World of Jorda - Mythology

Berkna

Berkna has four avatars that she uses the guises of. The first is a young, beautiful maiden, the second is a young woman heavy with child, the third guise is of a nursing mother (this incarnation has so far, only appeared to women), and the last is of a kindly old grandmother. She almost always has an intricately carved staff decorated with beads and feathers with her. Her color is green and she is associated with many of the female animals especially cats of all kinds and falcons.

The people of the Isles see her as the goddess of fertility, childbirth, marriage, love and harmony. She has a large following of paladins, male and female, in her service who consider it their duty to defend the lives of children above all else.

New Aruk is highly intolerant of gods, whom they believe abandoned the people of Eron when divine assistance was most desperately needed, even so, there is a large following of Berkna there, represented mostly by women, midwives and nurses in particular.

The Great Lady is the highest goddess to the Almec and Frost Elves. She, along with The Great Lord (Balder) are given huge festivals during the four major rest periods in the year. She is seen as an embodiment of the earth and all animals are seen as her children. No god or goddess is as beloved by the tribes of New Aruk as The Great Lady.

In the Western Mountains she is revered as Madra, the great mother. Her aspects are the same (fertility, childbirth, marriage, love and harmony) though her following consists only of women.

The Elves of Eron consider Berkna their personal patron, recalling that it was she who breathed life into their race, though not recalling just how. In recent years, however, the Elves have felt themselves cut off from the Goddess; her ancient shrines are blocked by some unknown force, while Elven mothers continually fail to birth live female children. The situation is growing desperate. Soon, there will be few, if any, Elven women of childbirthing age. The Elves are sure that Berkna has not abandoned them; instead, they fear for her safety.

The patriarchal Had-Shirians have a great deal of respect for this goddess of motherhood, but her worship is limited to their women. Almost every wife has a small, personal shrine to Kari-Dral. It is a great honor to be the first wife to produce the family heir.

Peoples of The Swan Islands consider Berkna a minor goddess of fertility, though the rural farmers place far more importance on her.

Berkna grants her followers the following abilities and restrictions:

Armor: None
Weapons: Bludgeoning weapons, lasso, net
Charisma: 14 or higher
Alignment: Any good
Required Skill: Healing, Midwivery or Agriculture
Major Spheres: All, Animal, Charm, Creation, Healing, Necromantic, Summoning, Sun
Minor Spheres: Elemental, Plants

Priests of Berkna have the ability to turn undead as if they were three levels higher. She also grants special powers upon her most favored followers. These powers include: Bless Earth, Bless Union, Brink of Death, Proof against Undeath and, in rare instances, Irrevocable Finger of Death.

The World of Jorda