Frur

Often referred to as the true successor to Uzume, Frur is envisioned as the gentle yet potent Goddess of Fertility, caretaker of fields, flocks, and families. Enshrouded in robes woven from fresh blossoms and new spring shoots, she radiates a serene, nurturing presence — a living embodiment of growth and renewal.

Symbols

• Crescent of Seeds: A diadem crafted from grain and poppy seeds, representing both nourishment and the potential of new life.
• Twining Ivy Staff: Symbolic of life's interconnectedness, this staff sprouts new buds whenever fertility blooms nearby.
• Aurora Cloak: A shimmering mantle reflecting Skazka's cycles — vibrant greens in spring, golden in harvest, muted in winter — mirroring seasonal growth.

Domains

• Cultivation & Harvest: Farmers invoke Frur before tilling, believing she bestows fertile soil and timely rains. In story, she whispers to the earth, coaxing sprouts from fields, or burbles in brooks to water parched lands.
• Childbirth & Family: Midwives whisper prayers to Frur during labor. She stands sentry at newborn’s cradle, offering blessings of health and bounty. In folklore, a whispered chant—“Frur guide us, Frur protect” — is said to ease childbirth and inspire maternal strength.
• Renewal & Rebirth: Legend holds that Frur visits hibernating animals, stirring them awake when spring is near. In the wild, flowers ahead of schedule are believed to signal her passing.

Rites

• The Springward Dance: Every spring, maidens and farmers process to an ancient grove at dawn. They dance in circles, tossing flower-imbued seed-pouches into the earth — a ritual believed to awaken Frur’s blessing upon every ploughed furrow.
• The Night of Blooming: Legends say that once a year on the longest night, Frur wanders through sleeping villages, leaving single flowers — daisies, poppies, violets — on doorsteps. Houses where a bloom appears are foretold a year of prosperity or new life.
• The Coven of Green Shoots: In remote rural places, midwives and herbalists gather in Frur’s name, brewing teas made from herbs and spices to support healthy pregnancies. Their sacred circle is rung with ivy and wheat, echoing Frur’s staff — and believed to channel her spirit during delivery.

Skald

Skald emerges as the austere Goddess of Winter and steadfast Protector of Wolves. Draped in fur-trimmed pelts, her presence is as crisp and biting as the first frost — distant yet undeniable, her power carved from the unforgiving cold. She is neither benevolent nor malevolent, but a primordial force championing survival of the fittest and believing in the autonomy of mortals to determine their destinies.

Symbols

• Moonlit Wolfsbane Crown: A circlet of silvery wolf-tooth and moonflower, signifying her bond with lupine creatures and the moonlit chill of winter nights.
• Glacial Spear: A spear of living ice that never melts, used to mark her domain over frozen lands and to challenge the worthy.
• Hunting Cloak: Hidden within its fur-lined seams, she carries a wolf pelt that she wraps around weakened spirits — offering either resurrection or reassurance that only the strong prevail.

Domains

• Winter’s Challenge: Skald governs the biting cold, fierce snowstorms, and long polar nights. Hunters and herders whisper appeals to her for guidance through blizzards — but they know she offers no mercy, only truth.
• Guardian of the Pack: Wolves roam freely under her watch, their howls the echo of her voice. She teaches that unity and strength breed survival — yet only the strongest wolves lead the pack, unworthy ones cast out.
• Mortal Autonomy: Skald holds a hands-off philosophy - races must forge their own paths. She intervenes only when natural order demands it — be it famine, animal migrations, or beasts turned rabid. In her view, self-reliance is the highest virtue.

Rites

• The Hunt of the White Night: On the coldest night before the winter solstice, hunters seek her favor. They enter thawing forests at midnight, tracking a lone white wolf said to be an avatar of Skald. To slay it would invite her wrath; to let it pass honors the goddess — and offers glimpses of their own strength.
• The Frost-Bound Oath: When new wolf pups are born under deep snow, packs leave a single white feather on their den's threshold — a pact recognizing Skald’s guidance and promising to follow the strongest among them without question.
• Feast of the Frozen Thaw: At the cusp of spring, tribes gather meat from their hunting seasons — smoked and preserved. They form a circle by the great fire, sharing stories of winter’s trials. One 'lone wolf' prowls the edges serving as Skald’s presence. Survivors return to hearths with renewed respect for both natural order and their own resilience.

Aeter

In the mythic pantheon of Skazka, Aeter, the radiant God of Light, reigns as a beacon against encroaching darkness — both literal and spiritual. His brilliance brings clarity, hope, and renewal, yet he is neither naive nor blind to temptation: true light requires responsibility. As the keeper of the celestial forge, Aeter is revered by scholars, healers, and those who seek to banish shadow from the soul.

Symbols

• Crown of Dazzling Rays: Forged from pure light, it glimmers like the sun at zenith — an emblem of his boundless presence and wisdom.
• Everlight Orb: A small globe of concentrated sunlight that never dims — its warmth is healing, its glow reveals truth, and it can shatter unholy darkness.
• Radiant Scepter: Topped with a living flame that burns with the warmth of dawn, this staff channels his influence whenever light is needed.

Domains

• Illumination & Truth: Aeter is the arbiter of clarity, exposing lies and unveiling hidden things. Scholars invoke him in pursuit of knowledge; judges in service of justice.
• Hope & Renewal: Especially during total darkness — night, winter, loss of faith — his presence reminds the pantheon’s followers that morning always returns.
• Civilization & Artistic Flame: Poets, architects, musicians, and artisans seek inspiration from his glow. Creativity flourishes under his favor, pushing civilization ever forward.

Rites

• Dawn’s Renewal: At the break of dawn, Sun Elf communities gather in temple courtyards to kindle communal Everlight lamps. Each person brings a reflective plate that captures the morning sun before passing it to their neighbor — a symbol that light, once shared, grows brighter.
• The Everlight Trials: Young Sun Elves undergo a trial under Aeter’s observance. They must craft or shape something that reflects light —be it glasswork, art, song, or architecture. Success demonstrates mastery of both craft and purpose; failure reminds them that light untended fades.
• Feast of the Turning: On the summer solstice, temples open every window and let shouts of “Aeter, guide our path!” ring out at sunrise. Pilgrims carry candles that burn black smoke which turns godlen in the dawn light.

Lore: The Sunlight Gift & the Birth of the Sun Elves

Long ago, when dark elven exiles — driven from the Underdark by their own misdeeds — fled upward to the realm of mortals, they were twisted by shadow and despair. Aeter pitying them, reached down and cast a fragment of pure sunlight into their midst: the Everlight.

The infusion of Aeter’s gift altered their essence. Their once-dark skins glowed with a gentle luminescence, their eyes reflecting dawn’s first light. These exiles became the first Sun Elves, noble and fair, dedicated to justice and to spreading light wherever darkness threatens.

Over generations, Sun Elves built grand solar temples, inscribed with stories of Everlight and Aeter’s benevolence. Each dawn, temple priests rekindle their altars with purified sunlight captured at sunrise, ensuring the god’s flame never fades.

Njord

In the pantheon of Skazka, Njord, the God of Storms and Anger, reigns as a roaring tempest. He is the embodiment of raw power and unbound fury — most akin to Kaos among the Annarr. Njord is neither savior nor destroyer by intent, but rather a force that challenges mortals to seize strength, seize power, or be swept away.

Symbols

• Cracked Helm of Thunder: Forged from storm clouds and lightning, this helm echoes with thunder whenever Njord rages.
• Stormreaver Trident: A jagged weapon that harnesses wind, sea, and electric fury — calling hurricanes or calming catastrophic deluges at his will.
• Stormcloak of Roaring Gales: A cloak woven from gale-force winds and vaporous clouds. It whips around him in battle, tearing at foes and stirring courage in allies.

Domains

• Storm & Fury: Njord commands lightning, roaring winds, and crushing waves. Sailors dread and respect his presence: appease him, and he grants safe passage; defy him, and ships vanish in whirlpools.
• Anger & Resolve: In his rage, Njord symbolizes both the destructive and galvanizing power of anger. He punishes those weak of conviction and empowers those who channel rage into action.
Power & Meritocracy: He embodies the survival-of-the-fittest ethos: power carved through struggle and borne by those who endure. He brooks no excuses or charity; only the strong earn his favor.

Rites

• The Siege of Stormkeep: When Orcs besieged the coastal fortress of Stormkeep, Njord unleashed a week-long tempest. Waves battered the walls, lightning shattered siege towers, and only those defenders proven in battle earned spared lives. The story ends with the surviving knights swearing oaths under thunder to never yield.
• The Trial of the Roaring Shore: A rite of passage for warriors and sailors. They stand on the high cliffs as storms surge around them. Those who hold steady and return victorious are said to have Njord’s grit; those who falter are cast out — literally washed away by the returning tide. Those that fail are said to rise as 'The Drowned' - an undead creature bound to some Njord for eternity.
• Festival of the Wrathwind: On the equinoxes, massive bonfires are lit along the coasts. Those that build these fires test their skill at keeping the fires alight during the storm. A blessing is said to be received - the Storm Kiss - by any who keep their watchfires going until dawn.