Cernius

Warden of the Wilds

Cernius is the patient protector of the wild places and the quiet strength behind every hearthfire lit in harmony with the land. He teaches respect for both the hunt and the harvest, not as a call to dominance, but as an invitation to coexist. Those who wander too far from the natural path may find him waiting with bow drawn.

Appearance

Cernius is depicted as a towering figure draped in leaves, bark, and the head of an animal, his form seeming to shift depending on the location of the world. No matter if he is depicted with the head of a stag, a moose, a boar, a camel, or a gazelle, his eyes are always shown to glow like dappled sunlight through forest canopies. When he speaks, it’s with the voice of rustling leaves and distant thunder. Though ancient and serene, his presence radiates the quiet threat of a predator defending its own.

Dogma

Cernius teaches that civilization and nature are not enemies, but kin. And kin must learn to coexist or perish together. He blesses those who take only what they need, who respect the old paths and understand that life and death are two branches of the same tree. Mercy is not weakness, but cruelty without cause severs one’s place in the cycle. He values strength tempered by restraint, and wisdom earned from patience.

Worship

The Warden of the Wilds is worshipped by hunters, herbalists, rangers, and those who live on the edge of the wilds. His druids and wardens protect sacred groves and ancestral paths, and they often serve as mediators between expanding towns and the untouched wilds beyond. Shrines to him are grown rather than built, twisted trees, standing stones, and woven vines mark his sacred spaces. 
His teachings are not found in books, but passed down through oral lore and carved into stone or bark. “The Unbroken Circle” is a phrase spoken among his faithful, referring to the silent understanding that all life flows through the same cycle. Prey becomes predator, death feeds growth, and nothing is wasted. The Hunt’s Requiem,  a holiday held at the autumn equinox, honors both the bounty of the land and the lives taken to sustain it. Offerings are left at sacred groves and hunters fast for a day before feasting, remembering the balance that must be upheld.

Relations

Cernius walks the boundary between nature and civilization. He is neither aloof nor nurturing, but like the forest, he rewards harmony and punishes excess. He often stands at odds with gods of unchecked progress or reckless magic, yet finds kinship with those who value tradition, family, and sustainability. Though slow to anger, his wrath, when roused, is like a wildfire, sudden, fierce, and cleansing.

Divine Classification

Old God

Alignment

Lawful Good

Species

Archon

Realm

Mount Celestia

Honorary & Occupational Titles

• Warden of the Wilds
• Warden of the Old Path
• The Wild Steward
• The Horned God
• Horned Watcher of Hearth and Hunt

Pathfinder Statistics

Divine Attribute: Constitution or Wisdom Divine Domains

• Earth
• Familiy
• Nature
• Wood

Divine Font: Heal
Divine Skill: Survival
Favored Weapon: Longbow
Cleric Spells: 1st: sure strike, 3rd: wall of thorns, 5th: nature's pathway

D&D 5e Statistics

Suggested Domains

• Life Domain
• Nature Domain
• Order Domain