The Parents
The Parents are a bipartite deity, worshipped in the dual aspects of the Mother and the Father. Together, they are the creator god/dess and are responsible for nature and the natural world. They represent the wild creatures of the land and sea, the rush of angry rapids, and the stillness of the deep forest. They are worshipped by druids, rangers, hunters, and the common folk who live in concert with the wilderness, such as on frontier towns or next to deep forests. Those seeking safe passage through wild places or across deep oceans pray to The Parents for for guidance and their blessing.
The Mother is the aspect responsible for all living things, including anything which grows, and 'nature red in tooth and claw'. The Father is the aspect of nature responsible for the great forces such as the wind and waves and events like hurricanes and earthquakes. Sailors and fishermen commonly pray to him for his merciful protection before venturing onto the open water.
Alignment. The Parents are Neutral, showing favour only to those who obey their edicts to protect and preserve the natural world.
Divine Domains
Clerics of The Parents are most often granted powers from the domains of Nature, Life and Tempest.
Portfolios. The Parents hold the portfolios of Nature and Life. Their negative aspect is Disease and Decay for the Mother, and Natural Disasters for the Father.
Divine Symbols & Sigils
Depiction. The Parents are always seen as both male and female, sometimes superimposed over one another, sometimes side-by-side with no space between them or their hands clasped. The Father is a smiling older man with a grey beard, while the Mother is a plump but powerful-looking matron with long grey hair falling in waves, often to become rivers around her feet. They are depicted with tanned or brown skin, wearing rough and sturdy clothing, and crowned with tangled wreaths of vines and berries. They often appear in wooden reliefs or carved statues hidden deep within overgrown groves.
Tenets of Faith
COMMANDMENTS OF THE PARENTS
- Protect and preserve the untamed wilderness from unchecked exploitation and destruction.
- Slay abominations, undead, and other mockeries of nature.
- Embrace and respect that which you cannot control in this world, and exist in harmony with nature.
Holidays
The Harvest Moon, or full moon, closest to the autumn equinox is celebrated as holy by worshippers of The Parents, usually falling within two weeks of the twenty-second day of the ninth month. Celebrations take the form of harvest festivals, with surplus produce being given to the church for distribution to the needy, and it is common to plant trees.
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