Leviathan

Leviathan
Entwining One; Jaws of the Deep; Monstro

Symbol: A coiled serpentine figure
Home Plane: The river Oceanus (runs through multiple planes)
Alignment: Neutral
Cleric Alignments: Any neutral
Portfolio: All deep waters, in the seas or on or under the land, and all the life that lives in them
Worshipers: Panoceana inhabitants (both surface and underwater), sailors, fishers, aquatic races, druids
Domains: Destruction, Knowledge, Protection, Scalykind, Strength, Water (Flotsam, Ice, Oceans)
Favored Weapon: Trident

Physical Description:
It is almost impossible for a mortal creature to even begin to comprehend the sheer size of Leviathan. The great Entwining One is a massive sea serpent of such immense proportions that no amount of metaphor or hyperbole could ever truly convey his magnitude accurately, so large that he can and in fact has encircled the world of Therafim several times over, though he seldom does so unless he intends direct intervention in some mortal matter, in which case the slightest shift of his entwining coils can cause tidal waves the world over. His scales are irridescent and shift colors to match his mood, either shining with the gold and silver of a bright sunny day, or the dazzling patterns of the rainbow, when Leviathan's mood is good, or turning dark and stormy in greens and blues and reds and angry purples when his ire is aroused or his sorrow inspired.

Description of Nature, Personality, and Dogma:
Leviathan, as befits an elemental force of such mighty dimensions, is a being of strong passions. He is not a creature of moderation, but instead shifts from extreme to extreme, though his great size in this case allows his mood swings to remain fairly easy to predict most of the time, provided that one knows how to read the signs. To Leviathan, all creatures of the water are sacred, and while he understands the need of many to draw on the almost limitless bounty of the sea for their livelihood, he expects all creatures to treat creatures of the water with respect and to take from the water only in moderation. Should any people of Therafim attempt any sort of large-scale fishing or whaling operation that might endanger the proper balance of the seas, or heavy pollutions end up dumped into the water because of the rising tides of civilization, then whatever people that caused such things to happen can expect to suffer great calamity in the near future, either as a result of the retribution of Leviathan's worshipers, or as a result of his direct intervention.

Clergy, Places of Worship, Important Rituals, and Servitor Races:
Most of the clergy of Leviathan are from the aquatic races, though a great many island-based peoples also draw his attention. Those who earn Leviathan's favor are drawn out into the open ocean by powerful currents, either while swimming or while in a watercraft of some sort, far away from anyone else. When they are alone, Leviathan sends a great sea beast to meet and speak with the prospective cleric and look into the acolyte's soul. If the potential cleric is found unworthy, because of some failing of devotion, they are lost at sea, never to be seen again. If they are found worthy, the currents will carry the new cleric back home safely.

While each culture has a different day on which they practice the ritual, the First Day of Fishing Season is an important holy day for Leviathan, and one that is observed by every people that fish, either for survival or recreation. On that day, the clerics of Leviathan bless the nets and boats and hooks and spears of the fishers about to go forth for Leviathan's favor while fishing, and the fishers in turn promise not to despoil the waters. There is a more rare but no less important ritual performed each time a whaling vessel sets forth, called the Whaling Sermon, which has similar elements and similar promises made by the whalers in exchange for safety and success on the condition that they do not overhunt the populations of whales, and which also begins with a long sermon performed by the chief priest of Leviathan in an area to encourage the whalers to perform their duties and live their lives with virtue, and to bless them so that their souls will not be lost to the pits of the Lower Planes should their bodies be lost at sea.

Of course, Leviathan is served by the leviathans that roam the seas of the world, each of them a lesser personification of his greatness and glory. Immense outsider megalodons and sea drakes also serve Leviathan with savage eagerness.

History and Relations:
Sprung directly from the fountain of life that feeds the River Oceanus, the River Styx, and also the Elemental Plane of Water itself, Leviathan is filled with raw, primal power. He sided with the gods in the primordial battle for Therafim quite early one, feeling that protecting the creatures of the water was far more important than any sense of freedom from responsibility, and achieved full godhood shortly thereafter, raised to that position through the intervention of Tiamat and Nimbus, one of the rare times when those two goddesses have ever agreed on anything.

Since he is the lord of a realm regarded by most gods as well as mortals as a resource to be exploted, Leviathan is not really on anyone's side, since, of course, they are not really on his side. Those few who he might consider friends, and who might call him friend, are generally separated from him due to their differences in living accomodations, since most terrestrial creatures cannot live for long beneath the water. Despite this, Leviathan is a dear friend and lover of Nimbus, and it is sometimes said during rainstorms that the two are making love in the skies. Leviathan is a partner and friend with Chekari (who, incidentally, is another of Nimbus' lovers), and these two frequently work together to accomplish their goals and maintain the waters of Therafim, both those above and also those below. Leviathan is also good friends with Yemaja, who he regards with kindly favor, while she regards him with respect, and the two often get advice from each other, her for how and when to be more aggressive, and him on when to be more gentle, or at least subtle (she also gives him advice on his love life). These two gods value their friendship highly, and so neither of them have dared to take their relationship anywhere else, for fear of losing what they already have. Leviathan is also in an ongoing and rather complicated relationship with Tiamat, who also has strong ties to the seas of Therafim, a relationship that is almost as complicated as the one Tiamat has with Bahamut himself.

Favored Offerings and Justifications for Direct Intervention:
Since Leviathan is the undisputed god of water and all that lives therein, he has very little need for offerings, since he already has access to the near-unlimited treasures of the sea itself. However, he does consider it a sacred act to hunt the great monsters of the deep, especially monsters such as kraken and giant squid. Offering one of these creatures to Leviathan after killing one in battle is considered one of the best sacrifices one can give. Leviathan is also willing to accept treasure, equivalent to about a thirtieth of a ship's total cargo capacity, as a fair offering to be dumped into the middle of the deepest available waters in exchange for safety while traveling. For good favor in fishing, he generally expects a fishing crew to release one in every thirty fish caught before it dies.

Being concerned with all matters relating to the living waters of Therafim, Leviathan is deeply concerned with the health of these waters, and is likely to directly intervene whenever the seas or their inhabitants are seriously threatened in some manner, either by pollution or overexploitation. Also, should one undersea faction seek to destroy another undersea race or species, either utterly or in especially large numbers, Leviathan will once again intervene. Frequently Leviathan intervenes by sending the leviathans to strike at offenders, causing immense destruction so as to preserve the balance of the waters. He may also stir up immense whirlpools that can consume whole fishing fleets, or make underwater volcanoes erupt to stop wars between underwater races, or raise up tsunamis to wash coastal communities clear, all allowing for a fresh start. Leviathan is not known for his subtlety in handling problems.