A Field Guide to Stonehell Deities Vol.
Gentle Reader
Here is the rundown of the various deities, powers, and strange philosophies that appear in the halls of
Stonehell Dungeon. My own campaign world is rife with religions and cults, so these guys don‟t
necessarily make up any central pantheon. One of the beauties of using a giant prison filled with poor
saps from around the realm is that I can throw in any deity I want and have it make some sort of sense.
I think I got them all, but I may have missed one or two. I didn‟t quite realize how many references I
had to gods, goddesses, and religions in the dungeon until I put this together. To make reference easy,
I‟ve listed them by the level they‟re encountered on and provided a notation to what entry they can be
found on in the Stonehell book.
Outdoors
Level 0A
St. Ras, patron saint of duty and fidelity (#9; see also Special Dungeon Notes): St. Ras was a mortal
knight aesthetic who achieved apotheosis upon his death, a reward for his lifetime of diligence, duty,
and fidelity in all things. He now assists other mortals who seek to accomplish great tasks. He‟d be
considered a lawful neutral demi-power.
Level 0B & Supplement Two
Otrogg, King of Pests (#4 and “The Nest of Otrogg” from Buried Secrets): Otrogg is the lord of
unseemly vermin, pests, and other loathsome things that crawl. It is predominantly worshipped by
sentient vermin, but a small cult of human and demihumans pay homage to the King of Pests. This
worship is based on Otrogg‟s promise that a day will come when all insects and other invertebrates
will inherit the world and those humanoid that bow before the Pest Lord shall be granted dominion
over the surviving surface races. This congregation of humanoid servants is composed of beggars, the
mad, and other dregs of society. If you have Supplement Two, you‟ll see that the wolf cave on this level
(#4) serves at the entrance to an entire sublevel dedicated to Otrogg. Otrogg‟s a lesser deity at best, and
neutral evil in alignment.
The Dungeon
Level 1A
Chance, goddess of luck (#23; see also Special Dungeon Notes): Know as “Lady Luck,” Chance is the
goddess of fortune, both good and bad. A true neutral greater power, she‟s represented by the Wheel of
Fortune. Her colors are copper, red, and white, and services to her are held on the first day of the week
by worshippers looking to invoke her boon in the days ahead.
Samadi the Macabre Jester, minor god of morbid humor (#28): Samadi is either a demi-power or
quasi-power; sages simply just don‟t know. His cult is small and is comprised of those who realize that
life is a short, terrible joke with the worst punchline ever. They revere Samadi with a mix of grim
acceptance and jovial bacchanalia. Skulls, bones, and funerary accoutrements are common motifs in the
worship of the Macabre Jester. He‟d be considered chaotic neutral.
Lizard Statue (#30): While not a true chapel, this statue alludes to the entrapped power known as
K‟Taulut on Level Five. The statue was most likely erected by one of the more psychically-gifted
inmates who perceived K‟Taulut in his or her dreams.
Level 1B
The Duke of Bones, minor god of lesser undead (Special Dungeon Notes): The Duke of Bones is a
minor godling who rules over low-powered undead, mostly skeletons and zombies. It is his power that
brings them to life when animated by magic-users and other non-divine magics. He has no true
worshipers, but some adventurers do pay him homage by burning fresh bones (usually animal) before
venturing into ancient crypts or cemeteries. He‟s neutral with evil tendencies.
Sorcha, the Witch Bitch, goddess of murder, strife, and misery (#4): Sorcha is one of Death‟s two
daughters, and she represents violent death. In my campaign world, Death himself is not venerated
and is largely an unbiased accountant and tax collector for the cosmos. His daughter, Sorcha, takes the
place that the “god of death” normally does in fantasy campaigns. She‟s worshiped by all sorts of evil
individuals, and is especially loved by assassins, bloodthirsty warlords, and necromancers. Common
folks sometimes leave offerings to Sorcha in cemeteries to appease here. Her symbol is a dagger with a
skull pommel; her colors are black and silver, and her important rites are held on nights of the new
moon and during lunar eclipses.
St. Toad, god of batrachians (Features Key D): St. Toad is one aspect of the Cosmic Frog, an alien
power that seeks the dominance of his croaking brethren on all planes and planets. On other worlds, he
is known by the names of Tsathoggua, Wastri, or K‟Tehe the Destroyer. In my campaign world, he is
St. Toad. His followers believe that the world must be purified to receive his returning and set out to do
this cleansing by means of murder and horrific hybridization. His church has fallen into decline,
thrown into ruin by unknown causes. Despite this reduction, several of his churches (normally called
“fanes”) can be found in remote, marshy locales. See my short adventure “The Fane of St. Toad” for
more information on the croaking god and his followers.
Baal, duke of Hell (#9): Baal is a greater devil and has no true church in the world. He is usually
venerated by desperate men and women who‟ve turned to the powers of the Pit in order to obtain their
deepest desires. Baal requires terrible sacrifices of innocents before he grants the wishes of those who
invoke him, ensuring these desperate petitioners are truly and utterly damned.
Level 1C & Supplement Two
Chapel (#27 and Supplement Two): This chapel was a non-denominational worship space during
Stonehell‟s years as a prison. Any were free to petition their personal deities here. It does serve another
purpose: the secret entrance to the Sanctuary of Chthonia (see below)
Chthonia Trimorphia, lesser goddess of secret knowledge and the underworld (Supplement Two):
Chthonia Trimorphia is depicted as three women joined at their backs and facing outwards. Despite
her connection to the underworld, the goddess has a close connection to the moon, a place often
believed to be the repository of secret lore. Chthonia„s worshippers are all female, and the majority of
them are magic-users. These witches are divided into two groups: the Dextral Path, who are Lawful
and praise the goddess„ aspect of knowledge, and the Sinister Path, who are Chaotic and venerate her
as an underworld deity. The most common sacrifices to Chthonia Trimorphia are dogs, some of which
the goddess reanimates to serve her devotees. Klydessia often asks for living dogs as payment for her
services.
Level 1D:
Math, god of magic (#37): Math is a true neutral greater power whom through all magic flows. His
colors are black, gray, and silver, and he is represented by a single flame. His high rites are held during
eclipses (both lunar and solar) and on the equinoxes. Many religious scholars connect Math with the
famed magic-user of the same name from other planes of existence where the Celtic deities are
honored. See Deities and Demigods’ or Legends and Lore’s entry on “Math” for more details.
Level 2B:
Father Yg, god of serpents and secret evils (various areas, but see #26-#28): Father Yg is a lesser power
of lawful evil alignment. His worshipers are collectively known as the Children of Yg and this
congregation includes both the snakemen of the southern jungles and depraved, greedy humans in the
northern cities. His cult can be found wherever ambition exceeds morality, making it almost impossible
to destroy his Children completely. Every time the forces of good rise up and root out the followers of
the Father of Snakes, they return as soon as complacency again grips the land. All in all, they‟re a pretty
typical sword & sorcery snake cult.
Level2C
The All-Seeing Eye (#6): I have no idea what deity this chapel was intended for. I left it open for others to
develop as they wish. I should probably figure out whom or what has a three-lobed eye for the next
time somebody stumbles into this place.
The Burning Priest (#30): Although not stated, this priest and the whole religious compound around
him was dedicated to the Sovereign Church, a philosophy that believes humanity was granted a spark
of divine flame when they were created and they must do their best to nurture this holy flame within
their best because it will be the only light they have to guide them to salvation after they die. The
Sovereign Church is a generally harmless, if human-centric religion.
Vaughn, god of war (#42): Vaughn is a greater god who presides over battle in all its many forms. His
symbol is that of an ornate two-handed sword, bloodied and dented from use. His colors are steel, red,
and rust, and his rites are held on the anniversaries of major battles and before any conflict. He is
depicted as a blood-red haired and bearded man of extremely brawny build. I use the actor Brian
Blessed as a role model for him, and mix in a little bit of Destruction from Neil Gaiman‟s Sandman, if
that helps you get an idea of how I picture him.
Level 3A
Lughrin Worldshoulders, dwarven god of construction and architecture (#11): Lughrin is a lesser god
of lawful neutral bent. He is revered by all dwarves as the father of construction, architecture, mining,
and any other industry that involves the creation of spaces beneath the earth. When the dwarven
population of the prison arrived and assessed the situation they had been forced into, Lughrin was the
first deity they appealed to.
Level 3C
Sect of the Rampant Green (entire quadrant): The odd philosophy believed that vegetable life was the
purest form of life and deserved to rule over all lesser creatures sullied with bodies of blood and meat.
They tinkered with plants and crossbred many strange forms of greenery before they destroyed
themselves in a massive explosion. Sure this strange cult must have been completely destroyed?
Math (#18): see Level 1D
Ky, the Nature Mother (#30): This greater goddess is represented by an iris flower and her color is
forest green. As the embodiment of wild nature, Ky has dominion over plants and animals, although
domesticated plants are overseen by her son, Bloom, god of the fields. Ky is predominantly venerated
by druids and some rangers. There may be some connection between Ky and the Sumerian goddess,
Ki, but what that relationship may be remains uncertain. See Deities and Demigods or Legends and Lore
for more on Ki.
Level 4B
Burttah, ogre goddess of fecundity (#21): Burttah is a lesser goddess associated with the fertility of
ogres and is considered the major deity of the race amongst females of that species. Burttah gifts her
most devote followers with obesity, a sure sign they are up to the challenge of nourishing and
surviving the birth of ogre young. Her priestesses can brew a variety of semi-magical concoctions that
impart special prowess in the ogre that drinks them. Her image is that of a naked, obese, female ogre.
Level 4C
Pain, the Lady of Whips, greater goddess of agony (entire quadrant): Those who follow the Lady of
Whips believe that all mortals are born with diseased souls. The only way to cleanse one‟s essence of
these impurities is through pain, which scours the soul as the whip scourges the flesh. She is not a
popular deity, but she is a powerful one, and is worshiped by the most unlikely of souls. One can never
be certain who dons the leather mask of the Lady and readies a cat o‟ nine tails behind closed doors.
The Lady of Whips may be connected with or an aspect of the Finnish goddess, Loviatar. See Deities and
Demigods or Legends and Lore for more on Loviatar.
Level5A
K’Taulut (entire quadrant): Not a deity per se, K‟Taulut is an ancient spirit currently imprisoned in this
area of the dungeon. He has no worshippers and his power is reduced due to his partial incarceration
in the stele in area #9 of this level. Should he ever escape, his power would grow ten-fold and he‟d be
considered a godling at the very least.
Lughrin (area #18): See Level 3A above.
Level 5B
Father Yg (entire quadrant): See Level 2B above.
Level 5D
St. Kanatius, patron saint of miners (#8): A mortal man who once carved his way through a mountain
to rescue trapped miners, St. Kanatius reached them before perishing of exertion. He was promptly
awarded sainthood and have been revered by human miners ever since. He is typically depicted as a
burly man with a pick and a shovel.
That‟s all that appear for now. I‟ll be adding to their ranks with the next book and there is a few more
kicking around outside the dungeon. These include Mog the Spider god (an alien deity recently arrived
to the campaign world when one of his priests traveled here via magic gate); Hyrn the Horned Lord,
god of the hunt and deity of most rangers; Donblas, the god of law and truth (and stolen from Michael
Moorcock); and Iaestis, Father Moon. Three of the four have clerics in my home campaign, and we‟re
still fleshing them out. I can‟t remember if Iaestis gets a mention in Buried Secrets, but there might be a
note about him in the dungeon key for “Modnar‟s Cellar.” If you have that supplement, take a look in
that portion of the PDF.
