Nimbus

Nimbus
Gentle Rain; Soft Eyes; Upward-Looking

Symbol: A grey cloud with a silver lining and a four-pointed silver star at the center
Home Plane: Elyssium
Alignment: Neutral Good
Cleric Alignments: Lawful Good, Neutral Good, Chaotic Good, Neutral
Portfolio: Mercy, kindness, healing, life
Worshipers: Healers, those in need of mercy, good-aligned people
Domains: Air (Cloud), Good, Healing (Restoration, Resurrection), Ice, Renewal, Repose
Favored Weapon: Quarterstaff

Physical Description:
Nimbus is a tall and beautiful dragoness with soft, comforting-looking grey scales tinged with shimmering silver. Her eyes are large and blue and very expressive. Unlike many of the draconic deities, Nimbus usually has a humanoid, mammalian appearance to her otherwise draconic visage, so that her reptilian features are softened and made more sweet by her maternal features, which also more closely resembles the people who need her so much, bridging a gap that many might otherwise feel.

Description of Nature, Personality, and Dogma:
The nature of Nimbus is to give and to forgive and to love others as much as one loves oneself. Just as the gentle rains and softly-formed ice provide water to the thirsty ground with no thought of reward, so does Nimbus provide healing and comfort to those in need. This is also her dogma. Spreading mercy and peace wherever and whenever possible is the work of Nimbus and her followers, each doing their little part to help staunch some of the many wounds on the world. This dogma has also spread into common practice, and many people everywhere are known to show kindness towards others simply because they have been taught that it is the right thing to do, thanks to Nimbus' efforts. She does not require her followers to be pacifists (though many are), nor to be pushovers, but she does ask that they avoid causing offense whenever possible, and to patch up differences of opinion with others as soon as possible.

Nimbus' stance on the undead is the one significant exception to her usual rule of mercy. The undead, to Nimbus, are an abomination, a perversion of the natural process of life. Striking them down is a holy act for her clergy, and her temples regularly contain ample resources for putting the undead to final rest, often approaching the appearance of an armory, though these areas are kept separate and safely secured away from the rest of the temple.

Clergy, Places of Worship, Important Rituals, and Servitor Races:
Those who wish to serve Nimbus need only ask, even if it is only in their hearts, and have the strength and sincerity of purpose to truly want what they ask for, and to exercise it regularly, even when it is not convenient to do so. Clerics of Nimbus are very common in Therafim's more populated areas, and their distinct grey-and-silver robes make them welcome almost everywhere, even among groups of people who normally despise good-aligned beings, as Nimbus is a well-loved deity just about everywhere for her many acts of mercy.

Temples of Nimbus tend to be simple, tasteful structures, decorated in silver and grey so as to be soft on the eyes, with occasional statuary and other pleasant works of art, sparkling fountains, and picturesque gardens with fruit-bearing trees, all so as to make it clear that these places are intended for rest and refreshment. These major temples and her smaller shrines frequently double as charity houses, doling out food and other necessities to the poor and the needy, and also acting as central communication points to connect doctors and other healers with patients in need of their aid.

Nimbus has many minor holidays devoted to her, most of which are practiced by the majority of Therafim's inhabitants, good or evil or anything in between. Among these are the Hour of Rest, a period once a week when families and friends gather together, and simply enjoy each others' company; the Day of Giving, which takes place slightly after Bahamut's Festival holiday, and gives people an excuse to simply merge the two holy days into one extended holiday; and Brightmorn, a day early in spring, when everyone has feasts and children hunt for hidden eggs painted in many bright colors to celebrate the reawakening of the world to life once more, and the possibility of renewed life thanks to Nimbus.

History and Relations:
The secondborn of Bahamut and Tiamat, with only Paradox older than her, Nimbus has always been the most mature and caring of the gods, the most willing to sacrifice her personal interests for others. This was a good thing, because Bahamut and Tiamat, as concerned as they were and are with so many other matters, were only irregularly very good parents. Her presence has been constant throughout Therafim's history, a force of good and gentleness that tempers the evil and harshness that fills much of life. As such, Nimbus has had and continues to have relations with just about every other deity, good and evil, lawful and chaotic, and the neutral as well. Most deities, even evil ones, are actually favorably disposed towards Nimbus, and she regularly appears when the dead are judged by Hawl, Lydia, and Talus, acting as an advocate for mercy to temper Talus' cries for justice and Lydia's occasional whims. Nimbus has been the lover - and often still is - of a great many of the gods and a few mortal heroes (usually the doomed sort) as well, likely a result of her tendency to see the best in everyone as well as her desire to provide comfort to those in need.

The only exceptions to Nimbus' charity are the Morrigan and Grimrose. The Morrigan and Nimbus simply do not see eye to eye, and the Morrigan is one of the few gods that actually can get Nimbus angry. The other god who can get her angry is, as mentioned, Grimrose. Grimrose's casual attitude towards death, and especially towards the blight of undeath, disgusts Nimbus, an emotion made all the worse because she is often forced to work with him when someone is resurrected by her power, since such an act requires Grimrose's permission to take place. This permission is not terribly hard to obtain, but his manner infuriates Nimbus each time, making it hard for her to focus herself, which is part of why bringing back the dead to true and proper life can be such a demanding task: the trouble Nimbus feels dealing with Death incarnate bleeds over into clerics using such powerful divine magic. For his part, incidentally, Grimrose finds Nimbus to be a source of endless amusement, and especially how seriously she takes her missions of mercy.

Favored Offerings and Justifications for Direct Intervention:
Burning sweet-smelling candles dedicated to Nimbus is a typical way to honor this goddess. These candles are placed outdoors while inside of open-topped hoods, so that their smoke ascends upward without them being extinguished by wind. Acts of charity of all kinds are also highly appreciated forms of paying honor to Nimbus.

Nimbus only wishes she could do more. Requests for healing are what Nimbus most answers, and though she receives an immense number of requests for such intervention, she constantly works to keep up with the workload and help make the lives of mortals better where she can. However, since she also recognizes the peace that can come from death as a part of life, she also answers prayers to bring sweet, painless death to those whose lives are no longer tolerable.