Worldbuilding: Pantheon of Draconiquity, Part III - The Tower

  

Zanviola, Lady of Storms

The Pantheon of Draconiquity, Part III

Motif: Sea Serpent

Spiritual Weapon: Trident

Domains: Weather, Destruction, Sea , Travel

Core Beliefs: 

• Demand what you're owed, and do not accept compromise
• Enact vengeance towards those who cross you

Zanviola is the goddess of reckoning and vengeance. Her portfolio includes mastery over weather and the sea. She is often portrayed as a large sea serpent.

Followers

Zanviola regards those who practice her beliefs as her children, and her followers who subscribe to this idea refer to themselves as Zanviolites. Spellcasters devoted to her are masters of evocation and transmutation magic, and every member is required to learn how to swim. Many druids pledge themselves to her, as they often find that the best way to protect nature is to bring reckoning to those who would spoil it.

Rites

Zanviolites preach that water is the source of all life, as life cannot grow without it. They believe that the sea is Zanviola's gift to all living beings. For her sea-dwelling children, the sea is a domain she grants for them to live in; While for those who live on the surface, it is a place to provide fish them to feed upon, as well as a means to quickly travel between lands. Rain, on the other hand, is the blessing she provides to bring the gifts of the sea to those who live away from it. 

Zanviola delivers her boons without request, but they are not free; She expects her due payment from those who would benefit from her gifts of the sea, in prayers and tribute. Those who not pay their dues risk inviting the direct retribution from The Lady of Reckoning.

The clerics of Zanviola act as her direct agents for this purpose, demanding tributes and prayer from fishermen and sailors, and keeping tally on those that skirt their dues. Most seafaring folk won't question to pay these dues, as they rightly fear a visit from a member of the Stormlords. 

Temples

Every coastal settlement has some form of temple dedicated to Zanviola; The size of the temple is relative to the amount of ships that the city can dock. In some cases, the temples are big enough to host docks themselves. Many seafarers come to these temples and pay tribute in exchange for a consultation on the upcoming weather to determine the date when they next set sail; a service that many Zanviolites are happy to provide.

Many large farms prepare a shrine to Zanviola; though this is often only after a Zanviolite threatened to bring a drought to their crops if they refused. 

Temples of Zanviola are rare inside inland cities, but they can be expected if the location is prone to storms and tornadoes. For most inland cities, however, it is more likely to find a shrine to the Lady of Reckoning inside a hideout for the Wroth.

Organizations

The Wroth

The teachings of Zanviola can very often become a mantra of empowerment for the poor and forsaken, and The Wroth takes full advantage of that. This cult-like organization gathers those that have nothing to lose, and enamor them with the idea of bringing a reckoning to those in power who profit at the expense of many; like corrupt politicians, slave owners, or rich individuals with a history of exploiting their workers to death. 

Stormlords

Considered more as a folktale than an actual organization, the Stormlords are the primary reason that seafarers and farmers heed the Zanviolites and pay tribute to their goddess. Stories of ships that skirted their tribute payments and were never seen again are plenty; When sailors share the stories of how they were haunted by the ghosts of these long lost ships, it brings further credence to the Zanviolites' word.

Regardless of their reputation, the fact is that there is indeed an organization of individuals capable of summoning storms at will and making ships disappear without a trace. It is speculated that these are mostly composed of Sahagin, and perhaps other sea-dwellers. Nobody really knows what they're after, but the rumor is that, while a regular Zanviolite is incapable of weilding magics powerful enough to control the weather, there's a chance that they are in contact with a Stormlord that could be hired to perform the deed.