Olmytria (ol-mee-tree-uh)

The Shepherd of the Fallen

Olmytria, the Shepherd of Souls, is believed to have been the first Deirid created by a union of members of The Four, though no one can be certain. Olmytria was born from a union between the Nisme Damara and Helī, which seems like an odd pairing for most people. Yet, Olmytria's domain and divine tasks make perfect sense considering this heritage. They are the entity responsible for seeing souls of the departed to their eternal resting places, be that Hades, some other negative plane, or one of the positive outer planes. Many other entities across the planes consider Olmytria's work to be sacrosanct, though the devils and demons occasionally stage raids on the soul deliveries to gain more fodder for their endless wars.
Priests of Olmytria make up the majority - if not the entirety - of undertakers and funeral priests across the world. Many of these priests regularly pray for the blessings of Helī, as well as their patron deity, to help the dead find their resting places in the afterlife. The priests of Olmytria and her religion as a whole are viewed by the general populace of most places as creepy and unsettling but necessary parts of life. Thus, many followers lead isolated and lonely lives, often with the company of only their dead charges. Many undertakers in rural locations or smaller towns claim to regularly speak with Olmytria themself while going about their business, though most attribute that to a type of mental illness caused by isolation. Depending on the various cultures of the world, priests of Olmytria are trained in burial, cremation, mummification, and several other forms of ceremony for the dead. Priests in large cities or areas with a variety of cultures mixed are often trained in several different methods to assuage the different people they encounter.
One other sect of Olmytria's followers that many find fascinating is The Watchers. These paladins join with other warriors of Gaela to protect people from the unknown threats of the night. Not satisfied with preparing bodies after death, these Watchers try to actively prevent deaths by defeating the threats first. They usually focus on monsters and otherworldly entities, but occasionally a crime syndicate or violent killer will draw their eye. Similar to other priests of Olmytria, these Watchers are treated with apprehension and even disgust by the common people who are more than happy to pay the Watchers for their service and see them on their way out of town quickly.

Divine Domains

Grave

Life

Twilight

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Sigil: three crossed bones in a star shape

Divine Symbol: dark metal handaxe

Tenets of Faith

• The dead should find their resting place without interference or hindrance.
• Death may be postponed or revoked, but a final sleep comes for everyone and everything.
• Once someone is dead and their soul delivered to its final place, they should not be revived or resurrected.
• The souls of the departed deserve to be defended and shepherded, regardless of their destination or relative morality in life.

Physical Description

Identifying Characteristics

Olmytria's appearance is mysterious and uncertain. All accounts of meeting the deity assert that the dark hood obscures their face entirely, so it is impossible to discern any features - even the deity's apparent gender is a question. They almost always wear a dark brown robe with the hood drawn well over the face. Olmytria is known to speak very few words to those who encounter her.

Portrait art by me using HeroForge

Divine Classification

Deirid

Religions

• Light Pantheon
• The Watchers

Alignment

Lawful Neutral, Lawful Good

Realm

Arcadia

Parents

Damara

Helī

Children

• Múr