The Exchange
The Exchange (a.k.a. The Teller, The Balance, The Bard, Trade-And-Barter, The Merchant)
All of society relies on the idea of trade. Whether a trade of services, goods, or information. But the best of any trade is one fair to both parities. Otherwise it is a gift or someone being forced into a bad deal. So The Exchange tells us and pushes us to keep those trades alive. For there is never an end to what we can trade with each other, even when we think we know all.
The Exchange, also known as: The Teller, The Balance, The Bard, Trade-And-Barter, and The Merchant, is the Deity of Trade, Collaboration, and Stories. They are one of the most widespread gods as a member of the Adventuring Seven. They reside on the plane of Nistra in the Great Market, a place where anything can be traded for a good price. Their portfolio includes the trade of anything, collaboration of research, and telling and spreading stories far and wide.
Divine Domains
The first of The Exchange's major domains is that of Trade. However, They and Their followers view any exchange as trade. Whether it is currency for goods, barter between two goods, payment for services, or anything similar. Even the exchange of information is seen as trade. Many followers of The Exchange in this domain can be found as merchants, usually raveling ones, and librarians or scholars that transcribe new books or copy old ones.
Another major domain is collaboration , focusing on research. Progress can't happen without knowledge and the best sources come from people working together. Scholars in fields that require or foster collaboration are usually followers of The Exchange of this domain, especially linguists, archaeologists, anthropologists, and more. Mortal science and beyond have been fostered on this domain as seen through the cooperation between the makers of the Underoads.
The last major domain is that of stories. While an oddity at first glance, it makes sense on further inspection. Stories are used as a commodity to share knowledge, whether it be for research, history, or even culture. And for groups such as wandering Carinthi, they are used as currency in of itself. Bards and authors are the common followers of this domain, the former spreading oral tales while the latter spreads written ones.
Artifacts
The Cloak of the Silvered Tongue is a unique silver cloak with gold highlights created by The Exchange to magically enhance one's speech. It is said The Exchange wears this for Their most important deals but strands of it have been found and used in Avestra. Stories have spread far and wide of legendary bards who have weaved amazing music with it or diplomats who have changed the fate of nations.
Holy Books & Codes
The Balanced Exchange is the main holy book of The Exchange's followers. Many secular and religious people alike read the book even as it talks about how to trade all things. Scholars, info brokers, and merchants alike are keen to read it and attempt to follow or understand the rules and tenets within, especially the idea of a fair exchange. No more and no less.
The Code of Economics is less a holy code and more a philosophy to live by when it comes to business. It includes rules such as to never break a deal until it is unfair and more. Plenty have used this in everyday life, especially against the likes of Devils. Some people in everyday life like to state a rule that is perfect for the situation they find themselves in, causing some to play a game on how long it takes for them to learn all the rules by word of mouth.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
The Exchange's main symbol is that of a set of a balanced scales to represent a good deal. Another major symbol is two hands clasped over a bag to represent the trade they seek so much. Another is two hands holding a book open and their last symbol is that of a quill, writing a story.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
The Exchange is the third youngest of The Seven, born in the gap between the disappearance of the Eternals and the rise of The Infinite Planes. Like the The All-Witness and The Wayfarer, They took a liking to Nistra especially since the Lyxons collected as much knowledge as they could find. The Unbound's experiences with mortals made Them curious about the denizens of The Physical Plane. How they collaborated and trade with each other. And even their ancient legends that they told about the fires when they huddled together at night. As a result of Their focus on mortals, They avoided the chaos of The War of the Gods and The Blood War. They did watch with a heavy heart as the great mortal empires fell and their information was lost with them like The Ancient Empires and The Under Empires.
The greatest loss of information came from The War for Avestra. Across realms, the X'ith'ila and Aberrations cause chaos and destroyed entire worlds. They razed libraries filled with ancient knowledge and disrupted trade and information. It wasn't until the Eternals returned that their rampage was stopped. The information lost was slowly learned once again but with the rise and fall of nations across the Eternal Age, what mortals know and learn is always fluctuating. Perhaps one day, the trade of information can be ever constant, nothing every lost. But for now, The Exchange and their followers keep all trade going.
Social
Contacts & Relations
Divine Allies
The Gamble and The Exchange are almost like friendly rivals as members of The Seven. The Gamble believes in the randomness or luck and the brutality of that fortune and misfortune. As a result, when someone gets swindled, Their followers will just accept it for what it is and help the victim. Meanwhile, The Exchange disparages any deal like that since it is unfair. The only place when the two are in agreement is when it comes to adventurers, who rely on luck in their dangerous adventurers, and the subject of many tales.
The All-Witness and The Exchange both believe in the sharing of knowledge and fairness in trade and economy alike. Followers of both can be found advocating for fair deals and treating workers right across the land. It was thanks to their combined efforts that workers aren't treated worse in Avestra as no one wants to deal with a member of Their faith or adventurers breathing down their neck.
The Wayfarer and The Exchange both believe in the spread of information. The Exchange by word of mouth or by text in close proximity while the Wayfarer does so across great distances. Members of both Their faiths do everything they can to aid the other in their affairs and the two deities are known to communicate about strange new ways to trade and transmit across these distances.
Heralds
The Dealer is surprisingly an Archfey who serves The Exchange. As a fey, they know how to find loopholes for contracts and undermine fair deals. So why not use that skill to do the opposite? No one would ever expect this, least of all a fellow fey. That makes it all the more fun for them to turn the tables on those who would try to fool others and give them horrendous trades.
The Narrator is an amusing Herald for The Exchange focusing on stories. They are an Ethereal who was born from the collective of information and stories. The Narrator is one of the most active heralds, traveling through The Ethera, for events and people would be a subject for great stories. And bestowing creativity to followers and non-followers alike by whispering ideas in the back of their head.
Other Allies
The Exchange has a diverse field of followers. Species wise, They have the most unexpected types such as Archons, Devils, Fey, and Lyxon have all flocked to their banner. Each has their own personal reason and they distrust each other immensely but they are at least united in following the edicts of The Exchange, offering one of the few changes for peace and neutrality between these folk.
Amongst mortals, merchants, scholars and more follow Them for scholarly and economic pursuits. Bards are known to carry the sigil of The Exchange on their person and sometimes credit them for the inspiration that created their greatest songs. And for Eternals, not many find themselves following the Exchange except for those that are bards. After all, Eternals have never needed a fair deal to learn what they needed but plenty have loved songs.
Pathfinder 2e Stats
Areas of Concern trade, collaboration, stories
Edict take due payment for your work, aid others in learning, explore and discover forgotten knowledge
Anathema cheat someone, steal, destroy knowledge
Divine Attribute Constitution or Intelligence
Religious Symbol Balanced Scales
Sacred Animal Ibis
Sacred Colors copper
Devotee Benefits
Cleric Spells 1st: illusory object, 4th: creation, 7th: planar palace
Divine Font harm or heal
Divine Sanctification can choose holy or unholy
Divine Skill Society
Domains cities, creation, knowledge
Alternate Domains truth, duty, toil
Favored Weapon crossbow
Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition Stats
Domain Knowledge, trickery
Homeland Nistra
Pantheon The Seven
Symbol Balanced Scales
Typical Worshippers Merchants, Bards, Researchers
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