Jophion
Unlike many of the gods who are pictured as humanoids, Jophion, the goddess of nature, seasons, harvest, and beasts is often pictured as a ravenstag. This is just one of her forms as she is a shapeshifter. She is highly intelligent and clever.
She is worshiped by a variety of different people, everyone from Druids, to hunters, to farmers. Those that do follower her tend to be very patient and accepting of natural tragedies, viewing it as the order of life.
There are many festivals and ceremonies held in her honor in more Druidic cultures many of which are also observed by farming communities.
Those that wrong her or anything under her protection, will soon find themselves on the wrong side of a hunt. She will have her servants snatch the offender and bring them to her realm, where she will take great delight and time with her prey.
She is in opposition with Rubicon as he only wishes to destroy. She is the elder sister to Telos.
Divine Domains
Life, Nature, Night, Twilight, Moon, Light, Festus
Tenets of Faith
Honor the Hunt, Honor the Prey
Hunting is sacred, but waste and cruelty are sins. A hunter must respect their prey, using every part and giving thanks for the life taken. Those who hunt for greed alone may find themselves the hunted.
The Pack is Sacred
Family, kin, and allies must be protected. The lone wolf may survive, but the pack thrives.
The Earth Must Be Fed as it Feeds You
For every tree felled, a seed must be planted. For every beast hunted, another must be allowed to thrive.
The Rot is as Sacred as the Bloom
Decay is not filth—it is renewal. Mold, maggots, and carrion birds are nature’s caretakers.
Rituals
The Blaze (Cleansing)
A sombre ritual prefromed every few years in Phoviel. Blessing and prayers are given to Jophion as a controlled fire is set in the great forests of the country. This is seen a cleansing and rebirth ritual and is taken seriously and with care.
The Black Antler Pact (Contract with a Spirit Beast)
A hunter or druid pledges loyalty to Jophion by branding themselves with a burning antler. They must never hunt for greed, only for need. In return, a spectral beast is said to guide them in times of peril.
The Hollowing Winter Vigil (Surviving the Long Night)
On the longest night of winter, worshipers gather around a fire, singing and sharing food. The fire must not be allowed to die—if it does, it is seen as an omen of starvation or plague. At midnight, one among them is chosen to venture into the cold and return with a branch from a sacred tree.
The Hunt of the Damned (Jophion’s Justice on Those Who Wrong Her)
A ritual where the faithful summon Jophion’s spectral beasts to track and destroy defilers of the land. The condemned is released into the wild and given a head start before the hunters begin their chase. If the prey survives until dawn, Jophion has deemed them worthy to live. If not, they were unworthy of redemption.
The Ashen Birth (Rebirth Through Fire)
A person seeking to shed their past mistakes walks barefoot through a controlled blaze. Their burned feet symbolize death; their first steps after symbolize rebirth. Their name is ritually changed to mark their transformation.
The Reaping Hymn (A Chanted Blessing for a Bountiful Harvest)
As crops are harvested, reapers sing a slow, rhythmic chant invoking Jophion’s favor. The faster the chant grows, the faster the harvesters work, mimicking nature’s urgency before winter.
In some regions, it is believed that stopping mid-song invites famine.
The Stag’s Dance (A Ritual of Celebration)
Men and women wear antlers and dance in spirals through the fields. The faster they dance, the better next year’s harvest will be. In some regions, the dance lasts until sunrise, and those who collapse are blessed with Jophion’s favor.
Comments