Thoth-Hermes
God of Knowledge and Learning, The Wise, Creator of Language, Lord of Merchants, Patron of Scholars and Thieves, Master of the Arcane Realms, Patron of the Magocracy of Allain
- Divine Domains: Knowledge, Travel, Trickery
- Alignment: Neutral
- Favored Weapon: Staff, dagger
Worshippers
Thoth-Hermes is worshipped by scholars, scribes, merchants, thieves, messengers, travelers, and wizards throughout Nuria Natal and in the Seven Cities, and to a lesser degree in the Crossroads. They come from all sorts of backgrounds, but they are collectively curious, learned, and interested in knowledge both licit and illicit. Most prominently, Thoth-Hermes is the patron of the Magocracy of Allain, and the being that wizards of that strange state turn to when their arcane workings confound them and their magic fails.Symbols and Books
The favored weapons of priests of Thoth-Hermes are the staff and the dagger, symbols of magic and thievery and humble scholars. The penknife of Thoth is also honored, and a few diehards believe in carrying only a quill or stylus as his symbol and sign. All books are sacred to Thoth-Hermes, and destroying a book is an abomination. The most famous sacred texts of Thoth-Hermes include the Book of Passage to Heaven, the Book of Magic, the 150 Sacred Rituals, the Book of Starry Wisdom, and the Book of the World, an encyclopedia of priestly knowledge. A secretive Emerald Order of priests and scholars jealously guards a volume referred to as the Emerald Tablet (see Demon Cults & Secret Societies for more on the Emerald Order).Shrines and Priests
The greatest shrines of Thoth-Hermes are libraries, such as the Great Library of Friula in the Seven Cities, the library of Salzbach, and the library-temple of Siwal. Just as important and far more numerous are the small shrines in every market where Thoth-Hermes is worshipped: each contains a set of scales and a locked box for offerings. The scales are true and well balanced, and theft from the god’s offerings is met with swift death at the hands of Thoth-Hermes’s more fanatical followers. Thoth-Hermes has no major military orders, but his followers fill the legions of spies, diplomats, and couriers that armies rely on, not to mention the wand-wielding elite companies of spellcasters. The most famous of these is the Blue Wands company of Bemmea mercenaries that occasionally serves in the Seven Cities.Masks
Northlanders assume Thoth-Hermes to be a mask of Loki or Wotan. Folk of the Crossroads associate him with Sarastra, the fey goddess of magic and the night, and a few believe Thoth-Hermes is a mask of the Goat of the Woods who led the mages of Caelmarath into their tragic war.Other Faiths
The followers of Thoth are either indifferent to the world beyond the scriptorium door or deeply engaged with it as messengers and explorers. The priests retain a special hatred for the cults of Totivillus, the patron demon of scribes, and likewise for Mammon, god of greed (a corruption of honest trade). They are rivals to Sarastra, goddess of night and magic. They are friendly with most other faiths, especially those of Lada the Golden and Horus. The temples of Bastet and Aten are boisterous targets for Thoth-Hermes’s more earthy and thieving followers.What Thoth-Hermes Demands
All worshippers of Thoth-Hermes must be literate and numerate; ideally, most have valuable knowledge or skills useful in the creation of further knowledge, trade, or wisdom. All followers of Thoth-Hermes must produce a collection of new lore, maps, arcane mysteries, or personal experiences once in their lifetime, creating a “life book” of value to savants and future generations. Destroying books is forbidden, but their theft is a sign of skill and divine favor.
Children
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