

• You are difficult to kill. If killed, you will begin to regenerate from the largest remaining fragment of your body over 24 hours. Afterwards, you are rendered completely bedridden by excruciating exhaustion for 1 week. If you are destroyed at any time before a complete recovery, you die permanently.

Sun

As patron god of war, Sun knows and respects only one thing: power.

Cloaked in animal pelts and battle trophies, covered head-to-toe in ropey white battle scars, and known above all for her legendary sun-shaped ax, Sun is the most wrathful and impulsive of the pantheon. The sister of Moon, she lacks his nuance and cunning and replaces it with sheer force—there is no question that she could destroy her heavenly sibling with little effort, and on occasions when their squabbles escalated to true violence, she has always triumphed—except when her tendency to make mistakes when angered is exploited.

Though Sun is considered tiresomely simple-minded by gods such as Dream and Fortune, none of the pantheon willingly trifle with her: when she sets her eyes on a goal, she would rather burn to ash than see victory slip through her fingers. She is the voice of ambition, rage, valor, and suppressed violence whispering in every mortal’s ear—but in exchange for power, she demands complete devotion.

Soldiers often etch sun-shaped markings into their armor to ensure victory without death; legend has it she is the sun rising over every battlefield, fighting alongside her devotees. Sun’s temples have giant flames in the middle, tended to with ceremonial reverence; should this flame go out, it’s said the goddess will decimate the surrounding area in spite. Traditionally, one-tenth of all her devouts’ battle spoils must be sacrificed to the fire—even simple bet winnings from bar fights.

Hard ale is Sun's draught of choice, and battalions often pour it into the soil before marching. Furs, totems, and firewoods also catch her fancy. Certain myths have her appearing to mortals in the guise of a bear.

Sun Sigils

• Your fiery passion burns singlemindedly toward your goal. Upon learning this Sigil, pick one goal (e.g. “find my daughter”), and whenever you make a roll in direct pursuit of it, add 1d6.

• You can detect the use (although not the location) of any Sigil within a 100 ft. area. You can identify by sight whether any person is a devout (though not what god they worship).

• You can see through illusions cast by Moon devouts. However, you can be overpowered—two Moon devouts would be enough to deceive you.

• You exude warmth. The cold does not affect you, and the area within 5 feet of you is always balmy and pleasant, even in the depths of the sea. You cannot make or cause fire, but your hands can burn hot enough to scald an enemy for an extra 1d4 of damage in hand-to-hand combat.

• You can reject death. If you hit 0 hit points, you can bring yourself back up to 1 hit point. You can also do this for any ally that has died within the last 60 seconds. However, this ability can only be used once in a lifetime.

Moon

Just as the moon waxes and wanes, Moon appears in two guises: a young, beguiling man associated with fertility and sensuality, and a powerful aged man associated with spirits, death, and world destruction.

In his youthful form, Moon is troublesome. Religious mythos is full of tales where he causes mischief and plots against the other deities. He is known to be promiscuous, deceptive, and engrossed in his own amusements. His loyalties constantly shift, and his flightiness makes him a great admirer of Fortune and sometimes an enemy of his beloved sibling, Sun. Though seen as immature, he is much more clever and shrewd than he reveals, and should not be underestimated.

In his aged form, he is the oldest and wisest of all gods, revered and respected by the full pantheon—but he rarely speaks, instead sequestering himself in solitude, eyes glowing bright and pupil-less with ancient knowledge.

Moon is said to ride a white horse with twelve legs and twelve faces, and destruction follows in his path. It is never technically of his direct doing, but instead due to carelessness, or corrupt mortals fighting to win his attention. He is patron of ghosts and the undead. For these reasons, Moon is reviled in certain cultures.

Moon is represented by silk, silver, and jade. His animal patron is the white baboon, and his followers often use jade baboon figurines as prayer foci.

Moon devouts receive mysterious, powerful abilities. Often mischaracterized as a largely defensive Sigil, in truth, Moon’s Sigil has produced unbelievably powerful assassins, soldiers, and conquerors, for those who can wield his boons creatively.

Moon Sigils

• You can leave your body. While your meditating body lies in a vulnerable trance, you enter a silvery, invisible, incorporeal form which cannot be harmed. You cannot interact with objects or creatures, nor can you pass through walls, but you have no need to breathe and cannot be seen. You can speak, show yourself, and be heard if you so choose. While incorporeal, you can also view any other beings on the incorporeal plane. If your incorporeal form touches sunlight, you return to your body.

• You can shield yourself (and anyone within 10 ft. of you) from the effects of Sun’s detection Sigil and Dream’s telepathy Sigil.

• You have a refreshing presence. You reflect Moon’s own light from within: at night only, you produce the same glow as sprays, allowing you to soothe the pain of the undead if you are physically touching them.

• You can manipulate the tides. A Moon devout can transform small vessels into the fastest skippers on the sea; doing so for long periods of time can be exhausting. Larger ships are often powered by several Moon devouts, and crews of Moon devout pirates have even been known to beach or sink enemy ships by pushing them into danger.

• You can create any illusion smaller than an adult human. When partnered with a fellow Moon devout, you can create illusions equal to the size of an adult human. With several Moon devouts, you can create illusions as large as a ship. These illusions are incorporeal, last for up to 1 hour, and cannot speak.

Dream

The Sigils of Dream are so feared that Dream’s devouts are barred from entering some cities. For Dream’s domain is the most unsettling of all: the domain of the mind.

Dream has only ever entered the wars of the pantheon when uniting against world-ending threats. Otherwise, Dream does not interfere in the affairs of their fellow gods. Rather, Dream is the god known to interact most closely with mortals, visiting them in their sleep, concerned greatly with the miniscule affairs of mortals in a way the rest of the pantheon usually is not.

More than simply the god of dreams, Dream reigns over thoughts, identity, crossroads, and the hidden desires of the soul. A neutral party in the pantheon, Dream’s shrines are often visited by sojourners who are confused about some inner matter. Although Storm—a god of action, not introspection—tends to be unnerved by Dream, Dream has no true enemies in the pantheon.

The tallest of the pantheon, Dream has four arms and two long legs. Her hair shimmers in prismatic colors, like oil on water. Her skin shifts like translucent glass filled with vapor, and her eyes are rimmed with rainbow. Around her, mists and clouds spin and dance in rings, glittering with lights that are thought to be a manifestation of the dreams of her followers.

Dream is represented by colored glass, feathers, mirrors, and honeyed milk. Sheer or crystal face veils and eye coverings are one of Dream’s holiest symbols. Some sects use narcotics to attempt to enter Dream’s holy realm, but this is not sanctioned by the holy texts, and resulted in a strong schism in the church of Dream. Defiling worship with drugs is appalling to some.

Those who take the Sigil of Dream receive powerful mental abilities that leave them distrusted by many in the Godsea. There is no power more disturbing to normal people than psychic ability. Uninvited use of Dream’s Sigils on another being is a high crime on most islands—and punishable by death in Port Heritage.

Dream Sigils

• You can observe emotional states in a target. Neutral emotions might be vague, but intense emotions provide a single word or image related to the focus of the feelings. The target is aware of the intrusion and can resist it (determined by stats in plot, and mutual participant agreement in RP.)

• You can form a 3o-minute telepathic link in the minds of up to six willing participants you can see, allowing the instant, unspoken exchange of thoughts, images, and sensory impressions. While under its effect, every participant knows the exact location and health status of all others.

• You can use one Sigil from any devout within 5 ft. (i.e. borrowing a Storm devout’s telekinesis Sigil.) You can only choose from Sigils the individual has earned.

• You can read the energy vibrations of objects to see visions of the object’s past. You can see everything that has happened to the object in the past 24 hours: who touched it, used it, where it has been, etc.

• You select one god (e.g. Harvest, Sun) and are forever immune to being targeted by their Sigils without your permission.

Fortune

According to legend, centuries ago, the gods clashed in a war that nearly obliterated the earth. Alliances were broken, betrayals committed. Dream observed the carnage and from their own essence brought forth a new god meant to balance the pantheon: Fortune.

The youngest of the pantheon, Fortune embodies a childlike essence, with their love of games and puzzles. Their skin and hair are a shimmering gold from head to toe, and their diminutive stature makes them no physical match for any other god—but they tend to be lucky enough to avoid danger.

Gods who ally with Fortune in a given conflict often emerge victorious; for that reason, Fortune is often cajoled, bribed, entreated, or even kidnapped by their peers. As a result, Fortune is fickle, and rarely takes loyalties seriously, whether their own or others’, with the expectation that everyone around them is equally false and changeable. Harvest is considered one of Fortune’s only true friends; their relaxed natures complement each other.

Fortune’s dual nature extends to their devouts: many of the groups they favor are mortal enemies. Patron god of both merchants and pirates, Fortune’s temples have, in recent years, become sleazy affairs, filled with false-hearted individuals jockeying for the god’s favor. Thousands of phony “Fortune charms” are sold by stalls across the Godsea. True devouts of Fortune know that the little god is rarely found within temple walls.

In reality, Fortune is drawn to children and those with a childlike spirit. They cherish games of chance, shiny trinkets, and riddles. They can occasionally be carelessly cruel. Their patron animal is the scarab beetle, and they are represented by dice, painted masks, spiced cider, and of course, gold.

Fortune Sigils

• An inner compass guides you. At all times, you can detect the direction of the most valuable object in a 1-mile radius.

• You manipulate fate. Any ill outcome meant for an ally within 50 feet, such as an attack or curse, falls upon your shoulders instead—though with double the intensity.

• You court Lady Luck. Sometimes, great fortune falls upon you; sometimes, great misfortune. (You may roll an extra 2d6 for any of your rolls. If even, add the result to your tally; if odd, subtract it from your tally.)

• You can predict a vision up to 1 hour in the future. However, the usefulness and likelihood of the vision, and your ability to interpret it, may vary… (Roll 1d20 + SOUL to determine the usefulness of your vision.)

• You are a money magnet. Coins appear mysteriously to you. On the first of every real-world month, take 700 gold.

The Lost God

Seven seas, seven gods—and yet the pantheon has only six. The Seventh—known in less-respectful circles as The Lost God—is considered a fool’s tale by many, a story told to scare children in their beds. The only implication of their existence is a dilapidated shrine here, a broken religious mural there. No one wields their sigils, if any exist. Some believe that the Lost God is the world’s progenitor, the Creator of the other six. Others believe that the Lost God was killed by mortals—a heresy in some circles: implying that a god can die. But mostly, people do not believe at all.