Rontra

Goddess of the Earth

Rontra (RAHN-tra) is the lawful good goddess of the earth, plants, farms, dirt, gems, metals, farmers, miners, and all others who revere the earth. She seeks the greatest good for the greatest number of her children through an ordered and structured society. Grandmother Rontra says, "You do not cast your seeds to the wind and hope they grow; you must plan, and plan well." Associated not only with the earth above, upon which all things grow and live, but also with the places beneath the earth, Rontra stands for the fertility of the land, as well as the people that inhabit it. She is the grandmother of all people and of the gods themselves, having grown the great tree Eliwyn in her soil. She is therefore the patron of grandmothers and old women. She is known as the Foremother, as she offers the gods and mortal races the loving embrace of their ancestral mother. Rontra is often linked with the animals of the deep places and caves of the world, included moles, voles, wolves, and cave bears. Of all the animals of the earth, though, she is most closely associated with rabbits and hares, which live in warm homes in the earth. They are gentle and fertile creatures, just as Rontra is gentle and stands for the fertility of all the creatures and plants of the earth, and they desire nothing but peace, yet they will not hesitate to protect their young, even against impossible odds. Among mystical creatures, she is often associated with treants, which some say are her children, but were born of the blood of druids. She is most closely tied to the divine and gentle celestial animal spirits called pookas, that sometimes aid humans in need. They usually appear as monkeys or rabbits, and stand at the good counterparts to rakshasas. Rontra has been depicted in icons as an elderly woman of the race worshiping her. Whatever the race, she has grey hair, approaching silver, and in her face, thousands of wrinkles lie like the furrows of the earth and the farm. She is usually depicted in robes of flowing white, though when she is prayed to for fertility, she is shown in robes of red. Her feet are always unshod, to remain ever in contact with the earth. Her eyes are black as coal with flecks of gold, silver, and iron. In ancient times—and some of these icons and primitive statues remains—Rontra was shown as a heavyset woman with five exposed breasts. These represented the five mortal races; further, they represented fertility and life, signifying that mortals suckle at her breasts and take life-giving sustenance from the earth. Rontra is worshiped by farmers and others who work the soil, who pray that their fields will yield a rich harvest. Miners honor her for her gifts of precious metals and wondrous gems. Women pray to her when they desire children, because it was within the bosom of Rontra that the great tree Eliwyn grew and gave birth to the wondrous diversity of life in the land. Her worship is popular among all five races, though for different reasons—elves love her natural splendor, the dwarves love her deep and rich caves, the gnomes love their homelands in her hills, and the halflings love her rich soil for farming. Humans love her for all these reasons and more, depending on their culture. Any character who comes from a farming community is likely to have been raised worshiping Rontra. The worship of Rontra, Morwyn, and Anwyn are all very closely integrated, as they are three generations of the same line of women, and are often shown together: the grandmother, the mother, and the maiden. While Morwyn is the patron of pregnant women and those giving birth, it is Rontra to whom people appeal when they desire children, for the Grandmother is the giver of fertility. Similarly, while Morwyn is the patron of mothers and those raising children, it is Anwyn, the daughter, to whom they appeal for a quiet and restful home.

Divine Domains

Earth, Nature

Holy Books & Codes

There are many common prayers used by sowers and worshipers of Rontra, and part of a sower's training is learning the hundreds, if not thousands, of traditional invocations that have been written over the years. One of the first they learn is the prayer of sowing. This is invoked by farmers during planting seasons to help ensure the strength and fertility of the soil.

The Sowing Prayer

This last stanza of the Sowing Prayer is commonly used by farmers to ask for Rontra's blessings in their endeavors. Many say it almost absent-mindedly, as a common invocation.

"Great Earth Mother, hear my prayer.
With these humble hands I till the soil,
Prepare the earth for the seeds of life.
"Great Earth Mother, hear my prayer.
I place each seed within your embrace
And ask that you welcome each into your arms.
"Great Earth Mother, hear my prayer.
As Eliwyn grew within your life-giving bossom,
So, too, I pray that my seeds will grow.
"Great Earth Mother, hear my prayer.
As I water the earth in due time
And tend the crops with loving care,
May your blessings be upon the land."

Divine Symbols & Sigils

Tenets of Faith

"We cannot mourn that we die, for all things die. It would serve us just as well to mourn birth. The fields are planted and grow full, and then they are harvested and made bare. They are planted once more, and again harvested. Do not mourn the cycles of life; do not resist their wonder. When we are at peace with life, then we will be at peace with each other. This is what our Grandmother wants for us."
— Great Elder Grombir Ironbrand's "I Have Seen the Glory."

Rontran teachings are not universal; each foundation focuses on the aspect of the faith its sowers considers most important. For example, inside a dwarf hold there might be a foundation that dwells on the beauty of the earth's treasures, and ministers mostly to miners. In this foundation, there would be no mention of planting crops at all. Conversely, a foundation in the middle of a farming community spends most of its time focusing on the health of the crops, not on the precious metals and stones hidden beneath the earth. Foundations in cities usually dwell on fertility. But the treasures of the earth, farming, and fertility are all merely aspects of Rontra's love for those creatures living on and in the earth. One this, all sowers agree. From this understanding, a core philosophy of the Rontran faith has emerged and can best be understood as "peace through acceptance, sharing and love." Rontran teaching focuses on the ramifications of wanting more than is rightfully yours—as with Durgas in the myth, it invariably results in downfall and sorrow. Rontrans believe we each have our place in the world and we must learn to accept it. Death is inevitable, and the greed and pride that moves some to seek to extend their lives is wrong, and ends badly. We all meet with tragedy in our lives, perhaps the death of a loved one or the theft of something we prize. To rage against these tragedies and try to achieve vengeance against the person responsible, or worse, against the world that makes such tragedies possible, always results in even greater tragedy. Only when all people accept their place and learn to share, to love their neighbors and to be kind and gentle with one another, will we have peace. And peace is what Rontra desires for all. The Rontran philosophy is a gentle one, accepted by many people for its simplicity and comfort. It is easy for those who live small lives without pretension to riches or glory to see themselves, through this teaching, as fulfilling their place in a very holy order. Beyond these teachings, the Rontrans have some basic commandments that all devotees must follow. To disobey these teachings is a grave sin, and one must seek out a religious leader of the foundations to seek atonement if one does so.

Do not consort with devils, demons, or other evil creatures that are not of this earth.

Do not create the undead, or consort with those that do.

Do not join in physical union with any race not born of the tree of life.

Do not eat the flesh of any creature not born of the earth; only natural beasts and fowl are appropriate meat for a Rontran.

Do not sow the land with salt or any other substance that will ruin it for planting.

Do not waste seed for planting or the seed of your own flesh.

On the first day of each week, in remembrance that the beasts of the earth came from the same fruits that gave life to the mortal races, eat no meat whatsoever.

If you have food that you can spare and others are hungry, share.

If you grow food from the earth, one-tenth of all you grow must be given to those needier than you, unless none are needier.

If you pull treasures from the earth, two-tenths of all wealth you take from the Earth Mother's treasures must be given to the needy, unless none are needier than you.

Holidays

There are three main holy days of the Church of Rontra: the Fertility Festival, the Sowing of Seeds, and the Harvest Festival. Depending on the church and its locale, each holy day or period takes on more or less significance. For example, the Sowing of Seeds and the Harvest Festival are very important to farmers, while the Fertility Festival might have greater significance in cities.

Divine Goals & Aspirations

Rontra has seen what stife and hatred can do to the land and its people. She knows only constant vigilance can make certain that the gods, as well as mortals, do not turn to destruction and death over petty squabbles. To this end, she views herself as an advisor and nurturer of her people. She counsels her grandchildren and shows them the paths of righteousness. Together with Morwyn, she is the conscience of gods and mortals alike. For Rontra, there is only way way, and that is the way of moral good, no matter how difficult its demands. In this, she is uncompromising and does not equivocate, nor does she believe good ends can ever justify ill means. That said, Rontra is the most "natural" of the gods, for while she mourns the terrible events and crimes of the world, she does little to stop them. As is shown in the myth of Durgas, Rontra might warn and cajole, she might plead with the wicked to find the right path, but she rarely opposes them. As the earth, she sees all things happen for a reason and all in the world is part of a great cycle of life, even destruction and war. Rontra protects life in all its forms, through subtle means whenever she can. Legends are filled with families strangely overlooked by marauding armies because a small copse of trees obscured them, or a cave they had never noticed suddenly appeared near their home and gave them shelter from the raiders. Of all the gods, Rontra moves in the most mysterious ways, rarely showing her hand or making her intentions clear. But those who worship her and study her ways know she values all living things, from the least insect to the greatest god, as sacred and worthy of her attention. Whenever life is taken fro granted or wanton destruction is spread, her agents are there, offering an alternative and attempting to convince those who destroy that the path of life holds more value. If there is anything Rontra does actively oppose, it is the unnatural forces that pollute her lands. The Earth Mother despises the undead, aberrations, and their masters. They represent unnatural life not born from the earth. Her servants seek them out, to return them to the peace of death.

Divine Classification

Old God

Religions