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Omara,
goddess of Hearth, Home and Service
Called the Beloved of the Gods, the Lady of the Feast, the
Bringer of Plenty, the Lady of Gifts and the Maiden of Sorrow's
Ease, Omara is the goddess of safety, of home, of abundance and
the patroness of servants everywhere. She is an unassuming
goddess who is well-loved by the common people.
She is the daughter of Artorius and Valkrys
and beloved sister of Agaleus and Mordhal. Her great beauty
has caused both Erdhon and Eristemus to court her, but she has
never taken a spouse.
Associations
Omara is revered by those who care for the
home - servants, housewives and peasants, as well as those
dedicated to the protection of homes and all small things and
persons. She is well-loved by all the divine
races, but is particularly revered by the halflings.
Frequently the temple of Omara is the only full temple in halfling
communities. Thus her temple serves as the temple of all the
gods, fitting with her creed of selfless service.
It is said that every hearth is a shrine to
Omara, and for this reason, common folk burn small offerings in
their family or communal hearths at each meal in thanks.
This is also common in noble or royal houses, but the food is
given to the servants or the poor, rather than burned.
Alignment
Omara is Lawful Good.
Representations
Omara appears as a curvaceous young woman
with a kind smile and bright eyes. Usually, she is
represented as bearing some symbol of service or plenty, such as a
cornucopia, or torch.
Among animals, she is most often likened to
the faithful hound, and in many cultures south of the Valesian
Sea, she is depicted as a young woman with a hound's
head. Her universal symbol is a fire burning in a
hearth.
Purpose
Omara relishes the happiness of her extended family and of the
mortal races. She takes a great interest in small kindnesses
and daily morality, and is far less interested in the great acts
of heroes. She alone among the gods takes close note of the
small folk and peasantry, for she believes that from their ranks
will rise the salvation of the mortal races.
Among Omara's many honors is the title "the gentle
maiden", for she has often been the agent of peace between
her fellow gods, particularly her father Artorius and his brother
Borlamnos and between her mother Valkrys and her cousin
Ilion. However, and despite being the most patient of the
gods, on rare occasions her ire can be raised and then she is said
to be as stern as either of her parents.
Servants
Omara has no servants of her own, though she
is intimate with the many members of the Celestial Host who serve
the gods, particularly those who toil quietly in the great homes
of the gods. Of all the gods, it is Omara who knows the
hearts of the Celestials best.
THE CHURCH - The
Hearths of Omara
Church Description
The Hearths of Omara are highly popular with peoples of all
races, though they are frequented most by those of low
station. They exist to ease the hurts and burdens of
service, and thus are filled with the worship of peasants,
servants, housewives and laborers.
In many rural communities, the Hearths of Omara are more than
just temples, they are in fact the hearths of the community, where
bread is baked and meals are cooked in common. In this way,
they are also the very real hearts of the community, filled with
gossip, village business and gentle cheer.
Church Structure
The Stewards of Omara keep the hearths and also keep a simple
and direct hierarchy. The Great Hearth in the ancient city
of Conorr is the seat of the Supreme Steward, who is served by a
counsel of Elder Stewards drawn from across Vatheria. Under
these Elder Stewards serve a host of High Stewards, each in charge
of single Hearth. Most High Stewards are served by several
junior priests known simply as Stewards. A large percentage of the
Stewards have historically been female, though there have been
many well-loved male Stewards as well.
Once there was a separate order that also served the goddess,
known as the Hearthwives. This ancient order served as a
repository for the countless pieces of wisdom handed down from
generation to generation on the subjects of cooking, cleaning,
comfort, medicine and life wisdom. The Hearthwives were
disbanded by order of the Supreme Steward in the year 2734, and
folded into the Stewards when the great invasions of the Conorrian
Empire made two such orders impractical.
Doctrine
Service - In serving others, we
enrich ourselves. As the gods gave freely of themselves to
mortals, so should the mortals give freely of themselves to each
other.
Charity - There is no higher
motivation than to care for those who cannot care for
themselves. Feeding and clothing the poor and helpless is a
holy act.
Take Joy in Small Things - True
pleasure and happiness is to be found in family, friends and a
warm home. The pleasures of wealth and power are ephemeral
and bring no lasting joy or contentment.
Holy Days
A week after the Calandran festival of Harvestide comes the
Festival of Omara. On this day, people of all stations come
to the Hearths to make offerings to the Lady of Plenty. This
is not a thanks for the harvest, which belongs to Calandra, but a
prayer for its preservation through the winter. Farmers
bring wagon-loads of foodstuffs to the hearths, where a
portion is burned in offering and the rest is preserved by the
Stewards to sustain the community through the winter.
Merchants and lords bring offerings of wealth and goods to pray
for the healthy continuance of the community.
Preferred Weapon
As Omara bears a staff of service (with which she may stir the
embers of the hearth to life), so the Stewards bear a quarterstaff
in her honor.
CLERICS - The Stewards of
Omara
The Order
Though ancient in origin, the Order of the Stewards underwent a
gradual change over the previous two centuries. The
twenty-seventh century saw a gradual centralization of power under
the Supreme Steward in Conorr, whose Great Hearth had become
influential and wealthy. This streamlining was accompanied
by the increase in use of formal titles for the Omaran
priests. The Twenty-eighth century saw the elimination of
two orders dedicated to the goddess of service.
The simple and effective structure of the
Order of Stewards is occasioned by the fact that the Stewards have
but one mission - service to the community. They take no
part in politics or controversy, despite the fact that many
Hearths are the site where such concerns are discussed. The
Stewards themselves live simple lives, wearing only simple robes
or working garments and are usually engaged in service (often
baking or preserving foodstuffs) or in giving advice and settling
local disputes.
Titles
At 1st level, a cleric of Omara has the rank of
"Steward" and is usually addressed as
"brother" or "sister".
At 5th level, the Steward is addressed as "goodfather"
or "goodmother" and is eligible to become a High Steward
and run his or her own Hearth. High Stewards are named by
the Elder Steward in charge of that region, though halfling High
Stewards are named by the joint consent of three other High
Stewards. There is no higher authority among halfling
Stewards than High Steward.
At 10th level, the Steward is eligible for appointment to Elder
Steward. This appointment is made directly by the Supreme
Steward. Elder Stewards are addressed as "beloved
master" and "beloved mistress".
The Supreme Steward is elected from among the Elder Stewards
upon the death of the previous Supreme Steward and is addressed as
"hallowed lord" or "hallowed lady".
Domains
Stewards of Omara may choose two of the
following domains: Family, Good, Healing, Home, Protection. The
Family domain is taken from (in slightly altered form) The
Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting, by Wizards
of the Coast. The Home domain is taken from The
Book of the Righteous, by Green
Ronin Publishing.
Family Domain
Granted Powers: Once per day, as
a free action, you may protect a number of creatures equal to your
Charisma modifier (minimum one creature) with a +4 dodge bonus to
AC. This supernatural ability lasts 1 round per level.
An affected creature loses this protection if it moves more than
10 ft. from you. You may affect yourself with this
ability.
Family Domain
Spells:
1.
Bless
6. Heroes' Feast
2. Shield
Other
7. Refuge
3. Helping
Hand
8. Protection from spells
4.
Sending
9. Foresight
5. Rary's Telepathic Bond
Home Domain
Granted Powers:
Once per day, you may
designate a location as "home" by lighting and tending a
hearth there. The area within a 30-ft. radius of the hearth
is considered to be hallowed, like the spell, in the following
ways: That area is guarded as if by magic circle against evil;
all Charisma checks to turn undead gain a +4 sacred bonus, and
Charisma checks to command undead suffer a -4 sacred penalty
(spell resistance does not apply to this effect). As soon as
the fire is out, the location is no longer considered
hallowed. A hearth may be anything from a campfire to a
full, stone hearth.
Home Domain
Spells:
1. Rope
Trick
6. Omara's [Mord.'s] Faithful
Hound
2. Omara's [Leomund's] Tiny
Hut
7. Guards and Wards
3. Omara's [Leomund's] Secure Shelter 8.
Omara's [Mord.'s] Magnificent Mansion
4. Omara's [Leomund's] Secret
Chest 9. Omara's Elysian
Palace
5. Hallow
Spells
The spells of the Stewards may be found here.
Alignments
Stewards of Omara may be lawful good, lawful neutral or neutral
good.
HOLY WARRIORS* - The
Hearthkeepers of Omara
Once upon a time there was an order of holy
warriors dedicated to the service of Omara. Never numerous,
the last Hearthkeepers were wiped out in the last century as the
Conorrian Empire was overrun with orcish armies. The brave
Hearthkeepers were often the last defenders of many smaller
villages and hearths and so died in the service of their
charges. The order was officially disbanded by the Supreme
Steward in 2735 and no Hearthkeepers have been seen since.
The Hearthkeepers were renowned in song and
story as happy warriors who defended small villages or righted the
wrongs done to the small folk.
PRESTIGE CLASSES
None.
* The Holy Warrior Class is derived from The Book of the
Righteous by Green Ronin
Publishing. Details can be found here.
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