Saradege, The Silence beneath the Still

Name:

Saradege, the secret below the still

Domains:

Secrets, Smugglers, and Snakes

Alignment:

Low

Story:

The story of Saradege is hidden, but his followers believe he has always been there, under the surface, hidden behind the scenes of the major events of the pantheon. Many stories talk about a hero or god coming to Saradege for advice, being either helped by his words or to foolishly discard it and suffer the terrible consequences.

Glyph:

Saradege’s glyph is a flat oval under two horizontal lines, representing what lies underneath the still grass, water, or ground

Appearance:

Saradege often appears as a local non-venomous snake, small and hard to notice. When less subtle means are needed, he appears as a thin young man with no facial or body hair, dressed in loose robes.

Theology:

Saradege’s faith is much like Agnosticism. The cults begin with a group of people who pray or offer worship in exchange for protection for their secret deeds or to uncover secrets. More serious members than read the first layer of theological texts and learn additional rites. There are twelve ‘official’ levels of involvement, with an additional five only provided by the God to his champions

Patronage:

Life as a champion of Saradege can be frustrating. While the pact is made after a short journey or quest, further communication from the god can be frustratingly obscure. Saradege prefers to shape situations around their champion instead of sending the champion directly to anything. That means a champion can never be certain if their actions are thier own or part of some complicated scheme of Saradege.

That doesn’t mean the relationship is not without its benefits. Saradege approves of anything done in secrecy and his followers often find themselves aided in a number of both lawful and unlawful activities that require not being noticed. Champions have been said even to be able to take on the shape of the small, hard-to-notice snakes the god favors

Temples dedicated to Saradege are rare and can only be accessed as recessed and isolated complexes far from civilization. Instead, most worship of Saradege is performed in minor cults raised around known smuggling groups or spies’ guilds.

Retirement:

Saradege doesn’t offer a retirement, per se. Champions often retire from the hired blade or smuggler lifestyle, but can find themselves furthering the ends of the cult at any time despite their efforts. Some do retire to teach spy schools, one of the few places where the symbols of Saradege can be displayed openly, at least behind closed doors.

Favors:

Saradege often takes a direct path to rewarding his champions, although none can be certain how many times the god intervenes to help them avoid the eyes of their enemies. Direct rewards are often discovered by his chosen as small gifts or abandoned-seeming items along the hidden parts of a path.

Antithesis:

Saradege is in natural opposition to Undra, who provides a more open approach to knowledge.