12
The Diamond Throne
one makes an incorrect guess or can’t find something that’s lost. “Farther west, friend,” one might say to such a person. Feykin: What giants often affectionately call faen. Gob-Friend: A shortened form of “goblin friend,” this term is a pejorative descriptor for someone, implying that the person likes disgusting, low-class, or otherwise nasty things. Little Brother: What giants often call a well-liked human. Logsleeper: A stupid person. Maggot: A devious person. Meadfoot: Someone able to hold his liquor. Niashra’s Gift: A blessing, or something truly excellent. A greater battle healing spell, a sack of 1,000 gp, or a masterwork sword, given from one individual to another, can be referred to as Niashra’s gift. Queen’s Coin, or a Queen: A gold piece. Race-Traitor: What some humans call mojh. This is a particularly offensive term. Rarer Than a Dragon’s Scale: Something very uncommon, or something precious. Royal: A platinum piece. Spell-Brained: Stupid. Strong as a Magister’s Staff: Something nearly unbreakable. Witch-Headed: Crazy. Witches do not care for its use.
The Gods and Religions In the opinion of many, the gods of the world are gone, or so faded in power that they no longer hold a significant position in the cosmology. The argument goes that if the gods were so powerful (or real at all) as to be worthy of worship, they never would have abandoned so many to the dramojh for so long. Giants and litorians do not worship gods. Neither do the verrik, although they do believe that after they die they can ascend to near godhood. The faen and the sibeccai have many gods, although each has its own brand of spirituality. Mojh mostly worship dragons and dragonkind. Humans are split fairly evenly, with about half either disbelieving in or resenting all deities and the rest at least a little faithful in their chosen religion. Because of this attitude toward religion, most temples are old, and many are in poor repair. A great number are abandoned altogether.
The Gods of the Denotholan Denothol was a great human hero who used legendary perseverance and magic to travel to the mystical realm where the gods lived. His story and his catalogue of the gods, their portfolios, and their relationships is recorded in a book called the Denotholan. The gods described within are called the Gods of the Denotholan. Although there are other gods, they are usually quite minor. The Gods of the Denotholan are those that hold (or held) large numbers of worshippers as well as great sway over their lives.
Niashra The chief deity of the Denotholan pantheon, Niashra takes two forms. The first is that of the goddess of nature, or of the land, in which she appears as a beautiful human woman with flowing golden hair and wearing leaves, vines, and flowers. The second is that of the goddess of motherhood and life, in which she looks like a very large, pregnant woman with middle-aged features and children at her feet. Niashra is the goddess of life, of nature, and of loving and caring emotions. She is the most popular of gods, and her temples are usually wide expanses of marble and statuary, with many pools and fountains. The majority stand in populated areas, although some are secluded in more natural surroundings. Her symbol is a woman’s face made of leaves.
Vekik, the Runegod Lord of science, alchemy, and magic, Vekik as often as not is portrayed as a disembodied, ever-changing mathematical formula. Other times, he appears as a thin, bald male human whose flesh is covered in runes and symbols. Vekik is enigmatic, and his doctrine requires years of study to truly understand. His way stresses logic over emotion and brains over brawn. His worshippers claim that the powers the runechildren possess are gifts from Vekik. He is said to be responsible for maintaining the laws that govern the physical world. His temples are small but usually tall, like towers. His symbol is a composite of various magical and mathematical symbols.
Mowren Mowren’s duties include overseeing conflict, strife, and war, as well as fate and chance. He appears as a particularly small quickling faen with dice in his hand. When two forces of any kind go up against each other, whether it be two contestants in a game of witch stones, two armies at war, or the force of a river smashing against a rock in the riverbed, Mowren determines the outcome. People revere Mowren out of a sense of need rather than want. The truth is, most people see him as a meddling trickster that can’t be trusted. Mothers tell their children that Mowren is hiding under their bed and will curse them if they don’t behave. Mowren’s temples are small—shrines, really. Few people worship Mowren exclusively, instead paying him homage when they feel they need his blessings. His symbol is a pair of dice.
Idonis Truth, beauty, and love: These are the prime aspects of Idonis’ worship. This androgynous deity has both a male and a female aspect and is called both “him” and “her.” Statues of Idonis depict a beautiful human of indeterminate gender with a book in one hand and a zither in the other. His/her worshippers fill their temples with music, poetry, and acts of love. The temples themselves are always round
