Melora (meh-LORE-uh)
Goddess of Nature
Melora is the goddess of Nature, including the sea, the land, and the skies above. The goddess of nature protects the balance between urban development and environmental conservation, normally favoring the latter. She is mother to many of the gods, and is perhaps one of the most popular and recognized deities, as none can deny the immense power of nature as a force of the divine in the world.
Melora typically appears as a middle-aged woman with dark skin and long braided hair entwined with grasses and flowers. She wears a long flowing dress that ripples like water, and she is without her curved wooden staff carved from the wood from the tree of Arborea, which can become a bow and arrows if she so wishes.
Melora's Influence
Melora is chiefly concerned with protection of nature, though all things that live and grow are under her command. Her divine children- Talos, god of storms, Chauntea, goddess of the Harvest, and Malar, god of the Hunt- as well as her brother, SIlvanus, god of the wilds, take direction from her in the regulation of their domains. Though each of her fellow nature gods have a part to play and a domain to control, Melora directs all of them to work in tandem, controlling the seasons, weather, and wildlife of the world The exception to this is winter, the season in which life wanes. Winter is controlled by Melora's great foe Auril, and the two frequently combat each other in their goals. Melora allows Auril her time in winter, but regains control in the sping. Life and birth also fall under the Wildmother's influence, as well as healing of the sick. She is often invoked by healers and midwives in their practice, and can bless people with the knowledge of medicinal herbs.Melora's Goals
Compared to some of the other gods, Melora's goals are modest. She wants only to keep the natural world free and healthy, shepherd the seasons through their yearly cycle, and enjoy the beauty of the land. However she is also concerned with the rapid urbanization of the world, and occasionally seeks to destroy settlements that threaten to encroach on wild land. She is not out to eradicate those who build civilizations, as all living beings fall under her purview, but she will cause natural disasters to befall the civilizations which dare challenge her.Divine Relationships
Melora seldom comes into conflict with other gods, and her only issue is when the others of the pantheon attempt to interfere in her domain, or enjoy the suffering of living beings. One such being was Umberlee, the Bitch Queen of the Sea, who Melora slew, for Umberlee delighted in using the powers of the sea to torment mortal sailors. Melora, as her title Wildmother implies, is mother to many of the gods of nature, including Chauntea, Talos, Silvanus, Malar, and Auril. Melora is consistently at odds with the gods Erathis and Pelor, as both are advocates for cities and expansion of mortal civilization, which is a threat to all Melora holds dear. She also comes into frequent conflict with the god Tyr, considering all forms of war a senseless waste of life and energy. Melora regards death as a natural part of life, and thus has a good relationship with the Raven Queen. Some old texts even count Melora among gods of the dead, as most bodies of mortals become part of her earth. Melora is the goddess of life and nature, and thus opposed the goddess Auril, first of the Giants and goddess of winter. Every year, upon the first days of winter Melora grudgingly gives Auril control of the natural world, and every spring, Melora- sometimes violently- wrests that control back, restoring order to the seasons. Melora also has connections to the Archfey of the Feywild. Titania and the Queen of Air and Darkness are her near-divine daughters, and are the prime rulers of the Seelie and Unseelie Courts.Worshipping Melora
Mortals in all the realms pray to Melora and her children when they rely on the benevolence of nature for their livelihood, such as agriculture, hunting, or raising animals. Her most common worshippers are humans, elves, halflings, and fey creatures, though nearly all humanoid societies have some worshippers of Melora. Melora blesses those who are kind to animals, considering such acts as wordless prayers. Those who must kill a dangerous natural animal or cut down trees often pray to Melora for forgiveness, sometimes leaving food for other animals or planting new trees as atonement.Melora's Favor
Melora chooses champions who will tirelessly defend the natural world, regardless of their mortal ties and associations. She cares more for consistency of actions than for vows of loyalty and expressions of devotion. Whether you are silently devoted to her or vociferous in your praise, it is your actions in her name that will prompt her to continue her support-or withdraw it. Because her interests are often tied to natural forces, Melora's attentions can be unpredictable. The Melora's Favor table offers suggestions for why she may have taken notice of you.| d6 | Sign of Favor |
| 1 | You were born at dawn on the spring equinox, a sign of Melora's favor. |
| 2 | You healed an injured animal that revealed itself to be a celestial servant of Melora in disguise. |
| 3 | Lost in the forest as a child, you were raised by wild animals, and the voice of Melora came to you in your dreams to teach you language and enable you to one day take your place in society as one of her champions. |
| 4 | You are born of a lineage that has venerated Melora for centuries, and she has chosen you to be her champion. |
| 5 | A white stag or other mythical beast has appeared to you many times over the years, often after protecting animals or nature. |
| 6 | You aided in stopping the construction of a building upon sacred wildlands, allowing nature to remain untouched. |
Devotion to Melora
Melora calls upon her followers to defend the natural world and oppose those who would bring it harm through cruelty or greed. As a follower of Melora, consider the ideals on the Melora's Ideals table as alternatives to those suggested for your background.| d6 | Ideal |
| 1 | Devotion. My devotion to my god is more important to me than what she stands for. (Any) |
| 2 | Nature. The beauty of the natural world fills me with serenity. (Neutral) |
| 3 | Freedom. I yearn to run wild. (Chaotic) |
| 4 | Stewardship. We must care for the natural world as it cares for us. (Good) |
| 5 | Bounty. Nature always provides, and I will share its gifts with those less fortunate. (Good) |
| 6 | Unity. All creatures are one under Melora, and is is my duty to protect all living things. |
Myths of Melora
Most of the myths surrounding Melora concern the creation of things in this world and beyond, and some are tales or the goddess's might when anyone, mortal or divine, dares cross her.The Defeat of Umberlee.
The sea goddess Umberlee, one of the children of the dark gods, took delight in drowning sailors and scausing storms which would flood coastal settlements and cause a great loss of life. Melora challenged Umberlee to a duel, and the winner would overtake the other's domain. Umberlee took the challenge, saying that even the toughest stone would yield to the power of the sea, and was assured victory. Melora though, was cunning, and in to the duel brought only a simple net of grasses woven of the meadow, and with it trapped the goddess and drowned her beneath her own waves. Thus she became the goddess of the seas.The Creation of Auril.
During the Aeon Primus, Melora would wander the world as a young maiden, and one of her favorite places was a garden where winter never ceased. At that time, winter was her domain, and was gentler than it is now. One one of the days that she wandered in the garden, the god Caethes, Keeper of Secret Knowledge, came to her and told her that her very blood could give life to inanimate objects. She spilled a drop of her own blood on the snow, and the giant goddess Auril was formed, who used her own magic to bring the races of giants to life.The Three Hunters.
Three young men from wealthy families were hunting for sport in woods belonging to Melora. Melora accosted them before they had taken any prey and gave each man a chance to bring her a gift that would atone for his intentions. The first man killed a stag and made an offering of it in her name, so she turned him into a stag to compensate for the one he had killed. The second offered wealth from his family coffers, so she turned him into a tree clinging to a cliff face by one root. The third, remorseful, threw himself on a bed of moss, and a cerulean butterfly came to rest on his hand. Carefully, he carried the butterfly back to Melora. She not only spared him, but blessed his house and all his descendants.Melora and the Raven Queen.
There was once a champion of Melora who met their end too early, and Melora stayed by him all the while as his life ended. When the Raven Queen came to collect the soul of the champion, she became enamored with the life that Melora exuded, and spared the soul of Melora's champion. Melora and the Raven Queen were in love for a time, with Melora sending the Raven Queen countless gifts, and the Raven Queen cherishing the soul of every one.Melora's Champions
- Alignment: Usually Neutral or Good
- Suggested Classes: Cleric, Druid, Fighter, Ranger.
- Suggested Cleric Domains: Nature, Grave, Life, Peace
- Suggested Background: Folk Hero, Hermit, Outlander, Sailor
Spouses
Pelor
(spouse)
Siblings
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