| Title |
Alignment |
Weapon |
Portfolio |
| The Final Judge |
N |
Light Hammer |
Death, Luck, Redemption |
The Church of Gehelya
Life's a gamble anyway - may as well have fun with it.
The Gambler’s name is invoked when one finds themselves backed against a wall, or when all hope is lost and luck remains as their only ally. By her very nature, Gehelya is active in the world, as all who play with chance worship Gehelya in some form. She exists as the ultimate embodiment of those that put their faith in chance. All who cheat death will pay their due to The Gambler, as her domain extends over death itself. Her most commonly depicted form is that of a human or elf in rich, brightly colored garb with a bowler-style hat and cane and a pair of dice grasped in her left hand. In her right, she holds her scepter, topped with a golden skull. While her exact physical form appears to change depending on who views her, she most often appears as a dark-skinned woman of average height and build, with either a permanent smile or complete poker face.
Gehelya lacks a true holy book, as her worship is an unusual one, her scriptures are all those books which codify rules for various games of chance. What few codes or holy books The Gambler truly possesses are often unique to an individual, as her preferred outlets for her power simply being those which represent chance. Gehelya’s symbols are any which is thought of as bringing luck, most commonly represented as a pair of tumbling dice, with motifs of death and skulls also being prominent in her art. Other symbols like rabbits' feet, clovers, and other bits of lucky esotery are all considered to be symbols of The Gambler.
The Ascension Story
While the church of Gehelya keeps much of their patron's story before ascension shrouded in intentional mystery, a few things are known. She was a human woman that lived around 300QE, she was a risktaker in every sense of the word, and she had a flair for the dramatic. Through a happening of fate, a deliberate ritual, or blind luck, she was met with the aspect of death at a crossroads. Instead of reaping her, the aspect, bored as it was, challenged her to a bet. If she were to lose the bet, her soul would be reaped and she would be no more. If she were to win, the aspect would give to her all it was.
The nature of the bet varies wildly from region to region, but in every tale, Gehelya won. In doing so, she ascended, taking the portfolios of death, luck, and gambling.
Holidays
Day of the Dice: Held each 7 Septa, this holiday is celebration seen less in public as in gambling houses and game houses, where homage is paid to The Gambler as thousands waste away their money in games of chance, those blessed by The Gambler raking in the fruits of their devotion.
Traditional Dress
Gehelya's clergy favor golds and blacks in their long robes, and ostentatious hats when out in the sunlight.
Aphorisms
There is No Victory Against Fate: A warning to those that would attempt to cheat death - it comes for all, eventually.
Though Small be the Underdog, Great be Her Bite: Originally popularized among the notoriously lucky halfling communities of Arnast, this serves to inform others not to discount the effects of luck.
