Odeen, Goddess of Healing

[Female, Good]

The Goddess, Odeen, is known as the Mistress of the Healing Waters, and she represents the interests of all those who would prefer to care for those in need. Much like a flowing stream, her presence is calming and serene, never rushing to rash decisions or prone to impulsive actions like other deities. She is known also for her kindness and compassion for mortals, displaying genuine concern and deference to the “lesser” creatures of the universe in contrast to the behavior of most other gods.

Odeen appears as a beautiful human woman with pale skin in her mid-thirties. She has bright blue eyes that shimmer with the calm of still waters. She is most commonly seen in bright white robes with a deep blue outer vestment featuring divine symbols representing the flow of water and healing energies joining along the same stream of magic.

Odeen seeks to provide restoration and rejuvenation for all those who have been harmed unjustly. In this, she is sometimes not discriminating, being known to grant aid to unsavory individuals if the the end result works towards the greater good. Odeen expects small tithes from those who serve her, and less sacrifice from those who worship her. As a goddess of giving, the gesture of speaking a simple prayer over clean water before adding it to a shrine will ensure the prayer is received.

Portfolio: Healing Magic

Spheres: Good, Healing, Magic, and Water

Prospective clerics of Odeen are placed through a series of tests at a young age to determine their potential for calm decision making, benevolence and aptitude for wielding divine energy. As long as two out of the three requirements are met, the methods of divine tutelage practiced by the priests and priestesses of Odeen ensure the third will be acquired before the new acolyte’s ordination. In rare cases, some individuals who have accepted this path will be unwilling or unable to complete this phase of self improvement, and are eventually released from service with a generous gift of food, purified water, a substantial sum of money, and a written letter from the Cleric responsible for the decision explaining the choice in detail. This practice alone has garnered the Clerics of Odeen a reputation for being fair, compassionate, and honorable beyond reproach. It is has also ensured very few grudges against the church. Once an Acolyte completes their initial lessons, they are sent out into the world, accompanying a more experienced cleric on missions to gain practical knowledge and wisdom, as well as some experience in battle when necessary. This period makes up the bulk of their training, and is simultaneously the most memorable and dangerous time in a young cleric’s life. They are encouraged to explore the facets of communities they visit, good or evil, and offer aid without personal bias where it is needed (with only a few extreme acceptions). This ensures that all Clerics of Odeen remain open minded to an ever-changing world, making them better able to flow through whatever environment they find themselves in. This also ensure that they are able to promote the restorative doctrines of Odeen as much as possible.

Rites: The Rites of Odeen almost always involve the use of purified water as a symbol, a component, or both. Her spheres encompass the majority of creatures, and do not make distinctions based on wealth. For this reason, nearly all of the religious rites of this goddess contain cheap or otherwise easily acquired materials.

While most of these rituals relate to healing maladies such as diseases, injuries, wounds, and toxins, more than a few center around the cleansing of the spirit. Odeen’s followers, while not focused on redemption, believe that the healing properties of water extend to the corruption of the soul, should the receiver wish to be purified in earnest.

The rites themselves are typically carried out by an experienced cleric of Odeen, assisted by one or two acolytes, but sometimes a commoner with the desire to assist. The rituals are at their most powerful under serene conditions, near a large body of water. Very few clerics of Odeen will opt to perform large healing rituals without meeting at least one of these two conditions, as the risks of partial healing can sometimes do more harm than good.

Burial Rites: The followers of Odeen are given to the healing waters, so that their spirits may aid in the healing of the living. Odeen does not deal much with the restoration of life, but more the continuation of it. The river of mortality has many currents and ripples but ultimately flows in one direction, so when a soul reaches the end of its journey atop the waters, it is then released into the tides to strengthen Odeen’s magic for the benefit of all those who live. The ritual is simple. The body is placed on an altar basin filled with water, then held aloft by the presiding cleric. It is draped in a pure white cloth while the hymns of release are sang. As the songs come to a close, the body is released into the altar, the cloth remaining behind. The body is broken down into spiritual essence, and from the being’s heart a momento rune is formed and wrapped within the cloth. This is then given to the deceased’s closest loved one as a keepsake.

Tithe: Odeen does not ask for tithes from the poor, but gratefully accepts donations from those who are willing to give. An acceptable sacrifice is always determined by how much one has to give. For a peasant, it may be a single copper piece flipped into a fountain shrine along with a quick prayer, once a month. For a wealthy noble, a generous bounty of food, medical supplies, and clean drinking water that could be used to benefit the less fortunate is just as welcome as a substantial sum of currency. Regardless of what is expected, the amount is never more than someone would be willing to part with. High ranking members of Odeen’s following are expected to tithe half of their earnings from divine missions, but are allowed to keep the other half for themselves, as well as any other riches they should acquire along their journeys. However, devout clerics of Odeen will often give half of everything they acquire to their deity’s cause, otherwise they would not have been selected to receive the divine connection in the first place.

Benefits: The powers granted to a priest or priestess of Odeen gift them with mastery over healing the wounds of others, preventing acts of evil, and mastery over water as well as the creatures connected to it. At the highest echelons of power, mighty clerics find the ability to restore injuries long since taken, regenerating limbs or miraculously undoing incredible trauma in the blink of an eye. If they are following her interests, forces of evil will find it extremely difficult to interrupt the work of her children. They also gain access to aid from other members of the church, brothers and sisters that are always willing to lend aid when a situation too large to heal with one’s own hands arises.

Followers and clergy alike have regular access to clean drinking water and food that can be found within the ocean. Such resources are freely given with little or no cost to the receiver, so it is not surprising that many commoners choose to worship the Goddess of healing waters. Those who regularly worship Odeen never take ill, and are regularly infused with good health.

Odeen does not, however, provide much in the way of wealth or personal gain. This is rarely an issue, however, for the necessities of life are provided in abundance to those who remain true.

Relationships with other Gods: Both Myst and Kalu stand as friends of Odeen in one form or another. While Myst is more focused on the aspects of water and water creatures, he still believes in the abundance of life, and the two have complimented each other for aeons. Kalu is much more similar to Odeen in terms of temperament, but not so much in terms of the preservation of life. However, since Kalu’s prime concern is love and friendship, the continuation of life often best serves her goals. In this sense the two get along well, and have an unspoken bond of mutual love for each other. Unsurprisingly, directly opposing Odeen are most often gods within the realm of Fire, the very destructive nature of their being practically demanding they stand apart from the goddess of water and healing. However, on occasion Soot has managed to act as a mediator between the two, as he seeks peace and understanding in all things.

The primary faction of Odeen’s church resides within Condention, and in most cases, all other followers of the goddess view Mother Ahuela as a mecca of sorts. Healers typically begin their training in this place, and then are sent out into the world to offer aid to people that need it. An offchute of the main group, Lomino, exists on a continent far to the east, removed from the more western located headquarters. It began with an expedition across the sea to foreign lands, led by a hopeful high priest named Anthus. Regrettably, the journey cost him the lives of many great allies, and while the priest was powerful in his connection to Odeen, the trip took them through the desert, a domain of Sythe. When he at last escaped the fire god’s hateful eye, he settled near a small oasis inhabited by a small populace. His presence there extended the reach of the oasis into a large city built from clay, a resource that Odeen was able to create in abundance for her loyal follower.