Deiter
God of the Harvest
The Planter
The Harvester
The First Druid
Deiter is the patron of farmers and represents the sewn fields, the growth, and the harvest of the crops. To a lesser degree, he represents the domestication of animals by hunters and ranchers. He is the companion and consort of Melanesia.
Divine Domains
Animal, Balance, Plant, Protection, Renewal, Water
Divine Symbols & Sigils
The Holy Symbol worn by the faithful is a bushel of wheat flanked by two suns. Deiter is often seen in the wind that blows through crops, the harvest afternoon sun, and the presence of the smell of freshly turned soil.
Tenets of Faith
Balance in all things.
A time to sow, a time to reap.
Work to benefit your community and yourselves.
Holidays
- First Seeding - Typically held on the first day of springtime and shared with the faithful of Melanesia.
- First Harvest Festival (High Harvestide) - Typically held in the late summer or early autumn.
- Final Harvest Festival - Typically held at the end of autumn, to celebrate the end of the harvest season, to give glory to Deiter, and to pray for warmth and sustenance through the winter.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Long ago, in a secluded meadow in the deep woods, there dwelt a man by the name of Deiter. He spent his days caring for the plants and animals in the valley surrounding his home and tending a small garden to see him through the winter months. Deiter was happy in his work, but there was a void inside his heart; a sense that something was missing. So overpowering was this emptiness that he decided to leave his valley and journey in search of that which was missing. For many months he traveled the land, from the cold mountain reaches, through the humid jungle forests, to the vast and arid plains of the grasslands. It was there that Deiter came across a small village. This was the first time in his journey that Deiter had come across others such as himself, so he decided to introduce himself and stop a while for some companionship. As he entered the village he heard a mournful keening of women and the plaintive cries of children. As he drew closer to the center of the village, he passed fields of stunted and dying plants and men pulling at their hair and groaning. Deiter approached one of the men and asked why he was so distraught. The farmer told him that there had been no rain since the early days of spring, and the crops were dying. Without the crops, their families would die as well. Having never been without food a day in his long memory, such a concept was nigh-unthinkable for Deiter. He told the man to bring the families together to the center of the village, and he would teach them to save the crops, and wold ask nothing in return. So relieved was the farmer that he ran straight away to each of the farms, calling for everyone to come to the village center. Once gathered, Deiter told them that they must do exactly as he instructed them, and that he would not only save their crops, but teach them to nourish and give back to the land so that they may continue to harvest year after year. So touched by their need and hopefulness, Deiter looked up and whispered to the few, small clouds that had gathered to watch. At his words, they sped away to leave the sky blue and clear. "First," said Deiter, "collect all the barrels and buckets, and anything else that will hold water, and place it on the open ground." Confused, the villagers did as told. After all the barrels and buckets and troughs and containers had been found and set out in the town, Deiter told them to collect all the offal from their beasts and mix it into the soil. The men frowned, the women whispered amongst themselves, but they did just as told without question. Just as the men finished spreading the last of the offal into the soil, the sky filled with dark and fat clouds. Deiter stood smiling as the wind whispered to him how the little clouds had heard his request and had rushed to the sea to tell their brothers, who drew up as much water as they could hold and carried it to the village. As the rain began to fall, the villagers rejoiced and danced long into the night. Early the next morning, the clouds had gone and the sun was drawing great clouds of mist to rise up from the fields and float away. Deiter ran from house to house, calling out all the villagers once more. "Hurry," he said. "Gather up all the straw you can find and cover the soil in your fields before the sun takes all the water away. Being the sun is hot work, and he is very thirsty!" Quickly, the villagers set to collecting the tall, dry grass and straw they could find to cover the soil around their thirsty plants. As they finished, Deiter set them to take all the water containers they had and place them in cool, dark places away from the sun and to cover them tight, to keep it from being stolen away. Over the weeks and months that folowed, Deiter taught the villagers how to ration the water they had collected to keep the plants content. He taught them to collect the dung and waste of their beasts and their kitchens, and to place them in covered boxes to create new, rich soil, and taught them to build larger, stronger barrels to hold the water. As the crops grew and fruited, the people became more confident in their abilities and grateful for their new friend. He was given beds to sleep in, food from their tables, and offers of companionship, all of which he gratefully declined. He wanted nothing, but for their success. The seasons turned, and Deiter watched the harvest and attended the grand festival after the last of the crops were brought in. The villagers brough him gifts of warm, woven clothes and a handsome walking staff carved with vines and plants. Deiter thanked the villagers, and shared in their joy and relief that their families would survive the winter. As the festivities drew to a close, Deiter announced to them that though the harvest was in, their work was far from done. Once again, he told them, they would meet him in the center of town the next morning. It was there that Deiter taught them to plant small gardens of vegetables that would last through the colder weather. He told them that since the land had given them a bountiful harvest, that autumn was the time to give back to the land. He instructed them to take the waste they had gathered through the year and mix it into the fields, then cover it in a blanket of straw, to allow the land to sleep and regain its energy for the next crops. This, he said, was the sacred bond they had with the land. They were to care for it as it would care for them. The farmers solemnly vowed to uphold the First Promise, and once against offered gifts and implored with him to stay. Deiter smiled and politely refused, saying "the only thing I ask is that you remember to give back to that which gives to you." Filled with a deep satisfaction at having helped these people to work with the land for their survival, Deiter finally realized that the void he had felt was gone. As he bid the villagers farewell, he vowed to himself to wander the lands, teaching all its inhabitants to live in harmony with the living land. As spring returned to the village and the farmers prepared their fields, they discovered all was as Deiter promised. The soile was rich, dark and fragrant with possibility. The farmers, along with others scattered across the lands began to tell stories of the Great Servant of the Land, a protector and benefactor; his promise soon grew to include warnings of punishment should any seek to harm the balance of the land and its people. Generations came to know his name, and soon it was on their lips in prayer. Temples and shrines began to pop up in farming villages, and small statues of his likeness began to stand in fields and gardens of all sizes, watching over the First Promise.
Divine Classification
Lesser Deity
Religions
Alignment
True Neutral
Church/Cult
Spouses
Siblings
Children
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