NPCs · Mythic/ Historical · Religious
The Trapped Sea God
Slumbering within a prison of ice and snow, adrift in the oceans of the north, Gundrak dreams without end.
Gundrak, minor god of the Huska peoples, he whose domain once touched the border between rocky coast and vast sea, has long been forgotten. His great form floats upon the icy seas of the far north, encased in a shell of ice and snow, looking for all the world like another iceberg in the freezing waters of an inhospitable ocean.
In that far off time before his imprisonment, he was often cursed as aloof and uncaring by the Huska. Each winter saw fierce storms crossing his territory from ocean to land and causing great hardship for the primitive clans. Offerings to him went unheeded.
Retaliation came in the form of a visiting wizard of the south. He heard the pleas of the Huska and laid together a trap for the unkind god. With a song the wizard called forth Gundrak in a daze. With roaring winds and freezing hail did this wizard beat down Gundrak. With words of power did the wizard cause Gundrak to fall into a deep sleep, lost in a world of dreams. Ice grew from the waters of Gundrak's domain to encase his great form. Snow fell upon him, hiding his form from view. Mighty winds and waves drove the unwanted god from the shore and cast him adrift into the northern seas.
The Huska celebrated the wizard's success in saving them from an uncaring god. They drank to his health and heaped upon him all of their treasures.
Their celebrations came to an unhappy end, for without the intercessions of Gundrak, the sea dragons dragged themselves from the sea depths and onto the land where they laid waste to the Huska and their savior.
Ever since that time, the coast of the Huska peoples has been the dwelling place for the great serpents of the deeps, the incursions of which are a constant threat to the lands round about. It is said that only the release of Gundrak will save the land from this persistent threat.
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Nice twist at the end! I like that you made the god not only accessible, but helpless to some degree. The freeing of Gundrak would be a rather unique quest to send a party on, since it plays with the relationship that PCs normally have with deities.
Reminiscent of a reverse Cthulu, if that's a thing. An interesting concept, though I'd like to see some more detail. What are some hooks for in-game use? Who are these Huska folk? Etc.
And that is why you don't mess with the predators in an ecosystem.
Pretty harsh of the huska to arrange to imprison gundrak just because he didn't help them out, but then humankind isn't exactly known for rational decision making, and gundrak would make a good scapegoat. Anywho, a useful idea.
This is a great way to explain why gods do not meddle more in the affairs of man. They are busy.
Agreed with Dossta on the twist at the end. Overall, short and sweet.