God of Tempests and the Sea
Group (Pantheon): The Twelve
Domains: Tempest, Nature, Storms
Alignment: Chaotic Neutral
The holy symbol of Xaros is a storm-wreathed trident encircled by crashing waves, symbolizing both mastery and submission to the forces of nature. The trident is often depicted with lightning bolts branching from its tips, emphasizing Xaros's power over the skies and seas. Sailors commonly carry this symbol as an amulet for protection, and coastal temples display it carved into weathered stone altars.
The faith of Xaros is loose and decentralized, reflecting the unpredictable nature of the sea. While some temples are established in coastal cities, most of Xaros's followers are wandering priests, sea captains, or lone hermits living at the ocean's edge. The faith is based on personal strength, reverence for nature, and survival against the odds.
The Stormcaller
The spiritual leader of Xaros's faith, chosen by surviving and mastering a legendary storm summoned by Xaros himself. The Stormcaller leads great seafaring rituals, ensures safe passage, and invokes Xaros's blessings or tempests when needed.
Waveborn Oracles
Mystics and seers said to interpret the will of Xaros through dreams of rolling tides and distant thunder. They guide sailors, tribes, and wanderers with cryptic prophecies.
Tidepriests
Priests and druids devoted to Xaros, responsible for overseeing coastal temples and leading sacrifices of treasure or fish to calm the seas. They also perform rites of safe passage for ships setting out on dangerous journeys.
Stormwardens
Sailors, warriors, and storm-mages blessed by Xaros. They travel the world, calling storms to aid them in battle or protect coastal settlements from invaders.
Children of the Tide
Initiates of the faith, often shipbound apprentices, young fishermen, or orphaned wanderers taken in by the faith. They learn survival, ocean lore, and the ancient rituals needed to placate Xaros's unpredictable temper.
Karos Thunderborn (past)
Role: Legendary Stormcaller
Legacy: Karos is remembered for summoning the Maelstrom of Salvation during the Fifth Age, destroying an invading armada threatening the free ports of Stormmarch Bay. His defiant stand against impossible odds became a symbol of Xaros's fury tempered by purpose.
Captain Elaryn Stormblade (past)
Role: Tidepriest and Pirate Queen
Legacy: Elaryn was both feared and revered as the pirate queen of the Azure Reaches, using her connection to Xaros to command raging storms in battle. Her enchanted trident, Tempestfang, remains lost beneath the sea, said to call storms wherever it lies.
Alaris Windchaser (past)
Role: Child of the Tide
Legacy: A young fisherwoman blessed by Xaros, Alaris discovered the lost artifact known as the Eye of the Deep, an ancient relic containing the power of the ocean itself. She disappeared beneath the waves after using the relic to seal an underwater rift that threatened to flood the world.
Elder Mira Windheart (present)
Role: Waveborn Oracle of the Western Isles
Legacy: Mira is a powerful seer known for predicting massive storms with frightening accuracy. She once foretold the Wrathwake Tides, giving coastal cities time to prepare and save thousands of lives. Many believe she is blessed -- or cursed -- with direct communication with Xaros.
Vaelen Stormwarden (present)
Role: Defender of the Waveward Coast
Legacy: Vaelen is a battle-priest known for commanding lightning and oceanic fury in defense of the coastal city of Whitehaven. His presence is said to inspire awe and fear alike, as he walks the line between protector and living storm.
The faith of Xaros thrives in coastal cities, fishing villages, and island kingdoms where survival depends on respecting the ocean's fury. His largest temples can be found in the Stormmarch Republic and Seafront Bastion, but his followers are scattered far and wide, often living aboard ships or in remote coastal enclaves. His name is invoked by sailors before every long journey, often with offerings of silver or fish cast into the waves.
Xaros's followers respect and collaborate with the faiths of Lyrien (nature and wilderness) and Thanor (war and valor) when their interests align. However, they frequently clash with followers of Talandra (order and peace) due to their disdain for structure and law. They are mortal enemies of any abyssal cults threatening the seas and of the destructive followers of Erythul (chaos and destruction).
Despite the gods' withdrawal, Xaros's power is ever-present in the seas and storms. His faithful face ongoing challenges:
Xaros, the God of Tempests and the Sea, embodies the raw, untamable power of nature's storms and oceans. He represents both the destructive force of wind and water the life-giving bounty of the seas. Xaros is revered by sailors, fishermen, and storm-callers but also feared for his unpredictable nature. His followers believe that through respect and offerings, they can appease his wrath or harness his power in times of great need.
Xaros is often depicted as a towering, weather-scarred figure with stormy blue-gray skin, his hair and beard flowing like ocean waves. His eyes glow with lightning, and his voice is said to echo like a crashing tide. He wields Stormreaver, a great trident forged from sky-forged steel and enchanted with the force of a thousand storms. Wherever he steps, waves rise and thunder rolls across the skies.
Xaros's faith endures in the crashing waves and roaring storms, teaching mortals to face the unknown with courage and adaptability. His followets embrace both the fury and the mercy of the ocean, standing as living testaments to nature's relentless power.
"Face the storm, rise with the tide, and master your fate."
Source: Homebrew, 2024.
Trindle Spring Lutheran Church RPG Club | Mechanicsburg, PA