Gia

Matron of the Verdant Fold

Alias: The Shepherdess of Blossoms

Domain: Earth & Harvest

Power Level: Major Deity

Alignment: Neutral Good

Description:

Gia, Matron of the Verdant Fold, is the embodiment of the earth’s gentle abundance and steadfast protection. Born from the first furrow turned by mortal hands, she watches over commonfolk who till the soil and tend their flocks. Merciful and warmhearted, Gia offers shelter beneath her broad skirts of wildflowers and grants comfort to laborers at dusk. Her presence is felt in every rustling grain stalk and soft bleat of a lamb, reminding all that the land and its people form one family.

Physical Appearance:

She appears as a plump, round-bellied peasant woman clothed in a simple, humble woolen gown dyed to match fresh spring grass. Her rosy cheeks are framed by cascading curls threaded with daisies and bluebells. Often barefoot or shod in worn leather sandals, she carries a wicker basket brimming with flowers or a lambish sheep at her side, its fleece glowing with a faint emerald sheen under moonlight.

Lore:

According to Evermyst legend, Gia arose at the dawn of agriculture when the earth itself rebelled against neglect. She emerged where the first seed sprouted untended, her laughter scattering blossoms across barren fields. Shepherds first encountered her on mist-shrouded hills, finding their pastures fuller and their sheep gentler. Over generations, Gia’s followers built communal longhouses and barrows in her honor, weaving her name into every harvest song. Her divine touch manifests through mirages of spectral flocks that guard against predators and surprise droughts.

Dogmas:

• Protect every hand that toils in the soil

Reflects her merciful nature and dedication to safeguarding common folk and their work.

• Foster communal bonds as deep as oak roots

Inspired by her influence on followers as a guardian of community and family.

• Offer succor to the weary traveler and stranger

Embodying her merciful heart and belief in kindness beyond one’s fields.

Followers:

• Description

Followers of Gia are humble farmers, shepherds, harvesters, and midwives who gather in cooperative hamlets. They value shared labor, open feasting, and collective defense of their fields against blight and bandits.

• Types

Farmers, Shepherds, Harvesters, Midwives

• Communities

Communal farmsteads, thatched longhouses, kelp-bound river cottages

• Proficiency

Animal Handling, Nature checks related to soil and plant lore, Survival in pastoral environments

Follower Benefits:

• Type: Defensive Bonus (1x per day per 5 levels)

Benefit: Allies within 15 feet of the follower gain a +2 bonus to AC while in natural terrain.

Description: Gia’s protective aura infuses her followers, turning sheepfolds and hedgerows into bastions of defense.

Rituals:

• Name: Dance of the Verdant Offerings

Description: Each spring equinox, worshippers form a ring in newly plowed fields, weaving baskets of fresh blossoms overhead as they dance barefoot. With each step, sprouts and shoots push through the soil, symbolizing Gia’s blessing on the coming year.

• Name: Festival of the Enchanted Flock

Description: On the first full harvest moon, devotees carve small sheep effigies from butter and herbs, releasing them into bonfires while chanting Gia’s ancient names to summon spectral guardians against pests and misfortune.

Attributes:

• Clerical Attire

Simple woolen tunics dyed deep green, Linen aprons mottled with earth, Bare feet or sturdy leather sandals

• Common Worship Practices

Festivals celebrating sowing and reaping with communal feasts and fiddle music, Offering baskets of wildflowers or sheep’s milk at crossroads, Storytelling nights under lanterns sharing Gia’s merciful deeds

• Sacred Creatures

Sheep: gentle guardians whose bleats ward off harm, Earth Hares: their burrowing is seen as blessing roots to spread beneath the soil