Maevericki, the joyous god of all Halflings. The patron of music, wonder, festivity, joy, loyalty, wine, humility and friendship. The Lord of Joy. The Vintage Fool. The Humble Friend. He is one of the gods that was formulated within the Feywild, alongside Shelúne the Moonweaver and Pygmea the Wonderbringer.
His magical mask allows him to take any form, however. His favoured instrument, the Kantele of the Oldest, can conjure illusions and real matter and shape the emotions of those who listen to its sounds like they were moist clay.
Church of Maevericki
Worshippers
Followers of Maevericki are known for their brightly coloured outfits, and adorn themselves with trickster masks and baubles, buttons and even bells. They tend to wear laurel crowns with grape-vines, seen as sacred and blessed by their passing clergy. They are always known for having a smile on their lips, it is unheard of to find one with a frown.
Universally worshipped by all Halflings and is by far their favourite god. Not only is he the patron of the race, but they also love all aspects of his being.
His clerics often have a second occupation, such as vintners and entertainers in urban areas, or as minstrels, messengers, and jack-of-all-trades in rural areas. Wearing comfortable clothes, preferring browns, greens and blacks. Some wear an actual mask as their holy symbol, while others merely wear a signet or amulet inscribed with a drawing of a mask.
Orders
Temples & Shrines
His temples are sporadic, often decorated with brightly coloured ornaments and tapestries regularly used as locations for festivals.
Though he holds more commonly small shrines than actual temples; these can be found anywhere, in pubs, in den of thieves, and in the piles of stones at roadsides, carved with his symbol. Most faithful drop a small token of their esteem by the shrine: a few coins, a bit of tasty food, or a cup of wine. Many of his temples can be seen as converted inns or taverns, while some are theatres or actual thieves guilds. Services typically involve songs, feasts and much drinking.
His clergy are notorious for their joyous nature and upbeat demeanour, humility and their sense of humour. They try to see the positive aspects even in the most dire of situations and more often than not are proven right in the end.
Realm
He lives in the realm of Brightjoy within Arborea.
Divine Domains
Life - Nature - Trickery
Holy Books & Codes
Maevericki lacks a single holy book, but instead maintains hundreds of mutually contradictory collections of parables and songs. Any attempt to codify or reconcile these texts seems anathema to Maevericki's nature, which teaches that new things should be embraced and material things have little or short importance and intrinsic value.
Divine Symbol
Tenets of Faith
He abhors violence at celebrations, and will withhold his blessing from any celebration marred by it. The only weapons drawn at a festival must be ceremonial and never lead to bloodshed.
Dogma
Maevericki teaches his followers to delight in wine, to learn music, to seek out happiness, joy, entertainment and the company of others. He advises them to appreciate both the jokes they play and the jokes played on them. He teaches that misery is a poison to the soul, and that humility is one of the greatest virtues to uphold, as it realigns oneself to never think that they are too great or not equal to a friend or a foe, but accept themselves for who they are. He teaches his followers to avoid strict lives and regimented structure, routines are achievable, but to never be truly predictable. One of his greatest teachings is how to be a loyal friend, to take pride and joy from the friendships one makes in life and that they should never be squandered.
Divine Goals & Aspirations
Personal History
Maevericki was formed during the Great Founding, born through the essence of the Feywild in the great forests - and wandered for a great many years uncovering his talents and understanding his existence - but took joy in his shortcomings, his cheerful and brave wonder. His curiosity took him beyond the boundaries of the Feywild, and entered the mortal realm and found Aetheus. On his travels, he found Pygmea, and followed the shooting moonlight that was derived from the path of Shelúne, and was said to have travelled from a bridge of moonlight into the mortal realm. Here, Maevericki allied himself with the other taller and greater gods, and faced off against the great dangers and the antiphony of the gods, the Primordial Titans. His endless energy and cunning to overwhelm the Primordial Titans was essential in their defeat and to trick or lure them through his great singing voice and jibbing comments. It was one of his favourite moments in existence, the utter thrills of causing trouble to the biggest and largest foes in the world.
Maevericki had seen the other gods form their own creations, and liked to play the same game - and gave rise to the Halflings, returning to the Feywild and the Mortal plane to see both groups prosper. Much like the Gnomes and the Dwarves, they were shorter folk in comparison to humans, dragonborn, orcs and to elves. But the Halflings were weaker than most, but Maevericki taught them how to use their size to their advantage - to make others that would underestimate them regret it, because they would be gifted with things unlike any other race. Loyalty, friendship and humiliation. Loyalty to one another, and to family, but also to themselves, in that they can achieve whatever they wish if they persisted. Friendship, allowing one another to get along, learn, live and grow as a community and a family bigger than any other. Humiliation on the other hand, was a tricky concept, but allowed them to grow bigger than any other race. While the larger races were divided over power and magic, the Halflings lived life to the fullest in the way they wanted to, a simple and humble life - admitting to their mistakes, learning from them and growing as people. But, humility is deserved by all, that it reminds people of who they once were before power or magic - and it brings them down to the same level as everyone else.
He taught the Halflings that they possessed something that the other races did not: luck.
Halflings spread across the world due to their ceaseless and child-like curiosity. Taking pleasure in the small things, and few were as ambitious as humans. They have held a long and beloved tradition of home and family, putting themselves second to others. Having tightly-knit groups across the world, looking to their elders to guide them. They had a fondness for stories and legends, and thus possessed the greatest oral tradition in the world. Not only this, many held a strong appetite for food and drink, as well as narcotics and clothing. They were collectors, and loved to hold on to possessions won through skill and daring.
The Halflings were largely caught between the Dragons and Giants in their great war - and most were enslaved to them. For this, Maevericki could not abide - and he resented the two for their size in comparison, but would side with the Dragons after formulating a promise with the Metallic Olympiad to help them bring order to the world. From this, Maevericki began collecting many items through his adventurous journeys across the world to defeat the Giants - seeking the aid of other gods.
Most tales of his heroism are stories told to children that delight in his sense of mischief and trouble-making; tricking dragons, escaping from hordes of devils with bags of treasure - his greatest tale was how he snuck into Torog the Crawling Kings lair to save thousands of innocents and left him a vase of flowers and some erotically shaped chocolate candies.
One myth details how he made friends with the great and primal Gazenaroc, and would often delight in playing with the protector of beasts - giving good hospitality and generosity towards all his little creatures.
Physical Appearance
