Ideas for a God of Earth
Name Inspiration: Akyregru "She of the Flawless Wilderness", Narærek "Eternal Earth", Ahï-ekïas "The One with the Earthen Mantle"
Possible Domains: grave, nature, twilight
The first question I ask myself when planning a deity is: what is the central concept at the heart of their worship?
In this blog, I'm going to use the concept "earth" refering to dirt, soil, rocks etc rather than planet/plane.
The obvious place to go is the argicultural route. God of the grain, of the harvest, of the life giving earth. But that's a little too on the nose. So instead I want to explore more unexpected connections.
The first is the "material" than can be found within the earth. Rocks, sure. But also precious metals. Miners delve deep into the earth to find these bounties. Thus, this god is one they most depend on and fear. After all, a simple cave in can result in being trapped, isolated, and - if you're unlucky - dead. Cavedwellers such as drow, duergar, and deep gnomes (among others) might see fit to respect and worship the god.
The holiest places would be deep instead the rock, where you are surrounded by stone, hemmed in.
Next, I want to explore the idea of the "soil" because, of course, plants grow from the soil. However, as I've said, this particular god cares not for the structure of farms or agriculture.
Instead, this deity's is most powerful and influential in places where few mortals ever tred. Where the canopy above is so tall and thick that the light of the sun doesn't reach the forest floor. Where strange and unique creature roam. And rare plants thrive. Depending on how populous your world is, these might not be very common places but if people do choose to enter them, they might find themselves rebuffed by the nature around them. Perhaps only under the guidance of an experienced druid or ranger can they safely pass through or settle within.
Such a god, as unyielding and distant as death, would also work well within the twilight domain. This deity stands on the edges of civilisation, of the population. To delve into their forest or their caves is to come to a place without light yet full of life.
Bonus: let's talk names! The name ideas suggested come from Elvish, and while their basic translations are provided, they aren't perfect!
Akyregru "She of the Flawless Wilderness"
- "A" is a feminine signifer. To make this name masculine use "E". And if you want them to be gender neutral, you can swap it out for "An" which means ancient.
- "Kyre" means 'flawless, beautiful'. Which is can be used to refer to a multitude of things, it originally decribes a gemstone, one that is perfectly cut.
- "Gru" means 'wilderness'.
Therefore, this name, while generally refering to the 'wild' also connects the idea of gems and mining.
Narærek "Eternal Earth"
- "Nar" means 'stone, rock' as well as 'eternal, immovable'
- "ærek" is simply the Elvish word for 'earth, soil, dirt'
A nice, simple name that gets the point.
Ahï-ekïas "The One with the Earthen Mantle"
- "ahï" means 'having, possessing, wielding'
- "ek" means 'soil, dirt, clay' etc. and is a general term for such things
- "ïas" means 'mantle, cloak' etc.
Want to create your own gods? Here's a helpful planner!
