Nira

1. Core Identity

• Name: Nira (Ni-ra)

• Alignment: Neutral Good

• Portfolio: Agriculture, Domesticated Animals, Earth, and Fire.

• Status: God (Reports to Major God Thasa)

• Divine Realm: Terra Fervens (The Living Hearth)

• Gender / Form: Feminine. Nira is most often a calm, strong, and "earthy" woman, with warm brown skin and a peaceful smile. But when angered, her hair ignites, and her eyes glow like lava, revealing her "volcano" aspect.

2. Domains & Influence

• Primary Domains: Agriculture, Animals (Domestic), Earth, Fire (Volcanoes)

• Portfolio: Farmers, ranchers, herders, miners, and the land itself (the soil, the stone, the volcanic fire beneath it). She is the goddess of domesticated nature.

• Cleric Domains (5e): Nature & City

3. Symbolism & Depiction

• Holy Symbol: A crossed spear (for herding) and a sickle (for harvesting).

• Favored Weapon: Spear (herding) or Sickle (harvesting)

• Favored Colors: Earth-brown, harvest-gold, and lava-red.

• Sacred Animals / Plants: Cows, sheep, and all domesticated herd animals.

4. Dogma & Worship (The Core Beliefs)

• Core Dogma (The Philosophy): "The land is the mother of all. It is the soil for the harvest, the grass for the herd, and the stone for the city. It is peaceful and it provides. But do not mistake its peace for weakness. The land has a fire within it. Respect the land, care for your animals, and live in harmony, lest you wake the volcano."

• Tenets for Followers (The "Thou Shalt"s):

  • "Care for the land, and it will care for you. Rotate your crops and tend your herds."

  • "Build your city, but honor the earth it is built on."

  • "Be calm, be strong, be peaceable. But...

  • "...when moved to righteous anger, defend your home and your herd with the fire of the earth."

• Sins & Taboos (The "Thou Shalt Not"s):

  • "To abuse the land, to over-farm, or to salt the earth. This is a mortal sin."

  • "To mistreat your animals. They are a gift from Nira."

  • "To be needlessly destructive. A volcano is a last resort, not a first-strike."

  • "To forget the fire within. Do not be a doormat; have a core of strength."

5. Relationships

• Superiors: Thasa (Major God). Nira is Thasas "domestic" counterpart. Thasa is the wild animals and the forest; Nira is the domesticated animals and the field. She is the "balance" of nature and civilization.

• Subordinates: None (God tier).

• Counterparts:

  • Amini (God): Amini is the "when" (Seasons), Nira is the "where" (Earth) and "what" (Animals). They are the two primary agricultural gods and work in perfect harmony.

  • Reth (Major God): A rival. Reth is the "storm," Nira is the "earthquake." They are two "destructive" gods, but Niras destruction is (usually) a "Neutral Good" defense of her followers, while Reths is a "Lawful Evil" cleansing.

• Mortals: Worshipped by all "land-based" civilization: farmers, ranchers, herders, and even miners.

• Demigod Offspring:

  • Elvinia (City)

6. The Church & Clergy

• Name of the Church: The Hearth and Herd, Niras Shepherds.

• Worshipper Base: Farmers, herders, ranchers, and "city-builders."

• Clergy Structure: A simple, community-based structure. Priests are "Shepherds" (for animal-based communities) or "Tillers" (for farm-based ones).

• Temple Description: Temples are always built of "living earth"—adobe, stone, or in caves. They are always warm, and always have a large, central hearth with a "never-ending" fire.

• Holy Days:

  • The Calving/Lambing Day: The first day of spring when the new herds are born is a holy day of celebration.

  • The Day of the Long-Dormant: A day of remembrance for a time when Niras "fire" was unleashed to protect her followers, serving as a reminder of her hidden power.

7. History & Lore

• The Shepherds Fire: The core myth. A village of Niras followers was being attacked by raiders. They prayed to her, and she, in her peaceful aspect, did nothing. The raiders, emboldened, began to salt the fields and slaughter the herds for sport. Niras anger "woke," and she caused a fissure to open, spraying lava and swallowing the raiders, protecting her "herd." This myth teaches both peace and "righteous fury."

• Earth and Fire Temper: Nira is the goddess of earth and fire. She has a destructive side, known to force dormant volcanoes to erupt and fissures to open when angered, reflecting the necessary destructive cycle of the land.