![[Umberlee.png|400]] **Greater Deity** **Alignment:** Chaotic Evil ### Overview Umberlee, the chaotic evil goddess of the sea and storms, is one of the most feared deities in the Faerûnian pantheon. Known by names such as the "Bitch Queen" and the "Sea Queen," she rules over oceans, storms, and the turbulent forces of the deep. She thrives on caprice and cruelty, taking great pleasure in reminding mortals of their powerlessness against her wrath. Sailors, coastal communities, and pirates often pay tribute to Umberlee, hoping to avoid her anger and survive the dangers of her domain. ### Domain and Influence Umberlee’s dominion stretches across all the seas, particularly during stormy weather and in turbulent waters. She embodies the unpredictable nature of the ocean, embracing her role as a deity of destruction without the temperance seen in other gods. Her influence is vast, affecting not only the ocean’s physical characteristics but also the lives of those who dare to travel or live near the waters she controls. Unlike deities of protection or guidance, Umberlee offers no comfort, only fear and grudging respect for her relentless power. ### Symbols and Icons ![[Umberlee_symbol.png]] Umberlee's symbols evoke the fierce and untameable nature of the sea. The most recognizable of these is a wave curling left and right, sometimes with a trident or claw emerging from it. Many of her followers also use images of colossal sea creatures, like krakens, to signify her strength. These symbols often adorn her altars and are etched onto tokens or tattoos worn by her priests and devout followers. Shrines decorated with seashells, coral, and storm motifs serve as focal points for tributes and sacrifices, particularly in port towns and fishing villages. ### Worship and Tributes Umberlee’s worship is born out of fear. Her followers pray to her less from devotion and more to avoid her wrath. Sailors, captains, fishermen, and coastal inhabitants all perform ritual sacrifices before embarking on journeys or during treacherous times. Her offerings reflect the desperation of those who depend on her mercy for survival: - **Wealth and Precious Items**: Jewellery, coins, and family heirlooms are cast into the ocean as symbols of respect. Sentimental items, representing sacrifices of personal value, are seen as more likely to win her favour. - **Sacrificial Offerings**: Ritual blood sacrifices, whether small droplets or ceremonial cuts, are common among her priests. In dire circumstances, livestock or, rarely, human lives are offered to appease her fury, especially during severe storms. - **Lives and Souls**: Some followers vow eternal service to Umberlee in exchange for survival or protection. This can mean a pledge to serve her in life or even beyond death, dedicating their lives and souls to her cause. - **Poetry, Songs, and Stories**: Sailors often compose songs and stories honouring Umberlee, hoping that by glorifying her might, they will placate her wrath and secure safe passage. --- ### Clergy and Temples Umberlee’s clergy, often called "Wave Maidens" (or "Stormcallers" for male priests), are an austere and fearsome group. The clergy's hierarchy is based on power rather than structured order, resulting in rivalry and competition among her priests. They are responsible for collecting tributes from sailors and performing rituals to appease her, acting as intermediaries between the people and their goddess. Though rare, full temples to Umberlee can be found in major port cities, where grand ceremonies are conducted, often accompanied by chaotic displays of devotion. These priests often carry out their work in isolation or lead cult-like groups, with the authority to demand offerings from townsfolk in exchange for “protection” from Umberlee’s storms. They instil fear through their displays of faith, using their position to ensure that Umberlee’s influence remains powerful across all coastal regions. ### Powers and Abilities Umberlee wields vast powers tied to the sea, storms, and aquatic creatures. Her abilities are as immense and capricious as the ocean itself, giving her control over both the physical and spiritual realms of the seas. - **Control Over Water and Weather**: She can summon hurricanes, tempests, and towering waves to wreak havoc on the seas and coastal areas. Her power over tides allows her to manipulate ocean currents, making navigation treacherous for those who fail to honour her. - **Dominion Over Sea Creatures**: Umberlee commands the creatures of the deep, including monstrous beings like krakens, sharks, and water elementals. She may send these creatures to attack those who offend her or protect sacred areas. - **Water-Based Magic**: Her magic extends to controlling water in all its forms, from drowning victims by bending water around them to conjuring dangerous water traps. - **Fear and Terror**: Her aura instills paralyzing fear in those who behold her directly or sense her wrath through her natural manifestations. - **Divine Awareness**: Umberlee is aware of what transpires within her waters, sensing trespassers or those who dare to disrespect her, allowing her to react swiftly to their actions. ### Treatment of the Chosen and Faithful Umberlee’s relationship with her faithful is tumultuous. She rewards loyalty sparingly and only when it serves her interests. Unlike other deities, Umberlee’s chosen live in constant fear of her unpredictable moods. Her expectations of devotion are high, and she is quick to punish even minor slights or displays of weakness. - **Erratic Favor**: Her blessings are inconsistent. She may grant magical boons like the ability to breathe underwater, summon sea creatures, or control local currents, but these gifts are often temporary and come with harsh conditions. - **Trials of Faith**: Followers may be forced to endure dangerous trials to prove their loyalty. Failing to carry out these tasks results in severe punishment, withdrawal of blessings, or, in some cases, a curse. - **Conditional Protection**: Her protection is rare and conditional on frequent tribute and unwavering devotion. While her faithful may experience moments of calm seas or favorable conditions, they are never fully safe from her wrath. - **Isolation and Power**: Her chosen often find themselves feared and shunned due to their association with Umberlee, a trait she encourages to instill both resilience and cruelty in her followers. - **Eternal Servitude**: Some of her most devout followers are believed to serve her even after death, transforming into creatures of the sea or spirits bound to guard her domain. ### Myths and Legends Umberlee’s legends are cautionary tales that reinforce her reputation for cruelty: - **The Shattering of the Silver Fleet**: Umberlee’s fury was unleashed upon a fleet of silver-laden ships whose captains ignored proper tribute. A tempest consumed every ship, leaving their treasures lost at the ocean’s depths. - **Umberlee’s Daughters**: Myths speak of Umberlee’s daughters, siren-like beings born of the sea who lure sailors to watery graves or carry out her vengeance against those who offend her. - **Curse of the Bitch Queen**: Umberlee has cursed entire families, fleets, and cities for perceived insults, often dooming them to unending misfortune at sea until they pay proper homage or endure her wrath long enough for the curse to subside. ### Encounters with Umberlee’s Influence Adventurers and sailors alike know that disrespecting Umberlee can bring swift and terrifying consequences: - **Sea Monsters**: She may send krakens, merrow, or undead creatures from the deep to attack intruders or defilers of her sacred areas. - **Deadly Weather**: Her wrath often manifests as storms or tsunamis that threaten to sink ships or flood coastlines. - **Artifacts of Umberlee**: Powerful relics tied to her power, such as enchanted tridents or pearls, occasionally wash ashore or are recovered from shipwrecks. Though they may grant powerful boons, they often carry curses that bind the user to Umberlee’s will. ### Conclusion Umberlee’s reign over the sea is absolute and unyielding. She is a deity whose worship is compelled by fear, rather than love, and whose followers are bound to her by awe and dread. Her power is as deep and volatile as the ocean itself, and she offers no mercy, only the harsh lesson that in her domain, survival is a privilege granted to the strongest and the most faithful or to those willing to pay the highest price.